Regular Customer

“Welcome back, Kent-san.”

“I’m back, Catherine.”

After leaving the academy, Kent parted from the women he had been with, returned home, put down his belongings, changed into the shop uniform, and entered the shop. When he entered, Catherine, who was at the register, noticed him and called out to him. The women who had gone in ahead of him were on the second floor of the shop, changing clothes and making other preparations.

“Oh, Kent, welcome back. Now that you guys are back, I’ll be heading off.”

“Good work. Do your best with your sword training.”

“Yeah.”

In order to practice her swordsmanship, Elnette finished work at the same time Kent and the others returned from school and started working. However, during summer vacation, they had been short-handed, so apparently she had continued working until closing time several times without doing her daily sword training.

“Welcome home, Master.”

“Master, good work.”

Emily and Al, the two fairy pair, were unusually acting together. The two only greeted him, then immediately returned to work.

“Big Brother, your new uniform really suits you.”

“Thanks.”

The uniform Kent was wearing now was a new design created when they increased the number of employees at the second shop and needed to make a new men’s uniform. It consisted of a shirt and slacks made from material of the same color as the women’s uniform, along with a vest. Its design differed from Mike’s uniform, which had been made earlier for the fairy attached to the second shop.

“Then I’ll go over to the shop.”

“You’re going dressed like that?”

“I don’t really mind, and it’s a design I made myself and have confidence in, so if I think of it as advertising for the shop, it isn’t embarrassing.”

“I see… Be careful.”

“You do your best too, Big Brother.”

Saying that, Rachel took a bag filled with restocking goods and left the shop. After that, Josette, Caro, and Patty finished getting ready and took their positions.

“Is Marie-san in the workshop?”

“Yeah. Mother is in the back.”

Catherine answered. Kent entered the workshop to check on Marie.

“Good work, Marie-san.”

“Ah, Kent-san. Welcome back.”

An air conditioner had been installed inside the workshop, just like inside the shop, so the room temperature was comfortable, but the area near the ovens, which generated heat, became hotter than the surroundings. Marie was baking bread with sweat beading on her forehead.

“It’s hot here, so it must be hard, right? I’ll take over the work. Marie-san, please handle the shop.”

“Really? Then I’ll leave this to you. I’m counting on you for the rest.”

Saying that, Marie returned to the shop. Kent took over Marie’s work and began baking bread.

“Kent-san, I will assist you.”

After Kent had been working alone for a while, Josette showed her face in the workshop and offered to help. It was entering the busy evening period, so having her help was very useful.

“Josette-san, are you all right helping on this side?”

“Yes. While Kent-san was away, Marie-san taught me many things, so now I can even bake bread by myself.”

Saying that, she assisted appropriately even without Kent giving instructions.

“Catherine-san, these are finished. Please take them.”

“Yes, then I’ll carry them.”

After handing Catherine the tray lined with finished bread, Josette moved on to the next task.

“Josette-san, you work really well, so you’re a huge help.”

“O-of course. I desperately learned the work so I could be of help to you, Kent-san.”

Josette, who looked a little embarrassed, seemed incredibly cute. If they had not been in the middle of work, Kent would have unconsciously hugged her tightly.

“Josette-san was so cute that I almost hugged her tightly without thinking… That was close, that was close.”

“My, Kent-san. If you do not mind me being covered in flour… um… I would not mind, you know?”

“Ah, I accidentally let my inner thoughts out loud.”

““…””

Since both of them were covered in flour from working, they unintentionally stared at each other.

“You two, your hands have stopped.”

““Ah!””

When Caro, who had come to restock the bread, said that, Kent and Josette both cried out without thinking.

“Come to think of it, Mark-sama is in the dining space right now.”

“Oh my, is he? He came again without learning his lesson, then.”

When Caro said that, Josette spoke with an exasperated expression.

“Since you said ‘again,’ does he come often?”

Kent tried asking Josette.

“Yes. I suppose it has been since around after Kent-san and Caro-san went to the territory… He comes almost every day, you know? He was also in the dining space yesterday when you two returned, but did you not notice?”

“Huh? Caro-san, did you notice?”

“It was not about work, so I was not paying that much attention, and I did not notice.”

Josette answered, and Kent and Caro tried to remember the shop yesterday, but their attention had been on their companions whom they had not seen in a while, so it seemed they had not noticed.

“Even when I, someone he knows, personally served him, he showed no reaction at all, so it was not very amusing.”

“Well, if someone saw you as you are now, they might not think you were a duke’s daughter.”

“Josette-sama really blends into the shop, after all.”

Kent and Caro said that to Josette, who was covered head to toe in flour.

“But it does not seem that Mark-san comes to the dining space because he likes the taste here.”

“Perhaps there is some woman he is aiming for.”

Caro said that in response to Josette, who spoke curiously.

“Let’s see. Maybe I’ll observe him a little.”

Kent became a little curious, so he poked only his face out from the workshop and looked toward the shop.

“Ah, he’s certainly sitting there… Let’s see, the one serving him now is Marie-san…”

“It seems the person he is aiming for is Marie-san.”

When Kent said that, Caro’s voice came from below. Caro had poked her face out from beneath Kent’s and was looking into the shop in the same way.

“I had not realized the person he was aiming for was Marie-san.”

This time, Josette’s voice came from above. Josette was poking her face out from over Kent’s head. Caro’s sweet scent came from below, and from above, he could feel Josette’s chest. He ended up feeling extremely comfortable.

“I don’t think you two need to hide and watch together with me, though.”

“It just happened somehow.”

“It just happened somehow.”

Josette and Caro said that without showing any guilt.

“Mark-sama seems to be enjoying the conversation.”

As Caro said, Mark was happily speaking to Marie, sometimes adding gestures with his hands and body. Marie seemed to be responding with a business smile.

“What are those two doing?”

Josette said that while pointing farther inside. There were Emily and Al, hiding behind an ornamental plant. They seemed to be observing Mark and Marie, just like Kent and the others. Al noticed Kent and the others’ gazes and waved in response. Since five people were slacking off during such a busy time like this, the remaining Catherine and Patty had to work busily.

“I would have liked to stay like this a little longer, but I feel bad for those two working so hard. Then, after I carry the bread, I will return to the floor.”

“Should we go back too?”

“Yes, we should.”

If they slacked off any longer, it seemed likely to affect the shop’s turnover, so Kent and the others returned to their respective positions.