Ch.69Chapter 9. How to Bake an Apple Pie (4)

This time, there were no tricks. Just conversation, food, and more alcohol. But they never took their eyes off each other.

And eventually, Leticia got drunk.

Judging by how she kept insisting “I’m not drunk” when no one had asked, she definitely was. But she felt better than ever before.

Until now, alcohol had merely been a tool to forcibly lift her sunken spirits.

But this gathering with this man was different. It felt like floating, rising from the ground into the sky.

The alcohol could lift her even higher.

‘I’m having such a long conversation with a civilian!’

Leticia’s daily life consisted mostly of spending time with either soldiers or criminals.

And criminals who required interrogation by someone of her rank were at least mid-level offenders. Conversations with such people were always exhausting.

Soldiers or serious criminals. People with nothing to laugh about. The only exception was Virginia, but she maintained a constant poker face, so that didn’t count.

As a result, Leticia often found herself frowning without realizing it. Even a pretty woman becomes unapproachable when her face is constantly scrunched up.

But here, she realized something anew.

‘That’s right. I am a woman.’

A new and interesting experience. Somehow feeling like this joy might never come again after today, she unknowingly began crossing lines bit by bit.

“Wanna know a seeecret?” she slurred.

“What is it?”

Leticia took a quick swig of vodka. She didn’t particularly like it since it had no distinct taste besides being strong, but right now she needed that level of stimulation to feel anything.

“You know what? I’m actually a ‘hero’! I protect the weak and go bang! bang! shooting bad guys! Justice hero, Leti! Ta-da!”

She made a V-sign with her fingers and held it to her eyes like an idol pose.

“Like a magical girl or something?”

Girl. Being called a girl made her hiccup involuntarily.

‘Well, I do look young for my age, don’t I? Born with good skin, after all.’

Leticia was delighted.

“…Do I… do I really look like a g-girl? Really?”

The man called Caesar stared at Leticia intently. His eyes seemed to burn with intensity.

‘Wow, he’s surprisingly forceful. Look at that strict, serious face. I didn’t know he had this side to him.’

Though slightly embarrassed, Leticia boldly lifted her chin arrogantly. Yes, it meant “go ahead and look all you want.”

“Hmm. Well. Ahem. ‘Girl’ is a bit embarrassing… hehehe. Um, I do go ‘pororong’ and ‘transform!’ so I guess the magic part is right!”

‘That’s true. Just changing clothes is a transformation. I get so much abuse just for wearing a uniform.’

Leticia felt a little sad.

“But… no-nobody understands! They just in-insult me! Do you know how ridiculous people are? I save them, right? And then they just start cursing and whoosh! whoosh! They leave…”

She waved her hand as if shooing away flies at the “whoosh” part, which seemed to convey her meaning better. Still, she was happy.

“Bang! Well, whatever. I guess that’s a hero’s fate. But you know what? Heroes are people too! People… people… They don’t need to… look at us… like zombies. Right? Riiiight?”

“That’s right.”

“That’s right! Now, one more drink!”

Even the vodka tastes sweet now. Recklessly, everything looks good. But her head keeps drooping. This won’t do. They’re still in the middle of a bet.

“Excuse me.”

An unfamiliar voice. It’s a waiter. Leticia waved her hand without even looking up.

“Wha’ d’you want!”

“…Your time is almost up. About 10 minutes left.”

“Ah, is that so? I understand. We’ll wrap up.”

Caesar still seemed sober. While not taking his eyes off Leticia, he spoke politely to the waiter.

The waiter looked back and forth between the two flushed faces and retreated, seeming to understand the situation. He’d seen plenty of couples with eyes locked, holding hands as they left.

But Leticia wasn’t like that. She became urgent instead. The crisis detection ability that any elite officer should possess sounded an alarm.

‘What? Wrap up? Leave? Then what about me? I still have at least 11 more bottles of alcohol to drink!’

As soon as the waiter disappeared, Leticia frantically waved at Caesar.

“H-hey, um, listen…!”

“Yes?”

“…M-my place isn’t f-far from here…”

‘Wait a minute? Is this right? Am I inviting someone I just met today to my home?’

She could somewhat hear her reason banging its head against a wall in protest, or maybe not.

