Chapter 354: Chapter 354: Love Her, Bankrupt Her

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In the room, Haru opened his mouth, revealing the sharp fangs of a True Ancestor. “Damn, every time I get excited, I get the urge to feed,” he said with a helpless sigh.

“Quite a temper, isn’t she? But she’s super cute when she’s angry, right, Alice?” Haru looked at the distinct footprint on the door and, with a wicked grin, addressed the empty room.

Outside the window near the courtyard, a blue robin tilted its head. After a few seconds, a calm, yet faintly disdainful, female voice sounded.

“…Pervert!”

“No, I’m just a bit of a gentleman,” Haru said, straightening his now-disheveled white shirt, his expression calm.

Flap~ flap~ flap~ flap~ flap~

The sound of beating wings slowly filled the air as the robin flew off in the direction of its master.

—————

On a wooden shelf by the living room’s floor-to-ceiling window, a vase filled with blooming jasmine met a demonic hand holding a rag.

Crash—!!!!

With a gentle tap from the demonic hand, the vase tilted fifty degrees and, under the pull of gravity, made intimate contact with the tiled floor, letting out a clear, melodious cry.

The nutrient solution in the vase slowly spread across the tiles.

“Oh dear, I seem to have broken it by accident,” Aoko said, tilting her head and looking at the shattered vase beneath her, her voice filled with regret. However, a look of pure, unadulterated joy was on her youthful, beautiful face.

It was obvious she’d done it on purpose. In fact, in the short ten minutes she’d been cleaning the living room, every fragile item that could be broken had met her demonic hand. She’d even smashed a few of the wooden shelves.

If Akiha and the others weren’t at school handling official business, and if Haru wasn’t in the study organizing his books, the young True Magic User would likely be enjoying the taste of a whip right now.

Creak—!

The living room door was slowly pushed open.

Aoko pursed her lips and, with an impatient expression, turned her head. Her pupils constricted. “A-A-Alice!!!!”

Aoko frantically kicked the ceramic shards on the floor. Though shattered into dozens of pieces, under her leather-booted feet, they were swept into a corner in one fluid motion. After kicking them, Aoko quickly pulled the floor-to-ceiling curtains, hiding the vase’s remains.

This series of actions was completed within two seconds, a testament to Aoko’s skill and proficiency in concealing evidence.

Aoko stood nervously before Alice, the very picture of a wronged little wife.

“What’s wrong? Why the sudden change?” Alice asked, her expression calm as she addressed Aoko, a hint of confusion in her dark eyes.

“…You’re not angry?” Aoko asked, a look of surprise on her face.

She’d been living with Alice for nearly two years. Every time she accidentally broke a piece of furniture, she was met with the witch’s icy glare, followed by a brutal magical duel.

In fact, the first time she’d broken a vase, she’d almost died at Alice’s hands. That experience had left a deep impression on her.

’Do not break furniture in front of Alice Kuonji.’ This was an ironclad rule in Aoko’s mind. That’s why she was so surprised now.

“It’s not my property. If it’s broken, I’m not angry,” Alice said, her tone flat.

“Oh!!!!” Aoko suddenly understood.

The next second, she delivered a flying kick to the vase on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling window.

Crash—!

“That sound is so melodious!!” Aoko cupped her hands to her ears, a look of enjoyment on her face as she closed her eyes and listened to the mournful cry of the shattering ceramic.

“Um, Aoko, that True Magic User asked me to bring you the bill for the damaged furniture,” Alice said, holding up a scroll of parchment, her expression calm.

“Huh?” Aoko was completely bewildered.

“Aoko, he told me to tell you: ’Don’t think I can’t see you secretly damaging the furniture. You’ll pay for it all!’”

Looking at the bewildered Aoko, Alice’s lips curved upwards slightly, her ethereal voice tinged with a faint smile.

It was a smile of schadenfreude.

—————

“Ones! Tens! Hundreds! Thousands! Ten thousands! two billion yen?” The hands holding the parchment trembled slightly.

Aoko’s voice shook, her eyes wide with terror as she looked at the number on the scroll.

Across from her, Alice sat on a soft, coffee-colored sofa, savoring a rich red tea. Though her delicate face was devoid of any expression, her dark eyes held a faint sense of enjoyment.

If it came to beverage preferences, red tea was Alice’s absolute favorite.

And the tea in Haru’s possession was the finest of the fine, from the Holy Church and even the Gods of the High School DxD world.

Naturally, Alice liked it even more.

If Haru hadn’t, when he’d given her the bill, verbally given her permission to use it freely, she wouldn’t have dared to take it. She was afraid of ending up like Aoko, buried in debt.

“It’s just a pile of broken porcelain. How could it be so expensive!!!” Aoko panted, suppressing her rising temper, and surveyed the shattered pieces on the living room floor, gritting her teeth.

Alice froze for a moment, then turned her head to stare at the ceramic shards on the floor to her left. She lifted her index finger, tapping her small, delicate chin, a thoughtful expression on her face.

After a long moment of staring, Alice nodded slightly, took a sip of tea, and said calmly, “The ceramics are all from the Roman Empire…”

“Huh?” Aoko stared, dumbfounded, at Alice. She knew her friend was a discerning collector of antiques. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so furious when she’d broken the furniture.

All of it was antique!!!

Who wouldn’t be heartbroken if their antiques were destroyed? Especially someone like Alice, who cherished her possessions.

She knew that Haru, who was always keeping an eye on the living room, would definitely hear her. The reason she’d deliberately pointed it out was, of course, to screw over Aoko. After all, Aoko had broken more than a few of her antiques and had never paid her back.

And Haru’s bill was imbued with a contractual concept, with the ruthless effect of forced repayment.

Thwack—!

“Damn it, Alice, whose side are you on!!!!” Aoko slammed her hand on the table, making it groan, and roared at Alice, her face contorted with rage.

Spit flew.

Alice, who had quietly moved to the other side of the sofa before Aoko had slammed the table, dodged the direct hit.

The next second, Haru’s voice echoed in her mind. “One third of the extra compensation is your commission!!”

The hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

Alice, her expression calm, said, “The side of justice.”

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