Just as Edward was mulling things over, a small figure ca bouncing in.
"Who were those people who just left?"
Bernadette held a delicate little box in her hands. She plopped down on the sofa and handed it to Edward. "This is from Mama. She made it herself and told to bring it to you."
"Oh? Thank Matilda for . But why are you here so early?"
At once, her face puffed up with indignation. "Mama found several tutors—painting, piano, etiquette…She wanted to start two years ago. Back then, Daddy asked if I wanted to learn, and when I said no, he cancelled it.
"But now that Daddy's only been gone a week, she's forcing to study again. With Daddy away, there's no one to stop her. So I ca here to hide!"
No wonder, Edward thought. At Audrey's age, she could already play several lodies fluently. Bernadette was supposed to be even smarter, yet she hadn't learned any "talents."
Edward opened the box, picked up a piece of pastry rich with buttery aroma, popped it in his mouth, and raised his brows in surprise. "Huh?"
"Mama heard you don't like things too sweet, so she made it lighter."
Bernadette reached in with her little hand, grabbed a piece, and took a bite. Her face scrunched up. "Bleh! Not good. Your taste is weird."
Edward handed the rest of the pastry to Dubois. "Do you know what happens if you eat too much sugar?"
"Toothache."
She replied imdiately. "But I always brush my teeth carefully after eating sweets, so I'm not afraid!"
"And besides that?"
Bernadette tilted her head, thinking. "It makes happy! Whenever I'm upset, sweets make feel better."
"Well…you're not wrong. Sugar does make people feel happy."
Her little mouth chirped on, "But—"
Dubois chuckled from the side.
Edward flicked her forehead. "But—it makes you fat!"
"Being chubby is cute, too~ And in winter, you don't get cold."
"Oh really? Then as you wish!"
Snap!
With a crisp finger snap, Bernadette's body and face puffed up before his eyes, swelling until she was nearly twice her size. The little girl who barely reached a ter tall suddenly weighed over a hundred pounds.
Her once delicate, pretty face ballooned into sothing resembling a Michelin doll.
"Ahhh!!"
She panicked, trying to stand up.
But she sank deeper into the sofa instead, flopping around helplessly like a fat carp on land. The harder she squird, the more she sank.
"P-Pull up!"
She stretched out her chubby hand, pleading. Edward folded his arms. "Still think being fat is cute?"
"Let look in a mirror first before I answer!"
Edward hauled her up, then wordlessly pulled out his camcorder again.
Bernadette first hopped in place, realising her limbs were now sluggish, weighed down like lead. Still, she didn't rush to complain. "I'll check in the washroom mirror," she said, and waddled off.
Monts later, her voice called out: "Mr. Sparrow!"
Edward walked over. "Well? Still think it's cute?"
"Not sure."
Standing before the dressing mirror, she jumped repeatedly. The mirror was too tall, so if she didn't jump, only her head was visible. But thanks to her added weight, she couldn't get very high at all.
Edward covered his forehead. With an invisible hand, he lifted her so her whole body reflected.
Bernadette studied her chubby form in the mirror, twisting her waist, pinching her cheeks, then finally turning with a smile. "It really is cute!"
Edward recorded every mont. "As long as you're happy."
Just then, footsteps sounded outside. Edward waved, restoring Bernadette to her normal size. She, however, looked disappointed. "Eh? Why'd you change back already?"
"Soone's here to see you."
"What?"
Back in the parlour, three young won stood at the doorway, looking uneasy.
Bernadette's eyes widened in shock. "You…you followed here?!" She planted her hands on her hips and glanced at Edward. "This is soone else's house—you're not planning to make play the piano and dance here, are you? Hmph! Mr. Sparrow wouldn't allow such nonsense!"
One of the won spoke gently, "Madam Matilda sent us."
In truth, the three tutors felt awkward. In all their years of teaching, this was the first ti they had to chase a noble child down to soone else's ho.
Bernadette imdiately turned to Edward. "Mr. Sparrow, chase them out!"
Edward patted her head and addressed the teachers instead. "The piano's in that room. Painting supplies are ready as well."
"???"
Bernadette was dumbstruck.
"Sorry. Matilda asked Dubois to inform yesterday."
"You grown-ups are terrible!" she fud. "Never caring about children's feelings. Once you decide sothing, you never give a choice."
Edward laughed. "Who said you don't get a choice? You can choose to take lessons here…or go ho and take them."
"…"
"Hmph!"
Bernadette gave a heavy snort, turned around, and marched off with the three teachers.
Dubois chuckled. "I thought you'd side with Bernadette, Boss."
"Even soone as much of a doting father as Roselle has his limits. This is what you call—'for her own good.'"
At that mont, a sharp glint flashed in Edward's eyes. "I'll be in the study. No matter what happens, don't disturb ."
