"Ah, Master! Perfect timing!"
When Earl returned home, he was spotted by the sharp-eyed Lily from the kitchen. Perhaps it was because he returned home late today. Everyone was seated at the dining table already including Alea.
Since they came to Artasia, the princess has made herself at home completely. Back in Venroris, she would hang at their place for a bit before returning to her palace for dinner. Now, it was like she was always around.
'It's because she confessed to me.' Earl thought of something obvious.
"Welcome home." Alea was the first after Lily to greet him with a light smile.
Lily and Aria followed after Alea. They greeted him in perfect sync in their maid dress. "Welcome home, Master."
Behind the countertops with Aria, his mother greeted him while cooking with the dark elf. "Welcome home, Earl."
Earl found a smile on his face without thinking about it. "I'm home."
The following scene was a harmonious one filled with laughter and joy. Earl, Ari, and Alea joked around at the table, teasing each other while the two maids joined in occasionally while they served food.
The dinner ended.
"It's time for desserts," Aria said as she took the dishes away.
"Desserts?" Alea questioned. She was not around when Earl and his two maids went shopping in the morning after all.
"It seems like Earl bought some sweets for us," Ari answered.
Earl nodded. "I'll go help them."
Lily and Aria happily accepted his help. They went behind the countertops together and took the cakes out of the food preserving box.
The food preserving box was this world's equivalent of the fridge. At the most basic level, it was just a run of the mill box placed in a cool, dark place. At the more advanced level like the one they have, it was no different than Earth's fridge.
It was the size of a pantry and inscribed with runes for the purposes of food preservation. In a way, it was more advanced than a refrigerator. With Ari's skills, the runes were capable of stopping the flow of time in the selected area.
Lily and Aria carefully took the box apart, revealing the beautiful cakes within.
"Aria, can you get the plates?"
"Of course, Master."
Earl laid out 5 plates on the table.
"5?"
"You two join us since I bought some for you guys too."
"Hehe. Yay!" Lily happily giggled and pressed her soft body against Earl, almost tackling him over.
"This one is for Aria... And this one is for Lily..."
Aria received a green tea shortcake while Lily received a blueberry shortcake.
As their man, he naturally knew their preferences. It was why he came to help.
"Master..." Aria was touched that her Master gave them all so much thought. It was something small but these small experiences were things that made her happy.
"I know, right?" Earl let out a proud smile. "This one is for mom. Luckily, I got one for Alea too, just in case."
Ari's favourite was a cheesecake. Alea's was the tiramisu, the same as him. All the desserts were from his world and as one would have guessed, the Beast Kingdom was the one who popularized these desserts in this world.
"Aria, can you brew us some tea too?"
"Yes, Master!" The dark elf replied enthusiastically.
At the dining table, Alea pouted as she watched Earl interacted with his maids while preparing their desserts. She must admit, Earl was very dashing when he was like this. Nonetheless, she always felt needle pricks against her heart at the sight of Earl sending loving smiles to Lily and Aria.
This did not escape Ari's eyes. "It's better to just accept it."
Alea stumbled. "I know but..."
"It's hard, right? However, Earl won't change for you."
"I know but..."
"A young girl in love is truly hard to handle," Ari laughed amusedly.
"It's not funny, Master." Alea pouted.
"It sure is. And when Earl hands you your cake, all your jealousy and dissatisfaction will disappear like smoke."
"I'm not that simpleminded, Master."
They spoke of the devil, and he was summoned. Earl arrived with their cakes and tea, giving it to Alea first.
"Here's your cake. You like tiramisu, right?"
Alea's bright green eyes sparkled like a little girl receiving her birthday present. "You... Hehe~"
At the side, Ari chuckled as she leaned onto her arm. "See?"
Alea could only pout harder.
"This one is for you, mom." Earl bowed slightly to gracefully place Ari's cheesecake in front of her.
Ari stared at the cake for a second and fondly spoke. "My son knows me best."
In return, Earl smiled and said a completely innocent line among family members. "Of course. In this world, I love you the most."
"Fufu."
After that was done, Earl looked to his maids and signalled with his arm to their seats.
"Lily, Aria. Come take a seat."
Like he did with his mother and fiancee earlier, he serviced them their food. It was a complete role reversal, unbefitting his status as their Master. However, Earl was a man unconstrained by such concepts.
A cute smile from Lily and Aria was enough to extend his lifespan after all.
"It tastes better than usual because of a certain someone," Ari remarked.
Alea played with the fork in her hand and glanced at Earl warmly. "That's true."
And just like that, the joyous laughter and lighthearted banter in the Roth residence extended for an hour longer than usual.