‘But why am I worrying about this?’ Leticia pondered deeply, and soon found a rational answer.

‘Oh right. I’m in disguise. So I shouldn’t bring him home today. Can’t take him inside. Then…’

Proud of her own intelligence, Leticia proudly extended her hand.

“Delivery, please!”

Caesar blinked rapidly. He seemed confused.

‘Oh right. There’s probably a separate delivery fee. How much should I give him?’

Her head was spinning, making it difficult to calculate.

“It’s not difficult, so I’ll do it for you.”

“Hehe, really?”

Her tongue curling was beyond her control, Leticia thought. This was an involuntary, physiological response. Caesar should understand this.

“…But isn’t security tight in that area? Won’t I be unable to enter?”

‘What? That’s the only reason?’

Leticia thumped her chest with her fist. She was wearing so many layers that she couldn’t feel much.

“Aaah, I’ll tell you! If you just enter the public number, nobody will say anything! It’s fiiine. Let’s see, how much should I pay you for the alcohol…”

“You don’t need to pay.”

“Huh?”

Caesar was smiling.

“Consider it a small favor. As you’ve seen, I have more alcohol to sell. I came here to establish business connections, not because I’m desperate to sell something right away. I’d like to maintain a good relationship going forward.”

The man’s words sounded strange. Parts seemed to be missing. Leticia employed her specialty: deduction.

‘Favor… I… relationship… maintain… Oh. This person is attracted to me?’

It was certain. The subtle smile. The favorable gaze. The active reactions. But…

‘This is troublesome. It’s too fast. No, wait. Maybe I’m actually someone who gets along well with other civilians too? Have I been underestimating myself?’

After this indignant thought passed, she became afraid.

She remembered something she’d read in a book: “Solo Escape Tips from a Dating Coach” or something like that.

Sometimes it doesn’t work out even if you get along too well at the first meeting. If you open up everything at the first meeting, curiosity fades.

So you should leave something to maintain curiosity, Leticia recalled.

“Ahem. Um. I-I understand what you’re saying, but isn’t this a b-bit too fast?”

“Too fast?”

Caesar’s face changed to puzzlement.

Leticia’s heart sank. ‘Oh, is that not it? Was there some misunderstanding in communication?’

“Ah, um, what I mean is. Like… you know… hehehe, maybe we should… take it slow… it’s a bit sudden… No! I don’t mean I don’t like it… Uh. Why am I… hehehe, stumbling over my words… Oh, right, can’t take my eyes off you.”

She was digging her own grave. The two were still in the middle of their bet and couldn’t take their eyes off each other.

Leticia felt like she was sinking deeper into a quagmire. Her speech became increasingly disjointed, her concentration waned, but her heart beat faster and faster.

Fortunately, among everything that had flown away, one thing remained. She recalled a passage from “Solo Escape Tips from a Dating Coach.”

But she was a bit confused whether it was from the “What Not to Do” column or the “How to Make Him Mine” column.

Whatever, Leticia decided to push forward like the elite officer she was.

“…S-so… w-we. N-not today! Next time we meet, would you like to… m-make apple pie?”

“Apple pie? They sell ingredients over there, can’t we just bake that?”

Leticia raised her index finger and slowly shook it from side to side.

“Nonono. That trash is fundamentally different, that’s what I’m saying. This isn’t just any apple pie. It’s an Elza traditional recipe!

My grandmother, she carefully taught me, my grandmother! It’s a recipe! It’s a real proper Szarlotka, I tell you! I can prepare all the ingredients!”

‘What was I supposed to do again, lean in subtly and show some cleavage for better effect?’

But since she was wearing so many layers of clothing, she could hardly show her neck, let alone cleavage.

So instead, Leticia stretched out her leg and kicked Caesar’s ankle lightly. This was also a form of appeal, she’d heard.

It seemed to work. Caesar’s expression became somewhat suggestive. Despite the discomfort in her thighs from wearing two layers of pants, she kept her legs together as much as possible.

“But, um… what was it… Oh. That thing, I don’t have anyone to beat it for me. You know?

It’s sticky and soft, smells a bit fishy, and a man has to shake his arms like this… like this… to create… some foam… That thing.

