The banquet atmosphere remained lively, with Leonora becoming more uninhibited as the night went on. Slightly tipsy, she completely let loose, using a wine bottle as a microphone and tapping the bowl with her chopsticks as she belted out an off-key song in poorly pronounced Japanese.
While her voice was melodious, her performance left everyone speechless.
Watching his mother-in-law behave so freely, Sui could only feel a sense of helplessness.
Leonora looked incredibly elegant and regal, with her silver hair, fair complexion, tall stature, and purple gown—resembling a queen straight out of a fairy tale. Honestly, Alice wasn't as beautiful as her mother.
Alice still had some youthful immaturity in her features, and her figure wasn't as tall or voluptuous. She also lacked the graceful and refined temperament of her mother. However, Sui thought that with a little more maturity and longer hair, Alice would certainly be able to match her mother in beauty one day.
Still, Sui hadn't expected such a dignified and noble mother-in-law to have such a funny side.
"Mom! Sit down already! This is so embarrassing!" Alice cried, tugging at her mother.
She was mortified that her mother would act so wildly in front of her boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Alice father, Sōe, thoroughly drunk, pulled out photos of his wife and daughter. Hugging them to his cheek, he grinned foolishly, murmuring, "My daughter is the cutest! Of course, Leo-chan is adorable too."
Senzaemon raised his glass, laughing heartily as he surveyed his family with affection.
Sui was a little dumbfounded, but he couldn't deny that this family felt incredibly genuine and warm.
Despite being the aristocratic family behind the Totsuki Culinary Academy, they were as down-to-earth as any ordinary household.
After a while, Leonora finally stopped her antics, taking a sip of wine and nibbling on some sashimi.
"This flavor... it's as rich as the finest beef fat, yet light and delicate like luxurious silk. It wraps around every inch of my skin, like I'm floating in a warm ocean current. What an incredible sensation," she raved, her cheeks flushed and her speech incredibly rapid and fluent in Japanese.
"Huh?" Sui blinked in surprise. Wasn't her Japanese supposed to be terrible? How was she suddenly speaking so fluently?
"Well, when Auntie tastes something delicious, her Japanese becomes perfect," Erina explained softly, blushing.
Sui was speechless. Was this yet another quirky trait?
Before, he had wondered where Alice inherited her goofy and playful personality. Now, it all made sense.
The saying "like mother, like daughter" rang true here. In many ways, both mother and daughter shared an endearing, lighthearted side.
"My family... is a little strange, isn't it?" Erina murmured, her face turning red as she nervously glanced at Sui.
Watching her relatives act so carelessly in front of the boy she liked made her anxious. She feared Sui might be put off by their behavior.
"Not at all. I think they're wonderful," Sui reassured her with a smile, genuinely finding his future in-laws to be quite charming.
"Really?" Erina's face lit up with a relieved smile.
She had been so worried that Sui might dislike her family, which would have deeply saddened her.
After the banquet, Sui prepared to leave. He said his goodbyes to Alice and her family.
"Sui-kun, be sure to come next time to hang out!" Leonora called, her cheeks flushed with a tipsy smile, waving him off enthusiastically.
"Yeah, I will," Sui replied with a nod.
"And don't forget the wine you promised!" Sōe chimed in, still slightly drunk.
Sui could only smile wryly as he answered, "Don't worry, I won't."
Once they returned to the mansion, Erina hurried over to the shoe cabinet. Kneeling down, she said, "Sui, let me help you change your shoes."
"Uh, thank you," Sui said, scratching his head. He still wasn't used to this gentler, more virtuous side of Erina.
"Come, sit down. I'll make you some tea to help with the hangover," Erina urged, gently pushing him toward the sofa before quickly dashing to the kitchen.
During the dinner, Sui had been forced to drink quite a bit by his future in-laws.
After Erina returned with the tea and helped him drink it, she looked at him eagerly. "Sui, how about I massage your shoulders?"
"Sure, thank you," Sui said, feeling a little strange as Erina's soft, delicate hands began kneading his shoulders. How had his once proud and domineering Erina suddenly become so sweet and virtuous?
"Erina, why do you seem... different lately?" he asked curiously.
Blushing slightly, Erina stammered from behind him, "Well... now that you've met my parents, our... our relationship is pretty much... official, right?"
In her mind, the fact that Sui had met her family meant that their relationship had received approval, and things between them were now more serious.
"Ah, I see," Sui murmured, scratching his nose. He supposed she was right; her family had welcomed him warmly, which did make their relationship feel more concrete.
Erina, for all her outward pride and willfulness, was actually a very traditional and gentle girl at heart. Raised in a straightforward environment, she had a pure and innocent demeanor. A boy merely touching her hair would make her feel shy. But once someone won her heart, her warmth and loyalty would shine through.
Such a traditional and sweet girl, loyal and with a loving nature, was indeed the perfect wife material.
Smiling, Sui couldn't resist teasing her a little. "Erina?"
"Hm?" Erina responded, still massaging his shoulders.
"Call me 'husband,' let me hear it."
"What?!" Erina's face instantly flushed red, and she stammered, "Th-that's not proper! We're not married yet! It's embarrassing... and against customs!"
"It's fine. I want to hear it," Sui said, this time with a more insistent tone.