Chapter 39: Doting, and changing hearts and circumstances
Since the Kasdar incident, the Saint Cafeteria has been thriving more than ever.
However, it was impossible to keep expanding the store to meet the demand.
To further expand the store, approval from the capital’s commerce and industry association was necessary.
Above all, it was beyond my ability.
Basically, I could produce an infinite amount of flour, but there was a limit to my physical strength and the amount I could make at once! As expected!
So, we increased the amount of take-out bread within a reasonable range and dealt with it by increasing the number of staff.
It was very helpful that the people of Maytart village were happy to help with various things.
“The one who’s grateful is me, Saint-chan.”
That was what Mari-san, who worked as a staff member, said. She had a nonchalant attitude when talking about her past as a maid who had been abandoned by her lover and fled from the capital with her child. As a former kitchen maid, she had the strength of five trillion people in both the hall and the kitchen.
Especially in the morning, we relied on her to make bread.
Unlike me, who only knew how to make simple bread at the monastery, she could make delicious and beautiful sweet bread. As expected of a former kitchen maid.
After finishing the take-out orders this morning, the two of us took a break before lunchtime in the empty cafeteria.
While sipping tea, Mari-san murmured deeply.
“Thanks to Saint-chan, everyone has become healthier, and there are more people who don’t care about the image of the contaminated land. Life has become easier and more comfortable. I’m really grateful.”
“That’s. . .it’s only natural to repay everyone who accepted me!”
“Don’t say it like a stranger! You’re also a respectable member of our village.”
“Ugh. . .I’m happy. . .”
Since finding a place at the monastery, I have been enjoying a happy time like never before.
Thanks to Demon King-sama showing up in the cafeteria, there have been no strange troubles since then. My relationship with the adventurers who come to visit is also good.
The people from the Chamber of Commerce also came to greet me and expressed their positive consideration for joining in the future.
Everything was going terribly, terribly well.
Except for the relationship between Synovidos and Demon King-sama.
The door leading to the garden opened with a clatter, and tension ran through my body.
“Hiira-dono, we’ve finished harvesting.”
“T-Thank you.”
My voice was trembling.
“I-It’s nothing. . .it’s nothing. . .”
Synovidos was the same.
I received a basket full of freshly picked vegetables, but I couldn’t see Synovidos’ face. He was wearing a mask, so I shouldn’t mind, but. . .
On the night when Demon King-sama kissed the back of my hand, under the light of the full moon, Synovidos told me his real name was Shinobu. But he wanted me to call him Synovidos because it was embarrassing to be called by his real name now.
“Hiira-dono, is there anything I can help you with?”
“Um. . .no, it’s okay! Thank you!!”
“Well then, I’ll go weed the garden or something.”
Synovidos muttered and left.
I breathed a sigh of relief. It’s not that I disliked Synovidos.
I just didn’t know how to interact with him.
And then.
In the evening, Demon King-sama would suddenly come without a sound and buy all the leftovers as takeout.
“Hiira-dono, is everything the same today? Will 10 gold coins be enough to buy everything?”
“It’s more than enough, it’s enough to build a whole church! 10 copper coins are sufficient!”
“I don’t have small change, so it’s one gold coin.”
“Geez, what a rip-off.”
Demon King-sama handed me a handful of gold coins.
Black Dragon-san was laughing behind him.
“Hiira-chan, how about we exchange goods if you don’t want to take the gold? I’ll give you as many of my nail clippings as you want, Hiira-chan.”
“The nail clippings of a dragon said to be a universal memory medicine when ground up!!! Are you going to cut them with such a nail clipper?”
“Even if you say it’s expensive, it’s something that always grows on its own for me. Right, Demon King-sama?”
Demon King-sama glanced at Black Dragon-san and then took my hand and kissed the back of it again.
“Eek.”
“Hiira-dono. Well then. . .see you.”
“Y-Yes. . .”
As Demon King-sama left like the wind, Synovidos came in to take his place.
“I’ve finished cleaning up, Hiira-dono〜.”
“Ah!”
I was surprised and my voice turned upside down.
“Don’t suddenly appear like that, Synovidos.”
“My apologies, my apologies.”
He appeared as if to switch places at the perfect timing, and somehow Synovidos and Demon King-sama started to get mixed up, and I couldn’t tell who was who.
What I can say for sure is that I’m getting nervous around both Synovidos and Demon King-sama.
After seeing off the staff onee-sans, cleaning up, and the sun setting, I suddenly felt exhausted.
“I might be a little tired. I’m starting to sweat.”
“Understood. Leave the rest to me.”
“. . .Thank you.”
I went up to the second floor of my house and sank into the bathtub filled with hot water.
I could hear Synovidos’ presence from downstairs, continuing to clean up.
I felt sorry for him and my chest ached.
I grabbed the halo floating as a light and spoke to it.
“. . .It’s terrible to misunderstand when someone is kind to you. I. . .do halo feel the same way?”
My halo didn’t answer. But it was so beautiful, shining brightly in the bathwater, that it seemed like a waste to me.
“I wish I was as shiny and honest as you.”
I sighed at my reflection in the water.
I hated my plain and childish appearance and my own shallowness that made me conscious of two people of the opposite sex just by being treated a little kindly. My confidence relied on my cooking and pride as a saint, so as a girl named Hiira Seamacy, I knew I had no charm at all.
Synovidos and Demon King-sama are both very kind to me, even though I don’t have any immunity.
I think they are both very important to me.
In fact, I have a strange misunderstanding and my heart beats fast for both of them.
“Even though I have no immunity, isn’t it too much? Me. . .”
Sometimes, I wonder if my feelings towards Synovidos and Demon King-sama are exactly the same, without any jokes.
It’s just that their appearance, voice, and kindness are similar, and I’m confusing and identifying them on my own.
“. . .I wish we could just continue our current relationship. Why do I have to be conscious of both of them at the same time? I should just stop being conscious of them. It’s just me, interpreting their kindness in a strange way is. . .”
The halo just shines brightly without giving any particular response.
ーーー
One day.
During lunchtime when things had calmed down, a visitor came to see me.
