Chapter 75
Chapter 75. Chicken is the Future (1)
"You and Mr. Jurgen aren't in a romantic relationship......?"
"......We're not...... in that kind of relationship though?"
Silence flowed.
Protecting customer privacy is the refinement of a first-class host.
The perceptive madam quietly excused herself.
"Th-th-then......! What kind of relationship are you in?"
"Obviously business partners?"
Serena couldn't understand at all.
It was certainly a misunderstanding when Penelope had previously shared the two's suite house with Serena.
Of course, it was also a misunderstanding when she'd mistaken being invited to the two's secret meeting.
However, Serena still firmly believed the two were lovers.
Because......
"You casually visit Mr. Jurgen's residence when he's alone. That's weird!"
"I-is that really weird? We discuss business and go eat meals."
"You dress super comfortably there too!"
"B-because it's comfortable?"
"B-but, Miss Penelope. You sometimes stare at Mr. Jurgen's profile."
"What are you talking about? I don't."
"I saw you fix his tie before?"
"I fixed it because it was crooked!"
"It's obvious you really rely on and lean on Mr. Jurgen though?"
"That's......! True, but...... what does that have to do with being lovers?!"
"Then, didn't you two kiss when you made up before?"
"Hey! Are you crazy?! We're j-just colleagues! K-k-k-kiss, what!"
Penelope began deflecting Serena's interrogation with an extremely flustered air.
That appearance was like suddenly being poked in the ribs.
As if she'd never imagined being asked such questions.
"More importantly, why should I have to answer! You're the one who's barking up the wrong tree!"
Only then did Serena grasp reality.
Would Penelope need to lie now?
Then was it really all a misunderstanding?
Had she just been misunderstanding alone?
The tension between the two wasn't the romance tension of a sly but secretly caring male lead who hides his status and abilities and a villainess young lady who was born in a good family but became twisted after being wounded by her family's coldness?
Then what was it?!
"Y-you...... do have feelings for Mr. Jurgen, right?"
Serena looked at Penelope.
Receiving a question that struck right at the core, Penelope was showing an appearance she'd never shown before.
She was twisting her side hair with her fingers, and her lips were pouting out.
She looked troubled and complicated enough to seem displeased.
"Miss Penelope."
"What."
"You're saying you have no interest in Mr. Jurgen, Miss Penelope?"
"Haah, that's what I'm saying? Jurgen is just...... a business partner."
"Really?"
"......Stop it?"
Natural-born engineer Serena knows a way to simplify this problem.
Just one simple question will do.
Just like scratching off a scratch card with a coin reveals the color underneath.
This question will become the coin that scratches off the inscrutable Penelope's true feelings.
"Then is it okay if I...... go out with...... Mr. Jurgen?"
That moment.
Serena's breath caught in her throat.
The spirit gushing from Penelope as soon as the words ended.
Should this be called pressure, aura?
What Penelope's expression and eyes looked like when she heard those words......
"Y-you, it was a joooke~ It was a surpriiiise......"
Let's skip it since she never wants to see it again.
***
The Costa Bay beach after the rain stopped, moderately cloudy, was fantastic.
Kiruuk- kiruuk- The cries of unknown seabirds.
Splash splash White foam breaking refreshingly.
When the wind mixed with saltiness gently swayed the parasol's shadow, all worldly worries disappeared.
On top of that, gulping down beer bottles chilled cold enough to sting from an ice bucket.
"Keuuh...... This is life, yeah."
Paradise wasn't envious.
How long had it been since such dissolute rest?
Minister of Internal Affairs...... no, when he took the professorship? No.
Not during the subjugation force days, and not during the Secret Burial Unit days...... either.
Was this the first time since just after his otherworld trip, rolling around with Isolde in the Spirit Demon Realm?
Serena had returned safely too.
He'd successfully signed a pepper supply contract with Lofo.
Now truly relaxing with peace of mind on a beach rivaling the Maldives, he realized he'd been running without knowing burnout had come.
A feeling of wanting to live leisurely like an idle person forever crept in.
If it weren't for the goal of 'Culinary Revolution,' he probably would have gladly done so.
This is the mysterious thing about human hearts.
Though he must have been so exhausted and worn down that he'd thrown everything away, even while enjoying this earthly paradise, a corner of his heart was chewing over thoughts like 'How can I spread chicken spectacularly?'
This is why people should do what they want to do.
"Miss Penelope! Catch! Water splash!"
"Hey! Sp-splashing faces was against the rules!"
"Ehehe, so naive? Where are there rules in war?"
"......You want to go that way?"
"W-wait! Alchemy is against the rules! Alchemy is against the rules!"
"What are you saying, Serena. There are no rules in war."
At the lively background sounds coming from over there, Jurgen lying on a sunbed slid down his sunglasses slightly.
Penelope and Serena were squeal-squeal-ing while splashing in the water.
Surprisingly, the two's swimsuits weren't rough northern-style swimsuits but bikinis that exposed skin.
At first, even Jurgen flinched at that bold choice.
Though bikinis were worn by everyone on modern Earth, they were items he hadn't seen in a while in this world.
Since both their beauty was stunning, it was hard to find where to look.
'M-Mr. Jurgen. This swimsuit is trendy.'
