vstars Chapter 89 What did the puppy do to you!
Chapter 89 What did the puppy do to you!
"...Don't bully him yet. He's our future manager. If you scare him, I'll have to find another one."
To prevent the indiscriminately frightening Alastor from driving Harlen, whom you were holding, insane, you used your tail to turn him around, leaned down, and approached the radio demon with his perfectly controlled expression, saying this.
Because you're afraid of offending the other person, you always have to curl up when you talk to Alastor, like a giant wonton wrapper being wrapped into a wonton.
This makes you look like you're trying to appease the sinful lord in front of you, which is both ridiculous and absurd.
"Oh, then I can't really compliment your judgment of people, Miss."
After you hid Harun behind you, Alastor quickly concealed the terrifying expression on his face.
He elegantly brushed non-existent dust off his arm with his hand, tilted his head, and gave you a lazy glance.
"...Are you insulting yourself too? Aren't you someone I've set my sights on?"
Confused as to why the radio demon was so diligent in mocking himself, you tilted your head back and asked him in a flat, gender-ambiguous voice, "And you're even the one I need most... So the person you despise the most is actually yourself?"
"..."
It's clear that Alastor was taken aback by your statement.
Honestly, all the infuriating parts of your conversation came from him, and you were even praising him... and your comments were both ambiguous and confident.
But was this how you always spoke?
The gentleman, who always managed to shut others up, pondered the question during a brief silence.
■■■ She is undoubtedly a very good listener, and she always performs very well.
Western gentlemen are never stingy with their praise for the chef at their inn.
In every conversation, Dongfang Custody always behaved politely and humbly. She was good at giving others just the right amount of emotional value, and she could keep up with any topic.
Timely and earnest support and expansion, sincere praise, and unwavering compliance.
She liked to ask about strange, trivial details, and she would listen with great interest to him talk about his era. Sometimes, she would even write down what he said... although she was this serious with everyone.
Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one.
Although in the eyes of most demons and even humans, these behaviors of ■■■ can be described as exaggerated and pretentious.
She's exactly the type of person who's always in other people's mouths, praised to the point that you might actually dislike her.
When you don't speak to her, she's like a boring wooden box with nothing but an empty shell; whether it's her personality, which isn't suited to hell, or her way of doing things, it's destined that she won't be liked by the demons.
But once you've truly spent time with her, you'll understand what a surprisingly charming and delightful woman she is.
After all, the comfort she gave to others was based on "respect" and her genuine intelligence and studiousness, something Alastor had rarely encountered even during her lifetime.
Perhaps the only thing that makes her truly annoying is that you hear so many good things about her from other people that it becomes irritating.
At least Alastor, who always had high standards, considered ■■■ to be a near-perfect communication partner.
Moreover, she is very smart, and her very existence is essentially a comfort zone and a safe zone.
...A lovable and clever little fellow.
The broadcasting demon, who made no attempt to conceal his vision, solemnly touched his chin with his hand, his smile undiminished.
But what he was really curious about was why, after thinking about all this, he felt that ■■■'s remarks always carried a kind of ambiguity that was hard to criticize?
"But don't overthink it. I have a reason for looking for him... He was originally the manager of both stores, but he was betrayed by his own brother and ended up in this situation. His brother even hired him as a cleaner to humiliate him, but he didn't hand over the ownership of the store across the street to his brother."
Facing Alastor, who seemed lost in thought, you felt it necessary to explain to him why you chose Harlen. You patiently bent down and spoke to the scarlet gentleman.
While discussing seemingly gossipy topics, you and Alastor in front of you actually have a bit of a sisterly tea party vibe.
"Wow, this is really dramatic!"
Upon hearing Harlen's fate, Wendigo feigned surprise and covered his mouth with his hand.
"So, did that 'mysterious lady' choose to make him our manager because she felt sorry for him?"
Alastor, subtly steering the conversation towards you personally, asked you this question in a sly tone.
Seeing that he hadn't caught Harlan and called him a fool, you, who were practically crawling in front of him due to your enormous size, opened your dragon-bone mouth in surprise.
"...Of course not, I chose him simply because I like dogs, I'm a complete dog lover!"
You proudly stated something completely unrelated to your topic, as if to say, "The price of vegetables in the Arrogant Ring has gone up today."
"Moreover, even though his brother has humiliated him for so long, he still refuses to sell his shop and is burdened with a lot of debt... I like this kind of silly but principled personality."
Your androgynous, flat voice is mixed with the unique sound of bones rubbing together.
