Time Healer Ceres - Chapter 63

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Ding.
“Welcome—”
Seres’s face, which had brightened at the sound of the customer entering, fell at once.
“You give me that look and I’m genuinely wounded,” said Deli, Kainel’s adjutant, with an amused smile and mock hurt.
Deli, Kainel’s adjutant, offered the comment with a wry smile.
“Then don’t come if you don’t want to see that expression.”
“Ha, once you’ve signed off, I doubt I’ll have occasion to visit again. Shall I raise Miss Seres’s wages?”
Whether talking to her superior or subordinate, why did it always feel like she was having a conversation with a brick wall? It made her want to smash everything to pieces.
“As you said it would be, sir.”
Deli’s hands were laden with small boxes stacked high.
From the sweet fragrance wafting across the room, she could hazard a guess at what lay inside them.
Moments later, the table where Kainel sat was laden with an array of desserts.
“Did you really buy all of that just to eat it here?”
“What’s the problem?”
“What do you mean, what’s the problem?”
Seres stared at Kainel, who was nodding casually, with pure exasperation.
It was already absurd that he wanted to eat food from another shop inside hers.
‘And you claim to hate anything overly sweet.’
Had his taste changed all of a sudden?
But judging by the way he deliberately picked out every bell pepper, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Are you going to eat all of that? Do you even like desserts?”
“You eat some too.”
“Me?”
“My adjutant seems to have bought unnecessarily too much.”
Kainel clicked his tongue and gestured toward Deli, who stood behind him.
Deli’s eyes widened slightly for a moment, then returned to their usual state.
‘It was the young lord himself who specified the shop and ordered me to buy every variety of dessert they had.’
Deli grumbled inwardly, but outwardly smiled meekly and bowed his head as if he were entirely at fault.
“Can I? Can I eat some too?”
“…Do as you like.”
Chaien, who was mad for anything sweet, shot his hand up eagerly. He’d already completely forgotten his complaints about Kainel from moments before.
“Oh? These are from Laila Dessert Cafe!”
“Laila? You mean that shop at the four-way intersection?”
“Yeah!”
“That place is still open?”
“It is. You know about it too? Well, that shop’s been in business for well over three hundred years now, hasn’t it?”
“…I know.”
More than three hundred and twenty years, to be precise.
The proprietress and pastry chef, constantly making their rounds to advertise, were still vivid in her memory.
Because she was so fond of their desserts, she’d made the trip two or three times a week even when busy. When she couldn’t go, Artia or Kainel would bring some back for her.
“Still as colorful as ever.”
Watching the vibrant, delicate cakes unchanged from before, nostalgia washed over her in a way she hadn’t expected.
“I absolutely love the desserts here!”
“Of course you do.”
Seres chuckled softly and placed a slice of cake heavily dusted with chocolate powder in front of Chaien.
Then she set a slice of Walnut Pie, fragrant with cinnamon, in front of Kainel as well.
“…….”
Kainel’s gaze lingered on the Walnut Pie placed before him.
It was the only sweet dessert he ever ate, given how little he cared for sugary things.
It was also a menu he’d always ordered at this shop, which he’d visited often since childhood thanks to Grace.
Kainel’s eyes shifted toward Seres, who was eating her cake slice with obvious relish.
Seres Drau, eating the Seasonal Fruit Cake—Grace’s favorite.
‘…It makes no sense at all.’
This was a thought that made no sense whatsoever.
Kainel found his gaze lingering on Seres long after.
* * *
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming up?”
“Who are you?”
“Me?”
Ben, a member of the intelligence organization Sky, found himself facing a group of children staring blankly at him, and let out a long sigh without meaning to.
“An errand boy.”
“An errand boy? What kind of errand brought you here?”
“Watching over you lot. That’s the errand.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Yeah, why indeed? That’s what I’d like to know.”
It’s the question I’m most curious about right now, honestly.
Another long sigh escaped Ben’s lips.
A few days ago, Seres had placed a request with him—to keep an eye on the children for a while in her stead.
She said there was nothing specific to do, but if the children seemed to be pushing themselves too hard, he should stop them.
‘Why me?’
