Chapter 179
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: The First of Two Chances -2-
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If Isaac had a little more experience in society rather than the academy...
Would his choice have been different now?
At the next family heir's command—clever, foolish, or brimming with confidence, who could say?—Philip could only scratch at his strangely goosebumped forearms.
Creak—
As Philip opened the door to the inn he'd rented with Isaac's money,
the murmurs died down and all eyes turned toward them.
Ignoring the pent-up complaints from the wait, he first scanned the room.
Having just faced Isaac's hysteria head-on, the sight of the interior—messy as a pigsty—made his face twist involuntarily, heat bubbling up inside him.
'It's all ending today anyway... Just hold out one more time.'
Turning his head from the sordid scene and steadying his mind with a deep breath, Philip drew everyone's attention with a voice bolstered from his gut and throat.
"We're heading out soon. Everyone get ready."
They'd apparently chatted quite a bit in his absence, because even after hearing the client's words, none of these louts budged easily from their seats.
A sly-looking man with a bushy beard toyed with his facial hair, roundaboutly voicing his demands.
"You stuff a bunch of vigorous, dark-skinned hunks into this cramped hole without a drop of booze or a single woman? My head's spinning from the sweat stench."
Laughter spread like a contagion from his words, the others chiming in agreement.
"...And?"
Philip, no better than the rest of them, held his ground against the outsiders and jutted out his chin.
"See that guy over there? His forehead used to have three wrinkles—now it's four from all this waiting, and his sword nearly rusted clean through."
Pointing with a grimy fingernail from under his nail, the man singled out burst into a ridiculous spasm of laughter.
"Aigoo~ Now that handsome mug's ruined, even the whores won't give him service!"
Philip's face remained rigidly stiff as he watched the clumsy troupe ham it up like a village comedy.
Trash like this always had one word too many, sealing their own fates.
"You see that? Even with a ruined face, won't you at least cover weapon maintenance fees?"
Did they think keeping their mouths shut and following the client would lead to fortune?
Philip clenched his hands behind his back to swallow his rage. Knowing their doom was sealed anyway, he dangled a condition.
"If you finish the job right, I'll beg earnestly for a bonus. Our employer's the type to pay generously based on results."
"Whoa~ Don't know who it is, but your boss sounds refreshingly straightforward!"
Only then did one stand, the rest grabbing their weapons and rising.
"Must be swimming in cash, whoever it is. Shelling out for crap like this."
"Said no wounds, subdue 'em harmlessly—but accidents happen. We can cop a feel, right?"
Laughter fitting their station echoed around.
"We'll be back quick, so everyone prep up."
"Yes sir~ As ordered~ Kahaha!!"
Even as they'd scored a sweet deal, their cocky attitudes stoked killing intent—instead, it only drew begrudging admiration.
Truly elite specimens, in the worst way.
A perfect gathering of frogs in a well, handpicked by him for the job.
Just looking at their tails made him want to pat himself on the back for scouting such idiots.
"Tsk..."
The real issue came after these fools pulled back.
Isaac had recently brought in from the family several men in positions like his own, gathered elsewhere.
To alert the cleanup crew, Philip headed straight for the building across the alley, no time to rest.
Though it called itself a dessert shop, commerce demanded more than just sweets.
Chloe's choices skewed heavily one way, so she decided quick.
But I scanned the menu from top to bottom.
Salt bread kicked things off, followed by simple dishes—but all perfect bread companions.
Corn soup, tomato marinade, and such.
Taking my time, I realized it had impressive range for a dessert specialist.
Maybe my own experience left me narrow-minded about business.
"Hmm~ I've decided!"
Ting—
The space was soundproofed from the start, so the bell's pleasant chime was mostly decorative.
But as a convenience magic tool, it drew approaching footsteps from outside.
Knock—knock—
A polite knock laced with courtesy.
Flawless service flowed like water from there.
The desserts arrayed on the table per our order evoked standalone artworks.
"Waa...! Ah!"
Chloe gasped unwittingly at the sight before her, then flushed crimson and clapped a hand over her mouth.
Her pure delight was infectious enough to brighten anyone else's day.
But the noble ladies of this world—steeped in class society's lessons on grace and decorum—hid honest emotions far more than in my past life.
