"..."
"..."
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.
Inside the kitchen, Isaac solemnly cleaned the dishes that were on the sink, scrubbing them thoroughly to ensure cleanliness.
"Hummm... Hummm..."
He was silently humming to himself as he maintained a faint smile on his face. He was vibing.
After a while, he finished washing the dishes and dried his hands. He then opened his system interface out of habit. He looked at the quest window.
'Four more days...' Isaac mumbled as he saw his current main quest ongoing. '...do I have to do four detective plays with Furina during that time?'
Sighing, he shook his head. 'Well, no matter. At the very least, I'm enjoying her gimmicks.'
'For a week-long quest, I wonder what reward it will give?' Isaac pondered. He then smiled wryly, 'Since this system follows my form of serenity, it would certainly be something of use to me... I can't wait.'
Finishing his thoughts, Isaac went over to the fridge and took out a container. He then started making iced tea for him and Nahida.
---
Leaving the kitchen, Isaac walked over to the table where Nahida was and smiled. He then placed a glass cup in front of her and filled it with iced apple tea. "Here, it's great for beating the sun."
'Albeit this café is air-conditioned...' Isaac lampooned as he maintained his smile.
"Thank you," Nahida held the glass cup and looked at Isaac with a bright smile. "Though, I never actually have felt the sunlight in person..."
"...oh right." Remembering this, Isaac mentally face-palmed. He then mumbled to himself in regret. 'Gah, how could I have overlooked such a fact... Tch...'
As if sensing his inner mumblings, Nahida looked up with an apologetic look. "Oh, you don't need to blame yourself! It's fine, I—"
"No, no, it's alright," Isaac stopped her midway with a faint smile as he shook his head. His deep amber eyes then reflected her face. "I... I was being inconsiderate... It's not your fault. Really."
"Still..." Nahida looked at Isaac with worried eyes. Her emerald-green eyes kept observing his expressions. In the end, she softly sighed. "Alright... If you say so."
"That's more like it," Isaac chuckled. He then poured himself a cup of iced tea and cradled it. "Well then, cheers."
He then lowered his hand, ergo letting Nahida reach his glass.
"O-Oh yes!" Nahida nodded hesitantly before holding her glass cup with both her hands and raising it to touch Isaac's cup. "Cheers!"
Clink*
Isaac smiled faintly as he retracted his cup and took a drink. The cold sensation of the iced tea flowed down his throat and quenched his craving for a cold drink for quite a while now.
The refreshing taste of apples coupled with the coldness brought by the ice cubes in the cup made Isaac unconsciously heave a sigh of relief. Tingles soon went down his spine and spread across his body. "Ha...~"
"Ha...~" As if copying Isaac, Nahida too heaved a soft relief after drinking the iced tea. "It was delicious..."
"Indeed." Isaac smiled softly. Cradling the cup slowly in his hand, he and Nahida vibed under the tranquil environment of the café without any disturbance. "Life's good, no?"
"It certainly is." Nahida nodded with a gentle smile as she agreed with Isaac.
Under the serene atmosphere, the Dendro Archon and the feeble café owner chilled without a care in the world. They just sat down while holding iced tea in their hands.
'For the love of God, Murphy's Law, please leave me alone just for this one moment...' Isaac lamented in his heart. 'Let me rest with Nahida for a bit...'
Ding~*
At this moment, the door of the café chimed, and a figure entered.
Hearing this, Isaac inwardly sighed— on the verge of crying. '...Damn you Murphy's Law...'
Isaac sighed verbally and placed his glass cup down. He was about to stand up and greet the customer who walked in when the latter touched his shoulders.
"Good afternoon, Monsieur Isaac!" The turquoise-eyed, monocled Charlotte appeared behind him and greeted him with a smile. "I'm here for our appointed interview if you remember."
'...I forgor.' Isaac chuckled. "Of course not. Come, please sit down."
Charlotte nodded before looking at Nahida who was sitting in front of the same table. She then looked at Isaac again, "You two seem close?"
'...It's gonna be hard proving Nahida's identity...' Isaac sweated. Nahida had never appeared physically in the outside world for more than five hundred years, as such, it would be hard for her identity to be validated. 'Should I say that she's a customer? No— that's only a temporary solution... Err...'
While Isaac was amidst his thoughts, Nahida hesitated for a moment before she opened her mouth. With a soft voice, she spoke.
"I'm his sister."
'You're my what?' Isaac's mind went blank when he heard the small God of Wisdom's words. 'This... Is she serious?'
Isaac's deep amber eyes which seemed to contain reining repose and serenity looked at Nahida. Likewise, Nahida's emerald-green eyes which seem to contain insurmountable innocence and knowledge looked back at him.
For a moment, the two reached a consensus.
'What a charlatan...' Isaac chuckled wryly to himself. He then smiled at Charlotte, "Yes, this is my sister... Nahida."
"Ah, I see!" Charlotte said as she flicked her finger. "So my guess was right! No wonder you two seemed close."
"...you were watching for quite a while now?" Isaac looked at her with a wry smile.
"Yes," Charlotte didn't hide anything and smiled. She then sat down. "Now then, shall we begin the interview?"
