Chapter 180
Chapter 180
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 180: Talia Is Especially Gentle Today
In the evening of Ikerite City, twilight draped over the skies, brushing the capital with a pearl-like glow.
Not far from the east side of Ikerite Academy—less than a kilometer away—the Cat Boss Restaurant had already become lively at dinnertime. Smoke and the fragrance of food drifted from its rooftop.
Under the glow of streetlamps, the quaint wooden house looked more mysterious in the night. Yet the warm light spilling from its windows gave it a homely and cheerful air.
Every time a guest entered or left, the bell above the door chimed along with the door’s creak, as if welcoming or bidding farewell to each customer.
Inside, the first floor was already packed. Cups clinked, smiles flashed, whispers and laughter intertwined.
Waitresses bustled like spinning wheels, carrying steaming plates to tables. Spotting Lan Qi and Huperion step in, one of them quickly called out:
“Please take a look at the menu first! I’ll come serve you in just a moment!”
Huperion only smiled and waved her hand, indicating she needn’t worry about them.
They had already eaten dinner—they were here to find someone.
Lan Qi, familiar with the place, went straight toward the staircase leading to the second floor.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, something caught his attention.
Turning his head, he froze—behind the counter stood Talia.
Her hair was tied into girlish braids, her pure-white dress covered with an apron. She looked gentle, intelligent, and strikingly beautiful—no one would have imagined she was a demon.
Lan Qi went blank. He had never even drawn her like this before.
Does a Demon King really need to work a part-time job?
And somehow, she looked as though she had perfectly blended into the life of the capital—just as he once did in Purgatory Corridor Academy—so naturally that the difference in race caused no discord at all.
Thus, Lan Qi looked at Talia.
And Talia looked back at him.
Neither spoke.
The silence was suffocating.
The warmth that had softened her face a moment ago instantly iced over, as if frost had swept across her expression.
Clearly, she had never expected Lan Qi to show up at this hour.
Usually, he came during mornings or afternoons for card-making lessons, and always left before nightfall.
Meanwhile, Huperion, still gLan Qingcuriously about the restaurant, noticed Lan Qi’s stare and followed his gaze.
Her eyes widened—behind the counter stood the Great Poet.
“Lan Fu, why did you come out here?”
Huperion murmured in surprise.
“Lan Fu?”
At those words, Talia frowned slightly and shifted her gaze from Lan Qi to Huperion.
In her golden eyes flashed surprise, then a flicker of emotion.
In an instant, she understood.
Her niece had mistaken her for the Great Poet at first sight.
And that was entirely the fault of that damned man—who had dared use her likeness to shape the Great Poet’s image!
Her eyes hardened on Lan Qi.
This problem left behind by history—she would settle with him sooner or later.
Lan Qi quickly averted his gaze, no longer daring to stare.
Huperion, sensing the strange tension, realized she must have said the wrong thing.
She noticed the discrepancy:
The Great Poet had blue eyes.But the woman before her had golden eyes.
And their auras were worlds apart. The Great Poet would never treat Lan Qi so coldly.
“Ahem… this is my teacher, Miss Talia.”
Avoiding Talia’s death-stare, Lan Qi introduced her to Huperion.
Things were off to a bad start.
“Miss Talia, hello.”
Huperion bowed politely, doing her utmost to hide the stormy waves inside her chest.
She had thought Talia and the Great Poet only looked somewhat alike. She had not expected them to be exactly the same!
“……”
Talia said nothing.
As if deep in thought.
Lan Qi’s nerves tightened.
Her first response would reveal her mood—if she ignored Huperion, the conversation would likely end before it began.
But instead—
Talia nodded lightly to Huperion. She glanced at the restaurant—it was still dinner rush, and they were blocking the aisle.
She reached into her apron pocket, pulled out a key, and handed it to Lan Qi.
“Take her upstairs first. I’ll come find you after I finish helping Cat Boss with the restaurant.”
Her voice was gentle.
“Oh… oh!”
Lan Qi accepted the key in a daze.
Did the sun rise in the west today?This old woman was actually being this gentle?Could it really be the Great Poet in disguise?!
By seven o’clock, the crowd in the restaurant thinned, and the waitresses were no longer frantic.
Talia remained behind the counter, face expressionless.
To her, an hour was but a blink. Months, years—they, too, passed swiftly.
As she stayed focused on her work—
“Thank you, Talia~ meow.”
A small, adorable black cat hopped from the kitchen to the counter, its childlike voice chirping at her.
The guests found nothing strange about a talking cat.
“No trouble.”
Talia untied her apron and placed it back in the cabinet.
Others assumed the black cat was a shapeshifting magician. But Talia could tell: its true body was an elf-cat.
It was weak by nature—even at seventh rank, it might not defeat a fierce third- or fourth-rank beast. But its lifespan was extremely long.
She couldn’t tell how long this elf-cat had lived—it had somehow clawed its way to the seventh rank.
Because Cat Boss often made it midnight snacks, it would help whenever the restaurant was short-staffed.
“Did that boy come looking for you again?”
The black cat asked.
Though it usually stayed in the kitchen, it knew: a black-haired, green-eyed boy often came to find Talia.
And since last month, he had been coming more and more frequently, staying upstairs for long periods each time.
Its curiosity grew unbearable—what was the connection between cold, aloof Talia and this warm, refined boy?
It had planned to keep watching.
But now, the boy had even brought along another beautiful girl.
Its curiosity spiked.
“We’re only acquaintances, nothing more.”
Talia’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
Her relationship with Lan Qi was purely a matter of employment.
Until he paid off his debts, she had to protect him and supervise him in repaying.
Besides, he often brought her little surprises.
For example—she had long wanted to meet Huperion. Before she could even find a suitable excuse, Lan Qi had brought Huperion to her directly.
“Don’t you think he’s… special?”
The black cat pressed curiously.
It always felt Talia had a deeper bond with this boy.
She never mingled with others—yet she could spend hours with him.
“What do you mean by special?”
Even after traveling the human kingdoms for so many years, Talia still didn’t fully understand human emotions.
She knew the cat meant not simply “different,” but special in the sense of “companion” or “love.”
So she asked—the cat had lived long and dealt well with humans. Surely it knew.
“It means… he always makes you happy. Without realizing, you can’t live without him. You start to care about his thoughts, grow curious about him. Your once-calm heart becomes easily stirred because of him.”
The little black cat swished its paw, then leapt down at the sound of the kitchen’s call. Before vanishing, it looked back and added:
“I have to go help now, meow.”
“……”
Talia frowned, deep in thought.
Every word the cat said—hit the mark. Too accurate.
And yet, she still didn’t understand.
Where… did it all go wrong?