While the curry bubbled away, filling the villa with increasingly delicious smells, he turned attention to rice.

He turned to the other pot he prepared, as he looked at the puffy white grains, ready to be served to any Asian homes.

"..."

He prepared a large batch, easily enough to serve everyone for two meals with leftovers.

"The aroma is incredible," Celis commented, her gentle smile widening as she inhaled appreciatively. "Thou hast considerable skill in culinary arts. 'Tis clear this is not thy first time preparing such dishes."

"Just practice," Nero replied modestly, checking the curry's progress. "When you live alone, you either learn to cook or eat garbage constantly… And I got tired of instant noodles and frozen dinners pretty quickly."

From the living area, he could hear the others commenting on the smell.

"Hey, is it supposed to smell that good?" Carmen asked, practically drooling.

"I didn't know curry could be this aromatic," Nell added.

"..."

Both Aurelia and Luna had stopped even pretending to pay attention to anything else, their gazes fixed on the kitchen doorway like predators watching prey.

Aurelia's stoic mask had slipped, her golden eyes tracking every movement Nero made.

Luna had given up on the book she's "reading" entirely, the pages she's supposed to turn were completely forgotten as she focused solely on the source of those incredible smells.

As the 20 minutes passed, Nero tested the vegetables with a fork.

Fork-tender indeed, exactly as needed.

The carrots and potatoes yielded easily without being mushy.

A final taste test of the curry itself revealed perfect balance.

Good spice level with warmth but not overwhelming heat, rich coconut flavor balancing the earthier spices, well-integrated with all the elements coming together harmoniously.

"Almost ready. Just need to thicken it slightly."

He mixed cornstarch with cold water in a small bowl, the classic slurry technique that would thicken the sauce without adding flour taste.

The mixture went into the bubbling curry while he stirred constantly.

The sauce thickened noticeably within seconds, coating the ingredients properly rather than being too thin and watery.

"Mhm. That's perfect."

Throughout the entire cooking process, neither Aurelia nor Luna had moved from their positions in the living area.

Both were clearly trying to maintain their dignified images despite the incredible aromas wafting from the kitchen and making their stomachs protest even more loudly.

Aurelia's stoic expression remained fixed, but her eyes kept tracking toward the doorway with almost hypnotic focus.

Luna pretended to study her book, but her page hadn't turned in five minutes and she was holding it upside down.

Both were drooling slightly, though they'd probably deny it if confronted.

"Lunch is ready!"

The announcement prompted immediate movement that would have been comical if everyone wasn't so focused on food.

Plates were distributed with surprising speed.

Rice portioned onto each plate in generous mounds.

Curry ladled over the rice with aromatic steam rising from each serving.

Aurelia and Luna both received their portions with carefully maintained composure, accepting the plates as if this was a formal meeting rather than a casual lunch.

Then they tasted it.

"...!"

"...!"

Both prideful individuals tried desperately to keep their reactions subdued.

"Tried" is the keyword.

And both spectacularly failed in it.

"!!!"

Aurelia's eyes widened dramatically, her usual stoicism shattering like glass as genuine delight flooded her features.

Her expression transformed into something almost innocent childlike in its pure enjoyment.

"!!!"

Luna's carefully constructed elegant facade shattered completely as her heterochromic eyes practically sparkled with surprised pleasure.

Her composure vanished and was replaced by obvious shock that a food could actually taste this good.

"This is... really good," Frila admitted between bites, her surprise evident. "Like, genuinely restaurant quality!"

"Better than good," Carmen agreed enthusiastically. "This is professional-level cooking! Where did you learn to make curry like this?"

The six girls looked genuinely surprised, though they tried not to be rude about their shock.

Their expressions clearly communicated that they hadn't expected their apocalypse-surviving leader to have domestic skills of this caliber.

"Didn't expect me to cook?" Nero asked with amusement, catching their looks.

"Well..." Isabell hedged diplomatically, trying to find words that wouldn't sound insulting.

"It's fine," he chuckled good-naturedly. "I get it. Combat skills and cooking ability don't usually overlap. But I enjoy cooking. Making food for others, creating things I actually want to eat rather than just surviving on whatever's available. It's satisfying in ways that don't involve combat or survival, you know? A different kind of creation entirely."

Meanwhile, as everyone ate and praise,

"..."

Celis took a spoonful into her mouth in silence, a faintly nostalgic smile playing at her lips.

And Nero at the side noticed that subtle shift in her demeanor faintly.

"... You're not surprised by the taste," he said to her carefully.

"Even though you're from another world entirely. This should be a completely foreign cuisine to you."

"... I have tasted something similar before," she admitted softly, her voice carrying a distant memory.

"A long time ago. In circumstances I can barely recall now, but the flavors... they remain."

The vague answer carried weight that suggested deeper history, complex connections to a past she either couldn't or wouldn't fully explain.

