Eri’s eyes narrowed. "What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re being picky after all that fuss." She couldn't help thinking that he might've been a spoiled noble child before his life of slavery, if that were the case then it could explain his stunning appearance yet inwardly, her impression of him was about to diminish at the thought.

But before she could scold him further, Hitoshi’s small body shook violently. Streams of tears spilled down his face as he suddenly rushed toward her, wrapping his tiny arms around her thigh. "Thank you Onee-san! Thank you so much!" he bawled, pressing his face against her skirt.

Eri froze, breathless at the sudden display of raw emotion. ' I guess I was wrong after all.' Her heart clenched as she realized just how much suffering this little boy must have endured. Despite her professional instincts screaming at her to maintain composure, she found herself gently patting his head. "There, there," she murmured awkwardly.

Hitoshi continued to cling to her, seemingly afraid she'd leave if he didn't, The longer he continued like this, the more Eri Onee-san's apprehensive behavior towards him slowly crumbled, though she didn't know it. The longer she patted him to console him, the more this cute little human boy before her eyes was slowly inching his way into her heart and before she knew it, he had imprinted himself within.

When his sobs finally subsided, Eri cleared her throat, trying to regain her usual stern demeanor. "Enough of that. Now eat your food. I have a task for you afterward so be sure to eat your fill ok."

Sniffling, Hitoshi nodded vigorously. "Yes, Eri Onee-san!" 

He went back to sit at the desk, the green lantern casting strange shadows on his face as he eagerly spooned the strange-tasting soup into his mouth. 

' The soup taste a bit weird....but since it's Eri-Onee-san that made it, I can't waste a single drop!.' 

Despite the odd flavor, he ate with genuine gratitude, determined not to displease her.

"Thank you for the food, Eri Onee-san!" he said earnestly when he finished, his innocent visage glowing with appreciation.

Eri felt a strange warmth inside but quickly suppressed it, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. "Forget it," she said curtly. "Follow me."

They walked down a dark corridor, the flickering lanterns casting unsettling shadows on the stone walls. The air was damp and heavy, filled with the scent of decay. 

While they walked along, Eri who had gained her senses back, couldn't help but inwardly berated herself for losing composure earlier. "I’m the Head Maid of this household," she thought sternly. "I can’t afford to act unbefitting in front of a new servant."

' But....I have to admit, this little child sure knows how to win someone over.' She felt reluctant yet knew that was the truth. Every time the image of Hitoshi’s tear-streaked, beautiful little face popped into her mind, her resolve faltered, and her cheeks turned rosy against her better judgement.

To make matters worse, Hitoshi unconsciously stuck close to her, his small hands clutching her thigh as he nuzzled his face against her waist. His innocent attempt to seek comfort amidst the spooky corridor only made her feel more flustered.

"Focus, Eri," she told herself, though her heart raced.

Meanwhile, Hitoshi inhaled the morbid floral scent that clung to her, finding it strangely soothing despite the fear gnawing at him. To his surprise, A series of system notifications suddenly flashed before his eyes:

«[+50 Affinity Points.]»

«[+50 Affinity Points.]»

«[+50 Affinity Points.]»

«[Congratulations on reaching Level 2!]»

«[Congratulations on reaching Level 3!]»

«[You currently have 15 unallocated stat points and 15 skill points.]»

Hitoshi blinked in confusion, not knowing why he suddenly got so much notifications, he glanced up at Eri Onee-san to see if she noticed but he only saw her slightly rosy left cheek so he quickly brushed the notification off, focusing instead on calming himself as they walked deeper into the eerie corridor.

Eventually, they arrived at a large, spooky scullery lit by ghoulish green lanterns. The eerie light made the shadows dance across the walls, giving the room a haunted feel. Piles of dirty dishes overflowed from the kitchen sink, some even stacked precariously on the floor beside it.

Eri gestured coldly toward the mess trying to regain her former professional persona."This is your first task," she said sharply. "You are to wash all these dishes."

Hitoshi’s jaw dropped, not expecting his first task to be so dutiful. "All of them?" He asked in surprise.

"Yes." Eri said flatly. "I’ll be back soon. Make sure at least half of these are clean before I return."

Just as she finished speaking, an undead skeleton in servant attire shuffled into the room. Its hollow eye sockets gleamed faintly in the lantern light as it whispered something into Eri’s ear.

Hitoshi bit his lip, struggling to stay silent despite the fear crawling up his spine while staring at the skeleton, seeing it reminded him that this wasn't his own world nor home but one crawling with all sorts of scary creatures but when his eyes moved onto Eri-Onee-san, he seemed to find the courage to remain a bit calm.

He watched as Eri nodded to the skeleton before turning back to Him. "I’ll be back soon." she said firmly. "Don’t you dare slack off on your first job, do I make myself perfectly clear?".

Hitoshi straightened up, clenching his fists, doing an adorable salute. "You can count on me, Eri Onee-san!" he declared energetically.

' This little munchkin~' Eri-Onee-san unconsciously felt the urge to walk up and nibble against his adorable puffed cheeks but when she thought of how embarrassing what she'd just thought of was, her cheeks turned rosier than usual.

" J-just do as your told!." For the first time in forever, Eri-Onee-san actually sounded flustered, though a little. Not wanting to remain here a moment longer, She left, her vampiric speed making it look like she vanished into thin air.

«[+100 Affinity Points]»

«[Congratulations on reaching Level 4]»

«[Current unallocated stat points 20]»

«[Current unallocated skill points 20]»

Hitoshi didn't pay the notifications any heed but was instead stunned to see her vanish like that, but when he realized that she was now gone, a pitiful sigh escaped his little lips.

Left alone in the eerie scullery, Hitoshi took a deep breath, steeling himself.

 " No..I can't start feeling saggy now." 

"I can do this," he whispered. "I’ll make sure Eri-Onee-san smiles when she see's I'm done with the dishes." Hitoshi completely forgot her earlier instructions to quickly wash half the dishes in the sink but focused his attention on every single dirty dish in sight.

' For Eri-Onee-san!' He yelled inwardly like a little warrior preparing for battle.

With that resolve, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work, determined to prove his worth no matter how daunting the task ahead seemed.