All Celia wanted was to make tasty sandwiches for a friend's baby shower. When her cooking endeavors summon a demon in her kitchen, Celia thinks sending him back to his home will be the end of their story and that she'll be able to return to her mun...
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When the bell on the front door jingled, I turned to find a distressed Tsukiyo moving toward me with long strides. I started to ask him what was wrong but the moment he was close enough, his hands both came up to cup my face. Heat rushed to my face as my father cleared his throat behind Tsukiyo. Oh dear.
"Are you alright, Celia?" Tsukiyo asked in a low, intimate whisper.
"Huh? I'm fine, what—"
"Let me guess, the news is covering Mother's stunt?" Father asked with a heavy sigh. Tsukiyo stiffened before turning to glance over his shoulder. "Well, I can relax knowing Celia isn't dating a loser again. I thought I'd come see if she'd found another 'Andrew,' and instead she's caught herself a king? I couldn't be prouder."
"Tha-that isn't, at least I-I don't think he..." I stuttered before hiding my face in my hands. "Dad, just stop!"
"It's good to finally meet you, Tsukiyo," Father continued cheerfully. "I heard all about you from my late wife."
That snippet startled me. I looked between the two men, no idea what to do. They were on conflicting sides...right?
"What is the Nightingale matriarch planning?" Tsukiyo growled before glancing at the glowing golden servant behind my father. "The Nightingale Family still enslaves Skydwellers?"
"Indeed. Mother never did figure out how to crack open the book of Aloryi." Father tilted his head and glanced toward me. "I'm so very thankful she never realized your talent, Celia..."
"You two aren't going to hurt each other, are you?" I looked frantically between Father and Tsukiyo. Regardless of my father's misinterpretation of my relationship with the Aloryi, I didn't want to see either of them get hurt.
"Awww, she's as cute as ever!" The glowing Skydweller behind my father giggled and floated over to pinch my cheeks. "How precious! Of course they won't, silly goose. You're all on the same side. Not everyone in the family agrees with the matriarch's methods, you know."
"Your stepmother is worried about you. I'll tell her you're in good hands." Father smiled at me before glancing to Tsukiyo and offering him one hand. "Take care of my daughter. If you can do that, then I can focus on rescuing her siblings from their grandmother..."
"Hold on!" I protested when the pair shook hands firmly. "What the hell is going on? Just..."
"Wait until you're home for that." David strode over, dragging a woman with dark blue-black hair over. He shot Tsukiyo a foul look before shoving the woman toward him. "And make your sister stop hitting on my customers and employees. I don't need anyone thinking I'm running another service out of here."
I shrunk back a little when the woman turned to blow me a kiss. Her facial features had seemed familiar when she arrived in the store a few hours prior, but it hadn't occurred to me why. With them beside each other though...yes. The nympho was definitely Tsukiyo's sibling.
