My older sister is a villainous rich girl.

Tears involuntarily streamed down Tasia's face.

"Eh—" Chris exclaimed in surprise, "Tasia? Why are you crying..."

She quickly took out a clean little handkerchief and wiped away the tears that had fallen onto Tasia's cheeks.

Realizing that she had actually shed tears, Tasia hurriedly reached out to wipe them away, feeling extremely embarrassed.

"I'm sorry... I was just too touched."

But no matter how much I wipe, I can't finish wiping it off.

She shyly covered her eyes. "But... it's so great to have met you all."

Besides my mother, no one has ever been this kind to me before...

"Silly girl, there's no need to apologize for this," Chris sighed, pulling Tasia into her arms.

Wayne, standing to the side, was green with envy.

Why did it turn out like this...?

For the first time, I found someone I liked and also gained a lifelong friend. The two joys overlapped, and this double joy brought even more joy.

They should have been enjoying a dreamlike period of happiness, but why did it turn out like this...?

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of those chaotic thoughts.

"Ahem..." Wayne coughed twice in an affected manner, then opened his arms and pretended to hug him as well.

Before she could even savor the softness, Chris pinched her waist hard.

"Wayne, what are you doing?!"

Wayne immediately raised his hands, saying innocently, "I just wanted to comfort you, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Heh." Chris chuckled coldly, seemingly not believing him.

Wayne could only helplessly clutch his lower back and obediently back away.

I guess their recent actions have gone too far, and their credibility has been severely eroded.

It's better to give her some space.

Seeing their humorous interaction, Tasia finally couldn't help but burst into laughter through her tears.

……

At noon, everyone ate a super spicy hot pot together.

Chris, while frantically chugging ice water, boasted, "How about it, Tasia? I dare say no restaurant outside can make hot pot as authentic as mine!"

...It is indeed a very authentic Sichuan hot pot.

The problem is that if it's too authentic, the diarrhea it causes will also be authentic.

Wayne frowned, staring intently at the beef rolls on his chopsticks, which were covered in chili oil.

These chopsticks were "invented" by Chris to make eating hot pot easier, but Tasia clearly didn't know how to use them. So Chris would first use the serving chopsticks to put the food into her bowl, and then Tasia would use a fork to eat it.

Why?! I've never even experienced the joy of being fed!

Filled with resentment, Wayne took large bites of the meat, chewing fiercely with a look of grief and indignation.

"Huff...huff...it's so spicy..." Tasia gasped for breath, her little tongue lolling out, tears welling up in her eyes again. "But...it's surprisingly delicious..."

"Right! The spicier the hot pot, the more enjoyable it is!" Chris said, gulping down another large glass of ice water.

...If you can put down the water glass, I'll respect you as a tough woman.

Wayne suddenly remembered the strange knowledge he had learned in his previous life.

Spiciness is not a taste, but a sensation of pain.

Therefore, people who like spicy food are more or less masochistic.

"Chris," Tasia said, her eyes brimming with tears, hesitant to speak. "I..."

"Do you need to go to the restroom? I'll take you!" Chris said very enthusiastically.

"Pfft—" Wayne spat out the mouthful of water he had just drunk. He hurriedly grabbed the wet towels that the maids had prepared in advance and wiped his mouth.

"...No, no." Tasia smiled sheepishly. "I meant to ask if... I could use my light magic to reduce the spiciness?"

Wayne: !!!

Chris: ? ? ?

"Light magic can reduce the spiciness?" Chris seemed to have heard some incomprehensible knowledge.

"...I think so. Chris, would you like to give it a try?"

Tasia chuckled and said, "In the past, whenever I ate snacks that were too spicy and delicious, I would secretly use light magic on myself so that I could eat as much as I wanted without worrying about anything."

Upon hearing this, Chris readily extended her fair and delicate arm.

"Please give me one, thank you."

A soft light appeared, and Chris shuddered, a suspicious flush rising to her face.

Wayne stared at Chris with trepidation.

Chris suddenly slammed her chopsticks down and stood up abruptly.

"Tasia!" she shouted, "Come to my house for hot pot every week... no, every day from now on!"

"Huh?" Tasia looked completely bewildered.

Wayne couldn't sit still any longer and forcibly pushed her back into her seat.

"Chris! Don't make such presumptuous requests! Haven't you been scolded by Mother lately, and are you itching for a beating again?"

Overwhelmed by Ashville's oppressive aura, Chris let out a mournful cry filled with resentment.

"Would Wayne like some too?" Tasia asked, tilting her head slightly.

"want!"

Wayne answered without hesitation.

Ah~ Tasia is truly an angel!

With this thought, he reached out his hand.

Tasia gently placed her palm about an inch away from Wayne's forearm, and a holy light appeared.

It's icy cold.

It's warm and cozy.

A peculiar sensation spread rapidly throughout my body from the point where the light touched me.

Wayne couldn't help but shiver.

In an instant, his ears turned visibly red.

Tasia was completely oblivious to his reaction, and casually tossed herself a ball of light as if she had just eaten a candy.

"My light magic is very effective for these minor physical discomforts!" Tasia said happily.

Yes, even I, when watching anime in my past life, never imagined that light magic could become a hot pot accompaniment. It's a truly magical combination.

Wayne calmed himself down and sat back down in his seat.

"Truly worthy of being called powerful and mysterious light magic!" he exclaimed. "If one cultivates it to an even higher level, it might really have miraculous healing effects."

Tasia nodded. "Legend has it that there once appeared on the continent a senior who possessed light magic, capable of even regenerating severed limbs."

Recalling the information she had learned before, she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

"I must become a powerful enough magician," Tasia said, holding a fork in one hand and clenching her fist in the other.

His eyes were brimming with fighting spirit.

—It must be enough to treat my mother's terminal illness.

"By the way," Wayne suddenly asked, as if remembering something, "Tasia, have you ever had any dealings with that Prince Lawrence?"

Tasia paused, "We exchanged a few words."

Before he could ask any further questions, she took the initiative to recount the scene:

"Yesterday, after finishing my part-time job at the library, I passed the music room on my way back to class, and His Highness Lawrence happened to be playing the piano inside..."

"At the time, I only glanced at it and left, but His Highness Lawrence suddenly chased after me and asked me how I thought of the piece he played."

"Hmm." Wayne and Chris exchanged a glance.

"So I told him I don't know anything about music and I hadn't listened carefully when I passed by," Tasia continued. "As a result, Prince Lawrence seemed quite angry."

"And then?" Wayne pressed.

"...And then, that was it."