「I'm still in the process of experimentation. I haven't been able to get a result that I'm happy with......」

「I want to try a cup.」

「No, I want to present the finished product to everyone.」

s.h.i.+ze-san's eyes narrowed at my adamant response. 

「I don't plan on drinking in this store as a customer.」

s.h.i.+ze-san stated, as a matter-of-fact. Surely, this was a sign of friends.h.i.+p.

「I know, I just want to present you with a delicious drink.」

「......Don't let me wait too long.」

He said, before turning his attention to the chocolate fondant. And while he was eating, a black tail plopped itself on my knees. I couldn't help but blink my eyes at this sight. 

D-Did this mean that I can pet his tail for a little bit? Just a little bit. With my heart in my mouth, I gently reached for the tip that fluffy tail. 

It's so fluffy! It's even fluffier than I expected!

As I admired s.h.i.+ze-san's tail for a while, Sensan called me from the counter. 

「Rhonya, can I have a slice of shortcake?」

「Y-Yes.」

I was indulging in the fluffiness, but I sprung up onto my feet and went to the kitchen. I got the cake and went back into the cafe to serve it Sensan. As I did, Ryuse-san asked with a smile on his face.

「Come to think of it, can you drink? I feel like your alcohol tolerance is pretty weak though.」

I am 16-years-old. In this world, I've reached the legal drinking age, but I've only had some wine during banquets.

「I've never had strong liquor......Since I don't drink much, I don't know how good my alcohol tolerance is.」

As I answered Ryuse-san's question, Sensan narrowed his eyes.

「Strong liquor huh......Well, I don't think it really matters if it's strong or weak. I wonder if the taste is more important or is it how easily I'll get drunk?」

(lilies: iffy iffy haizers "強いお酒は  ね。まぁ、お酒に強いも弱いもいらないでしょ。味わうか、酔っ払うかのどっちかなんだからさ")

I returned to the seat beside Sensan who was enjoying his cake once more and resumed my reading. While the green and white tails went back into battle. I was very concerned about it at first, but I became less and less concerned with the turn of each page. Once I was completely in the zone, I had a great time relaxing and reading my book. By the time I got back to my senses, it was time for everyone to home. When I told Sensan that I couldn't wait to read on about the subsequent plot, he chuckled and said.

「Don't read in the bath again and take care not to fall.」

(lilies: what a mom lol)

The last time when Sensan lent me a book, I got too engrossed in the story and I ended up catching a cold. I said,「I'll be careful」 and sent them off. 

Then, I went back to sit by the bar counter and gently opened the book. I'll read just a little more, just a little......Right when those thoughts crossed my mind, the Lotos had arrived to help me clean up. And I hurriedly closed the book. 

I should properly finish up what I had to do first. 

「Thank you for your help today as well.」

I expressed my thanks with a bowed and the Lotos returned the bow. Then, it was time to clean up.

——Today was another blissful day, filled with fluffy tails. 

4 More than friends ＊Sena's POV＊

That day, after leaving Rhonya's shop, I decided to drop by the bookstore before going home. 

I was not as physically fit as s.h.i.+ze and the others, so I had more days where I was off-duty. Since I had the night and tomorrow off, I wanted to spend the time slowly reading a book. When I entered the bookstore, all the other customers had a terrified look on their faces. They all left in a hurry as if to avoid me. However, this was a common occurrence, so I paid no heed to it. Rhonya was probably only one in this entire town who could wholeheartedly welcome the Beastmen squad. 

I met eyes with the store owner who looked like he was scared out of his wits. However, since I wouldn't be kicked out of the store, I took my time to slowly look through the store for any interesting books. 

Then, I found an interesting t.i.tle on the shelf for new books. I picked it up and flipped through the first few pages of the book, and it was ridiculously captivating. I was desperate to find out what happens next, so I immediately paid for the book and rushed home. 

My brother, Seth, seemed stunned to find me reading on the couch the moment he came home. But I paid no heed to his reaction and continued to read the book. After a while, Seth brewed me some tea. I closed the book, gave him my thanks and brought the cup of tea to my lips. I thought of sharing my thoughts on this interesting book with him but immediately changed my mind. Seth was the same as the other members of the Beastmen squad, they were not interested in reading. But I still wanted to share this book with someone. While I desired so, the face of a young girl appeared in my mind. 

It was my new friend, Rhonya. 

If it's her, I'm sure we could have a friendly discussion about this book. 

