Chapter 20: Kagarino Kirie's Strange Encounter and the Restaurant at Noon!
The luxurious Western-style mansion nestled in the woods was illuminated by the approaching midday sun.
The flowerbeds in the courtyard had already bloomed, swaying gently with the wind;
The sea of trees outside the courtyard walls was lush and green, yet strangely quiet.
If not for the iron gate at the main entrance being gleamingly new, outsiders might mistake the mansion for a haunted place with terrifying ghosts, like in movie plots.
Actually, this type of speculation had some accuracy.
Because the owner of the mansion, the master of this place, was a vampire named Kagarino Kirie.
Kirie, despite being a vampire, could bask in the sun and touch silverware, only fearing crosses engraved with Vatican symbols.
Besides the aforementioned identity, Kirie also played the role of a 'student' in human society.
However, during this holiday period, the idle Kirie's favorite thing to do was taking baths.
Right now was just like that—
In the center of this European-style estate, within the luxurious mansion's bathroom, Kagarino Kirie submerged her entire body into the bathtub.
She gently exhaled a cherry-colored breath, looked at the antique wall clock, the time displayed was eleven-thirty, not long before noon.
Having eaten something casually in the morning, Kirie wasn't hungry, just simply feeling bored.
"Haa~"
At this moment, the sensation of warm water flowing over her shoulders made her sigh comfortably.
Leaning against the edge of the tub, Kirie casually scooped up camellia petals floating on the water, watching them slowly curl up in her fingertips.
The scent was fragrant, pleasing.
Next time, let's switch to roses and lilies.
Noting this down, Kirie planned to order her household butler to remember it afterward.
Speaking of which, she felt that recently, that zombie butler had been somewhat lazy.
A portion of the flowerbeds bought a few days ago had withered due to excessive pruning.
If another mistake was made, punishment would be necessary.
No longer thinking about these annoying matters, Kirie closed her eyes, enjoying the rare moment of leisure.
By the time she finished bathing, the wall clock chimed, indicating twelve o'clock had arrived.
Leaving the bathtub, she picked up the already prepared towel, wiped off the water droplets sliding down her fair skin onto the floor, and elegantly changed into her beloved black long dress.
The gown, made of high-grade silk, was comfortable and close-fitting, pleasing.
After changing, she walked out of the bathroom and saw the butler standing nearby on standby.
This servant, in the eyes of ordinary people, would surely be seen as a monster—ugly, twisted, terrifying.
Because his face was gaunt, his appearance withered, no different from the zombies in movies and anime.
However, the zombie butler's loyalty was unquestionable.
Kirie had no intention of dismissing him, letting him disappear.
"Young Mistress, you've finished bathing. Do you require me to prepare lunch? Because you mentioned earlier you hadn't decided what you wanted to eat, so it hasn't been prepared..."
"No need to prepare lunch, I don't have much appetite right now. I'll go stroll in the courtyard first, the weather is nice today anyway."
Unlike ordinary vampires, the sun and silver held no threat to Kirie.
Rather, those who feared them were false, fragile vampires, a disgrace to the vampire race.
However, most humans believed it to be true, which wasn't a bad thing for Kirie.
At least when encountering foolish challengers, she could tease those fellows.
Kirie thought about unimportant matters as she strolled into the courtyard.
The weather today was nice.
The sun hung high overhead, golden brilliance paving the path ahead.
The bamboo trellises set up on both sides were already covered with ivy, forming a green corridor extending to the vividly colored flowerbed area.
"You don't need to follow me. Go clean the warehouse, clear out the unused things inside."
"Understood, Young Mistress."
Hearing Kirie say this, the zombie butler turned and left immediately without hesitation.
Walking up to the flowerbed, Kirie smelled a mixed fragrance.
Apart from the previously withered parts, the remaining flowers had all bloomed.
"Very beautiful..."
Kirie sighed softly, then saw a butterfly riding the wind.
Her gaze followed the butterfly's movement, only to discover an 'foreign object' in the background.
Slightly lifting the hem of her long dress, Kirie walked over there.
At the end of the flowerbed courtyard, near the surrounding wall, there was a door.
It clearly wasn't built by the zombie butler, nor could it be the work of outsiders, otherwise she would have noticed the commotion long ago.
"'Open for Business'..."
Recognizing the sign hanging on the door, Kirie's confusion deepened.
Behind the door was only the wall; she couldn't see any connection to 'business'.
Strange...
Abnormal.
It also greatly increased Kirie's curiosity.
She came to the side of the door.
"It really is right against the wall."
In manga created by humans, there seemed to be a setting of an 'Anywhere Door'.
So does this door have a similar function?
"How foolish."
Regarding the speculation just now, Kirie found it laughable.
But she didn't destroy the door, instead reaching out her right hand and grasping the doorknob.
Turning it gently.
Click.
The sound of the lock opening came.
Behind the door was not the estate wall, but... a large hall.
Warm-toned lights filled the space.
Kirie frowned tightly and walked inside.
Her gaze quickly locked onto the young man inside the kitchen.
"Welcome, cute guest. For today's lunch, I have many recommendations."
"..."
The silent Kirie had only one thought in her mind—this restaurant was not simple!
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