Chapter 24: Troubles

“Lucky Pasture” is a popular dessert shop on the east side of the shopping street. Its main feature is that all the desserts in the shop use freshly squeezed milk as the main ingredient. Fresh milk is delivered every early morning from the farm, and due to limited raw materials, the products in the store are sold in limited quantities.

Qing Yue really likes this shop. Whenever she feels troubled, she comes here alone to taste the desserts. Right now, Qing Yue is sitting in a booth at Lucky Pasture, savoring both the desserts and her own troubles.

She delicately scooped a spoonful of double-skin milk and slowly brought it into her mouth. Her taste buds, dormant for a long time, revived, adding a touch of color to this dull world.

Now, there are not many things that can give her a taste experience.

“Sigh…”

She felt that she had been acting strangely lately. For example, the mental interference she used on Zhan Lan and the producer yesterday was a type of ability that Qing Yue herself was very wary of, often reminding herself not to rely on such esoteric methods.

However… if the use of mental manipulation on the producer could be justified to some extent, what about its justification on Zhan Lan? Was it just for fun? She should detest manipulating others’ minds like that… Why… why was she so ex·cit·ed at that time?

The feeling of using her ability at that time was so natural, as if she was invoking some kind of instinct, just like now—she automatically salivated at the sight of desserts—smooth and natural.

“Sigh…”

Qing Yue sighed again.

She was well aware of the problem. As she had said herself—

Once corruption begins, it can never be stopped.

She was always vigilant of herself—vigilant of her own corruption. However… corruption is like the decay of an apple core; in the unseen places, it silently and irreversibly happens.

Unconsciously, the once double-skin milk had turned into an empty bowl.

Even rare delicacies couldn’t stand against the taste of troubles.

Qing Yue took a deep breath, deciding to put aside the chaotic thoughts and enjoy the rare happy moment.

Staring closely at the strawberry milk pudding in front of her, she wanted her eyes to savor it first.

She could only taste such delicacies on weekends because everything here is sold out after school on weekdays. This weekly experience was sacred; she, with her impaired taste, had to cherish every flavor she could taste.

People with intact taste often find it hard to imagine the pain of losing taste. It’s like the world suddenly turning from color to black and white, making everything seem dull.

If, at this time, the only thing with color appeared in the black and white world, then those eyes might never be able to look away from that color.

She would be addicted to that color, feeling happy whenever she saw it and anxious when she couldn’t. Living in a world of black and white had become a torment for her, and only that color could give her redemption—like cough syrup for an addict.

Milk was the color in her black and white world. She might have developed an addiction to milk. Just tasting milk could give her pleasure.

But—

The pleasure her spirit provided was a thou·sand·fold· compared to milk.

She had once pondered why her taste buds were so fond of a few foods like milk. Her final conclusion was that milk, as a biological fluid, might contain residual spirit.

And merely the residual spirit of animals was enough to make her experience withdrawal symptoms. So, the spirit from humans themselves—imagine how addictive it could be.

In fact, she believed it wasn’t just herself; demons and magical girls probably had the same withdrawal reactions. It’s just that magical girls often found it hard to notice.

She speculated that if a powerful magical girl suddenly lost her magical power supply—meaning a significant drop in popularity—her body might experience such withdrawal symptoms.

Of course, she couldn’t confirm this.

Qing Yue gently moved the strawberry on top with a fork; she didn’t want to eat it because she couldn’t taste the flavor of strawberries. So, she usually saved it for last.

While Qing Yue was carefully performing this operation, someone greeted her—

“Hello… Is the seat across from you taken?”

It was a girl with the temperament of a neighbor, wearing a pure white dress and a beige hat. Her appearance was very pleasant.

“Because all the other seats in the shop are taken. Do you mind sharing a table?”

The girl’s attitude was very polite but carried a slight sense of shyness, giving the impression of a “shy little squirrel.”

“Please, have a seat. I’m just here by myself.”

Qing Yue answered truthfully. After all, this wasn’t a school cafeteria, and it wouldn’t be good to disturb the shopkeeper’s business by claiming someone was there.

“Thank you.”

Her smile was like a plum blossom blooming in winter, pure and sweet.

“Can I ask a little, which desserts in this shop are particularly delicious?”

The girl asked in a somewhat shy voice.

“Is it your first time here?”

Qing Yue felt the girl looked somewhat familiar.

“Yes, a colleague recommended this place, so I came to take a look.”

The girl spoke with a hint of shyness.

“A colleague? So, miss, are you already working? You look so young; it’s really hard to tell.”

Qing Yue picked up the menu, intending to recommend a few items to the girl.

“Well… kind of,” the girl’s voice was a bit muffled, as if there were some untold secrets.

