Ultimate Vampire Princess Vol.1 - Chapter 4: The Self-Proclaimed Normal Girl Runs a Normal Cafeteria in the Orphanage

 Episode 4: The Self-Proclaimed Normal Girl Runs a Normal Cafeteria in the Orphanage

Rebuilding the orphanage would need six months to complete. At least, that was what Maria had thought, but the job was ultimately completed in one third the time. A contributing factor to that was all the help Ristia provided the carpenters here and there. Not only that, but the old orphanage was removed in literally a second—the blink of an eye. She said that she would bring it back out if they ever wanted to reminisce on the past, a statement which neared the lines of insanity in itself. It was all logically impossible, yet normal to Ristia. Maria and the others were slowly but surely adapting to this illogical form of reality presented to them. The important thing was that the orphanage was officially rebuilt. On the night of its completion, Ristia told all the children, including Maria, to gather in the cafeteria, and they did as instructed. They were told to come there dressed in the clothes that she gave to them, but Maria was handed a maid outfit with a short skirt. She had amassed a lot of trust toward Ristia in the past two months, so she wasn’t going to refuse changing clothes, but she pondered why she was given a maid outfit in the first place.

“Thanks for waiting, little ones. Ah, I see you’re all finished changing.” Ristia herself arrived late to the shop floor of the cafeteria, clad in a gothic dress. Leaving her silky smooth black hair natural, she had the appearance of a regal princess. Maria found herself entranced by Ristia’s appearance despite being a girl herself.

“Maria?”

“...Huh? Y-Yes?” Maria said, flustered, realizing that Ristia was now staring straight at her face.

“I was asking you if there were any problems with the outfit.”

“O-Oh no... It’s fine. It’s extremely comfortable. But... why a maid outfit?” Maria asked out of curiosity.

Incidentally, the other girls were also in maid outfits, and the boys were dressed as butlers. It seemed that the children liked the choice in clothes, but... Maria was still unsure as to why these clothes were the attire for a cafeteria, and so...

“‘Why’? I mean, when you think of a cafeteria, you think maids and butlers, don’t you?” Ristia replied as if she was questioning why she would even ask that. She had lived in a castle all of her life, so her perception of cafeterias included maids and butlers on staff. Ristia had said it in an extremely earnest way, but since Maria wasn’t familiar with her upbringing, she was left clueless as to what she meant.

“Well... I’m going to be in the kitchen anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.” When Ristia delivered the news that they would be working in the cafeteria, Maria panicked. Even among other girls, she would end up reflexively brushing away any hand that came near her if someone suddenly touched her. It also didn’t help that she would panic if any person of the opposite sex and older than her so much as came near her. In all, Maria was extremely unconfident that she would be able to work the floor. Ristia, however, seemed to take her feelings into consideration and taught her how to cook so that she could work in the kitchen. She broke the rules of logic in many regards, but she was an extremely considerate and kind older sister-type of girl—that was Maria’s assessment of Ristia. Granted, she would never call Ristia, her savior and the person managing the orphanage, ‘Big Sis’ or anything informal like that, so she kept her true feelings a secret and called her Director Ristia instead. If Ristia knew, she would have pleaded in honest tears, “Just call me ‘Big Sis,’ then!”

“I had a few goals in mind in building this cafeteria.” As soon as Ristia broke the ice and started talking, all of the children closed their mouths and gave her their undivided attention. In these past few months, Ristia had won over the trust of all of the orphans.

Wish it didn’t take so much longer for me, though, Maria thought, a tiny bit jealous. And above that, she felt proud that Ristia, the person who saved her, was such an incredible person.

“The first goal was for you all to gain some working experience.” Ristia started by explaining that she was trying to teach the children a trade for later in life. It didn’t seem to immediately click with the other children, but the reasoning made plenty of sense to Maria. The orphans would have to eventually leave the nest; the same went for Maria herself. And when that time came, the number one problem they would face was finding a place to work. But if they gained experience while they lived in the orphanage, it should be easier for them to work in the future. To Maria and the others, it was extremely welcome news, but their orphanage was smack dab atop a hill on the outskirts of town. Not only did it seem that people stayed away from the orphanage due to the unsavory rumors surrounding it, it was pretty much in the worst spot for traffic. It was extremely hard to think that they would gain enough customers to even turn a profit. Although, knowing Ristia, she seemed likely to say that she didn’t care about turning a profit—it was an obvious fact that Maria had already predicted. The problem was that if no customers showed up, none of this would serve as any kind of work practice. Just as Maria started to brainstorm how to alleviate that issue, Ristia started to speak.

“I am establishing one rule to everyone working on the floor. That is that you must call every customer who comes to our establishment ‘Big Bro’ or ‘Big Sis,’ respectively!” Ristia boisterously declared.

The other children had blank stares in response, but the moment that Maria heard that, on the other hand, she was impressed.

Very smart, Director Ristia. Maria believed that because, after the countless number of times she was made to volunteer her services, she knew from experience that the older men enjoyed it when she called them “Big Bro,” “Daddy,” and similar nicknames. The children in the orphanage were wrangled up as prospective child slaves for the purposes of illicit volunteer services, so they all had a lot of hidden potential. In addition to that, Ristia’s intervention allowed these children to come out of the rough and shine like the diamonds they were, transforming the facility into an orphanage filled with beautiful young girls and boys. If people were being called “Big Bro” or “Big Sis” by those children—especially Ristia—they would come even if it was on the outskirts. As a note, Maria used to be forced into calling people “Big Bro,” so various things concerning that sparked up some tough memories for her. However, Ristia had arranged it so that Maria could work in the kitchen, and if anything were to happen, Maria had faith that she would protect her. With the events over the past few days, Maria’s trust in Ristia had grown exponentially. I’m sure she’s doing this out of consideration for me as a rehabilitation process to help me recover from my trauma. That was her interpretation of Ristia’s actions. A beautiful, kind, considerate soul with a wellspring of ideas—I want to always be by my big sister Ristia’s side, Maria thought from the bottom of her heart. And so, with a heart full of respect for such an honorable person, she replied, “I read you loud and clear, Manager Ristia.”

It was a reply that, for whatever reason, made Ristia wilt and collapse.

◇◇◇

It was grand opening day. Ristia sat in the cafeteria’s waiting room, shoulders flopped in disappointment. There were a number of patrons who came out of curiosity, but they still hadn’t pulled in many—that wasn’t what had Ristia down, though. What had her in a rut was that none of the children were calling her “Big Sis.“ She went from the casual “Sis” to the more formal “Director,” and from “Director,” she moved to the business-like “Manager.” This trend was making her end goal of “Big Sis” slip further away from her grasp—something she could have never dreamed would happen. Needless to say, it was an unimaginable flop and disappointment. Of course, she only told them to refer to the customers as “Big Bro” and “Big Sis” and never intended for them to start referring her to that as well, as a result. Ristia had thought that she would have them call her “Big Sis,” and she would be able to build upon that, but they ended up throwing a wet blanket over her plans in a grand fashion.

Sigh... I wonder if Maria even thinks of me like an older sister. I think of everyone else as my little sister and brothers, though... I miss the days when they called me “Sis” and “Sister,” even if it was just a casual nickname... Ristia griped to herself. Of course, it would be easy to just force them to call her “Big Sis,” but Ristia didn’t want them to just call her “Big Sis” out of duty and obligation; she wanted them to call her “Big Sis” out of love and adoration. That goal would never be realized if she coerced them into doing it.

“Manager Ristia, I have a little something to discuss, but... Are you too tired, by any chance?” Maria asked her as she popped into the waiting room. Upon hearing her question, Ristia quickly straightened herself up and put a smile on her face.

“I’m fine. I’m happy to discuss anything you’d like.”

“O-Oh, thank you.” Maria’s cheeks went a little flush. While she was clearly attracted to Ristia’s kind words and beaming smile, this was something common among most people who talked to Ristia—something that Ristia herself was oblivious to.

“So what did you want to discuss?”

“Well, we had a customer ask if it were possible to request a specific maid.”

“‘Specific’? What do you mean?”

“You know, usually it’s one person per table, and they take the customer’s orders, right?”

“Aah... Right.”

Currently, they had their staff wait on tables in order, so the child the customer was served by would be random, including their gender. There were probably requests about getting to choose who waited their table, especially in regards to that.

“Tell them that they can specify their server if it’s within our capabilities. However, feel free to kick out any customers that cause any problems.”

“...Thank you, Manager Ristia.”

If Maria is happy, then I’m happy, Ristia thought to herself before Maria continued on.

