Shssshhhh…
Water rushed steadily from the showerhead in the bathroom.
The walls in this cheap apartment were thin. Sitting in the living room, Lucian could hear everything going on inside.
Of course, the water itself wasn't interesting. He wasn't a three-year-old stomping around in rain boots.
It was the voices—laughing and chatting under the cover of running water—that made any man's nerves snap tight.
Croissant: "[Angelina, Ange! Let me help wash your tail. I've got a special fur-care conditioner my coworker uses. The expensive kind!]"
Exusiai: "[Does that work for everyone? I don't have a tail, so I don't know. Isn't wolf fur different from fox fur?]"
Angelina: "[I think it should be similar? There are lots of Lupo in Siracusa, and Vulpo like me aren't very diff—ah, Croissant, you don't have to, I can do it mys— eeeek! Croissant! Don't splash water on my back!."
Oh ho ho… yes. This was the true glory of the girls' dorm experience.
Lucian put on a knowing expression and dutifully jotted notes down in a notebook.
The girls in the bathroom clearly had no idea there was a man outside eagerly listening in…
—or maybe they did, and just didn't care.
Unlike men, who cared a lot about appearances, girls getting affectionate in the shower together was apparently normal and great for bonding.
Especially Croissant. Even though it was her first time meeting the girl Lucian brought home, she blended in instantly.
She was the one who suggested dragging Exusiai and Angelina into the shower together. At times like this, Lucian genuinely appreciated having that bread girl around.
People always said everyone had their talents. Apparently even someone with a head full of whipped cream like Croissant had her uses.
Angelina, flustered by all the noise, squeaked while Croissant cackled:
"[No need to add 'Miss'! Just call me Croissant! I'm not much older than you—just never went to school. And to show we're friends now… Angelina! Let's hug!]" she said with a bright smile.
Exusiai: "[ … ]"
Angelina: "[Eeeeeeek!]"
That had nothing to do with Lucian's eavesdropping—Angelina's scream had enough piercing power to echo through the entire building.
For the neighbors' sake, Lucian sternly knocked on the door. "Hey, you three—keep it down! Especially you, Croissant, stop bullying Ang—"
Croissant: "[Ahhh! Lucian's listening in! I bet he's got his whole face pressed against the door, panting and drooling while he eavesdrops!]"
Exusiai: "[Ugh, gross… He used to stare nonstop at the older Priests too… Totally into older women. Complete pervert.]"
Croissant: "[Huh? Exusiai, are you and Lucian close enough to shower together? And what's a Priest? Why were you showering with a Priest?]"
Exusiai: "[Ah—uh—!]"
That was what people called "digging your own grave," Exusiai. Lucian sighed deeply.
In Croissant's interrogation and Exusiai's flustered backpedaling, Lucian's sharp ears picked up Angelina's muttering:
"[This conditioner is from Siracusa… It's a really expensive brand. Is it really okay for me to use it…?]"
Lucian turned to ask, "Is it?"
Within Penguin Logistics, the only one who needed fur-care products was the owner of a very fluffy tail—Texas.
The aloof wolf girl wasn't bathing with the others. She was sprawled lazily on the couch, eating Pocky out of boredom.
She lifted her head slightly, giving Lucian a half-lidded glance. "Do whatever you want. You bought it anyway. Not my problem."
True. Almost all of Texas's personal items had been bought by Lucian.
From toothbrushes to towels, pajamas to bedsheets—he even picked out the brush she used on her tail. He was more of a mom than a mom.
Don't be fooled by Texas's icy cool beauty now. Back when she'd just joined Penguin Logistics, she was barely human—either angelic in her detachment, or terrifying in her hostility depending on how you looked at it.
She used to be ten times colder than she was now, staring at everyone with a dead expression, looking like she'd draw her sword at any moment.
Her room had nothing in it but the bare minimum. Aside from maintaining her sword, she owned almost nothing. She even slept under the bed like she was hiding from someone.
Anyone else would've avoided her like the plague.
But thanks to Lucian and Exusiai's persistence, Texas finally had a bit of normal teenage-girl awareness now.
Though if asked, she'd definitely retort, "Mind your own business."
Lucian sighed and said seriously, "If I didn't buy your stuff, you'd use the same shampoo on your whole body. Even El knows to take care of her hair—she buys the most expensive conditioner and oils. You can't give up to the point you're less girly than she is, right?"
"…You're impossibly considerate when it doesn't matter, and impossibly dense when it does. That's why you're trash."
Texas muttered under her breath and went back to crunching Pocky.
Well, that counted as agreement. Lucian happily called toward the bathroom, "Angelina, it's fine! Texas said you can use it."
Croissant immediately yelled back, "[See?! Told you he was pressed up against the door listening!]"
Nani!?
Hearing Croissant's ridiculously excited voice made Lucian's stomach sink.
Sure enough, even innocent Angelina spoke timidly:
"[Mr. Sinclair… I think listening to women shower is one of the worst things a gentleman can do. That was Croissant testing you, and… um… you failed.]"
"Croissaaannt!"
And so Lucian, victim of a gross misunderstanding, lost the trust of a high school girl. His image plummeted from "cool, reliable big brother" to "bathroom-eavesdropping creep." Serves him right.
Once Croissant was done causing chaos and things calmed down, Lucian handed Angelina a cup of coffee.
"Thank you." The sweet high school girl accepted it with both hands, bowing politely.
Fresh out of the bath, her hair was still steaming faintly. She was using the same shampoo Lucian smelled every day, yet somehow her scent felt completely different.
And because she was wearing Croissant's pajamas—black-and-white cow print that looked utterly ridiculous on the bread girl—on Angelina they… stood out in every possible way.
High school girls were terrifying. Lucian lost count of how many times he'd shaken his head in self-reflection today.
Trying to restore some dignity after the bathhouse fiasco, he coughed lightly. "Angelina, what are your plans next? You're here delivering a letter, right? If you're trying to find someone, I can help."
Angelina gave a shy little smile. "Thank you, Mr. Sinclair. Thanks to you, I've been safe this whole time. And I already found my target. It's all thanks to your good luck!"
Oof. Lucian felt blinded by the radiance of her smile.
So cute. Too cute! Angelina really was an angel!
He seriously considered using his Holy Son authority to grant her a title like Saint Angelina. If all Angels were this pure and cute, he'd never have run away from Laterano in the first place.
And Angelina wasn't just saying that she'd found her target as a polite phrase.
She dug into her bag, pulled out a letter, then walked over to Texas and held it out with both hands.
With everyone staring in surprise, she said earnestly:
"You're Miss Texas from Siracusa, right? I'm sorry I didn't get the chance earlier. When I heard your name, I wondered if it might be you. This is a letter for you—may I ask you to sign for it?"