But she didn't elaborate, leaving the mystery hanging in the air.

"..."

Nero studied her for a moment, considering whether to push for more information, before Aurelia's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"... Seconds."

The request came with such deadpan seriousness that it took him a second to process what she'd actually said.

His angel waifu, maintaining her stoic expression like this was a military briefing, had just asked for more food with the gravity of someone making a combat report.

No embarrassment, no hesitation, just pure straightforward desire for more curry.

"Coming right up."

He couldn't help but grin at the adorable seriousness with which she'd made such a simple request.

The other girls quickly followed suit, requesting additional portions with varying degrees of enthusiasm and considerably less dignity than Aurelia had managed.

"..."

Luna, however, remained conspicuously silent.

Nero watched with growing amusement as internal conflict played across her delicate features like a theatrical performance.

Pride warred visibly with desire.

Dignity fought desperately against genuine hunger and the memory of incredible taste.

Her heterochromic eyes kept darting toward the pot of remaining curry like a moth drawn to flame, then jerking away as if burned.

Her jaw clenched.

Her hands gripped her empty plate.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again without speaking.

'She wants more but doesn't want to admit it.'

The realization was absolutely adorable in ways that made him want to tease her mercilessly.

"Ah..." Nero grinned mischievously, drawing out the moment. "Looks like somebody wants seconds? Someone should hurry though. The curry's almost gone and once it's finished, that's it until dinner."

"!!!"

Luna twitched visibly, biting her lower lip as internal cursing was practically visible on her expressive face.

'Why does it have to taste so good?! The puppets' cooking never affected me like this! Their food is adequate, nutritionally complete, but this... this is something entirely different!'

The pout forming on her lips and the slight tear welling in her eye made her look genuinely pitiful despite her usual prideful demeanor.

Like a child denied their favorite treat through sheer stubborn pride.

'... Cute.'

Nero felt a twinge of sympathy override his amusement at her internal struggle.

"Hahh… Here."

He ladled another generous portion onto her plate without waiting for her to actually ask, saving her from having to swallow her pride publicly.

Luna's expression immediately shifted, her dignity reasserting itself as she accepted the plate.

"I didn't ask for seconds," she stated primly, lifting her chin with recovered aristocratic bearing. "But since you're offering it to me directly as my... master... I won't reject your generosity. It would be rude to refuse such an offering."

She paused dramatically, then added with obvious effort at maintaining face:

"It doesn't taste bad."

"Yeah, yeah..."

Nero's lazy agreement barely concealed his amusement at his own retort.

'For someone who says it doesn't taste bad, she sure gulps it down like soup though.'

He watched as she immediately began eating with obvious enthusiasm, her careful elegant bites rapidly accelerating into something closer to desperate consumption.

After lunch concluded with satisfied sighs all around, everyone took turns using the villa's luxurious bathrooms.

The magical fixtures provided perfect temperature control and water pressure that felt almost therapeutic, washing away the day's exploration and replacing fatigue with relaxation.

By the time everyone had cleaned up, changed into more comfortable clothing, and relaxed properly, the afternoon had passed into early evening.

The artificial sun in Luna's dimensional sky was setting with programmed beauty.

The group reconvened in the living area, comfortable and satisfied in ways that transcended just physical needs.

This felt like home already.

***

Night settled over the dimensional island, the artificial sky transitioning to darkness with programmed stars that looked almost real.

Constellations that might have been real or might have been Luna's artistic interpretation sparkled overhead.

Everyone had settled into their assigned rooms on the second floor.

Luna had extended the spatial dimensions of each room through casual application of magic, making the accommodations far more spacious than they appeared from outside.

Nero lay in his designated room, Aurelia already asleep with her head resting against his shoulder.

Her silver hair spread across the pillow like spilled moonlight, catching the faint luminescence from the window.

Her breathing was deep and even, peaceful in ways she rarely showed while conscious.

Her peaceful expression, relaxed and vulnerable, made something warm settle in his chest.

But his mind was elsewhere.

Specifically, on the cards still waiting in his inventory.

The digital interface glowed softly in his vision, visible only to him.

35 R-tier summon cards.

2 remaining SR-tier cards.

And one more SSR-tier card that he hadn't summoned yet... Velraeth, the Blacksmith of Chaos.

'Time to start building.'

His determination burned as he stared at the collection, possibilities racing through his mind.

Not just a harem, though that was certainly part of it.

An army.

A force loyal only to him that would let him face whatever cosmic conspiracies and reality-warping threats awaited.

Protection for those he cared about.

The foundation of something greater than just survival.

A new world order built on his terms.

With that exciting thought in mind, Nero couldn't help but smile and tightly hug Aurelia in response.

*Smooch.*

Kissing her on the forehead, he cuddled her perfect figure, already looking forward to the plan he has in mind.

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