Meeting his eyes, none of the girls spoke up or expressed any desire to withdraw.
"Good, then it's settled."
Marco nodded, though he hadn't expected this outcome at all.
While he had always wanted to improve the girls' abilities, forcing them wasn't really an option.
Unlike the boys, who were easier to handle, the same methods simply didn't work as well with the girls.
Unexpectedly, things had taken a turn, and his goal had been achieved in this manner.
"Now that we've settled that, let's eat. I suggest everyone try this dish first."
Seeing the matter concluded, Mirajane quickly urged everyone to start the meal, a smile on her face as she pointed to a large bowl on the table.
Truthfully, there was no need for Mirajane to point it out—everyone had already noticed the bowl, as its style was distinctly different from the other dishes.
Marco glanced at Erza and saw that the girl was so nervous her eyes were wide, her expression utterly tense.
Clearly, this wildly unconventional "meat stew" was Erza's handiwork, which explained her anxiety.
With Erza's nervousness so obvious, no one dared to touch the dish—not even the usually fearless Natsu, who looked at the stew with visible reluctance.
"I'll give it a try."
Just as Erza's face was starting to flush red with tension, Marco spoke up and reached out to serve himself a bowl.
In Marco's memory, Erza's cooking shouldn't have been that bad—at the very least, it was edible.
Mages like them all had some basic food preparation skills.
When undertaking missions that required long periods away or deep in the wilderness, they had to handle their own meals, so Erza wasn't completely clueless in the kitchen.
She just wanted to reach Mirajane's level of expertise.
Swish!
Erza abruptly stood up, scooping a bowl of stew for Marco before he could do it himself—filled to the brim, every bit of it packed with her sincerity.
Gulp.
Natsu swallowed hard, staring at the bowl in horror.
It wasn't that he wanted to eat it—he was convinced Erza was trying to poison Marco.
Of course, the stew's appearance wasn't actually that terrifying.
It was just that Natsu viewed everything Erza did through a lens of fear, making the dish seem like a bowl of glowing green poison.
Eyes wide, Erza handed the bowl to Marco, her expression now frozen in a "dot-eyed" stare—clearly, she was so nervous she couldn't even speak.
"..."
Marco took the bowl, both amused and exasperated by Erza's silent, intense stare.
He could somewhat understand her thoughts—she was probably afraid of the stark contrast with Mira's cooking.
'But wasn't that inevitable?'
'There was really no need to compete in this aspect, and I don't know how she dared to serve it.'
'Looking at Mira's confident expression, if Erza could actually win in culinary skills, that would be truly unbelievable.' Marco sighed inwardly, then decisively took a bite.
"Hmm?"
After the first bite, Marco raised his head, glancing at Erza and then at Mirajane, his face full of confusion.
"How does it taste?"
Mirajane was the first to speak, asking with a smile.
"It's really good, much better than I expected." Marco answered, taking another sip to confirm that his first impression wasn't an illusion.
The broth was indeed rich and flavorful.
Though it looked wild and chaotic, like a haphazard stew, the taste was actually quite well-balanced.
This wasn't because Marco's initial expectations had been too low.
He hadn't underestimated Erza's cooking skills that much—he'd assumed it would just be homely fare, but it turned out to far surpass that level.
"Mira adjusted it."
After receiving Marco's praise, Erza's expression relaxed as she explained, revealing the secret behind the deliciousness—this was a dish she had improved under Mira's guidance.
"..."
Marco was speechless.
He had thought this was another competition between the two, but it turned out to be Erza's homework from her cooking lessons with Mira.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and began serving themselves the soup.
It was no wonder they had misunderstood—after all, the rivalry between Erza and Mirajane was practically a given.
Whenever these two stood together, everyone assumed they were about to clash.
Who would have guessed they could actually collaborate on a dish?
That Erza was genuinely learning, and Mirajane was genuinely teaching?
"It's delicious!"
"I never knew Erza was such a good cook!"
"Mira, I'd love to learn from you too!"
After tasting the soup, everyone's eyes lit up, and they showered Erza and Mirajane with praise, making both of them happy.
The two exchanged a glance, and the usual tension between them noticeably eased.
Seeing everyone enjoy the meal so much, Mirajane wore a gentle smile.
She often prepared delicacies for gatherings, and watching everyone devour the food brought her great satisfaction.
The feast ended quickly, with everyone eating heartily.
Even Lucy, who had initially thought she had no appetite, ended up with a pleasantly full stomach.
After the housewarming party, everyone stayed late, playing games.
Since Marco had plenty of guest rooms, there was no worry about finding a place to stay, so no one was in a hurry to leave.
"If you don't want to leave, you can stay the night here."
Glancing at the darkening sky outside, Marco offered with a smile.
The night had already fallen, dotted with countless stars.
"R-really? Staying overnight at Marco-sama place...?"
Hearing his words, Juvia immediately muttered to herself, her face flushed with excitement.
"I think it's fine. There are plenty of rooms—more than enough for everyone."
Erza answered Juvia's unspoken question, her straightforwardness making Juvia widen her eyes in surprise.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
Noticing Juvia's stunned gaze, Erza asked, puzzled.
"N-no, nothing... You're right." Juvia replied softly, not refuting Erza, but her expression clearly showed she was still deeply shocked—shocked that Erza could so directly suggest staying overnight.
"Then go pick your own rooms," Marco said with a smile.
He didn't see any issue with it.
If it were just one girl, there might be some need for discretion, but with so many girls together, what could possibly go wrong?
"..."
Mirajane opened her mouth but couldn't bring herself to say she wanted to stay overnight.
Although her home wasn't inside Fairy Home, it wasn't far from there either—just a short walk away.
So she could only watch helplessly as Erza went to choose a room.