Meanwhile, Alice silently muttered to herself, 'But Sui is already like your son-in-law.' But she dared not say it aloud. If her mother, Leonora, found out her daughter was involved with Erina's boyfriend, things would surely escalate dramatically.
Everyone at the table continued enjoying lunch, showering praises on the two new dishes Sui had prepared. The Sakeyashi Fruit enhanced the meal, and the atmosphere remained lively.
The fruit sake soon colored the girls' faces a light red, making them appear even more charming.
Before long, Sui's Japanese grilled beef tongue and fried Potato Pork Cutlets were devoured completely. With no more food left, Sui had to return to the kitchen, fetching a fresh batch of beef tongue and potatoes, and making a few more dishes to satisfy everyone's appetites.
"Ah, we drank at noon. It might not be good if someone finds out," Erina suddenly realized, covering her lips in concern. Drinking underage in japan was strictly prohibited.
"Don't worry. As long as we keep it a secret, no one will know," Leonora reassured them with a playful smile, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol. She even winked, looking mischievous.
"Haha, Mom, you're so sneaky," Alice laughed in response.
Once the meal was over, the group cleaned up, bringing the remaining almond cabbage into the kitchen and planting new seeds, including the Tongdellion and Potato Pork Cutlets that Sui had brought.
Before leaving, Sui expressed his gratitude by gifting everyone some cabbage. He also gave Leonora some Tongdellions, knowing she had developed a fondness for beef tongue. Leonora was astonished to learn that the tender beef tongue she adored came from the flower of a unique plant.
After seeing everyone off, Sui returned to his apartment, carrying the dishes made from beef tongue, dandelions, potatoes, and pork chops. He wanted Tohru and Kanna to taste the new creations. As usual, whenever Sui had new ingredients, he would share them with the two dragons.
"Sui! Do you think I look good now?" Tohru suddenly appeared, twirling in front of him with anticipation in her eyes.
Sui blinked, taken aback. "Tohru… your clothes?"
Tohru had changed out of her usual maid uniform. Her old maid outfit was quite traditional, with a long skirt that reached her ankles. Now, her new outfit was a modern black-and-white maid uniform with a much shorter skirt, revealing her smooth, snow-white thighs.
"Do you like it? I changed it myself! How does it look?" Tohru asked excitedly.
"Yeah, it looks nice," Sui smiled and nodded. The new outfit was indeed more eye-catching. "You used your scales to transform it, right? What made you want to change your look?"
"I found a picture of it online! And there are more!" Tohru beamed, and with a snap, her outfit changed again—this time to a Gothic Lolita style.
However, the style didn't quite suit her tall frame. Sui thought it would probably look better on someone like Kanna. Tohru continued to shift through different maid styles until, suddenly, all her clothes vanished, leaving only an apron.
"Huh?" Sui blinked in surprise, nearly choking at the sight.
With a coy smile, Tohru asked, "Sui, do you like this style?"
Sui cleared his throat. "Um, Tohru... Maybe save this one for the evenings."
"Understood!" Tohru immediately stood at attention and nodded seriously, as if receiving an order.
Sui handed the food to both Tohru and Kanna, and the dragons enjoyed their meal thoroughly.
---
Later that Night
"Erina, let's take another bath together tonight. You seemed like you caught a cold, so we won't stay in too long this time," Sui said as he began undressing.
"Hmm…" Erina hesitated, nervously fiddling with the hem of her clothes, looking like she wanted to say something but was too embarrassed to speak.
"What is it? You've been acting strange," Sui glanced at her sideways, confused by her behavior.
"W-Well, actually, I…" Erina's face turned crimson, and after a few moments of silence, she still hadn't spoken.
Sui sighed, feeling exasperated. "Erina, just tell me what's on your mind already!"
Blushing even deeper, Erina finally spoke in a shy, hesitant voice. "I think... maybe we should start using some... protection."
"Protection?" Sui blinked, momentarily stunned.
Erina nodded, avoiding his gaze. "I've been thinking... it's not exactly safe. We're still in school, and we'll only be second years next year. If we're not careful..."
Her face was so red, it looked like she could bleed from sheer embarrassment. Earlier, Hisako had explained the matter to her, with her face equally flushed. Though Japanese schools had sex education, Erina, being the heiress of Totsuki Academy, was too busy with her culinary training to ever attend.
So, after learning about it from Hisako, Erina became anxious. 'What if I really end up having a baby? I'm not ready for that yet!'
Sui couldn't help but chuckle. "Erina, wasn't it always your dream to become a mother?"
"Well, yes… but we're still a bit young. I'd prefer to wait until after graduation," Erina shyly admitted.
Sui suddenly remembered that when he and Alice were together, they hadn't exactly been careful either. 'What if something happens by accident?' The thought made him feel guilty, and he silently vowed to be more cautious next time.
"Alright, we'll take precautions," he reassured her.
Erina let out a sigh of relief, then curiously asked, "By the way, what are those... protective measures exactly?"
Sui blinked, surprised. "Wait, Erina... don't you know?"
She shook her head bashfully. "N-No, I don't."
Sui nearly spat out in disbelief. He had always assumed this tsundere girl knew about such things. Who would have thought she was a complete novice?
"Hisako didn't explain it properly… she just said that if you don't take precautions, it's easy to... have a baby," Erina confessed, blushing even harder.
Sui was speechless. 'So, even Hisako was too embarrassed to explain it properly?' He realized that either of them probably didn't know what a real condom was.