Roselle broke into a cold sweat again. Seeing Bernadette's perfect, forced smile, his heart leapt to his throat. He hurriedly said, "I have no complaints. I brought this on myself. I was too depraved before, but I swear I'll change... turn over a new leaf and be a better person."
Bernadette glanced at him, offering no comment on her father's declaration. She turned to Alaric, her expression softening with a touch of formality. "Greetings, Your Excellency Lucifer. My father told me about you. I'm truly grateful for your help. Without you, I might never have seen him again…"
Despite her resentment toward Roselle's unsavory traits, her gratitude to Alaric was genuine... she clearly cared deeply for her father.
Alaric listened quietly to her thanks, sipped his tea, and smiled. "It's just a transaction. I need your father's strength, and he needs my help. It's fair."
"Even so, you're my benefactor." Bernadette said earnestly. The transaction didn't diminish her gratitude.
Alaric chuckled, then said, "If you're that grateful, I happen to have a favor to ask."
"What favor?" Roselle cut in before Bernadette could respond, eyeing Alaric warily, as if sizing up a predator eyeing his prized flower. "Bernadette's only Sequence 3. What could she do that I can't?"
Alaric caught Roselle's suspicion and rolled his eyes, grinning. "This is something you can't do."
"Please, tell me. If it's within my power, I'll do my best." Bernadette said, stopping Roselle from saying more.
"It's no big deal. I just need you to contact someone." Alaric said, not beating around the bush. "There's a crew member named Frank on Cattleya's Future. I need you to reach out to him."
Frank? Bernadette paused, mentally reviewing Cattleya's crew. There was indeed a Frank... a Sequence 6 biologist and the Future's first mate.
"May I ask what you need from this Frank?" She asked after a moment's hesitation.
She knew Cattleya valued her crew, so she wanted clarity.
"It's not trouble. I'm seeking talented researchers to explore human biology and tackle medical challenges. Frank's a genius in biology, so I'd like to invite him to work in my lab." Alaric said with a smile. His lab didn't exist yet, but with the Aurora Order and the Church of the Earth Mother backing him, equipment wouldn't be an issue.
Once the talent and resources were in place, a lab could be built in no time.
Bernadette blinked, surprised by the answer. She nodded hesitantly. "Alright, I'll inform Cattleya and ensure you get a reply as soon as possible."
"Wait, who's this Cattleya?" Roselle, who'd been listening, couldn't hold back.
"Oh, didn't I mention? Cattleya's Bernadette's daughter!" Alaric said, blinking innocently, answering before Bernadette could.
Bernadette froze, lips pursed, tempted to object but ultimately staying silent. Defining Cattleya as her daughter didn't seem entirely wrong.
Roselle, expecting a rebuttal, saw her tacit agreement and felt the world crumble. He glanced between Alaric and Bernadette, hesitating before gritting his teeth. "Who's the father?"
His expression screamed, I'll find out who dared touch my precious flower.
Bernadette blinked, then burst into a wry smile, realizing his misunderstanding.
"Pfft!" Alaric laughed outright, not dragging it out. "Oh, forgot to clarify... Cattleya's her adopted daughter."
Roselle exhaled in relief. Adopted? No problem then.
"Father!" Bernadette shot him a mildly exasperated look. "I'm grown up." She said, implying that even if she had married, it'd be normal.
Though she had no plans for romance or marriage, her father's overprotective, wolf-guarding attitude left her speechless.
"Ahem, it's just… a typical fatherly instinct!" Roselle coughed awkwardly, glancing at her with a touch of melancholy. "You've really grown up, Bernadette."
"But…" He pivoted, emphasizing, "I'm not against you dating. There are just too many scoundrels out there. If you find someone, let me vet them first."
Roselle could accept Bernadette dating or marrying, but he dreaded her meeting a cad like himself... or worse, some punk saying, "Hey, old man, my ride's parked out front. It won't get stolen, right?" That'd make him faint from rage.
"My taste isn't that bad!" Bernadette nearly rolled her eyes, finding her father's worries absurd.
…
For Cattleya, it was an ordinary day.
She'd patrolled the Future, ensuring her crew of troublemakers hadn't caused chaos, and returned to her cabin to read. Suddenly, a breeze brushed past.
Instantly alert, she glanced at her desk, spotting a new letter.
From the Queen Mystic, Bernadette.
Cattleya tore it open, eager to see her instructions. But as she read, her brows furrowed, her expression shifting to confusion and hesitation. "Queen, why…"
***
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