“Then, you’re the first one up, Manager Ristia.” Ristia didn’t understand what she meant by that.

“Um... I’m what?”

“The carpenters from the construction team are here, and they want you to wait on their tables.”

“...They want me?”

“Yes, Ma’am. If you have no intention of doing so, I’ll go tell them no, though.”

“Hmm...”

Since Ristia had older sisters herself, behaving like someone’s little sister wasn’t necessarily out of the question, but Ristia’s ultimate goal was to be loved and adored by the children as their older sister. She pondered on what her best course of action to achieve that dream would be.

The result? She decided to work as a maid herself.

Ristia’s logic was that she was currently their manager, but if she were to be a maid like everyone else, then she would become their senior coworker, meaning that it would put her closer to being a Big Sis than a Big Boss.

“That’s fine. I’ll go get changed right away, then~”

“Okay. I’ll go tell them that you’ll be down shortly.” Maria turned around and exited the waiting room. Ristia waited until Maria was completely out of the room before she grabbed the shoulder portions of her dress and threw it off of herself. Now down to a pair of cute blue underwear, Ristia stored the dress in her Item Box and pulled out a maid uniform of her own in its stead. She then wrapped her vivacious body in the outfit. Lastly, she untied the tie that bundled her hair casually at her back, letting her lustrous black hair flow down freely without a single mark from the tie.

“Ehehe, I was right in making this just in case,” said Ristia, turning around and checking how she looked in the full-length mirror as a tender smile formed on her lips. Her appearance made her worthy of being called an “angel.” Ristia, however, murmured to herself, “Yup, no matter how you look at me, I look like a normal girl, alright.” She then went down to the floor with a sweet smile on her face, catching the attention of the children and the customers alike. They were positively glued to her lovely figure, but Ristia remained unfazed and walked to the tables where Wood and the other carpenters were seated, not with a regal and aristocratic stride, but with a light and casual pep to her step. She reached Wood and his men and greeted them.

“Ehehe, welcome back, Big Bro~” Ristia’s angelic smile, beaming while she was clad in her maid uniform, instantly captivated anybody who saw it. Perhaps it was too much of a shock to their systems, because Wood and his men all froze up.

“Big Bro Wood, are you ready to order?”

“Uh, oh, um... Little Lady, the age gap is making this ‘Big Bro’ thing kinda awkward for me. Do you mind calling me something else, if you could?”

“Um... then, Big Brother? Big Brother Wood?” she asked, cocking her head, prompting Wood to get the shivers.

“I-I can’t put this feeling into words! What is it?! I’ve always wanted a girl like this!”

“Hey, no fair, Boss! Hey, Ristia, call me ‘Big Bro,’ too!”

“Okie dokie, Big Bro~”

“Oh maaan, this is freaking great!” After Wood, the second carpenter started to writhe.

“Starting today, I’m gonna come here every day!”

“Thank you, Big Bro~”

“Holy crap, I’m so happy I could drop dead and I wouldn’t care!” The third man then fell. One after another, the carpenters started to drop like flies to Ristia’s charms. They’d turned into Ristia’s fans, eventually founding the Self-Proclaimed Normal Girl Watcher Association, and they would come to spread their influence over the entire continent, but... well, that was another story for a more normal time.

“Is there something—anything that I can do for you?! You name it, I’ll do it!”

“Gosh, well, I sure would like it if you’d order~”

“You got it!!”

They all replied in unison as Ristia proceeded to take Wood and his men’s orders and relay them to Maria in the kitchen.

“Manager Ristia... Did you ever run a business like this in the past, by any chance?”

“Huh? Nope, this is my first time. Why?”

“Really? For your first time, you seem oddly right at home...” Maria was perplexed, but Ristia was being mostly honest in her reply. Naturally, calling the men “Big Bro” and whatnot was just her fulfilling part of their request, but Ristia had only ever been around older aristocratic types her entire life. It meant that while Ristia had an older sister persona when she talked to Maria and the other younger children, the more cutesy and immature way she spoke to the carpenters back there was positively normal for Ristia.

“In any case, how are you holding up, Maria? Is there anything that you’re not quite getting?”

“Thank you for asking, Manager Ristia. My skills don’t hold a candle to yours, but I’m fairing just fine so far. No issues to speak of.”

“I figured. You’ve always adapted quick, after all.”

In the few months that the orphanage had undergone renovations, Ristia had Maria and the other children take cooking lessons. And out of all of them, Maria had naturally adapted the quickest, seeing as how she originally had helped put food on the table for the orphanage. She gradually absorbed Ristia’s recipes like a sponge. Ristia had asked that question just to be sure everything was alright, but it seemed that was a needless worry.

“Just know that if you do need anything, you can feel free to ask,” Ristia said with a smile. And as she watched Maria cooking, she heard a voice call her from the floor.

“—Manager Ristia, you have a customer~!”

“Coming~” Answering Ayane’s call, Ristia speed-walked to the floor. She headed toward the designated area to find Nanami, Eindebelle, and Rick all sitting in a booth together.

“Oh, Belle, Nanami, Rick. All of you made it.”

“Naw naw, yer doin’ it all wrong, ain’cha?”

“...Huh?” Ristia was taken aback by the immediate critique.

“I was told this here establishment calls their customers ‘Big Bro’ and ‘Big Sis.’ So you gotta call me ‘Big Sis Belle.’”

“Big Sis Belle?”

“That’s right! I’m yer Big Sis, my lil’ Ristia!” Eindebelle declared, suddenly jumping at her. Ristia avoided her advances with practically no effort. “Wait a sec, why’re ya avoidin’ me?!”

“No touching the maids allowed~”

“Nice rule, but I’m yer friend, Ristia!”

“That doesn’t help you, either. If I started making exceptions, then it would put the other kids in an awkward place.” Basically, if any guy were to see Eindebelle hugging Ristia and get the idea in his head to start hugging the maids, then it would mean big trouble—a fact that Eindebelle most likely understood.

“Alright. If that’s how it’s gotta be, them’s the breaks,” she said, conceding. “Oh, but in that case, all I gotta do is do it when we’re not in the cafe?” Basically, she was demanding that she be allowed to hug Ristia outside of the establishment. Ristia let out a tiny sigh.

“Geez... Well, since you insist. Big Sis Belle, you’ll be my special exception. ‘Kay?” she said, putting her index finger to her lips and smiling mischievously. Eindebelle saw that and started wriggling.

“Ohmigod, I feel like somethin’ in me is awakenin’!”

Ristia left Eindebelle to monologue and turned her eyes toward Rick.

“Um, should I be calling you ‘Big Bro’ as well, Rick?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I’ll pass...”

“Teehee, don’t go bein’ a stick in the mud; just go ahead and let her call you how you want.”

“Sh-Shut up, Mom. I’m fine with just ‘Rick,’ thank you. So yeah, Ms. Ristia, I’m fine the way you’ve been addressing me this whole time.”

“Okie dokie, Rick,” she said, referring to him the same as always, but in a more friendly tone. Coupled with a flash of Ristia’s pure smile, Rick’s face was aflush in no time.

“Okay, everyone, are you ready to or—Hey, Nanami, what’s the matter?” Ristia cut herself off and tilted her head in confusion upon noticing Nanami sitting with a sulky look on her face.

“Lady Ristia, today, I am one of your customers.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that, but why... Huh? Correct me if I’m wrong, but do you want me to call you ‘Big Sis’?”

“...Is that not allowed?”

“Well, it’s not not allowed, but...”

Nanami’s fawning look was putting Ristia in a bind. Of course, Ristia’s fondness of Nanami meant that she didn’t mind if they conducted themselves like siblings, but Ristia was working toward being her older sister, not the other way around. Does she really find me that unreliable? Ristia wondered with a flop of her shoulders, but she quickly shifted gears, thinking, Well, if Nanami is the one asking, then I suppose I could.

“I get it. In that case... Big Sis Nanami.”

“Oh my goodness... Thank you so much, Lady Ristia!”

And yet, the way she talks to me remains the same... Ristia remarked to herself with a bitter smirk, also adding, But, if Nanami is enjoying herself, then I’ll deal with it.

“By the way, Ristia, what’s yer house specials?”

“Mm~ Yeah, let’s see... I think that the lunch set is yummy, but... I personally recommend the shortcake.”

“...Shortcake?” The three of them looked at her like she had three heads.

Maria and the other children were clueless when she told them, too, but she had thought at the time that it was a result of their upbringing in the orphanage, but now that she saw that Eindebelle’s party didn’t know either, it was a different story. It would seem that the humans of this era weren’t too familiar with types of confectionery. Ristia confirmed that much when the cake she’d made as an example was a super-popular treat among the children. Given that, she confidently pulled a shortcake out from her Item Box and showed them.

