A knock reverberated on the manor’s door, prompting Bell's gaze to shift from the book in his hand A knock reverberated on the manor’s door, prompting Bell's gaze to shift from the book in his hand towards the front door. Peering out the window, he recognized the silhouette of Persephone, the same figure he had encountered just yesterday. Curiosity piqued, Bell hastened his steps towards the entrance, swinging the door open to greet her.
"Hi Miss Persephone, what can I do for you?" Bell inquired
Persephone met his gaze with a gentle smile, her eyes twinkling with an unspoken message. "Ah, Lady Demeter sent me with her thank you gift," she explained, gesturing towards the wagon stationed before the manor.
A flicker of amusement crossed Bell's features as he surveyed the contents of the wagon, his eyes widening at the sight. "Uhm. Sure, thank you for delivering it, all. You can set it down in the kitchen," he offered, stepping aside to make way for the procession of Demeter Familia members bustling with activity.
The air hummed with a sense of camaraderie as the members of the Demeter Familia diligently unloaded the wagon's bounty. Bell watched in awe as crates of food and freshly baked goods flooded into the kitchen, a fragrant wave of familiar scents wafting towards him.
"Uhm. Please thank Lady Demeter for helping me. She really didn’t have to go through all the trouble. This looks like a lot," Bell expressed his gratitude, as multiple Demeter familia members begin to stream by with crates of food and baked goods.
As Demeter familia delivered the goods a familiar scent reaches Bell’s nose:
Carrots.
"Uhm. Well, Lady Demeter insisted on making it as a thank you gift. did almost all of these personally with only a little help from us. We only really watched them when they cooked. Apparently, the letter you delivered meant more than she let on and speaking of letters, I have one for you from Lady Demeter," Persephone explained, extending a delicate hand holding a sealed letter towards Bell:
Dear Bell,
First, I wanted to thank you for the letter you brought. I know I said this already, but it truly meant the world to me. I haven’t been able to see my daughter since I descended. So, I have been missing her terribly after all these centuries. So once again thank you. Now, I don’t know what you like, other than carrots, so I made a variety of things. Plus, since you look like such an adorable bunny, I thought a carrot theme would be best. I made two varieties, a sweet and then savory option in case you don’t like sweets. I know that you are living with Zald, Alfia, and Erebus so I made enough that you won’t have to share unless you want to. Here is a list of what I made:
• 4 Layer Carrot Cake (Each layer 12” by 24”) X 16.
• Carrot Muffins X 60.
• Carrot Bread X 24.
• Carrot Cookies X 40.
• Carrot Scones X 40.
• Carrot Cupcakes X 40.
• Carrot and Walnut Loaf Bread X 40.
• Carrot and Raisin Bread Pudding (Pan size: 12” by 24”) X 16.
• Carrot and Zucchini Cake Bars X 80.
• Carrot and Cheese Biscuits X 40.
I made plenty of snacks for you to take when you get hungry in the Dungeon. I made sure that everything would be very filling and nutritious. I hope that you can enjoy them at your leisure. I look forward to seeing you again.
With warmest regards, Demeter
P.S. In case I made too much, please feel free to share some of them. I may have gotten carried away, but I wanted to make sure to properly thank you.
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Bell's eyes widened almost comically as he continued to peruse the extensive list of baked goods Demeter had prepared for him. Meanwhile, the members of the Demeter familia, having completed their task of unloading the wagon, began to filter past Bell as he remained engrossed in the letter. The sound of their footsteps drew the attention of the others.
"Bell, what’s all this from the Demeter familia?" Zald inquired, his curiosity piqued as he and the rest of the group approached.
Without a word, Bell handed the letter to Zald, his expression a mixture of disbelief and gratitude. Zald's initial response was a burst of laughter, the sound echoing through the room as he absorbed the contents of the letter. Passing it to Alfia and Erebus, Zald's laughter subsided into a warm chuckle, contrasting with Alfia's barely perceptible eyebrow twitch and Erebus's lighthearted amusement.
"Well, we are done here, so I will be leaving you now," Persephone announced
The group migrated to the kitchen, where the bounty of Demeter's generosity lay spread out upon the table. A veritable mountain of food towered above them, each dish a testament to Demeter's skill and kindness. The mountain of food stood as tall as Zald, casting a shadow over the group.
