Mitsuri followed suit, also putting meat in his bowl.
Roa ate it all without missing a bite, accepting everything.
Everyone was used to it. Rudeus looked at Roa with envy, wanting to shout, "A real man should be like this!"
Eris was currently struggling with the chicken in front of her. Seeing Roa with women on both sides, her small eyebrows furrowed slightly.
The two older sisters seemed very close to Roa, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.
But being somewhat oblivious, she just felt a bit unhappy but didn't know why.
Her gaze swept over the chicken leg, and Eris swallowed again.
No, that's not right. Is this the time to be thinking about this? An intuition told her that she was facing a very important decision.
And in the face of this decision, the chicken leg in front of her didn't seem so delicious anymore.
Her gaze shifted to the side, recalling his smile from before, which was very beautiful and never annoying.
But now, she felt a little irritable.
She didn't know why she felt irritable or why she felt this way.
Eris had met both Roxy and Mitsuri before.
Their relationship was pretty good, and they both took good care of her.
But even though they were both nice to her, and Eris liked them both very much,
when the three of them were together, acting so intimately, she felt a little unhappy.
The frustration in her heart made her feel like she was punching cotton.
Roa noticed the changes in Eris's expression, but his actions didn't stop at all; he went his own way.
Uncomfortable? It's normal to feel uncomfortable.
After all, this was an obvious situation, and even if Eris didn't want to face it, she had to.
The next step was crucial.
This was the difference between a master and a novice.
Naturally, Roa couldn't just let Mitsuri and Roxy feed him, especially with so many kids watching.
Roa coughed lightly and, without showing off, said to them, "Just eat normally."
The group split into three factions: those eating, those chatting, and those silently devouring their food.
Rudeus, needless to say, had become a completely different person after reincarnation. Far from being introverted, he could now talk to anyone.
He naturally wasn't shy when it came to chatting.
As for Eris, she belonged to the silent eaters.
Eris, needless to say, was clearly provoked by Roa.
But based on Eris's usual personality, no one in the group had realized that this little girl could have so many hidden thoughts.
Halfway through, Roa couldn't stand it anymore and reluctantly fed Eris a few times, and the little one finally recovered from her dejected state.
At the end of the banquet, Roa announced the theme of the gathering: "Well, the reason I called you all here is to announce something. Your teacher, Roxy, is pregnant with my child. I'm in a good mood today, so I specially invited everyone to celebrate together."
Roa's face showed a gentle smile. The people in the room were slightly stunned, seemingly not yet reacting.
However, before they could react, Rudeus was the first to cheer, "Congratulations, Big Brother! This is truly joyous and congratulatory! Congratulations, Sister-in-law! You must be working hard during this time. If you encounter anything difficult to handle in the future, you can call me directly!"
His timing was perfect, and there was no need for flowery congratulations or grand promises. Just a few simple words were enough to make others feel more favorably towards him.
"Thank you for your congratulations, Rudeus."
In response to Rudeus's congratulations, Roxy showed a gentle smile, a smile not often seen on her face.
Recently, Roxy had been reflecting deeply, feeling that she had been too rash in the past. She wanted to change herself and strive to shed her childishness, becoming more womanly.
And this was a small attempt.
Rudeus scratched his head. Honestly, this smile gave him a very strange feeling.
But after thinking about it, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
So, in the end, he simply stopped thinking about it.
At this moment, everyone else woke up from their daze and offered congratulations to Roxy and Roa, who were seated in the main seats.
The room was filled with lively chatter.
But people's joys and sorrows are not shared. The most complex emotions in the room belonged to Eris.
She wasn't angry, nor was she happy. Her gaze swept over the blue-haired girl sitting at the top, whose face was currently wearing a sweet smile, her slender right hand intentionally or unintentionally stroking her slightly bulging belly.
A feeling of envy welled up in her heart. Looking at Roxy, she thought, "If only I were the one sitting there."
But unfortunately, there were no "ifs" in reality.
However, if she could always stay by his side, seeing that familiar face every day, it seemed pretty good too.
But if he had his own child, would he still appear by her side as he used to?
Like recently, Eris could only see Roa about once a week, and each meeting was only about half an hour.
Thinking about it, Eris tugged at Rudeus and whispered, "Rudeus, do you think I can always see Roa?"
As she spoke, she stared at Rudeus with her fiery red eyes, making Rudeus's eyelids twitch.
A child's heart is too easy to read. As a master of dating sims, Rudeus naturally understood what Eris meant by talking to him at this moment.
But then again, isn't the person you should be asking right in front of you?
Why are you asking me?
However, he didn't say these words in the end. Based on the principle of leaving a line in everything you do so you can meet again in the future, he subtly glanced at Roa, who was sitting above.
Just then, Roa's gaze met his, and their eyes met.
Roa smiled slightly, without saying a word, everything was understood.
"Damn it! I'm playing support again?"
Rudeus understood what Roa wanted to express at this moment, and he didn't want to speak anymore.
The girl next to him tugged at his sleeve again. Eris was puzzled as to why such a simple question took him so long to think about.
Rudeus pondered for a moment and gave his answer.
"If things continue like this, you probably already have the answer in your heart, right, Eris?"
