"I want to!" Lil' Amon nodded eagerly.
"Then follow me…" Medici beckoned to Lil' Amon.
Lil' Amon, buzzing with excitement, hopped off the sofa and trailed Medici into the kitchen.
That evening...
When Alaric and Klein finished tidying the house and sat down for dinner, they noticed something slightly off about the meal.
"Are some of these dishes a bit darker than usual?" Alaric asked, stroking his chin as he examined the food on the table.
"I tried a new approach today." Medici said, arms crossed, leaning back in his chair.
"Feels like a trap." Alaric muttered, blinking suspiciously and hesitating to dig in.
Klein, sitting beside him, didn't overthink it. He picked up a bite with his fork, popped it into his mouth, paused briefly, then chewed as if nothing was wrong. A few seconds later, he turned to Alaric. "Tastes fine to me."
"…Do I look that gullible?" Alaric shot him a skeptical glance, now certain something was amiss. He lifted his coffee for a sip.
The next second... "Pfft!"
"Who put salt in my coffee? And in lethal amounts?" Alaric set the cup down, grabbing a napkin to wipe his mouth, the bitter, salty taste lingering.
"I did it!" Lil' Amon raised his hand proudly. "Red Mommy said coffee tastes better with salt. Don't you like it, Brother Jack?"
"…"
He glanced at Lil' Amon, then at Medici, before asking earnestly, "So, what's wrong with the food?"
"I added lots of sugar!" Lil' Amon declared, beaming. "Sugar's yummy! I like it! Brother Klein likes sweet things, right?"
"…"
The two victims exchanged a look. Klein suddenly said, "Didn't Amon turn himself into a child to develop his humanity?"
Alaric nodded.
Klein posed a profound question: "At this rate, won't he grow up all wrong?"
Alaric considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "No big deal. He's already crooked. If he can't be fixed, it's not our fault."
"…"
That makes way too much sense.
"What's going on?" Azik, who had arrived late due to some errands, descended from the second floor. Seeing the quiet table, he asked curiously.
Klein and Alaric exchanged a glance. Klein was about to warn him when Alaric swiftly covered his mouth. "Nothing." Alaric said. "We're just discussing Lil' Amon's education."
Azik didn't seem surprised. His gaze settled on Lil' Amon, recalling Medici's attempts to influence him. He shook his head. "I've said before this isn't the best approach. If we want to raise a normal child, proper guidance is essential… huh?"
Azik's voice cut off as he took a sip of the pea soup closest to him. The cloyingly sweet taste hit him like a wave, making his brows furrow.
"Sorry, Mr. Azik." Klein said quickly, now free. "We didn't warn you. Tonight's food and drinks have been… enhanced by Lil' Amon." He sounded sheepish, almost guilty.
Truthfully, Klein could have broken free earlier, but for a split second, he was curious about Azik's reaction to the sabotaged meal, so he hesitated just long enough.
"…It's fine." Azik said with a helpless shake of his head, his eyes returning to Lil' Amon.
Even the usually oblivious Lil' Amon sensed something was off. He looked uneasy, though there was a spark of excitement in his eyes, as if thrilled by his successful prank.
Azik sighed, gently ruffling Lil' Amon's hair. "It's okay, Lil' Amon. This isn't your fault. Just promise Uncle you won't do it again, alright?"
"…Okay." Lil' Amon nodded, slightly awkward.
"Good boy." Azik said with a warm smile, then turned to the others. "Perhaps we should adjust how we're guiding Lil' Amon. I doubt anyone wants to raise someone even more troublesome than the Blasphemer, right?"
…
"Azik's the reliable one! Red's great as a caretaker, but when it comes to teaching kids, he's hopeless." Alaric, disguised as Lucifer, mused to himself. While discussions about Lil' Amon's education continued at Jack's villa, Alaric knocked on the door of a certain Dr. Aaron's home.
"Yes, sir, can I help you?" Dr. Aaron asked, eyeing the stranger at his door with confusion.
"Hello, I'm looking for Will." Alaric said with a smile.
Dr. Aaron's expression grew puzzled. "Will? There's no Will here. Who are you?"
In Dr. Aaron's current understanding, he hadn't yet connected his recent misfortunes to Will, so he didn't immediately recall a certain patient.
"My mistake, must have the wrong address. Sorry to bother you, sir." Alaric replied, unfazed. He hadn't really expected to find Will so easily.
Alaric's visit and direct question were mainly to send a message to Will, wherever he was: I'm looking for you. If you're willing, come meet me.
He wasn't worried about Will missing the message. Given Dr. Aaron's established connection to Will, it would be odd if the Snake of Mercury didn't pick up on something so relevant.
"No trouble at all." Dr. Aaron said, shaking his head. Ever helpful, he added, "Is it urgent? I could assist if you need. I'm fairly familiar with these things."
"Thank you, sir, but I'll manage." Alaric said politely, declining before taking his leave.
He headed to a nearby café, securing a private booth. While skimming a newspaper provided for patrons, he noticed an article about an upcoming "Roselle Memorial Exhibition" and paused.
"I almost forgot about Roselle…" Alaric's expression flickered with rare embarrassment before shifting to enthusiasm. "Why not use this Roselle Memorial Exhibition to arrange a meeting between him and Bernadette? Let's see… maybe give her a 'rise-from-the-coffin' surprise?"
As Alaric pondered how to make Roselle and his daughter's reunion more memorable, he sensed something and tilted his head.
Across from him sat a boy of seven or eight, unabashedly eating the ice cream Alaric had ordered. As he ate, he remarked, "I don't really like this place's ice cream. It's a bit too sweet."
***
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