After discussing a seemingly unrelated topic, you unexpectedly bring up an important matter between you and Alastor.
"Also, try not to use gender-specific terms to refer to me in public. I don't want people to know my gender—uh, it's part of my persona, you should understand, right?"
"...I understand, darling, isn't this just a little trick you young people play?"
Facing the enormous skull that was almost touching his face, Alastor, who didn't dislike the other party's abrupt change of topic, let out a low laugh.
In terms of the bigger picture, Alastor agreed to your request much faster.
But you notice a distinct hint of disgust on the usually smiling sinner lord's face when you say you like dogs.
...What did the puppy do to you!
You got angry in a fit of rage.
"But I still don't understand what's so appealing about those furry, smelly little monsters? Looks like you haven't quite shaken off the low-level pleasures of controlling other creatures from your past life, sweetheart."
The male demon, who didn't seem to like canines, narrowed his eyes and affectionately pinched your hard, dragon-bone jaw with his hand.
Alastor's movements were graceful and light; he looked at you lazily, his sharp fingertips brushing against the side of your face. He treated you like some kind of favorite toy.
"So, you like dogs because they are obedient creatures?"
The broadcast demon stared at you for a long time before speaking, and you could hear the mockery in his lighthearted tone.
To be honest, it sounds strange coming from Alastor, but for you, obedience is just one aspect of why you like dogs.
"I guessed half right and half wrong, but I like canines so much because they are loyal."
Seemingly having completely forgotten about Harlen with her tail curled up, you quickly responded to Wendigo in front of you.
Alastor didn't seem surprised after hearing your answer.
The broadcasting demon, who was gripping his cane on the ground with both hands, raised an eyebrow and said in a joking tone:
"...Oh~ So you feel the same way about our little princess of hell?"
When you turn to look at him, Alastor is smiling at you after saying those words.
One look at his obviously sinister smile and you know he's probably up to no good.
Honestly, you really want to headbutt him, but after thinking about it carefully, you realize it's not worth it. After all, you're past the age of getting angry with someone like Alastor.
And you're worried that the slender Wendigo will be split in two by its own body.
"I'm sorry, you're mistaken. I'll be more loyal to Shirley than a dog."
Completely oblivious to his own utterances, the sinner from the East spoke through his skull, his tone indifferent: "I am the ultimate loyalty expert, even more capable than a dog."
Alastor: "..."
You seem quite proud of yourself.
"Moreover, and most importantly, I won't casually expose my belly to others for them to touch."
Perhaps feeling that his previous remarks weren't strange enough, the Eastern Sinner muttered another sentence.
After ■■■’s rambling and incoherent remarks, the broadcasting demon, who was completely speechless, almost forgot why he had brought up the topic in the first place.
■■■'s words interrupted the wicked sinner lord's train of thought.
Faced with his perfectly timed silence, the female demon, who was somewhat oblivious to things, naturally picked up where they left off.
"I specifically chose to go out with you today to help him pay off his debts..."
"...You will pay off his debts."
You could detect a hint of confusion and disapproving surprise in Alastor's tone as he repeated his statement.
The broadcasting demon, who seemed completely bewildered by your actions, maintained his smile, but his brow furrowed: "Did I hear that right, darling?"
"...Don't be angry yet. The main thing is that I have money, and if I can solve it with money, it won't be so troublesome later...I don't plan to cause trouble for myself in the early stages of starting a business, nor do I plan to let public opinion grow wildly from the very beginning."
You understand that the other party, being a demon, won't understand your thankless actions. Unperturbed by their reaction, you patiently explain to Alastor, who is already used to others submitting to you.
“While bringing you here is a form of deterrence… it’s also to keep them from having any bad intentions—you can take action if necessary.”
"And to be honest, the image of the Stars is simply that He is good at counter-surveillance; He is not the type who is good at fighting... So sometimes, in order to maintain this image, I may need you to 'protect' me."
Although he didn't approve of your disadvantageous way of doing things, Alastor, who always seemed very patient with your remarks, raised one eyebrow and casually accepted the request to become the "bodyguard" of the stars.
After all, one of the things he made with you was to shield your image as a rising star from both open and covert attacks... which naturally included "protecting" you as you are now.
When you hear that you need his protection, you even have the illusion that he seems to enjoy it.
...As for why you use "even", it's mainly because you want it to be your illusion.
Because the idea of Alastor wanting to be your bodyguard sounds strange and scary, you worry that he might betray you one day when you're not looking.