She suspected that if this kept up, she'd be turned into a carefree, happy-go-lucky freeloader with no worries at all.
Still, she had to admit—this kind of life felt unbelievably blissful.
That thought brought a radiant smile to Masaki Kurosaki's face.
Still smiling, she adjusted her skirt in front of the doorway, the heels of her little leather boots tapping lightly as she stepped out with a spring in her step.
She was still a student, after all. She needed to focus on her classes—Masatsuki Aozaki had insisted on that much.
...
At that moment, Masatsuki Aozaki emerged from the kitchen.
He was carrying two plates of food, and as he stepped into the Quincy ladies' bedroom, there was a trace of annoyance on his face.
"I even went out of my way to make you lunch... maybe I should just throw it out."
At those words, Candice—who had just woken up, drooling slightly—snapped her head toward him, surprise flashing in her eyes.
Only then did she notice the plates in Masatsuki's hands and the teasing look on his face. She gave a light cough to diffuse the awkwardness.
She knew he was just joking.
But as a knight—especially one who held deep respect for food—she felt she had to show a bit of decorum.
With a straight face, she responded,
"Food shouldn't be wasted. Thrift is a knightly virtue."
Masatsuki chuckled dismissively, clearly amused.
"Is that part of the Eight Virtues of Chivalry? Whatever—those things were made up anyway."
The so-called Eight Virtues of Chivalry referred to humility, honor, sacrifice, valor, compassion, soul, honesty, and justice.
They were human constructs—ideals created to guide and restrain behavior.
In truth, everyone interpreted them based on their own beliefs and values.
That was something Masatsuki had once heard from Chōjirō Sasakibe.
People always yearn for noble ideals—that's just human nature.
But those who actually live by those ideals? They're always the minority.
Masatsuki Aozaki gently set the plates down on the table with a crisp clink.
Bambietta rubbed her bleary eyes and slowly sat up in bed.
"What's for lunch today?"
She stretched lazily and mumbled sleepily.
"Lunch? It's still early morning..."
Masatsuki shook his head helplessly and reached out to pinch her soft cheeks.
These girls were seriously spoiled. The fact that he—Masatsuki Aozaki—was running around catering to their every whim was just plain ridiculous.
What was worse—neither of them showed even the slightest awareness that they were captives.
And the most baffling part?
His punishments had somehow started to feel like rewards to them.
Absolutely outrageous.
Masatsuki Aozaki let out a long sigh and said slowly,
"There was some beef left from yesterday, so I made gyudon."
Gyudon—a bowl of white rice topped with thinly sliced beef. It sounded simple, but it was said to be an internationally renowned dish loved by diners around the world.
Masatsuki didn't really know how much truth there was to that claim, nor did he care.
To him, food was just something to satisfy hunger. There was no need to assign it some lofty, hollow value.
He enjoyed cooking—but only for the process itself and the satisfaction of eating the finished result. As long as it tasted good, who cared about its reputation?
He glanced at the two still-groggy girls, then casually smacked both of them on the head and grumbled,
"Hurry up and eat. Once you're done, I've got a little gift for you. After that, I need to head out."
Upon hearing this, Bambietta quickly asked,
"You're leaving? Where are you going, Master?"
"To Hueco Mundo. There's something I need to deliver to them," Masatsuki replied.
Nearby, Candice immediately scowled in irritation and muttered under her breath,
"Gets what he wants, then runs off... Men really are all heartless pigs."
She bit down hard on a slice of beef.
Fortunately, she wasn't one to dwell. Her frustration faded as quickly as it came. After a few bites, she couldn't help but praise,
"Mmm... your cooking really is the best. The chefs around here don't even come close."
Thanks for the praise for my... praise my ass!
I'm supposed to be the savior of the world—not your personal chef.
You're the type who eats from one bowl while eyeing another. At least try to show some awareness.
But when he saw the sweet, flattering smile on Candice's face, Masatsuki suddenly remembered something and asked,
"Last night, you said you wanted me to help with something. But you passed out before you could finish. What was it?"
Candice froze, a flicker of awkwardness flashing across her face.
She vaguely recalled saying that, but with how exhausted and hazy she'd been, she honestly thought it had just been a dream.
Now that she was awake and fully aware of her current situation, she couldn't bring herself to bring it up again.
She hadn't expected she'd actually said it aloud last night.
Her voice dropped, soft and shy.
"It's... really nothing important."
Her eyes darted around, clearly uneasy.
She quickly added,
"I swear, it's just a tiny favor. If it's any trouble at all, just forget I said anything."
As she spoke, Candice tapped her index finger nervously and kept her eyes on Masatsuki's expression, looking utterly pitiful.
Enough to stir sympathy in anyone.
But Masatsuki wasn't swayed. He'd already seen her at her most charming, after all.
Right now, he remained calm, arms crossed, and answered firmly,
"If you don't tell me what it is, how would I know whether it's trouble or not? Just say it—what do you need?"
A flicker of hope flashed in Candice's eyes. She hesitated, then asked cautiously,
"The Gotei 13 and the Wandenreich... they're going to fight again eventually, right?"
Masatsuki furrowed his brow, but then a smirk tugged at his lips.
"What, you want me to go take out Yhwach?"
"Don't worry about it. Even if you hadn't brought it up, that was already the plan."
He waved his hand dismissively, tone cocky and relaxed.
The real issue was that they still hadn't located Yhwach. But if they could find him, Masatsuki was confident he could take him down.
Bambietta's eyes lit up with pure admiration.
Candice, however, was stunned. She hadn't expected such an outrageous declaration from him.
That was Yhwach—the Soul King's own son. Just that title alone was enough to inspire fear, not to mention his terrifying mastery over The Almighty.
Yet here Masatsuki was, boldly claiming he'd kill him.
It was insane. Absolutely insane.
And she loved it!
Still, as much as she liked that about him, blind arrogance wasn't a good thing.
With that in mind, Candice took a deep breath and began to calm herself.