After Hoshiguma and Ch'en headed back into headquarters to file their reports, Beatrice led Flandre, Patchouli, and Hong Meiling out through the Guard Department gates.
"Hop in!" Beatrice said, patting the side of her heavy off-road vehicle. "The residence permits for the two of you have already been handed off to Ms. Patchouli. From today on, you're free to live long-term in Lungmen."
"Then we shall trouble you," Patchouli said smoothly, stepping into the back seat.
Once everyone was seated, Beatrice took the wheel, turning the ignition and navigating the vehicle back toward the suburban villa.
Standing by the parked car and watching Patchouli and Hong Meiling carry their light luggage into the house, Beatrice felt a sudden, hollow ache in her chest, as if an essential piece of her life was slipping away. She knew that from this moment on, she could no longer hold Flandre close and play with her like a giant doll whenever she pleased, the way she used to.
At that bitter thought, the rogue hair sticking up atop her head—which had been standing perkily ever since Flandre's return—drooped limply.
"What are you standing out here thinking about, Sister Beatrice?" Flandre's voice popped up right in front of her as the little girl wrapped her arms around Beatrice's waist in a tight hug. "Why aren't you coming inside?"
A brilliant spark flickered in Beatrice's emerald eyes, only to dim once more. "I can't, little Flandre... I only lived here before because you were so young and had no family around to look after you. Now that your actual family has arrived, I have no legitimate reason to stay..."
Flandre tilted her head, her crimson eyes blinking in pure confusion. "What are you mumbling about? Hurry up and get inside!"
Without giving her a chance to argue, Flandre grabbed Beatrice's hand and pulled her straight through the front door.
The moment they stepped inside, Beatrice caught the calm gazes of Patchouli and Hong Meiling landing on her, making her feel intensely awkward. "Ah... well... I actually..."
Before she could stumble through an explanation, Patchouli spoke up with a reassuring smile. "There is no need to be nervous, Ms. Beatrice. Flandre is the master of this household. Since she invited you inside, you are naturally welcome to stay here."
Beatrice turned her emerald eyes down to Flandre. "Is it... really okay?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Flandre giggled, puffing her chest out. "Didn't we live together before?"
Overwhelmed with relief, Beatrice bent down and pulled Flandre into a tight, fierce hug. "That's wonderful..."
"Hehe, Sister Beatrice, you're squeezing me too tight!" Flandre giggled, leaning up to plant a sweet kiss on Beatrice's cheek.
"We should rest for the night; it is getting exceptionally late," Patchouli noted gently.
Flandre let out a wide, adorable yawn right on cue. She had indeed run around all day, and her energy was running low. Clambering out of Beatrice's arms, she rubbed her eyes and trotted into her bedroom.
"We will discuss further details tomorrow morning," Patchouli told Beatrice before retiring to her own guest room.
The next morning, Flandre woke up to a rich, mouthwatering aroma wafting through the hallway.
She poked her small head out of her bedroom door and spotted a piping-hot breakfast spread on the dining table, served by two familiar maid sisters.
"Long time no see, hello everyone!"
The two maids broke into warm, affectionate smiles. "Welcome home, little Flandre."
Before long, Patchouli and Hong Meiling joined them at the dining table, taking in the freshly prepared spread.
"Wow, this smells unbelievable!" Meiling gasped, her eyes shining with genuine emotion.
Back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, breakfast was almost exclusively prepared by Sakuya Izayoi and Little Devil. To cater to Remilia and Flandre's preferences, the meals were heavily leaning toward traditional Western cuisine. While Western food was delicious, it didn't quite hit the spot for a martial artist who grew up on authentic Eastern flavors. Having not tasted a proper Chinese-style breakfast in ages, Meiling looked ready to shed tears of joy.
"Look at your face—anyone watching would think Sakuya was starving you back home," Patchouli teased, offering a rare bit of dry humor.
Meiling scratched her head sheepishly. "That's not it at all! It's just been so long since I've had such authentic Chinese cooking. It's so delicious!"
Picking up a delicate soup dumpling with her chopsticks, Meiling carefully bit a small opening, sucked out the savory broth, and popped the entire dumpling into her mouth, her face melting into sheer bliss.
Patchouli carefully followed her example, taking a bite of a dumpling and letting the rich flavors settle. After a brief silence, she agreed, "It is indeed a rare delicacy... When Sakuya arrives in Terra, we must have her master this dish."
Far across the void in Gensokyo, watching the scene through a magical projection, Remilia turned her head to look at Sakuya Izayoi, who stood rigidly at her side.
Sakuya pursed her lips, her expression dead serious. "I shall begin my culinary studies immediately, Mistress."
Back in the Lungmen villa, breakfast drew to a smooth close.
Beatrice gathered her tactical coat, preparing to head to Guard Department headquarters for her shift, while Patchouli expressed her desire to spend the afternoon at the central municipal library.
That left only Hong Meiling and Flandre staring at each other across the living room.
"What are we doing today?" Meiling asked.
Flandre stroked her chin for a few seconds before beaming. "How about we wander around the city today so you can get familiar with the streets?"
Meiling gave a firm thumbs-up. "Sounds like a plan!"
The two set off out the door, hand in hand.
Meanwhile, high up in the Chief Executive's office at the Governor's Mansion, Wei Yenwu and Madam Fumizuki were reviewing a confidential security video.
The screen played high-definition footage of Hong Meiling breaching the suspect hideout the previous night—specifically the split-second frame where she shattered the steel-reinforced door and sent three hardened martial artists flying flat against the far wall.
"Hiss... ripping a reinforced security door clear out of its concrete frame with a bare-handed push..." Even as a veteran warrior himself, Wei Yenwu couldn't help but draw in a cold breath.
He could certainly breach a door with Arts or brute force, but "shoving" the entire door and frame cleanly inward without destroying the surrounding structure required an absurdly refined level of kinetic transfer. That was no longer just raw physical strength—it was outright terrifying internal control.
"Actually, it makes complete sense when you think about it," Fumizuki noted gently from his side. "Given little Flandre's catastrophic power, anyone qualified to serve as a personal guard for her family must possess combat capability no less formidable than her own."
Wei Yenwu nodded silently. Flandre was an anomaly capable of turning an entire Ursus frontline division into dust single-handedly; a personal guard dispatched by her household naturally wouldn't be weak. Yet, seeing the physical demonstration on screen was still difficult to digest.
Had Meiling harbored lethal intent, that door-shattering kinetic force would have compressed those four thugs from three dimensions directly into a two-dimensional floor plan.
"What is your assessment of the two newcomers?" Wei Yenwu turned to his wife, trusting her sharp intuition after their dinner together.
"If you're asking about their martial power, I cannot see their depth..." Fumizuki paused, her gaze turning thoughtful. "If you're asking whether they can be recruited into Lungmen's permanent service, I strongly advise you to abandon the thought."
"Though they appear friendly and polite on the surface, they carry a profound sense of detachment," Fumizuki warned quietly. "It is as if nothing in this world truly concerns them. Frankly speaking, if Flandre hadn't taken a liking to Lungmen, those two wouldn't have spared our city a second glance."
She looked at her husband. "Lungmen only needs to focus on keeping little Flandre happy. As long as Flandre chooses to stay here, her family will naturally remain by her side."
Wei Yenwu gave a slow, deliberate nod, feeling no disappointment. It was only natural for entities of such absurd power to hold absolute detachment.
"I understand," Wei Yenwu agreed. "As for the residential and administrative hospitality for Flandre's family, I will leave the arrangements entirely in your hands."