Oi oi oi oi oi oi-
That wasn't even the main issue!!!
This noble-looking man who looked like he could easily afford to casually buy an entire island, who probably had enough money and gems just in his clothes to allow a person to never need to work again in their life- was the fiancé of Klein Moretti?! The same Klein Moretti who lives in a run-down trashy house with 1 public bathroom and 2 bedrooms shared by him and his 2 siblings?!
What is this cliche forbidden commoner x royalty story!!!!
And Klein also had no recollection of having ever seen this man in his life- let alone this man being his fiancé!!!
'This guy seems like the kind of person who'll scam you out of selling that ancient clock your mom left you before going to the Himalayas for some ancient Artifact and never returning and promises he'd help you pay back your student loans- only to end up selling you to some sort of slave joint in the black market at a discount price! Completely untrustworthy!!' Klein concluded in his mind.
Amon in front of him let out a small chuckle, "Klein, you're cute today~"
'STAY AWAY FROM ME- IM NOT GAY-!!'
But-
But-!!
Klein's eyes landed once again at the ring- the same exact ring he had in his drawer!!
Could this really be…?
His memories as Klein were really fragmented and separated in bits and pieces-
But he surely should have remembered and recalled something as important as a fiancé!
A fiancé!
That's like-
One step further than a lover-!!!
'I haven't even held hands with someone else who can be a potential love interest- and I already have a fiancé?!' Klein screeched in his mind, 'And it's a guy! I'm straight! Straight! Not gay at all! AAAAAAA!'
Wait-
'There's still the question of whether this weirdo with stripper fashion sense is actually Klein's fiancé or not!' Klein groaned in his mind.
Amon, who just got called a weirdo with stripper fashion sense, "…"
There was no Benson and Melissa in the house for a long while so he couldn't even cross-check their stories!
But-
If he were to stay suspicious and act suspiciously and this weird guy actually turns out to be his fiancé for real- he'd tell the church that he could shapeshift!
'Was that a reference to- "don't let the men know we can shapeshift or else they'll tell the church?",' Amon chuckled in his mind. Ah… this innocent Mr. Fool was just so cute…
From what Klein had heard from the Tarot meeting and from his general knowledge of this world he got from the real Klein's fragmented memories- the churches here were the real deal and supernatural things were what they investigated!
Klein didn't want to end up in some church basement and get turned into a lab rat-!
He just wanted his coke back…
Not having enough self-control to stop himself from laughing out loud hearing any more of Klein's internal monologue, Amon finally broke the silence and said in a sweet and worried tone, "Klein, you look a little pale… are you sick?" He touched Klein's cheek gently.
"?!"
Klein jerked back.
"Uh- uh-! I-" Klein stuttered, "I'm just a bit hungry and… tired… just feeling a little off weather…" he couldn't really say that he used all his magical energy or something summoning two people into some foggy castle and accidentally started some sort of a cult…
"Poor Klein… you must have struggled so much for that interview- thankfully, I came with some food!" Amon cheered as he entered the house like it was his own.
'F-Food?!' Klein, like a starving man from a desert instantly started drooling- this Amon person looks rich, he'll definitely have good food!! He really hoped it was from some rich high-end delicious restaurant…
"What did you bring…?" Klein awkwardly asked his 'fiancé', he really didn't want to talk to him- but the seduction from food was too great!
"Just the usual," Amon hummed as he placed a few tiffins of food on the table, wait- where the hell did those appear from??? Klein certainly didn't remember anything being on Amon's hands… maybe he was still having some side effects from doing that luck enhancement ritual and entering the grey fog…
Klein watched awkwardly at one corner of the room as Amon placed all the packets and tiffins of food on the small old cheap-looking counter. The image of this Royal and noble-looking man in such a run-down house really didn't suit at all… especially when he was doing such a housewife and commoner thing as setting the food.
Klein really did not know how to act after this- with interactions with Melissa and Benson, he had the memories of the original Klein Moretti and knew about their personalities and their relationship with Klein. But someone like Amon who he had no recollection over- he had absolutely nothing to work with, all he knew was that this man was probably Klein Moretti's fiancé, about 69% sure- how? he did not have a single clue.
Well, he just had to deal with this man for the time being before finding out a way to get back to his world… but wasn't that Roselle person also a transmigrated person like himself? And he lived a long life and was even assassinated at an old age… he doubted that man didn't try to find a way to go back to his own time- and he hadn't succeeded after all those years… Klein gulped with dread. At least he had this grey fog thingie which he had some gut feeling about it that it was related to his transmigration…
And about the real Klein Moretti…
Klein glanced up at Amon who was happily serving small containers of what seemed like some red meat dish onto a plate with a few other really delicious-looking side dishes.
