Chapter 29 - 5 - Raising A Flag (3)

Chapter 29: Chapter 5 - Raising A Flag (3)

When I brought over their orders, they didn't bother giving me a glance as I placed the dishes on their table. Since they were acting that way, maybe I should try a bit harder to grab their attention.

"Uhm, ma'am, sir, anything else you'd like to add?"

"Not really," Charlotte replied in a curt tone, not even bothering to look my way. Well, that crushed my hopes of catching her eye. But hey, it was still early in the day. I could make her interested in me before the sun sets... at least, I hoped.

I sauntered away from their table, heading back to where the orders were being prepared. The cook wasn't busy because there were no new orders. That meant I could take a breather for now.

"Good job," the cashier said, giving me a warm look. She had this onee-san vibe going on, even more so than my actual sister in this world, who oozed nothing but sexual energy.

"Yeah, you did well too," I replied.

"It's a relief to have a new worker. Managing this store with just my daughter and me has been a bit tough," the cook chimed in.

"Oh, so she's your daughter?"

"Yeah. We don't really look alike, do we? People are always surprised when I mention it."

"Nah, I think you two look pretty similar," I said.

The only noticeable difference was their build, considering Cook Papa was a dude and the Cashier girl was all woman. Both sported orange hair, with Cook Papa even rocking an orange beard. Couldn't help but wonder if the carpet matched the drapes for the cashier. Well, no time to find that out now; I had a certain objective in mind.

Since I was on a break, it seemed like the perfect time to gather some intel. Sharpening my senses, I zeroed in on Charlotte and Daemon's conversation.

"Don't you think we should... take it to the next level now, Charlotte?"

Whoa, this guy wasn't wasting any breath, huh? Starting with that? Wasn't the standard move to build it up, tease a bit, so the lady wouldn't be caught off guard? I've navigated through my fair share of eroge games in my world, and the playbook dictated a smooth approach to capture those heroines. What was this guy thinking? I bet he'd veer off into a bad end if he kept this up. Well, for me, that might be the ideal outcome.

"Next level? In what?" Charlotte asked.

"In our relationship."

Oh, wow. No beating around the bush with this one, huh? Straight to the point. I sort of admired the guy for being so unapologetically direct, but at the same time, I couldn't stand him for it. Reminded me of some dude back in my world. Well, at least this guy wasn't as much of a bastard as that one.

"I won't. You'll run away from me if I do that, right?" he said.

"That's right."

"Listen to me for a moment. Can you consider the benefits of going out with me? I mean, I'm the heir of the Hunters Guild, and I'm currently in the gold class. Not to mention, I'm handsome. All the women in the academy are dying to have a relationship with me. Isn't it really beneficial to be with someone like me?"

This guy was beyond direct. I'd bet he's the type to jump straight into the action without bothering with foreplay. And why the hell was he pushing the idea that being handsome is some kind of superpower? That's just pure, unadulterated narcissism. And as a crucial note, not every girl in the academy is falling over themselves for him.

"Is that all? Then release me," Charlotte declared, her voice now a cold, cutting edge. Understandably so, given the bomb Daemon just dropped on her.

"W-Wait, Charlotte! Can you genuinely find happiness with someone other than me? That professor won't do jack for you, I swear! And that pathetic, virgin prince will never deliver the joy you seek! I'm the superior choice! You should be with me!"

I heard Charlotte sigh after his desperate plea. "Is that all?" she repeated, unimpressed. "Then, I should go now. Bye." It seemed she finally managed to slip out of Daemon's desperate clutches.

Yes! This meant Daemon was now out of the picture. However, there were still two bugs I needed to deal with. And, of course, I had to spark her interest in me.

As I thought that, I heard something unsettling—footsteps that definitely didn't belong to Charlotte. Several pairs of footsteps, and they were closing in on her.

"Huh? Wh-What? What's happening? What are you going to do to me?"

"Shut your mouth if you wanna live."

"Eeek!" A suppressed scream clawed its way out of Charlotte's throat. "D-Daemon! Help me!"

Her desperate plea hung in the air, but Daemon, once the relentless pursuer, had transformed into a spineless coward.

"Huh? Uhm... T-There's no way I can deal with this many! You think I'll risk my neck for a woman who just rejected me?! No way. I'm outta here!"

"You jerk! Wait up! Don't leave me here!"

"I said shut the fuck up! Or do you want me to slit your throat?!"

Daemon bolted, abandoning Charlotte to her fate. As the echoes of his retreat faded, I couldn't shake the perplexity. What the fuck was unfolding?