Coleman's Little Mishap

"Oh, Sister, what brings you here?"

The woman had just reached the doorway when she saw another woman busy in the open-air kitchen and looked at her in surprise.

This was Xier, her older sister.

"What, does Xiya not welcome her sister?"

Holding a spatula, Xier teased her with a smile.

"And why did you go out by yourself? You're pregnant, for heaven's sake. It's dangerous!"

As she spoke, she hurried over to support her.

At the same time, she noticed the little boy standing nearby, Coleman.

She gave her younger sister a questioning look, as if asking why she'd gone out for a walk and come back with a child.

Xiya noticed her sister's look. She glanced at Coleman and blinked.

"He's Mr. Ku'er Ya's friend, little Coleman. He came to buy some sweet cakes."

Xiya briefly explained how the little white-haired boy had ended up there.

As she explained, she ushered Xier into the courtyard and gestured for Coleman to come in, too.

At the mention of sweet cakes, Xier's eyes lit up.

"Wonderful! I just made some. He can take them with him, and he doesn't need to pay. They're only cakes, after all. Children like them, so he should take plenty!"

Hearing her sister say that, Xiya's expression turned complicated for a moment, but she quickly swallowed her objection.

She managed to say, "Oh, Sister, I love your cakes. Let little Coleman take some of the ones Carter made instead!"

Carter was Xiya's husband, the man doing the splits in the courtyard.

When he heard his name, he instinctively turned around to look for his wife.

He wiped the sweat running down his face with the towel draped over his shoulder and looked at her in confusion.

What happened? Why was she calling him?

Their years together as husband and wife meant they could communicate without saying a word.

He stared as Xiya blinked at him, signaling with her eyes.

Following her gaze, he spotted the cakes his older sister had made.

He couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.

His older sister was a good cook in every way—except when she made sweet cakes. She poured in sugar as if her life depended on it.

Once the cakes were done, she never ate them herself. Instead, she cheerfully handed them out to others.

Fortunately, the people in the clan were tactful. No one had outright told Xier that her cakes were too sweet; they had only dropped subtle hints.

But their sincere, easygoing older sister had completely missed what the clan members were trying to say.

She actually thought her cakes were delicious!

Every few days, she'd come over to borrow their big pot and make more.

They couldn't let a guest eat these cakes!

He'd be sick from all that sugar!

Besides, if Xier found out her cooking didn't taste good, wouldn't that crush the enthusiasm of someone who'd recently taken up cooking?

No, no. He had to find a way to stop this!

The kind and honest Kurta people would never discourage someone's enthusiasm or mistreat a guest.

First he went to welcome his wife, supporting her as he spoke to Xier.

"That's true. Xiya's been enjoying your cakes lately. I've made some, too, so why don't we let our little guest take mine?"

If he ate too many of your cakes, he'd get sick!

Watching the three of them defer to one another, Coleman felt like laughing.

What a kind, sincere bunch of people.

From the couple's brief exchange, Coleman had already gathered that the older sister's cakes probably weren't very good.

But the couple's tact, along with the older sister's complete lack of awareness, made him want to laugh.

It was actually kind of cute.

But this wasn't how a people targeted by the black market should treat strangers.

They should be wary and alert.

They shouldn't let him in without a second thought.

If things continued like this, the clan would have a hard time escaping a bloody fate once Ku'er Ya no longer wanted to deal with this mess.

Money could make the devil turn millstones.

The Scarlet Eyes were worth a fortune, after all.

It was hard to imagine that some villain wouldn't take a desperate risk.

"Ah, don't argue, everyone. I'll just take a little of each kind."

Smiling, Coleman played the peacemaker, pretending to be a little helpless.

When all three turned to look at him, Coleman blinked.

He bowed like a little gentleman, then spread his hands, putting on an innocent expression. "I'm sorry to interrupt you. But my father told me to get back soon, so..."

He smiled apologetically and scratched his head, pretending to feel embarrassed.

Xier slapped her forehead, suddenly realizing something.

Of course. There was no way a little kid like him would be allowed to stay out for too long.

"Wait here. I'll get you some cakes!"

She hurried over in three quick strides, picked out a cake that had cooled to just the right temperature, and handed it to Coleman.

"Want to try one?"

Xiya and her brother-in-law Carter watched Coleman anxiously.

They had a bad feeling about this.

But there was nothing they could do to stop him. They could only watch as the boy ate the cake.

Bracing himself for something awful, Coleman took a bite.

The concentrated honey melted in his mouth, and the cake was astonishingly sweet.

But for Coleman, it still wasn't quite sweet enough.

It wasn't as sweet as the Quantang coffee he made himself.

And it wasn't as sweet as the cake his mother made.

Still, it tasted pretty good. It just barely passed.

