"Make food?"
Even though she didn't really trust food made by Shirou, who was just a kid, Zenith didn't want to hurt Shirou's feelings. She thought kids should try things out more.
So, she said, a little unsure, "You can make food, but it's best to ask Lilia for help. If you really can't do it, it's okay to just let Lilia do it."
Zenith thought Shirou just wanted to pay back the Greyrat family for taking him in, so he offered to make food. She thought he was trying too hard.
Shirou saw what Zenith was thinking, but he didn't want to explain anything. He just nodded quietly, "Don't worry, I will ask Ms. Lilia for help."
Then he quickly walked towards the kitchen.
...
The woman named Lilia was a maid temporarily hired by the Greyrat family.
She used to be a guard in the Asura Kingdom's palace, but she hurt her foot with a dagger used by an assassin. Even though the wound was healed right away with magic, it left problems behind.
Even though it didn't affect her daily life, she couldn't run fast or move quickly anymore. Because of this, she was fired from the palace.
With nowhere to go, she didn't want to get involved in politics again, so she came to the rural Fittoa territory to look for a job. By chance, she ran into her old friend, Paul Greyrat.
Because they knew each other, Paul hired Lilia without thinking. Lilia also showed great skill, keeping the house in good order.
Paul was happy and gave her a raise.
Lilia was happy with her job, but lately, she had some troubling worries.
The source of her worries was the Greyrat family's newborn child, Rudeus Greyrat.
As Paul and Zenith's first child, Rudeus seemed strange from the moment he was born.
On the day he was born, Rudeus didn't cry. He just looked up with a blank face, not making a sound. It was like he realized it later and then started to cry.
At the time, Lilia thought she was just seeing things, or it could have been an accident during birth. But after Rudeus was a few months old, he showed that something was wrong.
This child would wander around anywhere in the house, including the kitchen, back door, storage room, the closet where cleaning tools were kept, the fireplace... and even went up to the second floor. She had no idea how he climbed up there.
But for some reason, Rudeus would never go outside. He would sometimes look out the window, but he would never leave the house.
What Lilia couldn't accept was the look Rudeus sometimes had on his face.
This child often had a very strange smile.
Sometimes he would be smiling while looking at vegetables in the kitchen, sometimes while staring at the flickering flame of a candle, and sometimes while looking at dirty underwear. He would suddenly start laughing.
It was a smile that made people feel uneasy.
When Lilia worked in the palace, she saw a similar smile on the face of a fat minister, who looked at her chest in a dirty way.
She never thought she would see that kind of smile on a baby's face.
When she held Rudeus, the baby was even scarier. His nostrils would flare, his mouth would turn up, he would breathe quickly, and he would bury his face in her chest. Then he would shake his throat and make a sound between "puh-hee" and "oh-ho."
At that time, a chilling feeling would take over Lilia's entire body.
This feeling would even make her want to slam the baby she was holding onto the ground.
Something was wrong with this baby. Maybe he was possessed by something evil, or he was cursed.
Thinking of this possibility made Lilia restless. She hurried to the store and bought the necessary things with the little money she had.
Later, after everyone in the Greyrat family was asleep, she performed an exorcism ritual that was passed down in her hometown.
The next morning, she tried to pick up Rudeus, but she realized that she had wasted her time yesterday. The baby was still just as disgusting.
He would act somewhat normal when Zenith was around, but when it was just her, he was like a perverted little devil.
If this continued, she probably wouldn't be able to do her job anymore and would have to retire early...
Lilia couldn't help but feel discouraged.
But just as she was about to break down, a pair of small hands took Rudeus from her arms. The red-haired boy said calmly, "Ms. Lilia, You don't seem to like this job that much. I'll take care of Rudeus from now on."
"Huh? Is that okay?"
Lilia stared blankly at the boy in front of her, not expecting to be suddenly freed from her nightmare.
She recognized the boy as Shirou, the child Paul and Zenith had taken in half a year ago.
Even though he was a homeless orphan, he was very well-mannered. Especially his eyes, which were completely different from Rudeus', were full of a calm and unique spirit, like a man who had gone through many hardships, been trained and matured, and then returned to an ordinary life.
Even though he, like Rudeus, didn't seem like a normal child, Lilia would rather have Shirou as Paul and Zenith's child.
Of course, that was impossible.
"It can't be helped, Lilia is troubled," Shirou had been observing the situation at home and noticed his younger brother Rudeus' unusual behavior. But he didn't mind it. After all, he had taken care of an even stranger God-child, Miyu. So, he just handled it as usual. "I'll take care of him from now on."
"Eek—!"
A painful sound came from Rudeus' mouth.
He seemed to be afraid of Shirou. Even though Shirou had never hit or scolded him, or even been strict with him, Rudeus was still terrified of his older brother.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Shirou, but that he was afraid of the role of being an older brother.
Shirou didn't understand why Rudeus was so afraid of him, but he was more concerned about Lilia's feelings.
Lilia had been exhausted from taking care of Rudeus lately, and Shirou was worried that she would suddenly break down one day. That would be terrible.
So, he said gently, "As a condition for me taking care of Rudeus, Lilia, can you allow me to cook at home from now on? I don't need to do it every day, just let me help with some things sometimes."
"T-That's not right."
Lilia didn't expect Shirou to be so kind. He not only helped her solve the huge problem of taking care of Rudeus but was also willing to help her with work.
This kind child, combined with the contrast with Rudeus made her almost burst into tears.
"It's okay. I want to do it because I like to cook. I would be very happy if you, Lilia, would teach me."
Shirou gave her a way out and offered to let Lilia teach him how to cook in exchange.
Lilia finally looked like she understood and said hesitantly, "Okay, then I will teach you how to cook, Master Shirou."