Becoming Aozaki Touko's Life

Kayneth also turned and stared intently at Lidell. Although he said nothing, it was clear he didn't quite believe that Touko would get married.

After all, Touko Aozaki was such a proud and confident girl. How could she possibly marry so easily? Unless her partner was a genius magus researcher like himself, then it might be possible for Touko Aozaki to fall for him…

"Who said Touko got married?"

Mel-Lydele Archleot smiled slyly and said, "Touko married a wife. She's living in my Western-style mansion right now. She's a very beautiful lady!"

As her words fell, the room fell into a brief silence.

"...May I know this lady's name?"

Kayneth's brow relaxed slightly as he asked indifferently.

"Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's the daughter of a famous magus family."

Mel-Lydele Archleot answered, then her gaze swept over the reactions of the people present. She wondered if they would be incredulously shocked that Touko Aozaki would marry a woman, or if they would question her words to her face.

"Thank you, Miss Lidell."

Saying this, Kayneth turned and left without a second thought.

As for the others from the magus families, after a moment of thought, they all turned and left indifferently, as if this explosive news didn't concern them at all.

"...That's it?"

Lidell blinked her eyes, feeling that their reactions were a bit off. Shouldn't they be incredulous? At least they should have argued with her a little.

"Because there's no need to care."

A young man walked over and sat next to Lidell. He said mockingly, "In the end, the Einzbern are just a family of dolls. That lady is just a doll in their eyes. Marrying a doll is like playing house to them."

"Moreover, I'm starting to suspect that this so-called wife is just a shield that Touko Aozaki found to fend off these annoying flies."

Upon hearing this, Lidell opened her mouth, feeling unable to refute it. However, she recalled Illyasviel's gentle eyes, and she was definitely not a cold thing like a doll. But she had a way to counter it forcefully.

Because even she was starting to waver.

Meanwhile.

Not long after Touko Aozaki returned to the Western-style mansion, she saw her wife coming out of the kitchen wearing an apron. Her exquisite face was adorned with a gentle and joyful smile.

"Touko, welcome home."

"...I'm home."

Touko Aozaki responded naturally and looked at Illyasviel. Seeing her in a clean white chef's uniform, holding a spoon in her delicate hand, she had the air of a newlywed wife at home.

At this moment, without thinking, driven by impulse, she walked over and hugged Illyasviel, burying her head in her soft bosom and saying muffled, "My lovely wife, quickly let me replenish my gentle energy~"

"What's wrong, Touko?"

Illyasviel gently stroked Touko's long hair and asked curiously, "Did work not go smoothly?"

"It's not that it didn't go smoothly!"

Touko Aozaki said softly, "It's just that my lovely wife has a new look, and I couldn't wait to hug her."

Chapter Fifty-Eight: It's Time to Showcase My Cooking Skills

As night deepened.

A cold wind and snow blew outside.

Inside, it was indeed as warm as spring.

"...Alright, this is the last one."

Illyasviel placed an apple pie on the dining table, then clasped her hands together with an expectant smile. "Please taste it, everyone. This is the result of my recent training."

"...Culinary training?"

Looking at the food placed on the table, Touko Aozaki felt a little surprised. She hadn't expected Illyasviel to learn cooking. Back at the Einzbern, there were specialized homunculi responsible for that.

"That's right. This is for your secret training, Touko."

Illyasviel blinked her eyes, then personally served Touko Aozaki a bowl of meat soup and placed it in front of her. Her exquisite face flickered with anticipation.

Would the results of her secret training during this period be met with a satisfactory answer?

"Thank you~"

Touko Aozaki smiled gently, then scooped a spoonful with her spoon and tasted it somewhat cautiously. She had already secretly unlocked her third-tier Gene Lock, so whether it tasted good or bad, she would control her reaction within an appropriate range.

In the dining room, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Everyone present turned their gaze to Touko Aozaki, their expressions appearing somewhat nervous as they awaited Touko Aozaki's evaluation, as if they were waiting for a verdict.

Illyasviel had already nervously clasped her hands together in a praying gesture. She was praying that the dinner Touko Aozaki had personally prepared tonight would suit Touko Aozaki's taste.

Only then would her recent efforts in teaching Miss Illyasviel's cooking skills be meaningful.

"..."

Beo's delicate face was also solemn. Her small hands unconsciously caressed her stomach as she stared intently at Aozaki Touko, hoping for an answer.

During her time with the Einzberns, she had helped Illyasviel eat countless dishes, even to the point where she, a Phantasmal Beast, felt stuffed.

She had personally experienced the gentle woman's efforts with her own stomach.

Therefore, she genuinely hoped this woman would get a good result.

At the very least, she hoped she wouldn't be force-fed until she was stuffed again.

As for Lidell, Kohaku, and Hisui, though they didn't fully understand the situation, they could sense the heavy atmosphere.

