After finishing up her meal at Menkicchi, the Mistress paid for her meal and then promptly headed out for the taxi. Once she climbed inside, she tried to take her mind off Lord Stingray and Mistress Killda but couldn't. She knew she shouldn't be fixating on them, not when she was going to ask Dorian and Junko to adopt her. She had no idea what the villainous lovers had even been talking about back there, but at the same time, she wanted to know. Would it be worth it if she found out, though?

That was a question that she would have to put aside for now. She was trying to get adopted, dammit! Such budding paranoia and curiosity had no business clouding her thoughts, not on what was supposed to be one of the best days of her life.

It took some time for the taxi to follow the directions from Menkicchi to Dorian and Junko's address on Boulevard Beaumarchais, but Mistress eventually made it to her intended destination: a luxurious home standing tall and elegant in all its grandeur. This was somewhat evident in its intricate architectural details and the well-manicured gardens that surrounded it. Before stepping inside, Mistress decided to knock on the door. After all, it was only polite that she did so.

"Who is it?" Junko could be heard asking.

"It's me, Angelina," Mistress replied. "I wanted to talk to you about this whole adoption thing."

"Oh, of course. Well, come on in. I hope you don't mind the place. Dorian and I have been cleaning house lately."

"Oh, did I come at a bad time?"

"No, not at all. It's pretty messy right now, but nothing too egregious or anything."

Mistress nodded. "Okay, good to know."

With that, Mistress stepped inside and looked around. Indeed, she could tell that the house wasn't exactly the epitome of cleanliness, though not for lack of trying. Junko then proceeded to give her a brief tour of the house and then had her sit with her and Dorian in the dining room.

"I'm actually really glad you could come visit us, Mistress," Dorian said. "We really missed having someone to talk to."

Mistress scrunched her eyebrows. "What do you mean? Don't you talk with Arisu and Daisuke every other day? What about the other children?"

"Oh, we still talk to them, don't get me wrong. It's just not as often as we like."

"Why not?"

Dorian shrugged. "I don't know. Life gets in the way, maybe?"

"Oh, that's... that's too bad."

Now it was Junko's turn to speak. "So you said you wanted to talk about us adopting you."

"Yes," Mistress simply replied. "Better late than never, am I right?"

"Well, that's the thing. Given our respective ages, you being sixty and us being seventy-seven and eighty-four, well..." Junko trailed off and hesitated for some time before speaking again. "I fear we may be too old to adopt you."

"Are you sure? It can and has happened before."

"I know, but-"

However, before Junko could say anything, Dorian gingerly placed his hand on her shoulder and cut her off. "Junko, think about all the things she had to go through to get here. The horrific abuse Ambrosia put her through, the isolation from the rest of her family, the stigma around how she was conceived... Honestly, I would be flattered that she wanted us to adopt her this late in our lives."

Junko's eyes shot up to meet his gaze. "Really?"

"Yes. She's yearned to feel like she's been part of something, anything, practically her whole life; even when she actually was part of something. Even when she became the second Mistress of Ultraprison or started her own family, she still never felt like she quite belonged anywhere. This could help fill the void in her life."

Junko pursed her lips. "Maybe so, but we'll have to give this more thought before we cross that bridge."

"But you will cross that bridge eventually, right?" Mistress asked eagerly.

"Yes, of course," Junko assured her. "Anyway, let's change the subject. How have you been handling things since Warden died?"

"I like to think I'm handling them pretty well. I'm still a little bit overwhelmed by the fact that he's gone and that I'll have to spend the rest of my life without him. Though I suppose it takes time to adjust to this kind of reality."

"Yes, it most certainly does. Trust me, I would know."

"How do you keep living after that? How can you stand to go on when the love of your life is gone?"

"I don't know, and to this day, I still haven't figured it out. I've somehow managed, though. Honestly, I don't know how anyone can find the strength to go on after being dealt the worst tragedies in life. But you're a strong woman, stronger than any other I've known. If I could survive without my husband or my sweet Satsuki, you can survive without Warden. He would want it so anyway."

Mistress could've sworn she felt tears begin to prick the corners of her eyes. "Thank you so much. I knew I could count on you."

Junko was about to respond to that when she heard the doorbell ring.

"Oh, I'll get it." Junko walked over to the front door and opened it up to see who it was: a UPS delivery guy with what looked like a package for her. "Dorian, I think there's a package here for us. Have we been ordering anything lately?"

Dorian rubbed his chin with his hand. "Not that I can recall. Why do you ask?"

"Okay, I just don't recognize this one. I don't recognize the name on the label, either." Junko then looked up at the UPS delivery guy. "Sir, can you tell me who sent this?"

"I believe that would be a Mistress Killda, mademoiselle," the UPS delivery guy replied.

Suddenly, Mistress felt herself physically tense up upon hearing the name "Mistress Killda." Without even thinking, she rushed right over to where Junko was and shoved the package out of her hands and onto the street.

"Mistress!" Junko exclaimed. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

"Trust me," Mistress replied. "You'll thank me later."

Just as Mistress said this, the package exploded, setting off a few car alarms and horns as it did so.

"Oh my God, that was so close!" Junko exclaimed. "It's a good thing you acted fast or else we might be dead right now."

Mistress nodded, knowing full well that Junko was right. She also couldn't doubt that Mistress Killda (possibly in conjunction with Lord Stingray) had sent that package out of malice. The only question was why. What possible reason could they have had for wanting Junko and Dorian dead? Mistress would have to work that out later. Right now, it was abundantly clear that they were facing a dangerous enemy who was willing to go to extreme lengths to harm them. Despite the shock of the situation, however, Mistress knew that she had to stay calm and strategize their next move.

"So what now?" Dorian asked Mistress.

"I can't in good conscience let you stay where you are," Mistress replied. "You're just not safe here."

"I think that goes without saying. Still, where are we supposed to go if we can't stay here?"

Mistress had to think on it for a moment. It was only a matter of time before Dorian and Junko were targeted again. She dared not to to think about what would happen if that came to pass. Soon, she hit upon an idea.

"Why don't I take you back to Superjail City and move you to my home?" Mistress suggested. "There will be plenty of protection for you over there."

"That would be nice," Dorian replied. "But are you sure we'll be safe at the White House?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have offered it up in the first place."

"Okay, you got me there. Still, I really hope what you're saying is true. I'd hate to think you'd let us down in any way."

Mistress nodded. "I understand. I really do. Still, I'm only offering my home because I don't want you going anywhere else."

Dorian sighed. "Thank you, Mistress. You are the best leader we could rely upon."