"Glad it suits you, Chloe. Eat up comfortably."
I emphasized "comfort" at every turn in our talk.
And passed over the basket holding the bread knife, butter knife, and more.
For all my efforts, Chloe's ears latched only onto "suits you," ignoring the rest.
From her view, she couldn't rein in her goofy grin.
"Th-thank you! Hehe..."
Taking the basket lined with crisp white cloth, she let silly giggles slip between her lips.
"That torn palm from class—healed up okay?"
"Yup! Good as new!"
"Even healed, fatigue lingers—body feels heavy, right? You'll crash the second you're home."
"I want to, but... haven't properly reviewed theory subjects lately..."
More fitting than a standard meal, spots like this upscale cafe vibe suited back-and-forth chatter.
Petty small talk flowed, and after ten minutes or so, Chloe wore a fully natural smile.
A lull in conversation hit, and Chloe ventured she'd been dying to ask something.
I was game for whatever.
"O-Onii-san, how do you see yourself?"
"Me, about me?"
"Yeah...!"
"Hmm~ Any more hints on the question?"
Only then did she realize her explanation fell short, nodding vigorously.
"Well... I had lunch with friends today."
"Rike and Seria?"
"Y-Yeah! That's when it came up... They said loving yourself is super important..."
A clipped sentence, but context filled the gaps.
"Bet that was Rike."
"?!"
Her blue eyes went wide in surprise.
Face screaming "How'd you know?"—but it didn't fit Seria's vibe at all. Obvious deduction for anyone.
'If Rike said loving yourself matters...'
Her backstory conjured layers of meaning, but clashing with me had nudged her actual arc positively from the original setup.
Why sharp-minded Rike would tell Chloe that.
The life she'd endured.
The words both girls had shared with me.
Before my multitasking brain shorted out,
I snatched the dew-beaded glass and gulped down cold water.
"Puha-!"
"...Onii-san?"
To Chloe watching with anxious curiosity, I fired back.
"Sorry to counter with a question, but how do you see yourself, Chloe?"
"Dunno... I want to like myself. Just don't know what to like..."
Chloe's thoughts ran straight and honest.
No bandwidth to look around, choices boxed in—like Eclair.
Slight difference in method.
The familiarity nearly had me chuckling, dredging up that back-alley Eclair encounter.
"That's less 'finding merits to love' and more 'making reasons to.'"
"...Making them?"
Not some stranger—Chloe.
Randoms on the street? Let 'em think what they want.
But Chloe would chew over my words at least once.
Mindful of that, I scratched the itching scar on my chin and refilled my empty glass before speaking.
"Back when I lived request to request. In taverns, I'd feel my head going funny sometimes? Order rum, but the second it hits the table, hate the sight—suddenly craving beer... Every damn time."
"..."
"At first, freaked out—not knowing if overwork madness or stress. Thoughts spiraled, symptoms worsened... Turns out, nothing that dire."
"So you're okay now?"
I nodded with a grin at Chloe's question.
My own epiphany—the true prelude to mastering aura, unique to me.
Harbiners varied wildly, so I'd clocked it late.
The phase where my emotions deepened vividly, tinting everything my hue.
"Just me being a fickle bastard. Denied it at first, but embracing the rotten personality? Felt like a weight lifted. Weird to say myself, but... that's when I started valuing me? Even though it's no virtue."
"Ah..."
Unsure if dazed, pondering her with lips parted—but I kept rambling anyway.
"This fickleness? Forced on me by how I've lived. Can't ditch it now, so I just coo over it prettily and embrace."
"I think... I can manage a little...!"
She wouldn't mirror my exact path.
Different people, after all.
But she'd grasped her own thread, and watching her grow buoyed my mood—I chattered on excitedly.
"You've got every right to be confident, Chloe. If you were truly hopeless, would sharp-eyed friends like Rike and Seria stick around? Their judgment's no joke. And I'm no slouch at reading people myself—current you is plenty—?"
I cut off abruptly, eyes flicking to the wall.
Chloe, who followed suit, checked the utterly normal wall.
"...What's up?"
Famous shop or not, was it this slammed—packed to the gills?
Me aside, the place was filling with types that clashed hard with the vibe.