[Shelly's POV]
It was Miki and Hori who brought the dishes from the kitchen to the breakfast table, and note that we did go to a more appropriate location to eat in the mansion other than the living room. If all the sweetness in this mansion could be amplified like a dream come true, I would bet that it would be this tall stack of pancakes with golden syrup and cranberries cascading from the top in front of me. This is making me drool so bad.
"Let's dig in." giggled Miki.
The pancakes were the sort that rains grace from above; it was fluffy, a little eggy, almost salty with a side of sweetness that came from the syrup. I closed my eyes to enjoy every bit and pieces. The puffiness felt like there were clouds in my mouth, showing that the one who made it is not your average chef.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself Miss Shelly." remarked Lei, and I almost gag when I heard her voice.
It was only at that moment that I notice that they were all eating with proper etiquette, they were using knives and forks. In comparison to what I did, where I did not even mind using the knife since I already forked the first later of pancake only to shove it in my mouth. I ultimately blushed, but kept chewing.
"L-Lei, how could you be such a bully to her?" spoke Horikawa.
Wait a minute, is Hori pouting? Is she pouting because she felt upset about what Lei had told me? This is the most adorable thing I have ever seen! Okay, maybe except for photos of kittens, so she is the second most adorable thing I have seen.
"Come on Hori, you know Lei. She probably don't mean anything by her statement." says Miki saving Lei from the wrath of an upset ice witch apprentice.
"Oh, o-okay! I believe you Miki." beamed little Hori as she diverts her attention back to her plate of pancakes.
"Ah, I'm out of pancakes-," I mumbled under my breath.
I looked around the table, scanning the plates and it seems to me that I was the first one to finish. I secretly reached for my stomach to check knowing that what I ate was still not enough to satiate my hunger. I'm guessing that maybe three more layers would do, but I should know that I'm not the only mouth that needs to be fed.
"Hey, you can have mine, I'm already full. I won't be able to finish this anymore." stated a voice to my right.
"H-Hato-san, are you sure?" I asked in a whisper.
"That's weird, drop the honorific." was what she responded with a small furrowing of her eyebrows, "classmates, I'll be heading back to the living room first, don't let my absence disturb your breakfast." she adds.
What was that about? I simply used a honorific because she obviously looks older than me. Nonetheless, I can treat her like a genie who granted my wish for handing me her pancakes! My eyes twinkled in delight and I helped myself by devouring to the sweetness and softness of the food.
When we were done, Lei and Mikheala told us to go ahead since they would be the one to clean up the plates and utensils we used. I realized that perhaps in private I could ask the two about my strong gut feel about their identities but Miki was as enthusiastic as always and had already manage to bring me to the living room in a jiffy.
"Don't you think we should help them? Usually you guys do the household chores in the mansion, but you're actually my classmates now. It looks inappropriate as one of the mansion's host." I told Miki.
"Household chores?" echoed Miki.
"They were lying to you. They're not going to take care of those plates." stated Hato whom we saw lying on the couch with one leg crossed over another.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked Hato as I shift my body to face her direction.
This woman, for some reason, was drinking a vanilla shake so I had a hard time taking her statement seriously. Not to mention, she was making this cat-like face showing us that she was enjoying the shake she was drinking. Has Maid Yona, or rather Hato always been this emotionless?
"Hato, why do you have to tell Miss Shelly that?!" exclaimed Miki as she hops quickly to cover both of my ears, despite the fact that it was too late to do so.
I sighed at Miki's silly attempt, before grabbing her hands to slowly put it down besides her, "can you explain what she meant Miki? Otherwise, you won't be able to earn my trust as a classmate." I said with a concerned expression.
"Yeah Miki, why don't you tell her?" said Hato as she takes another short sip after.
"W-why you? Why me? You're the one who told her about Lei and Horikawa!" Mikheala retorted as she folds her arms in front of her body.
"Apparently, I can't. If I happen to say more than what I could, I would be forced to twerk-...wait no." even Hato was surprised about what she said.
"Huhhhhh?" Both me and Miki reacted by tilting our head in askance.
"I /meant/ not twerk, Miki what the hell, you know that I won't do that but prefer pole dancing instead!" Hato exclaims with a determined expression.
Silence engulfed the living room, and I think the atmosphere would be perfect if a tumbleweed happens to pass by. I raised my hand in attempt to ask Hato what was happening to her but Miki reacted first by bursting into hysterics.
"Bahahahahahaha!"
[Yona's POV]
I was able to break through it, but only for a few seconds since I do not have enough energy to completely destroy what was binding me. This was Yurara's punishment to us. If controlling Horikawa was not enough for her to prevent Lhea from taking Shelly out of this mansion, then it should not be a surprise that she wouldn't be easily giving up when it comes to intervening from time to time. Yurara probably believes that everyone is responsible for another's misbehavior.
Twerk? Pole dancing? That was just all part of the curse she gave me, it was the misleading speech magic, but I was not expecting that this embarrass me at this level. I sound like a completely different person!
Great, just great and now Miki is laughing at me. I raised both of my hands and covered my expression, before turning around to sigh once. I should not show them that I am deeply affected by this situation. The moment I turned around to face the two of them again, Shelly was looking at me with a concerned expression. What the hell is wrong with her? Was she upset or something?
"Why the long face?" I asked after regaining my composure.
"You seems to be struggling with something, Hato." she spoke softly, eyebrows light furrowed.
Wait a minute, was she able to look at what happened beyond the common lines? Unlike MIki who obviously had no idea of the activation of the cursed speech, this young master of ours seems to have been trusting her instincts instead. I balled my fists behind my back, closed my eyes before releasing a chuckle as I shake my head once. I walked up towards Shelly and gave her a headpat twice.
I can see that Shelly is a smart girl, perhaps she would be able to figure things out without much of our intervention. I have decided to keep safe as well, but I don't think I would be followeing Lhea's method of keeping you away from danger.
"Jeez, Hato, what's going on with you? You were talking about twerking and pole dancing earlier, yet now... yeeesh." spoke Mikheala with her eyes squinted towards me.
And I think this other girl deserves a smack in the head. I was planning to smack her real hard, but the fact that Shelly was watching seemingly needing reassurance about the earlier scenario made me hold back - but only until she's out of my sight.
"I hope you're not sick or anything," began Shelly as she starts to walk towards the milkshake I placed down on the center table of the living room, "maybe you were not supposed to drink this, so I'll be confiscating this!" she remarked with her eyes twinkling.
A drop of sweat appeared on my forehead as I doubt her actions this time, I can definitely see her hidden agenda. She wants to taste that milkshake, that I bet. But weirdly, I think I have forgotten something important.