4 Designated

I got cuddled… by the pure white cat . .

His fur was so soft and fluffy, like cotton candy, and it was so touching to have his fluffiness against my right hand . And even though he’d been keeping his distance all this while, how sneaky of him to suddenly show off his bashful side . It’s sneaky how he suddenly wraps that tail I had always wanted to touch around me . I asked him to stop because of how embarra.s.sed I was, but seeing those light blue eyes making that upward glance just asking to be spoiled is sneaky as well .

I was able to run away and get back to my work when s.h.i.+ze-san and the others came . After cooling my blus.h.i.+ng cheeks, I went to take their orders and started cooking . Ryuse-san stayed at the counter seat as he was,and had a complacent smile on his face and swayed around his tail . And here I believed it would take some more time for Ryuse-san to open up his heart . But to think that he would open up to me and frolic with me made me glad .

“Rhonyojou”

“?!”

As I placed the steak that I had just finished preparing in front of Ryuse-san, his tail wrapped around my waist . Being called ‘ojou’ whilst hiding the fact that I’m a n.o.ble lady made my heart skip a beat . And how his long tail is wrapping around me made me nervous .

A while fluffy tail . It unconsciously made me want to touch it . I’m sure the sensation would feel pleasant, like cotton candy on my cheek . But I could feel the stares of the other three . Once again, my face started to turn red… . And being seen in an unseemly situation would be troubling .

“Please do not do this-”

My skirt swirled gently around me as I escaped from the coiled tail .

“Eee–” as Ryuse-san made a begging voice, his big round eyes pleading . As expected of a cat being . What sly cuteness . How can this person be so skillful at asking to be spoiled . Where did the tsun* all go? Is this a trap to make a gap (in personality to make himself more appealing)?

“T-thank you for the wait”

Free from Ryuse-san, I carried the steaks to s.h.i.+ze-san and the others, where suddenly I realized s.h.i.+ze-san staring up towards me . His amber eyes looked straight into me .

Could it possibly be that I’m currently making an absurd face? Embarra.s.sed, I quickly went and hid myself in the kitchen .

“Ojouu~ Come here, let’s eat together~?”

“I would like to decline for today . ”

Although Ryuse-san invited me as such with a big grin on his face, I declined . With my back towards him, I continued indulging in the sandwiches I had prepared for lunch .

Around the time DemiMercSquad members finished their steak, I headed back to the floor to clean up the plates . Pa.s.sing by the side of the counter, the white tail grazed my hand .

As if saying ‘let’s frolic?’, Ryuse-san was looking up towards me as if pleading for it .

So cute . Frankly speaking, it’s very cute . It makes me want to pat that head, rub between his eyebrows, and pat the base of his ears .

But I decided to hold back . No can do . Definitely, no . It’s unseemly to fawn over customers while patting them . It’s something I should not do .

Turning my back to him and facing away, I placed the plates from the counter and table seats down .

s.h.i.+ze-san was still staring at me . I wonder if he wants to order something else . Tilting my head, I waited for his call .

“Ojou~ For today’s bill, make do with this . ”

*knock knock*, came a sound from the counter where Ryuse-san was waving . He was holding a red gem .

As I approached him and received it, I realized it was a ruby . It’s large enough to cover my palm, and the translucency is of very high quality .

If it were taken to be handled by skilled craftsman, I am sure the price of the said accessory would exceed a hundred gold coins .

“This is amazing . Where did you obtain it?” (Rhonya)

“Picked it up~”

“Eh”

A big grin on his face, Ryuse-san replied in a cheerful voice .

Picked it up… where from? With such a splendid jewel as this, wouldn’t the one who dropped it be searching for it as well?

While I was in deep thought, Ryuse-san explained .

“The guy I beat up this morning dropped this~”

… . Is that so . . Then the owner of this jewel would be a drifter who smuggled it in from the neighboring country . And this may probably have been stolen from someone else . And I’ve heard that various jewels ores could be found in the neighboring country, or how they would subst.i.tute jewel ores as payments for their transactions as well .

… . But even so, I wonder if it would be all right for me to accept this . Its value would definitely exceed what is needed to pay the bill, and I f  eel burdened by it .

“Ojou, what kinda accessory do you like?”

While I was worrying by myself, the tip of Ryuse’s tail was pus.h.i.+ng onto the palm of my hand .

Fuwaw! So soft-!

“Accessory, which I would like?” (Rhonya)

“I’ve never seen you wearing anything other than a ring either . You have something you want? No?”

Taking hold of my hand, Ryuse starts to rub it against his cheek .

H-how is he able to frolic with me so naturally, I wonder . How frightening… This fluf- I mean, Demi .

“I-I do not have any accessory that- that I would like to have . ”

I was frantically trying to hold back my inner voice . Please let go of me already .

“Ee-? But I, I wanna express my thanks for all this time and give you a present . ”

Ryuse-san looked at me with his teary beautiful eyes . Please no, do not look at me with those eyes .

“If-if that is so, then this ruby would suffice . ”

“Really? A’right!”

“Eh”

Making a very big grin, he withdrew his hand .

… . Could it be, this was his plan all along to make me accept the ruby?

How cunning!

“Oi!” As Chise-san voiced out .

“It’s cheating! Why’s it always Ryuse!! Even though I was holding back too! Frolic with me too!!” (Chise)

“Eeh?!”