Chapter 233: Nakiri Alice

"So this is the 'fun place' you mentioned?"

Ryuji raised an eyebrow, glancing at Alice beside him with a look of mild surprise.

Earlier, Alice had confidently claimed to know of a great place to visit, and Ryuji, intrigued, let her take the lead.

But now, here they were, standing outside a couple's hotel?

Seeing Ryuji's slightly perplexed expression, Alice didn't look embarrassed in the slightest.

Instead, she smiled brightly and said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "What's wrong? Don't you think this place is fun?"

She even winked at him playfully, leaving no room for ambiguity about her intentions.

"…"

Well, when she put it that way, there wasn't much room to argue.

"You've got a point," Ryuji admitted, chuckling lightly.

With such an invitation from a stunning beauty, there was no reason to hesitate. Without another word, he accompanied Alice into the hotel.

---

The afternoon passed by far faster than expected.

By the time Alice returned home, her steps were a little unsteady, her gait betraying a slight awkwardness.

Ryuji had initially offered to use his Reverse Technique to help her recover, but Alice had refused.

"This is going to be one of my most precious memories," she'd said, smiling warmly. "I want to remember every part of it, both in my mind and in my body."

Hearing such heartfelt words, Ryuji couldn't argue further.

He had also offered to escort her back home, but Alice declined once again, citing that she didn't want to act clingy or needy.

---

"Alice!"

As soon as Alice stepped into the Nakiri household, her grandfather, Senzaemon, happened to return from Tōtsuki Academy at the same time.

Noticing her slightly awkward posture, Senzaemon immediately rushed over with concern.

"What happened to you? Are you alright?"

Senzaemon had been preoccupied with academy matters in recent days and hadn't had much time to keep up with what was happening at home.

"I'm fine," Alice said with a smile, shaking her head.

"Did you manage to finish everything at the academy?"

"Almost," Senzaemon replied.

The areas of Tōtsuki that had been damaged during the incident with the Cursed Spirit were now mostly rebuilt. In addition, the incident had prompted Senzaemon to implement some reforms at the academy.

For instance, he had abolished the cutthroat competition for the Elite Ten seats, shifting the focus toward fostering a genuine love for culinary arts rather than creating pressure that forced students into unhealthy rivalries.

He was determined to ensure that the chaos brought by the Cursed Spirit would never happen again.

---

"Grandfather! Alice!"

At that moment, Erina stepped into the room, having been waiting in the living room for their return.

After greeting her grandfather respectfully, her gaze fell on Alice, but her expression became complicated.

"What's going on here?"

Senzaemon, noticing the shift in atmosphere, looked puzzled. He couldn't quite figure out what had caused this sudden tension.

Alice, however, merely smiled, her tone as natural as ever.

"Erina, shouldn't you be congratulating me? From now on, I won't be competing with you in culinary arts anymore. I've found a different path for myself!"

"A different path?"

Senzaemon frowned slightly, his expression growing even more confused.

The way Alice said it made it sound as though she intended to give up on cooking entirely.

"Don't worry!" Alice reassured him quickly, noticing the change in his expression.

"I'm not giving up on learning to cook. I'm just no longer chasing after the title of 'number one.' After all, I want to cook delicious food for him."

As she spoke, a radiant smile spread across her face.

"…"

Even someone as sharp as Senzaemon couldn't miss the implications behind her words.

So that was it.

Something significant must have happened while he was away from home. How had things escalated so quickly?

"What's the point of this?" Erina finally snapped, her emotions bubbling to the surface. Her voice grew louder as her frustration overflowed.

"The point?"

Alice let out a soft laugh at her cousin's reaction.

Then, she raised her hand. A faint but distinct blue light flickered in her palm.

"What is that?"

Both Erina and Senzaemon's eyes were immediately drawn to the phenomenon, their curiosity piqued.

"This…" Alice said, her voice tinged with satisfaction, "is Cursed Energy."

That afternoon, Ryuji had used his Idle Transfiguration Technique to grant Alice the qualifications to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer.

He wasn't one to play favorites, and he didn't see any reason why Alice shouldn't receive the same opportunity.

By now, Alice was already capable of manipulating her Cursed Energy to a certain degree.

"Is this because of Ryuji?"

Senzaemon couldn't help but ask. If his granddaughter had always possessed such talent, there would have been signs long ago.

And judging by Alice's earlier words, it seemed obvious that Ryuji was the one who had unlocked this potential.

"Exactly!"

Alice nodded without hesitation, her tone filled with pride. Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she spoke.

"Ryuji is the strongest man in the world!"

In a family that had always respected strength, Alice's words carried weight.

"…"

Senzaemon inhaled sharply, momentarily stunned.

To think that Ryuji could turn an ordinary person into a Jujutsu Sorcerer… it was almost too unbelievable to comprehend.

"This must not be shared with others," Senzaemon said gravely, his expression becoming stern.

He understood the gravity of the situation. If word of this got out, it could attract unnecessary trouble, not just for Ryuji but for the Nakiri family as well.

Even Senzaemon himself, despite his wisdom, had felt a flicker of temptation when Alice revealed her newfound abilities. He couldn't imagine how others might react.

"I know," Alice replied confidently.

She wasn't foolish. She understood what could be said and what needed to be kept secret.

Besides, there were no outsiders here.

"I would never do anything to harm Ryuji!" she declared firmly.