After the meal, Yuki Ringo quickly cleared the dishes to the kitchen but didn't wash them immediately. Instead, she entertained Kaito in the living room.
Seated facing the courtyard outside the floor-to-ceiling window, it was a pleasant way to relax.
"Kaito-kun, what kind of work do you do?"
Ringo personally brewed a cup of tea for Kaito. After handing it to him, she intentionally sat close beside him, ostensibly to make refilling easier.
Mikan was munching on some fruit and watching cartoons on TV.
But she also glanced over occasionally, seemingly interested in Kaito's affairs.
"I'm not currently working. If I had to say, I suppose being an Emperor counts?"
"An Emperor?"
This answer left Ringo stunned. Even Mikan, who was eavesdropping, turned her head to look at Kaito curiously.
The word "Emperor" was known to both mother and daughter; it originated from the ancient history of the world.
'But Kaito was an Emperor?'
'Oh, right. He must mean acting, playing the role of an Emperor, right?'
'If it was acting, then it made sense that he didn't have work when not needed, and when he needed to play an Emperor, he would go shoot movies or TV dramas.'
'Looking at Kaito's demeanor, he did seem to have an innate regal aura!'
'Imagining Kaito in a majestic role, he would indeed be quite imposing!'
'No wonder directors would cast him as an Emperor. His temperament was too fitting, and he was very handsome!!'
'But precisely because he suited the Emperor role so well, he might not fit other characters.'
'Of course, if a suitable role like a corporate tycoon came along, might Kaito be able to try that too?'
"Kaito-kun, is being an actor tough?"
"Actor?"
Kaito paused slightly, then realizing what she meant, chuckled.
"I'm not actually an actor. When I said I'm an Emperor, I meant it literally."
"Kaito-kun, you're joking again... hehehe."
"I'm not joking. I'm being serious."
"!!!"
This time, Ringo couldn't hold back.
'Kaito really wasn't joking?'
'He truly was an Emperor?'
'But wait, what Emperors existed nowadays!?'
'At least, I recall China no longer had an Emperor, right?'
"Kaito-kun, the Emperor you speak of... it's the kind of Emperor I know, right?"
Yuki Ringo asked cautiously, looking a bit intimidated.
"Heh, it's exactly as you imagine. Except I'm not the Emperor of this planet, but rather... the Emperor of the entire universe."
"Huh? The Emperor of the... entire universe? Kaito-kun, are you saying you're... an alien?"
"Yes, I don't intend to hide it. That's correct. Beyond this planet, beyond this star system, in the universe, there are countless planets capable of sustaining life. Among the various alien species, there are also those almost 99% similar to humans on your planet."
"I-Is all of this true!?"
Ringo was very surprised; she felt her worldview crumbling.
Kaito was an alien, and the Emperor of the universe!?
As an ordinary person, how was she worthy of speaking with someone like him?
She even... had feelings for him!?
"Kaito-kun... no, Kaito-san... you're really not joking?"
"I'm really not joking."
"Mm..."
Even her address and tone became respectful. Clearly, this had shocked her deeply.
But then again, anyone would react like this. Some people might even think he was just joking.
Thinking back to the original work where characters quickly accepted Lala and the others with tails, even immediately accepting that they were aliens, her reaction was normal after he came clean.
"This is the galaxy you're in. It's indeed called the Milky Way. However, there are planets within the Milky Way with technological civilizations comparable to yours. They just aren't entirely human; they're other species that evolved into humanoid forms."
He took out a sci-fi mobile device and displayed a universe star map via holographic projection. He pointed out the location of the Milky Way, then highlighted a few planets within it similar to Earth.
Zooming out, other galaxies appeared one after another.
With this demonstration, even if Ringo wanted to disbelieve, she couldn't. The same went for Mikan.
No matter how unbelievable, the holographic star map before them wasn't something that could be produced in this world, in this era!
Could they both be hallucinating?
That was impossible!
So, everything before them was real!
Kaito truly was the Emperor of the entire universe!
Ringo became intimidated. Her body began to tremble slightly, and she felt the urge to kneel before Kaito.
The disparity in their status was simply too vast; it was impossible not to feel panicked.
"Alright. Although I am the Emperor of the universe, the Universe Overlord, I don't want to be met with constant deference and fear wherever I go."
"So... if possible, I'd prefer you treat me as before, Mrs. Yuki. Continue calling me Kaito-kun, or just Kaito."
But Ringo just kept shaking her head.
How could she dare do that!
"Being with an Emperor is like being with a tiger" – she knew exactly what that meant!
Emperors were unpredictable!
You could never guess their thoughts!
Who knew if what Kaito said was true? What if he decided to punish her for disrespect in the next second?
She's now weak, helpless and pitiful.
"Alright, don't be so afraid of me. I'm actually quite easygoing, really."
Helpless, he reached out and patted Ringo, who was sitting beside him. Using magic to calm her excited and panicked emotions, Ringo took several deep breaths before calming down.
"Th-That may be true, but still... wouldn't it be..."
"It won't. Actually, in private settings, I prefer living like an ordinary person."
"Is... is that so? Kaito... you're quite strange?"
"Not strange. It's just that after standing at the top for so long, one naturally wants to blend in with the common people, live an ordinary life. After all, no matter who you are, sometimes you long for a normal heart. Sometimes, you might even fall for an ordinary person."
"!!!"
'Fall for an ordinary person!?'