Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Strawberry Cake? Cheese Cake?
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Strawberry cake? Cheese cake?
I went to the Foundation myself.
Because that side seemed more fun.
But the Corporation?
I have no desire to bother with them.
The anomalies they keep contained are solely for 'experimental' purposes, after all.
So. I'll just have a chat with them.
"What exactly do you mean by 'something fun'?"
Kwak Junghyun, the team leader of Utopia's Investigation Team, asked with a tense expression.
He no longer questioned my identity. He knew it was pointless.
The fact that he asked about my desires again meant he was interested in my proposal.
So I answered with a smile.
"Who knows?"
Fun is always greater when it's something unexpected, after all.
So letting them puzzle it out was their job.
Instead, I shared a little story to stoke their motivation.
"I'll be back in three hours! Get it ready by then!"
With that, I turned around without hesitation.
Hoping they'd bring something even a little entertaining.
I heard the team leader shouting something, but by then, I'd already withdrawn my clone and gaze from the place.
"Hm hm hmm."
Humming a tune, I sat up in bed.
Turning my head to the side, there was the display case.
It had started with just the Pierrot Joey doll, but now there were far more.
Next to it were a princess doll, a crocodile doll, and a dollhouse.
Things Yuna had brought at my request last time.
I opened the display case door and called out to my new friends.
"Elena. Dail."
Elena was a princess doll with black hair, red eyes, and a white dress.
That's right.
The form Utopia's investigation team encountered was me—and at the same time, Elena.
From now on, I'd only contact them in Elena's form.
And Dail was the crocodile doll.
-Grrrrrr.
More precisely, the name of the new friend dwelling inside it.
I spoke to Dail in a gentle voice as it growled at Joey.
"If you keep bullying Joey, I'll leave just your head."
No sooner had I said it than Dail quieted down.
A bit rough around the edges, but still a good friend who listened well.
This one was a friend I'd brought from the Foundation here. Not snuck out secretly, but properly requested and taken!
"If there's nothing fun in three hours, should I let Dail loose?"
I murmured while stroking Dail.
Ding-dong-.
But just then, the doorbell rang.
I opened the door, and there stood Yuna on the other side again.
I thought she might have brought cake, but no.
"Um, are you bored by any chance?"
"Why?"
I tilted my head, and Yuna cautiously opened her mouth.
"I was wondering if you'd cooperate again."
"With nothing in return?"
"Of course not! This time, I've prepared a premium tea set!"
With that, Yuna pulled out a fancy, luxurious box.
A box labeled Louis Ellevier Premium Tea Set!
"Wow!"
I'd only expected cake or dessert at most, so I was genuinely surprised.
Yuna, seeing my reaction, looked relieved and showed me a few photos.
"The design is like this, and it's made in England! Handmade, even!"
"Yuna."
I called out to her.
"Y-Yeah?"
"You're such a good friend!"
There's no friend like Yuna.
When I leave the Foundation later, I have to take Yuna with me!
She'll love it for sure.
Yuna, beaming as happily as I was, pointed to one side.
"Then, like last time, will you come in here?"
There was a mannequin there.
I nodded and reached out toward it. A moment later.
"All set."
I opened my eyes, and there I was.
Both across the glass and here.
It wasn't a clone made from shadows. Just possession of the mannequin.
This was the safety measure the Foundation prepared to request my help.
Of course, it was less comfortable than my real body, but I didn't show it.
I'd agreed to the tea set, after all.
"Shall we hold hands?"
"Sure."
I took Yuna's outstretched hand and left my room.
This was the second time the Foundation had asked for my help.
Sometimes, they captured anomalies too dangerous for them to handle.
Properly containing such anomalies usually required various expendable resources.
And among those expendables were humans.
This branch's top administrator wanted to reduce waste on such resources, so they asked me.
Since I'd tamed friends twice before.
Of course, I knew better.
They wouldn't ask for my help just for something so trivial.