He didn't know how this Amon person feels about Klein Moretti, this entire thing was very suspicious, firstly- why would someone so high-fi like him be interested in Klein Moretti? How did they even meet? Their worlds were completely different… and why would he be engaged to Klein anyways? For some sort of master plot? But what kind of master plot would need this person to marry a no-name history student from a poor family? But he had given Klein Moretti the ring… well, he assumed so since there was no way that Klein Moretti had enough money to even afford to look at a ring like that! So maybe they were some sort of star-crossed lovers?
But then why would he still allow the Moretti family to live in such poverty with barely enough money for food let alone basic necessities? Wasn't he super rich? He at least looks like someone super rich… maybe the original Klein and the Moretti family didn't want to be treated as 'kept' people? But who would be that prideful to not take the gift horse like this…?
Whatever the schematics were…
The original Klein Moretti was most probably dead- since Zhou Mingrui had transmigrated into his dead body.
So this person's really fiancé is actually dead…
Yes…
Klein wasn't actually Klein Moretti- he was Zhou Mingrui…
He knew he had just made up his mind to live as Klein till he could figure out a way to find a way back home… but pretending to be someone's sibling or a random stranger was very different from pretending to be someone's dead lover and future wife/husband.
But then there was also the theory that this Amon person really wasn't Klein Moretti's fiancé- but had somehow sensed Zhou Mingrui's transmigration and/or him accessing the mysterious place above the grey fog and had come in to investigate or to figure something out. Maybe someone from the church? But then why would they use such a weird plan like pretending to be Klein's fiancé?
Just as Klein was thinking this through- a voice cut in,
"Klein? Are you okay?" Amon asked worriedly as he touched Klein's forehead, "You really seem pale and sick today…"
Klein instinctively flinched back from the touch- and saw how Amon's face froze at his sudden aversion to his touch.
Ah-!
He had messed up!
He had forgotten to pretend to be Klein Moretti in front of Amon! Who would even flinch away from their lover who was just checking their temperature?! And they were already at the fiancé stage so even saying he was shy of touch was bullshit-!
But did he really have to pretend to be someone's gay lover?! He was straight!! Straight! Zhou Mingrui had always been straight! He also had a crush in school he had tried to woo with his tarot card knowledge!
Would he really have to sell himself to a man for his safety and secret…?
"Sorry… I shouldn't have gotten too close…" Amon said in a small weak voice as he awkwardly pulled his hand back to himself, he sniffed a little, "I should respect your boundaries…"
'A-are those tears in his eyes?!' Klein suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over him- this fiancé of Klein's was way more delicate than he had thought! And all he did was check my temperature- that's platonic level closeness! Although Klein does admit that he overreacted a bit, surely one wouldn't take such a reaction to heart and just conclude it as the person is sick and confused- why all this angst?!
Klein suddenly wondered about the type of relationship between the real Klein and his fiancé…
He had first assumed that it was some kind of 'kept man' where Amon was more in power and didn't care much about Klein and Klein was just going with the flow just for the money- selling himself for the sake of his family's well-being and good food. (Yes, Zhou Mingrui had watched tons of dramas as a teenager)
But what if Klein was the scum in this relationship?!
The poor Klein Moretti with high aspirations and goals seduced the rich and innocent white flower Amon just for his money and made evil schemes to make Amon propose and planned to take all his money after marriage and is only using Amon and not giving him love and is perhaps also an abusive boyfriend who gets sensitive over little things like small touches and is a complete asshole to his rich boyfriend but since the said rich boyfriend has always been sheltered while growing up with his rich family who didn't love him and the only love and appreciation he got was from the scumbag poor hobo he found on the streets who's actually only using him for his money and has forced him to become his slave and personal food bringer?????
(Amon never knew Mr. Fool's imagination was this wild…)
But that doesn't make sense because if that was the case then Klein Moretti would have scammed Amon out of money and wouldn't have to live in this run-down home anymore and would have been living in some mansion with like 20 maids!
Amon struggled to keep his serious and heartbroken face as he sniffed louder, "You don't even want to talk to me… I'll go back now." He had many things to do like find Arrodes and separate more clones for himself since he had only come to this world at the time Zhou Mingrui had been transmigrated into Klein Moretti- he had planned to leave saying that he had some important work to do and couldn't eat with Klein, but this plot was definitely more interesting!
This Mr. Fool who still wasn't a Beyonder was really interesting!