Illumi might not be able to handle it, though. Hopefully, that man's cakes wouldn't be this sweet.

If they were... Coleman wouldn't save any for Illumi.

He wouldn't eat them anyway, so Coleman might as well finish them all himself.

Hmm. In that case, he could buy his brother his favorite brand of chocolate wafers for the journey.

He could bring along some other desserts, too.

Having figured out a backup plan, he kept eating.

In just a few bites, Coleman had finished the extremely sugary cake, a cheerful smile on his face.

"Mmm, it's delicious!"

Coleman praised it without holding back, then said with a smile, "Could you pack some for me? I think my brother would like them, too."

"Of course! You can have as many as you like!"

Xier was delighted to receive praise from a child!

At last, someone appreciated her cooking.

Honestly, she'd gone out of her way to make food for them, and they'd always looked only half-heartedly pleased.

Her cakes were obviously delicious!

"Big brother, could I take some of your cakes home, too?"

Coleman asked politely, then added, "I can pay you some gold coins for them."

The man paused, then smiled. "Of course you can, but there's no need to pay. They're not worth much."

"No, no. Anything made by hand has value, because it contains the effort and care its maker put into it."

They were priceless, but for goods to circulate in the market, people had to agree on a standard price.

The man thought it over, then decided not to argue with Coleman about it.

He could simply refuse the money when the boy handed it over.

"Come with me. I'll pack some for you."

"Xier, you should pack some, too. Children like these."

Xier was more than happy to. She was already packing some, without needing Carter to tell her.

Tired from walking, Xiya let Carter help her to a chair, where she sat down to rest.

Carter beckoned to Coleman, signaling for him to follow.

After turning a couple of corners, the two of them went inside.

Carter left his back completely exposed to Coleman without a trace of caution.

Coleman had no ulterior motive. He simply waited quietly.

His thoughts wandered uncontrollably.

Just as his mind was drifting away, he suddenly remembered Ku'er Ya's instructions.

After thinking for a moment, Coleman decided to give him a warning.

After all, relying on someone else's protection would never be as dependable as becoming strong yourself.

No one could guarantee that a promise would be kept.

After all, no one knew whether tomorrow or an accident would come first.

"Big brother."

"Hmm?"

"Do you know about the black market?"

The words made Carter, the clan leader's deputy, go rigid.

"Ah, I've heard of it."

Carter answered calmly on the surface, but his palm grew slightly damp with sweat.

"Then you should know, right? I'd recommend being more alert around here."

Coleman spoke lazily and yawned.

"..."

"That guy Ku'er Ya has already killed at least ten groups of people."

"..."

"You should know that someone else's protection only goes so far."

Carter fell silent, perhaps trying to avoid the subject.

Coleman shrugged and said with a smile,

"Honestly, I walked around the village an hour ago, but not a single person noticed me."

In other words, no one in the entire village had noticed an outsider slipping in!

That was dangerous.

If he'd wanted to cause trouble, it would have been a piece of cake.

Watching Carter freeze completely, Coleman slowly walked over.

His smile never faded, and his movements remained polite.

He was the very picture of a gentleman.

He looked exactly as he had when he first arrived.

The only one who had changed was Carter.

Rising onto his toes, Coleman picked up the packed food box.

He casually tossed a bag of gold coins onto the table.

"Please take this as payment. Thank you for the cakes. They're really delicious."

With that, Coleman left without waiting to see how the man would react.

Carter didn't follow him out. For a split second, he had sensed killing intent from the child.

Just for that instant, it had left him unable to move!

It was terrifying. Unbelievable.

Sweat poured down him, and his eyes were filled with panic.

He wanted to move his feet, but he found that fear had left his whole body stiff and immobile.

But the thought that his wife might be in danger filled his mind, and he desperately tried to force his body to move.

After finally making it to the doorway, he saw the boy making his wife and older sister laugh.

Carter rarely saw that kind of smile on his wife's face.

It meant she was genuinely happy.

From a distance, Carter watched the boy bow after picking up the cakes, then leave politely.

He seemed just like an ordinary young gentleman from a wealthy family, out for a stroll.

Finally, after seeing Coleman leave with his own eyes, Carter could hold on no longer. His legs gave way, and he slid to the floor.

He panted, his expression complicated.

Who exactly was this child?

Had he come only to warn them?

Coleman, who had already left the Kurta Clan's territory, wasn't dwelling on it.

The most important thing now was finding Illumi.

After all, he'd only written that he'd be gone for three days.

It had already been three and a half days. Even if he took the shuttle bus, he wouldn't reach Heavens Arena until noon on the fourth day.

At the thought, Coleman felt a headache coming on.

His older brother probably wouldn't punish him, right?

Ah, probably not.

He hoped so...