Soft, clean sheets brushed her skin, a cool ripple under morning light.

The mattress yielded with a gentle sway, cradling a young body like a quiet wave.

“Mmm…”

Yue Liuyi breathed the sound, eyes drifting open like mist parting on a lake.

The first thing she saw was a silver-haired girl, lovely as frost on plum blossoms.

The girl was clinging to her, asleep, a sweet smile resting at the corner of her lips.

A hush and tenderness pooled through the room like warm spring water, and Yue Liuyi’s heart loosened, petal by petal.

“LittleSnow…”

The sight tugged memory back like a silk ribbon; they’d returned to the Skyship.

LittleSnow had insisted on sleeping with her “for protection,” the way moonlight insists on a window.

The affair at the Elven Capital had closed like a page; the girls were now bound for Rainbow Valley.

Carefully, like drawing a thread from brocade, Yue Liuyi slipped out of Dixue’s arms.

She moved soft as a cat’s shadow—she didn’t want to wake LittleSnow.

“Heh-heh… Little Yue tastes so good…”

“Uu…”

Even asleep, Dixue mumbled blush-worthy nonsense that fluttered like pink petals.

Dixue hugged tight; Yue Liuyi shrank back, squeezing free with a small shiver, then slid the Yue Fengyi body pillow into Dixue’s embrace.

That pillow had been recovered after the war, polished like a hidden blade.

It had become Yue Liuyi’s secret weapon—deadly to enemies, and wonderfully effective on Dixue.

“Hm… since I woke early for once, I’ll try making breakfast for Dixue and everyone.”

She slipped into her underthings, then a cream-white day dress, simple as rice and salt.

The cute blue-haired girl pushed the door open, stepping into the corridor like a breeze.

Outside the window, trees ran backward like green waves, the Skyship rolling along.

The first slant of sunlight flickered through branches, honey-gold halos dancing across white wallpaper.

Beyond the glass wasn’t a sea of clouds; the Skyship wasn’t flying today.

It rumbled over earth like a steady car, wheels humming a ground-bound song.

Our “seasoned driver,” Xiang Xiaoyan, had rammed the Elven Royal Palace gate like thunder striking a cliff.

The gate broke; the Skyship broke with it—a hard price under hard steel.

The flight engine, the warp engine, the anti-gravity thrusters—each took a wound, none fit for use.

To heal it back to first light, they’d need piles of parts, many fine as ant whiskers.

The Elven Forest had none; ordering from the inner ring of Dragon Heaven would take a full moon.

So they patched it, stitched it, set off anyway—the Skyship turned awkwardly into a “land-car.”

It was slower now, but steady as a mountain; the living quarters were untouched.

Yue Liuyi drifted into the kitchen, a small boat seeking harbor.

She often lived alone; she could make simple breakfasts, plain as bamboo, but sure in taste.

She didn’t expect someone to be there already—a maid in soft frills, stirring like dawn.

Ailuna, in a maid dress, was wholly absorbed, her wrists a fragile arc under lamplight.

“Eh?”

The tiny pink-haired girl was already making breakfast, earnest as early dew.

Collars still circled her wrists and ankles, but the chains were gone—no iron grief.

Engraved patterns now dressed them like bracelets; they felt like adornments, not shackles.

“Eh? Has Master Liuyi come?”

Seeing Yue Liuyi, Ailuna folded her hands at her skirt and bowed with perfect grace.

“Ah… I’ve told you, don’t call me Master.”

“I can’t. Ailuna must learn from Master Liuyi—how to be a proper World Tree Maiden!”

“Otherwise Ailuna will cause trouble and fail at everything… like spilled porridge.”

“But… I don’t have anything worthy of teaching as a master. I’m all rough edges.”

“Not true. Master Liuyi crossed worlds to save her home—courage worth learning like fire.”

“So Ailuna must go to the Land of Chaos in person and work harder, like a pilgrim.”

Under the blue fringe of her hair, Yue Liuyi met Ailuna’s eyes—shining like lanterns of devotion.

After learning Yue Liuyi was a World Tree Maiden, Ailuna had found an idol and refused to let go.

Even for this journey to the Land of Chaos, she wouldn’t be left behind—stubborn as a pine.

Ailuna moving onto the Skyship met Tisinate’s hard refusal, an iron fan snapping shut.

But the World Tree’s hidden realm was even less safe for Ailuna, shadowed like an unlit shrine.

So the three World Tree Maidens would travel side by side, to settle the matter once and for all.

Something must be wrong, Yue Liuyi thought, a stone tapping her heart.

I shouldn’t be a World Tree Maiden… should I?

Yet she was more confused by the day; under Dixue’s guidance, the earth obeyed her hands.

With a summons like a whisper, sprouts burst from soil, green flames rising from brown.

She had never studied nature summons; the miracle startled her like a stag in snow.

