I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, Duanmu Yan felt someone shaking him. He groggily opened his eyes, his gaze still somewhat unfocused.

He straightened up slightly, subconsciously rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his head, but mumbled, "What partner?"

Margaret stared at him helplessly: "I think you've gone crazy from working overtime. Tell me, where are your seniors?"

"Oh, Zanni. She...she's sitting right across from me, isn't she?"

Duanmu Yan responded subconsciously, his gaze sweeping across the other side.

It was only at this moment that Duanmu Yan suddenly realized that the seat where Zanni had been sitting was now empty, with no one in sight.

"Where is she?" He turned around hurriedly, looking at Margaret with a puzzled expression, and asked in return.

"you ask me?"

"Then who should I ask?" Duanmu Yan rubbed his messy hair helplessly. "I accidentally fell asleep just now. Zanni... she should have gone to the bathroom?"

“Alright.” Margaret shrugged slightly, a professional smile playing on her lips. “Anyway, your set meal is ready. Please enjoy. I have some things to attend to here. Please feel free to call me if you need anything.”

After saying that, Margaret turned and left, leaving Duanmu Yan alone at the table, facing a table full of delicious food, and for a moment he was at a loss.

So, where did Zani go?

even though……

He can easily eat all that food by himself, so there won't be any waste.

Duanmu Yan picked up the terminal and sent several messages to Zanni, but received no response.

However, he is not worried about it at all.

After all, this isn't the first time this has happened.

There had been similar situations before, and he was extremely anxious until the next morning when he saw Zanni appear at his workstation looking tired and listless and greet him.

He had witnessed Zanni's skills firsthand; most people couldn't handle her.

Therefore, he was not too worried about Zanni's safety.

Right now, it's best to enjoy this delicious meal first.

Duanmu Yan picked up a few golden and crispy potato wedges, gently tossed them into his mouth, and as he chewed, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the fragrant pizza.

Just as he reached out to take it, a clear sound of swallowing suddenly rang out in the quiet environment, sounding particularly abrupt.

He paused for a moment, then turned his head and looked through the window. To his surprise, he found a young lady priest standing there quietly, staring longingly at the pizza on the table, until their eyes met.

"……Eh?"

Book One: Chapter Three - Orders and Families

She is so cute.

It wasn't some sordid thought, but rather a sincere exclamation, like appreciating a work of art.

Are there really such lovely priests in religious orders?

"..."

Duanmu Yan held a pizza in his hand, his gaze falling on the girl outside the window through the glass.

He hesitated for a moment, then tilted his head slightly and invited her, "So, would you like to eat something together?"

The blonde girl was slightly taken aback, and a look of joy instantly bloomed on her fair and jade-like face. She nodded happily.

But soon, this joy seemed to be gently interrupted by some thought, and she immediately shook her head, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.

"No, no, Pizza Day this month is already over..."

Pizza Day?

Upon hearing about this unfamiliar festival, Duanmu Yan paused for a moment.

He'd been in Laguna for so long and had never heard of a pizza day.

There is a grand festival called Carnival, but unfortunately, it hasn't been held for many years.

"This...this...is the day I could eat pizza every month when I was in the orphanage. Although I don't go hungry anymore, as a priest, I should still restrain myself and not indulge in my appetite. Besides...the pizza I shared with everyone on that day was the best."

The girl placed her hands together in front of her, her expression exceptionally devout, as if she were making a sacred vow.

only……

Her furtive glances at the pizza ultimately betrayed the girl's true feelings.

I'm so hungry.

"I've been busy at the orphanage since then, and all I've eaten is a plate of green laurel salad, which isn't enough to fill my stomach..."

The girl gently pursed her lips, her eyes full of hope, and reluctantly shifted her gaze from the enticingly fragrant pizza.

Duanmu Yan took in all of this awkward behavior.

Faced with this scene, he simply sighed softly and shook his head helplessly.