“This is a shortcake. It’s sweet and yummy. Go ahead and try it for yourselves.” She cut it into three pieces, which she placed onto plates with forks, and set them down before everyone’s eyes.

“Well, I’ll be... So this is shortcake, huh?” Eindebelle poked at the whipped cream with her fork in curiosity. The three showed some slight hesitation, but they eventually found the courage to take a bite... upon which, their eyes shot open all at once.

“What the heck? I mean, this is super sweet and yummy!”

“My, goodness, Lady Ristia. This is delectable!”

“I’ve never eaten anything like this either!”

The eyes of all three of them lit up in their own ways. Before long, Nanami said, “I want to eat more of this,” but Eindebelle called out and stopped her.

“Ristia, Ain’t there a whole heap of sugar in here?”

“Let me recall, hmm... it has enough for ten slices, so I’d say one piece has about... fifteen grams?” The cake was baked with a light amount of sweetness, taking into consideration that nobody seemed to be used to flavors like that... but Eindebelle cast her eyes at Ristia in shock.

“Th-There’s that much in here? Don’cha think that’s a really darn high amount?”

To humans of this era, sugar wasn’t exactly a luxury item for aristocrats and nobility, but it didn’t change the fact that it was quite the high-quality commodity, so it wasn’t unreasonable for her to be so surprised upon hearing that one slice contained fifteen grams. However...

“Umm... well, it’s only this much,” Ristia said, adorably lifting a finger.

“Erm... that mean a bronze piece? Don’cha mean a silver piece?”

“Nope, just an iron piece.”

“Wha?!”

Eindebelle, along with Nanami and Rick sitting beside her... as well as all of the other customers within earshot, all made the same reaction. Ristia’s suggestion was about as expensive as the price of lunch, but it was unbelievably cheap, considering that sweets were essentially luxury items.

“Mind if I ask why you’re chargin’ that cheap?” Eindebelle asked aloud, looking at her with a look that screamed, You’re not doin’ anything logic-defyin’ again, are ya?

“It’s because we grow our own ingredients in fields in the back,” Ristia said very straightforwardly.

“...You grow ‘em?”

“Uh-huh, homegrown~”

While it was true that, in the back fields, she was growing some selectively-bred sugar beets that could grow even in relatively warmer areas... they wouldn’t make sugar right after being grown, and they wouldn’t provide nearly the amount she needed. She was only using that as a front to use the massive stock of sugar she had stowed away in her Item Box. She planned to make it a properly self-sufficient piece of farmland, but that just wasn’t possible at this point. The customers that had heard her explanation naturally shared the same thought once they caught on—that this cafeteria was not at all normal. At any rate, the customers were able to partake in a rare dessert that would normally be off-limits to them at a price that didn’t break the bank in the least. With none of them wanting to let this amazing opportunity pass them by, they all started putting in shortcake orders at once. And so, word quickly spread, and the orphanage cafeteria started to gain popularity in the blink of an eye.

──2──

This young girl with gentle and wavy blonde hair with clear blue eyes was named Charlotte. She had participated in the auction held in the imperial capital, and luckily, she was the lone daughter of the House of Count Warren, who owned the land of the town that Gratt Commerce’s branch was located in. That was why she was able to pick up on Ristia’s presence so quickly. After discovering that there was a girl putting up Artifacts for sale in the territory of the House of Count Warren, Charlotte decided to have her servants investigate into the rumors surrounding Ristia.

At first, it was to satisfy a mild curiosity. If she possessed an Artifact or an equivalent enchanted item, then she planned to ask Ristia to let her see it—maybe even ask to purchase it, if things went well—but, all in all, it was just a passing fancy at best. That was, until... Charlotte realized that none of the information she was receiving made any sense.

Her servant reported that Ristia had rescued the survivor of a wiped out reconnaissance team and took on a dragon, who dwelled in the labyrinth they were searching, blowing it to smithereens. Next, he reported that she had traded an enchanted item to compensate for the identification paper issuing fee upon entering town, going on to state that the severely injured wife of the gatekeeper, who had accepted that item, was perfectly healthy by the next morning. He suspected the enchanted item in question was an Artifact of some kind. After that, he reported that the next day after she had arrived in town, she headed to the orphanage and filled the seat of director. The shady former director went missing and was presumed eliminated. Considering this, she didn’t have any plausible ties with the mayor. Also, she seemed to be a daring, by-any-means-necessary type of girl, but was extremely popular among the children. Then, he reported that she had spent an enormous amount of her own money to help rebuild the orphanage, apparently “wanting to help all the needy kids,” in her own words. It was believed that the reason she had sold off the brooch at the auction was to fund this endeavor.

Continuing on, he reported that while rebuilding the orphanage, Ristia had moved the old orphanage off to a corner of the facility grounds, as well as carried over a hundred kilograms’ worth of materials with the greatest of ease. That lead to the report that the new orphanage utilized all sorts of unknown technology, with rooms always maintaining a comfortable temperature and being able to pull water by the twist of a faucet-like item. Following up on that, he reported that the cafeteria that had opened in the orphanage was selling a number of gourmet confectioneries packed with sugar at prices so unbelievably low that any person off the street could purchase them. Lastly, he reported that the cute little Ristia in question was an angelic little sister, and that the next time he visited the cafe, he would definitely ask for Ristia to serve him—et cetera, so on and so forth.

There were a number of other things written down in the report, but Charlotte couldn’t really make heads or tails of them.

“...I mean, what exactly was his final impression, then?”

The more rumors she gathered, the less sense it all made. Now finished reading the report, Charlotte suddenly looked exhausted. But if even half of the rumors written here were true, then she wasn’t dealing with just anybody. She had to go assess whether or not Ristia was going to be a help or a hindrance to Count Warren’s territory. There was a chance that she might introduce her into the fold... or, circumstances permitted, rub her out of the picture. Charlotte was hesitant, however, wondering what the best way to assess that possibility was. That was when her eyes fell upon the information about the orphanage cafeteria. It said that Ristia was working there as well, so going undercover and making contact with her was an option. Charlotte rang her bell and informed her maid that she would be heading to the town Ristia resided in.

A few days then passed. Charlotte, now disguised as a commoner, found herself at the front door to the orphanage. She ordered the bodyguards she’d brought along to keep watch over the perimeter as she stepped inside the eatery.

“This is... the cafeteria of an orphanage...?”

Charlotte scanned around the inside of the establishment and was blown away by the interior design. Not even a single wall made any sense. Bricks, stones, or even wood boards would have been normal, but the walls here were made out of some sort of cloth with elaborate patterns drawn on it. She found herself touching it and discovered it had elasticity.

...This material is somewhat peculiar. Why would she use this sort of material to begin with? So that it doesn’t hurt if you should bump into it? Or perhaps... for insulation?

Educated in the ways of a statesman, Charlotte made her analysis from the environment of the room and came to a relatively accurate conclusion. It left her astonished that the director of this orphanage could possibly have this level of technology and knowledge.

This is truly incredible. Now that I have a better look, the walls are not the only thing peculiar here. What is that transparent glass in the window about? I’ve never seen that before. Not even in castles. Also, this vase standing over here has such a brilliant luster, and... Yes, it is quite heavy, to boot. What in the blazes is it even made of?

Noticing that each and every furnishing, including the glass of the windows, was more flawless than the works of art in her family’s estate, Charlotte stood dumbfounded.

“I’ll surely become overwhelmed if I do not keep up my guard.”

“Welcome home, Big Sis!”

“—Wh-Whuh?!”

The sudden greeting from over her shoulder caused Charlotte to flinch in surprise. As soon as she did, she lost her grip on the vase in her hands.

—Ka-shhh! went the artistic-looking vase made of mysterious material as it hit the floor and shattered into pieces.

“O-Oh, no... This is terrible. This is a disaster.”

“Oh, goodness... Is everything alright?”

“It’s far from alright! I cannot believe I was so careless as to break a vase in... I mean...! I sincerely apologize!” Charlotte went pale over breaking the piece of art that was fascinating enough to catch her eye, even as the daughter of a count, but...

“No, I’m not talking about the vase. I meant you. You’re not hurt, are you, Big Sis?” said the voice in a tone more concerned over any damage to Charlotte than the furniture. Finding that odd, Charlotte finally turned around to face the source of the voice. There stood a smiling girl around the same age as her, clad in a refined maid outfit with jet black hair shining in the light pouring in from the window—making her seem like an angel.

