"When I grow up a little more, I'll be able to beat you!" Eren shouted angrily.
"Oh? A little bigger?" Mikasa gave him a teasing look, then turned her gaze on the trio. "When you say 'a little bigger,' do you mean as big as them?"
"Um…"
Before Eren could finish stammering, Reiner suddenly took a punch and went flying.
Eren's jaw dropped.
"Why did you hit me??" Reiner cried.
Mikasa didn't even glance his way.
After flooring him, she turned right back to Eren. "You said that when you grow to be as big as him, you'll be able to beat me?"
"…" Eren faltered, panic in his eyes. But he wasn't about to give up.
His gaze darted to Zeke. Inspiration struck. Pointing at him, Eren shouted, "When I grow as big as him, I'll definitely, definitely be able to beat you!"
"Eren, are you taking me as your role model?" Zeke's voice cracked with emotion. Tears welled up.
"Though when you're my age, your head will already be cut off by Mikasa…"
"Captain! Why are you adding weird filters again?" Bertolt groaned, despairing.
"…" Mikasa turned toward him.
But she didn't strike.
She clenched her fists, ready to fight, but when she realized it was Zeke, she froze. She knew she couldn't beat him.
If she tried, it would only end in humiliation.
"You can obviously beat me," she said coldly, "but you didn't fight back before. Instead, you deliberately let yourself be beaten. Your purpose was to deceive Aunt Carla's sympathy, wasn't it?"
Kids these days aren't innocent at all, she thought bitterly.
Zeke sighed, helpless.
"No. How could I possibly lay a hand on you? You're an important family member. Uncle Grisha often mentions you in his letters. How could I hurt someone he cares about?"
Mikasa froze. "What… did Uncle Grisha mention about me?"
"He said he adopted a child about the same age as Eren. He was so happy that Eren would finally have a companion in the future." The words were a lie, but Zeke's face softened with an unexpected sadness.
"Besides—" he continued.
"He hopes you can grow up free and at ease."
"Not subject to anyone's will."
"Always able to make choices for yourself."
"Be yourself."
"You don't have to feel guilty about being adopted. You don't have to push yourself so hard to please anyone, or work endlessly around the house, or take care of Eren in place of others."
"All you need to do… is grow up healthy and happy, like an ordinary little girl."
Mikasa's breath caught. "Uncle… did he really say that in his letter?"
"Yeah." Zeke smiled, nodding solemnly.
"Consider this a message to help nineteen-year-old Eren, he thought to himself. If I could do it again, that idiot would beg for it."
Mikasa's chest tightened. She hadn't expected Grisha to notice all her caution, all her efforts.
"Wuuu… Wuuu…" She buried her face in the red scarf and began to sob.
"Mikasa…?" Eren froze.
Everyone else was stunned.
None of them had ever imagined that the ghostly, almost merciless girl—no, the killer—would suddenly cry.
"Captain… Brother, you made her cry?" Reiner shouted, wide-eyed. The strongest blow of all wasn't Mikasa's fist, but the sight of her tears.
"Captain… Brother, you're really good at making girls cry!" Annie added, equally stunned.
"I didn't make her cry!" Zeke snapped, exasperated.
"Please! Don't pin Ani's breakdown on me either. I still don't know what happened back then!"
"I'm fine." Mikasa quickly wiped her face. Surrounded by so many eyes, she blushed. "I—I'm going to help Aunt Carla wash the pots. She'll definitely need them when she comes back."
She rushed into the kitchen, flustered, and threw herself into work.
"You don't have to work so hard…" Zeke muttered, shaking his head. But he understood this wasn't about pleasing adults anymore. This was Mikasa's way of welcoming guests.
The others just stared at her back, baffled.
"What's going on?" Reiner muttered. "She was like a ferocious monster just now… and now she's suddenly acting like a perfect housewife?"
He still couldn't wrap his head around it.
Zeke sighed at the children's bewilderment. "Don't be surprised by Mikasa's fierceness. Her father was killed after opening the door to a stranger. Her mother too."
"Ah!" Reiner and the others gasped.
"No wonder she was so wary of us when we first arrived…" Annie whispered, glancing at Mikasa's small figure in the kitchen. The idea that such a strong girl had endured such a tragedy was hard to accept.
"How do you know all this?" Eren asked in amazement.
"Of course. Uncle Grisha told me everything in his letters." Zeke's voice was calm. "I know all about your family."
"Oh!" The words rang so convincingly that both sides—Marleyan and Paradis children alike—believed them instantly.