Chapter 26
Chapter 26: Master, Please Open Your Mouth
The two of them returned to the street, and the blonde girl in her snow-white dress looked like an angel who had fallen to Earth, instantly capturing countless gazes.
“That child is so cute!”
“Which family’s young lady is she?!”
“In three minutes, I want all her info!”
“Wait, who’s that next to her… Oh, the infamous scoundrel from the Ironblood family!”
“Then it’s fine.”
Scoundrels have their benefits; no matter how much the noble descendants coveted Alice, they feared Roy’s presence, and not a single one dared to approach, allowing the two to go about undisturbed.
Jealous, huh? My maid is just that adorable!
Ignoring the envious eyes around them, Roy asked Alice, “Where do you want to go next? Grab a bite or catch a play?”
Alice shook her head. “It’s up to you, Master.”
This…
Roy felt a bit troubled.
Rather than enjoying himself, he wanted to satisfy Alice’s wishes.
But Alice had a hard time making choices herself.
Reluctantly, Roy decided to just wander around with her.
Alice obediently followed behind Roy, but she noticed the men and women around them either holding hands or cuddling.
“Master…”
“Hmm? Have you figured out where you want to go?”
Gazing at Roy’s face, Alice suddenly lost her courage.
He was so gentle. But as a maid, could she really enjoy this indefinitely?
Alice always feared that if Roy’s kindness was limited, she would eventually exhaust it.
“…It’s nothing.”
The blonde girl lightly stepped, as always, graceful and obedient, maintaining the distance expected of a maid beside her master.
Just being able to accompany her master like this made her content.
Roy caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye and naturally noticed Alice was deliberately keeping her distance.
There seemed to be an invisible, subtle barrier between them.
Yet Alice clearly wasn’t acting like she disliked him.
Girls are really hard to understand.
“How about we sit at a café for a while?”
The only café in the city, Cozy Breeze, was nestled in the bustling downtown area. The shop was simple and beautiful, with a lush tree at the entrance and some iron tables and chairs, giving it an old yet elegant feel.
The patrons were mostly young nobles, merchants, and some stylish adventurers.
The ‘scoundrel Roy’ clearly wouldn’t come to such a leisurely place, so it was his first time visiting this café he always passed by in his memory.
In a time without advanced communication, it was impressive how far ‘scoundrel Roy’s’ notoriety could spread.
Even as they were seated, the staff recognized Roy’s infamous face and turned pale, but upon seeing Alice, the nervous staff quickly recovered, healed by her angelic visage.
Roy thought he should take Alice with him wherever he went to constantly nullify his negative reputation’s debuff.
“What do you want to eat?” Roy asked while flipping through the menu.
“Well, Master can just eat, I’m not hungry yet.”
This routine conversation between master and maid left the waitress slightly stunned.
Wow, such an elegantly poised girl actually calls Roy ‘Master’ as if he were a pet.
This city knows how to play; they’re not to be messed with.
Roy, of course, had no idea that others were now looking at him with a bit more wariness as he casually said, “Alice, coming to a café isn’t just to fill our stomachs; it’s to enjoy the desserts.”
“Desserts…” Even though Alice remained calm, her eyes sparkled at the mention.
The menu had no pictures, so Alice couldn’t really understand what they had.
She glanced around, observing other customers’ tables.
As the blonde girl scanned the room, several average guys flashed what they thought were charming smiles in response, but none could capture her clear blue gaze, only to be met with merciless punches from their companions.
Alice’s voice was soft as she awkwardly said, “Um, that yellow cake.”
“Is that a pancake? Then I’ll have two pancakes, one strawberry and one blueberry. And two… What does Alice want to drink?” Roy asked midway.
“Just what Master is having.”
“Then I’ll have two coffees too.”
Before long, two steaming hot pancakes drenched in golden maple syrup and fresh coffee arrived at their table.
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting mottled light, and the fresh air mixed with the aroma of coffee and desserts made this moment exceptionally leisurely and delightful.
Alice carefully handled her knife and fork to cut a piece of pancake slathered in maple syrup and strawberry jam, bringing it to her mouth.
The girl’s usually aloof expression softened and became sweet, as if touched by spring breezes. At the same time, she let out an adorable little hum, much like a puppy wagging its tail in joy at delicious food.
Caught in the dappled sunlight, she couldn’t help but softly sigh, “So sweet.”
This scene, sweeter than the maple syrup, instinctively prompted Roy to agree, “…Yeah, it really is sweet.”
Alice blinked in confusion. “But Master, you haven’t eaten yet.”
Roy felt a bit embarrassed, hastily picking up his knife and fork. “I’ve had it before.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“That’s how it is!”
“Then Master should try my flavor.”
“?!”
Roy was taken aback by this sudden, bold remark, causing his utensils to drop to the floor.
But Alice just looked at him in confusion, a piece of pancake still on her fork.
Oh, she was talking about the pancake.
Damn it, Alice is a pure little angel; how could he have such strange thoughts!
Roy silently cursed his own wickedness.
“Don’t worry, I’ll feed you, Master.”
“Uh… Huh?!”
Just as Roy was suppressing his impure thoughts, he didn’t expect his maid to reverse the tables on him.
Staring into her crystal-clear blue eyes made him feel inexplicably shy.
“W-wait, I’ll go get another set of utensils.”
“That’s unnecessary.”
“But…”
“As a maid, it’s only natural to serve my master.”
Alice was surprisingly persistent about feeding him. In no time, she cut up an entire plate of pancakes into bite-sized pieces, her enthusiasm palpable.
Everything, from clothes to food, was her master’s kindness. Now that she had a rare opportunity to repay him, how could she, as a personal maid, let it slip away?
Now was her moment to shine!
“Here, Master, please open your mouth.” Alice lifted the fork with a piece of pancake and brought it to Roy’s face.
Roy was in a bind now.
To be honest, if they were alone, it wouldn’t matter.
But right now, they were in an outdoor café. With all the customers and passersby watching, doing such a thing in front of so many eyes was just too embarrassing!
Faced with the maid’s feeding, Roy fell into deep turmoil.