"We are never going to get through all of this before it spoils. I think we should share it," Bell suggested, a note of concern lacing his words.
"Oh. And who do you think we should share it with, Bell?" Alfia interrogated him, her gaze daring him to mention them.
Bell swallowed nervously, feeling the weight of Alfia's scrutiny. "I think Ardee, Alise, and the rest of them would be best," he replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Tch. Of course, it is those hyenas," Alfia muttered, her gaze drifting towards Stardust Garden with a mixture of disdain and resignation. "However, you are right. It would be shameful to let this food go to waste. Lady Demeter obviously went through a great deal of trouble to make all of these personally for us. She is also one of the very few good deities in this cesspool of a city."
"Alright, I will bring it over to them after we sort it all," Bell agreed
The freshly baked goodies were swiftly split into two distinct stacks. Bell walked over to the Astraea Familia home and tapped on the door, greeted by the familiar face of Neze.
"Hey Bell, what's going on? And why do you smell like baked goods? You smell delicious." Neze asked with excitement, her nose twitching and tail wagging eagerly.
"Oh, Lady Demeter made a ton of desserts for my familia as a thank-you for delivering a letter from her daughter still living in Tenkai. She made too much, so I wanted to share it with you all. Could I get your help bringing it over?" Bell explained.
Neze's mischievous grin widened as she leaned in, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh, yeah, Alise mentioned that you nearly died by boobs," she remarked with a playful tone. "That also explains why Lion looked so distraught and was muttering to herself when she came back about hope for the future."
Bell felt a flush of embarrassment color his cheeks at the mention of his embarrassing incident.
Neze chuckled and gently ruffled Bell's hair, her hand lingering on his soft strands. "Bell, you are really too adorable," she teased, her voice laced with affection. "I heard Lady Demeter called you a little bunny." Bell couldn't help but feel bashful under Neze's teasing and he gave a shy nod in confirmation.
"Yes, she did," he admitted, his voice tinged with bashfulness.
A mischievous glint danced in Neze's eyes as she giggled, her fingers playfully ruffling Bell's hair. "Better watch out if you keep looking this adorable, Bell. There is no telling how many women will want to snatch you up, especially animal girls. They will see you and pounce before you know it. Just be careful not to get tricked by any evil women, okay?" Her laughter filled the air as she finally stopped her teasing.
"Thank you for the warning, Miss Neze. I'll be sure to watch out. But why specifically animal girls?" Bell asked, his cheeks still flushed from both her words and her touch. He couldn't help but stare at her with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.
Neze leaned in close, her warm breath tickling Bell's ear as she explained. "You see, animal people are deeply connected to their primal instincts. So, when a cat girl, fox girl," she paused teasingly, a sly grin spreading across her lips, "or a werewolf girl catches sight of such a cute little bunny like you, their instincts tell them to pounce and gobble him up."
With a playful growl, Neze ran her tongue slowly over her lips, her eyes sparkling with mischief as Bell's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze as he squirmed under the weight of her gaze.
Unable to contain her amusement any longer, Neze burst into laughter. Her whole body shook as she clutched her sides "I am, sorry, Bell," she gasped out between fits of giggles. "But you just make the funniest faces when you're embarrassed. I couldn't resist teasing you a little."
Her laughter echoed through the air. Only when she finally released Bell, did she catch her breath, allowing him a moment to compose himself before he spoke. Despite the lingering flush on his cheeks, his voice remained steady and composed. "I will keep that in mind for the future," he assured her, his voice steady despite the lingering flush of embarrassment on his cheeks.
Neze's voice carried through the manor as she called out to her friends Noin, Iska, and Ryana. Three figures descended from the upper floor, their expressions brightening at the sight of Bell and the baked goods he brought for them all.
"Hey there, Bell. You're still as adorable as always," Iska greeted him warmly, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Hi, Bell. How are you?" Ryana inquired.
"How has it been settling into your new house?" Noin added.
"Thank you, Miss..." Bell began to respond before being playfully interrupted by Iska's protest.
"What did I tell you to call me?" Iska interjected with a pout.
"Iska," Bell corrected himself with a sheepish grin.
"Good. Now what is this about baked goods?" Iska prompted
After Bell explained the situation, the girls eagerly volunteered to help Bell transport the treats from Midnight Garden to their own home. With their assistance, the process was swift and efficient as they expressed their gratitude and excitement for the savory delights that awaited them.