Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage
Character page: Here
Chapter 212 – We continued our date
“I wonder if Raven’s going to be okay. He’s not exactly good with that kind of thing. Happiness and Duke weren’t anywhere in sight either… Is he fine on his own?” [Youki]
Well, he got over that voice issue a long time ago, but still.
“Raven-san will be fine. I’ve heard he’s gotten quite close with the other members of the knights lately. Apparently, quite a few of them have even figured out about Happiness.” [Cecilia]
“Ah… well, yeah, I guess that’s not too surprising.” [Youki]
They spent a lot of time together, and it seemed that they weren’t exactly hiding their relationship. It would probably stay as just rumours, but with Duke around, it should be manageable.
“I understand why you’d be worried about Raven-san, Youki-san, but…” [Cecilia]
“Mm… yeah, you’re right. Raven wouldn’t have stepped up like that if he couldn’t handle it. Worrying too much might actually be kind of rude, like I’m underestimating him.” [Youki]
If people heard me fussing over something this minor, they’d probably be like, What’s the deal with you two? Are you in a relationship or something?
Wait, no. Let’s not go there. Raven’s got Happiness, and I’ve got Cecilia. No confusion about that.
“I believe in you, Youki-san, and I understand you. So please, don’t worry.” [Cecilia]
“That’s… really reassuring to hear. Thanks.” [Youki]
If she’d hit me with those “Eh…?” looks just now, I probably would’ve panicked. But instead, I got a straightforward, heartwarming answer. Thank you very much, Cecilia.
“For starters, I’d rather not imagine that your feelings for me and Raven-san are the same. [Cecilia]
“Yeah, that’s… understandable.” [Youki]
Cecilia’s tone was firm, her expression serious.
I mean, I’m not the type to cheat anyway, whether with women or men.
“Isn’t that natural!” [Cecilia]
“A–Ahaha…” [Youki]
…Wait, is she mad? That weak laugh of mine probably made things worse. This might be bad. I should say something clear and direct to reassure her. Yeah, serious face, no jokes!
“Raven and I are just friends, so don’t worry about it.” [Youki]
“…I see. Thank you for saying so.” [Cecilia]
“…”
Did I pick the wrong thing to say? Her expression was getting colder by the second, and panic started clawing at me. What should I do? What do I do? Cold sweat ran down my back as I scrambled for a way to salvage this. Prioritize Cecilia… prioritize Cecilia… Ah!
“We’ve been walking for a while. Why don’t we stop at a nearby shop and rest?” [Youki]
Today’s a date, so Cecilia comes first, no matter what. I decided to let a few hiccups here and there slide. Besides, with Yuuga and Raven taking care of things for now, I could take it easy and enjoy myself for once.
When I say “take a break at a shop,” there’s really only one place that comes to mind.
So Cecilia and I headed straight there.
“Welcome! Thank you, as always, for visiting our shop.”
It was the cake shop run by the ever-patient Ami-san and the so-called muscle pâtissier, Andrei-san.
Ami-san greeted us with a smile so dazzling that it could brighten up anyone’s day. Andrei-san, on the other hand…
“Welcome. Please, take your time and enjoy.” [Andrei]
…struck a pose and flexed his perfectly sculpted biceps as part of the greeting.
Yeah, no. That’s not what I came here for. A customer service smile is good enough. I don’t need a customer service muscle show.
“Please let us know when you’re ready to order. Hey, brother… come here a sec.” [Ami]
Ami-san grabbed Andrei-san by the arm and dragged him back into the kitchen. For some reason, watching that made me think she might actually be stronger than him. Then again, considering how often this sort of thing happened and how physically demanding pastry-making was, it wasn’t surprising that they’d both built up some strength.
“It must be tough for Ami-san.” [Cecilia]
“But that’s part of what this shop’s famous for.” [Youki]
The customers were laughing. It was turning into something of a local attraction. Though judging from Ami-san’s expression, she didn’t seem very happy about becoming famous for that.
“Is that so…?” [Cecilia]
“Mm-hm. But the cakes here really are delicious.” [Youki]
“I agree.” [Cecilia]
We continued chatting in a relaxed mood as time passed. Normally, nothing unexpected ever happened in this shop, and that alone gave me a sense of peace.
At the same time, snippets of conversation from nearby tables drifted over as we enjoyed our cakes.
“Huh, this cake is made with vegetables?”