“...What’s wrong? You look out of your wits. Did you actually hurt yourself?”

“Oh, I-I’m sorry. No, I am not hurt, but I did break your vase. I will make sure to reimburse you for the damages!” Charlotte replied after coming back to her senses, apologizing frantically yet sincerely.

“You don’t need to reimburse me. It will self-repair soon enough.”

“But I must. Anybody with eyes can estimate that it will take a few hundred gold pieces to... Wait, self-repair?”

What in the world does she mean by that? Charlotte thought, as out of the corner of her eye, a pale light emanated from the area where the vase lay scattered in pieces across the floor. Charlotte glanced over and was absolutely shocked. The smashed vase was restoring itself whole, all while emitting a pale light. Although, she didn’t find the sight of the vase regenerating unbelievable. Her shock was due to her having a hint as to why that phenomenon occurred.

“This can’t be... This can’t possibly be...! An Artifact enchanted with self-mending abilities?!”

It was said that, in the fabled era, there existed even greater pieces of artistic beauty than in the current day, and among those pieces were items enchanted with self-mending abilities. It was part of a series said to be made by the youngest daughter of the True Bloods, who existed in that fabled era. Possibly because she disliked having her name in the limelight, all of the art pieces said to be made by the youngest daughter of the True Bloods were unsigned. Normally, you wouldn’t be able to tell who made something if it was unsigned, but the youngest daughter of the True Bloods was said to have always enchanted her work with a self-mending ability. Therefore, the items that she made were part of what they referred to as the Unaccredited Series. Due to their inability to decay, while there were a fair number of them around, they were treated as national treasures for the most part, considered amazing works of art. In fact, this was the first time that even Charlotte had seen one with her own eyes.

What is such a precious item doing in the corner of a cafeteria of all places...? Charlotte thought, her blood curdling, until...

“Nope, just a vase that I made in my spare time.”

“...Huh?”

She couldn’t comprehend what she was just told. And as she desperately tried to put her confused mind into action to figure it out, she realized it was in reply to the exclamation Charlotte herself had made a few moments ago. It was an answer... that didn’t answer anything.

Saying she “made it in her free time” implies she isn’t a trained professional and made it for fun. That ultimately implies that it is a vase made by an amateur, but... its beautiful appearance is clearly that of a work of art worthy of being a national treasure. Not only that, but it is enchanted with a self-mending ability that was only supposed to exist in the fabled ages of old anyway, so it was undeniably an Artifact. So what did she even mean by saying that she “made it in her free time”? It’s almost as though the girl before me actually made this work that rivals the Unassigned Series herself. ...That does not seem likely... No, not at all. I must have misinterpreted things. The vase just has a slightly uncommon design; it should still be shattered across the floor even as we... Charlotte paused and rubbed her eyes to look at the vase, but there it was—completely restored in all of its glory. ...H-How very odd. It very clearly seems to be fixed. And I can clearly only consider it to be a stunning piece of work.

“Is something the matter, Big Sis?”

“No, it’s just, um... I feel like that vase should be broken, but it’s back to normal...”

“Huh? What’s the problem with that?” the girl asked in response with a blank stare. Her phrasing made it seem as though the vase repairing itself was the obvious truth, a matter of fact.

“Erm... are you, um, saying that the vase actually repaired itself?”

“Yes...? I am?”

“Yes, you are... Wait, that shouldn’t normally be possible!” Charlotte said, unable to contain herself and raising her voice. That was the moment where the girl’s smile faded and she started to look flustered.

“Y-Yes, you’re right. That normally isn’t possible. But don’t worry. This isn’t because of magic, Artifacts, or anything like that; it’s just some sleight of hand.”

“Sleight of hand...?”

“Mm-hmm, yep. That’s what it is.” The girl smiled, the picture of innocence. Honestly speaking, Charlotte didn’t quite understand what the girl was talking about, but... she thought even that was more plausible than the illogical concept of her making something on par with the Unassigned Series in her free time. Given that...

“...Well, I suppose a bit of sleight of hand is better than nothing,” Charlotte muttered, a detached look on her face.

“By the way, Big Sis?”

“Erm, that has actually been on my mind for a while now. What is this ‘Big Sis’ business about...?” Aristocrats were trained to never forget an acquaintance’s face, so she would never forget a person she met, even if it were just once—a bit of an exaggeration, but she knew that she would never forget a girl as positively adorable as this one. Charlotte pondered that over in her mind before remembering that she was supposed to be posing as a commoner. And seeing as how she was faking her identity, she wouldn’t have any acquaintances. “You’ll have to excuse me, but this is the first time we’ve met, correct?”

“Yup, I’ve never met you before now, Big Sis.”

“...Pardon?” The words “what are you talking—” reached the tip of her tongue, but Charlotte stopped herself before she could finish her question with an “—about.” It was because she started to recall the various things written in the report that, at the time, she’d found incomprehensible.

“...If I may ask, do you happen call female customers in this establishment ‘Big Sis’?”

“Yup, that’s right. Females are ‘Big Sis,’ and males are ‘Big Bro.’ But if you have other requests, I can change my behavior or how I refer to you. For example, I can play the big sister role instead...” the girl said with a smile on her face that was practically asking how she felt about that idea. Charlotte was left at a loss for words. Actually, she didn’t know which of them was older, but there was no justification for a waitress to address her as an older sister, so she replied that she was fine with the current status of things.

“...What a flop.”

“Huh? Is something wrong?”

“Uh-uh, nope. It’s nothing, Big Sis. Anyway, let me show you to your seat~”

“Oh... Wait just a moment, please!” she quickly yelled to stop the maid as she turned around. She stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder. The beauty of the girl fluttering her long black hair took Charlotte’s breath away.

“What is it, Big Sis?”

“I-I actually want to ask if Ms. Ristia would serve me.”

“Ehehe, I appreciate the selection, Big Sis,” the girl in front of her replied with a smile to her request for Ristia. Which meant...

“Pardon my ignorance, but are you Ms. Ristia?”

“Yup, that’s me~ ...You asked for me, not knowing?”

“Oh, um, well, I’ve heard rumors of you.” I’ve already screwed up, Charlotte thought as she bit her lip. If this has already tipped her off, then my whole plan is ruined. She was visibly worried, but Ristia just gave her a grin.

“I suppose that makes sense,” she replied. “Now, let me show you to your seat~” Ristia then proceeded to happily lead the way, and Charlotte hurried to follow behind her.

Once she was escorted to a table and seated, Ristia presented her with a menu and a cup of water. Charlotte found herself shocked at the mysterious material used for the menu and flabbergasted at the ridiculously expensive-looking glass Ristia so casually set down before her. Shivers went down her spine once she realized that the maid had been empty-handed the entire time before that.

“What in the world has been going on...?”

“Big Sis, what’s the matter?”

“N-No, it’s nothing. All that aside, what are your specials for today?”

“Right, well... which would you prefer: An actual lunch, or sweets?”

“A-Ah, yes, I’ll go with sweets, then.”

“Okay then, how about some Darjeeling served straight and vanilla ice cream?”

“Vanilla ice... what? I’ve never heard of that before.”

“It’s cold, sweet, and my favorite kind of dessert.”

“You say this is your favorite? W-Well then, I’ll go with that.”

“Okay, an order of Darjeeling straight and vanilla ice cream. I’ll be right back, so don’t go anywhere,” Ristia said with a smile before disappearing off into the kitchen. Charlotte watched her leave and took a sigh of relief. Since Charlotte had a strict upbringing as the only daughter of a count, she’d never before had anyone interact in such a friendly and casual way like just now, so it was an extremely refreshing change of pace.

That does remind me that I’ve always wanted a little sister... No, snap out of it. Now is not the time to be thinking about that; learning about Ms. Ristia’s personality takes priority. Charlotte thought, renewing her resolve, but...

“Ah... it’s so cold and sweet. Light, yet dense with a full-bodied taste, and the way it melts in your mouth is superb. So this is... This is... vanilla ice cream!!”

She soon fell victim to the delights of the vanilla ice cream Ristia brought for her.

“I cannot believe...! I cannot believe that a sweet so delicious could exist in this world! I have never seen nor heard of such a treat, let alone eaten one!” Not even Charlotte, the daughter of a count, had ever eaten something this delectable. If royalty ever found out about vanilla ice cream, then they would probably employ the chefs at this establishment at any costs. That basically meant that it wasn’t impossible to become enormously wealthy if one were able to keep the recipe of this vanilla ice cream to themselves. It could very well help expand Count Warren’s territory in huge ways—that was just how shockingly delicious it was. “You will have to excuse me for my ignorance regarding this ‘vanilla ice cream,’ but where on earth did you ever get the recipe for it?” she asked to make idle gossip—to the untrained ear, at least, but in reality, it was a casual form of prying for information.