"Understood."
The instant he entered the study, Edward sealed the space, then walked four steps backwards into Sefirah Castle. From one of the suitcases he had previously sacrificed, he took out the silver-white cross of the Twilight Hermit Order. As before, it shimred faintly with light.
He infused it with spirituality. The cross floated into the air, releasing a blurred projection—the sa chilling yet sacred ossuary-like cathedral. But this ti, there was one less figure within.
Had they not yet arrived? Or were they absent entirely?
Edward poured in more spirituality, and after a haze of distortion, he once again stood within the cathedral, at the far end of the left-hand row, just like the previous ti.
It was not the witch, nor Hers, nor the indistinct figure who reacted first—it was the hunter. He opened his mouth as though to speak, but forcibly swallowed the words back down.
Edward quickly swept his gaze across the congregation and realised the one missing was none other than "Intis."
No way…Could that brass rod really be so important? Important enough to make him skip a Twilight Hermit Order's gathering? If so, it only made his decision to expose himself last ti seem all the more illogical.
The group waited in silence for a few minutes. Then, the figure who had been standing with his back to them before the enormous cross turned around—Adam. His golden eyes swept calmly, swiftly across every participant.
"The trend of the tis," He intoned softly, "has been disrupted by sothing that should not exist. It has deviated from its intended path."
At once, the entire assembly was shocked.
Especially Edward—not only shocked, but guilty.
No way. No way! Don't tell this has sothing to do with ?!
But no one dared interrupt. They simply waited quietly for Adam's next command.
"Investigate the cause of the deviation in the trend of tis."
Hers bowed his head. "Understood."
Adam's golden gaze lingered on Edward for several seconds, gentle yet unyielding, before His figure dissipated once again.
"…"
Damn. Did He see sothing?
As before, the atmosphere instantly relaxed once Adam was gone.
The hunter was the first to speak, clapping with a grin. "Congratulations, congratulations, Number Eight! Truly beyond my expectations. I thought you'd be the one absent today. Who'd have thought it'd be Intis instead? Tsk, tsk, terrifying newcor you are."
Edward imdiately asked with feigned puzzlent, "Senior Hunter, what do you an by that?"
"Hey, don't play dumb. Obviously Intis tried to trick you, but ended up getting killed himself. Impressive, impressive!" He clapped again, leaning forward eagerly. "Mind sharing how you pulled it off? Interested in taking a commission from —say, killing that War Bishop for example?" ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NovєlFіre
Before Edward could reply, Hers interjected calmly, "Intis is not dead. He is absent today for other reasons."
"Ahhh!!"
The hunter groaned in disappointnt. "What a pity."
The witch nodded in agreent. "Indeed. I've always thought a gathering without 'Intis' is the best kind of gathering."
Edward seized the chance. "Why is that?"
"Because he's a lunatic disguised as a sane man," the witch replied coolly. "So far, three mbers have died indirectly at his hands—all fools who trusted him enough to cooperate."
The hunter snorted. "And I thought you'd be the fourth idiot."
"…."
Edward shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint."
"No, no! Even if you didn't kill him, you clearly have so skill. My offer still stands."
Edward tilted his head. "But didn't you last ti ntion working with Senior Witch?"
The witch sneered. "That fell through. His terms were to join forces against the War Bishop, with him keeping the Beyonder characteristic and taking the scraps. Risking my life against an unknown Sequence 3 just for a gamble? No thanks. I prefer concrete benefits. He couldn't provide any."
The hunter only spread his hands. "Then my apologies."
"Number Eight," he pressed on, "I'm not lying. That War Bishop likely possesses a Sealed Artifact from the Apprentice Pathway. You might even snag a Wanderer characteristic from it."
Edward smirked. "Sorry, I don't gamble on blind boxes."
"A sha! Such a golden opportunity."
Then, the androgynous figure finally spoke, their voice soft and uncertain: "Number Eight, did you truly investigate that house for Intis?"
"I did."
"And you received the treasure map?"
"Yes."
"And you went to the ruins marked on it?"
"I did."
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
Edward spread his hands and shrugged. "Of course not. I nearly died instead."
The hunter leaned in eagerly. "Oh? Tell us, tell us, what happened?!"
"It was nothing much. That so-called Abraham family ruin…was actually an Amon ruin. I ran into him there."
The words had scarcely left his lips before the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Even the cheeky hunter wore an expression of raw fear, his usual levity vanishing. The two mbers who had remained silent the whole ti showed obvious horror.
So that was it. Amon's na alone was enough to make every Beyonder who had heard of Him tremble.
Edward let his gaze sweep the circle, then slowly raised a monocle to his right eye. A sly smile tugged at his lips.
"Why are you all staring at , my dear colleagues?"
———
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