Chapter 198
Pastel trembled as she ate the Fresh Magic Stone Yogurt.
Tremble, tremble.
She scraped the bowl clean, sucked on her spoon, her eyes sparkling at the delicious taste. And then she trembled again.
Tremble, tremble.
Lord Demon, who had been watching her, gave her a strange look.
"Why are you doing that? Is the taste that moving when the magic stone is fresh?"
"Nooo."
Denying it instantly, Pastel bit her spoon and glared at Lord Demon.
"Lord Demon, you're not a fool. Where would freshness come from in an ore? You're a total fool."
Lord Demon, who had somehow managed to make a dessert despite the poor Cooking Facilities, was dumbfounded.
"It seems Pastel is scared of the monsters that have grown ferocious from demonic energy."
Melissa casually hinted. Yet, her businesslike tone conveyed a firm will not to get unnecessarily close to the person her friend liked.
Wow, what an incredible sense of distance.
Her consideration really shines through.
Or is it? Is it just her attitude toward a criminal who seduced a young friend he was supposed to be raising?
Gasp.
Pastel suddenly became curious about how Lord Demon would react if Melissa sent him a look of contempt.
Knowing Melissa, even if she truly felt contempt, she would likely refrain from expressing it.
"Melissaaa."
Pastel pleaded in a sweet, coaxing voice.
"Could you try sending a 100% genuine look of contempt at Lord Demon?"
"Pardon?"
Melissa was flustered, and Lord Demon was baffled.
"What kind of ridiculous request is that?"
"I think Lord Demon deserves it. Don't decline and just accept it!"
"Do not speak of it as if it is a good thing."
Lord Demon pressed his temples.
"Boo, boo. We don't need Lord Demon's opinion anyway."
She sent Banjjakbanjjak glances at Melissa.
"As a friend, this is the wish of a lifetime. I want Lord Demon to be despised for a valid reason."
"You are just saying whatever comes to mind."
Melissa touched her cheek, looking troubled.
"I don't think 'wish of a lifetime' is an expression meant to be used for something like this."
"Then the second wish of a lifetime!"
"I don't think that's the issue. Despising someone is not good behavior."
Eue.
"You won't do it?"
Disappointment.
She sent a sorrowful look. Her pink eyes wavered. Melissa flinched, blushed slightly, and pondered for a moment.
"However, mentioning things that shouldn't be done and creating a culture that prevents their recurrence might also be a person's duty. If we don't speak of taboo subjects and just assume everyone knows, the line will only blur as cases pile up."
Wow, such serious thoughts.
The smartness of an Honor Student can be felt.
"I agree! Strongly agree! Agree!"
Actually, the smart Pastel had brought it up because of those exact thoughts!
Her Pink Eyes sparkled.
"So, so, are you going to despise Lord Demon for me?"
"There is a proper reason, but..."
Melissa trailed off.
"What?"
Lord Demon, who was clearing away the yogurt cup, looked puzzled.
"What reason could there possibly be?"
It was the image of a criminal who had gone beyond a lack of morality and reached complete unawareness.
Euee.
To think Lord Demon was at this level.
Contempt.
Pastel earnestly sent a look of contempt. But perhaps because she had never done it before, it didn't work well, so she just said her contempt out loud.
"Contempt."
Lord Demon was dumbfounded.
"Young Craft, your petulance has been excessive lately. Don't tell me you are still holding onto that underwear incident?"
Oing.
Bringing up the past out of nowhere?
Pastel's gaze turned crooked.
"Do I look like such a Petty Person as Lord Demon? Lord Demon was hugely at fault for that issue, but I forgave him with my broad heart a long time ago."
Agreed.
"No matter how I look at it, that doesn't seem to be the case."
Lord Demon looked like he had a lot to say. Perhaps thinking there was no point in dealing with Pastel, he turned to Melissa, the most sensible person in the room.
Melissa looked troubled.
"Even so, I don't think it's good manners to bring it up. It might have been trivial to the Archdemon, but from Pastel's perspective, it's an embarrassment she'll remember for a long time."
What?!
This atmosphere of unspoken agreement.
I suddenly became a petty, sulking kid...!
Heuaa!
Her face turning bright red, Pastel jumped up, burning with a sense of justice.
"Melissa! Not taking your friend's side is not good behavior!"
Dishonor! Dishonor!
Protest! Protest!
Melissa smiled a Model Student smile, as if she had expected the backlash.
"I think it's also not a good thing to gloss over right and wrong without mentioning taboo subjects. Sometimes, wouldn't it be better to mention them and prevent a recurrence?"
Heuaa!
You can't just apply the logic I just agreed with right here...!
Please let such a smart method slide!
Pastel twisted her body *Padeulpadeul*.
"If you're going to be like this, I'm going to sulk! I'm going to Wanjeonwanjeon sulk!"
She shrieked.
"From now on, I won't even touch the snacks Lord Demon makes!"
A shocking declaration.
Melissa watched her for a moment before following Lord Demon's lead and clearing the dishes.
"I'll help you."
"Thank you."
It was an atmosphere of complete indifference.
Heuaa!
"I'm really sulking! I wasn't sulking before, but as of today, I am!"
Pastel ran out of the Lounge, on the verge of tears.