'......This is a bit awkward for me to say after wearing it, but...... aren't you, you staring too obviously?'
'You shouldn't. What if I tell elder brother...... Kyaaaah!'
'Shut up!'
Anyway.
"Miss Penelope, there's a huge clam! Let's grill and eat this!"
"Serena, did you see?! Just now a turtle! A turtle passed by!"
"Really?!"
At first both were timid, draping shawls over their shoulders, but now they played very well, having thrown away such shawls.
Probably by evening both their skin would be red and cooked, complaining away?
He'd bought aloe gel, so he should take good care of them.
Shortly after.
Penelope, looking exhausted as if she'd enjoyed enough, approached the sunbed side dripping water.
"Give me something to drink too."
"Cooled it nicely. Where did Miss Serena go?"
"She went toward the villa to bring a bucket to put clams in."
"Did you play happily?"
"Aren't you playing?"
"Am I not playing? I'm happy just watching you two play."
"What's that like an old person."
Penelope, who gulped down cool carbonated water instead of beer, giggled and sat down on the sunbed next to him.
Her legs with sandals hanging on her toes swayed gently.
-Kiruuk kiruuk kiruuk
"......"
"......"
Peaceful silence flowed.
Generally, the distance between the two was about this much.
In the same space doing their own business, not uncomfortable even without conversation flowing.
A relationship where just existence made a corner of their hearts feel secure while concentrating on each other's work.
Penelope also liked that firmly connected silence.
However.
'You and Mr. Jurgen aren't in a romantic relationship......?'
After Serena's words suddenly came to mind, this silence was awkward.
Anyway, saying such unnecessary things......
No.
If it were just that, she would have dismissed it as nonsense.
She would have answered herself 'That can't be,' ignored it, and that would be it.
Wasn't Serena saying strange things just yesterday or today?
So the reason Penelope was particularly troubled was different.
'Then is it okay if I...... go out with...... Mr. Jurgen?'
The impudent words Serena, who couldn't read the atmosphere at all, brought up as a joke.
At that moment, Penelope felt sticky emotions surging up from inside.
Hard to describe, but sharp and dark raw emotions.
And Penelope had felt similar emotions before, though perhaps more diluted.
That day when Jurgen said 'Serena is also a partner, isn't she?' and they fought for the first time.
She didn't know then, but now she understood.
It was possessiveness.
The emotion of not wanting to be taken by anyone, no, not even wanting to share, wanting to possess entirely.
A childish emotion to have toward a person called 'Jurgen,' not even an object.
Right, Penelope Rosemore wants to monopolize Jurgen.
Because he's the person who led Penelope here when she was trying to let go of everything.
Because he's the person who believed in Penelope when no one else did.
And because he's the most trustworthy 'partner.'
Like Serena said, it's probably not something romantic.
......Probably.
Probably, that is.
"You'll catch a cold staying wet. At least wrap this around yourself."
Jurgen wrapped a towel around Penelope's shoulders as she sat blankly.
When the fluffy towel gently brushed her nape, strangely goosebumps rose.
She suddenly became curious.
"Jurgen."
What about Jurgen?
What does Jurgen think about Penelope Rosemore?
Does he feel possessiveness or emotions equivalent to it?
Hoping he would, Penelope asked very carefully.
"If I...... became closer to Serena than to you, how would you feel?"
"Hm?"
Jurgen burst into hearty laughter at the unexpected question.
Because after thinking deeply for a while, the question Penelope brought up was quite trivial.
"It seems like a loaded question."
"Geez, I mean. If I'm closer to Serena and only go out with her, and discuss business with Serena, how would you feel? Don't you know just from hearing?"
"Did you two become close during this trip?"
"It's a hypothetical, hypothetical."
Probably they became close while shopping together and such.
Actually, since both Penelope and Serena had one rough point each making it hard to befriend people widely, seeing them get along well was nice.
"Hmm, I'd probably be jealous."
The moment he answered in a joking tone without much thought,
Penelope opened her eyes wide enough for her long eyelashes to tremble.
And.
"Jealous? Really?"
"Umm? Y-yes."
She brightened so much, it seemed like under the parasol's shadow became twice as bright.
"Hmmm, you say so?"
Even watching Penelope whose lips curled up mischievously, Jurgen couldn't understand.
"......But why did you ask something like that?"
"Weell, no need to worry too much. I just asked how it would be if that were the case."
"No, I asked for the reason......"
"I said not to worry."
Behind Penelope, who was smugly snorting, Serena came running.
"Mr. Jurgen! Miss Penelope! Let's pick up clams together and grill them!"
In her hands was a large bucket.
"Let's go, Jurgen. You work too."
"Alright, alright."
Jurgen rose from the sunbed and headed toward Serena.
Watching his retreating figure, Penelope muttered to herself with satisfaction.
"What, it's not just me."
***
After the Costa Bay vacation full of incidents ended.
Y&P Trading Company also returned to daily life.
Peppers received from Lofo's Happy Farm.
10 chickens supplied by Baron Keystone.
And with Jurgen's secret sauce added, making Seasoned Chicken the main product......
CCC (Crispy Crown Chicken) Store No. 1.
Opened with great success in Nortaris!