"I talked with Mikado-sensei, she said she already informed your parents and they'll arrive this afternoon" Run said as she put down the phone.
"I don't want that! You're liars, you said you wouldn't call Dad!" Eme complained, almost crying.
"We never said that. And even if we had, that would have been before we found out you're a princess" Run corrected her disdainfully.
"I don't want to! I don't want to!" Eme kept complaining without listening.
"Alright, why don't we calm down a little?" Yui intervened. "Eme, why don't you tell us about your father? I'm sure there must be some misunderstanding."
"No, my dad hates me. He's never with me and he's always mean to me!"
"Of course there is. We're not in some dramatic movie. If the Emerald King were a bad person, the Galactic King would have replaced him a long time ago. The ones higher up in the Milky Way's hierarchy are those whom Lala's father considers suitable."
"It sounds like you hold Lala's father in very high regard?" Yui asked.
"Of course. The galaxy is in a peaceful era thanks to him. Many planets were in a terrible state before his rise to power, mine included" Run nodded.
"So, Eme, what do you think?"
"The Galactic King is a good person, it's just that my father is really good at hiding his true personality" Eme said while making a scary face to show her father's evil side.
'I don't know whether he's really a good person or if they're taught to say that' Yui thought as she watched both of them speak so highly of Lala's father.
"Then tell me, what bad things does your father do?" Yui said with a gentle smile.
"He talks mean to me, he's always serious, he doesn't let me do anything, he doesn't like seeing me, he's never with me!"
"Maybe... he's just very busy?"
"That's a lie. My friends' parents always make time to be with them even when they're busy."
"W-well, how about we talk to him for you?" Yui said, not knowing how to talk to a child.
Upon hearing her proposal, the two alien girls had completely opposite reactions.
"Really?! You'll do that?! Alright, but you have to tell him he's really mean and an idiot, okay? Don't forget the idiot part."
"O-of course, I'll tell him" Yui nodded, realizing far too late that she might have said too much.
At the same time, Run's eyes widened in shock and she immediately started shaking her head, unsuccessfully trying to make Yui back out of the madness she was planning.
When she heard Yui not only refuse to back down but even reaffirm her decision, Run couldn't hold herself back any longer.
"Yui?! Are you crazy? Who do you think the Emerald King is? He's not someone you can just casually talk to, much less question."
"Eh? Then you won't do it?" Eme lowered her head in disappointment.
Faced with that...
"Of course I will. Run is just being silly, don't listen to her."
"What?! Hey, I'm a princess too, you should show some respect."
"Okay, thanks, big sister!" With that, Eme ran off excitedly while the two watched her leave.
"Yui, you know what you just did, right?" Run sighed.
"Of course, and don't worry. I'm sure there must be some misunderstanding between them. As soon as I tell him how his daughter feels, he'll open up" Yui replied.
"And what if that's not the case?"
"Then we'll wait for Lala to come back and tell her about it."
"I see. Between the chaos Lala can cause on her own and the chaos her father could cause if we tell him, I don't know which is worse. That's a truly evil plan" Run smiled.
But while laughing, she remembered something.
"Wait, where did she run off to?" Run asked as realization struck her.
Yui reacted the same way.
...
"I'm sorry."
"Don't just run off like that. What would you do if you got hurt?"
"But nothing on Ear... I'm sorry." Although she was about to say that nothing on Earth could hurt her, halfway through her excuse, after seeing Yui's serious expression, Eme lowered her head again and apologized.
"Good. Now you'll stay here with us while we manage the reception desk" Yui said.
Meanwhile, Run attached a brooch to Eme's chest. The moment it made contact, her skin color changed, becoming a pale flesh tone.
Since the clothes she had been wearing before were too large for her, having simply taken them from the empty room because she wanted to disguise herself, according to her own explanation, Yui had already given her a change of clothes.
Using her green hair tied into two high buns as inspiration, Yui decided to have some fun and dressed her in a small outfit that imitated the style of a Chinese dress they had available there.
After being surprised for a moment by how Lala had truly stocked the place with everything imaginable, Yui was amazed by how well the outfit suited Eme.
And now, thanks to her pale skin, that impression only became even stronger.
"How cute!" Yui exclaimed, unable to stop herself from hugging the girl.
"A-ah? A disguise brooch? How do you have that?" Eme said, not frightened by the sudden change but by the brooch she recognized.
"I'm a princess too, you know?" Run said.
"You are? I thought you were just fantasizing out loud" Eme said in surprise.
"This brat" Run muttered irritably.
