Chapter 110
Sitting at the restaurant's dining table, Kobayashi Rindou's gaze toward Mineo carried a faint, flickering "murderous intent."
Mineo, on the other hand, was casually enjoying his lunch.
"Rindou, you've been staring at me all morning! What are you doing?"
"Are you in love with me or something?"
"I'm just wondering... if Mineo-kun were turned into a dish, would he taste any good!?"
"..."
Hearing Rindou's response delivered through gritted teeth, Mineo couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"I say, Rindou, is it really necessary to be so petty?"
"Was it really such a big deal that your juniors saw you in a maid outfit?"
"Alice and Erina aren't the type to spread rumors, and personally, I think the maid uniform suited you perfectly. What's there to be upset about?"
"Upset?"
Rindou narrowed her eyes, revealing the sharp little fangs at the corners of her lips.
"Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for me?"
"Honestly, if it weren't for your ingredients, I'd be very tempted to use a knife to do some 'carving' on your body right now!"
"Fine, fine, do whatever you want. Anyway, you didn't finish all the ingredients in my restaurant, did you? How much is left?"
"About half!"
"Only half left!?"
Hearing Rindou's words, Mineo was completely stunned.
"I didn't hear that wrong, did I? Half?"
"I say, Rindou... during these past few days, you didn't happen to just soak yourself in the kitchen all day, did you?"
"Before I left, there was still a huge bag full of ingredients. It hasn't even been three days and you've already burned through half of it for me?"
Seeing Mineo's expression, a hint of awkwardness and guilt finally surfaced on Rindou's face.
The main reason was that she had nothing else to do at the restaurant for the last few days, and with so many precious ingredients sitting in the storage room...
If she didn't process them, her heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat.
As a result, she had spent almost the entire day immersed in the kitchen, experimenting with various dishes.
If Mineo had come home two days later, the storage room he saw would have likely been completely picked clean.
Noticing Mineo's look of heartbreak over his "treasures," Rindou narrowed her eyes.
"I did use half, but I've been watching the shop for you for days. Shouldn't I be paid this small amount as compensation?"
"Does watching a shop really cost that much!? Those are rare ingredients I worked so hard to collect, and you blew through them in an instant! I'm suddenly feeling a lot of regret about asking you to come..."
"Regret won't do you any good now! Asking this Lady to watch your shop comes with a price! Besides, the shop's been watched and the ingredients are gone! Your regret is far too late!"
"Furthermore, regarding the fact that you made me lose so much face, I haven't settled that score with you yet! I think, to make up for my losses, you should take the initiative to give me a bit more of the remaining ingredients in the storage!"
"Give you even more? Damn it, Rindou, do you realize what kind of behavior this is?"
"You're clearly extorting me!"
"Even if we are friends, there is absolutely no way I can agree to that! You've used so much already, and you're still eyeing the rest? That's completely unfair."
Hearing Mineo's words, Rindou felt a pang of guilt in her heart as well.
Deep down, she knew her actions were a bit overboard. But once she saw those ingredients in the restaurant, she really couldn't control herself.
Looking at Mineo, Rindou said somewhat sheepishly:
"Well, Mineo-kun... actually, even though I used quite a lot, it wasn't quite half. And I was very careful with my selection—most of what I used were just the trimmings."
"I know the value of these things is astronomical, so I'm willing to compensate you to the best of my ability..."
Actually, having known Rindou for a while, Mineo understood her personality perfectly.
Once she set her sights on something, she became incredibly persistent.
She would do whatever it took, thinking of every possible way to get what she wanted.
And right now, she was clearly drowned in the world of Mineo's ingredients and couldn't pull herself out.
Asking her to have self-control was harder than trying to climb to the heavens.
However, Mineo had anticipated this outcome from the start. Truthfully, he didn't care all that much about a few ingredients.
Even if Rindou finished them all, it wouldn't be a disaster. It was just that since he had let this girl take such a huge advantage for free, he had to figure out a way to get something back.
After reflecting for a moment, Mineo spoke to Rindou.
"Fine. I won't hold the fact that you used so many ingredients against you anymore, and I can even give you some of what's left in the storage."
"But, you have to promise me one thing. Let's call it a transaction!"
"A transaction? What kind of transaction?"
Curiosity piqued, Rindou leaned in. Mineo waved her over, leaning close to her ear and whispering a few words in a low voice.
After hearing what Mineo said, Rindou felt a wave of unease wash over her!
"I say, Mineo... can what you're suggesting even be called a transaction?"
"This is basically asking me to sign an indentured servitude contract, isn't it?"
"Selling yourself? What a harsh way to put it! I'm very sincerely inviting you to work at my restaurant!"
"Well? Will you consider it?"
"If you accept, the conditions I promised you earlier will be carried out in full, you know..."
The deal Mineo wanted to strike with Kobayashi Rindou was simple.
He wouldn't ask for compensation for the ingredients she had already used, for the sake of their friendship. However, if Rindou wanted to continue coming to his place to enjoy those super-rare ingredients in the future, she had to become an employee at his restaurant!
Room and board would be covered, and she would even receive a base salary!
The contract term was a minimum of 20 years, with no maximum limit, and Mineo, as the boss, would have the right to ask Rindou to do anything!
On the surface, it was a contract.
But anyone with a brain knew that this was a total "life-debt" contract!
A twenty-year term of service!
Honestly, if anyone else had made such a request, Rindou would have likely slapped them across the face immediately.
But since the one asking her to sign was Mineo, Rindou found herself in an incredibly difficult position.
Having consumed so many of his rare ingredients, she did feel guilty. She had initially thought about using money to compensate him, but Mineo wasn't lacking for cash.
Besides, even with all the money in the world, one couldn't necessarily obtain those specific ingredients.
And now, Mineo was offering that as long as she agreed to be his employee, he would provide even more rare ingredients in the future. With such an opportunity right in front of her, Rindou felt that she truly didn't have the strength to say no.
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