Chapter 226: She Buys Crepes
"It's nothing a cleanse spell can't fix." Robin replied innocently. "Come on, it's my treat!" At that, her eyes shone merrily. Robin seemed to shed all semblance of seriousness, in that moment, as she looked forward to the treat.
Keith blinked. For a moment, the memory of his cousin's appearance as a child overlapped with Robin's eager figure, as she pulled Christian and him towards the crepe stand. Keith allowed himself to be pulled, a warm smile on his face.
'She is certainly your child, Bluebell.' He spoke within his heart.
Robin seriously considered the choices before her. They were all fruit crepes with custard and whipped cream inside them. There were even some fruits which she had never tried before. But Robin knew what she wanted.
"When it comes to crepes, it has to be strawberry!" Robin decided.
"Really? I think I like the date jelly crepe more, though." Christian pointed out, with a grin. Robin turned to Keith. "Which one do you want, uncle?" She asked.
"You chose. I have no preference." Keith replied, then paused. He suddenly realized he had made a mistake as an old memory surfaced just then.
"Then it's durian flavor for you!" Robin smirked gleefully, in the same manner her mother had done all those years ago. Keith couldn't even be mad.
'She is just like you, Bluebell!' He was forced to admit with a smile.
Robin also bought several crepes for the girls, as well as several other durian flavored ones. Keith didn't dare to ask who she had in mind while purchasing them. As each came in a small paper box, she easily stowed the crepes away in her food storage.
Christian was content watching Robin eating her crepe. The overall effect was so adorable that the crepe stall was soon swamped with young ladies and men alike. Of course, Robin was unawares that it was her doing.
"Huh. As expected from such a great crepes stall! They really are popular! We're lucky we grabbed ours when we did." Robin noted, glancing at the crepe stall.
'No it's because of you eating it like it's super delicious....' Christian stared blankly at Robin.
"What?" She asked, looking back at Christian, wondering why he was staring.
"Is it that tasty?" Christian wondered out loud.
Robin pondered, then held out her crepe towards him. "Want a taste?" she asked with a smile.
"Is that all right?" Christian asked, surprised. However, the Robin sharing his food was adorable too.
"It's a waste to buy another one if you won't like it. But if it's just a bite, I'm willing to share." Robin replied. '"If you're uncomfortable, then let me have a taste of your date jelly flavor, too."
Keith was distracted by his fight to eat the durian crepe in front of him, so he didn't catch this moment shared between the two. Christian chose an uneaten part of the crepe and took a bite. cream oozed out, dabbing the corners of his mouth with white spots.
Robin laughed and then took a bite out of Christian's crepe. likewise, fresh cream dotted both the corners of her mouth and the tip of her nose. They looked at each other and laughed, before wiping off the cream.
Keith returned to earth after finally finishing his crepe. When he was younger, he couldn't stand the smell, and didn't dare to try and taste it. Now that his niece has gifted it to him, he had no choice but to eat it. But after eating it, he realized that it really wasn't that bad. What he had thought was an almost rotten smell was actually just the concentrated scent of a deep flavor. Before today, he had never known that durian could be so sweet.
"So, after eating this, did you get any ideas for more foods you want to try?" Christian asked.
"Well...There is one." Robin admitted.
"Oh? What's it called?" Christian tilted his head to look sideways at Robin.
"Chocolate chip cookies." Robin smiled.
"You had me at chocolate." Christian grinned. He hadn't tasted it yet, but based on the smell, it was bound to taste wonderful.
When they returned to the mansion, Robin went to pass out the crepes she had bought to the girls, but they hadn't returned yet.
"Hey, Ponzu!" Robin noticed Ponzu had just returned from the farmers market. "Any idea when the girls will be back?"
Ponzu placed his two handfuls of grocery bags down on a nearby table. "No idea, but Liam went with them, so you can rest assured of their safety. If I had to hazard a guess, they'll probably be back for afternoon tea. Why?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to give them some souvenirs. Oh, that's right, I also want to make some sweets later on, are you going to be busy?" Robin asked.
