Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: A Chaotic Date with a Beastkin and a Demon (2)
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The one who had spectacularly face-planted on the floor was, even from the back of her head, clearly a demon.
After all, her skin wasn't merely pale but a distinct shade of blue, and she even had horns jutting out from her head. It was impossible not to tell.
But perhaps because of her smaller-than-expected frame and the form-fitting women's suit she wore,
she didn't seem as intimidating as a demon, typically considered a high-risk individual in the city, should.
Besides, I had just witnessed the pitiful sight of her tripping with a tray in a dessert cafe. How was I supposed to be wary of that?
So, after exchanging a glance with Sabrina in the bewildering situation, I immediately walked over to her.
Up close, the silver lining seemed to be that she had dropped the tray completely, so none of the sticky dessert had gotten on her clothes.
Of course, I felt sorry for the dessert that had flown off and was now rolling on the floor, but that couldn't be helped.
"Oww... it hurts..."
"..."
"Excuse me, are you alright?"
"Hiek! I-I'm fine! Oh, ah..."
Was it because she had taken such a hard fall on the solid tiles?
The woman, groaning on the floor, jolted in surprise at our approach and scrambled to her feet.
Then, as if finally noticing us, her face turned beet red.
It seemed she was incredibly embarrassed to be comforted by little kids.
Of course, it was only my appearance that was childlike.
Soon, the demon woman came to her senses and, her face still looking flushed, glanced around.
Her eyes trembled when she spotted the Mont Blanc splattered on the floor in the distance.
"My, my Mont Blanc... *Sniffle*..."
She had the look of someone who, despite their meager means, had splurged on a dessert only to lose it in vain.
Seeing her precarious state, as if she might burst into tears at the slightest poke, Sabrina looked at me as if asking what to do.
Hmm, it would probably be best to calm her down first.
I gestured for Sabrina to bring the woman, who was on the verge of tears, to our table.
Then I went to find a cafe employee to ask them to clean up the dessert on the floor.
Without my psychokinesis, it would have been difficult for my frail body to escort a woman taller than me. It was a suitable division of labor based on our abilities.
"Yes, miss? How can I help you?"
"...!"
"Oh, eh? Over there?"
I somehow managed to convey to the employee with gestures that I wanted them to clean up the dessert on the floor.
After making one more request, I returned to my seat to find the demon woman at the table, her face buried in her hands.
'She looks like she's dying of embarrassment. I can see why.'
When I thought about it, each part of the scene was cringe-worthy enough to become a dark chapter in her life.
Tripping by herself while carrying a tray in a dessert cafe, having the dessert she was about to eat take a spectacular dive onto the floor, and then being comforted by a child while on the verge of tears?
That demon woman would probably be kicking her blankets all night long.
Still, in my opinion, it was much better than sitting on the floor and crying pitifully by herself.
Thinking this, I sat down next to Sabrina.
Thankfully, it was a four-person table, so Sabrina and I naturally ended up facing the woman.
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere at the table was awkward.
The demon woman seemed to have calmed down from her near-tears state, but she was too mortified to speak.
And Sabrina wasn't sociable enough to start a conversation without a topic.
It was up to me, the one who brought her to the table, to say something... but unfortunately, I couldn't speak.
As a result, the three of us at the table exchanged no words, and only a quiet silence flowed between us.
Was the atmosphere too much for her to bear?
Sabrina, sitting close enough for our shoulders to touch, leaned in and whispered softly in my ear.
"Yuria, this atmosphere... do something...!"
"...!"
I wouldn't have minded just quietly eating my dessert.
But now that I thought about it, inviting her to the table and then ignoring her seemed like a poor thing to do.
So, I nodded to Sabrina to show I understood, then knocked on the table.
When the woman, who had been hiding her face, cautiously looked up at the sound,
I rested my elbows on the table, cupped my chin in my hands, and stared at her intently.
If I couldn't say anything, I just had to make the other person speak first.
It was a silent protest, a declaration that I would keep staring at her if she continued to stay quiet.
I wasn't particularly intimidating, so I didn't expect it to be very effective, but did it work to some extent?
The demon woman's lips trembled, and her gaze darted around, avoiding my eyes.
"Ugh, um, uh... Th-thank you. For helping me...!"
Then, biting her lip, she managed to force out the words as if pulling them from deep inside.
Was it because of her sincere response, so unlike a demon known for toying with people's hearts?
Sitting beside me, Sabrina covered her mouth and muttered softly.
"S-so adorable... I wish someone would act that way for me..."
"...?"
I couldn't hear her clearly, so I didn't know what she said, but I figured she was just surprised by the woman.
Anyway, having broken the ice, we started by introducing ourselves.
It turned out the demon woman's name was Answer.