“I’m not too sure myself, but it’s a recipe that my ancestors brought from their homeland.”

“Then, this vanilla ice cream is normally sold in this faraway land, I take it?” she asked, thinking that she could likely use that as a point to investigate further, but contrary to Charlotte’s expectations, Ristia told her that might not be possible with an awkward grin.

“...Not possible? But why?”

“I’ve heard that the homeland of my ancestors isn’t a part of this world.”

“Oh... I understand now. Terribly sorry to ask that.” That suggested that... the land was extinct. That was how Charlotte interpreted the statement, and she offered a heartfelt apology. However, at the same time, she frantically spun her gears to think of her next course of action. In one hand, she had a recipe for a sweet treat unknown to these lands; in the other, Ristia, the only one who knew about it. Either Ristia was the only one with this knowledge, or there was a very select group of people who also had it. It was a recipe she now desired at any cost.

“But, Big Sis, why do you ask? Are you interested in learning how to make vanilla ice cream, by any chance?”

“Huh? Uh, no. Why, I wouldn’t...”

Oh, God. The jig might be up! Charlotte panicked. This is an issue that requires the utmost care and discretion. If she were to find out that I was after that recipe by any means, then there would be no telling what kind of unreasonable demand she would throw my way in exchange. I’ve got to smooth this situation over immediately, Charlotte thought hard until she was presented with a thin piece of material similar to the menu.

“Wh-What might this be?”

“It’s called paper, a substitute for parchment.”

“‘Paper’? I see... Something this thin and smooth is an incredible piece of technology.”

“Well, I’m hoping you get to look at what’s written on the paper, as opposed to the paper itself.”

“Written on the paper? Oh, indeed, there does seem to be something written down here that is... Whaaa?!”

The sentence scribbled onto the paper took Charlotte’s breath away, because on the very first line were the words: “How to Make Delicious Vanilla Ice Cream.”

“Don’t tell me that... this is...” Although she considered the idea preposterous, Charlotte scanned the recipe written on the paper. Regardless of whether it contained the real recipe or not, it certainly had the process for making vanilla ice cream on it.

—What is she trying to pull here? Is this some sort of trap? Or is this a fake recipe to throw me off the trail? ...Yes, there many ingredients here I’m not familiar with, so I can’t be sure if it’s the genuine article or not just by looking over it. Since she divulged the recipe so readily, there’s always the possibility that she’s trying to give me the runaround, implying that it’s my fault if I can’t replicate it, thought Charlotte to herself.

“Something you don’t understand on there, Big Sis?”

“Huh?! Y-You’re just going to... tell it to me?!”

“Sure. We’re not very busy with customers right now, so it’s fine.”

“Th-Then would you mind explaining what this ‘vanilla extract’ is?”

“That? You just cure a seedpod of a plant called ‘vanilla,’ and...”

Ristia began her explanation, but Charlotte barely understood any of it. That was why she was convinced that she was just attempting to bamboozle her with no real intentions of telling her how to make vanilla ice cream for herself. That was, until...

“Oh, I know. Would you care to watch it being made in the kitchen?”

“Y-Y-You’re going to simply l-l-let me see?!”

“Yup, sure am. Also, I’ll share a vanilla seedling if you need it.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaa?!”

Ristia was holding out a literal money tree to her without an ounce of hesitation. Charlotte couldn’t imagine what her angle was behind doing this no matter how hard she thought. She was then shown to the kitchen as promised and taught the proper process, so the entire situation was making even less sense as it went on.

—Is this a dream? Or did I get forced into a deal with the devil without knowing? Will I be able to make it out of here alive?

Ristia was simply teaching Charlotte a little of this and that, addressing her as an older sister while secretly assuming the role of older sister herself. It was a sentiment that Charlotte would never be able to guess, so she was left in a state of utter confusion.

“Wh-Why did you go through the effort of teaching me the recipe?” The fear that she might not escape from this place with her life was practically crushing her soul, but she fought with herself to get her question out. As for Ristia’s response...

“If I see a child in need, I want to help them; nothing more, nothing less.” Ristia’s crimson eyes squinted from her big smile. It was a simple and clean smile with tenderness that enveloped Charlotte in the midst of her panic attack.

“Wh-Who in blazes... are you?”

“Me? I’m just a normal girl.”

“A normal girl... you say?” That was the epitome of a cruel joke. This girl was more elegant than Charlotte and her noble upbringing, and despite having knowledge that would produce a fortune, she lacked any monetary desire. All of that was bundled with a personality rich in benevolence, not willing to turn a blind eye to a child in need.

There is no way in the world someone like that is a normal girl, Charlotte thought.

“Manager Ristia, can you come here?”

“Okie dokie~ Oh, um... sorry, got to go. If you still want to look around, feel free to peruse all you’d like. And if there’s something you don’t get, Maria is always open to questions,” Ristia said before returning to the floor. Even though she saw her life flash before her eyes, Charlotte was left unattended with no consequences. She looked on as Ristia walked off, dumbfounded by the whole ordeal.

“Hey, Sister... Uh, I mean, Big Sis. If there’s something you don’t get, ask me, okay?” Charlotte jumped from hearing the voice addressing her so suddenly from behind. When she hurried to turn herself around, there stood a brown-skinned young girl with silver hair. She exuded an extremely mature and captivating aura in contrast to her youthful appearance, but she evoked a much more normal image than Ristia, which calmed Charlotte down ever so slightly.

“Um, you would be Ms. Maria... I take it?”

“Yes, that’s me. So... who are you?” Charlotte’s eyes widened as the girl got straight to the point.

“That reaction tells me something is up.”

“...Why would you assume that?” Considering she had seen that she was obviously shaken, excuses weren’t going to prove very effective. It took all Charlotte had within her to even reply with that question aimed back at Maria.

“...Reason? It was... by chance?”

“‘By chance’...”

She was nervous, thinking that the vague reason she gave had trapped her.

“You know, the former director forced me into selling a delicate flower of mine.”

“A delicate flower? What do flowers have to do with... Oh, God, you don’t mean...?!” Picking up on the context and realizing the worst possible possibility, Charlotte took a second look at Maria. Her second look put that same captivating aura of Maria that was disproportionate to her stature into a different light.

“It means what you think it means. But I’m just fine now. Director Ristia saved me from that life.”

“Yes, but...” Charlotte started, still trying to argue her point, but Maria held out her hand and cut her off.

“I’m really fine. But it’s all because of Director Ristia coming here. That’s why I may not know who you are, but if you plan on doing anything to Director Ristia, then...” ...Then you’re going to regret it, Maria’s look up at Charlotte communicated, finishing her sentence for her. The wordless pressure emanating from the young girl caused Charlotte to take a huge gulp that rang from her throat.

“...I will take your warning to heart.”

“I see. In that case, I have nothing to say. Oh, right, I will answer any questions you may have about the kitchen, though.”

“No, I will be taking my leave. Please tell Ms. Ristia that I will be back.” Charlotte paid her price for the meal, along with a little extra, before leaving the cafeteria.

Afterward, the orphanage and Ristia both stayed on her mind. She made her way back home, thinking about what she could do in the best interests of not only the House of Count Warren, but the people of the territory as well.

──3──

About a month had passed since the cafeteria’s grand opening, and its popularity instantly spread through word of mouth, which started a boom for the establishment. One day, before sundown, Ristia was teaching Maria how to make crepes in the kitchen.

“...Um, like this?”

“Uh-huh. You’re a very quick learner.”

“...Compliments will get you nowhere,” Maria said in a blunt manner, looking slightly bashful. It was an adorable sight, which brought a grin to Ristia’s face, but that moment of bliss was interrupted by a boorish voice. From the direction of the floor echoed the pushy-sounding calls of a man.

“I’ll go check on what’s going on.”

“Okay, just try not to overdo it, Manager Ristia.”

“...I won’t~” No faith in me at all... Ristia flopped in disappointment as she headed to the floor. That was when she ran into Mew, who came running. Mew rushed straight to Ristia as soon as she spotted her.

“Waah... Sniffle!” Slightly teary-eyed, she clung to Ristia. Her normally perky, wagging dog ears were flopped down and drooping.

“What’s the matter, Mew?”

“...Is it bad that I’m here?”

“Most certainly not.”

