Coco Island, Chocolate Town. On the bustling, wide street, after kissing Pudding's forehead, Sephiroth released her and said in an extremely gentle tone, "Pudding, be more confident. You are actually very cute..."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Pudding looked at the young man who had just kissed her forehead.
At that moment, her heart was pounding like a startled deer, beating violently, and a strange emotion was spreading within her.
Due to intense shyness, a blush quickly appeared on her cheeks.
Pudding covered her chest with both hands and softly said to the young man in front of her, "Thank you! I'm very happy to be praised by you like this..."
Seeing that the girl was no longer sad and crying, Sephiroth finally stood up and asked, "Where do you live? Do you need me to walk you home?"
Given that this man had extended a helping hand to her when she was in trouble, and because this was the first time a stranger had shown her kindness, Pudding felt no guard in her heart.
So, she smiled and nodded, "Okay! Then I'll trouble you!"
Pudding tied her light brown long hair into pigtails and kept bangs in front of her forehead, trying to cover the third eye on her forehead. But... Because she hadn't kept bangs for long, the hair couldn't completely cover the third eye; people could still see it at a glance. Therefore, when passersby saw Pudding, they all wore expressions of disgust and quickly moved away. That discriminatory gaze deeply hurt the girl, leaving her feeling somewhat lost and helpless. Subconsciously, she reached out her left hand and grabbed the hem of the young man's clothes beside her, seeking protection.
Seeing this situation, Sephiroth could only extend his right hand and gently held the girl's slender, fair left hand.
Pudding slightly raised her head and said somewhat sheepishly, "Um... Sephiroth, could you accompany me to buy some ingredients? We're almost out at home."
Hearing this, Sephiroth immediately smiled and nodded, saying, "No problem! Pudding is really sensible! Going out to buy things on your own at such a young age."
"There's nothing I can do about it... After all, I'm the only one living at home now."
"What about your elders?"
Pudding explained, "I originally lived with my sister Lola... However, some time ago, she chose to run away from home to escape a marriage, leaving Totto Land..."
Initially, Pudding actually lived on Cake Island, with many of her siblings, living beside Big Mom Charlotte Linlin. But... Pudding, who was still young and didn't know how to please Big Mom, was always disliked and hated by Big Mom because of the third eye on her forehead, who told her to grow long bangs to cover the third eye.
In Totto Land, the Charlotte Family was ruled by Big Mom. No one dared to voice a preference that contradicted her, not even her own children. Because of this, many of Big Mom's children were influenced by her likes and dislikes, and they often bullied and isolated Pudding. They treated her this way, even though they were family by blood. Those Charlotte Family members who didn't dislike Pudding couldn't protect her openly, fearing Big Mom's disapproval.
This situation continued until one day, when Big Mom, disgusted by Pudding, banished her from Cake Island. She told Pudding to go live on another island so she wouldn't have to see her. Fortunately, among the siblings who didn't dislike Pudding, Charlotte Lola, the Chocolate Minister in charge of Coco Island and the twenty-third daughter of the Charlotte Family, saw how pitiful Pudding was. Lola took her in and brought her home to care for her. Pudding was filled with heartfelt gratitude for Lola's help, and she grew to love her gentle sister.
Because her appearance had always been a source of discrimination, Pudding stayed at home after moving to Chocolate Town on Coco Island. She planned to wait until her bangs completely covered the third eye on her forehead before considering going out. But… plans never go as expected! Prince Loki of Elbaf fell in love with Lola at first sight and proposed to her.
Big Mom Charlotte Linlin was thrilled, thinking she could use this political marriage to bridge the gap between herself and the Giant Race. She imagined gaining the powerful military strength of Elbaf, which would help her become the Pirate King. However, Lola didn't like Prince Loki. She refused to let Big Mom control her life, so she escaped the marriage. She left Totto Land by sea to pursue her own true love.
Therefore, Pudding, left alone at home, had to endure the discrimination and ridicule of others. She would come out occasionally to buy a large amount of food. However, the rumors about her three eyes eventually spread, and more and more people became aware of her existence. That's how the incident with the group of children teaming up to bully her had happened. Soon, they arrived at the market selling various ingredients. Pudding, out of habit, immediately bought a large pile of ingredients, and even Sephiroth helped carry two large paper bags.
Pudding looked at the two plastic bags she was carrying and the two paper bags Sephiroth was holding, and immediately smiled with satisfaction:
"Okay! This way, I shouldn't need to go out for half a month..."
"Actually, it's best to eat fresh ingredients, you..." Sephiroth stopped speaking halfway through. He recalled the bullying incident just now and the disgusted looks of the passersby towards the girl, and he naturally understood why the girl had bought so much at once.
Pudding tilted her head, looking confused. "Huh!? What's wrong?"
Sephiroth chuckled and chose to change the subject. "No, nothing! I was just wondering if you know how to cook."
"I do know how to cook... However, I'm better at chocolate dessert dishes. I hope to open a coffee shop in the future..."
The two walked along the street, chatting and laughing, selectively ignoring the strange looks from those around them.
After a while, led by Pudding, Sephiroth arrived at the entrance of a pink two-story residential building. Pudding first took a key from her long dress pocket, opened the door, and then turned to look at Sephiroth.
"Um, do you want to come in for a cup of coffee?"
After all, I troubled you for so long, and you just saved me... If I don't treat you well, I feel really bad."
"Alright! Then I shall respectfully accept!" Sephiroth replied with a smile and directly followed the girl into the house...