"If you don't eat it now, it will melt," Ketchlov reminded.
“Hmmm,” Effie said, not using the spoon her boss offered her, but taking small bites.
The perfect sweetness combined with the smoothness of milk leaves a delicate taste in the mouth, and the cool temperature and sweet caramel syrup perfectly neutralize each other.
The crunchy texture of the Belgian chocolate chips contrasts with the soft and melt-in-your-mouth Italian ice cream to create a rich taste.
Effie bit half of the cookie without hesitation, and then passed the cookie she had bitten to Kercherov.
"Take a bite, too."
Ketchlov was stunned for a moment, then he unceremoniously took a small bite of the place where Effie had bitten.
The owner of the dessert shop stared at the two of them with a smile, as if the spoon he handed over had become a decoration.
Joe Butran frowned and watched the two people who seemed to be in love from not far outside the window.
He had not expected the story to unfold this way.
"If necessary, capture the girl as well." Jobtran said to his subordinates who were surrounding him.
"Got it." Everyone replied, but the ascetic Reiner was thinking about something.
Ascetic Reiner patted Jobutran on the shoulder, and when Jobutran turned around, he said,
"Leader, can you please spare me a moment?"
Jobtran nodded. Reiner, who was usually a man of few words, actually came to him on his own initiative. He must have seen something.
The two walked a few steps away and arrived at an empty alley.
Reiner said to Jobtran with a serious face,
"My personal advice is to try not to mess with this girl."
Joe Butran tilted his head and asked in confusion,
"Mr. Reiner, why do you say that?"
"She smells like a witch. She probably hasn't awakened yet, but I believe her elders won't let it go if we take action against her."
Reiner said solemnly.
"You mean she is a descendant of a witch with bloodline inheritance?" Jobtran guessed.
Reiner nodded and began to talk about his understanding of witches, a special group of people.
"My ancestors were part of the first witch hunt. They encountered real fallen witches, witches who were proficient in black magic. Under torture, we learned a secret that was not recorded in the books of the Holy Light Society."
"Secret? Are there any secrets that are not recorded in the books of the Holy Light Society?" Jobtran said with some surprise.
"Yes, but I believe there are fragments of it in the Bureau's files."
Jobtran listened quietly to Reiner's explanation, hoping that Reiner could give an explanation that satisfied him.
"This may sound incredible, like a fairy tale, but what I am about to say is an astonishing fact."
Reiner paused and continued,
“A witch’s power is spiritual.
Witches are not evil. Only witches with evil intentions will degenerate into casters of black magic.
If this little girl is going through her trials, then if we intervene forcefully, we might end up creating a monster ourselves.
Leader, do you understand what I mean
At the same time, we may also have to face the anger of her elders.
The witches who have survived until now have all these means and abilities. I believe the leader can judge the interests involved."
Jobtran nodded, understanding Reiner's considerations, and replied,
"Don't worry, I know my limits. By the way, what do you mean by experience?"
"Every witch has to go through a trial before awakening. There is no success or failure in this trial. All results will be determined by the witch's own mentality. The name of this trial is the inner demon." Reiner said with a straight face.
"I understand. The most important mission this time is to target the Yellow Group. As for the witch matter, we'll deal with it based on the situation."
Joet Brown said after he sorted out his thoughts.
The two finished their brief conversation and returned to the original surveillance location. Joe Butran asked everyone,
"Any movement?"
"They are still eating Grato. It makes me hungry." Pigman said, patting his belly.
"All you do every day is eat. If you're not fat, who would be fat?" Louisa said mischievously, sticking out her tongue.
"You talk like you're not greedy." Ross, who had lost his presence since changing into civilian clothes, said.
"Okay, okay, they're standing up. Get ready to follow." Veronica, who had been staring intently at Ketchev and Effie, reminded.
———
The message that Ketchlov left in the newspaper was to express to his superiors in the Yellow Group that his current identity was no longer useful. He did not know that the fact that he belonged to the Yellow Group had been discovered by the Public Security Bureau.
This is why Ketchlov did not remain very cautious.
This was his preconceived subjective opinion, and he only thought that he was regarded as a spy sent by Orros.
Since the identity of the cook could no longer be used, someone naturally had to take over the task of lurking in Eugene Einstar's house; and he himself also needed a new identity.
As Ketchumov ate the glatto handed to him by Effie, he felt mixed emotions.
Ketchlov, who was spotted by the Yellow Gang after running away from home, has always believed that there is no kindness in the world. Whether it is the inhumane spy training or the harsh kitchen life, all of these make Ketchlov feel the sinister and ugly side of human nature.
But this simple and innocent little girl is different.
Seeing herself in danger, the little girl carried the stranger herself back home without thinking about why she had encountered such a thing, nor did she ask questions out of curiosity.
When she finds something delicious, the little girl will share it with me.
This was completely different from the past when he was beaten by his stepfather and brothers.
Before this, Ketchev felt that his life was just like the cliché Cinderella story.
But the appearance of the little girl is like a magical girl, bringing color to her black and white life.
Ketchev was very conflicted, not knowing whether he should continue to contact the girl.
He knew in his heart how troublesome the identity he was hiding was, and he did not want to destroy such a girl in his own hands, but he had a conflicting feeling like a drowning man clinging to a life-saving straw.
The white clouds in the sky float by like cotton candy, looking dreamy but untouchable.
This is what Ketchev struggled with.
Effie in front of me turned her head to the right, with her hair pushed to the left, revealing her cute earlobes. She was wearing a pair of earrings inlaid with sapphires.
"Huh? You're not going to eat anymore? My hands are sore from lifting them."
"You eat it. I've tasted it."
After hearing this, Effie began to crunch on the crispy egg cone. After finishing, she patted the crumbs on her hands and wiped the corners of her mouth with a tissue.
Seeing a small amount of caramel syrup on the corner of Ketchlov's mouth, Effie wiped Ketchlov's mouth.
The girl standing so close to him already had a grown-up figure, and her white tender hands touched Ketchlov's heartstrings, creating ripples on the lake in his heart.