"...Star, you eat first."
Pellervy stood up. "Big sis has something to do."
"Huh? Then when will you be back?"
"...I'll have Bianka come pick you up."
Pellervy turned her head and looked at those women with no ambition beyond indulging themselves, her expression darkening.
Tch.
"?"
Star remained puzzled. She felt like Pellervy hadn't answered anything...
But Liu Bai had told her to listen to Pellervy... so it should be fine, right?
And after Pellervy left, wouldn't that mean she could...
(The silly grin on this girl's face was completely obvious at a glance.)
"!? "
Pellervy's gloomy gaze immediately scared Star into sitting properly.
"Tch." Pellervy wanted to say something, but she felt this child wouldn't think it through anyway.
...Forget it.
"Pell? Did you need something from me?"
"Father, do you have any more important tasks for me?" Pellervy got straight to the point, her words even somewhat blunt and cold.
—She couldn't help it. Pellervy had realized that if she didn't build up enough momentum, Liu Bai could easily lead her off track.
Her coldest period toward Liu Bai had long since passed.
"I think teaching Star is quite..."
"Don't change the subject. I'm talking about serious matters, Father. If it's just taking care of a child, anyone could do it, right? Or you could just find a married woman?"
"If I really found one, wouldn't you be unhappy again?"
"...By 'find,' I meant hire one! Not sleep with one!"
"Then just say 'mature woman' properly. When you say something like 'find a married woman,' of course the first thing people think of is that kind of thing."
...Why did that sound kind of reasonable?
"Don't say that kind of absurd nonsense." Pellervy held firm, doing her best not to let herself get led astray.