Chapter 66

Romane Island is a charming little island, home to simple, honest folk and adorned with beautiful scenery.

Most of the islanders are hospitable, their lives brimming with peace and tranquillity, devoid of the cutthroat competition and violence prevalent in the outside world.

So when Senor Pica arrived on the island for a mission, he decided right away not to disrupt the peaceful lives of the ordinary folks here.

His mission was completed successfully. After informing his young master of the results, he was ready to leave.

Though life here was peaceful, it didn't quite suit his nature.

However, it seemed fate had a sense of humor.

Suddenly, a heavy rain began to fall.

Senor looked at his newly purchased suit and decided to seek shelter from the rain.

Under the eaves, he lit a cigarette, calmly watching the persistent downpour.

He thought that since his mission was over, it didn't really matter whether he left earlier or later.

But then, he spotted a woman running barefoot in the rain, clutching her sandals in her hand.

She seemed to notice him too, and quickly darted towards his shelter, barging into his heart with a forceful, unreasonable manner, only moments later.

"Phew, it's raining heavily, got drenched!"

She wasn't remarkably beautiful, just a woman with orange hair and a few freckles on her face.

But her bright and radiant smile inexplicably quickened Senor's heartbeat.

So he couldn't help but ask, "Why are you still smiling after getting soaked in the rain?"

"Because... I love the rain."

Her smile was as warm as sunshine, even though she said she loved the rainy day.

This woman.

An unfamiliar feeling stirred within Senor.

Then, like a young boy experiencing his first crush, he awkwardly struck up a conversation with her, asking some fairly trivial questions.

However, the woman never showed any impatience, instead happily engaging in conversation with Senor.

"What kind of people do you dislike?"

Senor asked in a roundabout way, eagerly awaiting her answer.

The woman's response was simple and immediate, "Pirates, I despise them the most."

"Oh, by the way, what do you do for a living?"

With a stiff face and beads of sweat starting to form, Senor impulsively invented a lie.

"Ah, I work at a bank. Yes, I'm a bank employee."

"Oh, a bank employee, that's quite a good job~"

"Yes, it is."

Amidst the torturous tension, Senor had no idea when the rain had stopped or how he had eventually left.

But he remembered one name.

Lucien!

That's the name of the woman who made his heart flutter.

...

"Hey, Mr. Pica~ What a coincidence to see you again. Aren't you working today?"

"Work... Ah, I'm off today. You know, as a bank employee, we get better benefits, including many holidays."

"Nice! I can only envy you while juggling my part-time job at the flower shop."

"Actually, I..."

"Ah, shoot, I'm going to be late! Let's chat next time, bye."

...

"Welcome~ Can I help you, Mr. Pica?"

"Um... I... I'm here to buy some flowers."

"Flowers? Are you planning to give them to someone?"

"Uh..."

"What kind of flowers does Mr. Pica want to buy?"

"Just those."

Nervously breaking into a sweat again, Senor pointed randomly.

A conflicted expression immediately appeared on Lucien's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing. Can I ask who Mr. Pica plans to give these to?"

"I... I haven't decided yet."

"Well, I suggest you choose a different flower. These white chrysanthemums are typically used to express mourning, so it may not be the best choice as a gift. Though, personally, I quite like them~"

Senor immediately looked embarrassed, but thankfully his sunglasses covered his eyes, preventing a hasty retreat.

He ended up buying a beautiful bouquet of carnations recommended by Lucien.

Unbeknownst to him, Lucien's smile lingered even after he had left.

In the following days, Senor stayed on the island, concocting all sorts of ways to "accidentally" meet Lucien. It seemed that seeing her every day was a joyous occasion.

Until the day he came out of the flower shop, holding a freshly bought bouquet.

"Hey, Pica! Long time no see, are these flowers for me?"

Standing outside the shop, Abel greeted Senor openly and boldly.

In fact, Abel had found him even earlier. Out of curiosity to see what Pica was up to, he didn't reveal himself right away and instead chose to trail behind him.

How on earth had Pica not noticed such a clumsy attempt at tailing him?

Unbelievable!

Therefore, he decided it was time to make his presence known.

"Abel? How did you..."

Senor paused in surprise, then seemed to recall something and promptly shut his mouth.

Lucien, who had accompanied him out, asked curiously, "Mr. Pica, who is this boy?"

"My nephew."

"I'm his brother."

"Eh?"

The two glared at each other and then corrected themselves:

"My brother."

"I'm his nephew."

"..."

Abel shrugged, wanting to continue the teasing, but upon seeing Senor pulling down his sunglasses to reveal eyes that looked ready to spit fire, he signaled for Senor to explain himself.

"Well, this young lad is Abel, a distant relative of mine. Technically, I'm his uncle, but I usually treat him as my own brother."

Possibly due to his recent practice in lying, Senor managed to pass this explanation off convincingly.

Lucien didn't probe further, but bent down smiling brightly, attempting to pat Abel's head, only to be deftly avoided by him stepping back.

"Sorry, I don't like being patted on the head."

"What a character you are, young man~"

Despite being avoided, Lucien wasn't upset. Instead, she complimented Abel with a smile.

"Well, we should get going. Remember, dinner together tomorrow evening."

"Sure, goodbye, Mr. Pica. Goodbye, handsome boy who doesn't like being patted on the head."

Regretfully, Senor tore his gaze away and the two of them headed towards a deserted alleyway with surprising synchrony.

"So, is that woman the reason why you've been lingering here and postponing your return to the family?"

Abel's smile vanished as he turned to Senor with a serious look.