This story was kind of an eclectic taste, but I think she might like it. The moment that thought crossed my mind, I started to feel restless. 

If possible, I'd like to go down to her store in the morning. But considering the fact that my presence might affect her business, since she had a lot of human customers in the morning. I decided I would go down when the crowd starts to die down. Then, I reopened the book.

——The next day, on my way to her cafe, I dropped by the bookstore. I had decided to give her a copy of the same book. She may not like it, but I just wanted to give her a book that I liked as a present. 

The timing was just right when I headed to the cafe. There were no other customers around. I rushed through the cafe doors and pa.s.sed the book to her without even saying h.e.l.lo. Rhonya greeted me with a smile as usual. She tried to calm me down as she prepared some drinks for us before finally opening the book. 

Will she like it?

My heart was pounding as I waited. 

With my eyes fixated on the book, I subconsciously straightened my back while I sat beside her. From the way, her eyes were glued to the book, I could tell that she liked the book as well.

Her impression of the book after reading the first chapter was basically similar to mine. Thank goodness. I was so happy and excited. I felt like teasing her so I placed my tail on her knees when she went back to reading the book. 

I'm so glad that I decided to gift this book to Rhonya.

......Come to think of it, this might be the first time I wanted to gift something to anyone. 

It felt somewhat strange. 

What was this feeling?

But before I could figure out the answer to my question, Ryuse and the others had arrived. To be honest, I felt a little disappointed. I feel like I could've found the answer with just a little bit more time. And I wanted to have more moments like this, where it was just the two of us. This was the first time I noticed that I had felt like that. Somehow, there was a tingle in my heart. Though I couldn't put a name on that emotion, I knew it was very important to me.

5 An unexpected guest

It had been two days since Sensan gave me the book.

The hectic morning service had ended and it was time for lunch. The Beastmen squad would be coming down a little later, so I sat at the bar counter with my book opened. But before I could read, "Kalang kalang".

When I looked over, it was a customer that I haven't seen before. He was a man with great features and looked to be in his forties. He had l.u.s.trous dark green hair that was rather messily held together by a green ribbon with yellow stripes.

Underneath his coat, he wore a vest and a jacket, with a striped s.h.i.+rt and tie. There were beautiful embellishments on his outfit. However, the overall look felt rather worn as his black leather shoes dirty. 

When our eyes met, a gentle smile formed on his face. He looked exhausted as he briefly resembled a bear with those pandeyes. 

「......Welcome.」

I closed my book and greeted him with a smile. 

「Hi, I heard that drinking your coffee can increase work efficiency. Oh, I'm Oscar Reese. I may look like that, but I'm actually a Baron.」

(lilies: like Reese's chocolate...c.r.a.p I'm craving oops)

Baron Reese jokingly introduced himself. When talking about a Baron in this town, there's no one else other than the Lord who manages it. I immediately got up and walked to him. I was at a loss if I should greet him with a handshake, but the Baron was carrying a pile of papers with both hands. The Baron seemed to have sensed my dilemma and he simply shrugged his shoulders. 

「I'm honoured by your visit, Baron Reese.」

I said as I lightly bent my knees and curtsied.

「My apologies, but could I occupy the counter? I heard that only the Beastmen squad comes by in the afternoon. I hope I'm not being too much of a bother.」

「Oh, it's no problem at all. Let me help you......」

「No no, I can't make a lady do that. It's alright!」

The Baron staggered across the store and slammed the mountain of doc.u.ments onto the counter.

「Would you like to order anything? This may be overstepping my boundaries, but you seem to be sleep deprived. I think it would be better for you to take a nap first, before working......」

After I said that. From his seat, the Baron's eyes grew wet as he replied.

「So gentle......You're really extremely gentle......Even gentler than what they claim! Eh, what was your name......It should be Rhonya. And your family name is......?」

He looked really impressed as he asked for my name. However, I haven't told anyone my family name since coming to this town, so I said flat out.

「Just Rhonya.」

Usually, when I answered like that, people would sense something and not look into it any further. 

「Well then, Rhonya ojou-san, as much as I would like to sleep, but as you can see, the doc.u.ments are like a mountain......」

......Doc.u.ment mountain? 

Ah, was that a cheesy joke? The Baron looked into the distance and continued.

(lilies: I guess he's like the dad jokes type)

「The number of doc.u.ments themselves was already a handful. Then, on my way here, there were strong winds that jumbled them up......Uwuu, I'd have to reorganise them scratch and after that, I have to look through all of it and sign them......uwuu if only I had a secretary.」

The Baron said with tears in his eyes while picking up the doc.u.ments to organise them. 