Looking at Nahida who was drinking the iced tea, Isaac nodded lightly before picking up his iced tea and looking at Charlotte. "Go on ahead."
"Very well— Let's get straight to the point, then." Charlotte opened her notepad and took out her pen. She then nudged her monocle as she looked at Isaac. "First question, what made you want to open a café?"
'Well, I died.' Isaac lampooned. He then opened his mouth, "It stemmed from my desire to open a haven for those who are muddle-headed. A place of repose, silence, and tranquility— somewhere they can relax."
"It certainly lives up to your expectations," Nahida said with a smile as she held her iced tea.
Charlotte nodded at Nahida's words.
"It also matches your café's name quite well," Charlotte commented as she spun her pen before writing it down. "Next question, what do you think is the reason the customers always come back to your café?"
Hearing this, Isaac chuckled lightly. He then took a sip from his iced tea. "To be honest? I think it's the smell of the coffee that attracts them. No one can resist the aroma of finely ground coffee beans being served as an espresso in the morning, after all."
"This is a reasonable development." Isaac wished he had a quill right now.
"I see, I see..." Charlotte wrote down what he said as she nodded. She then lifted her pen, "Next question, is there any secret to your coffees? Like a secret ingredient or procedure?"
"Hmm... If I were to point my finger..." Isaac lifted his hand and grasped his chin as he began to ponder. He then smiled faintly. "It's motivation. I believe that to serve something good, you have to have a good mentality. Otherwise, with a stale mood, your meal would more or less feel stale."
"In other words, putting an effort in each brew," Isaac sighed softly. "I'm not trying to be pretentious... I just genuinely love what I do, and it reflects on my work."
What Isaac was saying was true. Not only was brewing coffee therapeutic for him but the joy of seeing his customers appreciate his work motivated him every day. Also the money.
"An owner who genuinely loves his work with passion..." Charlotte mumbled over this word after writing down Isaac's words. She then nodded with a faint smile, "How commendable..."
"Thank you," Isaac nodded gently as he lifted his iced tea and drank once more.
Charlotte continued to ask more questions and Isaac answered them honestly. Occasionally, Nahida would comment on some aspects.
Finally, the interview was about to end. However, Charlotte still has one more question.
"We ran out of iced tea..." Isaac chuckled wryly as he looked at Nahida.
"I... I drank more than intended..." Nahida's elongated ears lowered as she said this.
"It's fine..." Isaac smiled softly as he looked back at Charlotte. "Well then, is there anything else?"
"Yes, one last question." Charlotte, who was organizing her notes, nodded as she looked back at Isaac. She then straightened her posture and spoke with a calm tone.
"What's your relationship with Lady Furina?"
"..." Isaac's smile froze for a moment as he didn't know what to respond with. With a casual tone, he chuckled lightly. "Why, she's a valued customer, of course... What makes you ask that question?"
"Why ask such a question? It's simple!" Charlotte smiled as she said this. She then nudged her monocle and looked at Isaac with a solemn smile. "For you to attract even God Focalors says a lot about your business!"
"A brew endorsed by the Gods! Just think about this title!" Charlotte said as she wrote down her thoughts. "Oh! I can't wait to make a draft about this!"
"Thank you so much for this interview, Monsieur Isaac." Charlotte then stood up and shook Isaac's hand. "I assure you that this will reach the 'Golden Week' magazine as soon as possible!"
'The Golden Week magazine... Isn't that the one the rich privileged folks buy? Whoa...' Isaac quickly rummaged through his memories. He then smiled warmly at Charlotte. "That would be excellent, Miss Charlotte."
"Ah— but before you leave..." Isaac suddenly remembered something and stood up. "Hold on..."
He then went into the kitchen and returned a moment later. This time, he was holding a small box. He then handed it to Charlotte. "Please, have this. It's a box of assorted tea— There should be Earl Gray, Lavender, Chamomile, and Lemon Balm tea packs inside."
"Take it as a sign of gratitude from me." Isaac gently and warmly smiled at her, expressing his hood will. However, the small glint hidden in his eyes hid a different thought.
Charlotte looked at the box and hesitated for a moment. She wanted to reject it, but seeing Isaac's expression and his willingness, she could only softly sigh with a faint smile. "You're very generous, sir Isaac. If I have the chance, I'll make sure to come back here for a meal."
"That's great." Isaac nodded lightly as he handed the tea pack to her gently.
Ding~*
Soon, only Isaac and Nahida were left inside the café.
'That should do it...' Isaac heaved a soft sigh before returning to his seat with Nahida. Sitting down, he was just about to open a book when he noticed Nahida's glare.
"What is it?" Isaac moved his eyes and calmly asked Nahida.
"You're much more manipulative than I thought..." Nahida said as she looked at Isaac. However, contrary to her words, she wasn't looking at him with contempt or disgust. Rather, she was looking at him with curiosity. "Is this part of the vast tapestry of lies you surround yourself with?"
Hearing her words, Isaac blinked once before curling up a soft smile.
"Guess."
* * *
A/N:
Playing Reverse: 1999 made me start feeling a wee bit bri' 'ish.
...which made me make an impulsive decision to buy a pack of green tea.
Foolish, I know.
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