Uchiha in Zenless Zone Zero

The members of the Cunning Hares, upon arriving at the gates of the estate, were greeted by Lycaon and Rina.

As the two most senior and high-ranking figures in Victoria Housekeeping, their presence here clearly signaled how much the Mistress valued the guests.

"Everyone, the Mistress has been waiting inside the estate for quite some time. Please, follow us," said Lycaon as he made a polite gesture. His demeanor was nothing short of gentlemanly—truly the kind of butler with impeccable professionalism.

To be honest, due to their first impressions, Nicole and the others didn't have a particularly favorable view of Victoria Housekeeping. If not for Zhong Yan's sake, they probably wouldn't have come at all.

However, they weren't petty people. If the other side genuinely wished to mend their relationship, they wouldn't refuse the gesture.

Following behind, the group walked into the estate. Nicole, leading the front, curiously scanned her surroundings, already wondering how many commissions she would need to complete in order to afford such a luxurious estate.

Billy and Nekomiya were equally fascinated by the surroundings. After all, this was their first time in such a place. The world of the wealthy was something they had never encountered—though they'd risked their lives for the rich more than once.

Only Anby remained quiet, and just as silent was the baby swaddled in her arms—Zhong Ling.

Zhong Ling had been fed at home by Anby before they left. Not long after departing, he had fallen asleep and showed no signs of waking anytime soon.

At his age, he truly embodied the phrase: wake to eat, eat to sleep, sleep to wake, then eat again.

Occasionally, when he was awake, he could be treated like a precious little toy—a joy of parenting, especially for women who had just finished their pregnancies.

Returning to the present, the members of the Cunning Hares followed Lycaon and Rina into a palace-like building within the estate. Maids bustled about everywhere, and the interior sparkled so brightly it was nearly blinding.

In one of the palace's rooms, the Mistress of the estate had already been waiting for some time.

In front of her sat a moderately sized dining table. Since the banquet was exclusively for the Cunning Hares and had nothing to do with the estate staff, there was no need for the enormous table used during Zhong Yan's previous visit.

For a group of around ten people, this table was more than sufficient.

As she watched them take their seats one by one, the Mistress first glanced at the sleeping Zhong Ling in Anby's arms, then turned her gaze to Nicole.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Nicole. I'm very glad you could come..." she said.

The rest of the sentence remained unspoken, but Nicole understood the implication. After a brief pause, she replied, "Just some minor disagreements. Didn't we later solve the crisis with those three thousand bombs together? I guess, in a way, that makes us friends."

Nicole didn't dwell on past events—it served no purpose and would only put Zhong Yan, who stood between them, in an awkward position.

"If Miss Nicole can think that way, then that's wonderful," the Mistress chuckled softly. Then she picked up a wine jug and personally poured each guest a drink.

For the record, the jug didn't contain wine but milk—both to accommodate Anby and because Nicole and Nekomiya didn't enjoy alcohol.

As for Billy, being a robot, he had no need for such things—but the Mistress still poured him a cup.

Ordinarily, such a task would fall to Lycaon or Rina. But to show the importance she placed on her guests; The Mistress had done it herself.

Thud!

Just then, the tightly closed door of the room swung open, followed by Corin's voice from outside.

"Mi—Miss Ellen, please slow down! You'll trip at this rate!"

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw Ellen walking in from outside the room, dressed in a shark-themed onesie.

In her arms was the months-old Zhong Xi, while Corin followed close behind, tasked with protecting and caring for them.

"I heard we had guests today... Who is it?" Ellen seemed to have just woken up, rubbing her drowsy eyes—and instantly made eye contact with Anby at the table.

In that moment, the air seemed to freeze. When they both noticed the infants in each other's arms, an unspoken tremor passed through their hearts.

After a short silence, Rina was the first to react. She floated forward and, without a word, gently took the still-sleeping Zhong Xi from Ellen's arms.

"Ellen, we have guests. You should go change," she said.

Only then did Ellen seem to realize the situation. She nodded and, with Corin in tow, returned to her room to change clothes.

Once Ellen had left, Rina immediately placed Zhong Xi in a corner of the room, in a crib almost half the size of a bed. Then she floated over to Anby and asked softly, "Miss Anby, would you let me take Young Master Zhong Ling for a moment? It's only right for him to meet his little sister."

Anby's first instinct was to refuse. But with Zhong Yan absent, she could only cast a look of appeal toward Nicole.

Sensing Anby's unease, Nicole leaned in after a brief silence and whispered, "Let her take the baby. That woman invited us here just to use Zhong Yan and his kids to deepen the connection between us. Besides... Little Ling should meet his sister."

Hearing Nicole say so, Anby hesitated a moment longer before reluctantly handing Zhong Ling over to Rina.

Overjoyed, Rina smiled brightly. "Thank you so much, Miss Anby. Miss Zhong Xi can finally meet her brother."

With that, she floated over to the crib in the corner and carefully placed Zhong Ling inside.

Seeing the two tiny figures lying there, unmoving in their slumber, a motherly smile instantly appeared on her face.

It was a scene that could move anyone's heart.

"Now then, everyone, please get ready to eat to your heart's content. The banquet is about to begin."

Back to the present moment—at Lycaon's prompt, the banquet, meant to strengthen ties between both parties, had finally begun.