LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 2026: At the New Stores ③
My initial thoughts, to be honest, were that I had no idea what was going on. It was a night just like usual, and Kuro came over to visit, but then, without warning, she smoothly knelt down in a dogeza.
It almost felt like she was sliding while doing that dogeza…… No, wait, was this the legendary sliding dogeza? Well, putting that aside, I had no clue why Kuro was bowing, so I stopped her and asked what was going on.
[Errr…… to summarize, you want to eat baby castellas in the shop in both Archlesia Empire and Hydra Kingdom?]
[Unn……]
[I mean, I didn't even know they had baby castella on the menu……]
[Eh? Kaito-kun didn't know?]
[I skimmed through the menu in the beginning and tried some sample cakes, but I left most of the menu decisions to Canalis-san…… only really looked at it at the very start, so maybe it was added later?]
I did try some food and drinks when I saw the store's interior, but Anima, Caraway, and Canalis-san handled most of the decisions, so I didn’t contribute much this time. Unlike when we launched the brand and went around promoting it, I wasn’t very involved with the stores, so I don't know the details.
[Well, in any case, about Kuro's request……]
[I know it’s a sudden favor and it's a lot to ask, but I really can't resist…… Like, is there any way I could slip in, even for just five minutes before opening or after…… Even just a little while…… please!][Ahh, no, I can just reserve a seat for you. I mean, there's actually a special seat reserved for that……]
[Eh? There is?]
[Unn. At all three Nifty stores, there’s always a table left open for someone like me or Anima to invite people. So if we use that, you can visit the café normally. I just need to give Canalis-san a quick heads-up, and I’m sure we can arrange it easily.]
Yes, it was Canalis-san's idea, but there’s always a seat reserved for people we know at Nifty’s stores. So making a reservation isn’t hard for me at all, just a matter of mentioning it to Canalis-san.
When Kuro heard this, she lit up with a beaming smile and immediately jumped towards me, clearly overjoyed.
[Kaito-kun! Thank youuuuu!]
[Whoa there…… Ahaha, I'm glad you're that happy. That said, Kuro losing the initiative when it comes to baby castella, that's quite unusual.]
[Ugh, my research really had been lacking this time…… Part of it is because I had the impression that it was a high-end store, and for me, as well as most Demons, time feels pretty loose. I thought I’d wait 6 months until things calmed down before going, so I didn’t gather much information on Nifty’s stores.]
Many Demons have long lifespans and a relaxed sense of time. To them, a few years isn't much, so unless it’s a particularly captivating store, they don’t usually rush to visit right after it opens.
[If I hadn’t gone to the Symphonia store with Ein, I shudder to think how much later I would’ve known about this…… I’ll make sure to do better research from now on.]
[Fumu…… So, how was that decorated baby castella? Was it good?]
[It was amazing! They managed to keep the charm of baby castellas while elevating it to a high-end dessert. It was so well thought out and executed. Even without the bias of it being from Kaito-kun's brand, I’d easily give it a 10 out of 10 stars.]
[Ohh, Kuro’s praising it that much huh…… If they're that delicious, I want to try them too.]
[Ahh, then let’s go there together! I’d be really happy to go with you, Kaito-kun!]
[Yeah, sounds like a good idea…… Let’s plan a day and go together.]
[Unn!]
As Kuro nodded with a cheerful smile and hugged me tightly once again, I returned the embrace. Thinking about how we're having a café date at Nifty a little later, I couldn't help but smile, feeling like it would be a fun time.
<Afterword>
Makina : [So, since he's saying it's "a little later", does that mean they'll have the date for another time, and the next chapter would be about checking out the store in Archlesia or Hydra?]
Serious-senpai : [……Probably…… They've already got a date scheduled…… D*mn it……]