“...Really?”

“Yup, really really. Why would you ask something like that?” she asked, gently patting her blue-tinted hair and peering into her jade-like eyes.

“They told me that beast-people being around makes human towns filthy and told me to get out of town,” she replied in a hushed tone with a sad expression.

“Oh, did they now? There’s someone who said that... is there?” she said as a tremor rocked the town for some unexplained reason—the less said about that the better. Ristia stifled her groundshakingly violent emotions and consoled Mew, saying, “You don’t have to worry; I would never dream of saying anything so ignorant to you.”

“...Really?”

“Of course. I would never ever dream of kicking you out, my dear Mew.”

“...Thank you, Manager Ristia.” That instilled the girl with a bit of relief. Ristia left Maria to take care of Mew while she headed to the cafe floor to confirm the identity of the rude customer who brought Mew to tears. When she arrived, the normally packed floor was empty, aside from a single middle-aged man with two soldiers in tow. He had a rather built physique that suggested he was trained in battle, but his clothing seemed to be quite high-quality—going by human standards of the current era, naturally.

“Manager, those guys showed up and kicked all the other customers out.” Ayane ran over to Ristia once she realized she was there.

“I see... But they didn’t do anything bad to you, did they, Ayane?”

“Mm-mm, I’m okay. But they did say some bad things to Mew, which made Allen ready to go fight them...”

“Aah... So that’s why.” She then realized why Allen was in the corner of the cafeteria, with Luc and the others restraining him in a full nelson. “Ayane, take the others and wait in the kitchen.”

“But...”

“It’ll be okay. I’ll protect everyone. You all just wait in the back,” Ristia said, giving Ayane a smile which helped relieve her some. Once Ristia saw that Ayane and the others retreated with relatively little protest, she turned her attention toward the group of men. “Now then, who might you three be? You don’t seem to be customers.”

“...A maid? I told them to go bring me the director of the orphanage.”

“I am Ristia, the new director at the orphanage.”

“Oh-ho. So you’re Ristia, eh? You’re as much of a looker as the rumors made you out to be.”

“...As I asked, who are all of you?”

“I’m Jein, and I rule this town.”

“Is that so? Then, before I ask you what I can help you with, may I ask you one thing?” Ristia asked, flashing a serene smile while trying to contain her silent rage. The unknown sense of pressure made Jein take a huge gulp.

“...What? Go ahead, spit it out.”

“One of my girls came to me crying just a moment ago... Was that your handiwork?”

“—Hahah! That brat ran off crying?!” The one who let out that chortle was a soldier standing behind Jein.

“...Were you the one that made her cry?”

“So what if I was?”

“I demand an apology.”

“Hah! And I decline.”

“...I see.” Ristia had expected him to react that way, and she now pondered over what course of action she should take. She had the option of making him regret ever saying anything derogatory to Mew without Mew finding out about it—Mew or anyone else, for that matter. But she knew that would only serve as self-satisfaction. Alternatively, it would be a simple task for Ristia to make him apologize to Mew with her powers. In fact, it would be a simple task to make him tearfully beg for a chance to let him apologize. But doing that wouldn’t help heal the wounds left on Mew’s heart.

Either way, it might be necessary to make him regret he was ever born just so he never does something like this again, Ristia thought, but Jein spoke up.

“Alright, hold on.”

“Geiz, this is an orphanage, so there’s nothing odd about seeing a beast person around. In fact, it’s appropriate that a bunch of tribes would be here. You’ve got it all wrong telling them ‘get out.’”

“—Sir! You are absolutely right. My sincerest apologies!” The soldier accused of disparaging remarks against Mew, apparently named Geiz, quickly backtracked on his statements and apologized. But there was still a smirk stuck on his face, making it clear that his apology was superficial at best. It didn’t help that Jein’s word choice was pretty suspicious to begin with. But she was sure that delving any deeper into the matter wouldn’t end up pleasing Mew.

“Very well. If you mean that you won’t repeat the same mistake, then I accept your apology. Be warned, however... I will not be so kind next time.” Ristia stared silently at Geiz, her crimson eyes glinting with killing intent.

Coming head-to-head with enough bloodlust that would send dragons running, Geiz was finding it hard to breathe and began sweating bullets. Ten seconds passed... then twenty. Once Geiz’s face began turning purple, Ristia finally drew her killing intent back in. Released from the terror, Geiz collapsed where he stood, his breathing obviously distressed. However, the other two looked confused as to why he suddenly sank to the floor. Ristia pretended like she didn’t know despite being the root cause, shifting her aim toward Jein.

“So what are you here for?”

“A-Aah, yeah. There’s only one reason I’m here today. I’m here inquiring about how you haven’t paid the taxes on the orphanage or this business.”

“...Taxes?”

It wasn’t that Ristia was unfamiliar with the system of taxation. After all, they collected taxes under the pretense of the fee for making identification papers when she first got to town, and she also knew that they charged the citizens taxes to let them reside in this town, as well. But an orphanage was a facility to take care of children without families, and they were meant to be tax exempt. At least, that was what Eindebelle had let her know.

“But orphanages don’t need to pay taxes, do they?”

“That was the case when the orphanage was poor, yes. But now you’ve built this fancy building, and I am sure your business is booming, as well.”

“Aah, and you’re saying that is why we now owe taxes.” Ristia figured that if it was a rule of the city, then she might as well abide by it, so she proceeded to ask, “How much will it be exactly?”

“Hmm, let’s see... A hundred gold pieces per year should suffice.”

If I make a necklace equal to the brooch I sold at the auction the other day and manage to sell that, it’ll be enough for about a hundred eighty tax payments. Shouldn’t be a problem if I do that, Ristia figured, her thought process slightly askew.

However, Jein saw Ristia’s silence and chuckled to himself.

“Heh heh heh... Don’t look so shocked. I don’t know how much of a nest egg you’ve got, but I do know that you probably don’t have enough to pay off that amount of taxes.”

“...Oh, um, really?” Ristia was about to pull out one hundred large gold pieces—not the smaller gold pieces, but enough to pay off ten years’ worth of taxes—but Jein’s assumption that she wouldn’t be able to pay it off put her in an awkward position. I wonder if I’d end up breaking his pride if I gave him ten years’ worth of taxes right here and now? Maybe I should take a few days to get it ready, at least... Ristia thought, giving care to his situation. Granted, if that did happen, Jein would be going home positively ecstatic. Unfortunately for Jein, that wasn’t meant to be. Jein had a different objective in mind from the very start, so he proposed an alternative plan for the hundred gold pieces.

“In exchange the orphanage paying its taxes, let the girls do some volunteer work.”

“...Volunteer work, you say?” When Ristia realized what those words were suggesting, a tremor rocked every corner of the continent. It was a tremor that only occurred just once, and it was small. Certainly not strong enough for anyone to take notice. Ristia was a girl with plenty of self-control, after all.

“That’s right. The previous director, Director Georg, would kindly offer a girl who would volunteer her services. But I’ve been in a hard place due to that idiot suddenly up and leaving. I don’t know under what circumstances you inherited the orphanage, but it’d be in your best interest to shoulder the work he left behind.” I sincerely doubt she’ll be refusing me, he thought, letting loose his vicious intent. But calling that “vicious intent” was presumptuous. To Ristia, it was simply a sense of discomfort. That was why she was at a loss as to her strategy from here. Of course, she had no intention of letting the crew that put Maria and the other children through hell off the hook, but at this point, Jein was nothing more than a small animal barking in bluster. She was at a loss... as to whether or not to kill someone like that.

Killing him right here in a straightforward manner... wouldn’t be a good idea. Just remembering Nanami’s reaction when I killed Gawain... Mm-hmm, definitely a bad idea. In that case... I could just punish him by chopping his arms and legs off... On second thought, no, Former Director George was really freaked out by that. The kids would be freaked out, too, I bet.

“Hah, you can bluff all you want, you’re just a little girl in the end. You’re so afraid that you’ve lost the ability to speak, haven’t you?”

“...Huh? Are you talking about me?”

“Who else is there besides you?”

Uh, I’m not afraid of him at all, though... Ristia commented to herself, but Jein seemed to be convinced that she was terrified. He had a truly amused expression on his face.

“Right, then. I’ll offer you another alternative. In place of the orphans, you can engage in volunteer services. I’m betting there’ll be high demand for someone with your looks.”

“...And why would I have to do that?”

“You value the children, right? If you keep up your bellyaching, then you might get my men mad, and they’ll end up attacking those precious children of yours.” The obvious threat of sicking his men on the children made Ristia’s brow furrow. “Heh, no need to look so anxious. That’s only in the case you don’t follow orders. If you do, then everything will wrap up neatly. You don’t want to see those children getting hurt either, now do you?”