「Ah, how I wish I had the help of a fairy!」

......While I do have a helper fairy, I don't think they would be keen on helping with paperwork.

「Oh right, ojou-san, may I have a cup of that famous coffee?」

「Yes......I'll get some for you right away.」

When I asked him what he wanted in his coffee, he replied with coffee with milk and no sugar. I went to the kitchen to make the coffee and served it to him.

「Un, it's just as they say. It's so fragrant.」

......Since awhile ago, this "they" had appeared a few times. Out of curiosity, I asked him about it.

「May I ask, who you got these reviews from?」

「Hmm? Everyone. The people on the streets all say that you're a good child. s.h.i.+ze would also talk about you and Senkun would recommend you.」

The one who employed the Beastmen squad was the Baron. I've heard that, unlike the other residents, he had a close relations.h.i.+p with the members of the Beastmen squad. I was very happy to hear that not only did the people of the town speak highly of this store but s.h.i.+ze-san and Sensan as well. 

However, he added a '-kun' when he referred to Sensan but referred to s.h.i.+ze-san directly. Speaking of which, I heard that he was particularly close to s.h.i.+ze-san's father. Just as I was about to ask him about that, the Baron finished his cup of coffee in one mouth.

「Hmm~ Such rich flavours. As I thought, coffee should be served hot. I'm relieved. When the heat from the coffee gradually spreads through my gullet, I feel so......sleepy......」

Suddenly, his eyelids fell and his head started to droop. Eventually, he was slumped over the counter.

Many people drink coffee to stay awake, but the Baron seems to have fallen asleep instead. He's sleeping so soundly. He must have been tired.

I was worried. I wonder if I should wake him since he had a lot of work to do...... Should I wake him? Or should I let him rest for awhile? 

While I was in a dilemma, my eyes drifted to the doc.u.ments.  

At the top, was a doc.u.ment about the damages incurred during the battle between the Beastmen squad and the bandits. Since it happened right next to the town, the cost of repairs was substantial. That day, the Beastmen squad gave me remuneration for setting up a barrier to protect the town. I quietly donated it for the city's repairs, but how was it doc.u.mented in the report?

Although it was bad to look through the Lord's doc.u.ments without permission, I took out the Laura ring from my ap.r.o.n pocket. It's a magic accessory that can activate telekinesis. By placing the ring with a leaf motif on the middle finger of my right hand, I made the doc.u.ments float in the air. Then, I briefly skimmed through the contents one by one, organising them as I looked for the report in mind. 

Back when I was still in school, I was in charge of running a women's clothing store in my father's territory as part of the social studies curriculum. I've also learnt a bit about territorial management, so I had some experience organising such doc.u.ments. 

To make it easier for the Baron, I sorted them by the cases. I also found the report I was looking for and I was relieved to find that the money donated was reported under the Beastmen squad.

My name was not mentioned anywhere in the report. I don't want the Baron to know how I came to receive remuneration from the Beastmen squad. And if my name was written on the paper, my family could find me. 

「Baron Reese.」

After about twenty minutes, I gently called out to the Baron. He opened his dark chocolate brown eyes and sprung up. 

「Did I fall asleep?」

「It was just a nap.」

「O-Ok......Oh, for some reason the doc.u.ments are already organised. This must also be thanks to ojou-san's coffee!」

......The Baron seems to have come up with a convenient excuse. I smiled, feigning ignorance. 

「How about some dessert?」

「I'll definitely have some.」

Afterwards, the Baron looked through the paperwork while enjoying some cake. Perhaps it was due to the nap, he was going through the papers in a flash and finished his work in less than an hour.

「Huu, now I can finally go to bed with a peace of mind. Thank you, Rhonya ojou-san. Ah no, I mean, Manager. This is a good store that's even better than the reviews claim.」

「Likewise, thank you for your kind words. Ah, if you're going to rest now, how about a cup of cocoa to-go? I think you'll be able to sleep really well.」

「......You really are so very kind.」

The Baron got teary-eyed once more as I handed him the cocoa for takeout. But he finished it on the spot. 

......He's not going to fall asleep now, is he? 

I opened the door to see him off. Then——

「Thank you for this and that, Fairy-san」

He thanked me once again when he walked past me.