I can prepare everything else, but that’s… a bit difficult for me…?”

Leticia made a circular motion with her hand and shook her arm up and down. It was clearly a gesture of shaking a mixer or whisk. Fortunately, the man understood immediately.

“You mean meringue?”

“Hehehe. You got it right away? Experts are different. That’s right, that’s riiiight…

You beat the meringue, we make the dough together… put it in a hot oven and bake it sweetly… eat it together… Oh, I’m getting hungry…?”

She touched her lower abdomen while talking about the oven because she was genuinely getting hungry.

Her grandmother’s apple pie had always been a comfort to young Leticia. No matter how full she was, she could always eat that.

“Mmm, n-next time… let’s bake Sz-Szarlotka… and have it with drinks…

I’m r-really confident about that one thing… A-and I usually keep my weekends free, so…”

“Well, I can certainly make time…”

Sigh.

Caesar exhaled. Leticia’s world seemed to collapse with it. ‘What? Is there some problem?’

“W-what’s wrong…?”

But then. Pffft. There was a sound like a fuse blowing, and all the electricity went out at once.

“Huh, what’s going on?”

– Attention, customers. Attention, customers. Bird alert. Repeat. Bird alert.

A seemingly panicked voice spread throughout the store.

– Breaking news that a flock of birds is approaching Hampton. Hampton City Hall has cut off electricity for emergency activation of the anti-air network. We ask that customers remain calm and stay inside the building. Again…

“Kyaaaah!”

Crash! There was a commotion outside. Leticia and the man remained still at their table. Instead, other people rushed toward the windows.

Air raid sirens sounded throughout the city. People crossing the skybridge weren’t much of a problem.

They could either turn back or quickly cross and close the passage behind them.

The problem was the homeless and pedestrians on the streets.

They tried desperately to enter buildings. But the shutters and security bars had already come down. Emergency closure could be operated by lever even without electricity.

“Open up! Open the door! Are your lives the only ones that matter?”

But the commotion didn’t end there.

Bang! Bang bang!

Gunshots were heard from the lower part of the building. Screams, fights, gunshots, whistle sounds. The whistle came from military police.

– Zombie outbreak at the pet store on the lobby floor! Zombie outbreak at the pet store! Zombie dogs and cats bit the veterinarian! The cages are open! Repeat! Repeat!

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Outside, people were trying desperately to get in, while inside, people were trying to move to other buildings.

But the firmly closed security system showed no signs of opening. People from the lower floors were rushing up to the higher floors.

“Get out! Get out!”

Bang! Bang bang! People didn’t hesitate to shoot others in the back to save their own lives. Leticia was simply dumbfounded by the sudden change in the situation.

That’s when Caesar moved.

“You have a gun, right?”

“Y-yes!”

“Give it to me. Hurry!”

“I-I can shoot too… Ack?!”

Maybe before, but not now. Leticia was thoroughly drunk. She nearly dropped the gun while handling it.

Fortunately, she grabbed the slide part of the Eretta 92, preventing an accidental discharge, but it was a close call.

“Leti. I think we’ll have to postpone this match too.”

“…O-okay!”

Zombies or whatever, she didn’t care anymore. Leti was already looking forward to the next date. Yes, this was a date.

‘I did it! I really did it! I’m a woman who can get asked out for another date!’

Half joy.

‘…But those zombie bastards are trying to ruin my date?’

Half anger.

But both joy and anger soon flew away. Caesar skillfully loaded two automatic pistols and tucked them at his waist.

Then he quickly wrapped two bottles of alcohol in a towel, put them in a bag, and handed it to Leticia.

“Can you wear this in front? In case you get bitten by zombies, it can serve as armor.”

‘How thoughtful.’

“…Yes.”

If they had met when she was a girl, they could have spent a lifetime together. Leticia wanted to grab him by the collar and ask why he came so late.

Numerous futures unfolded before her. One son and daughter. Two sons. Two daughters… What names would be good…

‘Snap out of it! There are zombies ahead! Get ready to take off your clothes! Aren’t you going to transform?’

Her reason shouted. Rationally speaking, she should be stripping off her clothes even now.

But she couldn’t. Because there, ahead of her, Caesar was gesturing for her to come quickly.