“Well...”

He was right. If they were to attack the children, the children would undoubtedly fight back. And since the children didn’t understand their own strength, thanks to the brooches Ristia had given them as gifts, they would most likely pulverize the trio into the dust. Of course, Ristia could revive them if she didn’t wait too long after the children beat them to a bloody pulp, but... going so overboard would probably leave scars on the children’s hearts.

What a terrible threat to throw out, Ristia thought, her blood curdling. She had to end this quietly if she were to consider the children, but her offering her own “volunteer services” was definitely not happening. She wished that they would just accept the money and leave it at that, but if soliciting her services was at the heart of their visit, then it seemed like a tough deal. That being said, the only idea that popped into her mind was massacring Jein and his crew. But if she did that, the children would probably come to dislike her. Ristia had to be prudent in her decision here. Just as Jein had mentioned, she was being left with very few options.

What should I even do...? Ristia desperately thought. For example, I could kill him with a slow-acting poison. Then no one would know that I did it. That way, the kids wouldn’t come to fear me, right? Hmm... no. They might not come to fear me, but the kids might still get scared if they see these people in pain. What about just destroying their spirits, then? I feel like that’s doable, but... Oh, I got it! All I have to do is just instantly erase them without a trace. That way, I can fudge it by going, “Huh? Now, where did Mr. Jein and the other gentlemen go~?” Yup! That should do the ticket. Let’s go with that.

Ristia concocted an outlandish plan to put into action—until a girl clad in a dress came in through the entrance. Her outfit was vastly different from the last time she’d come, but her gently sloping, wavy blonde hair and cool blue eyes were unmistakable. It was the customer that asked for Ristia during her previous visit.

“I’m sorry, Big Sis. The orphanage cafeteria is closed; I’m a little busy right now.”

“Yes, so it seems. But I’ve come here on separate business today, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”

“...Separate business? Oh, um... in that case, what may I help you with?” Ristia switched off her little sister waitress mode and went back to speaking normally. The moment Ristia dropped her speech, Charlotte’s face went a bit sad. At least, that was how it seemed.

“You can help me by letting me speak. I was hoping to speak to you truthfully.”

“...Truthfully? Who exactly are you...?” Ristia asked in confusion, which prompted the girl to pinch the hem of her dress and curtsy elegantly.

“My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Charlotte. I am the eldest daughter of the House of Count Warren, and I govern this area.” Once the blonde girl introduced herself as Charlotte, the general mood froze up for some reason, but Ristia was unaffected and responded normally.

“Oh, is that so? Does that mean that you are here to discuss the orphanage as well, Lady Charlotte?”

“...Oh my, you are very perceptive.”

Ristia found herself discouraged. Charlotte had a different quality from Nanami and her cuteness or Maria and her mature nature for her age; she was an elegant and attractive girl, which instilled within Ristia a strong desire to make her take the role of little sister, but she also suspected that Charlotte was in league with Jein. That was, until she spoke up...

“Ms. Ristia, I heard that you used your savings to rebuild the orphanage. I am unsure as to whether this will be of any help, but I have given an assistance grant to the mayor here.”

“Assistance grant...?” What she said was the polar opposite of what Ristia expected, so Ristia found herself extremely confused.

“Yes, in addition to a monthly grant, I’ve paid a grant to help with the costs of renovation. The sum is written on this parchment, which you can verify, if you would like.” On the parchment, there were two totals: one was thirty gold pieces for the renovation assistance grant, and the other was another thirty gold pieces for a monthly assistance grant. As Ristia scanned over the parchment, Charlotte slightly tilted her head and whispered,

“Truth is... there are rumors that the mayor has been embezzling money.”

“Embezzling?” Ristia parroted in reply, which made Jein and his men visibly shudder, but she ignored that for the time being and continued her conversation with Charlotte.

“Yes, embezzling. However, it has been hard to pin down any evidence that leads back to him. Would you mind reporting to me if the value of the grant you’re receiving is different from the one logged here?”

“Just report it to you?”

“Yes. If you can obtain any evidence, then seeing that his head will roll would be a simple task.” Charlotte continued, “But, then again, I would assume he has been paying you the proper amount once you took over as being the director of the orphanage. Otherwise, he would be found out right away. And I wouldn’t think that he would be so dumb as to do that...” She flashed a self-deprecating smile at the very thought. Ristia returned with a rather wry smile of her own, because she had finally gained a grasp on the situation.

“The monthly assistance grant written down here is supposed to be paid every month? Not all at once a year?”

“That is how it’s supposed to be, but... Don’t tell me...”

“I’m afraid so. I haven’t received an assistance grant in the past few months that I’ve been the new director.”

“...Wha?!”

Charlotte had likely never even imagined that being a possibility, as her eyes widened in disbelief.

“He is rotten beyond my imagination, I see. But if we cannot track him down, there is a chance that he might try to escape by implying that you’re lying, Ms. Ristia. And while I wish I could ascertain some evidence against him...” Charlotte whispered to herself as she began to think. That was when Jein and his men tried to sneak out of the establishment, so Ristia called out to them.

“Going home already?”

And once they heard that, Jein and his men sprung up in an amusing manner.

“—Oh my, I had almost forgotten that you had customers here. I am sorry if I am intruding on you all. Please, go ahead and talk to her; I can wait,” Charlotte said with a bow, conceding the floor to Jein and his men.

“N-No, we don’t mind talking later!” he said in a hurried pace and tried to leave, but Ristia was not about to let that happen.

“‘Later’ would be a problem. As I’ve said before, I refuse to force either the children or myself to take part in ‘volunteer services’ in exchange for our tax payments.”

“Hyaa-oh?!” Charlotte unleashed a mysterious scream.

“Ms. Ristia, what are you talking about?”

“The man over there, Mr. Jein? He told me he was the mayor.”

“...Huh?” Charlotte’s eyes went wide, and Jein looked as though the world was coming to an end.

“So he demanded that I pay one hundred gold pieces in taxes every year.”

“...Huh? O-One hundred gold, every year...?”

“He then demanded that the girls and I volunteer our ‘services’ in exchange for paying the cost.”

“By ‘volunteer services’... Y-You don’t mean...?!”

“Yes, it’s exactly how it sounds.” Whether she understood Ristia’s explanation or not, Charlotte’s beautiful face started to take an enraged turn, while Jein, in the compete opposite reaction, started to go pale. Charlotte pointed her gaze upon Jein.

“Heh. Heh heh heh. Such crass behavior toward someone who the House of Count Warren is trying to extend a warm welcome to... It would seem that you are the one who is going to be taxed around here.”

“Eek! N-No! There’s a misunderstanding!”

“Oh? And what am I misunderstanding, pray tell? If you are saying that you don’t care to provide your head in place of paying your taxes, then would you care to explain to me your reasoning so that I follow?” Charlotte asked, her wrathful eyes beating down upon Jein.

“W-Well, I was just, uh... Yeah! I was coming to pay the assistance grant!” Jein rattled off, scared like a frog getting leered down by a snake. And raising his voice like that probably caused him to shake free of his fear, so he proceeded to ride the momentum and rattle off some more. “I never said a single word about demanding her to pay any taxes! And threatening her to do things in exchange for the taxes was just her getting things confused!”

“You sure do have some gall to fabricate such atrocious lies like that.”

“I-I’m not lying! If you’re saying I’m lying, then prove to me that girl’s statements are the truth!”

“Khh, why you... How dare you so impudently suggest that...!” Charlotte said with a face full of vexation.

Hmm~ Seems like saying that I’m just a normal girl won’t serve as evidence here, huh?

Ristia came to that conclusion, but suddenly snapped her fingers, bringing all attention on her. Once her eyes met with Jein, she activated her True Blood Vampire charm ability.

“Now then... tell everyone what you came here to do—Everything,” Ristia quietly ordered, making her crimson eyes glint.

In the next moment...

“I came here because I thought it’d end up making me money. If I overcharged you in taxes so much that you couldn’t possibly pay them, and I could have you do what I want in exchange, I could embezzle the assistance grant meant for the orphanage.”

“...Huh?” Jein suddenly started to confess his crimes, which left Charlotte dumbfounded in response.

“Also, I heard that the new director was an unbelievably beautiful young girl. I thought that if I tricked her into making her owe me a debt, then I could use that beautiful body of hers.”