Recalling his experience playing games in his previous life, he began to simulate the scene before him and slowly said, "What kind of role do you want to play by his side? Or rather, what kind of role do you want to play?"
Seeming afraid that Eris wouldn't understand, Rudeus continued to explain in detail, "Look at me, the role I play by his side is that of a younger brother. Roxy plays the role of a wife, and so does Sister Mitsuri. As for Nina and the others, they consider themselves disciples. What about you? What do you want to be to him?"
Eris fell into distress. She shook her head, feeling a little lost.
The other party's reaction didn't exceed Rudeus's expectations. He continued to guide her patiently, "You just asked me if you can always see Roa. Can I interpret that in another way?"
"You want to always stay by his side, right?"
Rudeus stared straight at this very willful young lady and made a direct pitch.
Sometimes, only by making the other person understand your feelings can you truly break through the shackles.
Roa and Eris had known each other for quite some time. Roa was Eris's tutor and half-brother. The long-term interaction brought familiarity between the two, and it was this familiarity that stopped their relationship there.
This is why many anime have a famous saying: "Childhood friends are no match for transfer students."
But this layer of window paper is still easy to break through.
As long as one of them understands the other's feelings, it's very simple.
To Rudeus's surprise, Eris wasn't shy at all; instead, she nodded seriously.
Rudeus was slightly stunned, and his expression was a bit strange.
Well, being so frank, things shouldn't be difficult.
Rudeus continued, "Since you want to always stay by his side, being just a student is definitely not enough. Um, let me ask first, why do you want to stay by his side?"
This question made Eris pause for a long time, not knowing what to say.
Rudeus waited patiently, without urging her.
"Being by his side makes me happy, and seeing him also makes me happy. I want to continue like this."
Eris's ability to express herself wasn't good, and she knew even less about things like emotions. All she could describe was the word "happy."
But even so, these words made Rudeus feel very emotional.
Happy?
His gaze met those clear red eyes, and a wry smile appeared on his face.
It's a simple but touching reason.
Because you're happy, you want to be together. Because you feel happy, you want to get closer to each other.
There's nothing wrong with that, is there?
Rudeus's gaze fell on the girl sitting across from him, the girl with short green hair and a sweet face, who was happily enjoying the food in front of her.
Sylphy, it's also very pleasant to spend time with her.
Will he face such a dilemma in the future?
The night breeze brushed his face, scattering the stars in the sky.
The lights in the house flickered, and the boy's thoughts were pulled to the distant past.
It seemed that he had never thought about what his future self should be like.
Well, now is not the time to think about these things.
He didn't expect that just helping others solve their problems would also make him feel emotional.
Subtly glancing at Roa, he seemed nonchalant at the moment, but in reality, his ears were perked up.
Although the two were talking quietly, with Roa's hearing, as long as it wasn't telepathy, he could hear everything clearly.
Secretly sighing, Rudeus knew that the next key point was coming. He took a long breath, then exhaled, and said seriously to Eris, "If you really want to stay by his side, why not try?"
Eris subconsciously asked, "Try what?"
His finger quietly pointed to the position next to Roa, and he said, "Try to see if you can sit next to him."
"?"
Eris didn't understand, and her pure red eyes blinked twice.
Heh, she really doesn't understand anything.
Rudeus was too lazy to pretend and said directly, "Becoming his wife is the best choice, isn't it? If you become his wife, you can stay by his side for as long as you want in the future, and you can possess him however you want, just like Roxy and the others."
"Ah!"
The girl exclaimed, and she stood up from her chair with a flushed face. Everyone's eyes were focused on her for a moment.
Roa cast a concerned look and asked, "What's wrong? Eris, are you feeling unwell?"
"Uh, no, nothing."
Everyone looked at Eris with suspicion. At this moment, Eris's cheeks were flushed, like a ripe red apple.
Eris noticed her gaffe and naturally felt a little embarrassed. If it were someone else, she wouldn't feel this way, but it was Roa in front of her.
Looking at Eris like this, Rudeus almost laughed out loud.
However, he managed to hold it back. He knew that if he laughed out loud now, Eris would probably find all sorts of reasons to beat him up in the next few days.
He tried his best to keep a serious expression, but the corners of his mouth couldn't be suppressed.
Looking at Roa again, this big brother had already quietly given him a thumbs up.
It's time to close the net and give the opponent the final blow.
After Eris calmed down, she said with some dodging eyes: "Isn't it a little bad to do this?"
Rudeus asked back: "What's wrong with it?"
Eris didn't speak, but her eyes looked at the two girls sitting next to Roa.
Whether it was Roxy or Mitsuri, they were both very nice to her.
Rudeus smiled and said seriously: "Try it, haven't you always wanted to stay by his side? Why not be bold and confess your feelings."
After thinking about it, Rudeus added at the end: "Anyway, it doesn't hurt to try."
This sentence was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, and Eris's eyes became firm.
Yes, it doesn't hurt to try anyway.
You always have to make changes.
Furthermore, if it continues like this, the meeting time will be constantly shortened, and it may not be certain that it will be reduced to a passerby in the future.
So, try it?
This idea kept magnifying in her mind, and in the end, it gave her the urge to go up and confess everything now.