Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 776, Question 190: I will.

"Good morning, time to get up, Carl."

A gentle call, like a morning breeze, brushed past his ear. Carl slowly awoke from his sleep. Through his hazy vision, he saw Haruko standing by the bed, holding an exquisite plate in her hands. The morning light shone softly through the smart glass onto her hair, giving it a pearly luster.

'strangeness.'

Carl blinked his sleepy eyes.

Given his heightened alertness, any slightest noise would be enough to wake him instantly, but at this moment, Haruko not only entered the room but also walked around with a tray in her hand. Yet he slept so soundly that he was gently awakened.

'It's because of the subconscious'

He gazed at the gentle curve of Haruko's lips.
Have we already categorized her existence as "not requiring vigilance"?
Just like when V and Jack came to call him.

The coffee on the plate exuded a rich aroma, and wisps of steam rose from the rim of the cup. Haruko placed the plate on the bedside table so gently that the liquid in the cup didn't even slosh around.

Carl's gaze fell on the exquisite plate—beside the steaming black coffee, golden and crispy bacon curled into perfect arcs, sausage fried to a perfect brown, and the yolk of the sunny-side-up egg still trembling slightly.

In the small dish next to it, the soybeans in tomato sauce were bubbling with tiny bubbles, and the edges of the toast still had the marks of being toasted.

“A full English meal,” Carl thought. He didn’t actually dislike British food that much. After all, authentic British food was always better than the street food in Night City, not to mention the jewel of British cuisine, the English breakfast.

He rubbed his eyes, and his spine cracked slightly as he stretched. When he looked at Haruko, who was still standing by the bed, he suddenly noticed a crumb of bread on her slender fingertips.

'This mark.'

His gaze quickly swept across the plate, and sure enough, he found crumbs of the same texture on the edge of the toast.

Carl realized something: "You didn't do this yourself, did you?"

Haruko tilted her head slightly: "I know that you usually eat English breakfast, so I prepared the ingredients in advance." She subconsciously hid her fingers in her sleeve, but couldn't hide the blush rising on the tips of her ears.

Carl paused, his gaze slowly shifting from the plate to Haruko's face—she tilted her head slightly, the morning light streaming through the French windows onto her eyelashes, as if they were coated with a layer of fine gold dust.

"You even know my usual English breakfast habits?" His voice held a hint of surprise. "And you even went to learn how to make it?"

Haruko's fingertips unconsciously rubbed her cuffs: "I just... accidentally found out that you always heat sausages and beans in the microwave." Her voice grew softer and softer, "That way... it's such a waste of ingredients."

Carl suddenly remembered something and looked at a slice of bacon—perfectly crisp and crunchy, with slightly curled edges, just his favorite texture.

As he looked up, he caught Haruko's furtive glance at his reaction. The moment their eyes met, she immediately turned her face away, pretending to straighten her not-so-messy cuffs.

"Are you expecting my opinion on the food?" Carl picked up his fork and poked the sunny-side-up egg, the golden yolk slowly flowing out. "You want me to rate Ms. Haruko's personalized service?"

Haruko narrowed her eyes slightly, staring at Karl with a gentle yet reproachful look in her eyes. She reached out, grabbed a napkin, and lightly threw it at him: "If you tease me again, I won't make you breakfast next time you help me."

"If there's going to be a next time, then I'd better just shut up and be smarter."

Karl looked at Haruko: "I prepared this breakfast for me, have you eaten?"

"I finished eating a long time ago~" Maki's drawn-out voice drifted from the other end of the office. She was sprawled in her office chair like a cat basking in the sun, her azure hair shimmering like the sky in the sunlight. "While some people were sleeping like logs, we went through all the documents we needed for today for the second time~"

"Huh?" Carl precisely speared a piece of crispy, caramelized bacon with his fork. "Is this how you treat your savior? Who took care of that pile of—"

"I know, I know~ My benefactor~" Mashi interrupted, drawing out her words, stretching her body like a lazy cat, the office chair creaking slightly with her movements.

"So I've already cleaned up your whereabouts records, haven't I?" She suddenly became serious, holding up one finger. "At this hour, most employees will be at the office by now, remember—"

She lightly tapped her fingertip in the air, bringing up a semi-transparent clock projection: "You just slept in the minister's lounge last night. I've corrected the surveillance footage, elevator logs, and even the coffee machine's usage records for you." Mashi tilted her head and added, "Don't give it away, okay? Remember your room number; I've already sent it to you."

"I know, I'm a professional, I won't mess this up."

Carl, who had rested very well, felt completely free of the fatigue caused by working overtime the day before and the night before. He was in excellent condition. After eating a few bites of breakfast, Carl noticed that someone was not there.

"Speaking of which, where is Chiyome?"

"Chiyome went to prepare in advance."

Haruko replied, "She said she didn't trust Mr. Adam Hammer's security, so she wanted to do a final check."

"That's really a very Chiyo-yeon-like approach."

After all, she even questioned her own master, let alone Adam's hammer.

"Then I should get ready to leave. I'll go down after Chiyome returns and can protect you."

The moment the words were spoken, the vibration of the communicator interrupted the lingering taste of breakfast.

Carl glanced at the screen—as expected, it was a message from Oda Santao.

Although there was still plenty of time before the official operation, this dutiful guard had clearly inherited the occupational hazard of the Arasaka family's confidants: the closer they got to the critical moment, the more they would repeatedly check every detail like an obsessive-compulsive.

"Captain Akechi, please complete the squad reorganization within one hour. Three additional guards are in position. Please lead the team to complete the final route verification. —Oda"

Carl could almost picture the tense expression on the other person's face when they sent the message.

These guards of the Arasaka family members were all like finely wound clocks, calculating even their anxieties down to the second. He picked up his coffee and drank it all in one gulp, the bottom of the cup making a crisp sound as it hit the tray.

"The death knell has arrived?" Ma Xi tilted her head, twirling a pen between her fingers.

"Twenty minutes earlier than expected." Karl stood up and straightened his collar. "It seems our guard didn't get much sleep last night either."

"Watch out, Carl."

Haruko gazed at Karl, her voice a few decibels lower than usual, her fingertips tightening slightly. "If the situation becomes critical," her eyelashes trembled slightly, "it doesn't matter if our identities are exposed; your safety is more important than anything else."

"I will."

(End of this chapter)