Ray opened his eyes, staring blankly at the familiar ceiling.
"Another day of being a beast of burden."
Although he no longer had to rush to the bank on a tight schedule, his current job wasn't necessarily any easier.
Especially when dealing with that eccentric, deeply resentful, intense woman.
What made things even more troublesome was that he happened to have a face so similar to the man who had once deceived her emotions.
He sighed softly, rubbing his messy hair as he sat up in bed.
The terminal screen glowed faintly in the dim room, several unread messages lying quietly upon it, all sent by Zani.
[I heard from the supervisor that you were transferred to another department to help out?]
[Sigh, when are you coming back?]
[I'm working overtime all by myself with no one to talk to. It's so boring.]
Poor Zani.
But Ray wasn't too worried. Even without him, Zani's abilities were more than sufficient to handle the work impeccably.
Of course, there was a cost, she would be much more exhausted than before.
After all, when he was around, he could share some of the pressure.
Now, everything rested solely on her shoulders.
[What? Miss me already after just a few days?]
[Don't worry, I'll be back soon.]
Aside from Zani's messages, there were also a few unread ones from the Second Young Miss on his terminal.
The content consisted only of routine greetings, her tone gentle, without even a hint of urging him about work.
'Sigh, such a boss, and a beautiful young lady to work for. Who wouldn't like that?'
"The time I agreed on with Phrolova is almost here."
"Can't be late today. Who knows what kind of trouble she'd stir up otherwise."
…
…
Afternoon.
Ragunna's streets were bathed in soft sea breezes and sunlight.
The faint scent of sea salt and coffee occasionally drifted by, as if the entire city were immersed in a leisurely atmosphere.
Ray arrived at the bakery where he had agreed to meet Phrolova. The shop not only served the most authentic traditional Ragunna pastries, but also offered specialty cakes gathered from various city-states.
What surprised him even more was that he actually saw sugar-free white buns from Huanglong, commonly known as mantou.
Seeing such a simple item in a dessert shop like this made Ray feel slightly dazed, as if he had unexpectedly run into an old friend in a foreign land.
He pushed open the shop door and stepped inside. Instantly, a sweet aroma filled his nostrils, easing his exhaustion just a little.
"Um… excuse me… could you make it a little cheaper?"
"I don't have enough money with me today."
"Sorry, I really can't go any lower; that's already the cost price. Any cheaper and we'd be losing money. Miss, if it's not possible… maybe come back next time?"
Just as Ray was looking for a place to sit, his gaze was drawn to a familiar figure at the counter, Phoebe. She stood there with her head slightly bowed, softly negotiating with the shopkeeper.
'Phoebe? What is she doing here?'
Phoebe pressed her lips together, her face full of embarrassment.
Looking at the exquisite pastries, she seemed to picture the eager faces of the children at the orphanage in her mind, yet in the end, she could only let out a helpless sigh.
'Well then… forget it. I'll buy them some next time after I receive my stipend.'
Just as the kind-hearted Acolyte was silently making this decision, a familiar voice suddenly sounded beside her.
"I'll pay for these pastries. How much in total?"
Phoebe looked up blankly at the young man standing beside her, unconsciously clenching her fingers as she softly exclaimed, "M-Mr. Ray?"
Ray gave her a slight smile, quickly paid with his terminal, then picked up the bag of pastries and gently handed it to her.
"What's this? Is today Miss Phoebe's cheat day, buying so many pastries?"
Phoebe instinctively pinched the edge of her skirt, the tips of her ears turning slightly red as she hurriedly shook her head in explanation. "No, no… these… these are for the children. Every Wednesday, Sisters from the Order go to the orphanage to look after them, so… I wanted to bring them some treats."
"Is that so?" Ray was a little surprised.
It seemed the Order wasn't quite as useless as he had thought.
"In that case, consider these pastries a small gesture from me. Could you pass them along to the children for me, Miss Phoebe?"
Phoebe looked at the pastries Ray handed over, her voice softening. "B-but I already accepted your help last time. Accepting your kindness again for no reason this time… I really wouldn't feel right about it."
"Why worry about that?" Ray replied casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Like I said, it's just a small gesture from me. Take them to the children, that's all."
Phoebe's face flushed slightly. She hesitated where she stood for a moment before finally extending both hands and carefully taking the bag of pastries.
"Th-then, thank you very much, Mr. Ray."
She cradled the pastries against her chest and looked up at him with an exceptionally pure smile, like a breeze brushing over a newly blossomed flower bud, utterly clean and untainted.
To think that spending such a negligible amount of money could earn such a sincere, flawless smile from a young girl.
That money was truly well spent.
"Well then, goodbye, Mr. Ray."
Phoebe hugged the pastries, waved at him, and ran out of the shop with light, hurried steps.
"Mhm, be careful not to spill the pastries."
Ray watched her departing figure and couldn't help but call out a reminder.
Just then, the shop door was pushed open again. A crimson figure brushed past Phoebe.
Phrolova walked straight toward Ray. Her usually indifferent face now wore a faint, meaningful smile.
"Oh? It seems you're quite popular with the ladies. So that's your type?"
"I'm just a kind-hearted person, that's all," Ray met her gaze calmly. "Besides, I wasn't late today."
"Oh, how wonderful." Phrolova tilted her head slightly, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Do you need me to praise you for that?"
"You already did."
The two of them sat down at a table by the window. Phrolova picked up the menu and examined it carefully, her fingertip gliding over the various desserts before finally selecting a few pastries that leaned toward the sour side.
"You really like intense flavors that much?" Ray raised an eyebrow.
Phrolova chuckled lightly and retorted, "If sourness counts as an intense flavor, what would you call salty or spicy?"
Ray was left speechless.
"Alright, let's get straight to the point." Phrolova looked directly into his eyes, her tone sharp and straightforward. "What do you need me to do?"
This nearly blunt question caught Ray slightly off guard.
He had expected Phrolova to throw out some sort of challenge like before.
"A stage performance."
Phrolova lifted her coffee cup, her gaze cool and piercing as she studied him, as if interrogating.
"For whom?"
.
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.
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Bonus Chapter Alert!
If we cross 100 powerstones, there will be a bonus chapter.
Read advance chapters on [email protected]/lost_moon