<Friend: Rose (SWORD Agent, colleagues only)>

[Elayne]: [Sure! Let’s meet tomorrow in the evening in the Café Le Piece, you know that one?]

[Rose]: [I do, I go there every day to satiate my coffee and sweets addiction, lol]

[Elayne]: [Then it’s decided! I’ve got a new friend to show you too.]

[Rose]: [Oh nice, looking forward to it, Elayne!]

After that message, we chatted for a bit more, as we set up an hour for our meeting in the café. They were all rather excited to meet the Dhampir girl once more, who was actually older than all of us, yet maintained a young appearance, resembling my daughter a bit.

“I hope that we can get to know her better~” Rita said. “I wonder if she knows any hot vampire guy out there?”

“Rita why are you asking such a thing.” I sighed. “Just having her as a friend is enough already!”

“A-Ahahah, it was a joke!” Rita said.

She’s been a bit horny lately.

“Well, anyways, we’ll be going for now. I am rather tired, honestly.” I sighed. “Thank you for everything Lily! I’ll come pick you up tomorrow at 4 pm.”

“Sure! I’ll be looking forward to it.” Lily said.

I hugged het tightly and gave her a kiss in her cheek before departing. When she hugged me back, I felt like she could had broken my ribs if I wasn’t strong myself…

“L-Lily, try to practice controlling that strength of yours.” I said.

“Y-Yes! I will.” Lily felt a bit embarrassed.

“Don’t worry partner, we’ll get it done in no time!” Her pickaxe, Tierra, spoke, floating in midair.

I don’t know if I can trust in a talking weapon, but I’ll leave it to her. Like that, we made our way back home. Rita quickly decided to go back home as she had to make dinner for her family, while Mark decided to accompany me back to my house after I invited him to help me make dinner.

“Ah, been a while since you’ve invited me…” Mark said with a nostalgic sigh. “Ah, remember when you invited me to a date and your daughter was really angered?”

“D-Don’t remind me of such embarrassing things…” I sighed, while beginning to peel potatoes while he was cutting meat for the stew we were going to prepare.

“Embarrassing? It was really cute.” Mark said. “I never thought you would be the one to invite me to a date like that… I was honestly so happy back then it felt like I was in a dream.”

“D-Dream? That much?” I asked in surprise. “You’re exaggerating…”

“I’m not, I was just that happy.” Mark said, looking into the window as the sun slowly began to set down the horizon. “S-Since that day that I fell for you even more than before.”

“I-Is that so?” I felt like my cheeks were getting warmer, was I blushing? “I was honestly surprised you accepted… I thought I looked creepy or something.”

“Creepy?” Laughed Mark. “Don’t say those things, there’s no way someone as adorable as you could ever be creepy.”

“Adorable? Geez, its not like I’m a little girl anymore…” I sighed. “W-Well, you’re cute too.”

“Hahaha, I don’t think anybody else but you have ever told me I am cute…” Mark giggled cheerfully. He finished cutting the meat into small cubes, washed his hands, and then gently hugged me from behind.

Uwaah! T-This is advanced lovey-dovey! He’s really bold! But it makes me happy too…

I stopped peeling potatoes as I gave him a glance, our faces were so close together, we ended kissing almost instinctively.

His lips were so soft and warm, kissing him made my heartbeat become so fast…

He gently grabbed my hips, making me feel slightly embarrassed, but I couldn’t deny that it also made me happy.

Once our long kiss finished, he looked into my eyes.

“I love you.” He said without any other word.

Why is he so cute?!

“I-I love you too.” I kissed his nose.

“Mom!”

However, our romantic moment was swiftly interrupted by my daughter.

“Y-Yes dear?!” I asked, quickly letting go of him a bit brutishly, my strength was enough to throw Mark into the walls.

BAAM!

“Ouch…”

“Uwaah! S-Sorry! Are you okay?!”

“Hahah, yeah, don’t worry.”

I swiftly helped him stand back up again and healed him from the pain, though he said he was fine, I felt too guilty!

“Mom!”

“What is it, Elena?”

“What are you making for dinner?”

“Sigh…”

She was calling me from her room just to ask me that.

“Beef Stew!”

“Eh? Is that it?”

“It’s yummy! Don’t say that!”

“…”

I guess she probably went to play the game again…

“She’s a bit cocky.” Mark pointed out.

“Ah, well, it’s my fault for spoiling her so much.” I sighed, as I finished preparing the last things and left the stew boiling.

“Well, it still feels like she loves you a lot.” Mark said. “I’m sorry if this sounds rude or something, but your relationship has improved a lot since the first time I meet her.”

“Do you think so?” I wondered. “Well yeah, she has become nicer… I hope I’m doing a good job…”

“You certainly are! Come on, have some more self-confidence.” Mark said. “I think you’re the best mother out there. You work hard for her and all.”

“Maybe…” I sighed. “I guess you might be right… Ah, about that… There was something I’ve been thinking for a while.”

“What is it?” He wondered.

“W-Well, it is about our jobs…” I said. “The last months I’ve received very generous incomes from my videos, the donations and ad revenue made already over ten thousand dollars…”

“E-Eh?! That much?!” Mark asked. “Ah… Maybe I should start streaming as well? I haven’t done it…”

“Yeah about that… Well, it is pretty obvious but I am earning much more than I actually get paid in the mini market… And with the world changing, I could also make money selling magic items too.” I said. “So I was considering quitting… my job.”

“Oh…” Mark suddenly looked down in the floor, as if I had ripped the soul out of his body…

“M-Mark?”