Due to the complex relationship between the Motari family and the religious order, although they occasionally interacted in their work, Duanmu Yan almost never contacted anyone from the religious order in private.

The Motari family believed that the religious order represented stubborn conservatism, a heavy burden on Laguna's path forward, and would sooner or later drag the city into an abyss, causing it to gradually decline in the tides of time.

The religious order, on the other hand, felt that the Motari family was acting too radically and pursuing change at all costs, which would cause Laguna to lose its unique traditions and charm. In that case, Laguna would no longer be the uniquely charming Laguna it is today.

This is why the relationship between the two is extremely tense and on the verge of conflict.

However, none of this has anything to do with Duanmu Yan.

First of all, he is not from Laguna.

Secondly, he wasn't even a Solaris person.

In the end, he was just an employee.

Work is work and life is life.

and……

Is there really anyone who could resist such a cute girl?

“So, today is my pizza day too,” Duanmu Yan said to her. “Look, I ordered so much food, but my partner who was supposed to go with me is nowhere to be found. It would be so heartbreaking to see all this food go to waste.”

Upon hearing the words "waste food," the girl's expression instantly turned serious, as if she were facing something incredibly sacred.

"No, no, we absolutely cannot waste food! The Lord has bestowed upon us this bountiful land, allowing us to fill our stomachs. Every meal is imbued with the Lord's grace and is hard-won."

"Moreover, wasting food is an extremely shameful act, no matter where you are, and is a disrespect to the bounty of the year!"

"So..." Duanmu Yan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a lazy smile, "This lovely priestess, in order not to waste the Lord's blessings and not let this food go to waste, would you like to enjoy it with me?"

"Eh?"

The blonde girl was slightly taken aback, and a flush of crimson, like that of someone drunk, instantly appeared on her pretty face. She became flustered and at a loss for what to do.

She lowered her head slightly, her lips moving slightly as she mumbled incoherently, making it impossible to understand what she was saying.

Duanmu Yan could only barely catch a few vague words, such as "the Lord of the Year is above", "waste is bad", and "I'm so hungry".

After a long while, the blonde girl slowly raised her head again. Her fair cheeks were already as red as the magnificent sunset. She lowered her eyes and murmured shyly, "Then...then, in order not to betray the Lord of the Year's incomparably precious gift, I...I..."

"Yes, yes, I understand. This is naturally a blessing bestowed by the Lord of the Year. Besides, it's perfectly normal to eat when you're hungry, right?"

"Could it be that, Miss Priest, you think the Lord would have the heart to watch his devout followers suffer from hunger?"

Duanmu Yan's lips curled up slightly, with a hint of teasing. Looking at the shy girl in front of him, for some reason, he suddenly had the urge to tease her.

"Well... thank you." The blonde girl blushed slightly, gently pulled down the brim of her hat, and clutched her staff tightly with both hands, like a cautious little deer. She slowly walked into the shop, sat down gently opposite Duanmu Yan, and then said softly.

"Oh right, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I... I'm Phoebe, a priest of the Hidden Sea Order."

"Duanmu Yan." He smiled gently and frankly told the girl his name, "An employee of Everard Bank."

Upon hearing the words "Everard Bank," Phoebe's outstretched hand froze in mid-air as if struck by a spell.

She opened her eyes slightly, her gaze blank and bewildered, staring straight at Duanmu Yan, unsure of what to do.

After all, Everard Bank is backed by the powerful Mothari family, and the Mothari family and the religious order have always been irreconcilable enemies.

"Okay, don't worry." Duanmu Yan gently picked up a slice of pizza, put it in his mouth, and slowly took a bite. There was still some cheese on the corner of his mouth, but he still smiled and comforted her.

“I’m just an ordinary worker, going to work every day as usual. I don’t want to get involved in any of the disputes and entanglements between the religious order and the family.”