Not even with safety measures in place.
They probably wanted to learn more about me, even a little.
"Where are we headed?"
"Oh, Basement Level 9 this time."
"Got it."
But I didn't care about their ulterior motives.
They could only learn what I allowed, after all.
I also knew how much fear humans felt toward the unknown.
No matter how much they investigated me, they wouldn't uncover anything—but at least it might give them some peace of mind.
I could offer that much comfort.
They entertained me and brought cake regularly, after all.
Vrrr-.
While the elevator descended, I chatted happily with Yuna.
"Yuna."
"Yeah?"
"Pick one. Strawberry cake. Cheese cake."
"Uh, cheese cake?"
"Wrong!"
"Huh? There was a right answer?"
"Yep! Wrong again means punishment! This time, green tea or black tea!"
"Black tea! Tea's always black tea!"
"I like green tea too, actually."
"W-Well... should I prepare green tea next time?"
"No. Green tea doesn't suit me. Do you think it does?"
"No!"
"No?"
By the time the elevator doors opened.
Yuna's eyes were spinning. She was even breaking a sweat.
We'd just been having a fun chat, but she looked exhausted lately.
"Over there! Right there!"
Right after arriving at Basement Level 9.
Yuna hurriedly pointed to one side.
This floor, Basement 9, was for temporarily holding newly transported anomalies.
The anomaly they'd asked me to help with was locked in the central containment room on this level.
Yuna opened a window on the wall.
It had a magic mirror installed.
One you could see inside from outside, but not vice versa.
"Doesn't she look like just an ordinary person?"
Yuna said, watching my reaction.
Inside the containment room was a girl.
Dark brown hair, neat appearance. Around 16 years old?
Wearing a school uniform that suited her looks.
"Nope."
And I could tell at a glance that it wasn't human.
Distinguishing anomalies from humans was as natural to me as breathing.
"She doesn't seem that dangerous?"
"Well, we can't just go by gut feeling on whether something's dangerous or not. We need experiments."
"Mm."
Fair enough.
Lock her up casually because she doesn't look dangerous, and if she escapes, it's a major incident.
"So what do I need to do?"
"Uh, like last time, maybe talk to her..."
"Can I take her?"
"...As a friend?"
"Yeah! She's cute!"
Yuna hesitated at my words before whispering softly.
"Sh-She won't be so cute up close."
"Then I'll go close and check!"
Yuna respected my wishes.
She let me inside.
Following procedure, I entered the room where the girl was sitting.
The girl looked at me.
Blinking with innocent, unknowing eyes.
"Hi!"
I approached and lightly sat in a chair.
The girl gave a slightly flustered smile and waved.
"Hehe."
I laughed.
I could see right through what she was, but pretending to be meek was too cute.
Weak anomalies like her couldn't recognize what I was even right in front of them.
She probably thought I was human?
Fun. And cute.
So I asked.
"Do I look tasty?"
The girl flinched? I leaned in closer and said it again.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
The girl turned her head, and a huge mouth suddenly appeared.
"Yes!"
A gaping maw. Enough to terrify any normal person.
Yes. Any normal person.
"I see. So do you like cake too?"
Maybe my reaction was too nonchalant?
The big mouth hesitated before opening again.
"...Aren't you scared of me?"
She still hadn't gotten it.
So I released just a tiny bit—a very tiny bit—of my aura.
Her body started trembling.
Good. Now she'd understand.
"Do you like cake?"
"Y-Yes, I like it."
"Strawberry cake or cheese cake?"
"Strawberry... cake."
"Pass! You're on my tea time team now!"
Tea time is more fun with two than alone.
Oh, three if Yuna joins?
I should invite her later so she doesn't feel left out.
I stood from the chair, turned the girl's head back the other way, and called out to Yuna watching from outside.
"I'll take her!"
The anomaly with two mouths just blinked, unable to grasp the situation.