“Late!”
Due to receiving quite a punishment from Selian and Yuli, I ended up being a little late for the meeting time I had arranged with Mariel.
Truth be told, Selian and Yuli did consider our meeting time and eventually let me go, but even after being freed, it took quite a while to recover from the torment they’d dealt me, and it was only after my legs stopped trembling that I could finally move.
After hurriedly washing up, swiftly changing clothes, and rushing as fast as I could to our meeting place—the fountain—Mariel was already waiting for me.
As soon as she saw my face, Mariel immediately reprimanded me for being late.
“I’m sorry! It’s not that I wanted to be late—it’s just…there were reasons…”
“Wouldn’t it be a terrible thing if you were late because you wanted to be?”
Of course, there wasn’t much I could say in response to that.
With no way to counter her sharp remark, I fidgeted awkwardly and tried to gauge her mood. Eventually, with a deep sigh, Mariel uncrossed her arms.
“Well… It seems like you do realize your mistake… I’ll let it slide this time.”
“Of course, Saint Mariel…!”
This is why you’re the saint! I always thought of you as someone who only cared about money, but I’ll retract that thought—immediately!
“…It seems like you’re thinking something strange. Am I mistaken?”
“Haha… Not at all. Would I really do that in front of the Saint?”
Even though I didn’t show it on my face, she seemed to notice my thoughts just as well as, if not better than, me.
Mariel still eyed me suspiciously, but when I kept smiling innocently with a calm demeanor, she relaxed her suspicion and finally spoke.
“So, why were you late?”
“Hehe… If I were to explain, it would take a bit of time…”
“Is that so? If it’s a long story, how about we go somewhere like a café and have a drink while you explain?”
Upon hearing that it would take some time, she didn’t hesitate to grab my hand and head somewhere.
It seemed like she knew a café nearby; there wasn’t even a moment of hesitation in her stride.
Since I had planned to spend the day with Mariel anyway, I had no reason to refuse, so I followed her lead.
“Hey, Saint Mariel?”
However, our destination wasn’t the usual street with shops but instead an entirely different direction where there were no cafés that I knew of.
“Don’t we not have any cafés this way?”
Even though I haven’t been at Griffin Academy for a full year, frequent outings with friends have allowed me to become familiar with the good eateries and cafés in the area.
According to my knowledge, there weren’t any memorable cafés in the direction we were heading.
“Hohoho… Just follow me. There’s an absolutely wonderful café.”
Hmm, Mariel has already been here for over a year, so it makes sense that she might know a few places I don’t.
If it’s good, I could always recommend it to my friends later.
After walking down some streets and alleys for a few minutes, Mariel eventually stopped.
The place we reached was completely unexpected.
I had thought it was a café I didn’t know, but instead, it was a place I knew all too well—a problem, in fact.
“Saint Mariel…?”
“Come on, let’s go inside! I’m sure the Hero will definitely enjoy it!”
As I hesitated at the entrance, she pushed me from behind and guided me inside.
“Welcome.”
Upon entering, several people who were serving noticed me and greeted us.
While bowing in response to their greetings, I still hesitated and didn’t immediately take a seat, still feeling disoriented.
Alright, inefficient café interiors—I can overlook that; after all, there are plenty of cafés lately with quirky themes.
But why is it inside a shrine?
Furthermore, I can somewhat overlook that the staff are all wearing maid outfits while serving drinks. You need a unique selling point to survive, after all.
But wait—aren’t those staff members from the Department of Theology who I’ve seen around the shrine?
“Alright, there’s an open spot here! Let’s sit.”
She took me by the arm, sat me down at an open table, and then sat across from me.
As I looked around, the shrine, now converted into a café, was teeming with customers.
“Uh…what exactly is this…?”
This was originally supposed to be an opportunity to explain in detail why I was late, but now I couldn’t help but ask Mariel about this mysterious café.
“How do you like my idea?”
“It’s your idea?”
“Yeah! I suggested it to let the citizens know that the shrine isn’t just a rigid place. Some friends from the theology department agreed to participate eagerly.”
Well… looking at it that way, Mariel’s intention seems to hit the mark accurately.
At least, the faces of the citizens who’ve come in here aren’t filled with difficulty but rather joy.
Still, even though you’re the Saint, it’s impressive that you managed to get the… umm… higher-ups to allow such an unconventional event.
I imagine she must’ve worked tirelessly to convince them and the theology department girls currently serving the guests.
I pictured Mariel enthusiastically moving around to improve the image of the shrine, and I found her slightly… admirable in a way I hadn’t noticed until now.
“Heheh… How’s that? Falling for this Saint again?”
“The phrase ‘falling again’ kinda bothers me…but, yeah…you’re kinda admirable.”
“Such nonsense—someone with a pretty face, a great figure, and plenty of abilities… how could our Hero not fall?”
…Who would ever think of Mariel as the Saint when she acts like this?
