Lumina Square — "Li Cha Cha Nai."
"I met Chiya because it was destiny—you shameless shark have no right to—…huh? Where'd you go?!"
Lucy snapped awake from the long corridor of her own memories, ready to declare sovereignty over the "shameless shark" beside her—
Only to find… nothing.
Just two chairs sitting neatly side by side.
And two empty cups leaning together like accomplices.
"Acao, Amu, Azhuan! Where did Chiya and that shameless shark go?!"
"Hng-chi!"
Before the piglets could "answer," the shop clerk Coco spoke first—dark circles heavy under her eyes, the exhausted gaze of a working adult who had seen too much.
"If you mean Doctor Chiya and Miss Ellen… while you were lost in your memories, Miss Ellen quietly grabbed Doctor Chiya and ran."
"Oh—and her milk-tea bill wasn't paid."
"Ugh!" Lucy blew up. "Why does this lady have to pay for some third party who popped out of nowhere?!"
She complained the whole time—
…and still paid the bill for Ellen and Chiya anyway.
"Thank you for your patronage," Coco said flatly, "Miss Lucy-who's-all-bark-but-soft-hearted."
"Shut up! I'm not soft-hearted!"
"Oh?" Coco deadpanned. "Miss Tsundere Lucy."
"Gah—forget it! Acao, Amu, Azhuan! You idiot pigs for not reminding me—when we get back, you're all getting whipped!"
"HNG-CHI!!!"
Meanwhile…
The Dead End Hollow — Vision Corporation's train site.
The three members of Victoria Housekeeping were bowing apologetically to Cunning Hares.
"We are very sorry, honored guests. We hope you can understand the disturbance caused during the rescue operation."
Lycaon apologized with sincere formality—waist bent, yet a faint smile still on his lips.
Across from him, Nicole—whose mouth was swollen like two sausages—looked at Corin, who had finally come back to her senses and was apologizing so hard she was shaking like a squirrel thrown out of its tree hole in winter.
Nicole fell silent for a moment…
…and finally waved it off, helplessly.
"Fuhgeddaboudit. I' fohgive yoo. For real… I got saved, I got hugged, an' then I got beat up."
"W–we're terribly sorry, Miss Nicole!" Corin stammered, nodding like a frantic toy. "Doctor Chiya is… someone very important to Corin. So when I heard someone disrespect him, Corin… got a little impulsive! I'm truly sorry!"
Billy, still rubbing his chest—where Nicole had punched him earlier for laughing at her sausage lips—couldn't help but sigh in awe.
"This is unbelievable. Are you really just a housekeeping employee?"
"And you—wolf-guy—after seeing you stop her so easily, I'm starting to wonder if this 'Victoria Secret' of yours is actually a legit company…"
At that, Rina, ever-smiling, patted Lycaon and Corin on the shoulders and straightened up with perfect poise.
"Apologies, Mr. Iron Man," she said politely. "The company we serve is called Victoria Housekeeping, not the 'Victoria Secret' you mentioned—a place that looks glamorous on the surface but is, in truth, a den of carnal trade."
"And as for your doubts about our legitimacy… they likely stem from your lack of familiarity."
"We primarily serve New Eridu's high-net-worth clientele. So it's only natural that Cunning Hares, who have been ranked in the top three on the Inter-Knot complaint boards year-round… wouldn't know much about us."
Billy's shoulders slumped.
"…Wow. Suddenly I feel like a total country bumpkin."
Even though Rina's wording was "polite," Billy still felt thoroughly looked down on.
Beside him, Anby offered comfort—Anby-style.
"Billy, it's fine. Admitting you're a country bumpkin isn't shameful. And you are a country bumpkin."
"Uh—Anby!" Billy protested. "She's talking about all of Cunning Hares! Which means you're calling yourself one too!"
"It's fine," Anby said serenely. "I don't care. If you care about everything people say, you'll be exhausted."
"So I only care about what important people say."
"…You're way too calm." Billy turned hopefully toward Nicole. "Boss! Aren't you going to clap back?"
But Nicole's eyes were drifting—far, far away.
And then—
The man who'd been knocked out earlier by Nekomata's elbow and tossed aside like luggage finally stirred awake.
Perlman blinked at the scene: two groups standing clearly divided.
His brain kicked into overdrive, calculating how to keep himself alive.
After a moment of hesitation, he clenched his teeth and shouted:
"Hey! You—Victoria Housekeeping, right?"
"Aren't you supposed to serve high-net-worth clients?!"
"As Vision Corporation's CEO, my assets definitely qualify!"
"These Cunning Hares guys are obviously broke. I don't care how they hired you—whatever they're paying, I'll pay double!"
"Triple!"
"Pick a number! Just let me go right now, and help me restrain the kidnappers!"
"And as for what my men did earlier—I won't pursue it! Deal? That's a great bargain!"
"…What, not enough?" Perlman panicked. "Then how much do you—"
"Excuse me, sir."
Lycaon cut him off.
The warmth in his expression vanished—replaced by the silence of midwinter.
A moment ago, he was a gentleman.
Now, the look in his eyes was rage and killing intent held down by chains—straining to snap.
Perlman went mute.
He started trembling.
Lycaon's voice dropped colder than ice.
"When you won the bid against Baiqi Heavy Industries, you promised to solve the problem at a lower cost."
"But I never imagined your 'lower cost' meant building it on the blood and bodies of innocent people!!!"
"Eek—!"
Rina smiled softly to the side.
"My, Lycaon… truly is furious."
Her clenched hand loosened slowly.
Next to her, Corin raised her chainsaw again—finger planted on the switch—staring at Perlman like he was already dead.
Lycaon kept walking toward him.
Each step was a silent drumbeat.
A funeral bell.
"You hide your ambition and beastliness behind grandiose excuses."
"You send the already-unfortunate to their deaths—"
"Then you celebrate before the graves of the dead, singing of your victory!"
"That kind of thing…"
"I will not allow it to happen again!"
Watching Perlman nearly piss himself under the pressure, Nekomata muttered:
"Didn't think he had that side to him…"
At that moment, Belle, controlling Eous, hurriedly stepped between Lycaon and Perlman.
"Sir! I know you're angry, but please spare his life! We still need him alive to accuse Vision Corporation and prove their crimes!"
Lycaon halted.
His blood-red eyes looked down on the tiny Bangboo.
Belle felt like she'd been dropped into an icy moonlit tundra—
A massive crimson moon hanging overhead—
Bone-deep cold about to crush her to dust.
But the chill vanished in an instant.
Lycaon glanced at Eous meaningfully…
Then the gentleman's smile returned.
"Hah… My apologies. I was a bit impulsive."
"You saw an unseemly side of me."
"But now—may I ask… what is our employer's plan?"
"Huh?" Belle blinked. "Me?"
"No, my lord," Lycaon replied smoothly. "You are not our employer."
"Our employer is Miss Nicole of Cunning Hares."
"So, Miss Nicole…"
"What is your next step…?"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 74)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter20)
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