After breakfast, the apartment settled into a comfortable quiet. Furlan and Isabel had left, and Kenny was lounging on the couch, looking like he was trying to keep a low profile while Kuchel was in the kitchen, doing something mysterious with the dishes.

Levi, though usually tense, had taken a moment to appreciate the calm. That was until he heard the soft voice of the brat, pulling him from his thoughts.

"P-Papa... tuna play?"

Levi blinked, looking over at Yuna, who was standing by her toy chest, eyes wide with the unspoken request. She was still adjusting to the rhythm of this new life, her home, but the rules—the rules of the orphanage, where she'd been before—were ingrained in her. She had to ask permission.

Levi gave her a small, encouraging nod, his voice gruff but gentle. "Go on, tuna. You can play."

Yuna's eyes lit up, and she scampered over to the toys, a wide grin spreading across her face. But then, just as she was about to dive in, she hesitated. She looked back at Levi, her small voice once more breaking the silence.

"Is tuna free?"

Levi paused, looking at her, the question settling in his mind. It was a simple one, yet profound. She'd lived by a set of rules where freedom wasn't guaranteed, where she had to ask for everything. She wasn't sure what 'free' meant here, at home.

Levi leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, his gaze softening as he studied her for a moment. "You're free here, Yuna," he said, his voice steady but warm. "You don't need to ask for everything. Just... play, be yourself."

Yuna's face broke into a huge, relieved smile, and without wasting another second, she threw herself into her toys, making a mess in the best way possible.

Kenny, who had been silently observing the exchange from the corner of the room, finally spoke up with a raspy chuckle. "She's a fast learner."

Levi shot him a look, but he couldn't hide the faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Yuna plopped herself down right in the middle of the living room, dragging the slightly crumpled shopping bag behind her. It was almost too big for her tiny frame, but she was determined. With great effort, she pulled out the plush toy Furlan had given her, along with the other soft toys and the miniature tea set Levi had bought.

One by one, she arranged them in a perfect little circle, as if setting up an important gathering. A plush rabbit, a bear, and a slightly squished cat all took their places, lined up neatly in front of her.

Satisfied, she looked up at Levi, her heterochromatic eyes shining with anticipation. "Papa tuna give tea," she announced. Then, with all the authority of a seasoned hostess, she patted the floor beside her. "Come play."

Levi, who had been standing with his arms crossed, watching her, felt something in his chest shift. It was ridiculous how easily this brat could make him rethink his entire schedule. He had a shop to run. There were things to do.

But right now?

Right now, there was a tiny little girl in his living room, inviting him to a tea party like it was the most important thing in the world. And maybe it was.

He exhaled and turned toward the kitchen. "Mom," he called out, rubbing the back of his neck, "I... can you handle the shop today? I don't feel like coming in."

Kuchel, busy with something at the counter, didn't even turn around. "Oh? And what's got you taking a day off, mister 'work is everything'?"

Levi glanced back at Yuna, who was already pouring imaginary tea into tiny porcelain cups, her focus entirely on the task.

"Playing with the brat," he muttered, more to himself than to his mother.

Kenny snorted from his seat on the couch, clearly amused. Kuchel just smiled knowingly.

Levi sighed and finally sat down on the floor, accepting the tiny teacup Yuna handed him with all the seriousness she expected.

"Tea, papa," she said, watching him closely.

He lifted the empty cup and gave a small nod. "Tea, tuna."

And just

 like that, work could wait.

Yuna watched Levi sip from his tiny, empty teacup with all the seriousness of a seasoned tea connoisseur. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Tuna good tea maker?" she asked, tilting her head.

Levi gave a small nod. "Yeah."

Her grin widened. "Papa tea maker too"

"Yeah, Papa has a tea shop."

That was it. The switch flipped.

Her entire demeanor changed, and suddenly, she was on a mission. She straightened her posture, setting her teacup down like she was about to conduct an interrogation.

"Why tea?" she asked.

Levi blinked. "Huh?"

"What tea?"

Levi exhaled. "All kinds."

"How many tea?"

"Too many to count, brat."

"Who work in tea shop?"

"Me, Mom, sometimes a few helpers—"

"Where Kiki work?"

"Kenny? Nowhere, he freeloads."

Kenny, from the couch, raised a hand. "Hey."

Yuna wasn't done. "Papa like work tea shop?"

Levi leaned back on his hands, eyeing her. "Yeah. It's alright."

Yuna seemed to process all this, staring him down like a tiny, suspicious detective. Then, she asked the most dangerous question of all.

"Papa drink only tea?"

Levi narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing a trap. "Yeah."

Yuna's eyes gleamed. "No coffee?"

Levi scoffed. "Hell no."

And that was all the encouragement she needed. She shot up to her feet, hands on her hips, looking like she was about to start a revolution.

"Tea good. Coffee bad," she declared.

Levi smirked. "That's right."

"TEA GOOD. COFFEE BAD!" she chanted, louder this time.

From the doorway, Kuchel sighed. "Levi, what are you teaching her?"

"Facts."

Kenny let out a low chuckle. "Kid's got strong opinions already."

Yuna turned to him and pointed a firm finger. "Kiki, no coffee!"

Kenny raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. No coffee, I hear ya."

Levi smirked, watching as Yuna continued her one-person protest around the living room. He didn't expect his day off to turn into a full-on anti-coffee campaign, but honestly?

It wasn't a bad way to spend the morning.

CHAPTER COMPLETED.