Chapter 178: My Heart and Actions are as Clear as a Mirror; Everything I Do is Justice
"How is the studying going?" Rovel asked, balancing a tray of delicate, carefully crafted desserts in one hand. He leaned against the doorframe, looking down at the struggling duo of the resident Paramecium and Bronya, who were currently buried under a mountain of textbooks.
"We have only just finished studying geography," Bronya replied, her voice maintaining its usual flat, mechanical cadence as she neatly stacked a pile of notes.
"That's decent progress. Let me give you a quick geography question to test your results."
"Bring it on!" Kiana slammed her hands on the desk, puffing out her chest with absolute confidence. "I've memorized all the maps!"
Rovel cleared his throat, adopting the strict, monotonous tone of an examiner. "Listen closely. At exactly 6:00 PM Beijing time on the Spring Equinox, Officer Xiao Li looked up at a 38-degree angle to gaze at the North Star in the night sky. Immediately after, he led his tactical team to raid a criminal den."
He paused for dramatic effect. "Question: What is the suspect most likely to say after being caught?"
"A: My kidney!"
"B: [Cantonese Expletive]!"
"C: What do you want to do?"
"D: Shibal!"
As Rovel read out the options, Kiana's expression underwent a spectacular metamorphosis. Her initial brimming confidence melted into a blank stare, morphed into utter bewilderment, and finally settled into a face plastered with invisible question marks. Her mouth hung open, catching flies.
Bronya, on the other hand, merely blinked. Her gray eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Is this a question a human brain could actually formulate?
"This... this is a geography question?!" Kiana finally shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at him.
It seemed her concept of geography and Rovel's concept of geography existed in entirely different dimensions.
"Human geography," Rovel corrected smoothly, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"..." Kiana fell completely silent. Her brain gears ground to a violent halt. Clearly, this question had blasted far beyond the scope of her cognitive abilities.
"The answer is D," Bronya chimed in, her tone entirely serious as she began to break down the logic. "Based on the information provided in the prompt, we can infer that the latitude of Officer Xiao Li's location is 38 degrees North, which allows us to eliminate options B and C., since it is exactly 6:00 PM Beijing time on the Spring Equinox, the sun has just set, meaning the longitude of the location is the exact same as Beijing. From this intersection of latitude and longitude, we can deduce the location is South Korea—hence, the 'Shibal' country."
"See that?" Rovel pointed a finger gun at Bronya. "That's what we call a professional."
"Ahhhhh!" Kiana clutched her silver hair, violently shaking her head as she stood on the absolute verge of a mental breakdown. "I finally understand why geography is called geography! Because there is simply no justice in it!"
"Relax, they probably won't ask such outrageous trick questions during the actual exam, so don't worry about it. Here, eat something."
Rovel stepped forward and placed the elegant dessert box right in front of Kiana. Sweet, buttery aromas instantly wafted through the air. "After high-intensity mental activity, it's best to replenish your blood sugar."
Kiana didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed a pastry and took a massive bite. Her sapphire eyes instantly widened, sparkling like stars. "Mmm?! This is amazing! Where did you buy this? How did I not discover such a top-tier dessert shop around here?!" She took another ravenous bite, utterly captivated by the rich, melting flavor.
"It's from the café you usually go to, except this specific batch was made personally by the shop owner. You've met her before—Rita," Rovel explained, taking a seat beside them.
"Rita?" Kiana mumbled around a mouthful of cream. "I didn't expect her to not only be super strong but also a master at making desserts!"
Knowing Kiana possessed the appetite of a small black hole, Rovel had specifically requested a few extra portions.
After taking a small, polite bite, Bronya's eyes also brightened considerably. The delicate sweetness perfectly matched her preferences, a rare treat that actually impressed the stoic girl.
Not long after, the front door clicked open. Mei and Himeko stepped into the living room, shrugging off their coats.
"Mei, Himeko, come over here and try this! The dessert Rovel brought back is insanely delicious!" Kiana shouted, waving a half-eaten pastry in the air, a blissful smile plastered across her face.
"Eating dessert at night? Won't I gain weight? I'd better not..." Mei hesitated, gently patting her stomach.
Mei had always been carefully strict about her figure, bordering on self-critical. If her daily calorie intake exceeded her strict calculations by even a margin, she would instantly double her training volume the next day. This iron discipline was the primary reason she maintained her flawless 172cm, 50kg model-like physique. Even Rovel sometimes found it impossible to persuade her to take a cheat day.