But Qing Yue was not one to pry into others’ business.

“My taste might be a bit unique.”

“Uh, that’s okay. Actually… I rarely eat desserts, just wanted to give it a try.”

The girl’s eyes seemed expectant.

“In my opinion—this strawberry double-skin milk, baked milk, papaya milk jelly, coconut milk squares… these are all excellent choices. Of course—can’t miss the signature strawberry milk pudding.”

Qing Yue enthusiastically made her recommendations.

“Ahaha…”

The girl chuckled.

“You seem to really like milk…”

“I did mention earlier that my taste might be a bit unique.”

Qing Yue shrugged.

“Do you want to see others, although I haven’t tried those.”

Qing Yue handed the menu to the girl.

She shook her head with a wry smile but ended up ordering the desserts Qing Yue recommended.

“Are you sure you’re not ordering too much…?”

Qing Yue kindly reminded.

“Huh? Is this a lot?”

The girl looked a bit naive.

“Well… it varies from person to person, but most people probably won’t be able to finish all of that.”

When the desserts were served, the table in front of the two was indeed filled with sweets.

“Hehe… it does seem a bit much. I messed up.”

The girl pretended to be cute.

“You, are you a princess living in a castle?”

Qing Yue couldn’t help but comment.

“How could that be…? Castles and princesses are only in stories, right? Even if I lack common sense, it shouldn’t be to that extent.”

The girl’s angry expression was somewhat cute.

“Well, there are still princesses in the Europa Alliance now.”

Qing Yue corrected her.

“Hehe, I forgot for a moment.”

The girl cutely tapped her own head.

“Oh no… This is troublesome. The items in this shop are limited. If they find customers wasting food, they’ll put them on a blacklist, and these people won’t be able to buy anything from here in the future. And… I might end up on the list too, being your tablemate.”

Qing Yue scratched her head, feeling troubled.

“Ah! What should we do?!”

The girl also became a bit panicked.

“There’s nothing we can do… Just try your best to eat, I guess.”

Qing Yue said nonchalantly.

“Ah…? Why is it like this…”

Glistening tears swirled in the girl’s eyes.

Then, she reluctantly began the battle with the desserts—

“Ahem~ Ahem~”

“Ahem~ Ahem~”

“Ah, ahem~ Wuu wuu~”

…

In the end, the girl surrendered.

She looked at Qing Yue with teary eyes.

“Can you help me?”

“Sigh…”

Qing Yue sighed helplessly.

“Fine, since I recommended the dishes, I also bear some responsibility.”

Upon careful consideration, Qing Yue thought it wasn’t a bad deal to get some limited desserts for free. So, she joined the battle—

“Ahem ahem ahem~”

“Ahem ahem ahem~”

…

Qing Yue fought valiantly.

“Burp—I really can’t eat anymore~”

The girl rubbed her belly without any lingering attachment.

“Ahem ahem ahem~”

Qing Yue continued her solo battle—

“Ah… ahem~”

“Ahem~ Burp—!!”

Qing Yue’s little belly issued a victorious growl!

“You’re amazing!”

The girl looked at Qing Yue with starry eyes, full of admiration.

“Well… it’s not a big deal…”

Qing Yue blushed a bit under the girl’s admiring gaze and turned her head slightly. Being praised for her eating capacity was a bit embarrassing for Qing Yue.

“But…”

The girl curiously pointed at the remaining strawberries on the plate.

“Aren’t you eating this?”

“Oh, this…”

Qing Yue looked a bit hesitant.

“Ah, I understand!”

The girl suddenly realized and clapped her hands.

“You’re the type who likes to save the best for last, right?”

The girl had a triumphant look, as if she had just made a clever deduction.

“That’s not it… well, I just don’t feel like eating this.”

Qing Yue rubbed her forehead.

“Huh? Is that so? I actually think strawberries are quite tasty, hehe.”

The girl awkwardly laughed, trying to play down what happened earlier.

Qing Yue finally raised her fork and knife in front of the last strawberry with a sense of impending doom.

But—

She ultimately surrendered.

“Indeed… I can’t.”

“Hmm? Can’t you either? Then let me help you deal with the final enemy!”

With a look of triumph, the girl forked the remaining strawberry in front of Qing Yue—

“Ahem~”

And swallowed it in one bite.

Gulp—

“Victory!”

The girl triumphantly gestured with a victory sign towards Qing Yue.

“Hehe…”

Watching the girl’s innocent and playful smile, Qing Yue could only smile wryly.

I don’t know who caused this trouble—Qing Yue silently complained in her heart.

Glancing at the full plates on the table, the girl expressed her satisfaction—

“We’re both really strong.”

