The next morning, I sat up in bed with a yawn, glancing at the clock on the opposite wall… Six fifteen. Had I woken too early? After such a comfortable sleep… I really wanted to snooze a little longer.

"Good morning, Luo Sa." A melodious female voice came from beside me.

…Huh? Why was there a girl in my bed? I turned toward the sound, my vision filled with a dazzling silver glow…

Oh. It was just Aefina.

This soft bed, the unfamiliar yet oddly familiar ceiling, the modern decor—all made me think for a split second I was back on Earth… It’d been so long since I’d felt this way.

"Luo Sa?" Aefina’s eyes held a trace of confusion. Before, when I’d spaced out, she’d looked worried. This time, only mild puzzlement. Had she gotten used to it after so many times? The thought made me chuckle.

"It’s nothing, nothing. Just woke up groggy." I swung my legs out of bed. I wasn’t one to laze around.

After washing up, I spent a few minutes tidying the room. Since we were staying at Nia’s place, it wouldn’t be right to leave a mess for her to clean.

Stepping out, I checked the main hall—empty. No sign of Nia anywhere. Staring at the vast, silent hall, the endless corridors, and the countless rooms, a headache started to throb. Then I remembered what Nia had said last night.

"Lulutia! Lulutia! Lulutia!" I called out as instructed.

The moment the words left my lips, a black flame materialized before me. It swelled instantly into a human-sized fireball, then vanished. Where the flames died, a figure stood elegantly, "gazing" at us.

Honestly, that demon-like entrance was seriously cool. I’d seen similar scenes in games and movies, but feeling it in person? Way more intense.

Of course, Nia’s butler wasn’t some golden-haired, golden-eyed mage. If she were, this story’s genre would’ve changed entirely…

The woman before Aefina and me stood about 1.75 meters tall. With her high heels, she was nearly Aefina’s height. Her sharp black bob and tailored women’s tailcoat with classic white gloves screamed "reliable butler"—if you ignored her face.

Not that she was ugly. Strictly speaking, I couldn’t see her face at all. Not because I was blind, but because it was completely covered. Her upper face was hidden behind a sheet of paper. Below it? Two masks. Yes, two.

A black medical mask covered her lower face—the kind you’d wear when sick. But drawn on it was a grotesque, grinning demon mouth that felt unsettling. Over that sat a metal muzzle, the kind used to stop dogs from biting. Its strap looped around her neck like a collar.

Seeing this slender girl buried under so many layers, her entire face sealed away… just looking at her made my chest tighten. That’s why I’d put "gazing" in quotes earlier—her eyes probably couldn’t see me at all.

Aefina flinched too when she saw the girl.

The girl clapped her gloved hands—a muffled sound that still grabbed our attention. Once we were looking, she pointed to the paper on her face. Blank before, it now bore text in Oranda script:

【Honored guests, welcome. Allow me to convey my master’s greetings on her behalf.】

She waited a few seconds, then bowed. Was she giving us time to read? When she straightened, the paper was blank again. This weird setup was… oddly endearing.

"Uh… Lulutia? Where’s Nia right now?" I asked. Since calling "Lulutia" three times summoned her, the name should work.

The girl didn’t speak. She clapped again, drawing my eyes to her hands. When I looked back, new words appeared on her paper:

【Master is still asleep. You may call me Mira, Luo Sa.】

Earlier, I’d only been vaguely puzzled by the missing word in her first message. Now I was sure—the blank space where "me" should’ve been was intentional. No idea why… but given what covered her face, it was probably connected. Best not to ask.

"Mira, do you have a kitchen here? Could I borrow it? Ingredients would be great too." Nia’s house must have one. I hadn’t cooked a proper meal in ages—just roasting meat or boiling soup. Easy, sure, but I craved real food. Even for breakfast.

【(｀・ω・´) Yes. This way, please.】 Mira gestured elegantly. She could even use kaomoji? I felt a flicker of warmth toward her. Even her oppressive "mask" seemed friendlier now.

"Can I… use anything here?" I stared around a kitchen bigger than my old apartment back home.

【No problem.】

With permission granted, I sprang into action. *Hmm… what to make? Craving something sweet… but breakfast? Whatever—pancakes it is!*

*Pat. Pat.* The sound of Mira’s gloved hands clapping cut through my mixing. I froze, looking up. Aefina’s emerald eyes had narrowed in alertness—then softened as Mira gave a slight bow toward her.