“Wh-What a vile plan... You’re abhorrent!” Charlotte’s pure blue eyes were rife with disdain and rage. Once Ristia figured that he had talked enough, she released the charm spell over Jein.

“...Huh? What was I just saying...?! Th-That was all a misunderstanding! I was just saying what came to my mind—I mean, no, I was just saying stuff that wasn’t on my mind! A-Anyway, you’ll have to excuse me!” At the same time, Charlotte, shivering in anger, raised her right hand up, lining it up to face level.

“Seize this blackmailer!” she said in a gallant voice, dropping her hand down. Once she did, men dressed like knights barged in from the outside and restrained Jein and his men in the blink of an eye.

Epilogue: The Self-Proclaimed Normal Girl Gains a Sister

One month had passed since Jein had been arrested for embezzlement and blackmail. One day, as Ristia was practically waltzing on the floor, waiting on customers, Charlotte paid the cafeteria a visit.

“Welcome back home, Big... Oh, I mean, good afternoon to you, Ms. Charlotte.” Ristia greeted the customer in her usual little sister mode, but once she realized that it was Charlotte in a similar dress to last time, she corrected herself.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Ristia. I planned on telling you the details of the incident, along with everything I wasn’t allowed to talk about prior to today. Would you mind sparing some time?” Ristia checked around the eatery to make sure that she could.

“Hmm... That would be fine. We’ll take this discussion to the back, if you don’t mind,” she said, leading Charlotte to the waiting room. She suggested that she sit at the head of the table, but Charlotte took the seat directly across from her. However, she didn’t sit down, and instead opted to look Ristia right in the eyes.

“First, allow me to apologize for the incident with Jein. Had I made one false move, that would have been an unbelievable inconvenience to you, Ms. Ristia. For that, I truly must apologize,” Charlotte said, taking a deep bow in regret.

“Erm... why are you apologizing, Ms. Charlotte?”

“Because it was us of the House of Count Warren that appointed Jein as mayor of this town. And Jein’s misconduct reflects onto me.”

“Aah, I see.” Ristia was the princess of the True Bloods, so she understood the concept of higher-ups taking responsibility for their subordinates’ misconduct. However...

“I wasn’t holding any of that against you, Ms. Charlotte. Of course, if you’re saying that apologizing will help clear your mind, I will gladly accept your apology.”

“Thank you very much, Ms. Ristia.”

“Think nothing of it. On that note, please go ahead and take a seat.” Suggesting that Charlotte take a seat, Ristia also sat herself down directly across from her. Stealing a small glance at Charlotte’s face, she saw her take a small sigh of relief and smile. It seemed as though one of the issues troubling her had already been alleviated. Her smile was so adorable that Ristia wondered if Charlotte would willingly become her little sister if she asked.

“Anyway, Jein is in the midst of being interrogated, but he seems to have done quite the sizable amount behind closed doors, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he does get sentenced to death.”

“Oh, I see. Hearing that puts my mind at ease.” Jein was the person responsible for hurting Maria and the others. Punishing him wouldn’t help wipe Maria’s past from existence, but it would at least guarantee that no further casualties would take place, at the very least, so Ristia was a tad bit relieved.

“And as for the children that were sold, we plan on tracking them down and taking them into custody as much as possible. Which is why it would be helpful if you could provide us with some information, but I know that...”

“I understand. I’ll do some investigating myself.” The children, sans Maria, weren’t aware of what happened to the children that “graduated” from the orphanage, which is why Ristia thought that asking Maria about it might be the best idea.

“As for what I truly wanted to talk about... Well, before that, I would like to ask you again: Was it the truth when you said that you do not hold anything against me for what happened?”

“No, of course not. Quite the contrary. I find you to be quite the kind and pleasant girl.” And if all goes well, I want to make you my little sister! Ristia tacked on in her head. Charlotte started to shiver all over as a result of Ristia’s words.

“I-I think that you are a kind and cute woman yourself, Ms. Ristia.”

“Ehehe, I appreciate that.”

“I-It’s nothing, really. I’m just speaking the truth. There is nothing in particular to thank me for!” Charlotte said, getting a tad bit bashful, which was also incredibly cute.

Little sister! Please be my little sister! Ristia screamed inside of her head.

“Ahem! Getting back on topic. I was actually considering the next mayor to govern this town... and figured that I would step up to the plate.”

“...You are, Ms. Charlotte? But you’re the only daughter of the House of Count Warren, right? Do they get to run one town?”

“The territory of Count Warren doesn’t include many towns, and it isn’t very rare for a relative to run them.”

“But hasn’t the ordeal with Mr. Jein caused some distrust to form with the territory owners?”

“Yes. Very much so, in fact. And this is just a hunch of mine, but I think that this town might have to dissolve from the Warren Territory.”

“...Oh, I see.”

Ristia didn’t realize that the reason why this town was important was because of her herself, but she did take notice of and acknowledge Charlotte’s earnest concern about the situation.

That was why Ristia kept things to herself. It would probably be a bad idea to interject.

“...You wouldn’t happen to be concerned over me, would you?”

“I am. It is a matter of concern, after all.”

All pure-hearted younger girls were little sister candidates, so it was only natural that it would weigh on Ristia’s mind. Ristia then took out a magic stone, some platinum, and other materials from her Item Box and created a flower-shaped brooch that she thought would look nice on Charlotte. It was enchanted with abilities that nullified all bodily ailments and caused regeneration.

“Huh...? Ms. Ristia, what was that you just did?” Charlotte asked, her eyes wide in surprise.

Ristia simply put her index finger to her lips and replied, “It’s a secret.” She proceeded to walk around the table and to Charlotte’s side, pinning the brooch to her chest.

“Um, excuse me, but... what is this?”

“A present from me to you. It’s a good luck charm!”

“A good luck charm? It is very pretty. Is it truly alright for me to accept this?”

“Mm-hmm, of course. I don’t want you to go out and get hurt, after all.”

“...Ms. Ristia...” Charlotte spoke, her cheeks becoming flushed as though she were overwhelmed with emotions. This reaction was just from her being given what she assumed was a normal brooch. If she knew that the gift was an enchanted item and that it included the ailment nullifying and regeneration effects exhibited at the auction, then things would have taken a drastic turn. Granted, Ristia had read the mood of the room and kept that part a secret, but she was oblivious to the fact that she had merely postponed the uproar Charlotte was likely to raise once she found out the truth. Regardless of that, Charlotte reached out and gave Ristia a hug. It was a considerably tight hug, but due to the fact that the two girls were roughly the same height and had extremely ample breasts, the level of contact was surprisingly scant outside of that one area. If any girls with less-endowed chests were to have witnessed this sight, they would probably have been gripped with despair over the unjust society of cup sizes.

“Thank you so much! This is the first time that a girl so close in age has given me such a present; this is such a joyous occasion, indeed!“

“Ehehe, if I managed to bring you some joy, then I’m happy as well. Extremely so!” Ristia returned Charlotte’s hug, but deep down inside, she was screaming, You can fawn over me and call me ‘Big Sis’ if you’d really like, too!

“This is truly a joyous event. I would appreciate it if you would let me thank you in turn.” Before long, Charlotte regained her composure and let go of Ristia.

“No need to worry about returning the thanks. I simply gave you that present because I wanted to; that’s all.”

“That simply will not do. Is there nothing that you desire?”

“Hmm, something I desire? Nothing in particular comes to mind.”

“Oh, I see... Ah, in that case, I do have a suggestion.”

“...A suggestion, you say?” What could it be? Omigosh, I sure do hope she says, “I want to be your little sister!” Ristia thought, fantasizing.

“I am the only daughter of my family, and I have never had someone close in age to talk to up until now. Maybe that is the reason why. I am not sure if I hold you special, but I do hold a strong affinity for you...”

“R-Right...” Oh! Is this build up going where I think it is? Is she going to say she wants to be my little sister? Am I actually going to get a little sister?! Ristia anticipated eagerly as she desperately tried to keep herself looking calm.

“So, what I am asking is, well.. would you mind if we were to agree to be sisters?”

I did iiiiiiiiiit!! Yes, I did it! My first of hopefully many little sisters! Yay! My little sister! And what an adorable and beautiful little sister she is!

“Um... of course, it would only be in title alone, but... would you mind that?”

“Me? Mind? Not at all! In fact, it pleases me to no end myself!”

“That is great news! Then, from now on, please consider me...”

“Uh-huh?!”

—My new little sister!

“—your new big sister to love and adore!”

The exclamation in Ristia’s mind overlapped with a set of words that weren’t quite what she was expecting. Once Ristia realized what that meant... her whole body flopped over the table.