“These days, desserts keep evolving to cater to people with sweet tooth.”
“That’s amazing. It’s the kind of evolution women really appreciate.”
“My brother really does take the baking seriously, but still…” [Ami]
Ami-san had appeared out of nowhere and glanced back towards her brother.
Sure enough, Andrei-san was showing off his muscles to the customers again. To be fair, though, he was also asking for their opinions on the cake. That was his real objective.
“I’m starting to think I should just let him do whatever he wants. Fortunately, we haven’t received any complaints. He comes up with ideas and brings in rare ingredients I could never manage on my own. Honestly, I’m beginning to worry my position here might be in danger.” [Ami]
“I doubt Andrei-san’s trying to take over anything, though. Don’t you think so too, Cecilia?” [Youki]
“Yes. Personally, I’d like to see the two of you keep running this place together. This is one of my favourite shops.” [Cecilia]
“T-Thank you very much. My brother and I will continue doing our best to meet our customers’ expectations, so please keep supporting our shop.” [Ami]
Probably having overheard our conversation, Andrei-san looked our way and flashed a sparkling grin, giving us a big thumbs-up.
…Yeah, we’ll definitely be coming back here again.
“By the way, how have the things been at the orphanage lately? The kids are always so full of energy, it must be exhausting.” [Youki]
The children there adored Cecilia, constantly calling her “Holy Mother” with unbridled enthusiasm.
“They’re all good kids, so it’s not too much trouble. Though… there are a few who can get a little too mischievous.” [Cecilia]
“Yeah, I figured… Wait, now that I think about it, none of them have run up to us today.” [Youki]
It was probably because Cecilia was in a disguise… No, wait. What was I even saying? She practically radiated an aura that screamed Holy Mother. There was no way a simple disguise could hide that.
Then again, this wasn’t some fantasy story where people could instantly see through disguises like that. Still, the fact remained that we hadn’t run into a single orphanage kid during our date. Maybe they weren’t allowed to wander too far from the orphanage?
“Yes. They don’t go out every day, so they’re probably just playing nearby today.” [Cecilia]
Cecilia, a frequent visitor to the orphanage, calmly confirmed my suspicion. Looks like my guess wasn’t far off after all.
After thoroughly enjoying our cakes, we left the shop.
Now then… where to next?
“Dad, hurry, hurry!”
“Don’t rush me, Roa. Honestly, what’s gotten into you? Why do you suddenly want to go to the church?”
“Nari-chan from the bakery told me! She said Holy Mother isn’t there today, but there’s a really big guy and a onee-chan there! They’ll read us picture books and give us shoulder rides!”
The boy tugged insistently at his father’s arm, urging him to walk faster. The poor man looked exhausted just trying to keep up.
…Wait a second—
“A really big guy and onee-chan…?” [Youki]
Just how big was really big, exactly? Still… something about that description rang a bell. A very specific, and very suspicious bell.
“Cecilia… that kid just now—” [Youki]
“…It seems there’s some kind of event at the church today.” [Cecilia]
No, no, no, no. There was no doubt that Cecilia knew exactly who that kid was talking about. So why was she brushing it off like that? There was no way, but it was undeniable.
The “Guardian Deity” and his loyal follower had to be at the church today.
There’s no way that’s true, right? The conclusion I’d jumped to was absurd. I mean, this was Cecilia we were talking about. There was no way she’d do something like that just for a date with someone like me.
“Captain~!”
“Oh, is that Sheik? Ah, and there’s Fiora-chan chasing after him again. Those two really are inseparable.” [Youki]
Sure enough, Sheik was heading straight towards us, with Fiora-chan hot on his heels. She was practically glued to him half the time. Quinn-kun wasn’t with them, but if we joined up now, it’d turn into babysitting duty again, just like last time.
Well… that might not be so bad. We could always change plans and head to the park to play with them. Well, that thought lasted all of five seconds. Talk about a reality check.
While I was lost in thought, the two kids suddenly vanished. The culprit was a very familiar head maid, who whisked them away like the wind, one tucked under each arm. Even among seasoned adventurers, there weren’t many who could pull off a move like that. Honestly, she could go back to adventuring anytime… assuming her husband would allow it.
…And yeah. Definitely suspicious.
“Cecilia-san?” [Youki]
“…Let’s change locations, Youki-san.” [Cecilia]
I’d never seen her look so… dejected before. Not that I could blame her.
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