This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 3 - The Queen of Opera - Part 1

03. The Queen of Opera

 

Moa Ablon, aware that Khan wasn’t following her, stayed mingled with the crowd until she felt a safe distance was achieved. When she could no longer see him, she discreetly slipped away.

 

Even after entering an alley, I held my breath and waited for a moment, but there was no sign of anyone following.

 

‘I don’t know if it’s because he lacks the ability or if he’s intentionally not using it, but it seems like he let me go on purpose. Was it Zerdan’s order?’

 

Since it was unlikely that Khan acted independently, it must have been an order from the handsome captain.

 

I didn’t know what they would gain from this, but it worked out well for me. Even if I ended up going back to Zerdan, I could gather information about this place in the meantime.

If I had known this would happen, I would have read up on the game’s lore more thoroughly.

 

‘Still, escaping from the room and getting out of that place… that’s quite a significant progress.’

 

I walked deeper into the alley. This was not the time to stay still, feeling relieved about escaping. I had to keep moving diligently. Clutching the necklace in my hand, I looked around.

My priority was ensuring my safety.

 

Of course, the main threat was Zerdan, and the only person who could protect me from him without a second thought was his brother, Obella.

 

He was the main male character in the game’s lore and a person with a normal mindset. Moreover, he possessed the ability needed to stop Zerdan.

 

The second priority was rescuing Diswen.

 

This would naturally be resolved once I met Obella or the hunter group, so I decided to prioritize my safety.

 

She did try to help me, but I wasn’t obligated to rescue her by putting myself in danger.

 

“The final opera of this season is next week, right?”

 

“Yeah, after next week, Queen Anise is retiring.”

 

“That’s unfortunate…”

 

I overheard the conversation of two passersby in the alley.

 

If it was an opera, it must be where Zerdan went today. Shaking my head to dispel the thought of his face, I realized I was feeling warm again just thinking about Zerdan.

 

To clear my mind, I lightly slapped my cheeks and looked up at the sky, more specifically, the direction above the surrounding buildings.

 

There are five main male characters in the game’s lore.

 

Obella and Zerdan are the primary characters, and besides them, there’s one of Obella’s aides, one of Zerdan’s subordinates, and a neutral character who doesn’t belong to either side.

 

That man has a free spirit, and as long as the financial conditions are met, he’ll help with anything.

 

Only those with abilities can find him. The method to locate him is simple.

 

As I looked around, I soon spotted a building with a faintly blue smoke rising from it.

 

There it is.

 

Fortunately, the distance wasn’t far, so I started walking again. As I got closer, I saw the peculiar smoke that only those with abilities could see, rising from the building and wrapping around it.

 

“Welcome.”

 

When I opened the door and went inside, a petite girl, barely reaching my waist, greeted me warmly. The interior was set up like a café and was quite beautifully decorated.

 

The girl approached slowly and looked up at me.

 

“Please have a seat and place your order whenever you’re ready.”

 

“I’d like to see the owner.”

 

“Do you have an appointment?”

 

The girl tilted her head and asked sweetly. Her innocent eyes looked at me, and I smiled back at her. Her eyes were a rare shade of gray.

 

“No, I don’t have an appointment. Is it difficult to meet him without one?”

 

“Well, our boss doesn’t stay in one place for long.”

 

“I see. Can I wait here for a while, then?”

 

“Of course!”

 

Despite the pretty interior and the cute waitress, the café was quiet with no other customers. As I sat down, the girl brought me a drink even though I hadn’t ordered anything.

 

“Since you’re here to see the boss, this one’s on the house.”

 

“Thank you. Do you know when the boss will be back?”

 

“I’m not sure. Why do you need to see him?”

 

The girl, perhaps bored, sat in the chair opposite me and asked. She must have found it dull to be in an empty café. I needed someone to talk to as well, so I answered her kindly.

 

“I have a request.”

 

“Do you know the boss?”

 

“No.”

 

The girl’s expression turned a bit peculiar at my blunt reply. Maybe my response was too shameless. As I took a sip of the drink she brought, I looked around the café.

 

“It’s pretty here. Does the boss like pretty things?”