After all, even the maids had clasped their hands in prayer, and that Phantasmal Beast had even widened its golden beastial eyes. It would be strange not to feel anything in such a situation.

In short... the atmosphere had suddenly ignited!

"..."

Aozaki Touko put down her spoon.

"—Is it delicious, Touko?"

Illyasviel asked somewhat nervously, while everyone else stared intently at Aozaki Touko, as if waiting for a judge's verdict.

(You're all staring at me, it's putting a lot of pressure on me!)

Aozaki Touko thought inwardly, then revealed a gentle and sincere smile:

"It's very delicious, my dear wife."

Yes, although this soup wasn't as good as what the Einzbern chef made, it was indeed very delicious for Aozaki Touko.

Hmm... if anyone dared to object, she would activate her third-tier Gene Lock and smash their head.

"Touko, I'm so glad you like it."

Illyasviel turned her nervous feelings into joy, her beautiful face breaking into a delighted smile.

Then, the tense atmosphere in the dining room suddenly relaxed. Illyasviel happily stood up and hugged Illyasviel, while Beo patted her stomach with an expression of relief.

Lidell and the Miko Futago also breathed a sigh of relief.

"You guys are being too dramatic, it's like you've won a great battle."

Seeing this, Aozaki Touko smiled helplessly. In truth, her palate wasn't picky; as long as the ingredients weren't unpalatable, she could generally swallow them.

Back when she was researching magic in Misaki City, she had eaten nothing but bread for a whole month.

If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't sustain herself that way and had to find ways to improve her diet, her standard meal while researching magic would still be bread.

Of course, this didn't mean she liked eating bread.

It was just that eating bread could greatly save time for her magic research.

If she was fast, it probably wouldn't take even a minute.

"... I feel like I've just finished a death match~"

At this moment, Lidell said with exhaustion, "And your Phantasmal Beast didn't even tone down its aura; it scared me so much I almost ran off to change my clothes again."

"..."

Beo, standing nearby, widened her eyes innocently. What nonsense was this human spouting? She hadn't shown any aura at all.

"Uh... Beo didn't show any aura?"

Aozaki Touko smiled wryly. "I think you've developed a psychological shadow. You need to get closer to Beo to make it disappear."

"Is that so? I'll try my best."

Lidell glanced at the Miko Futago beside her. Seeing them looking as if nothing had happened, she understood that she probably had a lingering psychological shadow.

"Eat while it's hot."

Seeing this, Aozaki Touko smiled.

Chapter 59: Conversation of the Moonlit Maiden

The moon was high in the sky.

While most people in the mansion had already gone to sleep.

On the balcony, Lidell and Illyasviel stood side by side, admiring the moonlit snowscape.

After standing quietly for a while.

"..."

Lidell turned to the woman beside her and asked with a hint of curiosity, "Illyasviel, you're a homunculus, right?"

"Mm... that's right."

Illyasviel turned her head back and nodded with a smile. She had no intention of hiding this fact and frankly admitted that she was not a naturally born human.

"It's truly peculiar that Touko found a homunculus as a wife,"

Hearing this, Lidell shook her twin-tails and said with a sigh, "But it feels like no matter who it is, anyone who spends some time with you, Illyasviel, will easily be captivated by your charm."

"That's not true."

Illyasviel shook her head and said, "Touko didn't choose me because of that; she chose me from the very beginning."

"...From the beginning?"

Mel-Lydele Archleot blinked her eyes, thought for a moment, and then said with a strange tone, "Don't tell me you're a wife Touko specifically created?"

Even as she asked this, she felt it was highly possible. Based on her understanding of Aozaki Touko, it seemed entirely plausible that she would create a wife for herself...

"That's not it~"

Illyasviel shook her head with a smile, then explained, "It was not long after I emerged from the cultivation tank that Touko chose me as her wife."

"..."

Mel-Lydele Archleot flicked her twin tails, then said with a strange tone, "Isn't that essentially the same thing!"

"There is a difference."

Illyasviel firmly denied it and then said, "Well... the difference is that my birth has nothing to do with Touko."

She was determined to correct this point.

Because the relationship between a puppeteer and their creation is more akin to a father-child or mother-daughter relationship among humans.

However, for Illyasviel, as Touko's wife... this was something that absolutely needed to be corrected.

"...Hmm~"

Mel-Lydele Archleot shook her head, gazing at the moon in the sky. "This actually makes Touko's thoughts harder to understand. Is it because you're too beautiful, Illyasviel?"

"Thank you for the compliment~"

Illyasviel chuckled softly, then shook her head. "I don't think that's the reason. For the Einzbern, who have developed homunculus technology to its peak, every homunculus is basically in golden proportion. If it's purely about appearance, the difference isn't as significant as you might imagine."

"Did Touko ever tell you the reason?"