Sofia's Summons
—Waggle, waggle……!
—Chatter, chatter……!
Today, as always, the young ladies wearing human skins—reptiles at heart—fill the lounge to the brim.
—Hey, did you hear that news? The menu tomorrow looks pretty decent, at least!
—The kids who just advanced to second year have gotten pretty cocky, haven't they?
—What liberal arts class did you sign up for? Have you decided on a club yet?
—Ah, whatever. I'm just gonna take a nap.
Lively voices fill every corner of the lounge. Most of the conversations are laced with complaints, yet the girls seem genuinely happy to have even a brief moment of freedom. If you only looked at this scene, they were no different from ordinary humans.
The young ladies sit in their usual spots today, just as they always do, chatting away. The only difference from yesterday is……
Man, this is seriously burdensome. What should I do?
They keep glancing at me. Their eyes are different from yesterday. It's as if they're brimming with expectation—like cats treating their butler as a can opener, silently demanding a tasty snack.
Haah, I really shouldn't have let them get their hopes up.
Yesterday's events must have raised their expectations. All because of those one-and-a-half-star biscuits. Maybe it just proved how poor their usual meals were. I only wanted to aim for the middle ground…… I'm afraid their demands will keep growing from here.
Those biscuits yesterday were pure luck, too.
“It is an honor to serve you young ladies once again today. May I humbly take your orders?”
I push the heavy burden aside and head toward the tables. If I just stood there looking clueless any longer, I was bound to get an earful.
“Ah, Breeder……”
Sofia looks at me and offers a gentle, maternal smile. Her expression is bright, probably because I promised to let her try the mint chocolate yesterday. Naturally, the first table I approach is hers. As student council president and class representative, the most influential figure deserves priority.
Given Sofia's personality, she probably wouldn't enjoy this special treatment, but with the fourth-years watching, I couldn't ignore basic etiquette. Even if Sofia were to refuse my courtesy, asking her first was the correct move.
Seeing her smile at me like that, I guess this really was the right call.
Sofia would surely tell me to take orders from the other tables first. That way, she could uphold her belief in putting others before herself, and I could safely preserve her pride. A perfect win-win.
If I ignored Sofia and took orders elsewhere first, the other girls might find my actions distasteful and pick a fight.
Wow…… Now that I think about it, even the process for taking orders is complicated.
“Pfft, did you not sleep well last night? Your mind looks clouded.”
While I was still half-asleep and grumbling inwardly, Sofia speaks up.
“Is it that obvious? I was worrying about what dessert to serve the young ladies and ended up losing sleep over it.”
“Hehe, I do hope those words aren't mere flattery. In any case, I'll have mint tea. What about the rest of you?”
“???”
Contrary to my expectations, Sofia asks for orders first. Perhaps the fatigue from classes made her want to get it over with quickly.
“Just coffee for me, one spoonful of sugar.”
“I'll have chamomile, steeped twice.”
At Sofia's mint tea order, the two other fourth-years at the same table frown slightly. It was only for a split second, but I saw it clearly—the look of complete incomprehension. If they were close enough to sit together, they must be her close aides, yet even they didn't seem to understand Sofia's tastes.
“Understood.”
Was yesterday just the tutorial? In a single day, the orders have become far more complicated. Yesterday Sofia unified everything with coffee, making it simple……
—Scribble, scribble……
I jot down the orders on my notepad, even assigning table numbers in my head to avoid mixing up the information.
“Mint tea, coffee with one spoonful of sugar, and chamomile steeped twice, correct? I'll bring them right away. Please wait just a moment.”
“……By the way, Breeder? What's today's dessert?”
Just as I was about to slip away after quickly taking the orders, Sofia fires a sharp question. Right. The moment I've been dreading has finally arrived.
“Ah, well…… Today we have the same coffee biscuits as yesterday.”
“What? That's all for today, too?”
“I'm terribly sorry. The ingredients I ordered haven't arrived yet……”
“H-How could that be……!”
—Murmur, murmur, murmur!
The moment I announce that the biscuits are the same as yesterday, the lounge erupts. At Sofia's dismayed words, the other girls all turn to stare and whisper.
—What? I must have misheard, right?
—Is this even possible……?!
—N-No way!!!
Their reactions scream that this is unacceptable. Everyone shouts in outrage, and in an instant the atmosphere turns deadly serious—as if the dragon Detronos had invaded.
—Does this make any sense? Lunch was already a repeat, and now dessert is too?!
—I'm sick of fish and chips, and now even the palate cleanser is the same as yesterday?
—You skipped dinner yesterday and just ate biscuits, didn't you? Why complain now?
—It's not that the biscuits taste bad! It's just that after skipping dinner yesterday, eating the same thing again today feels like too much……!
—Haah, ancestors…… Why must you give us such trials……!