 

“Our boss likes cute things. It’s unusual for a man, right?”

 

“Not necessarily.”

 

Liking pretty things is quite normal compared to someone who kills people or uses corpses like puppets.

 

However, in this world, it might be seen as a bit eccentric.

 

“Hmm.”

 

The girl rested her chin in her hands and stared at me, seemingly surprised by my calm acceptance. She looked like she was observing me.

 

Her gaze fell on my neck.

 

“Your necklace is really pretty. Who gave it to you?”

 

“It was a gift. Actually, that’s why I need to see the boss.”

 

“Are you trying to sell it to him? I don’t think the boss would like it much.”

 

“Is it because it’s related to Obella?”

 

The girl blinked, her face still showing innocent curiosity. I wondered if I should continue pretending not to notice, but it seemed like it was time to get to the point. I looked directly into her eyes.

 

Gray eyes were rare. The character I was here to meet was the only neutral character with gray eyes.

 

Could this be a coincidence?

 

“Nice to meet you. My name is Moa Ablon. I’ve come to ask for your help, Lazis.”

 

As I greeted him quite formally, the girl smiled with an amused expression. At the same time, the surroundings began to change rapidly.

 

The café soon transformed into an ordinary room, and I found myself sitting on a sofa. The sudden change made me dizzy for a moment, so I bowed my head. The drink I had been sipping was on the table, and across from me, I noticed a pair of black shoes worn by an adult man.

 

When I looked up, I saw a man sitting with his legs crossed, staring at me. He had his hands resting on his knees and was looking down at me.

 

The man, with his relatively long hair lightly tied, was smiling. His gray eyes sparkled just like the girl’s.

 

“Did you come here knowing about me?”

 

“I knew how to find you and that you grant requests if certain financial conditions are met. I didn’t expect you to be in the form of a girl, though.”

 

“There are some annoying fools, you see.”

 

Adding ‘Excuse my manners,’ he leaned back against the sofa. If Zerdan and I were around the same age, he looked a bit older. His demeanor seemed more mature.

 

“So, you came because of that necklace? It looks like it’s related to Obella. What kind of help do you need?”

 

“I was kidnapped by Zerdan and just escaped. For my safety, I need to meet Obella.”

 

“Zerdan?”

 

Upon hearing Zerdan’s name after Obella, his expression hardened.

 

Yeah, being associated with a criminal organization must be unsettling.

 

“Escaping from that organization, you must be quite capable. Is that why you’re wearing ability-suppressing earrings?”

 

“I was lucky.”

 

I didn’t elaborate on my ability. Sensing my reluctance, he didn’t press further and looked at me up and down before speaking again.

 

“But you seem to have come empty-handed for someone seeking help. Am I mistaken?”

 

“Hmm, is it difficult to get credit?”

 

I didn’t have any money since I was wearing clothes that Zerdan had provided. Lazis chuckled in disbelief at my audacious suggestion.

 

“You seem to be mistaken. Even if you’re on the run, I don’t offer free services.”

 

“That’s unfortunate. I don’t have money, but I do have skills…”

 

Following his lead, I crossed my legs, causing my skirt to ride up slightly, revealing a bit of my thigh. Seeing his gaze naturally shift to my legs, I smiled lightly, and Lazis followed suit.

 

“Well, you seem a bit too young to be tempting me.”

 

“You won’t know until you try.”

 

“Not a very appealing offer. I’m not the type to sleep with someone I just met.”

 

“That’s disappointing news.”

 

He’s not as easy to sway with my body like Zerdan.

 

Though I didn’t have high hopes, being rejected still left a bitter taste.

 

I should have set my character to be more mature and sexy.

 

“If you have no money, you should leave. I have other clients waiting.”

 

As I returned my legs to their original position and sat demurely, Lazis looked at me and motioned towards the door with his chin.

 

It was clear he intended to kick me out, and I was contemplating leaving when I noticed a newspaper on the table. It looked like it had been read before I arrived, as it was not neatly arranged.

 

On the open page, there was a photo of a woman with the headline, ‘The Queen of Opera, Her Final Performance Approaches.’