Isaac was lost for words. He never would have expected that such a sentence would escape from Mona's mouth.
It was too sudden—!
Isaac laughed dryly as he peacefully tried to placate himself, "Haha, surely you jest, no? I think I find my... Libido... To be particularly controlled."
"No," However, Mona was quite resolute about her divination. "Your fate is a mess, but your overwhelming lust when you're in the heat of the moment stands out quite a bit."
"I must say, even I am perplexed with... That." She momentarily paused before looking at Isaac as if she was looking at an interesting specimen. She then started mumbling to herself. "Seriously... Seven hours nonstop? How are you even human... That's just absurd!"
'I find it hard to believe too!' However, her hushed tone was easily picked up by Isaac. He then lampooned, 'There's no way what she's saying is real... Right? I mean, it's not like I'm a pure innocent guy, but to be called a mating beast?'
Isaac didn't know whether to cry or laugh at the situation.
Smiling wryly, he shrugged. "Perhaps there are things that I still don't know about my body."
He then shook his head as he tried to mitigate the conversation somewhat. "Well then. Let's... Ahem, let's change the subject. This is getting too... You know."
"You're right, this conversation has already gone awry." Mona shook her head. She then sized up Isaac. "But just to be sure, how big are you?"
"..." Isaac was stunned. He soon inwardly sighed, '...very direct. Passively aggressive, even.'
Taking a deep sigh, he recalled the time this morning when he woke up and recalled the size.
"10 inches," Isaac said with the most solemn face he had ever made. He then quickly added, "Alright miss, which would it be, coffee or tea?"
"..." Mona was taken aback by Isaac's straightforward answer for a moment before she composed herself. "You really are a beast..."
After saying this, Mona looked up the menu and scanned it for a moment as she thought of what to order.
"I'll just have a cup of cappuccino and a side of rye bread."
'...those are the cheapest ones we have.' Isaac wanted to lampoon, but he somehow related to Mona's financial situation. With a faint smile, he nodded. "Alright, please wait a minute or two."
Having said this, Isaac backed away and took a cup before going to the coffee machine situated on the counter not far away.
He then began brewing her coffee. He did it swiftly but also made sure that the quality wouldn't be ruined.
Soon, the smell of grounded coffee drifted over to Mona as her nose picked them up.
"A lovely scent." She commented with a giant smile. "I could really use this during my work late at night."
"Well, the café is open six days a week, opens at nine in the morning, and closes at seven in the evening," Isaac said as he held the lever of the coffee machine. He then glanced at her, "You can come here during those times if you want to have another cup."
"I'll keep that in mind." Mona nodded her head in agreement.
After a while, Isaac finally finished brewing her coffee. He took out a rye bread from the glass container on the counter and put it on a small plate.
"Do enjoy," Isaac said with a gentle smile as he slid the cup and bread to her.
Picking up the coffee and gently cradling it, Mona whiffed the aroma. "Fantastic. You know, other than your strange fate, your inclination to serenity is so massive that it affects those around you— alas, even I am not spared."
'She must be talking about the Serenity System...' Isaac chuckled lightly. "Just a byproduct of loving the job."
"How enviable," Mona said before picking up her cup of coffee and rye bread.
She then stood up and went over to a table before casually picking a book from a shelf next to her.
It was the Vagabond Manga Isaac bought.
'Nice taste.' Isaac silently raised his thumb as he watched her randomly pick the manga.
Ding~*
Just then, the bell of the door rang once again, signaling the arrival of a new customer.
"Welcome..." Isaac turned his head and was about to greet the new customer when he saw who it was. He was stunned for a moment before continuing his words, "Welcome, Lady Furina. It's a great day, innit?"
"Indeed," Furina nodded her head as she looked around the café. Her pupils which resembled droplets soon landed on Mona who was reading a manga while drinking a cup of coffee.
She then looked back at Isaac, "My dear assistant, wait no, that case is already over..." She then grumbled to herself.
Isaac saw this and couldn't help but lightly scoff. His deep amber eyes soon turned mellow. "It's fine, Miss Furina. You can just call me however you want."