"Ultimately, the company pays my salary, so I just do my job responsibly. Besides, I'm off work now, so let's just enjoy this meal and forget about all those worries."

“Yes…yes.” Phoebe nodded slightly, her tense expression easing a little. “Then…thank you, Mr. Duanmu. The Lord of the Year will bless you.”

Book 1: Chapter 4 Miss Phoebe, you don't want the religious order to know about this, do you?

The quiet shop did not become lively because of Phoebe's arrival.

Duanmu Yan still looked tired, yawning repeatedly. His eating movements were like a programmed machine, just chewing the food in his mouth numbly, without any enjoyment, merely to dispel the ever-present hunger in his body.

In stark contrast is Phoebe…

With each bite of pizza she took, a look of utter satisfaction would spread across her face as she chewed slowly, as if she were savoring the most exquisite delicacy in the world.

"Indeed, Miss Margaret's pizza is the most delicious."

Phoebe sat comfortably in her seat, swinging her slender legs, her eyes sparkling with happiness like stars.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Duanmu. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy this delicious pizza."

She spoke sweetly.

But halfway through her sentence, she seemed to suddenly remember something important, and her eyes narrowed slightly.

Then, the girl gently put down the pizza that was still emitting an enticing aroma and began to carefully rummage through her elegant handbag.

“By the way, as a priest of the religious order, I can’t just eat for free. Let’s split the cost of this sumptuous dinner…”

The girl's clear voice echoed in the air.

But before he could finish speaking, his words came to an abrupt halt.

Duanmu Yan subconsciously raised his head, his gaze refocusing on the girl who had suddenly fallen silent.

He frowned slightly, his eyes full of doubt, trying to find the answer from the girl's expression.

Phoebe sat there motionless with her head down, a faint blush appearing on her originally fair face.

Perhaps it was because Duanmu Yan's gaze was too unrestrained that Phoebe, realizing it, had no choice but to turn her head away in a fluster, her face flushed, and lower her head slightly to fiddle with the ends of her hair with her fingers, trying her best to hide the panic and shyness in her heart.

Duanmu Yan scrutinized the girl's slightly flushed cheeks, and as if realizing something, a faint smile of interest appeared on his lips.

"She really is a naive young girl."

"I already said it was my treat... no, it should be Zanni's treat."

"Judging from her embarrassed look, she probably didn't have any money in her pocket."

"Then... how about teasing her?"

"No money?" he deliberately dragged out the last syllable, feigning ignorance.

Phoebe's cheeks burned even hotter. She nodded shyly, her voice barely audible: "I...I'm sorry."

"Will the repairman pay you a salary?" Duanmu Yan asked.

Phoebe shook her head gently and answered softly, "Yes, but we call it a teaching stipend, although... it's not much."

Upon hearing this, a playful glint flashed across Duanmu Yan's brows: "But surely you can't even afford a pizza?"

Phoebe hurriedly waved her hand, afraid of causing a misunderstanding, and quickly explained, "Of course...of course I can afford it, it's just..."

"only?"

"Today, it was a child's birthday at the orphanage, so I... I used all my teaching salary to buy a cake and snacks for the children."

Duanmu Yan feigned sudden realization: "Oh, I see. She really is a kind and lovely priestess. But... that's no excuse for freeloading, is it?"

"I..." Upon hearing this, the girl's fingers unconsciously tightened, her lips pressed together, as if a thousand words were stuck in her heart, yet she didn't know where to begin. In the end, she could only utter a low and weak "I...I'm sorry."

Seeing this, a sly glint flashed between Duanmu Yan's brows. He deliberately feigned extreme distress, shaking his head and saying, "Sigh, if saying sorry could solve all problems, what would be the point of having a solemn academy? Miss Phoebe, what do you think?"

"me……"

The girl was speechless, her face turning even redder as a wave of shame washed over her. She dared not look Duanmu Yan in the eye.

"If this matter gets brought up to the religious order... what will the other people think?"