"Alright, don't fight. Eme, you'll stay here until this afternoon when your father arrives and we talk to him, understood?"
"Yes, beat him up" Eme nodded while raising her fist.
"W-well, beating him up is a little..."
"So this is the Seven Colors Hotel I've heard about. I can't wait to get inside."
"Of course, customer, please write your information here and we'll assign you a room" Yui immediately switched into receptionist mode.
"W-what happened? Why is she acting weird all of a sudden?" Seeing Yui act like that, Eme was startled and whispered the question to Run.
"She's just working. Don't bother her and stay quietly in your spot."
"I want to help" she said excitedly upon hearing that.
"...Fine, take these and hand them to the customers when they come in" Run decided after thinking for a second.
"Okay." Eme nodded, taking the questionnaires she was handed and running toward the door.
...
"Eme, it's lunchtime, you can stop now."
Noon arrived and Yui and Run left their posts.
Of course, if this had been something formal or a serious job, they couldn't have simply left the reception desk unattended, but since it was just a favor they were doing for a friend and it would end that very day, Mikado had told them not to take it too seriously, especially considering that the aliens wouldn't know what counted as proper etiquette on Earth anyway, so they wouldn't complain.
"Eh? But I still have some left" Eme said disappointedly.
"You can keep doing it this afternoon" Yui reassured her.
"Okaaay." Eme nodded happily and stretched out the word while quickly dropping the subject.
...
"What is this adorable creature?!" Risa said the moment she saw Eme.
"This is Eme. She'll be staying here for a while" Run replied.
"Where are her parents? She's not alone, right?" Rito asked.
"They aren't here. They'll come pick her up this afternoon."
"Uh... what happened during the day?" Risa asked, realizing there seemed to be a story behind this.
After Yui and Run finished explaining why she was there, everyone else simply nodded, understanding everything easily.
Fortunately, they all had experience suddenly getting involved in alien affairs, so nobody was particularly nervous or surprised. They were simply curious about the little girl.
It would have been different if it were an unsolved problem, but a problem that had already been solved like this one hardly counted as a problem at all.
"Eme, Eme, do you want an onigiri?" Risa asked.
"What's that? Is it tasty?"
"Of course, it's... wait, do you eat rice?"
"We eat everything" Eme said proudly while patting her chest.
"They don't actually eat food directly, they absorb the minerals inside it" Run explained. "So yes, they can eat anything."
"I see, then you're just like us" Risa said as she handed her an onigiri before unsuccessfully trying to lift her into the air.
"Uh..." Risa looked toward Run awkwardly.
"She weighs fifty-two tons. I'd be surprised if you could lift her."
"Fifty-two tons?! How is this place still standing?" This time Mio was the one who reacted.
"Did you forget who built this place?" Run reminded her.
"Right" Mio realized.
"Alright, Eme. When Lala comes back, I'll ask her for an invention that makes me stronger and then I'll carry you in my arms, I promise" Risa declared.
"Why?" Eme asked while tilting her head.
"Because you're adorable and you deserve it!" Risa said as if that were all the reason anyone could possibly need.
"I see." And Eme understood perfectly.
"By the way, what did you all do today?" Run changed the subject, wanting to know more about what everyone else had been doing, although her gaze remained fixed solely on Rito while asking.
...
"Alright, Eme, you know what to do, right?"
"Yes, hand questionnaires to the customers!" Eme said while running to the side of the door excitedly.
"You forgot the pamphlets" Run reminded her.
"Ah." Eme showed an apologetic expression and quickly went back to grab some papers before returning to her position. "Hehe."
"Mm? Eme, are you laughing about something in particular?" Yui asked after noticing her reaction.
"Being here is really fun. Everyone is nice. I want to stay here forever."
"Well, that's..."
"I can't?" Eme asked with a pitiful look, already anticipating the answer.
"Eh? Ah... I'll ask your father later" Yui finally said while looking away.
"Yui! Stop making promises about her father. Most likely he won't even talk to us" Run did her best to restrain herself and whisper her thoughts instead of shouting.
"B-but she's so adorable, I can't say no to her" Yui said, glancing toward Eme. The girl was waiting beside the door, shifting around constantly as if she couldn't stay still for even a second.
"Yui, aren't you supposed to be the serious and responsible one in the group? How can you be swayed by the cuteness of a little girl?"
While the two argued quietly, Eme spoke.
"Welcome! Please take a..." But the girl's greeting stopped halfway when she recognized the visitors.
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+15 chapters in advance on Patreon.
p-atreon.com/IAMME26
(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)