Oh no, oh no, oh no. Renz felt utterly defeated. He was embracing Erina in front of their daughter, and Erina's best friend had just witnessed it. What was this? This was a public execution! Holy moly.
While it's true that once a person loses their morals, they become invincible, and similarly, if one has no shame, they can walk proudly through the world, isn't shame a fundamental part of being human? What to do?
"Let go of him!" Hisako Arato exclaimed, sounding a bit frantic. "Hugging and embracing in front of a child, are you trying to corrupt them?"
Erina's sense of shame had long since exploded. How could she speak at this moment? She stared down at her toes. If Renz didn't speak up, Hisako might notice something amiss.
"No, Hisako, there's nothing wrong with me hugging my wife at home, is there?" Renz said, feigning surprise.
Shame? Die, you irrelevant concept. They were pretending to be a married couple living together; more awkward situations were bound to happen in the future. If he chickened out now, what would he do later?
"How can there be nothing wrong? Rina is only four! How can you two act like this all the time as parents?" Hisako grumbled. "Let go!"
Wait. Why did he smell jealousy? Renz felt a strong sense of envy radiating from her.
Could it be… This wasn't a public execution? It was a scene of catching someone in the act?! Renz's eyes narrowed slightly. Not only did he not release his embrace, but he held her even tighter. Although Renz knew that some things should be done in moderation, or Erina would hammer him afterward. But, while Erina was still recovering, he had to find a way to deal with Hisako.
And Erina? Her long eyelashes fluttered, and then her eyes silently closed.
Erina, you're really something. All the awkward situations are left for me to handle. You just close your eyes and wash your hands of everything, right? Renz was filled with the bitter resentment of a laborer. His brain working at high speed, he quickly thought on his feet.
"Erina isn't letting go! If she lets go, I'll definitely let go too."
Heh heh. Erina. You didn't expect this, did you? I've got this little trick up my sleeve, a sleight of hand. You don't want to face her, but you still have to. This move, Cosmic Shift, even I'm impressed with myself. What a clever little guy.
Erina now wished she could punch Renz twice. She closed her eyes because she was nervous, and she knew her acting wasn't good, fearing exposure. She hoped Renz could find a way to handle it alone. But who would have thought Renz would turn the problem back on her?
"Is it that I don't want to let go? Clearly, you don't want to let go!" Erina said, silently cursing idiot, idiot, idiot in her mind. She actually said such a shameful thing out loud. A merciless arrow shot through Hisako Arato's knee.
Renz was stunned. Damn. It truly was her. She could kick the ball right back.
Did he really have to endure Hisako Arato's gRenz alone? "Can you stop sulking?" Renz quickly shot a meaningful look at her.
Erina was exasperated and angry. Could this be called her sulking? The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. As a girl, she was already quite embarrassed in this situation, and Renz threw the problem entirely to her. How was she supposed to solve it?! I'll bite you to death!
Erina closed her eyes again, her silvery teeth slightly bared, and bit down on Renz's shoulder.
"Hey! You two, cut it out! Am I not even here?!" Hisako Arato finally exploded, even letting out a crude exclamation. Who the hell could endure this? Hugging and kissing, and the most crucial thing was that Hisako had already warned them, yet the two of them continued to display their affection as if she wasn't even there.
??? Is there something wrong with this world, or is something wrong with me?! No! You two are the ones with problems, aren't you?
Renz and Erina both pretended not to hear Hisako's voice. Erina bit through his clothes once. Seeing Renz loosen his grip, a flicker of guilt passed through her, and she released him. Still a bit angry about what Renz had said earlier, her voice was somewhat stiff and cold.
"Hisako, what were you saying just now?"
This tone, to Hisako's ears, was like a thunderclap on flat ground.
Oh no! Is the Young Lady angry? Hisako then reconsidered. This was the Nakiri family residence; she had no right to interfere with what others did. She took a deep breath and said with a wry smile, "Nothing. You two continue. After all, you're a family."
Sour. So sour.
What was going on with her? Erina couldn't understand the situation now, but Hisako's mood was clearly low, and it was truly difficult to clarify this matter. Forget it, she'd console her first.
"Hisako, we are the best of friends," Erina said, trying to use a gentle tone. After all, they were old friends from ten years ago; even if some things had changed, their habits with each other hadn't. A natural sense of closeness was born in Erina's heart.
"Renz is just a man I happened to take pity on," Erina glanced at Renz. Biting him wasn't enough to appease her anger; insulting him a bit made her feel better.
"Is that so?" Hisako's mood brightened.
So, you're the real Harem King? Renz really wanted to retort. Although Alice Nakiri often tried to mess with Erina, she secretly cared deeply about Erina's life. This Hisako Arato, on the other hand, was outright jealous.
As a thoroughly straight man, Renz could smell the jealousy from afar. If Erina were male, with her family background, culinary talent, and looks, she would absolutely be the leading young master of a prestigious family.
"Oh, right, I forgot to get to the main topic. Um... tomorrow, I'm a judge for the first round," Hisako shifted the conversation to business. "Erina-ojousama, could you possibly lower the passing standard just a little bit tomorrow?"
She made a small gesture with her right hand, her index finger and thumb gently touching. In terms of cooking, Erina was not only strict with others but also with herself. However, the first round of assessments was part of the preliminary selection. If judged by Erina's standards, a large number of people would likely be eliminated immediately. Then, would there even be a competition?
"That, I will decide for myself," Erina said, her eyes narrowing slightly. A standard was a standard; lowering it meant lowering her own principles. She would not back down on her fundamental principles.
Sigh. It seemed that Erina-ojousama would once again let all of Japan's chefs feel the fear emanating from the Nakiri family tomorrow. Hisako inwardly sighed. She only hoped that the unlucky souls tomorrow wouldn't pick Erina as their judging panel!
"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving. I need to rest," Erina said, sounding a bit tired, a weariness from within. Hisako nodded and turned to leave.
Adult chatter was always boring. After seeing her parents hug, Rina gradually fell asleep, drifting off on the bed. Once Hisako had walked far away, Renz nudged his head towards the door. Erina, who was still worrying about one bed not being able to accommodate so many people, understood and walked out.
The two walked into the hallway. Renz's expression was blank; it was a bit hard to say what he needed to. But he had to say it.
"Erina, tomorrow at the ceremony, could you link arms with me?" Renz asked with an innocent expression, yet easily uttered words that made Erina want to strangle him.
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What will Erina's reaction be to Renz's request for linking arms at the ceremony, especially after their recent awkward encounters and Hisako's unexpected appearance?
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