"Hmm... it is indeed quite good," Himeko murmured. She had already snatched a piece, chewing thoughtfully as she nodded in approval.
Mei watched them enjoy the treats, a sudden, dangerous smile curving her lips. "Then... between the desserts I make and this one, which tastes better?"
"..."
The room instantly plunged into a dead, suffocating silence. The three girls froze mid-chew. Mei was the undisputed head chef of the household. Offending her culinary pride right now meant they would be eating plain boiled cabbage for the foreseeable future.
"Mr. Rovel... what do you think?" Mei's dark eyes slowly shifted toward Rovel, who was already inching his way toward the hallway, desperately preparing to sneak away.
"Ahem..." Rovel stopped in his tracks, coughing lightly to clear the sudden dryness in his throat. "The meals Mei makes are, of course, the absolute best. There's a wide variety, massive portions to keep everyone fed, and they all taste fantastic."
"...It seems Mr. Rovel thinks the desserts I make don't taste very good." Mei's smile didn't reach her eyes. She had effortlessly sliced through his diplomatic dodging and extracted the exact subtext.
Rovel's eyes darted around the room, seeking an escape route. He wisely clamped his mouth shut.
Seeing his reaction, a fierce competitive spirit suddenly ignited within Mei. She walked over, picked up a small piece of the pastry, and placed it in her mouth, closing her eyes to analyze it carefully.
The other four watched her with bated breath, waiting for the verdict.
A few seconds passed. Mei let out a soft sigh, her shoulders dropping slightly. "It really is a complete defeat..." She calmly accepted the harsh reality.
If it were merely a slight difference in flavor profiles, Mei could have easily brushed it off as a matter of personal preference. But... the reality was obvious. Not only was the flavor significantly richer and more balanced than her own, but the complex layers and the melt-in-your-mouth texture completely eclipsed anything she had ever baked.
"It's okay, Mei! The regular meals you make are still the best in the world! Maybe Rita just specializes in making desserts, which is why she's so ridiculously good at it," Kiana hurriedly offered, trying to salvage the situation.
"The Bronya agrees with Kiana's assessment this time," Bronya nodded seriously, offering her own mechanical brand of comfort.
"Rita?" Mei's eyes snapped open. She keenly locked onto the keyword. Her gaze slowly shifted back to Rovel, the temperature in the room dropping a few degrees. "I remember Kiana saying just now that Rovel brought this back from outside, right?"
Rovel's eyes widened in horror. Damn it, Kiana, you sold me out without even realizing it!
"This afternoon, because of the little incident that happened yesterday, Rita gave me a box of desserts as an apology and invited me to have tea," Rovel explained, forcing his voice to remain perfectly calm and steady.
"And what exactly did you talk about?" Mei pressed, taking a slow step toward him.
"At first, she wanted to learn about the swordsmanship techniques I used yesterday, and then..." Rovel paused. A single bead of cold sweat rolled down the side of his face.
Although his interaction with Rita was entirely innocent, who in their right mind would believe that a man and a beautiful maid sat together in a private room and talked about manga for an entire afternoon?
"And then?" Mei's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. She stepped closer, her body almost pressing against his, trapping him against the wall.
"Then I completely changed the subject! It just so happened to be a field she liked, so we talked about manga for the rest of the afternoon. Mei, you have to believe me! I really just talked about manga with Rita for the whole afternoon!" Rovel defended himself loudly, raising his hands in surrender.
He struck a dramatic pose, pointing toward the ceiling. "My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror; everything I do is justice!"
"Rovel, that excuse of yours is way too lame," Kiana couldn't help but interject, shaking her head in disappointment.
"I'm telling the truth!" Veins popped on Rovel's forehead. This hateful Paramecium! Is now really the time to undermine me?! Looks like I'm never bringing her food ever again!
Without another word, Mei grabbed Rovel by the collar and dragged him down the hallway toward her room. The door clicked shut with a heavy, ominous thud.
In the end, the remaining trio—Kiana, Bronya, and Himeko—never found out exactly what happened between the two of them behind that closed door.
They only knew that for the next few days, Rovel was unbelievably, almost terrifyingly well-behaved, sticking by Mei's side like a loyal shadow.
Is this the legendary Thunder Queen's training play? Kiana wondered, shivering slightly as she bit into another pastry.
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