"Waaah!"
#
A damp and gloomy space in a corner of the Mine.
The Fairy gave a thumbs-up.
―I think you did great!
Gasp, as expected of the Good Fairy!
"Right?! Right?! I think they're both being too mean!"
―Yeah, yeah! Totally!
The Fairy clapped her hands together as if she had thought of something.
―While we're at it, how about sticking a Love Amulet on each of the disobedient people around you? It'll make you feel better!
Oing.
Her ears perked up.
According to Melissa's fairy tale book, sticking a Love Amulet on someone you like was ultimately a path to ruin, collapsing before true love.
However, spreading love to the people around you was a situation the fairy tale book hadn't mentioned.
Solgitsolgit.
Pastel asked about the part that was bothering her.
"I have a lot of friends, but I only have 2 amulets."
The Fairy thumped her own chest.
―It's fine! Just trust this Good Fairy! I can make as many as you want!
The Fairy then added lightly.
―As the number of amulets increases, I'll inevitably have to receive various things in return, but since we have a family-like relationship, there's no need to worry!
Pastel groaned and struggled.
A somewhat tempting proposal.
She began to ponder and asked a very important question.
"By any chance, do you offer credit installments?"
A puzzled look returned.
―What's a Credit Installment?
The Fairy put on a blank expression, seemingly genuinely clueless. Was an explicit Credit Transaction too modern?
"It's a trivial transaction method that the Good Fairy doesn't need to know. Instead of paying the price immediately, you pay it back when you think you can. If you have to pay right then and there, you can't make a transaction when you lack what you need. Then you'd just have to hold back, but if we use this method, I can ask the Fairy for a favor whenever I want!"
―That sounds somewhat good. You mean I don't just pay with what I currently have, but I also pay with what I will have in the future? And you can ask for as much as you desire?
"As expected, the Fairy is smart! It's exactly that kind of feeling!"
The Fairy lifted her chin.
―The Fairy is smart! It's a good method for both of us! I completely understand!
Pastel explained it meticulously for the Fairy.
"To state the condition exactly without missing a single letter, it's something like, 'If Pastel judges it difficult to pay the price immediately, she can delay the payment until she declares the payment is ready.'"
The Fairy rolled her eyes.
―Paying immediately is too strict, after all. Paying when you've prepared the price is very reasonable! Then there will be more requests, and the amount I can receive will increase too! This loan-like thing seems like a smart idea!
"Right? If we just write this clause exactly as it is with proper legal effect in that contract, I think we can make a deal! Since the Fairy smartly called it a loan, if we contract now, I'll be specially generous! I'll even add a condition that interest will accrue on the price! It's a condition advantageous to the Fairy!"
―Oh, really?!
The Fairy raised both arms with a bright face.
―Then I'll do it!
"Gasp, really?!"
Wowww!
"Great! Great!"
Pastel held the Fairy's small hands and danced round and round.
"Let's make the contract right away!"
―Yeah! Hold on.
The Fairy let go of her hands and exhaled. Perhaps needing to calm her excitement for something like Contract Magic, she repeated her breathing a few times.
The Fairy then paused.
―Huh? Wait a minute. Isn't there a huge loophole in the contract clause?
"Yes? What is it?"
Pastel became completely puzzled.
The Fairy Eyes rolled.
―Doesn't being able to delay payment mean you can just not pay and delay it indefinitely?
Oing.
―Besides, doesn't paying when the price is ready mean that if you just keep borrowing so much that it's hard to pay back, you don't have to pay it back at all?
Oiing.
An idea Pastel hadn't even thought of!
"Such a loophole?! The Fairy is totally smart!"
―Hehe, the Fairy is smart!
The Fairy shrugged her shoulders, Eusseugeusseuk.
Then, as if she had thought of something, she paused.
Shock spread across her face, and her small mouth fell open.
―Was I just about to get scammed?!
Oiing.
"How could this be!"
Pastel also put on a shocked expression.
"The Fairy was about to get scammed?!"
A surprising fact.
Shock.
―Don't tell me, you?
The Fairy sent a suspicious look.
Pastel had a blank expression. It was identical to the Fairy's blank expression from earlier.
The Fairy tilted her head.
―I guess not? True! Since this is our first contract, it must be hard to craft the clauses meticulously!
"That's right! Pastel admits it too!"
―Then I'll try crafting the clauses meticulously! Wait for me!
The Fairy looked full of motivation.
However, Pastel suddenly felt her motivation dropping, though for no particular reason.
Uh-oh.
Come to think of it, is it right for a stiff relationship like a contract to get mixed in between the Fairy and me?
There is a saying that one shouldn't engage in a Monetary Transaction with family. Once a Monetary Transaction is involved, there is a high chance of fighting, no matter how good the relationship is.
Gasp! I am fighting with the Fairy!
An unimaginably terrible outcome!
Pastel absolutely did not want that.
"Fairy! I don't think a stiff contract suits us! It's right for us to stay like family just like this! Rather than that, let's go find the Demon King's Inheritance!"
Returning the Demon King's Loot to the Great Fairy!
As a Pink-Pink, I will definitely punish that bad thief!
Light Punishment!
Pastel burned with motivation.
―Huh? Huh?