This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 8 - Helper (2) - Part 5
“…You did such things even knowing she was an ally? I see. There’s a reason why the hunters’ group is so formidable. With that kind of ability, she must have been a key figure.”
It seemed that since Zerdan had acquired quite a few puppets, he hadn’t paid much attention to where they came from. His reaction was more about having brought a useful ability user than anything else.
“However, we’ve known that they’ve been targeting our organization for a while, so it’s not a big deal. We’re aware of what kind of ability users they have, and while we know they have some good ones, we have the advantage in numbers. Unless they come up with a pretty solid plan, they won’t pose a significant threat.”
“That seems plausible, considering the exhibits you have here.”
Pointing out the window, I remarked, and the man then shifted his focus to us.
“It’s impressive that you call them exhibits… By the way, can you two stay apart? You seem even more affectionate than the information I got from Khan. Are you two in a relationship or something?”
Zerdan, still with his arm around my waist, sat down, and I leaned against him. The man seemed quite annoyed by this.
“Lily, stop straying from the topic with irrelevant details.”
“You’re the one making me uncomfortable with your position! And didn’t I tell you not to call me that?”
“Is your name Lily? It’s such a cute name.”
“That’s not a name!”
“…If it’s a nickname, I might be a little jealous.”
“What nonsense is this woman talking about?”
I told the agitated man to calm down, jokingly.
Khan, not wanting to get involved in this conversation, pretended not to hear and continued to look out the window.
“By the way, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Moa Ablon.”
“Why should I tell you my name?”
“Oh, right! Since you have such a cute nickname as Lily, you can just call me that. I’m sorry if my silly question upset you.”
“Seriously, it’s not a nickname! My name is Liffree! Got it?!”
“Yes, Lily.”
“Khan! Just get this woman out of here!!”
Liffree screamed, grabbing his head with both hands.
Young age and already having a temper. Oh dear.
As I looked at him with concern, I felt Zerdan’s hand caressing my waist. He smiled at the touch as his hand moved inside my blouse, and I took his hand to hold it.
I like it, but not right now.
“Anyway, it’s not bad to be prepared for any situation. I plan to let Bella know the location of this place once I meet him.”
“What? Do you think you can leave here alive after saying that so openly? If you’re serious, I can kill you right here, regardless of what Zerdan says.”
Liffree’s face turned serious. Despite his frail appearance, his expression was quite resolute. With the burning gaze on the back of his head, it seemed that Khan was glaring at him as well.
“There’s a woman with the special ability to amplify others’ powers. I’m willing to offer her as a condition. Pretending to lose Diswen while abducting her would be beneficial for you.”
“Amplification? Such an absurd ability…”
Liffree’s gaze shifted to Khan. Seeing Khan’s affirmative attitude, Liffree let out a groan.
It seemed that although Zerdan was the leader of the organization, he did not actively participate in the conversation. He merely observed with interest as Liffree and I talked.
“Just so you know, you should abandon the thought of simply abducting her. She has already agreed to cooperate with Bella, so they will be protecting her.”
“If she can amplify others, she’s worth sacrificing all these puppets for. But why are you telling us this? If you were truly acting as our spy, you’d create an opportunity to lure and abduct her yourself. You should be smart enough for that.”
“That method isn’t bad. However, it would make me despised by Bella.”
“And what does that matter?”
“I have something to gain from Bella.”
Namely, his sweet body.
Seeing my smile, Liffree seemed even more suspicious, and he frowned.
At that moment, Zerdan, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
“Alright. We’ll do as the lady says. Khan will inform you of this place’s location before he leaves.”
“Zerdan!”
“But, lady. If we suffer any loss from this matter, you won’t be safe. Keep that in mind. I like your boldness, but I hope you understand that it sometimes brings danger.”
Zerdan’s hand traced along my jawline, lifting my chin to make me look at him. His smile was there, but it felt different from usual.
A warning, perhaps.
Zerdan didn’t seem to expect an answer. He simply stood up and left the office, saying he would finish what he was doing with Liffree.
Watching Zerdan’s retreating figure, Liffree sighed.
“I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but you should heed Zerdan’s words carefully. We’ll let you know the location, so just pass it through Khan before you raid. Since we’ve also found out, we’ll make appropriate preparations.”
“You seem quite unconcerned.”
“We have that much power. Even though Obella’s power is threatening, it’s just one person. If you’re done here, you should leave. We have our own tasks to attend to.”
“May I ask one more favor?”
“What is it?”
“I don’t have a place to stay tonight. Would it be alright if I stayed here just for today?”
When I said this with a bright smile, Liffree’s expression soured. As if questioning if I was serious, I smiled even wider, causing him to turn away. He then spoke without even looking at Khan.
“Khan, I’m sorry to ask, but could you handle the rest? I’m busy, so I’ll leave now.”
“Wait…!”
Then, as he leaves faster than anyone else, Khan, who was trying to catch him, glares at me like he’s going to eat me.
But truly, I have nowhere to go.
I had already told Anise that I wasn’t coming today, and I planned to sleep in Zerdan’s arms. It’s quite regrettable that this plan fell through.
“Since I’m hungry, could I at least have dinner first?”
“Do you think food will go down in this situation?”
“Regrettably, yes.”
“Just go back to where you were. I’ll have someone send you off.”
“But I have nowhere to go.”
“Try asking the hunters’ group.”
“I already made a big deal about getting the location information and said I’d see them in two days. If I leave with the information now, won’t that be suspicious? It would be ridiculous to go begging without any information.”
“That’s not my concern…”
I approached Khan, who was trying to avoid the situation and grabbed his arm. I could feel the solid muscle beneath his sleeve.
“Khan, Liffree didn’t say to send me away. Neither did Zerdan. Even though he might look like this, he’s still Khan’s superior, right? You’ve been asked to handle the aftermath, so you should do it responsibly.”
“I can’t just rip your mouth off…”
“Oh my, such crude language. You almost made me drop my child from shock.”
“You speak so calmly without changing your expression. Follow me.”
With a look of resignation, Khan told me to follow and walked away. It was a door leading in a different direction from the one to the basement.
An exit, perhaps.
I followed Khan down a long corridor, and his back seemed unusually weary.
“What are you thinking? I don’t know what you need from Obella, but I don’t understand why you’re provoking them in this way. You’re giving them our location and telling us about rare abilities… You’re inciting a battle. You might think you’re manipulating the situation, but they’re not someone to be underestimated.”
“I know that. Even if Khan doesn’t, Zerdan must realize that my actions don’t make sense. He’s bound to be suspicious. But honestly, I don’t have any particular reason.”
“What?”
The truth is, I just wanted to see a scene fitting for a romance fantasy genre.
In a world with so many superhumans, wouldn’t it be nice to see some well-crafted battle scenes?
Seduction is important, but so is eye candy. This situation is interesting to me, especially since I’ve always enjoyed watching SF or war movies.
“It’s actually for my own enjoyment. Oh, and keep this a secret from Zerdan.”
“…You’re insane.”
“I won’t deny it.”
After all, it’s just a game, so what’s the big deal? Whether someone dies or becomes a sacrifice, it’s just a game. That’s why I remain so nonchalant.
I didn’t even think that I would later regret it.
THIS HOUSE HAS A DELICIOUS RESTAURANT, VOLUME 1