Chapter 279

The Eighth “First Encounter Again”

A breeze blew through the doorway, and the bells hanging at Nasta’s door chimed crisply.

“I’m back~”

“Manager, you came back so soon this time—where did you go?” Moonlight Lily put down her apron and was about to say something when she saw Ash come in with his hand on his waist and a grimace on his face.

“Toilet, I went to the toilet… ohmyback!”

The sharp pain from his lower back made him gasp.

That woman really knows how to be brutal… Rarely do I encounter someone who catches my interest, and the work environment isn’t bad either. Hoping to get along well with them this time around, but good intentions turned out to be misunderstood. Now it’s truly heartless.

“If going to the toilet makes you hurt like this, I suggest the manager should check at the hospital.”

“Forget it? I am the doctor, you know. Really, Lily, how did you get so bad?”

“Does the manager think this is anyone’s fault but yours?”

Pushing up his glasses with his thumb,微妙的光芒 reflected from above made Ash turn his head.

“I don’t know, anyway it couldn’t be my fault… the tiles were too slippery, that’s why I fell.”

To make his words seem more convincing, Ash used his watery eyes to wink at Lily repeatedly, which soon made the other person turn away uncomfortably.

However, if one looks closely, that Dark Pretty Cure really looks like our Miss Lily—it’s almost like they’re siblings.

Lily didn’t pursue the matter with her boss. She moved aside, revealing two faces behind her that Ash had seen just a few moments ago.

Lei and Erika were lying on the sofa inside the café, covered by the small blanket Lily usually uses for her naps. The two girls were embracing each other, breathing slowly, and looked utterly exhausted.

Ash knew exactly what was happening, but he kept his expression nonchalant as he asked in confusion, “This is… Lily, I’m not a pedophile, bringing children here won’t make me happy nor is it legal.”

“Manager,” Lily sighed deeply, then snapped the serving tray in half. “Please take this seriously at such times.”

“Yes!” Ash’s pupils started to dilate, he answered immediately.

No way, sis, that tray was made with special alloy scraps…

“Moonlight!” Seeing strangers appearing, Caffrey and Cifrey, the two spirits, jumped out from the girls’ arms and hid behind Lily.

“This person is… oh no, we’ve been discovered!”

“Don’t worry,” holding the two spirits front and center, Lily calmly explained to them, “He knows about me. The manager is strange, but he’s not a bad person; he’s trustworthy, I can assure you.”

Since the day they met, Ash had known about Moonlight Lily’s former identity, and it was he who carried the hypothermic Lily to the hospital and even paid her medical fees despite being short on money at the time.

Afterward, to repay him, Lily offered to work as a waitress at Nastka Café. Through this, she gradually got to know the “interesting” soul beneath the cool facade of Ash, while Ash obtained more intelligence about Pretty Cure from her. Over time, they grew to know and become close to each other.

“This is what I wanted to tell you,” Lily said gently looking at the two girls, no longer maintaining her usual cold demeanor. The girl who was always called an ice queen by classmates at school showed her softer side, thawing as it were.

In fact, when a sudden gust of cherry blossoms swept through the café, Lily was startled thinking it might be an attack from the Desert Apostle. However, seeing the person who handed her the two children, she understood what was happening.

“They aren’t ordinary girls, they’re the new… me.”

“Oh, I get it.” Arms crossed, Ash nodded at Lily’s words.

“So, the successor is new, eh?”

He was quick to plan.

Well… I guess Evolto must have been killed by Raid兔子 and his team by now. It’s unlikely he’d come across worlds to get royalties. If so, why not borrow some techniques.

Since he had found this approach useful, raising danger levels and increasing the strength of Kamen Riders, it stands to reason it would also work on Pretty Cure.

“Manager, I want to ask…”

“Go ahead.”

Brief as his answer was, Lily swallowed the rest of her sentence back.

“But first…”

His gaze fell upon the two fairies in Lily’s arms; Ash narrowed his eyes in amusement.

Lei turned over on the sofa, seemingly dreaming of something frightening. Her face paled, and she woke up in terror.

“Oh—Erika, don’t die!”

“Lei… so noisy…”

“Huh?” A voice beside her made Lei pause. Realizing she wasn’t on a battlefield, she could smell the faint coffee aroma and felt the dim yellow lights hitting her face and wall, providing a sense of peace. Nearby, a gramophone played romantically, setting a scene of luxury in an elegant place, seemingly a café.

Erika was lying next to her, which reassured Lei somewhat, yet new questions arose. What was this Timons guy, and why was he attacking? Were they spared or brought here?

“You’ve woken already? You can go back to sleep if you’re tired.”

“Thanks, I’ve rested enough… huh?” This voice sounded so familiar.

Lei looked toward the source. Ash sat next to her, smiling at the still dazed girl.

“Oh wow, what a surprise!”

Seeing Ash’s face, Lei’s cheeks reddened, and she shrieked loudly.

Her eyes wide, Lei was all awake now. The thought of being seen sleeping by her crush earlier sent waves of embarrassment through her, making her cheeks soften. Even if Pretty Cure, who can fight desert beasts, still has childish yearnings.

Why is that handsome manager here! No, why now, is it because I’m…?

“Welcome to Nastka Café,”

Removing his top hat, Ash bowed in greeting.