'A mere chicken drumstick, and you think you can buy me off?' Rin shot Yukari Yakumo a sidelong glance. Unless she personally fed it to him, he wasn't going to be swayed.
That said, he still took a huge bite out of the drumstick—to stop her from snatching it back.
Yukari's eye twitched as she watched his indifferent face.
'This brat is completely unbothered! Just wait until Ran gets here. If she gets too into staring at him, don't come crying to me. That's not something a single bottle of Dreamlike Intoxication can fix!'
She gave him a fierce glare, then grumbled as she swiped some tofu from Remi's bowl and munched on it.
'You two lovebirds out to get me or what? What kind of human behavior is this?!' Remilia's little face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. If there weren't kids present, she would've absolutely flipped the bowl over both their heads!
Just as she was about to huff and reach for more food, Patchouli's hypnotic voice echoed slyly in her mind—
"Remilia, as the dignified mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the great Queen of the Night—are you just going to sit there and take this?"
"A joke! Those two? I could beat them both with one hand. I just can't be bothered to stoop to their level."
"Lady Remilia, you must understand: constant retreat only encourages their arrogance."
"You must assert yourself, or they'll never recognize the authority of the Queen of the Night."
"If they dare to steal food from your bowl today, who's to say they won't steal your entire mansion tomorrow?"
Patchouli's stern warning lit a fire in Remilia's eyes.
She glanced at Sakuya, who was constantly helping out and making eyes at that damn shopkeeper. Then she looked at Patchouli, whose non-combat experience bar was nearly maxed out.
Yeah, that's actually... kind of believable!
An unprecedented sense of crisis surged through Remi's heart. She decisively turned to Patchouli for help—
"But that damn guy's ability is way too weird. Patchy, you got any ideas?"
"Remember the spell I taught Marisa?"
"You mean the one that left her bedridden after one use thanks to the boss?"
"No!!!"
"That was Marisa misusing it. If used correctly, it puts you almost in an unbeatable position."
Patchouli explained in exasperation. With that kind of status-resetting god-tier spell, if she were the one using it against the boss, she'd have had him in the bag long ago.
Remi's face twitched. No matter how she thought about it, it still sounded sketchy.
Marisa's case was too tragic—there was zero sense of security.
"Are you sure it'll work?"
"If you can't trust anyone else, you can trust me, right?"
"I'll create the perfect opportunity. You just go for it. I'll have your back."
Patchouli promised with absolute certainty, which finally eased Remi's doubts a bit.
Once she gave a firm nod, Patchouli smiled with satisfaction.
Though she did feel a twinge of guilt about tricking a kid, sacrifices had to be made—for her own safety!
With that thought, she gently placed a few more dishes into Remilia's bowl.
Farewell, brave soul.
Completely unaware of this setup, Remilia—now emboldened by Patchouli—flared up again, glaring fiercely at Rin.
Rin gave the little one a calm look and didn't think much of it.
In the face of the Mysterious Hand of Sensory Control 4000, all schemes unravel on the battlefield of the bed.
Although the dinner table was filled with laughter and cheer, the undercurrents of tension made several people uneasy.
Something's definitely about to go down!
Just then, Reimu asked expectantly—
"Boss, can I bring my mom over? I want her to enjoy the banquet too."
"Sure, everyone's welcome here."
Rin agreed immediately. With a dependable shrine maiden around, if these weirdos caused trouble again, he'd feel more secure.
Reimu's eyes lit up with joy. With her mom here, she'd have another helper—and more chances to make money!
She was definitely going to get that money from Yukari!
Rin glanced around at the lively crowd, a trace of concern surfacing.
With so many people here, it was getting harder to sneak off and discuss those... "special massage techniques" with Marisa.
As he looked in her direction, Marisa suddenly felt a strange hunger in his gaze, and her cheeks flushed bright red.
So many people here! You better not try anything!
She shot him a completely unthreatening glare and rubbed her tummy, trying to suppress the odd ticklish sensation spreading within her.
Rin shrugged innocently. He hadn't even done anything!
Just as he was about to test the waters again, a system prompt rang out unexpectedly—
『 The construction of the wine cellar has been accomplished. 』
『 For ease of surveillance, a luxurious guardroom has been installed─far more comfortable than the bedroom─offering the ultimate NEET experience. 』
『 It features a bed that can withstand intense actions from up to 10 individuals, with excellent durability. Additionally, a bath was created that offers a large massage jacuzzi suitable for simultaneous multi-person usage. Lastly, the soundproofing walls dramatically reduce noise, ensuring restful and undisturbed sleep 』
『 Host, please enjoy it to your heart's content~ 』
Oh ho~ A pillow right when he needed a nap—looks like the battlefield for tonight was set!
Rin perked up immediately. Swallowing the last mouthful of rice, he stood up and said—
"The wine cellar's construction is done. I'm gonna go check it out—you all carry on."
The moment he said that, Suika and Yuugi couldn't stay seated any longer.
''The boss's wine cellar?! How many good brews could be hiding in there?!''
"We wanna see too!"
"Fine, but don't wander around."
Rin didn't mind and led the excited big-and-small duo toward the cellar.
The wine cellar entrance was tucked away in the warehouse. Lifting the floor panel revealed a dark staircase leading into the forbidden depths.
As the three of them descended, warm yellow lights flickered on, barely illuminating the spacious passage.
"Whoa~ this feels like a dungeon!"
"Wow, such a huge space. I can't believe you put all this together without a sound, Boss."
"I'm already hyped to see how fancy it is inside!"
As they continued, the guardroom came into view.
All three were instantly stunned by the luxurious, suspiciously romantic vibe—especially the massive heart-shaped bed, which was quite the visual impact.
Even the walls of the bathroom were semi-transparent—clearly designed to be that way.
When their eyes landed on the stack of bizarre tools on the nightstand, both of their eyelids twitched.
"Boss, is this... a wine cellar guardroom or a love hotel suite?"