TGHB 58

Chapter – 58

I was staring blankly at the employee’s face, and perhaps noticing my gaze, he looked over at me as well.

Then.

“Wha—?”

The employee let out a strange sound, startled.

Blinking in disbelief, he stammered as he began to speak.

“Me… Meloni?”

No.

Why was Riki oppa here?

“What’s this, Cotton Candy? Are you acquainted with this employee?”

“We used to spend time together in Bramshua.”

“Ah, that place. Bramshua, right…”

“Yes! But… can I talk with him for a bit?”

“…Hmm, well, it’s been a while since you last met, so I guess you might have something to catch up on. Go ahead, but don’t leave the building. If anything dangerous happens, scream immediately. Got it?”

“Yes! I will.”

After getting permission from the late Duke, I sat down separately with Riki oppa.

“It’s been a long time, my little scruff. How long has it really been?”

“Mm. It’s been a while.”

It had already been over two months since I entered the duke’s residence.

‘In a way, it feels short.’

Since we used to see each other every day in Bramshua, the two-month gap felt long.

‘And after going to Panteibe, life was so hectic.’

Some days felt like a year.

Anyway, it felt like seeing him after a long time.

And aside from that—.

‘It feels strange.’

Meeting oppa outside of a prison.

It was a new, moving experience.

Before I reincarnated, I couldn’t have imagined this.

‘Before I came back, I didn’t know which orphanage I had been sent to, or where Riki oppa and Jeanne unnie had gone.’

I wanted to see him so badly, but I believed somewhere that they were living well.

‘I never imagined I’d actually get to see that they were doing well.’

Sniffling to stop my nose from stinging, I twitched the bridge of my nose busily.

Then Riki oppa burst out laughing.

“Oh, looks like you’re developing muscles on your nose. And your chin—when did you start growing a little walnut there?”

…He really doesn’t give you a chance to feel emotional.

Pouting, I glared at him, and he playfully pressed my cheeks.

“Aww, sorry. Are you pouting, our Meloni?”

“Ang pihyeotteo! (I’m not pouting!)”

“I was just excited to see you, that’s all.”

“Anggaunde angnanman chigu! (I’m happy to see you, but you’re just teasing me!)”

Ugh, my pronunciation is impossible.

I shook my head to signal him to stop, and oppa laughed heartily as he let go.

“Sorry. I was just really happy to see you.”

“……”

“My little scruff. You look so pretty dressed up like this. You look like a proper lady. Back in Bramshua, you always had to wear rags… it must have been so frustrating.”

“I wasn’t really frustrated.”

“Oh?”

“Mm. You were there, and Jeanne unnie was there, and other siblings too.”

Whether wearing rags or torn clothes, even after things got better than Bramshua…

“Life was good.”

My calm words made Riki oppa pause.

He let out a bitter smile, buried his face in his hands for a moment, then used his other hand to rub my cheeks again.

“Ah, I missed this. Our little scruff’s soft cheeks.”

“Oppa, you’ll hurt yourself if you keep squeezing my cheeks.”

I said casually, but then I froze.

‘Come to think of it, oppa’s sibling is injured.’

I had fixed the broken medicine, but there was no guarantee it would work well.

…Maybe I shouldn’t have brought that up, I thought.

“Our Rina is going through adolescence these days. Ever since she got healthy, all she wants to do is play with her friends, so she doesn’t even spend time with this oppa.”

“…Rina is healthy?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, she’s healthy now.”

“Thanks to me?”

“Yes. The medicine you fixed worked well.”

Hearing this, oppa’s eyes lit up, and he laughed.

It was a happy smile.

The smile I wanted to protect.

‘Thank goodness.’

I couldn’t help but smile too.

I was happy and proud to have saved someone’s life.

Especially someone who is Riki oppa’s sibling.

“By the way, how did you know about this place? Did you come to see me?”

“Nope. I didn’t know about this place.”

“Really?”

Oppa tilted his head, muttering to himself.

“Right. It just opened last week, so it makes sense that you didn’t know.”

Ah, it opened last week.

‘Perfect timing to visit.’

If I had come last week, I would have gone home empty-handed.

“Wait. So you—”

Riki oppa narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

“You’ve been… following me all this time—!”

“Nope.”

“…Then, the Duke was the one following me—?”

“Abadi wouldn’t have time for that.”

“…Right, of course.”

One of Riki oppa’s best qualities was recognizing the truth quickly.

“So, you just came to eat cake?”

To eat cake…

“Mm. Not even that.”

I shook my head, and oppa’s eyes widened.

“Not even that?”

“Mm! Meloni didn’t come for things like that. I came for another purpose.”

At my words, oppa’s expression stiffened.

“…Another purpose?”

I could sense a hint of ‘could it be’ in his slowing voice.

Yes, oppa.

That ‘could it be’ is correct.

“Sesame sprinkled cheese cake, Solip milk, mint chocolate cake, and pineapple pie bread.”

I smiled and continued.

“I came to get information. I wanted to know.”

“Next time, I’ll come again, oppa.”

“Alright, little scruff. Next time… come as a regular customer. Don’t surprise people, okay?”

“Mm. Abadi, Harabudi, Ona-beoni, we’ll all come together next time.”

“Oh, that might be a bit much…?”

And that was how the conversation with Riki oppa ended.

Later, returning to the table with Louis and the late Duke, I handed Riki oppa the menu and canceled all the ‘coded orders’ I had placed before, ordering other cakes instead.

“Good. So your taste isn’t off.”

“Though now that I think about it, mint chocolate cake seems okay. Should we order one?”

“…Actually, I think Solip milk is okay too.”

In the end, we added back the Solip milk and mint chocolate cake.

Everything was delicious, as expected of a future dessert hotspot.

Except for Solip milk.

‘…That one I really can’t respect.’

A brief moment where I felt a wall with Louis.

After leaving the café, I went straight to see the Duke.

I needed to buy time before replying to a priest named Antis.

‘Riki oppa said he would send information about Antis in a letter…’

Until then, no money should be sent to the temple.

“Do you want to postpone the donation to the temple?”

“Yes!”

“Why? Are you just trying to avoid my scrutiny again?”

“No, it’s not that….”

Ugh. How do I explain this?

“Well… okay then.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. If it’s not about hiding something, it’s fine. If our Marshmallow wants it, then that’s that. I can allow it.”

The kind, generous, gentle—and basically the best Duke in the empire—didn’t question why, and said he would allow it.

‘…Thank goodness.’

I pressed my racing heart and felt relief.

And three days later:

“A letter and cookies have arrived from ‘The News of the Blue Bird,’ Miss. They’re from a person named Riki…?”

“Ah! Riki oppa’s letter!”

Finally, the long-awaited news had arrived.

I hurriedly tore open the letter, my eyes sparkling.

‘Hehe.’

…Antis, just right!