Nice! Lisanna! You're My Goddess!

"Dinner's ready~" As Mira pushed open the kitchen door, fragrant dishes were brought to the table. Ed and Elfman came over, while Lisanna had already set out the utensils and waited for everyone to sit down.

"Oh~ What's this? Beef stew?" Elfman asked Lisanna in confusion.

"Hmm? What's strange about beef stew?" Ed was curious too.

"Nothing, really. It's just that Sis usually prefers beef noodles, so beef stew is pretty rare," Elfman replied after stroking his chin and thinking for a moment.

"Hehe~ I made this especially for Ed~" Still as lively as ever, Lisanna smiled at Elfman and Ed. "Didn't you say you wanted beef, Ed? Ta-da~ Make sure you enjoy it properly!"

"Don't worry, I'll write a four-thousand-word review afterward!" Ed said with a serious expression.

"What nonsense are you two talking about? Sit down and eat already! And who said this was specially made for him? Don't talk nonsense, Lisanna!" Mira hurried out of the kitchen, sat beside the table, and urged everyone to start eating.

Seeing Mira grow increasingly flustered, even pretending to be angry to change the subject, Lisanna's sadistic... no, investigative curiosity was greatly stimulated.

"By the way, Ed, are you really going to write a four-thousand-word review after eating?" Lisanna brought up the topic at the table.

"Of course. Forget four thousand words this time—I could write four thousand words every day without any problem." Ed paused before continuing, "The question is, how can I eat Mira's cooking every day?" He smiled at Mira.

Mira caught the implication in Ed's words and lowered her head, trying to pretend she had not heard him like an ostrich. However, her reddening ears had already exposed her feelings.

"Wow... Ed, you're really bold." Lisanna felt like she had learned something, and seeing her sister blush only made her happier.

"If I weren't a little bold, I wouldn't get to eat this meal at all, right? And I'm thinking about the future too. I'm the kind of person who charges ahead if there are conditions, and creates them if there aren't!" Ed openly admitted his motives.

"Can you two just eat properly? That's enough! Why can't you learn from Elfman?!" Mira could no longer hold back. What does he mean, he likes me? He and Lisanna clearly get along so well... Wait, what am I thinking?! Calm down! Calm down, Mirajane!

Amid bursts of laughter and cheerful chatter, the meal gradually came to an end.

"Then I'll be heading back," Ed said as he stood and addressed the three of them.

"Good night, Ed~"

"Yeah, get home safely."

"Get going already!" The three gave entirely different replies.

"Aren't you going to walk me out?" Ed asked Mira with a smile.

"Huh? You're such a grown man. Can't you get home by yourself?"

"I just want to take another walk with you."

"!" Mira was left dazed by Ed's repeated straightforward attacks and did not know how to respond.

"Then go walk Ed out, Sis~" Lisanna gave her a helpful push.

Hearing Lisanna's words, Ed silently clenched his fist. Nice, Lisanna! You're my goddess!

Then Lisanna turned to Ed and said seriously, "Ed, after spending these past few days with you, Elfman and I don't oppose you pursuing our sister. But if you ever bully her, Elfman and I won't let you off."

"Don't worry. I'll stake my life on protecting Mira." Ed looked utterly serious as he clenched his right hand into a fist and pressed it firmly against his chest. "I swear on my heart."

"You two... Are you acting like I don't exist?!" Mira shoved Lisanna back inside, shut the door, then grabbed Ed and pulled him outside.

"What are you even talking about?! Bullying, protecting—what about my opinion?! I'm the one involved here!" Mira was dissatisfied that Ed and Lisanna had already assumed she would accept Ed's pursuit.

"Don't be angry, Mira." Ed quickly stepped up beside her. "I'm serious about this, so I have to seriously answer your brother and sister's questions too. I can't just brush them off."

"I haven't even agreed yet..." Mira muttered resentfully, puffing out her cheeks in displeasure at her little sister for selling out her own sister.

Ed smiled at that and continued, "You should be happy, Mira. Lisanna reacted that way because she wants you to find happiness. Otherwise, with how you were at first, you probably wouldn't have considered finding a partner before thinking about them, right?"

"You say that like you know me so well..." Mira's anger faded somewhat, though her cheeks remained puffed out.

"I got Elfman to tell me all about your past experiences~" Ed directly revealed his source of information.

"! Elfman! Just you wait!" Mira realized it was not only her little sister who had betrayed her, and she was even more upset.

"Seriously, Mira." Ed hurried ahead of her, turned around, and stopped in front of her. He gently took one of her hands. "I like you. Give me a chance to prove myself."

Seeing Ed's serious expression, Mira could not help recalling the two hugs they had shared after fighting Bloodhand. She lowered her head, her face quietly turning red.

With her little face flushed, Mira gave a slight nod. "Then... I'll... give you... a chance... But let me make this clear: this is a trial period. If I decide we're not suitable, I'll dump you without hesitation."

The sudden surprise nearly knocked Ed senseless. Excitedly, he pulled Mira into a hug. "Then please take good care of me from now on!"

"Mm... Please take good care of me too..." Mira shyly buried her head in Ed's chest and lightly hugged him back.

"!! Look, look! They're hugging again!" A strange voice suddenly came from behind them.

Mira jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and spun around.

Lisanna was staring excitedly at her and Ed, while Elfman behind Lisanna wore an odd smile as well.

Realizing that her sister had discovered they had been following them, Lisanna hurriedly grabbed Elfman and ran toward home.

"Li! San! Na!" Mira was completely enraged by her little traitorous sister. Just as she was about to chase after them, Ed hugged her again.

"Don't be angry. Lisanna is just worried about you." "! You pulled another surprise attack... By what you said before, you owe me a huge debt now..." Mira was still unaccustomed to being suddenly hugged by Ed, but she did not dislike it. She suddenly remembered what he had said when she had wanted to increase his pay.

"Mm-hmm. Once I pay off that debt, how about I use all my future quest rewards to pay off this new debt?" Ed gently rested against Mira's shoulder and whispered into her ear.

"You really got off easy..." The girl's blush surpassed every sweet word of love.