Her chest felt stiflingly tight. The more she tried not to care, the heavier that weight pressed down on her, growing more intense.
Carlotta rested her cheek in her hand, her gaze drifting faintly out the window.
Five in the afternoon. The setting sun was slowly sinking on the horizon.
The streets of Ragunna were still bustling, laughter spilling over like a tide.
If... she could share this moment of sunset with him at the café around the corner, perhaps today could be called perfect.
Unfortunately, she didn't have the time.
Or rather,
He didn't have the time.
Sunlight, sea breeze, the clamorous crowd, and... her by his side.
That position should have been hers.
"...How utterly infuriating."
Carlotta let out a soft breath, a fleeting shadow of dimness and disappointment swirling in her eyes, as if pricked by something minute.
"Has he forgotten... exactly who he belongs to right now?"
'Cantarella is one thing.
But why even Phoebe...
Does he really prefer that obedient, adorable type more?
Or is it just that I'm overthinking it?
Perhaps... they just happened to meet by chance?
Maybe.'
Carlotta slumped weakly onto the desktop, her mind a complete blank.
She had been busy all day, ever since that foolish attack by the Fasciaspina family, the Montelli family had justifiably launched a full-scale acquisition of them. And she, as a thoroughbred Montelli, naturally had to oversee everything from start to finish, not letting up for a moment.
Now, finally having a moment of leisure, the young lady's heart...
felt not the slightest bit brighter.
When busy, at least she could temporarily push that morning scene into a corner. But now...
"...That guy, he couldn't even spare a moment to send a message."
She buried her face in the crook of her arms, her voice muffled, wrapped in resentment.
Just then, the terminal on the desk buzzed softly.
Without looking up, she instinctively reached for it, only after seeing the caller's name did a flicker of surprise and delight cross her eyes. But in the very next second, that surprise and delight were replaced by even deeper resentment.
'Contacting me only now?
Finally remembered I exist?
...Something tells me it's not that simple. Am I overthinking it again?'
She straightened up a little, took a deep breath, and accepted the call.
"Hello?"
...
...
Meanwhile, at Riccioli Harbor.
Hearing the clear note of resentment in Carlotta's tone from the other end of the terminal, Ray couldn't help but stiffen slightly.
"Second Young Miss, you sound... not in high spirits. Tired from today?"
His tone was gentle, carrying his usual concern.
Carlotta cast a covert glance out the window, not wanting her inner turmoil to be noticed. "A bit. But it's not all because of work... there are other things."
"Other things?" Ray followed her lead.
"Mmm," Carlotta pressed her lips together imperceptibly, still expressing it in a roundabout way. "Been busy all day, haven't even eaten dinner yet. Just heard some employees excitedly talking about... a restaurant on Bank Street offering half-price for couples."
Upon hearing this, Ray immediately laughed. "Don't tease me, Second Young Miss. At this hour, banks are usually still working overtime. I know, Zani just posted about being in the office; no one's left. Looks like she's pulling another late night."
"Besides, does the Second Young Miss seem like someone who needs a half-price discount? Wouldn't that be insulting your status? If the Fisalia family saw, they'd think we couldn't afford it."
"..."
Carlotta lightly gritted her teeth, the corner of her mouth trembling uncontrollably.
Blissfully unaware, Ray naturally shifted the topic to business. "Oh, right, Second Young Miss... about my bonus, any idea when it'll be paid? I'm at the Riccioli Islands right now, planning to rest here for a while. Expenses might be a bit high. So... could it be transferred soon?"
'That Cat's Eye jerk!'
'So he contacted me, from start to finish, just for the money?'
'So he plans to use my money to accompany some other girl for fun and relaxation, step by step winning her over, is that it?'
Carlotta's fingers tightened silently, her knuckles turning pale, her expression gradually darkening.
"Hello? Second Young Miss?"
"No sound?"
"Is the signal bad?"
With no response from the other end for a while, Ray thought the call had dropped. He was just about to check his terminal when the call was abruptly and cleanly disconnected.
"What happened? The call got cut off?"
Ray was still a bit unresponsive, staring blankly at his terminal.
Phoebe, who had been quietly waiting nearby, gently walked over, tilting her head with concern. "Mr. Ray, what's wrong?"
Turning around, Ray shrugged helplessly.
"To be honest, I'm not really sure myself. The second young miss just now—"
Before he could finish speaking, the terminal suddenly vibrated again.
It was a notification that the money had been credited.
And what shocked him even more was that it had been transferred directly from Carlotta's personal account.
Ray's eyes widened as he stared at the astonishing number on the screen. Carlotta had mentioned that the bonus would be generous but he hadn't expected it to be generous to this extent.
Forget a short vacation here, even living comfortably on the Riccioli Islands for half a year wouldn't be a problem.
But…
In the transfer note, a word was written clearly:
"Asshole."
Ray stared at those two words, momentarily at a loss.
…Was she angry?
"Mr. Ray, why does your expression look so strange?"
Phoebe asked innocently, completely unaware of what had happened.
"It's nothing. My reward just came through," Ray said as he put the terminal away.
"Let's go, Phoebe. We'll get something to eat, then find a place to stay. As for the Tidebreaker whale, we'll start investigating tomorrow."
"Mm, I'll follow whatever Mr. Ray says."
Phoebe nodded with a gentle smile.
...
...
Ragunna.
Carlotta slumped weakly by the desk, tilting her face to watch the sunset gradually sinking below the sea's horizon.
In the end, she still transferred the money to him.
Using her personal account, not through the official company process.
According to procedure, Ray's bonus should have followed the regulations, taking at least a week to complete approvals before being uniformly issued from the company account.
But...
"Considering you performed fairly well on this mission..."
She murmured to herself, her voice so light it almost melted into the evening breeze.
"That money... let's consider it my personal reward to you."
The last rays of twilight flooded through the window, illuminating half her profile and glinting in her somewhat distracted eyes.
A long time later, she added, very softly:
"I hope Cat's Eye... has a good time."
"Take my share along too."
.
.
.
.
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