Chapter 3

“...”

“...Mmmmhnng...where am I?”

I awoke, I was in a lavish looking dining room, the walls were decorated in fine art and there were expensive looking things everywhere. When I looked across from me I spotted the geezer with a pair of chopsticks in his hands and a bowl of wonton soup in front of him.

“Hyahahahahahahaha, so you’re finally decided to accept my invitation and join me for dinner young one.”

“D-decided!? Y-you kidnapped me! Just what the hell are you playing at geezer!”

I began the futile struggle of attempting to move, the effects of the drugs had worn off but it seems I was still wearing the straitjacket, damn that clever geezer. Strangely I had some feeling in my left hand and was able to move it slightly, but it felt really slimy, just what the hell did these guys do to me…

“Hyahahahahahaha, don’t try to move so much, I had the quacks apply the Serqet Poison to your left hand. It should be back to normal within the next 24 hours but over exertion won’t do you much good. That Young Prince of yours sure does drive a hard bargain, I had to promise a lot more than just the medicine to get you here.”

“J-just what the hell geezer! Let me go already!”

“Hyahahahaha, but you just got here, a son-in-law has a duty to visit his wife’s parents now and then.”

“Who’s your son-in-law!?”

“Hyahahahahaha, here comes the blushing bride now, she was so happy when she found out that you were coming to visit.”

Mei-Lien entered the dining room accompanied by a trolley of food, she was wearing a light grey sleeveless summer Qipao with flowers embroidered on the front, she sat next to me and showed a worried expression. After seeing her expression I decided to calm down a little and see if I could find a way to escape peacefully.

“K-Kuro-sama...I-is you hand OK? Father informed me that you required some medicine and that its application would result in you having to be forcibly restrained for a while.”

Oi, oi, just what have you told this poor girl geezer, it’s obvious that Seir was lying about the potential effects of the Serqet poison, is this how you intend to keep me here forcibly for an extended period of time...

“I-I have prepared some noodle soup with poached eggs and a variety of other dishes, I-I hope you can eat them and let me know if they are to your liking…”

Mei-Lien showed the same worried expression again, I suppose she was concerned about my impression of the taste of the food she had prepared. Her delicate fingers were covered with cute pink plasters so she must have gone to some lengths to prepare all of this for me. Despite being touched by her efforts there was an obvious underlying problem with dealing with her request…

“Hyahahahahahahaha, come now little Mei, there’s no way that he could possibly eat anything in that condition, you will just have to feed him.”

“W-what!”

“Stop it geezer, don’t cause any more trouble for Mei-Lien, if you just took this stupid…”

“O-OK! I-I’ll do it.”

“Yeah, take this thing...say what now?”

“Hyahahahahaha, that’s the way little Mei/”

Mei-Lien, took a pair of chopsticks and a soup spoon in each hand and began preparing a spoonful of noodle soup. She looked a little hesitant but slowly raised the spoon to my mouth.

“S-say Ahhhh, Kuro-sama…”

She avoided making eye contact with me throughout this whole process, her hand was beginning to give way and it was looking like she was about to spill the spoonful of soup. I didn’t have the heart to refuse her, so reluctantly lent forward and opened my mouth a little.

“Ah-ahhhhh.”

She brightened up and fed me some of the noodle soup and then gave me an expectant look. Regardless of the taste, I had every intention to lie to her and say that it was delicious. However, there was no need for me to lie, there was no doubt that this was the best noodle soup I’d had in years, only Mum’s could compare to it, in fact it tasted a little like hers.

“Delicious! You’re a very good cook Mei-Lien, This is the best noodle soup I’ve had in years.”

She gave me a glowing smile that made my heart waver a little and then continued to feed me. She made me try every dish and sure enough everything she had prepared was as delicious if not more so than its predecessor.

“Hyahahahahahaha, what do you think young one? This could be you everyday, even you can’t deny that the sight of my little Mei feeding you what she prepared with her own hands is pure bliss.”

“F-father!”

“Hyahahahahahaha.”

Mei-Lien placed her hands over her face and blushed. This was bad...I had no idea how to deal with this situation. I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but there was a part of me that did believe that this was pure bliss. I had to leave, I had to find a way to escape…

“H-hey geezer…”

Just then Pu Yi burst into the dining room.

“M-my apologies my lord, however an emergency has just arisen regarding the matter with Lady Asmodeus.”

“Hyahahaha, even now that old vixen causes trouble for me, alright, I’ll be right there, Mei-Mei, please show our guest to his quarters for this evening, he can sleep in your room too if he so desires.”

“F-father! N-not until we’re…”

The geezer left with Pu Yi, leaving me with a Mei-Lien that looked to be in her own world. This was my chance to escape, so I invoked the old dragons power slightly and began using his talons to tear away at the straitjacket.

“Ah, K-Kuro-sama, I-I will show you to your room.”

“Huh? Um Mei-Lien, there’s somewhere that I need to be right now.”

“I-I see…”

She looked disheartened and a little distraught, I couldn’t leave her like that so I decided to at least put a smile on her face before I left.

“Y-yeah, thanks for the food it was delicious! I’ll look forward to what you make when I visit next time.”

“N-next time!”

She instantly brightened up so I returned her expression with a nod and a grin. She looked a lot happier and began twiddling her thumbs, I tore out of the straitjacket and made for the window, it was dark outside, I opened it, leapt out and began to fall…

“Damn you geezer, who puts the dining room on the top floor!”

As I was about to make contact with the ground I fired some demonic energy below me to cushion my fall and just about managed to land on my feet. I looked up one last time and saw Mei-Lien smiling and waving at me from the top floor window. I returned her wave and made for home.