Yes, Lady Funina!

Of course, strictly speaking, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Clay is dead, since she has lost her past memories. Whether Clay is still the same Clay is a matter of opinion.

"You didn't come here today just to thank me, did you? If so, it's a bit too late," Richard teased. "Try the tea I brewed, how does it taste?"

Arecino picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and then uttered two words: "So-so."

"I knew you would say that."

Even after becoming an executive officer, he still remained stubborn.

"The children of the fireplace house..."

“If we can ensure their purity, I don’t think it will be a big problem,” Richard stated his opinion frankly.

He added, "Of course, the final decision rests with Funina, since she is my superior."

“That’s natural.” Arecino nodded slightly.

However, she felt a strange sense of unease, though she didn't know the source of it, or perhaps she simply didn't want to know.

"Let's leave work here; it's time to leave work now." Richard stood up. "Have you eaten? If not, I'll cook your portion too."

"Thank you for your help," Arecino replied politely without refusing.

“You’re much more polite now than before,” Richard said before disappearing into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Arecino fell into deep thought. Was she really that impolite before?

Looking back on the time Richard spent living in the Hearth House, it seems... he was indeed a bit impolite.

Soon the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen. Richard usually doesn't cook, but today was an exception. They had guests over, and it was obvious that the guests weren't very good at cooking.

"A very sumptuous dinner." Arecino wasn't particular about food; her main concern was that her child was easy to feed.

"Did Lynette come to see you today?" Richard asked while eating.

"Yes, I discussed the issue of whether she should stay or leave with her."

"What did she say?"

Arecino considered Lynette's performance that day and gave an ambiguous answer: "Hesitant."

"How should I tell you this?"

"Hesitating whether or not to come with me."

"Cough cough..."

Richard wouldn't believe Arecino's nonsense. How could Lynette possibly go with her... what if?

"Really?"

"It seems you're not as confident in yourself or in Lynette as I thought," Arecino said with a smile in her eyes.

“No, I was just asking just in case,” Richard insisted.

"If that's the case, why not take action?" Arecino asked casually.

"The action refers to..."

"Now that the deed is done, I don't think Lynette will mind. You could say she's been waiting for this day for a long time."

"Wait, Arecino, what are you doing here?"

Richard found it increasingly strange and absurd the more he listened.

Richard had assumed that Arecino had come to discuss the House of Hearths' withdrawal from Fontainebleau and would also tell him about the so-called "Winter Plan," but he hadn't expected her to talk about such things.

This is not a topic Arecino would normally discuss.

“Let’s talk about the children’s future. Lynette is my child too, isn’t she?” Arecino put down her knife and fork and wiped her lips with a tissue.

The whole process was exceptionally elegant; it would have been wonderful if the topics they discussed could have been as elegant as their movements.

“No father would send his daughter away like that,” Richard said irritably.

What father in the world would encourage others to steal his own daughter?

"Send it? I don't think so. It's Lynette's choice, and I respect her. I just want to speed things up. Hesitation is a quality that shouldn't be present in Lynette." Arecino didn't think there was anything wrong with what she was doing.

“This is between her and me,” Richard reminded her.

“Of course, if you don’t want to, I can choose not to get involved.” Arecino nodded, indicating that she respected Richard’s choice.

"So, can we talk about what's between us now?"

Chapter 223 Treating the symptoms but not the root cause

"Our business?" Richard looked at Arecino with confusion, not understanding what she meant by "our business."

There shouldn't be any conflict between them, right?

Richard thought about it carefully and realized that apart from standing up for Funina, he had no direct conflict with Arecino.

Even though he stood up for Furina and warned Arecino with force, he didn't kill her; he only seriously injured her.

Although it sounds serious, as long as it doesn't damage the root cause, the power in Arecino's bloodline will allow him to recover quickly, and his power can also help slow down the spread of the curse.

Richard was clearly aware of the appropriate level of force he should use.

For Arecino, aside from the pain, there were basically no other downsides.

Arecino knew she was in the wrong for attacking Furness, and given the circumstances, she had absolutely no reason to attack her.

Both Arecino herself and Richard knew very well that the so-called test was just a pretext.

Only Arecino herself, who took the action, probably knows what she was really thinking.

At that time, Arecino herself didn't understand why she attacked Frynn, but now Arecino may understand a little bit.

—She might be a little jealous of Funina.

Arecino considers herself a very cold-blooded person. From childhood to adulthood, she has been particularly indifferent to emotions, and apart from Clévy, very few people have been able to truly enter her heart.

Whether she admits it or not, Richard is one of them.

Regarding this point, Alegino had actually been avoiding the topic before. Even when Richard proposed that Lynette be her assistant, Alegino was actually unwilling, but she eventually agreed for this reason.

She has no feelings for Richard, so it's fine for her to let Lynette be his assistant.

After all, compared to her sister Lynette, Lynne was more suited to the Hearth House. From a rational point of view, if Richard had to choose someone to be his assistant, Lynette would naturally be the most suitable.

However, from a more emotional perspective, having Linnie as Richard's assistant might be better for Arecino at this point.

After all, it can effectively reduce competitors, right?