‘Don’t like it? Then don’t do it.’
‘…What are you getting at?’
‘I’ll just tell Sky’s leader to send someone else. I’ll say you’re useless—got caught ages ago because you lack skill, and you don’t listen worth a damn, so I can’t use you. While I’m at it, I’ll make sure you pay the price for having someone tail me without permission.’
‘No, wait—I wasn’t caught because I lack skill!’
‘…….’
‘…Fine. I’ll do it. What’s the big deal?’
‘I’m the best in our organization!’
Caught because I lack skill? What kind of slander was that?!
‘That woman’s the one with the problem!’
But how could she possibly sense his presence so instantly? Was she some kind of Sword Master or something?
Still, if word really did get back to the leader, and the other operatives found out about it……?
“…You kids, life really isn’t easy, is it?”
“Sir?”
“What are you waiting for? Get moving!”
“It’s just that…….”
“Whoever finishes last runs the round trip from Stone Mountain to Snow Mountain three times.”
“Ahhhhhh!”
“And I’m increasing the weight of your Limb Weights too.”
The children, who’d been bewildered by the situation, shrieked at Seres’s usual threat of Repetitive Training and bolted forward.
“…Ugh.”
Another long sigh slipped from Ben’s mouth as he watched them go.
His pace quickened as he gave chase, recalling Seres’s parting warning.
‘If those kids get hurt… you know what happens, right? Come on, she wouldn’t be that incompetent, would she?’
“Damn it!”
Ben picked up speed even more.
* * *
“Good morning, Seres.”
Seres, heading to the shop early in the morning, spotted Del, Kainel’s aide, standing in perfect posture outside, and clicked her tongue lightly.
‘Are these people really planning to come by at dawn now and disrupt business?’
How early was it that he was already out here?
“Kai… no, where’s your superior?”
“I came alone today.”
“Alone?”
Kainel was indeed nowhere to be seen in the vicinity.
So he really had come by himself—but why?
“Would you have some time for me?”
At his polite request, Seres fixed him with a steady gaze for a moment.
‘What is he going to say this time?’
That smile of his, always so gentle as it usually was, no longer looked quite so innocent to her.
Just like someone standing at Kainel’s side would be, his knack for working in tandem with that man—subtly pressuring her to sign contracts—was no joke.
“Come in.”
In any case, she couldn’t very well leave him standing outside after he’d come all this way at such an hour, so Seres entered the shop with Del.
After Del drank the tea she’d offered out of courtesy, he got straight to the point.
“Would you mind thinking of this as a transaction instead? Not as someone pressing you to repay a debt.”
“A transaction?”
“Yes. I’d be grateful if you’d think of it as a transaction between us.”
“I don’t see how one’s any different from the other.”
Seres turned away from him without answering.
Word games—what was the point?
“Kainel isn’t eating at all.”
Del’s words tumbled out urgently, as if to catch her before she could slip away.
“Who? What do you mean, can’t eat?”
Seres’ footsteps toward the kitchen stopped dead.
That man can’t eat?
“…His palate must be quite difficult, I suppose.”
He’d always had a small appetite since he was young, and he was picky about what he ate—feeding him was never easy.
Seres looked at Del with understanding, her expression tinged with sympathy.
He really does have it rough.
“It’s not just being finicky. He simply refuses to eat at all.”
“At all?”
“Yes.”
“That’s…!”
Is he insane? Why won’t he eat?
“It’s been that way for quite some time now.”
A short sigh escaped Del’s lips. Ever since Grace’s body shattered and vanished, he’d eaten even less than before.
“But he did eat the Stew you made for him, miss Seres. So I was relieved for a while….”
“And then?”
If he was eating the Stew, wasn’t that enough?
‘Wait, what?’
But had that man eaten the Stew recently?
He came by the shop sometimes, but she couldn’t recall ever seeing him actually bring food to his mouth.
“He says the taste has changed.”
“The taste has changed?”
“Yes. He says what the head chef makes now is completely different from what you made.”
What is he talking about? Mark and I make it so similarly that even I can barely tell the difference.
‘Of course, there is a very slight…’
The flavor really is just a touch different, but he noticed that?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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