【Can Luo Sa make *(&%￥*#!% pudding?】 Words flickered on Mira’s paper, the middle term shifting wildly before settling on "pudding."

"I can… why ask all of a sudden?" Pudding didn’t exist here, but Nia’s circle might know of it. I loved sweets, so I’d mastered making them alone back on Earth.

【Master longs for pudding but cannot make it. If convenient, would Luo Sa prepare some? She would be overjoyed.】 The long message appeared in segments across Mira’s paper.

"Sure, but pudding takes longer than pancakes." I couldn’t refuse—using their kitchen and ingredients meant owing them a favor.

"Aefina, help me?" I beckoned. She looked bored standing there, and an extra pair of hands would speed things up.

"Mm." She nodded, stepping beside me.

"First do this… then this… watch this part… and over there…" I guided her through the steps, explaining precautions. Aefina was sharp—she remembered everything after one run-through. Such a thoughtful dragon girl.

Though time-consuming, pudding wasn’t complicated. Once it was in the oven, we just waited. Mira placed the finished pancakes in a "heat-retention box"—a misnomer. It wasn’t a regular warmer.

As Mira explained, the box was engraved with a time-locking array. When closed, time inside froze. Open it, and contents stayed exactly as placed.

【Master spent a fortune on it. Rarely used, though. The array’s too complex.】

Nia’s house seemed ordinary, but every "normal" item hid incredible magic. If someone pointed at a lightbulb and said it doubled as a nuke, I wouldn’t even blink… Okay, maybe I would. This must be the life heroes live after defeating the Demon King.

【Nearly time for Master and Mo Mo to wake. Please proceed to the dining room here.】 Mira’s paper suddenly displayed a floor plan. A black dot marked 【Kitchen】; a red dot showed the dining room. *That paper’s ridiculously handy—even maps?*

Aefina and I had barely reached the dining room when Nia and Mira arrived. Still no sign of "Mo Mo."

【I will fetch Mo Mo.】 Mira turned and left without entering.

"Yo! Morning~" Nia bounced over. "Mmm… smells amazing… Oh! Secret for you, Luo Sa. Super useful."

"Hmm?"

"Dragon blood cures impotence. No need to feel insecure—just have Aefina donate a little. Nights are lovely~"

"Freaking idiot… Keep mocking me and you get no pudding. I’ll give your portion to Aefina." Aefina had been staring at the pudding since it came out. *I’m not craving sweets this early… I’ll give mine to her.*

"Eh?! I meant—PUDDING?!" Nia shot to the table at impossible slime-speed. Even without a face, her excitement radiated. Mira hadn’t exaggerated… this was beyond "wanting" it.

"…Am I dreaming…?" Nia’s voice trembled. *How deep is your pudding obsession? Member of the Flying Pudding God Sect?*

"…So dramatic?" I’d only been in this world two months. I understood the feeling—but not this intensely.

"I haven’t tasted pudding in years! Back on Earth, it was my favorite!" Nia wailed, her body rippling wildly like boiling liquid.

"Eh? ‘I’? You’re a girl?" My expression twisted.

"Doesn’t it show?! This is my real voice from Earth!" As a slime, Nia could only quiver indignantly.

"Pfft… A girl turned slime… HAHAHA! I thought you just liked how it sounded." No one loves beauty like a girl. Imagining her horror at becoming a blob of goo… it was absurdly funny.

"What’s so funny?!" As Nia and I bickered, the door opened again. All three of us looked over. Mira entered, a palm-sized fairy perched on her shoulder.

"The dragon scent here is so thick... and there's a whiff of contract too. What has Nia been messing with again... hmm?" The tiny fairy perched on Mira's shoulder muttered to herself.

As the door swung open, we saw her—and she saw us. The instant her eyes landed on us, or rather on Aefina, the little one jolted up like she’d touched a hot stove, only to be caught by Mira’s outstretched hand.

She didn’t even notice nearly falling. Standing in Mira’s palm, she wore an utterly shocked expression. Her matchstick-thin finger pointed at Aefina, trembling slightly. It was the reaction of someone who’d just seen a talking Slime.

"Nia, how did you get her here?!"