Chapter 580: Vermouth Arrives — Me, a Maid?
Ren released a quiet breath as he watched Riven. She was aggressively stabbing at her salad, her eyes fixed on him with a distinctly un-innocent glare. She didn't seem quite so naive anymore.
Meeting his gaze, Riven finally murmured, "What do you want to say?"
After a brief hesitation, Ren sighed. "Riven..."
She simply continued to chew her greens, staring intently at him with evident displeasure in her eyes. Ren studied her expression for a moment before smoothly pivoting. "As expected of the fruit you washed, Riven. It's truly delicious."
She gave him a deadpan stare that clearly screamed, Are you kidding me? but ultimately chose to let him off the hook. Mostly because there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop his teasing, which was the crux of the issue.
Lucifer scoffed from the sidelines. "You really get a kick out of teasing her, don't you?"
"I can add you to the list, if you'd like."
"Not a chance!"
Just as the banter settled, the chime of the shop door rang out. A woman stepped over the threshold. Ren paused, a faint smile touching his lips as he took her in. "Well. Look who it is."
The woman's lips curved into a stunning, alluring smile. "Why? Is it a crime for it to be me? Or are you simply disappointed to see my face?"
Ren shook his head. "Not at all. Just curious what brings you to my door."
She closed the distance between them with a slow, deliberate grace. Her flawless figure, striking features, and overwhelming charisma made every step look as though she were gliding down a red carpet. Stopping right in front of Ren, she leaned in, closing the gap until her breath brushed his ear. "Would you believe me if I said I simply missed you?" she whispered.
Ren met her gaze without flinching. "I'd believe you."
She blinked in genuine surprise before a soft, airy laugh escaped her.
"Do you want something to eat, or just a place to rest for a while?" Ren asked gently.
She pouted playfully. "Can't a girl just pass by, feel a sudden ache in her heart, drop in to see you, and leave?"
"You could. But next time, I'll just lock the door."
She feigned a gasp. "That's a quick way to make a woman who fancies you very unhappy."
"I don't see any unhappiness in you," Ren noted dryly. "If anything, you're enjoying this."
The woman gave him a long, calculating look, her playful facade slipping into something more vulnerable. "Why does the man I'm interested in have to read me so perfectly? It leaves a girl with no secrets."
"What secrets do you need? That you're part of some shadowy, evil syndicate? I already know that."
"How did you—?!"
Ren smiled, shaking his head. "You mentioned last time that you might belong to a terrorist organization."
She crossed her arms, exasperated. "And you just believe everything I say?"
"I don't think you'd lie to me about that."
A faint flush dusted her cheeks. Before she could formulate a retort, Ren leaned slightly closer. "Besides... I'm an underground fighter, and a chef."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning my nose is far too sensitive to the scent of blood."
Her pupils contracted. She instinctively tried to step back, but Ren's hand shot out, catching her gently but firmly by the arm. "Your left shoulder," he murmured, his voice dropping to a low, intimate register. "A bullet graze. It was patched up well, but it's still throbbing, isn't it?"
The woman fell completely silent.
Ren offered a reassuring smile. "And your hands don't smell like perfume or handrails. They smell like cordite and gun oil."
She let out a long, defeated sigh. "Alright, alright. You caught me. Can't you leave a lady with a little mystery?"
"Those aren't mysteries."
"So..." Her voice turned sultry again, testing the waters. "What's your verdict? Do you think I'm a bad woman?"
Ren waved a hand dismissively. "You? How much evil could you possibly get up to? With your talent for playing hide-and-seek, you should just find a quiet place to settle down, go shopping, and sunbathe."
Her heart gave an unexpected flutter, though she masked it with a scoff. "Do you honestly think I'm cut out to be a good, domestic woman?"
"Can you sweep a floor?"
"Excuse me?"
"Can you mop, do laundry, and wash windows?"
"Of course I can! I'm incredibly versatile, thank you very much. I can even give birth—what can't I do?"
Ren tilted his head, amused. "Then why claim you can't be a good woman? Are you just fishing for compliments?"
She blinked, momentarily stunned. When he put it like that, it really did sound like it.
Ren sighed, abandoning the teasing. "Alright. What do you want to eat?"
"I told you, I really just came by because I missed you."
"I'd be an idiot to believe that. You picked up a tail and ducked in here to shake them, didn't you?"
She sighed again, the exhaustion finally showing through her glamorous veneer. He was right.
"If you have to live looking over your shoulder," Ren said, "why not just retire?"
"They'd find me," she replied softly, a trace of genuine fear bleeding into her tone. "And even if I did... where would I go? Here? I'd only drag you down with me."
"This shop might just be the safest place in the world. Believe it or not."
Her eyes widened slightly, searching his face for deceit. Finding none, she smirked. "Really? Are you trying to sweet-talk me into staying as the boss lady?"
"Boss lady? No. But I am in the market for a maid. Interested? Twenty-four-hour shifts, zero pay, no benefits, and you have to provide your own food."
Vermouth stared at him, then burst into exasperated laughter. "You want me as free labor? Keep dreaming, darling. I'm leaving." She paused, glancing around the cozy tavern. "Though... if this place truly is that safe, I might just take you up on that maid offer. Assuming room and board are included."
She flipped her gorgeous blonde hair over her uninjured shoulder and turned toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Ren asked.
She paused, glancing back with a mysterious, captivating smile. "A secret makes a woman, woman. I have to maintain my allure, otherwise, you might not want me around... even as a maid. Ciao."
With that, she slipped out the door. Yukari Yakumo and the others exchanged baffled glances. What an utterly bizarre, yet undeniably magnetic woman.
Riven tilted her head, her salad forgotten. "Who was that?"
Lucifer frowned, tapping her chin. "'A secret makes a woman, woman'... Why does that line sound so familiar?"
Ren smiled, wiping down the counter. "That was Vermouth."
"Huh?!" Lucifer gaped. "Wait, she's that Vermouth?!"
Outside in the cool evening air, Vermouth smiled to herself. "He really is a dangerous, smooth-talking man," she murmured into the night. "But... retiring in a place like that... it wouldn't be so bad."
She glanced down the alleyway. "Ah. Looks like I've finally shaken them."
Her pace remained unhurried, but the moment she stepped out of the shadows and onto the bustling main street, the glamorous, stunning Vermouth was gone. In her place walked a slightly disheveled, entirely unremarkable middle-aged man, disappearing effortlessly into the crowd.
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