Looks like I’ll have to treat myself as a World Tree Maiden for now…

“Mm… since Ailuna says so, I’ll try my best too.”

“Just… don’t call me Master. Call me Liuyi-chan like usual. Otherwise it sounds so weird.”

“Oh… is that so? I understand, Liuyi-chan!”

“Mhm!”

Side by side, the two girls began preparing breakfast, sleeves fluttering like moth wings.

…

But.

“Wow! The bowl shattered!”

“Wow! The rice burned!”

“Wow! How can such a small pot of congee overflow?”

“Wow! The splashing oil stung me!”

“Waaah!”

“Wow! Ailuna, that’s salt! Don’t knead it into the mantou dough!”

Caught in Ailuna’s cascade of shrieks, Yue Liuyi found herself speaking in exclamation points too.

“S-sorry!!!”

Ailuna hiccuped a sob, eyes glossy like a rain-wet cherry, close to tears.

“It’s… it’s okay. Your heart came through, bright and clear.”

“Leave the rest to me.”

“Mm… uu…”

Yue Liuyi had never met such an adorably hopeless creature—a destroyer born for kitchens.

Everything that passed through Ailuna’s hands transformed into dark matter, intimidating as storm clouds.

Waking early to cook was the right choice, she sighed—luck like a talisman.

If they’d risen to Ailuna’s heartfelt breakfast, their fate might have been food poisoning and collapse.

“Like this—small dried fish are done this way, see?”

“Mm…”

Yue Liuyi soothed Ailuna while she cooked, calm flowing like tea.

“Why is there noise in the kitchen…”

While she was pan-frying the little fish, a pale violet figure appeared at the door, cool as dusk.

Purple hair to her knees; a steady gaze like a blade—our five-star chef, Xiang Xiaoyan.

She had risen early to make breakfast for her companions, duty held like steel.

Beside her walked a woman of soft grace, San Hua Zhi, a breeze in human form.

If anyone called her once a Murder Fiend, none would believe it now.

San Hua Zhi wore a dusky kimono, geta tapping lightly; each step was a fine stroke in ink.

“Lady Liuyi, Lady Ailuna, good morning.”

San Hua Zhi bowed deeply, warmth peeking from her eyes like morning through shoji.

“Is that Liuyi and Ailuna…? Wait… what is that black thing?”

Xiang Xiaoyan stepped in and saw the mystery-black lump on the counter, light refusing it.

It had been youtiao—fried dough sticks—perfectly fine moments ago.

Yue Liuyi turned away for a heartbeat; whatever Ailuna did turned them into this midnight stone.

For culinary titles, “World Tree Maiden” didn’t fit Ailuna—“World Destroyer” suited the kitchen better.

But Yue Liuyi didn’t say so; she shared the weight of failure like rain on the same roof.

“Mm… I’m not used to this stove. I didn’t do well. Sorry to let you see, Senior Xiaoyan.”

“Wow! Liuyi-chan, why say that? This was me…”

“As Ailuna’s teacher, I failed to help her with youtiao. The blame’s mine. Don’t be sad.”

“Liuyi-chan…”

“Whew… you two worked hard. Leave this part to me.”

Xiang Xiaoyan sighed, a long string unwinding, then stepped into the kitchen with a soldier’s calm.

She studied the pitch-black mass like a battlefield, measuring lines unseen to others.

“Eh? Senior Xiaoyan, we were about to throw it out…”

“No need. It still has hope… Zhi, bring me my longsword.”

“As you command, Lady Xiang.”

San Hua Zhi ran lightly, then placed Xiang Xiaoyan’s ink-black blade in her hand with reverence.

“Eh? It can be saved?”

Yue Liuyi watched Xiang Xiaoyan grip the sword, breath held like a bird under snow.

What could the purple-haired girl do to salvage this lost breakfast?

“If it’s like this…”

She nodded, tossed the black lump into the air—up, like a moon in eclipse.

Steel flashed, stroke upon stroke, sword-light slicing the air like white cranes.

With each cut, the shape changed, shedding shadows like scales from a fish.

It finished as—

Potato chips.

Clatter—chips rained down, falling back into the bowl like autumn leaves, while Xiang Xiaoyan sheathed her blade.

“Eh!????”

Yue Liuyi stared, unbelieving; though dark as charcoal, each curve and size matched chips perfectly.

Ailuna froze, then burst into a cheer that bubbled like a brook.

“Wow, Senior Xiang is amazing!”

“Failure is the mother of success… Lady Ailuna, please keep that close in mind.”

When she said it, San Hua Zhi seemed to drift elsewhere, eyes a little far, then settled again.

“Mm, Ailuna understands!”

“See… being together is the best.”

Yue Liuyi smiled and joined them, hands and hearts weaving breakfast like morning light.

…