69

Chapter 69: Conversation

"I may not be your husband's friend, but I didn't harm him."

Ryoma's calm demeanor did little to ease the tension in the room, but his next words caught their attention.

"He gave me information on Gecko. Since he's never been involved in any human predation incidents, I had no reason to take action against him. As for saving you... well, that was just convenient timing."

His explanation was carefully worded. He wanted to avoid sounding like he was harboring ghouls — something that could put both him and Fueguchi Asaki in danger.

The CCG didn't operate under a strict 'kill all ghouls' policy. While investigators were tasked with eliminating dangerous threats, they weren't required to kill every ghoul they encountered — unless they posed a risk to human lives.

His words were reasonable enough to avoid suspicion but vague enough to prevent complications. The only investigator who would have taken issue with this leniency was Kureo Mado — a man infamous for his belief that no ghoul should be allowed to live.

Hearing this, Ryoko and Hinami exchanged glances.

"If what you're saying is true... then my husband should be okay..." Ryoko murmured, sounding somewhat hopeful.

Ryoma's claim — that Asaki had provided him with information — seemed plausible. Besides, if Ryoma truly intended to harm them, there would have been no reason for him to save them from Gecko the day before.

Touka, meanwhile, silently thanked herself for not acting impulsively.

If she had attacked Ryoma earlier... things could have ended badly. His strength was clearly superior to Gecko's — and undeniably far above her own.

If Ryoma had fought back, it wouldn't have been just her life on the line — it could have drawn CCG's attention to Anteiku as well.

"Then... is my father still okay now?" Hinami asked softly, unable to hide her anxiety.

"As far as I know, yes," Ryoma replied without hesitation.

The system's reward for protecting the Fueguchis hadn't been revoked till now, confirming that Asaki was still alive.

"That's... a relief," Hinami sighed, her tension giving way to quiet gratitude.

"It's a little surprising..." Ryoko said, her tone still unsure. "You're a CCG investigator... yet you're so tolerant of my husband and us."

"Not all investigators are blinded by prejudice," Ryoma replied. "Though... I suppose there aren't many like me."

He kept his tone casual, though inwardly he understood why the average investigator hated ghouls.

The reality was simple — humans feared what hunted them. If ghouls didn't resemble humans so closely, society would have eradicated them like any other dangerous predator.

Even Ryoma understood why investigators like Kureo Mado despised ghouls. Anyone who had witnessed a loved one torn apart by them would naturally develop that hatred.

"Besides," Ryoma added with a slight smirk, "I have my own principles."

Touka, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke up.

"You knew I was a ghoul when you saw me fight yesterday," she said cautiously. "Why didn't you try to kill me?"

Ryoma shrugged.

"Because I don't kill without reason."

"...That's it?" Touka asked, her voice low and suspicious.

Ryoma nodded.

"That's it."

Touka remained silent for a moment.

Even though Ryoma's words seemed sincere, she knew better than to trust a CCG investigator fully.

While her identity had been revealed, she had no intention of letting Ryoma discover Anteiku's true nature — or the fact that the café served as a sanctuary for peaceful ghouls.

If Ryoma was as reasonable as he claimed, ignoring her individual existence might be one thing — but learning the truth about Anteiku could force his hand.

"Let's leave it at that," Ryoma said, sensing the tension in the room. "I'll pretend I know nothing about you or your situation. But you should know that other investigators won't be so forgiving."

With that, Ryoma stood and turned to leave.

But as he reached the door, Touka called out to him.

"Wait... since you're an investigator... then you must know who 'The Binge Eater' is, right?"

Ryoma froze.

His mind worked quickly. If Touka suspected that he knew Rize's identity, she might assume he was protecting her.

He turned back, wearing a confused expression.

"'The Binge Eater'? What are you talking about?"

His voice was steady, and his confused expression was flawless.

"...Never mind," Touka muttered, more to herself than to him.

The lack of hesitation in Ryoma's reaction convinced her he genuinely didn't know.

Guess he's not involved with Rize after all...

With her suspicions fading, Touka's mind drifted to another explanation — one that seemed far more believable.

Rize probably wanted to hunt him... but realized too late that he was an investigator. She's just toying with him now... like she always does.

In her mind, it seemed obvious — Rize's twisted nature meant she often played with her prey before finishing them off.

Touka sighed, almost feeling sorry for Ryoma.

That guy's just being strung along... poor idiot.

For a brief moment, Touka considered warning him — telling him what Rize really was.

But in the end, she kept quiet.

Better not get involved...

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T/N: (Touka lovers, don't be offended).. Ungratefulness At Its Finest ahh scene.