"So the Fuyukawas told you, huh?" Anathasia said, shaking her head before leaning back slightly, her smile widening.
"Or perhaps Roselia filled them in. Either works."
She shrugged, then looked at him again.
"Well, with that out of the way… I assume you already understand what this entails." She gestured vaguely toward me, then toward Carthanalenia, who appeared silently behind the couch.
Mr. Mingyuan's expression shifted at her sudden appearance, but only for a brief second before returning to composure.
"Of course," he replied calmly. "I am well aware of what it entails, Miss Dunaleff. Or Miss Outer God—"
"Dunaleff is fine. Miss Dunaleff, if you insist." She waved a hand dismissively. "That part isn't important."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Let's make something clear. I didn't force any of you. You and your daughter chose to align yourselves with us."
Mr. Mingyuan nodded, his expression steady.
"We are doing this of our own volition. You granted me another chance at life. It is only natural that I repay that debt."
Anathasia folded her arms.
"We don't require constant intervention. The Fuyukawas' level of involvement is sufficient. We won't ask for shares. Or money. Or revenue."
A brief pause.
"But we do require a buffer."
Mr. Mingyuan's brows drew together slightly.
"A buffer?"
"A buffer," she repeated calmly. "Think of it as safeguarding something the world is not meant to fully understand."
Her gaze sharpened just a fraction.
"To put it simply, the Li family will ensure that no one digs too deeply into us. No investigations. No leaks. No ambitious fools trying to unravel threads they shouldn't touch."
The air in the room grew subtly heavier.
"Because if something spirals beyond control…"
She tilted her head faintly.
"I may be forced to correct it."
A small sigh escaped her lips.
"And I'd rather not resort to something that excessive."
Her eyes met his.
"Understand?"
For a brief moment, both Mr. Mingyuan and Mei who had remained silent until now, went tense.
Which was understandable.
A second later, Mr. Mingyuan found his voice.
"I understand. The existence of Outer Gods walking among us will remain classified."
He inclined his head slightly.
"Is there anything else?"
Anathasia paused, glancing up at the ceiling as she gently poked her cheek in thought.
"Well… arriving with that many cars," she said, gesturing vaguely behind her, "and surrounding the entire house with men…"
She tilted her head.
"Did you consider the trouble we'd have to deal with? Especially the neighbors?"
Before I could react, she reached over and suddenly pinched my cheek.
"Ow—what the hell are you doing—?!"
"And his parents," she added casually. "I don't want them thinking he's involved in something shady."
She let go eventually.
"You didn't have to do that, idiot," I muttered under my breath.
"It was for emphasis," she replied, shooting me an innocent smile. "You know?"
I stared at her for a second before sighing.
Then Mr. Mingyuan spoke again.
"We can frame it as a scholarship. Or perhaps a private sponsorship from the Li Group."
His tone remained steady.
"We actively sponsor students internationally. That way, it would not raise suspicion."
Anathasia leaned back against the couch and pointed at him slightly.
"That. Exactly like that."
Mr. Mingyuan nodded once more.
"Well then…"
He rose to his feet and lowered his head slightly toward Anathasia.
"You have my gratitude."
And just like that, he and Mei left.
Not before leaving a gift behind.
The moment the door closed, the house felt noticeably lighter. The quiet hum of engines outside grew fainter, then disappeared entirely.
Carthanalenia walked over to the couch where they had been sitting and took a seat.
"That issue is taken care of…" she said.
Her form gradually shrank into that of a child as she rolled lazily across the cushions, her voice turning higher-pitched.
"Mom can finally finish her novels now, right?"
She shot Anathasia a sideways glance.
"Or does Mom want another chess rematch?"
Anathasia visibly flinched.
She quickly picked up her phone, scrolling through her home screen as if something urgent had appeared.
"I think I'm fine… chess isn't really my forte."
—
Despite her words…
"Oh, Mom almost had me," Carthanalenia said with a small smile.
She was now sitting on the floor across from Anathasia, whose jaw hung slightly slack.