"I-I'll get going now…" Amon pursed his lips as he stared down at his feet and ran away from the house.
Klein just stood there stunned.
The first day of getting transmigrated… he cleaned up brain matter, unintentionally started a cult, and made his innocent, white flower fiancé cry.
Great…
As soon as Klein took the first bite of the weird red soup thingy.
He almost cried tears of joy.
This-
This-!!!
This was real food!!!
Although this wasn't Chinese cuisine that he was used to and loved at all-
This was certainly the best thing Klein Moretti had ever eaten in his poverty-filled life!
It was some weird beet soup that had first made Klein really gag at this world's choice of cuisine, but as soon as he took the first sip of the hearty soup- his mouth was filled with pure flavor. The soup was filled with meat and sautéed vegetables, including cabbage, carrots, onions, and potatoes. And even though it was slightly cold- he actually found out that he preferred it this way! And there was a dollop of fresh sour cream on the side as a topping as well which blended perfectly with the sharp taste of the soup and meat.
Although he couldn't find what the dish was called from Klein Moretti's fragmented memories- which was kind of obvious since food outside of rye bread and meat once a week was already something that hurt their wallet a lot- but! he remembered something like this from the earth! He remembered eating something called the Borscht from one of his parties as a college freshman and it was some kind of Russian cuisine. Had Roselle introduced this dish to this world? He had really hoped that Roselle was Chinese like him- but he was apparently European?? Or this food might be something that the people in this world had created on their own as well- after all, it was just beetroot soup with many add-ons. And this era did kind of remind him of the Victorian era.
There were also some fried puff pastries and some kind of wheat pancakes on the side which were equally as delicious as the soup although a bit too sweet for him but somehow ended up pairing really nicely with the soup. Klein realized that this meal was planned and made exactly like his own tastes and likings, only just a bit sweet. It was like Amon knew what kinds of flavor and food combinations he liked and picked them specifically for his liking! That certainly was something two people who knew each other intimately for a long time would know about each other- but Klein was not Klein Moretti but Zhou Mingrui!! Were his and the original Klein Moretti's likes and dislikes of the kind of food the same? Well, at least now he wouldn't have to pretend to like a dish he didn't really like- not like Klein had the luxury to be nitpicky from the memories he had gotten- so maybe only nitpicky with Amon who could actually afford it?
He took another bite of the sweet wheat pancake and moaned loudly in pleasure and pure bliss.
He really needed to ask Amon where he had bought this weird Russian-like food from- although he doubted he could even afford it…
That was when Klein realized that he had accidentally almost finished all the food! He hadn't remembered about leaving anything for Melissa or Benson!
Although Amon had brought food enough for two people- probably for Klein and Amon to both eat together, Klein realized guiltily, Klein had ended up eating almost the entire thing by himself because he was so starved for good food and needed replenishment from the energy he had used for the ritual!
Klein instantly stopped eating and stored everything left in one of the small containers Amon had brought.
This wasn't enough to even eat for one person…
Well, he can give these to Benson and Melissa as side dishes with their normal food.
Speaking of normal food-
Klein had completely forgotten about the four pieces of rye bread!
Feeling a bit motivated and energized from the good food Amon had brought- Klein felt the hidden fire of finally cooking some good food!
He was after all a citizen from the great foodie nation- although he often ate outside, he had still developed some basic culinary skills, owing to his living in a big city alone. His dishes were not delicious, but they were at least edible.
In the end, he had just ended up boiling some potatoes in salt water since he couldn't eat the meat till Melissa came back- totally unlike the full 3-course meal by Amon, but that didn't matter! He remembered that he enjoyed eating potatoes like this very much as a child and with the 'soup' he could finally eat the bread without choking on it by just dipping it in there!
Klein was already full so he didn't eat much and left everything else for Benson and Melissa to eat coupled with the leftovers given by Amon- he was a little happy inside that his siblings would be able to eat some good food finally! Although they weren't technically his own siblings- from the memories he had gotten from the original Klein Moretti, some soft feelings had indeed carried over to a certain extent. Unlike Amon who he didn't have any feelings for since he had no memories of him- which Klein didn't know whether to consider as a bad thing or a good thing- as even though he was acting really suspicious in front of Amon and had even mad the innocent man cry- he hadn't turned gay from Klein's memories! His fragile heterosexuality was at stake here!
And he shouldn't get too close to the people here… he needed to go back to his own world!
With a rejuvenated mind and stomach- he finally decided on figuring out why the original Klein committed suicide in such a suspicious way!
He remembered the weird words he had found in Klein Moretti's diary!
That might be the secret to the way he had died!