Biscuit

It was close to three in the morning—

Quite a few passengers were still seated at the airship bar, drinking.

Accompanied by the soft background music, the passengers chatted in low voices.

The bar had a light, yet sophisticated atmosphere.

Moyu ordered a sweet cocktail and set it on the table. It was something he could drink without drawing attention.

He hadn't noticed the gaze from the corner, simply because the other person's Zetsu and ability to conceal her presence were exceptionally skillful.

"The Gem Exchange Fair in Laxiang City only happens once every two years, but it's been getting less and less interesting lately. I thought I might as well go and see what all the fuss was about, since I had nothing better to do. Now I see that my decision was absolutely brilliant. Otherwise, how could I have come across... Ah, what a beautiful bead."

In the corner, a petite blonde girl with twin tails and features as delicate as a princess doll stared intently at the Rat Treasure Bead beneath Moyu's fingers. Her large, wine-red eyes were filled with undisguised affection.

"It really is a sapphire!"

"And it's completely natural, so clear and flawless that there isn't a trace of carving. The quality is incredible!"

"It's the kind of top-quality gem you'd only ever see in a dream!"

"Ah, what a wonderful encounter. It must be fate guiding me."

"That's right! Cute girls are always lucky!"

The blonde girl with twin tails was named Biscuit Krueger. She was an exceptionally skilled Two-Star Gem Hunter, so even from a distance, she could easily identify the material of that deep-blue bead.

With her discerning eye, she knew at a glance that the perfectly round, deep-blue bead the boy was playing with was absolutely, positively—

Not a sapphire!

But that didn't matter.

As long as she pretended it was a sapphire, then it was the real deal!

Ah...

Biscuit gazed at the deep-blue bead, which still shimmered beneath the dim lights, and sank into a blissful, helpless daze.

No matter what, she had to get that sapphire!

At that moment, dazzled by the Rat Treasure Bead, Biscuit decisively marked it as her hunting target.

That was what being a Hunter meant—

After spotting prey they wanted, they'd do whatever it took to hunt it down and reach their goal.

"Should I steal it or buy it?"

Biscuit lowered her head and fell into thought.

Since the other person was only a boy, she preferred to buy it.

If he was willing to sell, she could offer a price that would satisfy him. She wouldn't hesitate to spend every last cent she had.

Mm.

Giving up everything for something you loved made perfect sense.

"Never mind all that. I'll go over and strike up a conversation first."

Biscuit hid the gleam in her eyes. The deep-blue bead had set her heart racing and awakened her long-dormant hunting instincts.

She rose from her seat, lightly lifting the red-and-pink princess dress with both hands. First, she stopped concealing her presence and let the aura around her dissipate naturally. Only then did she slowly walk toward Moyu, who was seated by the window.

At that moment, she was just an ordinary little girl.

No, wait—an ordinary, very cute little girl.

An innocent, adorable smile appeared on Biscuit's delicate face as she walked toward Moyu, one step at a time.

"Hmm?"

Moyu sensed her approach. He curled his fingers around the Rat Treasure Bead, then gripped his glass with his other hand. He turned around with a cold look, giving off an unmistakable "keep your distance" vibe.

His mood wasn't exactly terrible, but it wasn't good either. He didn't want to exchange even a single word with anyone aboard the airship.

But the instant he turned around and saw Biscuit, his cold gaze faltered, and surprise appeared in his eyes.

To an outsider, his reaction looked as if a man who'd been putting on a cold front had suddenly seen a beautiful woman who stirred his heart, and couldn't help showing his surprise.

But in truth—

That wasn't the reason Moyu's expression had changed at all.

"Ah!"

Biscuit acted as if Moyu's sudden, icy glance had startled her. She stumbled backward, then lost her footing and accidentally fell to the floor.

"Wah, big brother, you looked so scary just now."

Sitting on the floor, she immediately filled her large wine-red eyes with shimmering tears.

Even though she'd approached him as an "ordinary person," she was still pretty alert.

And that first reaction, on the surface, made him seem like the unapproachable sort. But as soon as he saw her cute face, he immediately dropped that cold attitude.

Hmph, men.

Still—

That face was worth at least a 95!

Too bad he was much too young. He wasn't her type.

Biscuit looked as if she were about to burst into tears while judging the information she'd gathered from their brief interaction.

"..."

Seeing that Biscuit looked ready to cry at any second, Moyu paused, then said apologetically, "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

As he spoke, Moyu carefully put away the Rat Treasure Bead, climbed down from his barstool, and walked over to offer Biscuit his right hand.

"Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Waaah, yes, it hurts. It hurts so much!"

Biscuit gently pushed Moyu's hand away, puffing out her cheeks as tears shimmered in her eyes.

She looked just like a little girl throwing a tantrum.

"..."

Moyu paused again, naturally pulled his hand back, and asked with concern, "Little girl, where exactly does it hurt? I think there's a medical room on the airship. How about I take you there?"

"Hmph, my butt hurts."

Biscuit gave a huff, but her eyes were fixed on the hand Moyu had withdrawn.

I even went out of my way to push his hand away gently, and he gave up on helping me up just like that?

So much for pretending!

"Your butt hurts..."

Moyu noticed Biscuit looking at the hand he'd just pulled back.

"Anyway, let me help you up first."

As he spoke, he offered Biscuit his right hand again.

This time, Biscuit didn't push it away. She took Moyu's hand and got to her feet.

After pulling Biscuit up, Moyu immediately let go and asked, "Should I take you to the medical room now?"

"No, I'm scared of getting a shot."

Biscuit shook her head.

Moyu almost lost his composure. He moved on from the subject and said, "Then rest here for a bit. Um, where's your family? Should I go get them?"

"No, I snuck out because I couldn't sleep. If Mom and Dad find out..."

Biscuit shook her head again, and the tears in her eyes finally spilled over.

Watching Biscuit cry on cue, Moyu, who knew exactly what she was like, felt conflicted. He sighed inwardly, then took a few tissues from the table and gently wiped her tears away.

He couldn't help it. Right now, he was the big brother.

Biscuit let Moyu wipe away her tears, and could feel the meticulous care in his gentle, unhurried touch.

Wow!

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