"I'm sorry. I could only secure ninety-four million Dennies in compensation for you."
After the meeting, Mrs. Meilin returned home, slumped into her chair, and let out a deep sigh, rubbing her brow in frustration.
"Please don't let it weigh on you, Madam Meilin. Everyone has seen your efforts. Victoria Housekeeping will always remember your kindness."
After carefully confirming there were no surveillance or listening devices in the room, Lycaon took his place before Mrs. Meilin, bowed slightly, and spoke with formal respect.
"I do like hearing you talk. Agreeing with Rina back then and taking you in from the Mockingbird really was the right decision."
Mrs. Meilin opened her eyes a little, the way she looked at Lycaon filled with appreciation.
Rina might have been the senior member, but Lycaon had quickly risen above her. For years he had steered the great ship that was Victoria Housekeeping, and every time he brought it safely back laden with results.
"Thank you for the praise, but I truly don't deserve it. Our latest trip to the Bale Building not only cost you a massive penalty fee, it also caused you needless humiliation. I am deeply ashamed."
Lycaon spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, yet still lowered his head slightly to Mrs. Meilin.
Even Rina at his side felt a flush of guilt. She stepped up beside Lycaon and bowed in apology with him.
"Oh, you mean that? It's fine. We'd already discussed it with the vampire clan—it was a planned failure from the start. If anything, it's my fault. I wanted a better effect and didn't tell you in advance."
Mrs. Meilin waved her hand, clearly unconcerned.
Yes—she was the secret backer behind the purchase of the Bale Building, and the one who had hired Victoria Housekeeping to clear it out.
At her words, Lycaon's pupils shrank, and he lifted his head in spite of himself.
Because the Bale Building had been used as a tool to steer an airship into a Hollow, Mrs. Meilin had worried that its commercial value would plummet, and in the end had paid the breach-of-contract fee and given up the purchase...
The reason was solid. The logic flawless.
At the time, Lycaon had believed it completely.
But from the way Mrs. Meilin was talking now, there was clearly more to it.
"I'm very sorry, but I must still ask—"
"It's about the cooperation with the vampire clan, isn't it? No need to ask."
Mrs. Meilin waved a hand, lifted the coffee beside her, took a light sip, and set it back down with a crisp clink.
"This is an absolute secret. All I can tell you is that the vampire clan bears no hostility toward Victoria Housekeeping—especially toward Phaga."
"Head back, Lycaon. You've been away long enough. It's time you went home and took a look around."
"Oh, right. I've been so busy lately I haven't had time to visit Victoria Housekeeping. Phaga and Ellen probably don't even know who I am yet... Here, take this ten million Dennies. Buy them whatever they like—consider it a little meeting gift for the kids."
With that, Mrs. Meilin gently saw Lycaon and Rina out of the room.
Outside the door, Lycaon and Rina exchanged a look, then both gave a small shrug.
Lycaon glanced up at the moon and said, "If we drive through the night, we should make it back to Victoria before dawn."
"Won't that tire you out, Lord Lycaon?" Rina tilted her head slightly, smiling.
"Not at all."
Lycaon shook his head and walked toward the pickup.
Rina hurriedly floated after him.
...
The next morning, the moon clocked out earlier than the streetlights. Even with the sun already shining bright, the lamps still burned with their warm yellow glow, guiding the pedestrians on the road.
Vroom~~~ Ssssh!
As the engine's roar faded, a pickup truck finally pulled up and stopped in front of Victoria Housekeeping.
Soon, a white-furred wolf-man in a butler's uniform stepped slowly down from the truck, his metal prosthetic legs clanking softly. With gentlemanly grace, he opened the passenger door for the Ghost Lady.
The Ghost Lady floated out, cradling a large cake in her arms. Together they walked up to the door of Victoria Housekeeping, the crisp metallic clink of keys echoing as they jingled.
Click~ Clack~
They pushed the door open and, after stepping through the entryway, heard the sound of running water coming from the kitchen.
Rina set down the cake and drifted over. "Phaga, are you doing the dishes?"
Instead, a small green twin-ponytailed head poked out from the kitchen, peering out in puzzlement. The moment she saw who it was, Corin's eyes lit up.
Then she tilted her head a little, and Lycaon's figure came into view behind Rina.
Corin couldn't hold back any longer. In her slippers, she pattered over and threw herself into Rina's waist, wrapping her arms around it. Like a kitten, she rubbed against her, her eyes misting slightly.
"Miss Rina. Mr. Lycaon. Welcome home..."
"Alright now, good girl, Corin. We're home."
Rina gently stroked little Corin's head, smiling with her eyes.
After a while, Rina suddenly seemed to remember something. She glanced around, puzzled. "Corin, where are Phaga and Ellen?"
"Them?"
Corin lowered her head, her gaze darting about.
Only after a long moment did she finally muster her courage, clenching her tiny fists up in front of her chest and declaring with great seriousness, "They went to school!"
"Really?"
"Really..."
"Then I suppose I'll give their homeroom teacher a call to confirm."
...
"Hello, who is this... Oh, Rina! You called the right number—this is Ellen's phone. She and Phaga are in the middle of something right now. Ah, I'm so sorry, it's during school hours and we still went and assigned them a commission... No, it's fine, really—if anything, we're the ones imposing on them."
Beep~ Beep~
Belle hung up, tossed the phone back to Ellen, and pouted at Phaga and Ellen.
"I mean, you two skipping class is a bit much, don't you think? Rina called the school and they said you'd taken leave. Now she's calling me."
"School, huh? We go when we're in the mood. Besides, if we went to class, it'd take a few extra days before we could pay you your commission."
Phaga, chewing on a sandwich, finally tore his eyes away from the movie when he heard his name. He turned to look at Belle, giving her a quick once-over.
"Speaking of which, Manager, you don't look that old yourself. Why'd you drop out of school?"
"Because my old school blew up. My student records are gone, my guardian's gone—so naturally there's no one left to force us to go."
Belle casually spouted nonsense to gloss it over.
Though... in a sense, it wasn't entirely nonsense.
"Oh, so the Manager's actually a self-taught legendary Proxy. Amazing."
Phaga finished his sandwich, brushed off his hands, let the shark tail resting on his lap drop down, and stood up.
"Anyway, Nicole and the others are still going to be a while, right? I might as well run out and grab some coffee. I know Ellen likes her wheatgrass latte extra strong... What about you, Manager? What do you want?"
Thud!
Just then, the video store's front door burst open and a tuft of pink hair squeezed through. The girl was panting, drenched in sweat—clearly she'd sprinted all the way here.
Though seriously... why didn't she just drive?
But that wasn't the point. Nicole darted straight into the store, and the moment she spotted Phaga, her eyes lit up.
"I like my pepper latte with extra everything, Anby likes a regular pepper latte, Nekomata likes a wheatgrass latte, and Billy... he likes motor oil! Thanks, boss! Boss is generous! Boss stays healthy!"
Phaga, Ellen, Belle: "Uh..."
Beside them, the black-and-white plushie scratched its fluffy head in confusion. "Liking pepper lattes is one thing, but why extra-loaded? Isn't the flavor too strong?"
"What do you know?" Nicole planted her hands on her hips, shut her eyes, and declared Vanquisherly, "Extra means more, and more is good!"
The very next second, Nicole suddenly snapped to attention.
She jumped to the side, fur standing on end, her voice shooting up an octave… "EEEEH~ What is that thing?!"