CHAPTER 209: DEBT PAID

"Looks like you’re having fun."

Coco was staring at the candy in her hand, her gaze fixed on the sweet and sour looking treat, when she heard a familiar deep voice behind her.

She froze, her body tensing at the sound, her heart rate increasing as she recognized the sound.

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was, the deep timbre of his voice sending a familiar shiver down her spine— the kind that takes her by surprise.

She sat upright, frozen and quiet, her hand holding the candy trembling slightly, her mind racing with thoughts and emotions as she prepared herself to face the mediator behind her.

I didn’t know that one of them would be able to talk to me after what I told them this morning. Coco thought to herself, her eyebrows furrowed in shock as she inhaled.

"Go away! Can’t you see that Coco is busy? Shoo! Go back to the stage where you belong! You’re not invited here!" The garden fairy exclaimed, shuffling in her spot on Coco’s hair and glaring at the mediator who had approached her.

"What is this thing saying, Coco?" The mediator behind her asked, the tone of his voice slightly agitated, "All I hear is a bell ringing. To think that Zaque understood this thing.."

"Wha?! How dare you call me a ’thing’, you good for nothing husband of the bad Coco!" Lala hissed, stomping her foot on Coco’s head.

"Don’t do that." The mediator grumbled under his breath, "You’re hurting her."

Coco sighed deeply and turned around, her eyebrows furrowed as she clenched her hand around the candy. "What do you want, Quizen?"

The blue haired mediator that stood behind her had his face lit up in a wide grin as he caught sight of her.

His expression was one of pure joy and amusement, his eyes sparkling with happiness as he looked at her— he knew her well enough to know that her irritation was just a cover for her soft heart.

However, Coco’s own face belied a different mood and had a look of exasperation on her face, her agitation obvious even in the way she held her body, her shoulders tense and her eyebrows furrowed.

It was clear that his joy was not shared by her.

Despite himself, he found himself smiling at the sight, the corners of his mouth turning up despite her clear annoyance.

The mediator hummed and stared at his wife, a pleased smile can be seen on his face, and it was obvious that she was annoyed with him, but despite her scowl, he couldn’t help, but feel a little amused at her reaction.

Is it normal for people who hate Coco Hughes to smile like this? Coco thought, a cold chill ran down her spine as she stared at Quizen’s smile.

"Coco! I’m back!" The pink haired mediator, who was about to be her friend, called out to her, his voice loud and excited.

From her peripheral vision, the black haired woman spots the mediator, her current debtor— the sound of his voice rings through the air, catching her and Quizen’s attention.

He sounds happy and excited, just like earlier, his voice loud and clear as he bounced his way over her.

She turns to face him, a small smile creeping onto her face despite her initial annoyance because of the blue haired mediator behind her.

"Welcome back, Mr. Tani." She smiled back at him, her expression softening a little as she watched him approach, her annoyance quickly melting at the sight of his excited face.

"Quick, quick! Let’s get this over with and celebrate this joyous day!" The excitement was clear from his body language alone, his words bubbling out of him in a rush— his energy infectious, making Coco laugh quietly at how excited he was.

Quizen’s right eyebrow twitched, his eyes shifting from his employer to his wife.

He leaned down, pressing his hard chest on Coco’s back and leaning his face close to her ears, making Coco freeze when she felt his hot breath fan her ears.

"Celebrate what exactly?" Quizen whispered, his blue eyes narrowing down to Coco’s neck.

"Celebrate our friendship—" Coco answered immediately and leaned away from him, her palm connecting to his cheek as she pushed his face away from her, "And you’re too close! Don’t you know that I treasure my personal space?!"

Quizen rolled his eyes and took a seat beside her, not listening to what she wanted.

"Anyway, how much debt do I have left, Mr. Tani?" Coco turned to the pink haired mediator who was busy turning the page of his book.

"I’m looking for it, hold on." Joachim hummed out, his fingers flipping page after page.

Not a minute had passed when he spoke up and smiled, "Ah, here it is. You only have a hundred and eighty gold coins left to pay."

Coco nodded her head and slipped her hand inside her pocket, her eyes shifting to the scroll that popped up before her and withdrew the exact amount she needed to pay off her debt.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have a pouch so she had no choice, but to take out a handful of gold coins.

Quizen and Joachim watched as Coco slipped her hand inside her pocket and took out gold coins after gold coins, putting it down inside of the case that Joachim opened for her.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

After two more handfuls of gold coins, her pockets is finally empty.

"That’s the last of it." Coco said, pulling the inside of her pocket to show Quizen and Joachim that she has no more coins to give.

"Lovely!" Joachim exclaimed and closed the case, not bothering to check the amount and counting how many gold coins she placed inside, and pushed it aside, "Your debt is fully paid now!"

Joachim’s eyes were shining and twinkling, his hands reaching out to touch Coco’s hands. "Are we friends now? Can we be friends now?"

"Well, my debts are paid now so.."