-400- Being a dad isn't so bad

As night fell, Yui finally woke up once again.

This time, her spirits seemed to have improved, and her speech was no longer unclear and stuttered. While still slow and concise, her words were now comprehensible.

Currently, Yui was playing with Saichou and Hanachou, calling out their names while pointing to them as if practicing like a child. She looked adorable, sitting in the sand and engaging with the two Rainbow Butterflies.

"Saichou."

"Gu!"

"Hanachou."

"Gu!"

"Saichou."

"Gu!"

"Hanachou."

"Gu!"

However, Saichou and Hanachou were still enthusiastic about indulging Yui. Every time Yui called their names, they responded with delightful voices, making the chirping of the two Rainbow Butterflies sound like a beautiful song.

Rozen and Asuna watched this scene, and their expressions gradually softened. It seemed like they were thinking the same thing.

"...Why does it feel like we've turned into parents watching our children play?" Rozen wondered aloud, perplexed. Asuna blushed slightly, half ignoring him.

But surely Asuna had the same thought? It was evident in the loving and tender way she looked at Yui, her eyes filled with affection and warmth.

This finesse swordswoman seemed to have awakened her motherly instinct, focusing all her attention on Yui, observing her every move as if caring for a toddler.

She even couldn't help but ask, "Hey, Yui-chan, what would you like for dinner?"

It was no longer just a motherly figure but a full-fledged mother.

"Dinner?" Yui finished her game of naming and turned her head to look at Asuna, tilting her head in a puzzled manner, as if not sure how to respond.

Seeing this, Asuna smiled reflectively.

"Alright, I'll do my best to make something you'll like."

With that, Asuna entered the kitchen, materializing ingredients from her inventory and picking up a knife. Yui looked on, clearly bewildered by the sudden appearance of so many ingredients.

Only Rozen couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.

"If I remember correctly, Asuna hasn't been inside the safe zone since the first day we arrived, right?" Rozen inquired.

This meant that Asuna hadn't entered the safe zone to buy ingredients for a whole week now. Instead, she had been using the supplies in her inventory to cook. Considering this situation, Rozen wondered just how much food Asuna had carried with her.

"Exactly how much food is she carrying?" Rozen couldn't help but be perplexed. He started to suspect that Asuna had a hidden attribute as a foodie. Otherwise, why would anyone carry so much food with them?

It was worth noting that a player's inventory, while having unlimited storage spaces, had weight limits. Carrying so much food in the inventory would certainly occupy a significant portion of that weight. Once the weight limit was reached, they wouldn't be able to carry any more items, which wasn't something players who frequently battled monsters and collected loot wanted to experience.

Rozen chose cloth armor as his primary protective gear partly because it had very low weight, allowing him to carry more crafting materials. Therefore, he couldn't help but find it incredible that Asuna was carrying so much food.

Of course, Rozen didn't know that Asuna had purchased a large amount of food just before coming here, storing it all in her inventory before visiting him.

"Papa!"

At that moment, Yui approached Rozen, reaching out her hands, looking both innocent and expectant.

Seeing Yui like this, Rozen couldn't help but understand what the child wanted.

"Alright."

Rozen chuckled, reaching out to pick Yui up and cradle her in his arms.

"Hehe..."

With satisfaction, Yui revealed a smile, nestling her head against Rozen's chest.

Rozen couldn't resist ruffling her hair and thought to himself, "Maybe being a dad isn't so bad after all."

Asuna, emerging from the kitchen, witnessed this scene and couldn't help but speak up.

"I know you two have a good relationship, but come on, let's eat."

Hearing this, Rozen and Yui exchanged glances, both smiling.

"Let's go, it's time to eat."

"Em!"

Rozen and Yui held hands and walked together to the dining room.

... ...

During the meal, the three of them enjoyed their food immensely, thoroughly delighting in every bite. Rozen devoured Asuna's dishes, and even the Rainbow Butterflies joined in, eating heartily and leaving behind a chaotic mess of dishes and utensils.

Yui seemed eager to learn but, due to her small mouth, she quickly choked on her food, causing a moment of panic. Everyone rushed to help, offering water and patting her back until the young girl was finally saved from her predicament.

Naturally, Rozen received a scolding from Asuna for being a bad influence.

The three of them continued their meal, and oddly enough, they felt like a family of three, with two pets nearby.

After dinner, Asuna took Yui to bathe, along with Saichou and Hanachou. Rozen was left alone in the living room, left to clean up the dishes.

"I'm the head of this household you know...," Rozen muttered in dissatisfaction, his words filled with irony. He begrudgingly cleaned the dishes and even washed them.

It's worth mentioning that in SAO, washing dishes was a straightforward task. Just rinsing them in water would instantly make them look as good as new, spotlessly clean. If it weren't for this convenience, considering Rozen's laziness when it came to daily life, he might not have bothered with dishwashing at all.

Half an hour later, Asuna, Yui, Saichou, and Hanachou emerged from the bathroom, all smelling fresh and clean. Finally, Rozen had his turn to take a shower.

However, when Rozen finished his shower and came out of the bathroom, he was met with Asuna's shocked exclamation.

"No, no, no, no!"

In the living room, something Yui had said to Asuna had clearly made her blush furiously as she vigorously shook her head.

"We can't do this, Yui-chan!"

Asuna protested with a bright red face.

Rozen was now quite curious. "What's going on?"

He hurried over to find out.

Once he understood what had happened, he was left utterly speechless.

As for Asuna, her face remained a deep shade of red, and she even shot a glare at Rozen.

The cozy atmosphere of the small cottage shifted from warm to somewhat ambiguous as night fell.