(Mostly it was me who dealt with everything alone, right?!)

“Sigh…”

Rubbing her belly, Qing Yue was already too exhausted to retort.

“Lei Lei, what’s your name? I’m called Setsuo.”

The girl’s big eyes sparkled.

“I’m called Qing Yue.”

“Lucky Pasture” is a popular dessert shop on the east side of the shopping street. The shop’s biggest feature is that the desserts use freshly squeezed milk as the main ingredient. Fresh milk is delivered from the farm every early morning. Due to limited ingredients, the shop’s products are sold in limited quantities.

Qing Yue really likes this shop. Whenever she feels troubled, she comes here alone to enjoy the desserts. Now, Qing Yue is sitting in a cozy corner of Lucky Pasture, savoring both the desserts and her own worries.

She carefully lifted a spoonful of double-skin milk to her lips. Her taste buds, long dormant, revived, adding a touch of color to this gloomy world.

Now, there are not many things that can give her a taste.

“Sigh…”

She felt that she had been acting strangely lately. For example, the mental interference she used on Zhanlan and the producer yesterday was a power she herself was wary of. She constantly reminded herself not to rely on such external powers.

However, if using it on the producer could be justified, what about using it on Zhanlan? Was it just for fun? She should detest manipulating others’ minds, so why did she feel so excited at that time?

The sensation of using her abilities at that time felt so natural, as if she were invoking some kind of instinct, much like now—her mouth automatically watering at the sight of desserts—smooth and seemingly natural.

“Sigh…”

Qing Yue sighed again. She knew very well where the problem lay, just as she had said herself:

Once the fall begins, it can never be stopped.

She was always vigilant of her own transformation, but like the rot of an apple core hidden from view, it quietly and irreversibly occurred.

Unconsciously, the once double-skin milk had become an empty bowl.

Even the rare delicacies cannot compete with the taste of troubles. Qing Yue took a deep breath, deciding to temporarily set aside the messy thoughts and enjoy the rare happy moment.

Examining the strawberry milk pudding in front of her, she let her eyes savor it first.

Only on weekends can she taste such delicacies because during the weekdays, after school, everything in this shop is sold out. This once-a-week experience is sacred, and she, with her impaired taste, cherishes every taste she can still perceive.

People with intact taste buds often find it hard to imagine the pain of losing one’s sense of taste. It’s like the world, once colorful, suddenly turning black and white, with all scenery appearing dull.

In this case, if a single colored thing appears in the black and white world, those eyes might never be able to look away from it.

She would be addicted to that color, happy whenever she saw it, anxious when she didn’t, and living in a monochrome world would become a torment for her. Only that color could provide her with redemption—much like cough syrup for an addict.

Milk is the color in her black and white world, and she might have become addicted to milk. Just tasting milk gives her pleasure.

However—

The pleasure given by spiritual energy is a thousand times that of milk.

She once thought about why her taste was so fond of a few foods like milk. Her final conclusion was that, as a bodily fluid of living beings, milk might contain the residual spiritual energy of the creatures. And the withdrawal reaction caused by merely the residual spiritual energy of animals might be enough to make her experience discomfort. Therefore, the spiritual energy from humans themselves—imagine how addictive it could be.

In fact, she believed that it wasn’t just her. Demons and magical girls might also have this withdrawal reaction. It’s just that magical girls often find it difficult to discover this.

She speculated that if a powerful magical girl suddenly lost the replenishment of magic power—meaning a significant drop in popularity—her body might also experience withdrawal reactions.

Of course, she had no way to confirm this.

Qing Yue gently moved the strawberries on top with a fork. She didn’t want to eat this thing because she couldn’t taste the flavor of strawberries, so she usually saved it for last.

While Qing Yue was carefully performing her operation, someone greeted her.

“Hello… Is the seat opposite you taken?”

It was a girl with the air of a neighbor, dressed in a pure white dress with a beige hat. Her appearance was very pleasant.

“Because all the other seats in the shop are taken. Do you mind sharing a table?”

The girl’s attitude was very polite but with a hint of shyness, giving the impression of a “shy little squirrel.”

“Please sit, I’m alone anyway.”

Qing Yue answered truthfully. After all, this wasn’t a school cafeteria, and it wouldn’t be good to disturb the shopkeeper by falsely claiming someone else was there.

“Thank you.”

Her smile was like a plum blossom blooming in winter, clear and sweet.

“Can I ask a little, which desserts in this shop are delicious?”

The girl asked in a slightly shy voice.

“Is it your first time here?”

Qing Yue always felt that the girl looked somewhat familiar.

“Yes, a colleague told me that this shop is good, so I came to check it out.”

The girl spoke a bit shyly.