"Really?" Hearing this, Furina's eyes became lively once more. "No matter what kind of name? Anything?"
"Of course." Isaac nodded his head with a gentle smile. It wasn't something he minded that much. "Anything."
"Isaac Alder!"
"What is it, My lady?"
"Isaac!"
"Yes, Miss?"
"Servant!"
"Master."
"Watson!"
"What is it, Sherlock?"
"Puppy!"
"...do I have to?"
"Yes."
"...woof."
"Hehe," Hearing all their name-callings, Furina giggled to herself. Her expression turned lively. "Very well then, from now on, I shall refer to you as my dear assistant!"
"Should I count it as my pleasure?" Isaac lightly smirked. He soon quickly added, "Well, whatever fancies you, Lady Furina."
"That's more like it!" Furina said before sitting down on one of the high stools in front of the counter, directly facing Isaac. "Well then, as you know..."
Hearing this, Isaac instantly knew what she wanted. Putting on his professional attitude, he asked, "What would it be, my lady?"
"Hmm..." Furina looked at the menu and saw the diverse range of coffee and tea. After a while, she finally decided. "Chamomile Tea."
"...sugar?" Isaac inquired as he required his eyes at her.
"Sugar." Furina sharply looked at Isaac with a smile.
For a moment, the two reached a consensus.
"Very well." Isaac lightly nodded. However, he couldn't help but lampoon himself over this. 'Am I seriously sharing the same brain cell with Furina...?'
However, he quickly shook off that thought and went to prepare her tea. He went into the kitchen and took out the tea packets to start making them.
Meanwhile, Furina was left on her own on the counter. Looking around, she noticed the woman with the pointy witch hat from earlier.
Her eyes then turned sharp as she looked around before deciding to stand up and approach the woman.
"Hello there, my dear citizen," Furina approached Mona as she leaned over and waved her hand. "How do you do today, might I ask?"
"Huh? Lady Furina?" Mona, who had been engrossed with the manga, raised her head and looked at the former. "Wh-Why are you here?"
"Hm? Why, to visit my assistant, of course." Furina's tone was rather firm when she mentioned the word "my assistant."
"Assistant... Isaac Alder?" Mona placed the manga down as she looked at Furina with widened eyes. She then sized her up before inwardly mumbling to herself, "So it was the Hydro Archon Focalors..."
"Yes?" Furina heard her mumblings and raised an eyebrow. However, she soon changed the subject. "Say... What were you talking about with MY assistant back there? It seemed rather interesting."
"That's..." Mona wanted to say something, but her words remained in her throat. Taking a sip of coffee, she placated herself and continued, "...did you hear?"
"A tad bit." Furina sat down opposite her and said with a smile. She then connected her hands and rested her chin on them as she leaned closer. "Something about... Mating?"
Cough*
Mona, who was sipping her cup of coffee, suddenly choked as he drank a mouthful.
After calling down, she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth. "That's... Well..." She truly didn't know how to explain "that" matter to her Archon.
"Go on." However, Furina seems to be adamant about finding out. With a solemn look and a gentle smile, her droplet-like pupils looked at Mona. "I'm all ears."
Mona looked around for a bit before inwardly sighing. She then began to explain, "Well, as you know, Lady Furina, I pride myself in Astrology and Divination."
"I've heard of it," Furina said with a clear tone. "It's very interesting. I've heard a lot about you and your Hydromancy."
"Thank you for your praises..." Mona smiled wryly before continuing. "So, recently, I've noticed someone with a disharmonious fate... So, I traced him and found him here."
"It's only when I read his constellations and date did I saw some parts of his fate..." Mona said before picking up a coffee cup once more and cradling it. "One of them was..."
Mona then hesitated before lowering her voice and leaning closer to Furina to whisper.
"His... Enormous libido... It's so strong that... It may very well break whoever he's doing it with..."
"..."
"..."
Silence descended upon the two. Mona sat in silence as she finished her coffee, while Furina's face turned from a monetary stunned expression to a flustered one.
