Confession

Mirajane lay obediently in bed, the blanket pulled up to her chin, revealing only her little face. Her eyes sparkled like two stars as she looked expectantly at Riyao.

Riyao lay on his side, supporting his head with one hand, and gently brushing away the stray hairs from Mirajane's forehead with the other, his fingertips tracing her cheek, his tone unusually serious.

"What I'm about to say, you can't tell anyone else."

"Yes, yes, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Mirajane nodded solemnly, extended her little finger, and Riyao smiled as he hooked her finger with his and shook it twice.

Riyao embraced Mirajane, letting her lean against his chest, and began to recount his origins, only giving a general outline.

It doesn't talk about the other world, or how I came to be in this world; of course, it doesn't mention anything about the anime.

There's already a precedent, so I won't be any different.

As Mirajane listened, her body grew increasingly stiff, her wide eyes shifting from surprise to shock, then to blankness, her brain completely shutting down.

"Huh?! He's so much older than me."

Mirajane's voice rose a half-octave, his mouth opened into an "O" shape, and his finger poked at Riyao's chest.

"Uh... this isn't the right thing to focus on, you won't dislike me, will you? Waaah..."

Riyao put on a pitiful look, but the corners of his mouth were secretly curling up.

Mirajane snuggled Riyao, burying her face in his chest and chuckling softly. The laughter, tinged with a hint of coquettishness, came from her chest.

"Don't mind, don't mind. Tell me more about your world. Is there magic there? Are there dragons? How do people live there?"

Riyao continued to tell Mirajane about the original world, from technology to culture, from that damned 8 a. m. to that damned thesis, picking out the interesting parts.

Mirajane listened intently, occasionally exclaiming in amazement and pressing for details. The two became increasingly engrossed in their conversation, completely losing track of time.

This lecture lasted all night.

The sky outside the window changed from pitch black to deep blue, then from deep blue to light gray, and finally the morning light peeked in through the gap in the curtains, shining on the faces of two people with dark circles under their eyes.

"Ha~" x2

They both yawned at the same time, looked at each other, and then laughed simultaneously.

"I'm not going to the guild today, I'm so sleepy."

Riyao's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper being rubbed against his skin.

"I think so too, go to sleep."

Mirajane shrank deeper into the blankets, finding a comfortable position to snuggle in Riyao's arms.

Riyao felt like he'd forgotten something, but then he turned around and fell asleep holding the sweet and soft Mirajane in his arms. Nothing was more important than the person in his arms.

Under the Parasol Tree, Wendy sat on a stone bench, looking at the scroll with a slight frown and pursed lips. Every now and then, she would gesture with her fingers in the air, trying to understand the magical flow on the scroll.

Wendy looked up at the tightly closed curtains of the main building of the manor, feeling somewhat anxious.

"Why isn't Riyao up yet?"

Carla took a sip of black tea, holding the teacup with her little paws, her posture elegant.

"Hmph, I saw their room light was still on when I woke up this morning. I doubt they'll be able to get out of bed today. The adult world is too complicated."

Carla's tone was disdainful.

Wendy sighed and continued looking at the scroll, deciding to learn on her own first rather than Riyao to teach her everything.

Erza entered the manor with brisk steps, her armor gleaming metallically in the morning light. She immediately spotted Wendy sitting under the Parasol Tree.

"Huh? Where's Mira?"

"Mira and Riyao are still sleeping," Wendy replied obediently.

"That's perfect, I'll go pick some strawberries."

Erza's eyes lit up. She activated her Requip Magic, and her armor instantly vanished, replaced by a farmer's outfit of a straw hat and floral apron. She also carried a bamboo basket and walked briskly towards the orchard, humming a little tune.

Carla sighed and complained.

"Sigh, this is blatant theft, isn't it? They even changed their clothes. They must have done this a lot."

After a while, Natsu and Happy led Lucy into the manor. Natsu swaggered ahead, sniffing the fruity scent in the air, while Happy flew above him, fluttering his little wings.

Happy flew excitedly to Carla's side and grinned as he approached her.

