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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Egg Tart Mission
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***
Looking utterly awkward, they made their way to an ordinary restaurant.
Erica and Allison, who had unexpectedly gained a fake family. And Ash, who had learned the truth.
Their movements were so unnatural, it was as if they were using prosthetic arms to eat.
They were all forcing a semblance of harmony.
“I was worried about my sister struggling in the grand mansion, so I made some restorative medicine from back home.”
Erica, who looked haggard since they last met, placed a bag, its edges slightly damp from the rain, on the table.
It was the same one she had been clutching dearly since they first met.
“Hanna, you’re so lucky. You have a sister who worries about you.”
“Right? Our family is just that kind.”
Lumina and Hanna (Brandon) looked at each other and smiled.
Thanks to Lumina and Brandon's passionate acting, the strained atmosphere softened to some extent.
But there was a limit to what they could do, so they quickly finished their meal and left the restaurant.
Standing under a canopy, Lumina was about to open her umbrella when she noticed something and her eyes widened.
“Sir Ash, could you go get some umbrellas? It seems these two forgot theirs in their hurry to come up here.”
Ash nodded readily.
In truth, he was quite bothered by the situation where he couldn't call his father 'Father', so he wanted to step away.
‘Since Father is here, it should be fine to leave for a moment.’
With that thought, Ash disappeared.
By the time even his shadow was out of sight.
Lumina lowered her voice.
“Was the medicine a success?”
As the conversation turned to a field she knew well, Erica, as if her earlier stiffness had never existed, spoke with clear articulation.
“Yes. It was perfect when we tested it on slimes. But since we haven't used it on an actual person…”
“If it worked on slimes, it's good enough for a real-life application.”
“Goodness, treating a person like a monster.”
Forgetting that he was supposed to be Hanna, Brandon lamented in a tone that was very much his own.
Slimes were among the lowest-ranking monsters.
They had low intelligence, lived in groups, and wouldn't attack unless provoked.
Furthermore, they were easily found in areas with poor security, and a single slime wasn't particularly strong, giving them a ‘trivial’ image.
So, experimenting on slimes wouldn't have been difficult.
“Hanna. When did it hurt the most?”
“Usually, my condition would worsen around the time the sun began to set, Young Mistress.”
The moment Lumina called him ‘Hanna’, he immediately adopted Hanna's way of speaking, as if he had never been Brandon.
Brandon wasn't a man who had operated secretly in the shadows for nothing.
With the single word ‘Hanna’, Brandon was playing the role of the docile maid, Hanna.
A familiar shadow approached them.
“Two umbrellas.”
“Oh, Sir Ash.”
Ash had returned far too quickly.
Lumina quickly exchanged a look with Brandon.
‘He brought them back so fast? You said it would be hard to find umbrellas since it just started raining.’
‘My son is quite capable.’
‘Stop bragging about your son.’
The problem was that Ash was too capable.
At this rate, she had no choice but to use her hidden trick.
“Sir Ash.”
“Yes.”
“I want an egg tart from Fauchon Pâtisserie.”
“Pardon?”
“The egg tarts from that one bakery where you have to wait outside for over an hour! It has to be from that specific place! And I absolutely must have one that's freshly made.”
“But it's raining.”
He meant that waiting outside with this many people in the rain would be difficult.
Lumina nodded.
“That's why you have to go alone, Sir Ash, and buy enough for Hanna's family too.”
Lumina looked up at Ash shamelessly.
“We'll be waiting at the café near the bakery. It's close, so you'll be able to see us while you wait, Sir Ash.”
But I came here to be her escort.
Is this really okay?
Ash's conflict was written all over his face.
Seizing the opportunity, Lumina exclaimed loudly.
“Ah, I want an egg tart so badly!”
“…”
“A perfectly browned egg tart… when you slowly break it in half, it'll make a *crisp* sound. And then you'll see the moist, fluffy custard inside.”
“…”
“Popping that into my mouth in one bite would be absolute heaven!”
“…Understood.”
“I'm so glad you understand my feelings, Sir Ash.”
Lumina beamed.
Though it wasn't just Ash; everyone nearby now knew of Lumina's craving for egg tarts.
“I'm counting on you.”
Ash walked away, a sad figure from behind.
Hanna (Brandon) sidled up to Lumina and whispered in her ear.
“Little Mistress. Aren't you working someone else's precious son a bit too hard?”
“Hanna.”
“Yes, Young Mistress. Sir Ash is your exclusive escort, so you should work him for the rest of his life.”
His change in attitude was so swift it was shocking that he didn't have a split personality.
And so, Ash went to stand at the end of a long line, while the rest of the group entered a nearby café.
“Excuse me.”
