"I'm digging in."
Yoshimura Eto clasped her hands together-a common Japanese dining etiquette.
That's right, she was once again at Uchiha Byakuya's place for dinner.
It was unclear whether she was here simply because she enjoyed his cooking or if she just wanted to freeload a meal.
At first, Eto had seemed somewhat reserved-more precisely, she had been indifferent toward humans, unwilling to interact with them.
She was nothing like the lively and cheerful Takatsuki Sen from ten years later.
But after spending so much time with Byakuya, she had become much less withdrawn.
Of course, her true nature had never been introverted. A ghoul who had fought and devoured countless of her own kind to escape the depths of the 24th Ward-the infamous "One-Eyed Owl"-could hardly be considered shy.
It was only when she assumed a human persona that she felt no attachment to other humans.
"So, how's that ghoul girl doing today?"
It was time for Eto's usual round of "research."
"Nothing unusual. She doesn't seem to have any plans to resist; Looks like she just wants to peacefully finish next week's exams," Byakuya said casually while eating.
"Aside from the ghoul girl, did anything interesting happen at school?"
Eto pressed on.
"Well... I suppose so," Byakuya said, thinking of the situation between Fura Taishi, Sasada Aki, and Minami Uruka.
"I want to hear about it."
Eto's curiosity was piqued.
"Roughly speaking..."
Byakuya then recounted the story involving Fura and the others.
"I see... If that guy ever finds out the girl he secretly likes is a ghoul, he'll probably have a complete meltdown, huh?"
Eto smirked.
"Probably."
Byakuya replied indifferently.
He had no intention of revealing Minami Uruka's identity as a ghoul to Fura.
Currently, aside from himself and Arima, no one knew that Minami was "Lantern." The CCG had only helped them verify the shoe she left behind but had no conclusive evidence.
If her identity were exposed, the CCG would inevitably act against her in unpredictable ways.
It was best to keep her secret for as long as possible.
As for Eto, Byakuya hadn't even mentioned Minami's real name to her. Besides, there was no way she'd go to the CCG to report him.
He trusted that Eto wouldn't do something like that. At this point in time, she harbored nothing but hatred for the CCG.
If she ever planned to visit them, it would be to slaughter them, not to turn someone in.
Even if, by some improbable chance, she did report him, the worst Byakuya would face was a reprimand for not fully complying with the mission. It wouldn't be a serious issue.
"By the way, Uchiha-san, is there any girl you like at school?"
Eto suddenly asked, shifting the topic entirely.
Byakuya was a little surprised-he hadn't expected Yoshimura Eto to suddenly ask him that.
He shook his head. "No, there aren't."
"Really? There must be plenty of cute girls at school. Isn't it normal to fall for one at first sight?"
Eto had never actually attended a human school; her understanding of such things came entirely from books.
"Really. Besides, no matter how cute they are, none of them compare to Takatsuki-sensei."
Byakuya stated this outright.
Eto's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
She wasn't the type to blush or get shy so easily, but she was definitely caught off guard.
For a human boy to say something like that to a girl-it was practically a confession, wasn't it?
She didn't know much about human romance, but given how well this guy had always treated her, it didn't seem far-fetched at all.
"This bastard investigator… he's not seriously into me, is he?"
Her hand holding the spoon stiffened for a moment as her mind raced.
This was almost the same situation as that delinquent boy from earlier-falling for a girl only to later realize she was a ghoul.
Although in her case, she was technically a half-ghoul. But even so, Eto identified far more with her ghoul side.
Still, she didn't see this as a bad thing.
Having a CCG investigator utterly devoted to her could prove quite useful-a reliable "cash cow" to help fund Aogiri Tree's operations.
And if this guy kept climbing the CCG ranks, he might even be able to leak valuable information to her in the future.
"Uchiha-san… can I take that as a confession?"
Eto deliberately put on a slightly flustered expression, mimicking how a normal human girl might react.
More than anything, she wanted to confirm exactly what this bastard investigator was thinking.
"No, not at all. I just genuinely think Takatsuki-sensei is cuter than the girls at school."
Byakuya replied with absolute seriousness.
"Oh… well, I'm honored, then."
Eto felt a slight pang of disappointment.
Damn, he hadn't fallen for her yet. That meant she couldn't just outright ask him for a large sum of money.
"But now that I think about it," she continued, a teasing glint in her eyes, "maybe the real reason you signed with me was because you were mesmerized by my beauty?"
"That's definitely one reason," Byakuya admitted without hesitation. "But Takatsuki-sensei's work is genuinely outstanding-that's another major factor."
His response was so direct and matter-of-fact that Eto's teasing had no effect on him whatsoever.
"..."
Eto was stunned.
She hadn't expected him to be so calm about it. He wasn't flustered, embarrassed, or even the slightest bit awkward.
"Damn it, even if that's true, doesn't he realize how bad that sounds? If word got out that he's some kind of lolicon editor, his entire career would be over!"
Eto wasn't ready to let this go just yet. She was determined to make this guy stumble, just once.
"That doesn't matter," Byakuya said, unfazed. "I only signed with Takatsuki-sensei, and that's enough. Besides, I still have my job as an investigator to support myself."
Eto clicked her tongue internally.
This guy was absolutely unshakable.
In the end, she had no choice but to curse him under her breath.
"Stupid lolicon!"
...
(Author's Note: The anime version where Eto sells out Kuzen and reports him to the CCG is a deviation from the original manga. In the manga, the CCG figured out there were two Owls on their own. Also, since Yoshimura Kuzen was a former Cleaner of V, it wasn't difficult for them to conclude that he was the "Non-Killing Owl.")