Chapter 94

### A Night in the Forest

After returning to the mansion, we had dinner.

I sat at the dining table and ate my meal. It was a stew with tenderly cooked meat. The thick sauce was filled with soft vegetables and meat. The rich flavor made my tongue happy, and it went well with the bread.

"This stew is delicious. Did you make it, Liricia?"

"Yes! It's easy to make even if you leave it unattended, and you can make a lot, so I used to make it often. The children loved it."

"I see. A well-practiced home-cooked meal. As expected, Liricia."

"Thank you!"

Liricia blushed happily and smiled, her silver hair swaying. I asked while eating.

"Has anything unusual happened? Have there been any strange customers?"

Sophia frowned cutely and hummed in thought.

"Hmm, strange... Today, we sold a few here and there. Someone bought 12 bottles and was surprised by the Crown seal."

"Is reselling with the Crown seal allowed? Well, right now it's more about preventing counterfeits. We can worry about reselling later."

Liricia looked at me with her violet eyes.

"About that. Kou said that if you want to prevent counterfeits, you should use a sealed design, so I asked him to do it."

"Sealed design?"

"It makes a sound when you open it for the first time."

"Interesting."

I stopped eating the stew and pulled over the magic bag nearby. I took out a small bottle with the Royal seal from inside.

When I tried to open the lid, it wouldn't budge. Liricia reached over and intertwined her slender fingers with mine.

"You have to turn it like this to open it."

There was some resistance, and the lid turned. At the same time, it made a "pshh!" sound.

I opened it all the way. The lid had grooves that allowed it to be turned to open. When I turned it back the other way and tried to open it again, it didn't make a sound.

"I see. So once it's opened, it's considered fake. Is the sound magical?"

"It's science, apparently. Something about the difference in internal pressure. Since it's something the king will consume, it can also prevent poisoning."

"Kou is impressive. I'll praise him later."

Tetti, who had a hole in her bread and was pouring the stew into it, said:

"Should we tell customers that it makes a sound when you open it?"

"Yeah, it might surprise them if they open it without knowing. It also helps them know if it's new or used."

"What about used Crown-sealed bottles?"

Sophia asked while scooping up the stew with her spoon.

"Hmm, we shouldn't throw them away. Maybe we can buy them back for about 1000 goats."

Tetti tilted her head cutely at my words, her golden hair swaying.

"Wouldn't that reduce our profits? Should we raise the price?"

"No, not now. We need to take down the black market and the drug dealers first."

"Okay, I understand."

Tetti bit into her stew-soaked bread and exclaimed, "Hot!"

After that, we talked about various things, like how it was in the forest and how Ciel was feeling better. Liricia said happily:

"Also, a child who was cured by the Puchi Ely came to thank us with a gift."

"Wow, it's great to hear that Puchi Ely is useful."

"Yes, I'm happy too."

Liricia smiled and took a bite of the stew. Her graceful movements were beautiful. I thought it was a good idea to set the price so that commoners could afford it.

Feeling cheerful, I continued eating the stew when Sophia said:

"Maa said I can go back to the church soon."

"Ah, thanks for helping out at the shop. I'll pay you a bonus since you'll need money."

"No, it's not decided yet. Besides, I might have to go to a church far from the capital or enter a convent."

Sophia frowned cutely and looked displeased. I asked, puzzled:

"Why do you seem unhappy about going back? Is it because you won't be able to use the elixir bath anymore?"

"That's the best. The pinnacle of bath culture!"

Sophia's blue eyes sparkled as she spoke passionately. Her blue hair, cut in a bob, swayed, highlighting her slender neck.

—As expected of a bath addict who takes five baths a day.

"This priest would choose a bath over God."

"Hey! I'm an angel, so it's fine. Besides, I think I should be the one revered by the church, not the one working for it."

"You're a fallen angel, though."

"I just want to soak in a large bathtub and stretch my wings. The believers can take care of everything else. I'll just come up for juice and massages occasionally, and I'll consider going back to the church."

"What a condescending fallen angel. No wonder you fell from heaven."

I teased, and Liricia nodded with a serious frown.

"That's right. Sophia, you might have been too immersed in the secular world. Even as an angel, you should live modestly."

"No way, I don't want to hear that from an angel who falls from grace every night. It's not because you're kind, it's because of that sin."

"Ugh..."

Liricia bit her lip and glared at Sophia but couldn't retort. She just made a frustrated face and grumbled.

I chuckled and tried to calm them down.

"Come on, both of you. Liricia and I are a married couple who have pledged our future to each other. It's fine, right?"

"Master... Thank you."

"Are you going to have a ceremony? And you haven't even exchanged engagement rings yet, right?"

I looked at Liricia, who was sitting next to me. She looked back with her large eyes, which showed no hesitation.

"It's still too early. I want to do it after we achieve our goal. Will you wait for me?"

"Yes, Master!"

Liricia nodded with a trusting gaze, her silver hair bouncing. Tetti, who was eating her stew-soaked bread, said:

"That's great. Then I'll hold the train of your dress!"

"Kyaa!"

"Hey, Lanna, do you want to do it too? Then we'll split it."

"Kyui!"

Lanna, still holding her spoon, raised both hands in joy. Her gestures were like a child's.

Excited, Sophia also raised her hand and said enthusiastically:

"Then I'll be the priest to officiate the ceremony!"

"Can you do that if you're not back at the church?"

"Ugh... I want to, but going back is a hassle."

"Are you not going back to the church?"

"Hmm. Not impossible, I guess. If I can be as whimsical as before with the church's power backing me, I might go back."

"You're a fallen angel..."

"Well, to be honest, I'm not that attached to it. My high rank was just a result of being the assistant to the hero and going on missions that everyone disliked."

She said this while quietly eating her bread. I could only shrug.

"Then, I'll rely on you for a while longer."

"Sure, Alex!"

Sophia smiled, her blue hair swaying. The pleasant dinner continued.

But—while nibbling on my bread, I thought:

Sophia's former position as a priest and the top rank might be useful in various ways.

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The next chapter will be updated tomorrow.

→ Chapter 95: The Cursed Night