Brandon, leading the way, whispered something to the café owner, who nodded and then ushered the other customers out.
The café emptied out in an instant.
“The boss secretly manages a lot of shops, so a word or two is all it takes to clear a place out. This way, we can talk comfortably.”
Nodding, Lumina took a seat by the window where she could clearly see Ash.
Since Ash didn't know anything, they had to make the deception convincing. Everyone glanced at the menu and ordered drinks for show.
“One hot chocolate and one Einspänner, please.”
“I'll have a hot chocolate too, then.”
“One espresso, please!”
A cute voice finished off the orders.
Everyone turned in surprise to look at the owner of the voice.
It was Lumina.
An espresso, from a girl with a face that looked like she'd be happily munching on a strawberry parfait.
“Young Mistress. Espresso is a very bitter coffee.”
“Oh, if I drink coffee at my age, I won't be able to sleep all day, right? I'll have a glass of water, then.”
The problem was the bitterness, not the sleeplessness. But Lumina changed her order nonchalantly.
Everyone was taken aback, but only for a moment.
Since Lumina was so unconcerned, no one mentioned it again.
The café owner quickly brought their drinks and then left them alone.
Finally free from her terrible acting, Erica burst out as if a dam had broken.
“I've been wanting to say this for a while, but please, just speak comfortably with me! I knew you were a noble, but the Young Grand Duke's fiancée… If I had known you were someone so important…”
“You would have been bowing and scraping from our first meeting. That wasn't the kind of situation I wanted, which is why I didn't tell you.”
“Still…”
“Erica, more importantly, tell me the details about the medicine.”
At the mention of the medicine, Erica immediately regained her confidence and spoke articulately.
“The substance in the glass vial you gave me before did indeed have the same components as a slime. Thanks to you narrowing down the scope, I was able to proceed with my work smoothly. It's all thanks to you, Lady Lumina.”
“I only mentioned it because it looked similar.”
“No, that's not it. Most people wouldn't think a slime could be melting off a person's face. Even if that person is a Legion. It's amazing that you pinpointed it right away, Lady Lumina.”
To develop an accurate antidote, they had only briefly informed Erica that Brandon was a Legion and that his face had suddenly started to melt one day.
She didn't know about Brandon's special ability to change his appearance, so she likely assumed he was specialized in combat like other Legions.
“In the case of slimes, they show an adverse reaction when they ingest the root of a plant called Petenia. Their internal moisture rapidly drains, causing them to lose their form and start melting.”
“…”
“Unlike humans, slimes are composed of 99% water. Oh, and the remaining 1% is a magic stone!”
Erica passionately explained about slimes.
To summarize her words, which she recited so fluently it was as if she had a script, it was this:
Brandon was currently in the same state as a slime that had ingested the root of the Petenia plant.
‘When I first saw him, he looked so much like a melting slime. I wondered if it could be true.’
Not many months from now, a phenomenon where hordes of slimes melt will occur across the continent.
People had seen one or two do it occasionally, but for them to do it in groups seemed significant.
‘That's why doomsayers ran rampant, claiming it was the end of humanity and all that. I remember it because they were so loud.’
At that time, Erica will be the one to academically prove that this phenomenon is not a sign of the apocalypse.
Unfortunately, her stepfather took the credit for it.
It was the beginning of him making a name for himself in the academic world.
‘Brandon must have investigated poisons that affect humans. That's why he couldn't figure out the poison or the antidote.’
Monsters were usually seen only as things to be hunted, so there was nowhere to hear such stories.
Since they couldn't conduct human trials, it was still unknown whether a medicine that worked on monsters would work on Brandon, a Legion.
However, it had cured a monster in the initial stage, so the medicine's effectiveness was certain.
Lumina was impressed with Erica.
“You must have stayed up all night with such a tight deadline. You worked hard.”
“Thanks to your generous support, it was the most enjoyable time of my life.”
“Then you'll be enjoying yourself for the rest of your life!”
Erica looked puzzled.
Lumina's eyes sparkled as she looked at Erica.
“Because I'm going to let you do the research you love for the rest of your life. As you know, I have quite a bit of money. I'm confident I can take care of you and your mother forever.”
Lumina said confidently, patting her chest.
But for some reason, Erica hesitated.
“If that man, your stepfather, is holding you back, I'll take care of him!”
*Slice.*
With a smile, Lumina made a throat-slitting gesture.
Seeing this, Brandon wondered if Lumina was starting to resemble the boss after spending so much time with him.
‘This is bad for her upbringing.’
The Duke of Heart was truly a harmful influence on a child.
*Sigh.*
As a father himself, Brandon let out an old man's sigh, but only to himself.
