Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Serendipity (4)
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"Can we talk for a moment?"
I glanced down at my seized wrist, then met the bright red eyes staring intently at me.
"......"
Celestina Oberシュ. Ranked 37th among corporate conglomerates, Vice President of Tessellation Investment.
She'd been beautiful and flawless throughout the entire conference, living up to her reputation. But beyond those sharp eyes, was that faint flicker of desperation just my imagination?
While I was caught off guard, my godfather noticed the situation and stepped in to mediate.
"Vice President Oberシュ, do you have some business with my niece?"
At his intervention, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Your niece...? So this young lady is related to Chairman Lumen?"
"That's right."
"...What an unexpected coincidence."
Celestina seemed to weigh something in her mind for a moment. Then she broke into a bright smile.
"It's nothing major. I just wanted to express my personal gratitude."
"Hmm, I had no idea you were acquainted with my girl. Eve, care to explain?"
"Well..."
As I started to answer my godfather's question, the hand gripping my wrist tightened slightly.
I turned to see Celestina flashing her red eyes as she whispered softly.
"Shh. It's a secret just between us girls."
I slowly nodded at her words.
I got it. She might be embarrassed about showing such a vulnerable side to others. For now, I'd keep her secret.
"Oh, it's just that I happened to run into her briefly before coming to the conference hall today..."
I glossed over the details, and though my godfather gave me a suspicious look, Celestina calmly made her proposal.
"Eve, was it? I owe you one, and I'd love to treat you to a meal if you're up for it. I've been to the Japanese restaurant here in the hotel quite often—it's really quite good."
"......."
"No need to overthink it. I just want to have a light chat."
By then, my godfather had sensed something off and was watching me silently, his eyes asking if I needed help.
But I gave a faint smile to signal I was fine and accepted the offer.
"Sure."
I didn't want to worry him. Helping her had been my choice, after all. For now, I'd handle it myself.
Celestina beamed and turned to my godfather.
"Would Chairman Lumen care to join us, by any chance?"
He chuckled heartily in response.
"I wouldn't dream of intruding on you young folks. Eve here is still learning the ropes of group management and has a lot to improve on. I hope the heir to Tessellation will offer her some guidance."
It sounded like ordinary well-wishing on the surface, but it was actually backing me up.
He was subtly letting it be known that I was an important figure in Lumina Group, nailing down that she couldn't treat me lightly.
Thanks to that, the look in Celestina's eyes as she regarded me had shifted a bit.
She replied with a subtle smile.
"In that case, our conversation might get a little deeper."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The restaurant Celestina had invited me to was just one floor below the conference hall. My godfather and the Lumina Group entourage had left first, leaving Celestina and me to enter the Japanese place with only a few bodyguards each.
She said,
"Sorry it's such a modest spread. There's another meeting at this hotel, so I couldn't go far. I hope you'll forgive me."
"No, this place is plenty...
fine."
And it was, just as I said. The atmosphere in this high-end hotel's Japanese restaurant screamed luxury from the moment we stepped in.
Oriental cypress wood interiors, soft lighting, and an open kitchen so spotless it looked untouched by dust.
It was the epitome of refined Japanese dining.
At the counter, a bald chef who looked like he had decades of experience was meticulously preparing seafood, his focus so intense it bordered on a meditative ritual. I found myself admiring the sight despite myself.
Celestina sent even her bodyguards off to eat separately, then led me alone to a private room.
The Eastern-style space was absurdly vast for just one table. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows stretched an indoor garden of unbelievable scale for a hotel—real plants and trees, not holograms, constantly drawing my eye.
"......"
Lost in the extravagance of two people monopolizing all this, I snapped out of it when Celestina naturally took her seat.
As I hesitated and sat across from her, neat dishes began appearing on the table.
Fresh sashimi and sushi I hadn't seen in ages, made from premium fish expertly handled by a master chef.
Even with such fare before her, she offered another humble remark.
"Since it was put together in a rush, please excuse the mediocre quality."
"......"
No amount of downplaying could hide that this was far from cheap.
The oceans of this era were heavily polluted, so all seafood was farmed in tanks. Prices were sky-high compared to the modern world—suburban folk could barely dream of it. Even a novice could tell those pristine cuts came from exorbitantly expensive ingredients.
Of course, she might actually mean it sincerely.
As one of the city's top heiresses, burning thousands of credit dollars on a single meal wouldn't dent her balance. She could sit here in this eye-popping spot and still feel it lacking.