"Wh-What?!" The latter exclaimed as a tinge of red spread across her face. "H-How could you... A-Are you... Are you sure?"
"...my divinations seldom fail me, Lady Furina." Mona closed her eyes as she shook her head. Her eyes then locked with Furina's. "Moreover, with his massive... Thing down there... It would inevitably be..."
"...disastrous."
---
It took Isaac a few minutes before Furina's chamomile tea coupled with a chocolate-stuffed croissant became complete.
He then planned to add nine sugar cubes to her tea.
However, he had other thoughts. '...too much sugar is detrimental for one's health.'
'I doubt that a God can easily get sick... But still.'
Thinking of this, he decided to reduce the sugar cubes to only four. 'That should be decent enough.'
Holding a white porcelain plate to hold everything, he walked out of the kitchen. "Order up!"
Just then, as he approached the counter, he saw Furina sitting there quietly as she observed him. Her eyes followed him and didn't break for even a moment.
Her thighs were tightly knitted.
"...?" Isaac noticed her strange glare. He then placed the porcelain plate in front of her. "Do enjoy, My Lady."
"I— Uh, yes, yes, indeed!" Furina snapped away from her trance and looked at what was served in front of her.
"...Alright, what's bothering you, Lady Furina." Having had enough of her odd actions, Isaac directly asked. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, it's fine," Furina said as she looked at her plate. She then looked at Isaac's deep amber eyes. "It's just that..."
"Never mind." She then took the chocolate-stuffed croissant and looked away.
Seeing her reaction, Isaac genuinely didn't know what was wrong. He then inwardly sighed. 'Odd...'
He then decided to go brew a cup of coffee for himself.
...failing to notice the heavy breathing and the mist emanating from Furina's breath.
* * *
A/N:
Hey guys, didn't you know that—
[Forbidden Knowledge on the paragraph comment above]
"..."
"..."
Inside Isaac's café, the usual tranquil and calm atmosphere was present, as always. Anyone who enters would inevitably fall into a state of serenity, whether they like it or not.
It's not because of any supernatural factor— no, it's all because of the warm and cozy atmosphere.
On the counter, Isaac held a cup of espresso with a bit of steamed milk. He cradled it gently before taking a sip. "So..."
"Is there anything else, Lady Furina?"
Opposite of him, the Hydro Archon and the God of Justice, Furina, was holding a cup of tea. However, she was abnormally silent.
'Did something happen?' Isaac's eyes darted at her face and found her somewhat flustered expression. 'Hmm... Certainly odd.'
After a few moments, Furina, who had been avoiding Isaac's gaze for quite some time now, opened her mouth. She then wryly chuckled, "It's nothing much, really."
"Uh-huh, sure..." Isaac mumbled as he quietly took a sip from his cup. "You know, for someone who is always in court, you sure are a terrible liar sometimes."
"Hey, that's not true!" Furina exclaimed as she finally turned to look at Isaac. "You must have forgotten, my dear assistant, but I am the God of Justice! I can discern lie from truth, and likewise use them to my advantage!"
"Sip..." Isaac verbally expressed his response by taking an exaggerated sip from his cup. With a poker face, he spoke, "Suuuuure..."
"You..." Furina tried to retort, but Isaac quickly spoke, preventing her from speaking.
"If that's the case, then tell me..." Isaac stopped taking a sip from his cup and slowly stood up. He then stood in front of Furina before leaning forward and looking at her directly in the eye. "What is it that you truly want to say, Lady Furina?"
"What is he doing..." Mona, who was still around, looked at Isaac's actions while peeking from a manga. "He does know that she can imprison him for doing such things towards her... Right?"
Mona didn't dare to interject, as such, she decided to just be a spectator.
Going back to Isaac and Furina, the former was still looking at the latter with a sharp glare.
"What did you—" Surprised by Isaac's sudden action, Furina couldn't hold it in anymore and stood up. "Fine!"
"C-Congratulations, you passed my test. You actually discovered that I had other objectives." She said as she wryly smiled at Isaac.
'I appreciate the effort in lying...' Isaac smiled faintly and didn't say anything. He then stood straight.
