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(T/N: We are halfway through the first half of the story. Kingdom of Ortesia storyline will soon end. I can’t believe it only take me this less amount of time to translate it. At this rate, it will only be within 3 weeks of completing the translation of the first half.)
By the time I entered the now-familiar coffee shop, my rendezvous was already settled into a seat.
“Hello, sorry for the wait.”
“―Hieee!”
The girl raised her shoulders in an over-the-top gesture at my call from behind.
“Excuse me, did I spook you? Have you been waiting long?”
“…No, we only arrived a few minutes ago.”
A tinge of sharpness was contained in Felt’s words. In the corner of her worried eyes was filled with a pitiful Sasha, who was all shaken up.
“I see, that’s good to know―oh, owner, coffee for me too.”
Calling out to the owner, who was no doubt in the kitchen while I plopped down in a chair, an incisive reply followed, yet there was a sense of being overstrained somehow. Perhaps he was attuned to our cutthroat atmosphere.
Then Felt questioned me, “So, why have you called us here today?” in a voice that was undeniably disturbed.
“…Good grief, Ms. Felt, please don’t be so defensive. Even Ms. Sasha is intimidated, right?”
“You are the one that terrifies her…”
Even without you mentioning it, I can tell.
Felt’s words conveyed such an underlying meaning.
“Oh, are you still dwelling on what happened that day? I have already made her expiated for what she did to Mr. Hansa, so I have no further desire to cause her harm―for the time being that is.”
“~~~~!!”
As though there was an earthquake solely around Sasha, a tremor swept through her.
Such torture was apparently unbearable, even for the “Cannibal Merchant”. Even Felt shot me a fierce look. She may have meant I shouldn’t tease Sasha too much.
“Well, all joking aside, the reason I called you two here today is to discuss business.”
At this point, the owner walked up to me and my words were cut short.
An iced coffee was set down in front of me, and I ordered an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream from him.
Right as the owner retreated to the back of the establishment, Felt carried on with the conversation.
“Are you referring to anything other than the work I am now performing under your direction when you say ‘business’?”
“This is unpleasant, Ms. Felt. I have not given you any instructions, but rather requested the two of you to do it for me. Even the remuneration will be properly handed over to you.”
I gave a strained smile as I replied, to which Felt stared back at me bitterly. At the time of my initial visit with Felt in this store, the impression I perceived was that she was more like Alice—a free and unrestrained person—whereas now she has lost all such impressions and has replaced the image of a small animal that constantly exercised vigilance as if dealing with a monstrous creature.
“…So, what’s the job?”
Felt was probably adopting a new frame of mind to finish the conversation with me in a timely manner. The fact that she was intelligent in her own way was one of Felt’s strong traits.
“Yes, actually, I will be out of the city for a while starting in five days―”
At that moment, the small jump in Sasha’s shoulders was too noticeable not to register. As a merchant, Sasha would originally be much more adept at this kind of negotiation, but since her heart has been wrecked, she has become fascinatingly submissive and docile before my presence, which served only to facilitate my management of her.
According to Felt, to other merchants and wanted criminals, though, Sasha was still as haughty as ever, so it was fair to presume that she had finally become my perfect slave.
“While I am away, of course, I will continuously monitor you, and if there is even the faintest indication of treachery, I will be back immediately. After that, you understand the situation best even if nothing else needs to be said, don’t you?”
“O-Of course! I will absolutely not double-cross you, never, never, never! So―”
“Please remain composed. This is all hypothetical until the very end. I do trust you, too, Ms. Sasha.”
Had I put my trust in her, I would not have employed Envy to monitor her. In fact, Felt looked at me coldly.
The owner then came out of the kitchen and served me vanilla ice cream.
“Thank you very much.”
As expected of the owner. Even though I did not specify the number of servings, he made sure to bring enough for all three of us. Not only was he tactful, but he was also excellent at reading the atmosphere and promptly withdrawing to the kitchen.
“Shall we eat then?”
“? Even us?”
“Yes, I would have recommended the stew had it not been summer, but it must have been tough in today’s heat, and you both spent the morning working outside, didn’t you?”
Both of them exhibited a shocked expression at that moment.
“How did you know?
“That’s why I am monitoring you.”
A chuckle rose to my lips before I lifted my spoon to my mouth. As the vanilla ice cream melted in my mouth, its rich sweetness washed over my entire body as if to soothe my exhausted state.
I turned to gaze at the two of them, who were taking a mouthful of ice cream while exuding expressions of astonishment. Everything the owner made here was divine, wasn’t it―
“I am glad you enjoyed it. Oh, you can put frozen fruit on it optionally, too. I think you would especially like it, Ms. Sasha.”
“…I-I would love that.”
“All right.”
To put Sasha at ease, a reassuring smile graced my face, and she returned a modest smile as well.
Sasha’s face relaxed this time as a gentle grin blanketed her features as I instantly mixed the frozen mandarin oranges that the owner had brought over into the ice cream.
Felt inquired with a bewildered countenance as I watched smiling.
“Hey… what in the world is your purpose?”
“? What do you mean?”
“You don’t have to do this, we will obey your orders. So that kind of thing is―”
“I already said it’s a request.”
My words were accompanied by a wry smile.
“Besides, it’s only human nature to appreciate those who have been working under the blazing sun.”
“…What on earth are you?”
“What am I huh… I am a teacher at a school of magic, you know.”
A broad sigh escaped from Felt.
“…This world is beyond saving.”