Chapter 117
Upon hearing Mineo's words, Alice felt a surge of pure annoyance!
This insufferable jerk!
Why did every single word out of his mouth make people want to punch him?
If it weren't for the sake of maintaining her image as a proper lady, Alice was certain she would have sunk her neat, silver teeth into Mineo's skin and left a mark! And she'd bite hard enough to draw blood, too!
Alice puffed out her cheeks, her small mouth forming a pout in a display of anger that was honestly more cute than threatening. Erina, on the other hand, remained remarkably composed.
"So, Mineo-kun has prepared a return gift for us?"
"I'm actually quite curious to hear what kind of gift you've come up with."
"It takes quite a lot to surprise me with mere objects..."
Hearing Erina's remark, Mineo couldn't help but roll his eyes!
But a moment later, a mysterious smirk played on his lips. "I know you two are loaded! Ordinary things definitely wouldn't hold any value to you."
"However, the item I've prepared for you has an extraordinary origin."
"Let's put it this way! In terms of value alone, even if the two of you emptied the entire fortune of the Nakiri family, you still wouldn't be able to buy the gift I've prepared!"
"Mineo! I've only just realized that when you brag, you don't even bother with a draft first!" Alice interjected.
"Can you please not be so dramatic?"
"Even without the boasting, we can still be good friends."
"In this world, is there really a gift that can't be bought even if our entire family fortune was liquidated?"
A hint of skepticism flickered between Alice's brows.
"My family is very wealthy; buying a gold mine wouldn't even be a problem!"
Once Alice finished, Erina offered a faint smile of her own. "Mineo-kun's words have piqued my interest."
"What kind of gift is it that I cannot buy even with money?"
"Would you mind letting me see it, if only to broaden my horizons?"
Seeing the Young Mistress and the Second Young Mistress wearing matching "only a fool would believe you" expressions, Mineo laughed.
"You both think I'm bluffing, don't you?"
"Well, I can tell you openly now—the gift I'm talking about truly cannot be obtained with any amount of money!"
"If you don't believe me, do you dare to make a bet with me?"
"The kind of bet where the loser has to get married on the spot?"
"..."
At Mineo's suggestion, Alice's eyes went wide. She gave him a massive eye-roll and sighed. "Now I finally get it! This jerk is intentionally trying to trap us!"
"My natural beauty has caught the eye of a lecherous guy like you, hasn't it?"
"Please, Mineo-kun, Erina and I aren't children who can be lured away with a single lollipop!"
"I'm not betting with you. You'll probably just point at the moon and say, 'That's my gift to you!' and then how am I supposed to 'buy' that?"
Mineo stared at Alice in genuine surprise.
"Alice, you're getting good!"
"To think you've become this sharp."
"It seems during this period, you haven't been slacking on drinking your Nutrition Express..."
"Nutrition Express? What's that?"
"It's a type of milk-based drink. Has the Second Young Mistress never had it?"
"A drink similar to milk?" Alice thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I've never had it, but as for milk, I drink a glass every single morning! There's no other choice—to maintain beauty and care for oneself, one must take proper care of their body."
"In that case, when there's free time, I'll treat the Second Young Mistress to some Nutrition Express!"
"Fine..."
Looking at the Second Young Mistress's innocent expression, Mineo suddenly felt the urge to laugh. Just then, Erina spoke up, cutting through the banter.
"Mineo, stop changing the subject!"
"Regarding Kobayashi-senpai appearing here at your restaurant, we don't want to gossip about that any further!"
"But why... why is Senpai wearing a maid outfit!?"
"Could it be that you asked her to..."
Before Erina could finish, Alice impatiently jumped in. "Right, right! Why is Kobayashi-senpai wearing a maid uniform to help you open your shop?"
"Even though we don't interact with her much at school, we've certainly heard of her achievements and reputation!"
"She is absolutely not the type of person whose personality would lead her to wear a maid uniform."
"Just tell us the truth—did you force Kobayashi-senpai into this, you jerk!?"
"Do you have some kind of secret or weakness of hers, and you're using it to blackmail her into fulfilling some weird hobby of yours?"
As she reached this part, Alice suddenly froze!
It was as if a memory had just clicked into place. A few seconds later, she bolted upright.
"I remember now!"
Alice's sudden movement startled both Mineo and Erina. Erina instinctively turned toward her cousin. "Alice, what is it?"
"Erina, I just remembered something!"
Alice glared at Mineo, gritting her teeth. "I think back when we first met this jerk, he mentioned that you and I should try more 'daring' clothing styles and then take selfies to show him!"
"Don't tell me... did this guy get his hands on some private photos of Kobayashi-senpai, and now he's using them to threaten her!?"
"Alice, with a mindset like yours, it's a tragedy you didn't become a novelist!"
Mineo didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her wild accusations. "In your minds, am I really that kind of person?"
"Regarding Kobayashi-senpai, it's actually quite complicated! Let's just say she came to help at my restaurant one hundred percent of her own free will. Would you believe it if I told you that if I called her right now, she'd come running back here happily?"
"Do you want to know why?"
"Because there is something here that interests her."
"Something at your place that interests Kobayashi-senpai?" Alice looked as if she'd caught the scent of hidden treasure. She narrowed her eyes, her voice taking on a teasing lilt.
"Mineo-oniichan! Is there a special treasure hidden here?"
"How about bringing it out so Erina and I can see it too?"
"Erina and I could even play the role of maids, you know... surely we wouldn't lose to Kobayashi-senpai..."
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