"Why is my nose… so pointy?"
On the way back to the villa, that strange question kept buzzing around in Nico Robin's mind. She walked behind Takero with her head down, lost in thought. What did he mean by that? Was it some kind of test? Or did it have a hidden meaning?
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice him stop. A sudden, sharp pain shot through the tip of her nose as she walked straight into his back, as if she had hit a solid, invisible wall.
"Hey, watch where you're going!"
Takero had stopped in front of the villa and turned around to see Robin clutching her nose with an annoyed look on his face.
"Yes! I'm so sorry!" Robin's heart jumped. She snapped out of her trance and bowed reflexively in apology.
"Hmph. Come on," Takero nodded, not bothered by the minor incident, and led her inside.
The spacious, bright living room felt like a different world compared to the blood-soaked alley they had just left. Takero, still carrying the faint scent of blood, walked in with the cloaked figure of Robin behind him. Monet, who had been watching TV with Sugar, immediately stood up.
Sugar just glared at Takero with pure resentment. Her sister had already told her the true ending of "Sora, the Sea Warrior"—Sora didn't lose at all! He won! That mean older brother had lied to her, and she decided she wasn't going to speak to him for the rest of the day.
"Master, you're back," Monet said, bowing respectfully before her curious gaze landed on the person behind him.
"Yeah," Takero replied casually, throwing himself onto the sofa. He pointed at the reserved Robin and announced, "Monet, let me introduce you. This is my new maid, Number 2. From now on, you two are colleagues, so get along."
"Ma… Maid Number 2?!"
The welcoming smile on Monet's face froze. A complex emotion flickered in her emerald eyes as she sized up her new "colleague." The girl had a slender build, similar to her own, but the calm demeanor hidden beneath the cloak made Monet feel a strange sense of… threat.
A sense of urgency wrapped around her heart. Her position in this new home had been unique! She was the only one who personally served the Master, the only one with authority over the kitchen. But now… a "Number 2" had suddenly appeared. Didn't that mean she wasn't special anymore?
'No! My position as Maid Number 1 will not be challenged!' Monet thought, a silent alarm going off in her head. The way she looked at Robin now unconsciously carried a hint of scrutiny and faint hostility.
Robin keenly sensed the unfriendly gaze but remained calm. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she instantly understood what the green-haired girl was thinking. She simply lifted her head slightly and offered Monet a gentle, friendly smile to show she meant no harm.
However, in Monet's current state of "high alert," that kind gesture was interpreted completely differently. 'She's smiling at me?!' Monet's internal alarm bells screamed. 'That's a provocation! She's showing off!' Her glare toward Robin intensified, and she even puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, which only left Robin more bewildered.
Just as the atmosphere was growing awkward, the villa's front door opened again, and Tesoro walked in.
"Boss."
"You're here," Takero said immediately. "The pests have been taken care of. You can handle the cleanup. Call me if you run into any problems."
"As expected of you, Boss! Truly…" Tesoro's eyes lit up, ready to offer a compliment. But he stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the unfamiliar cloaked figure in the living room. That unique, serene demeanor… it instantly matched a bounty poster that was deeply ingrained in his memory.
"You… you're… the 'Devil Child,' Nico Robin?!" Tesoro's voice rose in shock. He couldn't believe that this world-class fugitive, sought by countless powerful organizations, was standing right here in his boss's living room.
Hearing her name spoken so directly, Robin's body stiffened. She slowly raised her head, her calm expression a silent confirmation.
"What 'Devil Child'?" Takero asked, taking a large, crunchy bite of an apple from the fruit bowl. "You know her?" He vaguely remembered her introducing herself as Nico Robin, but he hadn't paid much attention. It seemed this Maid Number 2 he had casually picked up was actually someone important.
"Boss! She's not just some ordinary person!" Tesoro's expression became incredibly serious. He walked over to Takero and lowered his voice, reporting what he knew in a grave tone. "Nico Robin. She's the sole survivor of the 'Ohara Incident' that shocked the world three years ago. When she was only eight years old, the World Government put a bounty of 79 million Berries on her head! She's known as the 'Devil Child' and is one of their highest-priority targets! Boss, taking her in will bring us immense trouble!"
Tesoro respected Takero's power, but he also knew the terrifying might of the World Government, the colossal power that had ruled the world for eight hundred years. To risk their new organization by angering the World Government for a single fugitive seemed incredibly reckless.
But after hearing the report, Takero's reaction was surprisingly calm. He finished chewing his apple, thought for a moment, and then asked a question that left Tesoro speechless.
"Hmm… Is it as much trouble as me beating up a Celestial Dragon?"
"Uh…" Tesoro scratched his head, suddenly at a loss for words.
Come to think of it… his own boss was already a walking magnet for trouble. In comparison, taking in one 'Devil Child'… maybe it wasn't such a big deal after all.
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