Furina then took out a paper from one of her pockets and placed it in front of Isaac. She then smiled flamboyantly and smiled wryly, "I'm here to take you with me to investigate a man who's suspected to be connected to the Masked Clown."
'...another guy's borrowing Gehrman?' Isaac inwardly sighed, however, he kept his facial expression neutral. "Have you confirmed its authenticity?"
Hearing this, the ahoge on top of Furina's head swayed slightly as if it indicated her mood. She then smiled smugly, "Why of course, I even personally spent an all-nighter confirming this."
'...lady, sorry to inform you, but it's probably fake.' Isaac lampooned. 'It's because, aside from Navia, no one else knows Gehrman.'
Isaac was quite protective of his various identities. Unless it benefits his plans, he would never give out his fake name.
As for Isaac's decision to expose Gehrman and Moriarty to Navia, it was to open a way for potential operations in the future.
Moreover, Isaac believes that Navia too wouldn't expose his real name just like that. It's because Gehrman and Moriarty deliberately showed 'good intentions' towards them that would make them hesitate.
'I'm rather curious as to who this guy who wants to borrow my name is...'
"I understand." Hearing her words, Isaac lightly nodded his head. He then sat back down again, "Come back later in the evening on the other side of the café. We'll then speak of the details."
Hearing that Isaac agreed to the cooperation she offered, Furina's face became lively. "That's great! As expected of my dear assistant!"
She then giggled, "As I thought, you are really interesting."
"I could say the same," Isaac faintly smiled at her compliment.
"Hehe," Furina smiled at his words. She then looked at the mechanical wall clock nearby and clicked her tongue. "The next trial is about to begin in an hour..."
"Then you better get going, Lady Furina," Isaac said as he collected their cups, intending to wash them soon. "You wouldn't want to miss a show now, would you?"
"You're right," Furina rolled her eyes while crossing her arms. She then looked at Isaac's eyes. "Let's meet again... Later."
Isaac lightly nodded. He then curled up a sly smile, "I'm looking forward to this new date."
"That again..." Hearing the same word he used yesterday, Furina grumbled to herself. However, she soon looked away. She then whispered to herself.
"Why do you always think of dates with me..."
After saying this, Furina hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to pay up and leave.
Ding~*
Shortly after Furina left, Mona walked by the counter and glanced at Isaac. Her face seemed a bit reddish.
"Go easy on her..." She mumbled under her breath as she looked at Isaac's figure.
"Hm?" Isaac, who was cleaning up the counter, noticed her glare. He then looked at her and asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"...nothing." Mona decided to pay before also leaving the café.
Now, Isaac was left alone in his own company. After cleaning the counter and Mona's table, Isaac sat down with a heavy sigh. "What a strange morning..."
"By the way... why was the conversation so focused on my lust?" Isaac mumbled to himself before shaking his head and returning to work.
---
At one in the afternoon, Isaac patiently served the surge of customers that came during the peak of the day.
It wasn't much, but ever since he found out that his customers were a bunch of wealthy people, he subtly raised the price of his coffee.
A price is always paid for what fate bestows, after all.
After everything settled down, the café once more returned to its serene atmosphere.
Sitting down, Isaac was just about to devour a cake he bought when the door of the café suddenly glowed.
From it, a gray-haired child walked in, looking everywhere in the café.
The child then saw Isaac.
"So it's real... I wasn't dreaming..."
"Good afternoon, Nahida." Seeing who it was, Isaac instantly put on a cordial front and smiled faintly at her. "How have you been?"
"I'm doing great, thank you for asking." Nahida walked over to Isaac's table. She then looked at the seat opposite of him. "May I?"
"Please, go on ahead," Isaac didn't mind it at all. For Nahida, he was willing to do anything. He then looked at the strawberry cake he bought and nudged it towards her, "Do you want some?"
"No, I'll only be here for a while," Nahida quickly rejected it as she shook her head. Her emerald-green eyes which had unique four-pointed flower pupils in them soon reflected Isaac's figure. "Moreover, it seems like you were just about to mercilessly eat that cake."