It hit me anew just what kind of person she was—and what this tête-à-tête really meant. I started feeling a bit tense.
Celestina smiled brightly at me and gestured to the food.
"Still, why not give it a try? The chef on duty today is quite skilled."
After a brief hesitation, I gingerly picked up my chopsticks at her suggestion, dipping a piece of sashimi lightly in soy sauce and popping it in my mouth. The vivid texture and umami bloomed without a hint of fishiness. A small gasp escaped me unbidden.
"Wow..."
I couldn't remember the last time I'd had food like this. It wasn't some half-baked imitation—it was authentic, high-end traditional Japanese cuisine. Places like this in Omega Detroit were probably thanks to the Japanese megacorps that had set up shop here.
It even stirred a touch of nostalgia for my original world.
'Not quite home cooking, but...'
Still, far more familiar than processed slop. For a moment, I forgot everything, savoring it completely...
Then I came to my senses.
Those bright red eyes watching me intently made me flinch. She smiled and asked,
"Do you eat sushi often?"
"......."
"You handle chopsticks so expertly. And no qualms about raw fish."
Was it my imagination? Every word from her felt loaded with meaning.
Finally, after a few more pieces, I set down my chopsticks and said,
"Um, Celestina."
"Yes."
"Could you maybe tell me now... what it is you want to talk about?"
"......."
She gazed at me quietly for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.
"Straight to the point, then. I need a favor. Forget what you saw in the hotel hallway earlier. If you keep it secret and never tell a soul, then as payment..."
"Sure, I'll do that."
My quick reply made her tilt her head.
"...I haven't even told you the payment yet."
"It's fine, I don't need anything."
I met her gaze steadily.
"Everyone has parts of themselves they don't want others to see. Even if I stumbled on it by chance, keeping it to myself is just basic decency. It's the right thing to do."
I'd always despised people who gossiped about others' weaknesses for kicks. That's kid stuff—long grown out of. Besides, it wasn't hard; just keep my mouth shut.
But she frowned, as if she couldn't believe me.
"This isn't something to take lightly. It's a big deal for me."
"Yeah, that's why I'll keep your secret."
"......."
Those red eyes bored into me for a while. At last, a soft voice emerged.
"...You're a strange one, Miss Evania."
Her expression was inscrutable as she continued.
"You know, in this city, if I made people who want a lunch date with me lick the soles of my shoes, the line would stretch at least as high as this building."
It sounded arrogant, but it was plain truth. The woman before me was that caliber.
"An opportunity like this might not come again. What I'm offering includes gratitude for your earlier help. You're really going to pass without asking for anything? That kind of attitude actually undermines the trust in your promise."
I just calmly countered,
"So, what can you offer?"
"Well, cash? How much would you like?"
A blank check would be no bluff for her, but I shook my head.
"I've got enough money already. Not like you, of course, but plenty for my needs."
"Information, then? My company gets intel you couldn't dream of every day. Use it right, and it's like living days ahead. Endless ways to cash in."
I shook my head again.
"Thanks, but that doesn't really interest me either."
Hot tips were great for investments at best, which boiled down to money again. My godfather's help was more than enough. Lumina Group's intel network covered any potential threats just fine.
Celestina pressed on.
"How about this? I'll back you with the name of Celestina Oberシュ. You'll need help when you inherit the company later. I can secure shares or solidify internal alliances."
She must have overheard my godfather and gotten the wrong idea—like I was truly in line to take over Lumina Group. But the truth was different, so I had to decline once more.
"Sorry, but that's not..."
"......."
Even she couldn't hide her bewilderment anymore.
I ignored it as best I could. Truth be told, my refusals stemmed largely from not wanting deeper ties with such a dangerous figure.
Sure, her as an ally could be huge, but how could I trust her? She was still just a stranger I'd bumped into.
On the contrary, drawing attention from a top corporate scion would only heighten the risks of exposing the church's true nature and my 'miracles.'
I just wanted to act like nothing happened and end it there.
Then and now, my only goal was safely returning to my original world.
So all I could do was reassure her.
"Don't worry, Celestina. I swear I'll keep your secret."
She stared blankly at me for a long while.
Finally, a quiet voice slipped out.
"You're... even stranger than I thought, Eve."
Our eyes met again. Those ruby-like irises held a new atmosphere.
A mix of admiration and something subtly dangerous.
"Next time we meet... call me 'Cela.' Got it?"
"......."
Maybe I sensed it then.
My efforts to avoid further entanglement with her had already come to naught.