A Birthday Surprise and an Unexpected Visitor

In the rooftop room, Hecate was seated in a deeply reclined rattan chair, leisurely enjoying the afternoon with her eyes closed.

Iordera approached her, a hint of nervousness in her demeanor.

‘What if Hecate makes some… unusual demands for the money?’

‘Like, what if she wants me to trade… *that* for it?’

‘I’d refuse outright, of course. But what if that angered her? What if she forced a transaction, pinning me down by the neck?’

‘If Hecate wasn’t paying attention, could I kick her in the shin with Natural Order, then immediately turn and flee? Would I even get away?’

A fierce internal struggle raged within Iordera’s mind, even as the young professor in the chair slowly opened her eyes.

“Is there something on your mind, my dear? Do tell.”

Iordera gritted her teeth, steeling herself. “Hecate, I’m a bit short on funds lately. Could I borrow some money?”

She had anticipated numerous reactions from Hecate, yet the professor simply nodded without a moment’s hesitation. “Of course.”

Then, she extended a card. “Will this suffice?”

It was a gold coin card, engraved with the number ‘100’.

Iordera blinked, utterly bewildered. “You’re just… giving it to me?”

“Didn’t you ask to borrow it?” Hecate asked, her expression feigning innocence as she looked at Iordera. “Have you changed your mind?”

“Borrow it? Of course I’ll borrow it!” Iordera quickly took the card and slipped it into her pocket, rubbing her hands together sheepishly. “I just didn’t expect you to be so straightforward.”

‘She’s truly a good person!’

Hecate smiled. “Because I know, my dear, that when you say you’ll borrow, you mean it, and you’ll certainly repay it.”

“Naturally! How could I not repay it?” Iordera suddenly found her confidence. “If you help me in the future, even if it’s not a direct loan, we can convert it into gold coins, and I’ll consider it borrowed from you.”

‘That way, I won’t have to worry about owing favors. How wonderful!’

“Alright, no problem,” Hecate readily agreed. “Feel free to borrow anytime.”

“Perfect, no problem at all! I’ll always repay what I borrow, so please, be sure to keep a record.”

Iordera squeezed the gold coin card in her pocket, then departed with a contented hum.

Hecate, in turn, produced a ledger and meticulously penned a line into it:

At the cake shop, the pastry chef watched the young, white-haired girl return, a hint of surprise in their eyes. “Good afternoon, little one. What can I get for you?”

“That thing we talked about this morning,” Iordera declared, slapping the gold coin card onto the counter with an air of extravagance. “I want to add even more!”

Throughout the entire afternoon, Iordera directed the pastry chef, slowly bringing her desired creation to life.

“Yes, use only cream and fruit. No chocolate, not a single bit.”

“On top, sculpt three little animals: a rabbit, a puppy, and a kitten.”

“Just three little animals?”

“Yes. Wait, add a doll figure too.”

The pastry chef paused, a slight hesitation in their voice. “How would you like the doll figure to be portrayed?”

It seemed a bit challenging. Iordera lowered her head, pondering carefully, until an idea sparked within her.

“Listen, just make it like this. It’s quite simple.”

Ultimately, it was represented in the shape of a LEGO minifigure.

Grandma Sharp, however, was at a loss. There wasn’t enough space on the cake, so she could only draw a heart symbol as a compromise.

Regardless, Iordera’s envisioned birthday cake was finally complete.

As she carried the items towards West Street, the sun had not yet fully set.

However, Sharp’s Workshop had opened early tonight. Grandma Sharp stood behind the counter, conversing with a customer.

A short while later, the customer left, leaving a pair of broken cat ears and a tail on the counter. Iordera picked them up, realizing they were handmade, fake accessories.

“What are these?” she asked.

Grandma Sharp gestured towards the recently departed customer. “A few days ago, the pleasure house placed an order with me for a batch of animal-ear costumes. You know, those people just love that sort of thing.”

…Iordera desperately wanted to claim ignorance; she was a pure soul, after all.

Just now, he came to collect the order and meticulously picked through them. He then declared this particular set unusable, Grandma Sharp explained, pointing at the counter. The broken ears, he claimed, would send the wrong signal to customers.

Iordera fell silent for a moment. Truthfully, based on her own twenty-odd years of experience, she had to admit it did feel a little off.

“What did you say?” she asked.

Grandma Sharp frowned. “I told him it was a realistic style, nothing wrong with it. He couldn’t just refuse it because he didn’t like it.”

“Did he pay for this set, then?”

“No, he didn’t,” Grandma Sharp replied, gathering the items from the counter. “He retorted by asking if I’d ever seen a real cat-girl. If not, he claimed, I had no right to call it realistic. I held my tongue.”

Indeed, one had to tolerate such things. What else could she do? It wasn’t as if she could drag Awang out for him to see.

“Never mind, one set isn’t worth much anyway,” Grandma Sharp said, turning her gaze to the cake in Iordera’s hands. “Are you ready?”

“I am.”

“Then let’s clean up and close shop.”

The workshop had opened early today precisely because it needed to close even earlier.

In the cellar, three animal-eared lolis had just awoken to find Grandma Sharp closing up shop, descending with Iordera.

“Duo Duo, Little Pa, Awang, you’re awake!” Iordera exclaimed, pulling over a festive cloth and placing the birthday cake upon it. “Tonight, we’re having a special party.”

Awang blinked, bewildered. “A party?”

“Yes. First, turn off the lights.”

The other four seemed to share an unspoken understanding, beginning their preparations. Only Awang remained rooted, still oblivious to what was unfolding.

As the lights went out and they prepared to light the candles, Iordera suddenly sang out in a hushed voice, “Wait!”

Grandma Sharp’s expression shifted as well.

The lolis dared not even breathe. In the profound silence, the rustling sounds from above the cellar became eerily distinct.

An uninvited guest had intruded into Sharp’s Workshop.

“I’ll go check,” Iordera whispered, then ascended the stairs.

Below the stairs, Grandma Sharp gripped her scissors tightly.

With her hand on the cellar’s switch, Iordera braced herself.

Ostensibly, a seemingly soft-bodied loli pushed the door open, appearing unarmed and harmless. Yet, her elbows were positioned, her flexible tendons capable of delivering over a dozen strikes in mere seconds, even unleashing a burst of high-pressure air.

She tensed her body, as if activating a hidden arsenal.

With a resounding clang, the cellar door and the upper lights opened simultaneously. The darkened room instantly flooded with light, causing the creeping figure to involuntarily shiver.

Iordera, seizing the moment, leaped up, puffing out her cheeks, ready to unleash a dragon’s roar.

Before she could utter a sound, however, she caught sight of a strand of golden hair and a familiar black robe.

The high-pressure air was swallowed back down, transforming into a questioning gasp: “You’re… Sophia?”