I was called a fairy, but I have no idea why. As I tilted my head, the Baron made a shocking statement.

「Then, I wish you all the best, Lady of the Count Gravizera house.」

My body stiffened from the shock.

Then, the Baron left cheerily, humming a little tune as he did so.

There shouldn't be anyone who knew of my family name in this town. He knew right from the start that I was the daughter of a Count.

According to my retired grandfather, Baron Reese was someone who rarely visited the royal capital and had close to no interactions with other n.o.bles. So he shouldn't know about me. However, that was not the case. The Baron came here with full knowledge of everything.

Ah ah, this is bad.

If I don't stop him, my brother and my family might find out about my whereabouts.

No......for an aristocratic lady to open a cafe this far away from the capital, he should understand the underlying reasons.

......I'd have to meet with him again at a later date, to explain my situation to him. Plus, I have to apologise for showing such discourtesy when asked for my family name. Just as I took a deep breath and I was starting to calm down, another concern came to mind,

If the Baron knew about my true ident.i.ty, then what about the s.h.i.+ze-san and the rest of the squad? I wonder if they've heard of it from the Baron. I was so deep in thought that I didn't realise that customers had arrived.

「Ojou?」

「Ah!」

That call got me out of my daze. 

Standing in front of me was a young man with pure white hair. A pair of light blue eyes peeked through the gaps between his hair. While the sun s.h.i.+ning down caused his hair to s.h.i.+mmer as it reflected the light.

The time was a little after 2 pm.

「Ah, welcome, Ryuse-san.」

「......」

Ryuse-san bowed a little to stare at me. Then, he startled me with his sudden 「Ah!」

「Ojou, did you stay in the bath for too long while reading your book again?」

「Eh? ......I didn't do that.」

「Really?」

Ryuse-san placed his hand on my forehead. It was a really warm hand.

「You don't seem to be having a fever, but I think it's better for you to rest.」

「E-Erhm, I'm really fine.」

I was gently lead to sit at the bar counter by a worried Ryuse-san. Then, a young man with green hair entered the store behind Ryuse-san. It's Sensan.

「Did something happen?」

「What? Is the Manager not feeling well?」

And peeking out from behind Sensan was a young man with blue hair, Chise-san.

「It's nothing of that sort.」

I replied with a smile.

Last but not least, a man with his black hair combed back entered the store. He had amber eyes with a sharp look to them. The man in a jet-black jacket was none other than s.h.i.+ze-san.

「Welcome. Please give me a moment as I these away.」

As I was about to clear the Baron's dishes, Ryuse-san leaned on the counter and emitted white plumes that resembled cotton candy. Then, a white cheetah emerged through the smoke.

「This smell......was the Baron here?」

Ryuse-san took a whiff and said.

「Is the Baron very free——」

By the time I turned back to Chise-san's voice, everyone had already transformed into their beast forms. What a pity, I didn't get to see the moment they transformed.

(lilies: this is not a typo lol I don't really get it either but in the raws it's Chise)

「He has work to do, so he should be busy.」

Contrary to his previous statement, Sensan continued, saying flatly, 「But it's probably because he lazed around and work acc.u.mulated.」

The talk about the Baron ended there. And seeing that I wasn't in the best condition, they gave me their orders without a fuss. Then, we spent lunch as we always did. However, I really wanted to know if they knew about my ident.i.ty. It bothered me so, that I couldn't even focus on my book.

「Erhm, what do you guys normally talk about with the Baron?」

I feigned interest and subtly probed.

Ohmai ohmai is this mysterious chocolate brand going to become my new favourite character? maybe maybe o(^▽^)o 

And idk if it's just me, but like everytime sensei introduces every member of the Beastmen squad. I can't help but feel like she's erhm diluting the story (bad direct translation hehe)? ahahah basically, I feel like she's trying to increase her word count lol

It's a little late for me to think about this now since I'm almost done with this volume, but I wonder if the way I write is ok ahahahah I mean idk if the way I write is too erhm formal? It's abit hard for me to let go tho, unless I'm like writing a message, with all the years my teachers spent drilling grammar and the do's and don't's of writing. But y'know, I guess you have to know the rules to break them kek. Tho I still feel a little uncomfortable with typing eg, "don't" instead of "do not" when it's not in dialogue aaaah idk

Of course, in spite of my education, I think my teachers might bang their head on the wall if they read this and saw how bad my grammar and vocab are lollol _(´ཀ`」 ∠)_

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a great day!!

peace lilies~