"I apologize; I am deeply touched."
Perhaps she also acknowledged that such impolite behavior is indeed inappropriate. This time, when faced with Emiya Shirou's offensive and venomous words, Himeko did not argue but laughed. Subsequently, he lowered his head.
"What an unreliable adult..." Emiya Shirou shook his head with a speechless expression, then picked up the remote control from a corner of the dining table and turned on the living room TV.
The public TV channels continued to broadcast morning news that was utterly uninteresting, such as the XX technology of the United Nations achieving another breakthrough, the cultural relics bureau of XX country announcing another major archaeological discovery, and the skyrocketing housing prices in XX city.
Additionally, country X and country Y promised joint action against another country in various domains during a meeting this month. Apart from minor daily differences and friction between countries, the entire world seemed to be immersed in the same peace as before, devoid of any significant events.
Himeko lifted her head, glanced at the solemn news anchor on the morning news, then quickly lowered her head, displaying a lack of interest. She curled the corners of her mouth, expressing disdain and sarcasm.
Emiya Shirou silently glanced at Himiko, who was busy eating with her head down, and furrowed his brows slightly.
After breakfast, Emiya Shirou stood up, cleared the tableware, and headed towards the kitchen. Meanwhile, Elysia lazily lay on the clean table, savoring her meal.
At that moment, a slower set of footsteps approached the boy leisurely walking into the kitchen.
"I'm impressed by you. It seems your mature appearance is not merely a pretense," Himeko said with a smile as she placed the remaining bowls and chopsticks into the sink, gazing at Emiya Shirou's expressionless face.
"Instead of compliments, I truly hope you will go back to your work after eating," Emiya Shirou turned his head, gave Himeko a glance, and sighed suddenly. "Let's talk. Did you come to my house purely for food when I suddenly started working this morning?"
"That's quite ruthless of you. Are you going to judge everyone you meet so harshly?" Himeko rolled her eyes at Emiya Shirou, resentment flickering in her pupils. "I'm just a little concerned about you two children after learning about your family situation. Must you direct all your thorns at me like a frightened hedgehog?"
"If I truly resembled a frightened hedgehog, I should call the police right now," Emiya Shirou casually responded to Himeko's words while washing the dishes with cold water at the sink.
"What a pity. Even if you were to call the police right now, they would be the ones answering from our team," Himeko shrugged nonchalantly, speaking in a frivolous tone.
"In that case, Your Excellency, the Temporary Police Officer, didn't you mention that there is something dangerous hidden in this town? This doesn't seem like the time for you to relax in a stranger's house," Emiya Shirou remarked.
"But we already met yesterday, so we are no longer strangers, right?" Himeko extended her hand to help Shirou Emiya wash the dishes, continuing the conversation.
"...Is that the point?" Emiya Shirou sighed softly. "We did meet yesterday, but I don't think that merely meeting once, without even knowing each other's names, can be considered an 'acquaintance.' The threshold for understanding should be higher."
While washing the dishes, Himiko paused briefly.
Oops, it seems the kid is right.
After spending so much time together, they had even forgotten to exchange names.
After a moment of embarrassment,
Himeko cleared her throat, pursed her lips, and blushed slightly. "Himeko, that's my name. I am also the temporary captain of the troops in charge of controlling and securing your town."
"Himeko...?" Emiya Shirou mulled over the somewhat familiar pronunciation for a moment, then suddenly froze.
Himeko...
Wait, if he remembered correctly, didn't this guy mention during lunch that the breakfast he made was "a taste that can only be experienced at home"? Is that referring to Himeko?
"Are you from the Far East?" Emiya Shirou raised his head, looking at Himeko'sprofile with surprise.
"Yes, did you just realize?" Himeko placed the washed dishes on the countertop of the cabinet, wiped away water stains around the sink with the rag in her hand, set the clean rag aside, and rinsed her hands with clear water in the sink. "I'm also curious why you, a boy from the Far East like me, suddenly appeared in this border town, and why you're living with a little girl who isn't related to you... If it weren't for the fact that you seem younger than that little girl, I would have taken you to the police station for questioning."
"Do you not think that's too lenient?" Emiya Shirou responded flatly.
"Well, children have the advantages of being children, just as adults have their own advantages," Himiko smiled. "Besides, we have temporarily taken control of the city's police system. Taking both of you children to the police station was simply exercising appropriate guardianship over children like you who lack the capacity for civil conduct and whose parents are not around. You can't be left alone, so we could have taken you away legally. Understand?"
"What does this mean? Are you planning to arrest us now?" Emiya Shirou asked calmly.
"Don't use ugly words like 'arrest.' We simply want to protect you," Himeko narrowed her eyes, seemingly expecting a panicked reaction from Shirou Emiya.
However, after waiting for a while, Emiya Shirou continued to watch her silently with a calm expression, which left Himeko feeling a bit frustrated. She shook her head and sighed, conceding, "Alright, alright, I know you two don't need anyone's protection, and I won't take you back to the police station."
Emiya Shirou lowered his head once again, untied his apron, and decisively issued the final eviction order. "Then why are you here? We've eaten and talked; now you should get back to work."
"Don't be in such a hurry to chase me away," Himeko said with a smile. She reached into her trouser pocket, retrieved a small memory card, and spoke unhurriedly, "Aren't you curious about what we discussed yesterday?"