Hearing this, Isaac's lips quivered before he curled up a wry smile. "Alright, if there's anything you want, just say so."
Without waiting for Nahida's reply, Isaac quickly took a fork and started mincing the cake into tiny bits and stuffed them into his mouth.
"By the way..." Amidst his chewing, he looked at Nahida. "Have you been doing well, Nahida?"
He was worried that the little radish he cared for might be experiencing negative emotions from being locked up.
"I've been doing quite well, thank you for asking," With her soft gentle voice, Nahida nodded softly. "But... It does indeed get a bit tiring rummaging through torrents of information in Sumeru's Akasha..."
"I see..." Instantly understanding what she meant, Isaac nodded as he picked up another piece of cake. "So you stepped back a bit and came here for repose?"
"Well..." Nahida averted her eyes and wanted to retort, however, a faint sigh only escaped from her mouth as she lightly smiled. "I guess you're right... I'm over here resting, leaving my citizens in Sumeru... I wonder if this counts as selfishness?"
"It's procrastination." Isaac pointed his fork at her as she chewed slowly. He then gulped down and smiled gently, "Everyone procrastinates every once in a while. It's our mind telling us to rest amidst a stressful situation, giving it time to wind up a bit."
"Winding up a bit..." Mumbling over this word, Nahida lowered her head as she started contemplating. She then nodded gently, "I see! So this is procrastination..."
That's right.
As someone who had always been trapped inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana, Nahida had very few things to do other than attend to the people of Sumeru.
To her, this was the first time she had truly 'procrastinated' in the truest sense of the word.
Seeing this, Isaac's smile turned mellow as his deep amber eyes softened. He then chuckled lightly, "That's right. As such, for the time being, you can hang around here for a bit."
"Would that be alright?" Nahida's ears subconsciously lowered as her emerald-green eyes looked at Isaac. "Perhaps my citizens might need me right now..."
'...sorry to inform you, however, that doesn't seem to be the case...' Isaac inwardly sighed. He knew too well about the Dendro Archon's situation. 'How pitiful... My little radish is such a strong person to endure five hundred years of negligence, and still have thought of caring for her citizens...'
Having thought of this, Isaac lifted his hand and extended it towards Nahida. Soon, it landed on her white hair.
He had head patted the radish.
"Don't worry. I'm sure they can wait for a while."
"This time... Just focus on yourself."
Isaac was speaking casually as usual, however, this time, his voice was firm and filled with warmth.
Nahida looked up and her emerald-green eyes looked at Isaac's face.
For some reason, she found Isaac's voice to be very comforting and gave her a sense of assurance. It was as if his every word told her that everything would be alright.
She then felt his hand touching her head.
It was warm.
It was comforting.
It gave her a sense of support.
It... was familiar.
Like an elder sibling soothing their younger sibling.
Nahida became momentarily silent as she looked at Isaac. Likewise, Isaac was smiling at her as he rummaged her hair.
After a few seconds of patting Nahida's head, Isaac slowly retracted his hand and lightly smiled at her. "Do you want some tea?"
"...yes please." Nahida, who had returned to her senses, touched her head and nodded.
"Alright, please wait." Nodding his head, Isaac picked up his plate and went to the kitchen.
Nahida, who was still sitting down, soon touched her head— to the place where Isac touched.
After a while, a faint warm smile appeared on her face. She then giggled.
"Hehe."
---
Meanwhile, outside the café, a person wearing a Steambird Uniform who carried a Kamera and stealthily looked from the window.
She then smiled brightly at what she had seen. "Such intimate interaction... Are they siblings?"
"The reviews weren't exaggerated... Isaac Alder really does carry an air of comfort and warmth around him, giving others a sense of serenity... Just his words alone gave me a sense of comfort!" The woman with a monocle on her left eye vigorously wrote on her notepad.
"I want to learn more!" As she said this, she stopped hiding and decided to enter the café.
* * *
A/N:
You gotta let the chef prepare before he starts cooking. You can't just jump straight to the lemon.
Calm yo dick down.
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