“Colleague? So, Miss is already working? You look so young; it’s hard to tell.”

Qing Yue picked up the menu, planning to recommend some to the girl.

“Well… sort of.”

The girl’s voice was a bit vague, as if there was something difficult to express.

But Qing Yue wasn’t one to meddle in other people’s affairs.

“My taste may be a bit unique.”

“It’s okay; I rarely eat desserts, just wanted to try.”

The girl’s eyes showed some anticipation.

“I personally think—this strawberry double-skin milk, baked milk, papaya milk pudding, coconut milk squares… these are all very good products. Of course, there’s also the signature strawberry milk pudding.”

Qing Yue enthusiastically introduced.

“Ahaha…”

The girl chuckled.

“You seem to really like milk…”

“I did mention in advance that my taste might be unique.”

Qing Yue shrugged.

“Do you want to see other options, although I haven’t tried those.”

Qing Yue handed the menu to the girl.

The girl shook her head with a bitter smile, eventually choosing the desserts Qing Yue recommended.

“Are you ordering too much…?”

Qing Yue kindly reminded.

“Huh? Is this a lot?”

The girl tilted her head innocently.

“Well… it varies from person to person. At least, ordinary people probably won’t be able to finish it.”

When the desserts were served, the table in front of the two was indeed full.

“Hehe… it’s indeed a bit much. My bad.”

The girl pretended to be silly.

“Are you, by any chance, a princess living in a castle?”

Qing Yue couldn’t help but tease.

“How could that be…? Castles and princesses are only in stories, right? Even if I lack common sense, I shouldn’t be to that extent.”

The girl’s angry expression was somewhat cute.

“But in the European Alliance, there are still princesses.”

Qing Yue corrected.

 

“Hehe, I forgot for a moment.”

The girl tapped her own head.

“Oh no… This is troublesome. The items in this shop are limited. If they find customers wasting food, they’ll put them on a blacklist, and these people won’t be able to buy anything from here in the future. And… I might end up on the list too, being your tablemate.”

Qing Yue scratched her head, feeling troubled.

“Ah! What should we do?!”

The girl also became a bit panicked.

“There’s nothing we can do… Just try your best to eat, I guess.”

Qing Yue said nonchalantly.

“Ah…? Why is it like this…”

Glistening tears swirled in the girl’s eyes.

Then, she reluctantly began the battle with the desserts—

“Ahem~ Ahem~”

“Ahem~ Ahem~”

“Ah, ahem~ Wuu wuu~”

…

In the end, the girl surrendered.

She looked at Qing Yue with teary eyes.

“Can you help me?”

“Sigh…”

Qing Yue sighed helplessly.

“Fine, since I recommended the dishes, I also bear some responsibility.”

Upon careful consideration, Qing Yue thought it wasn’t a bad deal to get some limited desserts for free. So, she joined the battle—

“Ahem ahem ahem~”

“Ahem ahem ahem~”

…

Qing Yue fought valiantly.

“Burp—I really can’t eat anymore~”

The girl rubbed her belly without any lingering attachment.

“Ahem ahem ahem~”

Qing Yue continued her solo battle—

“Ah… ahem~”

“Ahem~ Burp—!!”

Qing Yue’s little belly issued a victorious growl!

“You’re amazing!”

The girl looked at Qing Yue with starry eyes, full of admiration.

“Well… it’s not a big deal…”

Qing Yue blushed a bit under the girl’s admiring gaze and turned her head slightly. Being praised for her eating capacity was a bit embarrassing for Qing Yue.

“But…”

The girl curiously pointed at the remaining strawberries on the plate.

“Aren’t you eating this?”

“Oh, this…”

Qing Yue looked a bit hesitant.

“Huh? Is that so? I actually think strawberries are quite tasty, hehe.”

The girl awkwardly laughed, trying to play down what happened earlier.

Qing Yue finally raised her fork and knife in front of the last strawberry with a sense of impending doom.

But—

She ultimately surrendered.

“Indeed… I can’t.”

“Hmm? Can’t you either? Then let me help you deal with the final enemy!”

With a look of triumph, the girl forked the remaining strawberry in front of Qing Yue—

“Ahem~”

And swallowed it in one bite.

Gulp—

“Victory!”

The girl triumphantly gestured with a victory sign towards Qing Yue.

“Hehe…”

Watching the girl’s innocent and playful smile, Qing Yue could only smile wryly.

I don’t know who caused this trouble—Qing Yue silently complained in her heart.

Glancing at the full plates on the table, the girl expressed her satisfaction—

“We’re both really strong.”

(Mostly it was me who dealt with everything alone, right?!)

“Sigh…”

Rubbing her belly, Qing Yue was already too exhausted to retort.