Luna's mouth opened as she turned toward Alexandra, already halfway into a response. Aria stiffened beside her, hands lifting as if she needed to physically explain herself. Nyx and Bastet fared no better. Words rushed forward, overlapping and earnest, each of them clearly scrambling to dismantle that framing as quickly as possible.

Alexandra then transformed her hurt expression to that of an amused grin.

It was small at first, then unmistakably pleased.

"I'm kidding," she said gently, satisfaction coloring her voice. "I was just messing with you."

She straightened fully now, posture steadier than before, and gestured toward the seating area. "Please, take a seat. I'll bring breakfast right away."

The four girls exchanged a shocked look while the demoness's grin only deepened. She knew what was going on from the start.

"She played a little prank on us…?" Aria murmured.

Luna nodded slowly, a grin spreading across her face.

Nyx outright squealed and jumped with muted joy.

Alexandra moving with confidence, even humor, felt like real progress.

As they took their seats, Kaiden watched Alexandra head toward the kitchen area with a thoughtful smile. This morning had already delivered one reward he hadn't expected.

But it was only just getting started.

"Stop ignoring me!" A girly voice demanded. Alice suddenly peeled herself free from her halo form, shadow folding inward as she condensed back into her solid body. She dropped straight down into Kaiden's lap with casual confidence, settling there like it was the most natural seat in the world. Before anyone could react, she reached forward, picked up his cutlery, and claimed it for herself with decisive intent.

She might as well feed this doofus big brother of hers. If he's not even capable of conversing with his sister, then said sister had to do something about it!

Bastet's ears flicked, tail swaying with open amusement as she watched the scene unfold. "Uh, little sister," she said lightly, "are you certain that's proper?"

"The down-bad, full-blooded, underage sister doing questionable things. What's new?" Luna laughed.

Alice shot both of them a sharp side-eye glance that carried a clear demand for immediate silence.

The felinid giggled. Luna even more so.

Alice then twisted her head back as far as her neck would allow, looking up at Kaiden from below. The angle exaggerated her wide eyes and earnest expression, making her look impossibly cute as she leaned closer. "Big brother…" she said, voice suddenly serious, "I have an admission to make."

Kaiden blinked, having a bad premonition. If Alice had to make an admission, that likely meant something drastic. The girl wouldn't report almost anything during normal times. "What is it?" he asked with reservation.

"I beat a nasty woman to a pulp," Alice said matter-of-factly. "It went on until a life-support artifact started blaring. Her life was about to end, so it tried to stabilize her failing heart due to extreme blood loss, and within a minute, a whole medical team rushed in. I think she's in an operating room right now. I kept going at her for a long time into the night."

Kaiden sucked in a sharp breath. "Hah?"

"Blonde, nasty, and disgusting?" Luna asked slowly, already forming the answer.

Alice nodded. "Yes. Basically, Alexandra, but with smaller breasts, an uglier face, and a much uglier personality."

The understanding passed through the group immediately.

"Ah," Aria said softly.

"Vaelira," Nyx added.

Kaiden let out a long, slow breath, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'll look into that," he said at last, voice weary rather than alarmed. "But first, let's eat."

He smiled lightly as Alexandra returned, carefully balancing a tray laden with plates and mugs. The scent hit immediately: warm bread, eggs, something lightly spiced, and beneath it all, the sharp, rich bitterness of coffee.

Her entire face lit up as she set everything down. She stood a little straighter, hands clasped in front of her apron. "I didn't know when you'd return from the trials, so I didn't prepare anything fancy… But I think I learned pretty well how to brew coffee by hand! I was wondering if you'd like to try it?"

Whatever urgency might have existed about a beaten ally on life support evaporated on the spot.

Kaiden sat back, utterly unbothered, already reaching for a mug. "Smells great," he said honestly.

He took a sip.

Then paused.

"…Huh." His brows lifted slightly. "That's got a kick."

Alexandra's smile turned radiant. "You noticed! I figured… with how high your guys' vitality is, normal coffee would barely register, if at all. So I used a stronger blend. Robusta beans, double roasted, and I infused them with a mild stimulant extract from dungeon moss. Nothing dangerous," she added quickly. "Just… effective. Hopefully. Alice asked Vespera for me when she saw I was perplexed. She recommended this recipe."

"Mother did…?" Kaiden's smile could only grow bigger today, it seemed. Something about his obsessed sister finding a genuine friend and his ice-cold mother giving coffee recipes warmed his heart up far too greatly. He took another sip, slower this time, savoring it. "It's delicious," he said, nodding with genuine approval. "You did a great job."

Alexandra brimmed brightly, visibly overjoyed.

"Open wide," Alice ordered.

Kaiden didn't even question it. He leaned forward obediently as Alice lifted a forkful of food to his mouth with exaggerated seriousness, watching closely until he complied. Only then did she nod, satisfied, and prepare the next bite.

The breakfast passed in a comfortable rhythm with food disappearing, mugs emptying, conversation light and easy. Kaiden ate happily, laughing once when Alice scolded him for chewing too slowly, entirely at peace despite the unspoken fact that someone, somewhere, was very possibly fighting for her life.

Because his little sister beat her up and then, by the sound of it, tortured her.

Nyx watched Alexandra for a moment before speaking up, reaching out to hold the blonde maid's hand in hers. "Hey… did Vaelira hurt you at any point?"

Alexandra shook her head. "No," she said softly. "Alice protected me."

Alice nodded once, still focused on her task as she fed Kaiden another bite. "She didn't hurt her, at least not physically."

"… What does that mean?" Everyone stopped chewing or sipping at once and asked the question in perfect sync.

The little sister, feeling the change in atmosphere, turned serious. Her hand formed into fists that still had dried blood on them as she decreed, "She said Alexandra deserved what happened to her. That Alexandra deserved Maximilian."

Kaiden's smile disappeared as if it never existed. As if it were a memento from a past life.

Alexandra's shoulders drew inward, eyes lowering as the weight of old memories pressed down on her again. The room seemed to dim, warmth draining away in an instant.

The air around Kaiden changed.

When he looked up, his eyes were burning. Cold, sharp fury ignited behind them like a lit fuse.

"… She said what?"

No one answered.

They didn't need to. Every person in the room knew he'd heard perfectly.

Kaiden gently stood Alice to the side and rose from his seat. "Excuse me," he said quietly. Too quietly. "I need to take care of something."

He turned and walked away without another word.

The girls watched his back as he left, silence heavy in his wake.

They all knew exactly where he was headed.

Vaelira.

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