Faced with this formation, Jun Hao knew he had no choice but to temporarily accept his fate.
Thus, his gaze fell upon the modified stargazy pie sitting on the dining table.
The fish heads were still present, yet they no longer radiated the eerie glow of someone dying with their eyes wide open.
Taste aside, its appearance had at least improved dramatically.
Unfortunately, Jun Hao wasn't in the mood to praise their efforts. His entire focus remained on his precarious Harmony Level.
He slowly lifted his head, locking eyes with Scylla, who stood at the very front. Her eyes were gentle as water, as if whispering, 'Master, please taste our sincerity.'
Behind her, Sirius and Dido wore matching expressions of longing, silently pleading, 'My honourable Master will surely recognize our results.'
Such naked expectation placed an invisible weight on Jun Hao's shoulders.
He knew this pie was not merely a way to keep him here but also a heartfelt offering filled with their emotions. To refuse it would be no different from rejecting their feelings.
'Honestly, they always know exactly how to aim for my weak spots,' he thought with a sigh of resignation.
Jun Hao picked up the napkin already set on the table and elegantly spread it across his lap.
Then, he grasped the knife and fork. The moment his movements flowed with practiced grace, the three maids' eyes sparkled.
Scylla, in particular, revealed a confident smile, carrying an air reminiscent of Belfast's absolute control.
'Just as the Head Maid said. Our Master is far too gentle to refuse our requests.'
Jun Hao's knife hovered briefly over the pie crust before he carefully avoided the fish head and sliced off a small portion.
This time, he noticed the difference immediately. The crust was noticeably crispier than before.
He took a bite, and as expected, the taste had improved significantly.
'To transform a dark cuisine to this degree... they must have worked incredibly hard,' he thought.
"Mm, not bad," Jun Hao said after swallowing.
He dabbed the corner of his mouth with the napkin and delivered his honest assessment.
"The stargazy pie has escaped the realm of dark cuisine. I can tell you've all worked diligently to refine it. Still, there's room for improvement before it becomes a proper delicacy. Keep up the good work."
That single acknowledgment lit up the maids' faces with pure delight.
"That's wonderful!" Dido cheered.
Earlier, she had felt anxious watching Jun Hao approach the crust, but now every trace of worry had melted away.
Scylla gazed at Jun Hao, her eyes swirling with conflicting emotions — satisfaction from her successful scheme, and a faint twinge of guilt.
In the end, she chose to follow her heart. She stepped forward and bowed deeply to Jun Hao.
"I'm sorry, Master. I took advantage of your kindness. Once everything is over, no matter how you wish to punish me, I will accept it without complaint."
Jun Hao watched her quietly, his expression devoid of anger. He gently set the knife and fork back in place and leaned against the chair in a relaxed posture.
His gaze was gentle, as if he were watching a child play a harmless prank.
"It's fine."
Though his voice wasn't loud, it carried clearly to everyone present.
"I've always believed that if I don't spoil my own wife, then what else am I supposed to do?"
"!"
Scylla's head snapped up, shock and disbelief flooding her expression.
She had prepared herself for all kinds of reactions from Jun Hao. Anger, helplessness, perhaps even cold indifference.
Yet she had never imagined he would respond with such a casual yet devastatingly effective deflection.
The word "wife" carried far too much destructive power for the Royal Maids.
No... it was just as lethal to every shipgirl in the entire port.
Her carefully maintained composure, modeled after Belfast's elegance, shattered in an instant.
At first, she thought Dido and Sirius simply had weak defenses that were easily broken by him. Now she realized that if she were in their place, she wouldn't have lasted any longer than they had.
She finally understood. When he approached them with that gentle, all-embracing demeanor, any defense became nothing more than a fragile facade.
Stay by his side long enough, and it would feel as though even your bones could soften and melt away.
'No! I can't give in so easily. The Head Maid is still fighting out there, so I must protect our Master, no matter what.'
Scylla patted her cheeks to regain a semblance of composure before responding with a smile.
"Hearing such tender words from you, Master, makes me very happy! However, if you're planning to break through my defenses with sweet talk, you should give up on that idea right now."
Jun Hao raised an eyebrow, studying her with interest.
"Oh? Then tell me, why are you so determined to keep me from reaching the entrance?"
Scylla paused for a moment, then smiled again.
"I can't share the details, but I can tell you this much: everything the Head Maid and the others are doing is for your sake, Master!"
She carefully chose her next words.
"Master, you might think of it as them waging a war against Miss New Jersey and her group. A war without gunpowder, yet sacred nonetheless."
At the mention of a smokeless sacred war, Jun Hao gave a bitter, knowing smile.
Just as he had suspected, the situation outside had already devolved into a shura field between multiple factions.
He refocused his attention on checking the Harmony Level.
[Harmony Level: 11/100.]
That number, which made his heart sink every time he saw it, remained unchanged.
The fact that it hadn't dropped meant Belfast's situation was still stable, with no further escalation.
Yet the fact that it hadn't risen meant they were locked in a complete stalemate, neither side gaining ground.
This fragile balance brought him no comfort. It felt like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark.
What should his next move be?
Jun Hao stood up from his seat and took a few steps forward. Scylla, Dido, and Sirius followed closely behind but did not attempt to stop him.
That genuinely surprised him.
"You're not going to stop me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
"Why would we stop you, Master? Technically speaking, you're free to move as you please."
Scylla gestured lightly, indicating that Jun Hao could act however he wished.
He simply couldn't approach the dormitory entrance or leave their sight.
Of course, if Jun Hao truly insisted on leaving, they wouldn't be able to refuse him as their maids. But just as Jun Hao placed his trust in them, they placed their trust in him as well.
They believed that Jun Hao would not deliberately make things difficult for them.
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Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
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