"Good morning, Carla!"

Carla turned her head and snorted, flicking her tail, but her ears twitched slightly.

Natsu casually looked around, his gaze finally settling on the direction of the orchard.

"Is Riyao still sleeping?"

Wendy nodded obediently.

They're still sleeping.

"Great! I'm broke for food, I've come over for some fruit!"

Natsu's eyes lit up, and he grabbed Happy and rushed towards the orchard, even greeting Erza as they passed by.

"Oh, Erza's here too."

Erza crouched in the strawberry patch, her straw hat covering half her face, a strawberry dangling from her mouth, her basket already half full. She nodded to Natsu, gave a mumbled reply, and continued picking.

Lucy watched this scene speechlessly, and finally couldn't help but complain.

"He's treating Riyao's manor like a buffet. He seems so adept at it, he just started eating without even asking a question."

Gildarts strode into the manor, his voice booming like thunder.

"Where's Riyao? We've run out of bath potion!"

Wendy quickly put her index finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, her little face tense as she looked towards the main building.

"Shh! Riyao is still sleeping, keep your voice down."

Gildarts scratched his head and lowered his voice sheepishly.

Then, seeing Natsu enjoying a hearty meal in the orchard, his eyes lit up, and he joined in, eating the self-service fruit. He casually picked an apple from a tree, took a bite, and commented, "Still so delicious."

After a while, Makarov and Cana sneaked into the manor.

The two walked one after the other, their steps as light as cats. Makarov looked around to make sure Riyao was not there, while Cana headed straight for the wine cellar. The two worked together seamlessly, clearly not for the first time.

Lucy, seeing the two acting suspiciously, covered her face and complained.

"I feel like the guild is beyond saving; the guild leader is leading the way in stealing alcohol."

Carla sipped her black tea, shaking her head and sighing.

"Who can argue with that?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Juvia walked into the manor with light steps, his cheeks slightly flushed, and his hands clasped in front of his chest.

"Where is Lord Riyao? Juvia needs to speak with him."

Lucy saw through Juvia's intentions at a glance, and a mischievous smile crept onto her lips.

"Juvia must be here to buy Gray's photos from Riyao."

"Rival in love~"

Juvia instantly switched modes, staring intently at Lucy, her eyes deep and misty, with moisture surrounding her.

Lucy closed her eyes as if she hadn't seen anything, picked up her teacup, and slowly took a sip.

Ur led Gray into the manor. Gray had his hands in his pockets and looked sullen, but his clothes were neatly arranged. It seemed that his habit of taking off his clothes had been somewhat restrained in front of Ur.

Ur sighed in disappointment.

"Hey, is Riyao still not awake? I was hoping to get some help from him to maintain my health today."

Gray curled his lip, his tone disdainful.

"That bastard is so lazy, he just likes to stay in that infirmary. Today he's just staying home."

Juvia saw Gray and immediately ran over to him.

"Lord Gray, are you here to see Juvia?"

Gray was speechless.

Levy led Gajeel into the manor, holding a notebook Levy her hand, seemingly writing something down.

"Is it so lively today? Everyone's here."

Gajeel looked around, touching and tapping here and there. He tapped the stone pillars of the manor with his knuckles and kicked the stone slabs on the ground with a look of disgust.

"That bastard's manor is nothing special. There's not even a piece of iron, just stone and wood. It's boring."

Lucy watched the scene unfold in the manor.

Natsu and Gildarts are eating fruit in the orchard, Erza is picking strawberries in peasant clothes, Makarov and Cana are stealing wine in the cellar, Juvia is clinging to Gray and won't let go, Gajeel is banging and knocking around everywhere, Wendy is looking at a scroll under a tree, Carla is drinking tea, Levy is taking notes.

Is this considered the guild's second base?

Lucy sighed helplessly, and found herself sitting down and pouring herself a cup of tea as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

As the sun dipped behind the western mountains, the orange-red sunset painted half the sky. Riyao groggily woke up and instinctively reached out to touch the side, only to find it empty.

