Chapter 50: The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn
Café Poirot - 9 PM
It was past the café's busiest hours.
The few remaining customers had finished their coffee and desserts and seemed ready to leave.
"Oh, isn't that Miss Yor? Do Anya and Miss Yor know each other?"
The male part-timer, about to finish his shift, saw the three enter.
His eyes were filled with curiosity and intrigue.
He'd never seen Anya's mother before—could Miss Yor possibly be Anya's mother?
But one was blonde, the other had black hair—how could they have a pink-haired little girl?
"Mr. Natsukawa, is Miss Yor your wife?"
The university student, while thirsting for knowledge, also had a strong interest in gossip.
"Uh, no, no!"
Yor hastily explained, her face flushing red, clearly caught off guard by the assumption.
This scene was witnessed by Azusa Enomoto, who was equally curious. Her expression twitched involuntarily.
She still vividly remembered the scene from a few days ago when Miss Yor had accidentally slapped Mr. Yuri to the ground with such force that his mouth bled.
The shy Miss Yor standing here now was such a stark contrast to the Miss Yor who'd sent Mr. Yuri flying just days ago!
"So then..."
Azusa slowed down her dishwashing, genuinely curious about the relationship between Miss Yor and Mr. Natsukawa. Her gossipy interest was overflowing.
"We actually just met at the entrance. I'm so sorry, Miss Yor—I didn't explain the situation clearly." Natsukawa apologized sincerely.
"Oh, it's nothing really."
Yor was genuinely lacking in social skills, somewhat at a loss for words, not knowing what to say in response.
If it weren't for her superior combat abilities, she might have been tricked into uncomfortable situations long ago.
"Just met at the entrance?"
The male college student looked skeptically at Anya nestled comfortably in Yor's arms. Their closeness was so natural, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to assume they were related by blood.
"Miss Yor and little Anya seem really close. If someone didn't know better, they'd think you were..."
Before she could finish speaking, Azusa stopped herself.
She couldn't say that carelessly—otherwise, Mr. Natsukawa might be offended.
Although she'd never met Mr. Natsukawa's wife, there were some things she couldn't say recklessly, lest misunderstandings arise. This was Beika Town, after all, where such comments could have consequences.
"It's alright," Natsukawa said with a wistful smile, continuing, "Anya's mother actually passed away a long time ago."
As he spoke, Natsukawa glanced at Anya—this was their pre-arranged story.
Anya's expression suddenly became pitiful, tears welling up in her eyes, which reddened inexplicably.
What excellent acting!
Natsukawa couldn't help but give Anya full marks for her performance.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Natsukawa! I didn't mean to bring it up," Azusa apologized repeatedly, feeling deeply guilty for her thoughtlessness and for making Anya's eyes turn red.
"Poor Anya..."
Yor said gently, wiping away the tears with her sleeve.
The acting performance of the father-daughter duo captivated all three witnesses.
The college student couldn't bear to see the child's distress and waved his hands frantically. It was the end of his shift anyway, and he immediately fled as if he were the one who'd made Anya cry.
Which, technically, he had been—he was the one who'd brought up the topic.
"Auntie, Anya really misses having a mama."
The little girl bit her lower lip, her bright eyes filled with hope and longing (╥﹏╥).
"Ah, this..."
Azusa was speechless. Anya seemed to have completely taken to Miss Yor. Could it be that Café Poirot was about to play matchmaker today?
"It's alright, it's alright. Papa's here."
Natsukawa felt a genuine pang of concern at this moment. The child's emotions seemed so authentic. Had this scene triggered memories from before she was sent to the orphanage?
Yor felt a little nervous, unsure where to place her hands.
Although she'd raised Yuri single-handedly from childhood, Yuri had been exceptionally well-behaved—always her precious little darling who'd never shed a tear in front of her, except tears of... appreciation.
For example, every time he ate her cooking, tears of "gratitude" would stream from Yuri's eyes.
"Alright, Anya, that's enough~" Natsukawa waved his hand and continued, "How about Azusa adds extra sugar to your cocoa?"