Carthanalenia picked up her rook, twirling it between her fingers before placing it down, right along the clear path to Anathasia's king.
"But you forgot I had this."
Anathasia remained frozen.
"How did I lose again…?"
Leaning over, I stared at the board. I didn't really understand how chess worked. I just knew Anathasia got checkmated.
Again.
For the fourth time in the past hour.
"Looks like Carthanalenia keeps her five-win streak," I said.
Anathasia immediately turned toward me and shot me a glare.
I quickly averted my gaze.
"That said…" I looked back at the chessboard. Each piece was carved from what looked like high-quality wood. And considering it came from someone like Mr. Mingyuan…
"It definitely looks expensive…"
"It's around a hundred thousand dollars," Carthanalenia added casually.
She pulled out her phone and showed me the screen.
"Mr. Mingyuan mentioned it was crafted by a famous artisan. Apparently, there are actual gemstones embedded in some of the pieces."
She picked one up, turning it over in her hand, brows slightly furrowed.
"I can't really see them, though."
I froze.
Then slowly looked back at the board.
"This thing is… a hundred thousand dollars?"
"That was a rough estimate, Dad," Carthanalenia said, glancing at me. "It could easily be over two hundred."
"…Isn't that worse?"
"Wait," Anathasia cut in, picking up a pawn and inspecting it closely. "This entire set costs more than our place?"
"How does that even make sense??"
I glanced at her.
"Monumental value, maybe…? I'm not sure. But if I converted it right, this could be over eleven million pesos."
"The material, the craftsmanship, the skill involved," Carthanalenia added matter-of-factly. "That's what the search engine AI said."
Anathasia's eyes widened.
Very slowly, she placed the pawn back onto the board.
"This whole thing is worth twice the house…" she muttered.
She turned away, hugging her knees as she stared blankly at the floor.
"I don't think I'll be playing with that chess set again."
Carthanalenia calmly rearranged the pieces before closing the board.
"Mr. Mingyuan said he'd prefer if we used it, though…"
"Then why not just use it?" I said, watching as the chess set slowly floated toward an empty shelf on the mahogany cabinet by the living room wall. "Wasn't it made to be played?"
"That would work as well," Carthanalenia replied with a small smile. "By the way, Dad."
I looked up from Anathasia, who I'd been trying to coax back onto the couch.
"Hm?"
"I was thinking…" she tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "What if we cooked something different? Maybe birria tacos?"
"Birria tacos?"
"Birria tacos?!" Anathasia suddenly sprang up—
—and headbutted my chin as she shot upright.
I staggered back immediately, rubbing my jaw.
"What the hell are you doing…?"
Anathasia turned to me at once, panic flashing across her face.
"Sorry—I got too excited…" she said, gently rubbing my chin, her expression softening with concern.
"Yeah… I can see that…"
—
Fifteen minutes passed.
Carthanalenia and I finished prepping the ingredients, while Anathasia handled the tortillas.
"Alright." The lid of the pressure cooker locked itself into place. "Now we wait an hour."
Carthanalenia nodded beside me.
"I'll clean up," she said, glancing at Anathasia, who was finishing up on the other side of the counter. "Looks like Mom's almost done too."
I paused and looked at Carthanalenia, who could barely reach the cupboard in her child form.
"I'll wash the dishes," I suggested. "Maybe you can throw the pepper seeds and scraps in the trash?"
She gave me a brief look before smiling brightly.
"Okay then, Dad!"
The skins and seeds floated neatly into a plastic bag, sealing themselves before drifting toward her.
She hummed quietly as she walked outside to the trash bin while Anathasia finished with the tortillas and set them aside.
"I'm done."
She let out a small sigh and walked over to the sink to wash her hands.
"Thanks for your hard work," I said with a smile, gathering the plates and utensils from the counter and placing them in the sink.
"Mhm," she hummed, water running over her fingers. "It's what Carthanalenia asked for… this is the least I can do."
As I set the last dish down, my eyes drifted to her profile beside me. Hair falling softly around her face.
"You're already doing it," I said quietly.
"Being a better mother for her."