"Mira ~" Riyao called out indistinctly, but there was no response.

Riyao stretched lazily, his posture extremely contorted, his joints cracking, and let out a big yawn before slowly getting up to wash up.

As soon as he stepped out the gate, he saw a group of people gathered under the Parasol Tree, with a table full of sumptuous dishes. The aroma wafted in the wind, making his stomach rumble.

"Good heavens, you bunch of bandits are here to rob me again."

Riyao crossed his arms and spoke with a disdainful tone, but his feet betrayed him as he walked toward the dining table.

Everyone gave an awkward laugh. Some lowered their heads and ate their rice, pretending not to hear. Some raised their glasses to cover up their misunderstanding. Others simply continued eating, completely ignoring Riyao's words.

Mirajane smiled and waved to the Riyao, patting the seat next to her. Her face was radiant with the soft glow of the sunset, making her look like a painting.

"Come quick, I made your favorite dish."

Riyao sat down next to Mirajane, enjoying his meal immensely. He ate with gusto, his mouth stuffed full, and glanced up at the sky with a dazed look.

What are those three idiots doing in the tree?

On the Parasol Tree, Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray were bound hand and foot with ropes, hanging side by side on a thick branch like three salted fish, about two meters above the ground. When the wind blew, the three of them swayed gently.

The three of them made a few muffled sounds, their mouths stuffed with cloth strips, unable to speak coherently. They could only desperately twist their bodies, trying to argue, but the sounds they made were all indistinct sobs.

Natsu kicked his legs desperately, like a fish that had been caught on a hook; Gajeel glared at the people below who were enjoying themselves, while Gray hung his head with a look of utter despair, having given up on struggling.

Mirajane chewed a bite of food, swallowed it, then looked up at the three people in the tree. His eyes immediately turned hostile, and a dangerous smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

"Those three actually dared to fight in the manor, trampling my carefully tended flowerbeds to smithereens. I hung them up and whipped them for a while. Do you want to whip them for a bit too?"

The three struggled even more fiercely. Natsu shook his head desperately, Gajeel writhed with wide eyes, and Gray closed his eyes, as if he had accepted his fate.

Riyao chewed on his food, glanced up at the three of them, then lowered his head to continue eating, his tone nonchalant.

"Forget it, I'm tired of smoking them."

Mirajane pointed at Gajeel with her chopsticks, a bright smile on her face.

"Isn't there a Gajeel? It's the new model, I haven't tried it yet."

Natsu and Gray fell silent instantly, like two puppets whose pause button had been pressed, motionless, afraid of arousing Riyao's interest, even their breathing became soft.

Gajeel's eyes widened. What did this mean? A new style? Was this some kind of cult sacrifice ritual?

He struggled desperately, the rope creaking against the tree branch, but it was tied so tightly that he showed no sign of breaking free.

Riyao waved his hand, picked up another piece of pork rib, and showed no interest in hitting anyone.

"Forget it, this is boring. Food tastes better."

Gajeel breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease, but then the aroma of vegetables wafting up from below made his stomach rumble loudly, so loudly that the whole tree could hear it.

The crowd below enjoyed the delicious food, chatting and laughing, clinking glasses and having a great time. The three people in the tree were so tempted that their mouths were watering, and saliva dripped down their chins.

Natsu stared longingly as Riyao gnawed on a rib, his eyes wide, whimpering like a caged puppy watching its owner eat meat.

Gray turned his head away, trying to resist the temptation with willpower, but the aroma that wafted into his nose made his resolve crumble in an instant, and he secretly turned his head back to stare at the dishes on the table.

Gajeel was the worst off. He had never eaten at the Riyao Manor before and didn't know it was so delicious. His stomach was growling louder than the other two's, and his face was filled with resentment and longing.

Mirajane looked up at the three pitiful-looking people, smiled broadly, picked up a piece of braised pork, and began to eat it slowly, deliberately making satisfied sounds of praise.

"Mmm~ The braised pork is really delicious today."

The three people in the tree let out a Despair sob.