Of course, the past cannot be changed, and Aregino didn't think it would matter if one more or one less Lynette would make a difference. After all, based on her understanding, Richard's love life was a bit too good.

Thank goodness this guy didn't attack Clementine, Arecino thought.

“Yes, it’s about us.” Arecino nodded again to make sure Richard hadn’t misheard.

Richard extended his hand, gesturing for Arecino to wait a moment. What he meant by repeating himself earlier was not that he hadn't heard clearly, but rather that he hadn't understood.

Is something wrong with them?

“Ahem, Arecino, what’s going on between us? Did I do something to… offend you?” Richard asked.

“It’s not offensive, but there are some things I need you to explain to me,” Arecino said.

"Please speak." Richard nodded. "As long as it's something I can tell you, I will tell you everything I know."

Alejandro didn't go straight for the ball, nor was she used to it, so she decided to take a roundabout approach.

“Do you remember what happened at the House of Hearths?” Arecino asked.

“I remember, but it happened more than a decade ago. I’m not that forgetful,” Richard said.

As long-lived species, good memory is a basic requirement. Without sufficient memory, even with a long lifespan, it is nothing more than an unawakened dream.

Arecino had encountered immortal beings before, so she wasn't surprised by Richard's words. In fact, according to her understanding, Richard had lived for at least five hundred years and was indeed an immortal being.

And this immortal being only lost his virginity in the last few months, well, he can barely be considered to have kept himself pure.

Alegino considered this a plus.

"Why did you think of contacting me back at the House of Hearths?" Arecino asked.

“Because among so many children, you are the most special,” Richard answered straightforwardly, then thought for a moment and added, “And all the other children have playmates, but you don’t.”

"Is it because of my bloodline?" Arecino murmured to herself.

“No, that’s not it. Although your bloodline is special, I wouldn’t bother coming to you because of it. I’m not a Doctor.” Richard waved his hand, indicating that Arecino was overthinking things.

He simply wanted to observe what this unsociable child was doing, and of course, there was definitely a part of it in Arecino's blood.

Otherwise, Richard wouldn't be interested in just a withdrawn child. Only a child with special bloodline, a withdrawn personality, and unconventional behavior could attract Richard's attention.

"It was a twist of fate, I suppose," Richard concluded.

"Hmm." In her mind, Arecino silently replaced the phrase "by some strange twist of fate" with "destiny."

This sounds better.

"Actually, when I saw you playing with the spider, I was wondering how a little kid could like spiders, especially a girl."

“What you like has no necessary connection with gender, only with personality,” Arecino said.

“That makes sense.” Richard nodded.

"Was that fox you showed me back then the one belonging to Yae no Kami?" Arecino asked.

"It's her," Richard readily admitted.

"Then you're saying she's your pet..."

"I never said that." Richard said, "Don't make false accusations. If that guy, the Divine Child, heard this, he'd probably be ready to kick you in the back."

"I remember saying it was my pet, not the one I raised."

Although the meanings are similar, there are subtle differences in the details, and these details are often the most crucial.

Please type the very detailed information in the public chat.

"That's true." Arecino also remembered that Richard seemed to have said something like that back then, but she hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.

As the questions deepened, Arecino's understanding of what happened back then became increasingly clear.

Some vague memories from the journey there, as well as childhood doubts, were resolved with Richard's answers.

Recalling one's past from Richard's perspective gives one the feeling of watching one's own past memories in the third person.

Arecino didn't dislike the feeling, but... looking at her past self through her current eyes, she always felt that she was a bit... arrogant back then?

Even though they really like many things, they still act as if they don't care at all, and even if others ask, they will stubbornly reply, "It's so-so."

But is it really just average? Probably not.

Arecino harshly criticized her past self, completely forgetting that she had just replied "so-so" when Richard asked her how the tea was brewed.

Although Richard's tea-making skills were indeed average compared to Lynette's, Arecino certainly didn't think so when she was tasting the tea; she thought it was quite delicious.

During their conversation, much of the distance between them disappeared, and it felt as if time had turned back to their childhood... at least that's what Arecino thought.

After all, if Richard were to go back to his childhood, Arecino probably wouldn't have been born yet. Although more than ten years is a long time, for Richard it would be no different from a year or two for an ordinary person.

"How is your bloodline?"

As the conversation went on, the topic inevitably turned to the bloodline within Arecino's body.

After hearing Richard's words, Arecino looked at her hands. The dark curse power had spread up her arm and was almost reaching her shoulder.

This is the bloodline of the Crimson Moon, which grants her power but also inflicts pain that is unbearable for ordinary people. The flames flowing in her bloodline are just a metaphor for others, but for Arecino, it is a reality she has to accept.

Fortunately, she is no ordinary person and has long been accustomed to such pain. Even when her body is scorched by flames, Arecino can now do it without even flinching.

So when Richard asked about the blood flowing through her veins, Arecino would calmly reply, "It has helped me a lot."

The best help is to increase the strength of the Fools.

"It also brought you pain," Richard continued. He still remembered the little girl's expression of faint pain when her emotions affected the power within her body.

It is clear that this bloodline power not only brings benefits, but also requires paying a corresponding price.

That's just how the world is; when you gain something, you're destined to lose something else.

Richard gained power, but he also lost his worries and suffering.