"Okay, okay!"
Anya stopped crying and started beaming. Her eyes were still red, but her complexion was much brighter, and a radiant smile appeared on her face.
"She's just a kid."
Natsukawa breathed a sigh of relief and asked Azusa to quickly prepare the little troublemaker a cup of sweetened cocoa.
"I'm sorry, Miss Yor. Anya was a bit mischievous today."
"It's not Anya's fault at all. I also lost my parents when I was young, and she's even younger than I was. I understand how she feels."
Yor spoke with the weight of experience, then sighed softly. "But I didn't expect a cup of cocoa could cheer up a child so quickly."
"Because she's still just a child." Natsukawa looked at the menu and asked, "What would you like to drink, Miss Yor?"
"Cocoa, please."
"Wow! You like cocoa just like Anya! Auntie and Anya are destined to be together!"
Anya seized the opportunity to strengthen the connection with Yor.
"Auntie orders hers without sugar, though."
Natsukawa pointed out, then asked with a slight smirk, "Anya, do you want to be like Auntie and skip the sugar too? Azusa hasn't finished making yours yet—there's still time to change it."
"..."
Papa's being unreasonable!
Who am I scheming for here?
Ungrateful!
Anya puffed out her cheeks indignantly, hopped out of Yor's arms, put her hands on her hips, and began stomping her feet—each stomp landing squarely on Natsukawa's shoes.
The three of them found seats on the side of the café.
Anya and Yor sat on one side, while Natsukawa sat across from them.
The child's smile was radiant and charming, and both adults smiled warmly as well.
From the outside looking in, the three appeared to be an ordinary, happy family.
Outside the Café
"What the...?"
(O_O)??
Yuri stood outside the café's window, staring at the scene in shock.
Just a few days later, and my sister... her child is already that big?
I only asked her to find a boyfriend, and not only did she find one, but she already has a daughter?!
Did my sister forget to tell me she got married?
This wasn't entirely unprecedented. His sister was often absent-minded, and forgetting to mention something as major as her marriage wasn't completely outside the realm of possibility.
For a moment, Yuri stood frozen in confusion and bewilderment. He'd originally planned to take advantage of his few free days to meet with his sister more often, but this scene was too much of a shock. He needed time to process it all.
So, is my sister going to tell me today that she's already married with a child?
The scene before him consumed Yuri's thoughts.
Look—the little girl is nestled in my sister's arms so naturally, completely at ease, just like her own daughter would be.
"That man!"
Yuri gritted his teeth.
Encouraging his sister to find potential partners had just been something he felt obligated to suggest. But if one day his sister actually stood before him with a man at her side, he would be completely unable to accept it.
This contradictory feeling was as immature as his youthful appearance suggested.
Yuri had been raised by Yor since childhood. She'd taken on the roles of father, mother, and sister all at once. At this moment, Yuri genuinely couldn't bear the thought of his sister becoming someone's wife.
The sincere smiles of the three people visible through the glass window made him hesitate about whether he should even go inside.
Would my appearance ruin my sister's happiness?
At this moment, Yuri's mind raced through countless scenarios.
After nervously plucking all the petals from the decorative flowers by the entrance, he finally made his decision.
Inside the Café
Inside, Natsukawa, who'd been smiling and chatting pleasantly with Yor, suddenly sensed hostile intent and turned to look outside curiously.
Apart from the constantly falling flower petals, nothing seemed amiss.
"What's wrong, Mr. Natsukawa?"
Yor's hand was gently stroking Anya's hair as she also looked in the direction Natsukawa was focused on.
She saw nothing unusual.
"Nothing."
Natsukawa shook his head, dismissing the feeling.
Maybe it was just the cold weather, or perhaps Franky was secretly cursing him again for making him do extra work. He'd only been asked to verify two people's information—was it really necessary to hold such a grudge?
Besides, both targets had already been thoroughly documented. Now all that remained was field verification.
Simple enough.
(End of Chapter 50)
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