Chapter 90: My Name is Lucoa. It's a Pleasure to Meet You!
"Please, have a seat," Ryohei said, gesturing to the sofa.
"Okay," Lucoa replied, but her eyes had landed on the Crème Caramel in front of the magic circle. She suddenly bent down to pick it up.
And so, the black tank top she was wearing stretched taut, its neckline dipping to reveal a landscape of pale, delicate skin and an astonishingly deep cleavage, delivering a powerful visual shock to Ryohei. Her arm extended downwards, her fingertips lightly touching the glass ramekin, and she picked it up with a natural grace. Her long, blonde-highlighted hair cascaded over her shoulder, swaying with her movement.
A few seconds later, Lucoa straightened up, holding the Crème Caramel. "This was the offering, right?" she asked with a cheerful smile. "Can I eat it?"
"Of course," Ryohei replied, having politely averted his gaze. He looked back at her now. "I'll go make some tea." He then headed for the kitchen.
Truly… astonishing.
"You really are a succubus, aren't you?" Yurine said, her eyes narrowed with suspicion and a hint of jealousy ( ≖_≖). She stared intently at Lucoa, as if trying to find a flaw in her expression.
"Eh? I'm not!" Lucoa said, quickly waving her hands, once again mistaken. She pointed a delicate finger at herself and said seriously, "I used to be a god."
"And now?" Yurine shot back without thinking.
"Now I'm a former god," Lucoa replied with a clever smile, giving her a thumbs-up.
Yurine felt her fist clench. A black, intimidating aura began to emanate from her body, the pressure in the room dropping as if she were about to explode.
"Did I do something to upset you?" Lucoa asked, tilting her head in genuine confusion. She lifted the lid of her left eye, revealing a beautiful, unique iris—golden on the inside, blue on the outside.
"You just seduced her boyfriend, so of course she's upset," Jashin-chan chimed in with a wicked grin, pointing a finger at Yurine. "Yurine is very petty. You're finished, former god!"
"I believe I told you not to point your finger at me," Yurine said, her face darkening. What did she just say?! Who is she calling petty?! She grabbed Jashin-chan's offending finger and, without a shred of mercy, bent it backwards.
"CRACK!"
The crisp sound echoed through the air, followed by Jashin-chan's heart-rending scream. "Ah—! It's broken, it's broken!" She instinctively pulled her hand back, hopping up and down as she cradled her throbbing finger, tears welling in her eyes.
At the same time, Lucoa just said, "Eh?" and looked between Yurine and Jashin-chan with a look of pure, innocent confusion. "But I didn't do anything like that, did I?" she said, as if completely unaware that her actions might have been inappropriate.
Is she a natural airhead? A stupid former god? Yurine wondered. Is she faking it? She sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "In any case, please don't take anything Jashin-chan says seriously. She's slandering me."
"Hai!" Lucoa replied with a cheerful smile and sat down on the sofa.
She curiously opened the glass container in her hands. A rich,醇香of deep coffee, mingled with the alluring sweetness of caramel, wafted out. "It smells so good!" she thought, and couldn't help but take a deep, appreciative breath. Her curiosity was now completely overshadowed by her anticipation. Her mouth began to water, and she eagerly picked up the small spoon and scooped into the dessert. The spoon slid through the surface, the dark amber caramel sauce flowing slowly down to merge with the delicate custard, creating an enticing pattern.
With great expectation, Lucoa brought the spoonful to her lips.
In the next moment, her perpetually half-closed eyes snapped wide open, revealing her unique, heterochromatic irises—the left, golden-blue, and the right, a clear teal. Her left eye alone was beautiful and special, but seeing both together was absolutely magnificent.
Yurine was a little surprised. Her gaze then fell back to the Crème Caramel in Lucoa's hands, and she subconsciously licked her lips. I can't take it! Yurine loved pudding-like desserts more than anything. Seeing someone else eat one was pure torture. She turned to Minos, who was now standing by the large, double-door refrigerator.
"Minos, can you bring me a crème caramel?"
"M-Me too!" Jashin-chan cried out, her eyes still watery with pain.
"Okay," Minos replied cheerfully. She opened the fridge, took out three desserts, and then, after a moment's thought, grabbed one for Ryohei as well.
By now, Lucoa was completely immersed in the deliciousness of the dessert. Her eyes had closed again, her face a mask of satisfaction and enjoyment.
"So delicious," she murmured. "The moment it enters your mouth, the rich coffee flavor blooms first, deep and unique, with a hint of bitterness. The silky-smooth texture just melts on your tongue. Then, the sweetness of the caramel emerges, intertwining with the coffee. The bitter and the sweet collide, creating a perfect balance. And it leaves a wonderful aftertaste that lingers…" (* ＞ω＜)
"A cup of black tea would go perfectly with that," Ryohei said, returning to the living room with a tray. He began to pass out cups of tea to everyone.
"Arigatou!" Lucoa said, looking at the cup of tea, which was also faintly glowing. She now understood where the glowing dessert had come from. She lifted her left eyelid again and looked at Ryohei with surprise. He, in turn, was seeing her unique eyes for the first time and was momentarily stunned by how beautiful they were.
"You know, it's quite a coincidence," Lucoa said, elegantly taking a sip of her tea. It was as if she had been transported to a quaint, antique room. Lazy sunlight filtered through a thin curtain, casting soft, warm light on a small wooden table. On the table sat a cup of tea and a crème caramel. The amber tea glowed golden in the light, steam rising from it, its light fragrance mingling with the scent of coffee and caramel. Outside the window, roses were in bloom, and a gentle jazz melody played from an old record player. A spoonful of dessert, a sip of tea… time seemed to stand still, leaving only a feeling of warmth and tranquility.
"..."
Lucoa opened her eyes, a hint of surprise on her face, which quickly melted back into her usual cheerful smile. "Whenever I visit my friend," she said to Ryohei, "she always treats me to a cup of coffee. She makes it very well. To think that I would be summoned this time by a coffee-flavored dessert. Perhaps it's fate."
"My name is Lucoa," the blonde-haired woman, whose true name was Quetzalcoatl, the former Feathered Serpent God of Mayan mythology, said as she extended a pale, slender hand to the human who had summoned her. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
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