"Really!?" Ponzu exclaimed, looking excited. "I'll hurry up and prepare the tea snacks now, then!"
"Come find me when you're ready." Robin chuckled.
Turning around, she noticed that Quinn was also there. So, she gave him one of the extras which were durian flavored. Once she was out of sight, Keith turned to Quinn and asked. "Are you going to eat that?"
Quinn smirked. "Jokes on you. I happen to like Durian."
Fest and Bastian also got a special serving of durian crepes. While Bastian made a face at it, Fest ate it normally.
"Is this another punishment for slipping up?" Bastian asked, morosely.
"Have you even tried Durian before?" Robin asked.
"I don't need to try it to know it will taste awful." Bastian sniffed. "It smells rotten."
"Fine. if you can't eat it then give it to Fest. But I am not getting you another one." Robin warned.
"I heard you loud and clear. I see you got some new clothes this outing. Could you recommend the taylor to me? I've always felt uncomfortable doing business without wearing a proper suit jacket."
"Sure thing! But... any news from your contact with the gnomes?" Robin asked.
"Nothing yet. However, not to worry, they usually get back to me within a day." Bastian replied.
"In that case, I'll be in the kitchens, baking." Robin informed.
"Oh? Baking? I don't recall you being able to bake-" Bastian blinked, looking up from his crepe.
"I think you'll find that I picked quite a few things up after you died." Robin's expression flat-lined.
That expression of complete disinterest in anything was the same one she had always given him in his previous life. Bastian realized he had made a mistake. His eyes widened as he looked at Robin, suddenly feeling fearful.
He wasn't afraid of being struck or hit. To be honest, if Robin could end her trauma with him being beaten up, then he would wholeheartedly accept it. No, what he feared was that he had caused an irreparable damage in Robin's heart.
Just as Robin's expression flat-lined, what if one day, she decided to do away with all of her emotions entirely? The very idea sent a cold, icy sensation down his back. There would be no need for others to point their fingers at him. Because Bastian knew that he would be the first person unable to forgive himself.
"I'm sorry. I made you remember something unpleasant." Bastian immediately apologized.
Robin sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I did say that I've forgiven you. However, it seems this has become somewhat of a conditioned reflex for me." She smiled apologetically. "I'll be fine. I just need some time to think."
And with that, Robin left the room. Bastian looked down at his desk, the durian crepe in his hands.
"Seems to be quite the complicated affair." Fest noted. "Does this have something to do with Young Master's former life?"
"You know about that?" Bastian asked, surprised.
"I had gathered as much." Fest adjusted his glasses, professionally.
"...Yeah. You could say that." Bastian sighed. "It might not fully be my fault, but it was my failure that causes Robin a lot of suffering. I can't imagine how traumatized Robin must be."
"What a good thing it is, then, that he put it in his heart to forgive you." Fest noted. "Most wouldn't make the effort. Trauma causes one to either try to destroy or to run away from that which harmed them. The fact that Robin hasn't done either yet is admirable."
"Are you saying that I'm deplorable?" Bastian asked weakly.
"No. Admiring someone for his self control in the face of trauma is merely that. It is not easy to act normal in front of the cause of your trauma. Moreover, I for one know that the young master is not deplorable. Yet you are somehow still thinking that you are, yourself." Fest replied.
"Keep this in mind, Young Master: a truly deplorable person has no thoughts of regret or repentance, or even repayment. Other people never enter their minds except in terms of use and gratification. Therefore, you are not deplorable, Young Master. As long as you do not give up on your desires to make amends, you cannot be called or even considered such. Please excuse me."
Fest left the room to handle a chore, leaving Bastian sitting at his desk to ponder for a bit.
"Bastian, you blasted fool." He said quietly to himself as he resolved himself to eat the durian crepe as a punishment. But, somehow, it seemed that even the durian wouldn't allow him to punish himself.
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