It’s frustrating enough just dealing with her brazen attitude, but it’s even more irritating that it’s hard to argue with what she says.
But perhaps this side of her is part of her charm, so there’s no need to point it out.
“Marieel!”
Just as I was smirking at her overconfident face, someone approached our table and called out to her.
I turned to see a young woman in a maid outfit standing right in front of our table.
Probably another student from the theology department.
“When did you get here? Actually, our sales have already exceeded last night’s for this time slot by 150%! Looks like we’ll all get a decent bonus today…Mariel, you’re bound to make a pretty penny!”
Huh?
What the heck is she talking about?
I tilted my head in confusion and turned to look at Mariel again.
But instead of answering the girl or explaining the situation to me, Mariel deliberately avoided the situation by looking away and even whistling conspicuously.
“Is this your guest, Mariel? Looks like a schoolmate of yours. Should I be informal? What would you like to order? Since it’s Mariel’s guest, I’ll treat you—today, I’ll probably collect a decent bonus!”
Even after I didn’t respond, she continued talking freely, assuming answers on her own.
But since she’s offering a free drink, she doesn’t seem like a bad person.
“Well… just a caramel ma….”
“What kind?”
“Um…just a cappuccino….”
“What kind?”
“…I’ll have an Americano, please.”
“Got it, Americano! I’ll be right back, hang on just a moment.”
As she briskly left, I couldn’t help but see a little bit of Mariel in her mannerisms.
Still, I’ll just take the free Americano without complaint.
Instead, I turned my gaze back to Mariel.
“…Well…just making some extra pocket money on the side… It’s really more incidental work! Purely incidental work!”
Is it really incidental?
Could it be the other way around—that this is the main reason, and the idea of improving the shrine’s reputation is just an excuse?
But I decided not to bring it up directly to Mariel.
If I were to hear the truth and find out she’s just doing it for the money, what would it say about the way I’ve thought of her until now?
For both Mariel’s and my sake, it’s best to leave the truth buried.
“Anyway! You need to tell me why you were late!”
She’s clearly trying to divert the conversation, but since I’ve already decided to let the previous topic go, I played along.
“Um… well, actually, I went on a date with my boss yesterday.”
“Date…? Boss…?”
“Yeah, actually, things were really tight financially during the first semester, so I started working part-time. My boss is really generous and treats me well.”
“Uh, u…?”
“At first, the job was a bit overwhelming, but now I actually enjoy it. And every time, my boss gives me extra pay!”
“That’s…completely amazing….”
“Well… sometimes he jokingly spanks me on the bottom, but it’s all in good fun.”
“W-wait a minute!”
Mariel’s eyes began darting around as if they couldn’t stay still.
I mean, considering Mariel’s love for money, it must be infuriating to hear about such a sweet part-time job.
That’s what they call the ultimate part-time job.
Honestly, every time I get paid by Presia, I feel rather guilty.
“Ah, by the way, even if Saint Mariel were interested and asked about getting a similar part-time job, I don’t think I could introduce her to my boss. Sorry.”
“I’d never do it anyway!”
She let out a shrill scream.
The sharp shout drew attention from the surrounding tables, so I quickly bowed my head to apologize on her behalf.
Is it really so offensive for her to hear there aren’t more part-time jobs like mine?
“What does that…boss… have to do with you being late?”
Realizing her earlier outburst, she quieted her voice to avoid drawing attention.
“Well… After the date ended, I went to my boss’s place, and he told me to sleep over…”
“…And?”
“What could I do? My boss told me to, so I stayed the night.”
“Um…just one more thing… Is this boss a man or woman?”
“Uh? A woman.”
“Phew… That’s a relief… Wait, does that actually matter…?”
Mariel tilted her head as if confused about the issue. Still, even though her expression seemed puzzled, her ears appeared to still be open. I decided to continue my explanation.
“Anyway… After sleeping over, I returned to the dorm, only to find two friends waiting up for me. They hadn’t slept at all.”
Even after telling them through Bear that I’d be spending the night outside.
“Eventually, they scolded me so much that my legs completely gave out… It took all my strength to finally pull myself together and leave, but by then, I was already late.”
“So… your legs were that weak?”
“That’s right. I really tried to be on time, but it was impossible.”
No exaggeration—I could barely stand and nearly fell when I finally stood up after finishing my punishment. Luckily, Selian and Yuli caught me before I tumbled embarrassingly to the floor.
My explanation finished, I glanced at Mariel’s face, hopeful for understanding.
However, she was leaning forward with her head bowed low, muttering something under her breath.
“Could it be… That last time when you suggested something to me, you actually meant it…?”
“I always have sincere intentions toward Saint Mariel, don’t I?”
Although I’m not entirely sure what ‘suggestion’ Mariel is referring to, I’ve never lied or misled her, so I confidently replied.
Did my words manage to touch her? She couldn’t seem to respond, only continuing to stare at me silently.
Indeed, sincerity always wins.