Indignant voices rise from every direction. The once-pleasant atmosphere has died. All because of a single sentence saying no new dessert was prepared……
I thought I'd poured my heart into the lounge duties, but apparently that was a grave miscalculation. Then again, these girls are hatchlings in their growth phase. For them, dessert is a serious matter. Sweet treats are a life-or-death issue for young ladies. It's like telling military academy girls that only tasteless rations remain at the PX—completely understandable. Their only source of joy has vanished, so of course they're angry. If our positions were reversed, it would be a nightmare.
But what am I supposed to do? No one ever gave me a proper handover for the lounge work. The only guidance I got was from Johnson.
A complaint on only the second day of opening……
At this rate, I might have to close up shop today—or worse, end my life here.
“Everyone, quiet down! You all know afternoon classes resume normally starting today, correct? We cannot waste our precious free time like this!”
While I keep swallowing dryly, Sofia steps in to restore order. She mentions afternoon classes, and the mood shifts instantly. She truly is a savior.
“Breeder? Take the drink orders first, quickly!”
“Ah, yes! I'm truly sorry, everyone.”
“This is the only time I'll let it slide. I won't tolerate such mistakes again!”
Sofia scolds me firmly. Though scolding seems awkward for her, she does it on everyone's behalf, her voice loud and her warning stern. Yet I don't feel offended at all. If anything, I'm relieved she stepped forward.
If my guess is right, she's covering for me. At first I wondered why the representative would personally shield me, but the answer didn't take long to find. Right now, I am indispensable to Sofia. She has a quest to receive a mint-flavored dessert from me. That's why she personally intervened to defuse the situation before it exploded.
I really picked the right person to side with. Of course, it's still too early to relax……
At her scolding, I bow deeply and nod my head in every direction, doing my best to look remorseful. No matter how beautiful and elegant these young ladies are, their true nature is that of ferocious apex predators. Once their mood sours, there's no salvaging it.
“I'll bring the coffee first……!”
“Herbal tea coming right up!”
“Sorry for keeping you waiting!”
“Of course, we'll provide plenty of biscuits as well!”
“……Thank you for your generous understanding.”
After that, I move busily. I brew and serve coffee and tea with lightning speed. Naturally, I bring out every last portion of the pre-cut biscuits, refilling them endlessly. I wonder if this is how kings in fantasy worlds felt when offering tribute to dragons who coveted gold and jewels.
—Hmph, the biscuits aren't bad, so I'll let it pass.
—It's not as impactful as yesterday…… but it does taste good.
—Maybe I should've just ordered coffee instead?
Thank goodness I'd already raised some favorability with yesterday's biscuits. Otherwise, I really might have been turned into charcoal and tossed into the sea.
But not everyone has calmed down.
—Sofia seems to be protecting him quite a bit, doesn't she?
—They were in the same room during roll call yesterday, too?
—Shh, quiet. What if Sofia hears?
—If this happens again tomorrow, I won't hold back, Sofia or not!
I somehow managed to get through the crisis, but it seems their patience only extends until today. Still, that won't do. I still have over forty-nine years of sentence left.
—Clink……!
“This is my way of apologizing.”
I cut the sponge cake I'd baked as a test into small pieces and serve them to each table. Even a token service like this can sometimes soften hearts.
“……It's a dessert I prepared because I wanted to offer it to you young ladies, but since it's still in the testing phase, I could only bake a small amount. Once again, I sincerely apologize.”
I add those extra words so their pride wouldn't be hurt. I had no desire to incur a dragon's wrath over mere dessert……
—Oh? No wonder it smelled different from yesterday.
—You were hiding something like this? You should've brought it out sooner and avoided all this fuss.
—Still, the portions are pretty small.
—Eh? What's this?
The young ladies who receive slices of the mocha-like sponge cake let their anger subside a little. A few even complain about the small amount. I don't so much as furrow my brow and continue serving them. That's just how service works. The customer is king—or rather, in this case, a goddess? Dissatisfaction with service doesn't end with bad reviews or star ratings here. These reptiles could actually terrorize my life. So, even if it means selling my pride, I have to keep them in good humor.
Whew, at least no one's complaining about the taste of the cake.
Most of their grumbling is about the quantity. From what I can see, they're all devouring the cake in one go without leaving a crumb. If they're saying the portions are lacking, that must mean the flavor is acceptable.
Anyway, starting tomorrow, I really need to stay sharp.
“Excuse me, Breeder?”
Just as I'm catching my breath, Sofia calls me from afar.
“Yes, Lady Sofia. Would you like to order something else?”
“No. I'd like a word with you in private.”
“Pardon?”
“Don't argue. Come with me. As class representative, I have something to say about what just happened.”
“……?”
I thought I'd safely navigated the crisis, yet Sofia's cold voice tightens around me. She even tells me to follow her outside in that icy tone.
What? Wasn't she covering for me earlier? I even served a new menu like she wanted, so why is she making a scene now?
The other dragons sitting nearby try to stop her, saying it's enough, but Sofia fixes me with a cold gaze and jerks her chin toward the door, signaling me to follow her out.