She was 23 years old. A fledgling who had only been in Nighthaven for a month.
She was my junior. How cute.
As I was inwardly nodding and smirking at Answer's naivety,
she suddenly went "E-hee!" and covered her mouth. What the, what's with the strange behavior?
"S-sorry! I-I have a personality where I can't help but laugh when I see things like this!"
"Ah, I think I know what you mean."
"Y-you do!"
"..."
I looked back and forth between Sabrina and Answer, who had started bonding over some shared understanding.
What on earth were they relating to? Let me in on it.
I just tilted my head in the slightly bewildering situation before deciding to let it go.
There's no need to know everything in this world. If it had been important, they would have explained it.
Having organized my thoughts, I leaned away from the table slightly and poked Sabrina's shoulder with my finger.
It was my way of saying, "Sorry to ask, but I'm curious why she was so miserable. Can you ask her about her situation?"
"..."
"Hmm? Ah... I was wondering, how have you been since you came here?"
"M-me? Well..."
After Sabrina and Answer hit it off, the conversation flowed smoothly.
From what she said, it seemed Answer had failed to find a job dozens of times since coming to Nighthaven.
No matter how free the city was for metahumans, there were still some who were difficult to integrate with due to their fundamentally different ways of thinking.
Like ogres who couldn't comprehend the concept of buying things with money.
Or vampires whose hobby was to draw blood at the slightest provocation, or demons who tricked people into contracts to bind their souls.
When 99 out of 100 were like that, it was inevitable that people would be wary even if one outlier appeared among them. It shouldn't be that way, but it was.
"I was getting more and more depressed by the day, so to lift my spirits, I decided to treat myself to a dessert despite my tight budget..."
"And of all things, you had to trip. Oh dear..."
On top of that, she came to a dessert cafe, having decided to splurge on an expensive treat to cheer herself up, only to...
take a spectacular fall, wasting her money and creating a new dark memory.
For a sensitive person, it was a string of misfortunes that could easily make one think the world was cursing them. It was understandable she would cry.
But Answer simply wiped away the small tear forming in the corner of her eye and smiled.
To be able to smile in a situation like this, she might be mentally stronger than she looked.
"I didn't get to eat my dessert, but thanks to you, my mood has lifted. Thank you so much."
"Ah, um... It was Yuria who suggested we help. I don't think I deserve your thanks..."
"Fufufu, is that so? Still, thank you, Miss Sabrina. And you too, Miss Yuria."
Answer expressed her gratitude with a sincerity that was not at all demon-like.
On the outside, she seemed incredibly timid and tearful, but perhaps on the inside, she was someone to be admired in many ways.
I shrugged at Answer's words as if it were nothing, then noticed an employee walking steadily toward us from a distance.
Sabrina and Answer also seemed to notice the employee, but they quickly dismissed it, likely assuming they were coming to clean up the Mont Blanc on the floor.
"Sorry for the delay in making a new one. Here is your Mont Blanc. We'll clean up the one on the floor shortly."
"Oh, eh? This is..."
"The young lady over there paid for it. Well then, enjoy your time."
However, contrary to their expectations, the employee placed a plate on the table and left.
On the plate was a delicious-looking Mont Blanc with chestnut cream swirled appealingly high.
I slid the plate with the Mont Blanc across the table to Answer.
Answer's eyes widened as she looked at me.
"Um, why is this..."
"..."
What do you mean, why? It's for you to eat.
You came all the way to a dessert shop; it'd be a shame to leave without eating anything, right?
Having coolly handed over the Mont Blanc, I pushed my mask aside to expose my lips and brought a forkful of my remaining strawberry shortcake to my mouth.
Mmm! Delicious!
As I tapped my fork, enjoying the sweetness that brought a smile to my face,
Answer mumbled, at a loss for words for a long moment, then suddenly began to shed tears. Huh, why is she crying all of a sudden?
"*Sob, hic... S-sorry. It's just... this is the first time... I've received something like this here... Everyone just... calls me a bad person..."
"Oh, uh... I-is that so..."
"..."
Sabrina looked flustered by Answer's sudden tearfulness.
From her perspective, it was only natural to be surprised when a woman who looked older than her suddenly burst into tears.
But it didn't bother me much.
I hadn't done it out of a grand desire to bestow a favor, but more in the spirit of giving a small handout.
Besides, even if it was a bit pricey, it was just one snack, not something absurdly expensive.
If it had been expensive enough to make my wallet stagger, I wouldn't have gone this far.
Did my nonchalant attitude help Sabrina calm down from her flustered state?
She, too, seemed to have regained her composure and quietly waited for Answer's tears to subside.
In a corner of the dessert cafe, out of most people's line of sight, our tear-soaked dessert time passed by.