I was momentarily stunned to find myself running into my boss in such an unexpected place.
However, I quickly reconsidered.
If Evia-san likes sweets, it wouldn’t be too strange for her to be here, right? Thinking that made it easier to accept the reality.
“Huh? Amelia-san’s acquaintance?”
As I was expressing my surprise, Izawa-san butted in. She was either very friendly or a bundle of curiosity, talking to everyone without discrimination.
With a friendly smile, she subtly moved to a position where she could see Evia-san.
“Wow, she’s incredibly beautiful.”
I felt a little flustered by the blatant gaze she directed at Evia-san, a gaze that some might call rude. Although she looked human for now, she was, in fact, a demon.
She was a strong individual, one that Jirou-san, my boss at work, admitted he couldn’t defeat. I knew she wasn’t someone who would do anything rash if I made a minor mistake, but I still felt on edge.
“I am Evia Nordis. I am the head of the HR department at the company where Miyagawa here works. I have various connections with her supervisor, which is why Evia and I know each other beyond a casual acquaintance.”
But, as expected of her, Evia-san, despite Izawa-san’s forwardness, didn’t get angry. Instead, she offered a gentle smile and explained her relationship with me to Izawa-san.
While I wished I could relax, I knew all too well that her smile was a business smile. The feeling of tap-dancing on a minefield with my stomach in knots persisted.
“Oh! Amelia-san, you work with such a beautiful woman! Amazing! Would you like to join us for a meal?”
However, it seemed only I recognized her business smile. Izawa-san, judging that she could become friends with Evia-san, made the astonishing proposal of inviting her to join us.
At that moment, I could clearly see my own smile twitching. It wasn’t that I disliked the idea of eating with Evia-san. On the contrary, she had helped me out with many things, and we got along well, so it wasn’t unusual to eat together at the company.
But when classmates were involved, it was a different story. All my classmates had been abducted to another world once, and their memories of that time were sealed. It was possible that contact with Evia-san could cause a disruption in those seals. Was it not dangerous to proceed with a meal knowing that?
“A little impolite, Hitomi.”
“That’s right, Izawa-san.”
Yes, I wish you’d say more. Good job, Sasagawa-san and Saeki-san.
And then, following the store clerk’s guidance, let’s hurry to our seats. As maintaining my smile became increasingly difficult, my eyes met Evia-san’s.
“Hmm, I don’t mind, but is Miyagawa okay with it? I’m sure you wouldn’t want to have a meal with your work supervisor on your day off.”
That was a sly way of asking! If I refused, wouldn’t it look like I was having trouble with my boss at work? Indeed, because Evia-san said that, Izawa-san, who had been so enthusiastic just moments before, looked at me awkwardly. I didn’t have the mental fortitude to say no at this point.
“No problem! It’s no problem at all! Let’s eat together.”
“Hmm, in that case, we can have that. It’s a good opportunity. I’ll treat you.”
“That?”
Even though Evia-san should have known that contact with my classmates wasn’t ideal in this situation, I wondered why. Suppressing the urge to sigh, I followed Evia-san and the store clerk to our seats.
“When you’ve decided on your order, please call us.”
Everyone except Izawa-san felt a slight awkwardness, but they didn’t hide their interest either. If they didn’t have interest, they would have objected indirectly. The absence of such objection meant indirect consent. Everyone was captivated by the beautiful Evia-san.
And honestly, with my wallet feeling rather thin after shopping, being treated to a meal was a godsend. If Evia-san were a stranger, I might have been wary, but she was a woman and someone I was friendly with. Her expensive-looking suit and the way she carried herself suggested she wasn’t short on funds. In fact, Evia-san was a noble and held an important position in the company, earning well above average. I didn’t need to worry about finances. With all these factors combined, even though they were outwardly feigning reluctance, everyone’s hearts were truly relieved.
While the others were consulting on what to order, Evia-san stopped the departing waiter.
“Excuse me, I’d like to order this one.”
Hadn’t she just eaten a large parfait? Was she still not satisfied? Casually holding the menu, I subtly glanced towards Evia-san.
“Eh! This, perhaps?”
Why was the waiter so surprised?
“Yes, and please bring five drinks to go with it. I’ll have coffee, but what will the others have?”
Then, the menu was gently placed down, and upon seeing the page, my eyes widened.
“Limited Quantity. A Magical World Invitation!! Satisfy your taste buds and your stomach!! Magical Deluxe Wonderland Parfait!!”
Evia-san, did you accept our invitation just to eat this? Did the sweets-loving Evia-san find convenient meal companions so she could order something she couldn’t eat alone, something she was about to give up on?!
“Ah, I’ll have this pumpkin juice.”
As I stared at the menu in disbelief, the others probably assumed they were only being treated to drinks. First, Izawa-san.
“I’ll have this hot cocoa.”
Next, Sasagawa-san.
“Then I’ll have an iced coffee.”
Saeki-san followed suit and ordered.
“I’ll have this caramel cafe.”
Haga-san also decided and the waiter asked, with their eyes, what my order would be.
“I’ll have black tea, please.”
I felt a sense of unease about what kind of thing would arrive next.
“We’ll bring your drinks right away. It will take about thirty minutes for your order, is that alright?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
Thirty minutes. What were they going to make that would take that long? At the very least, I ordered black tea as a form of resistance. Saeki-san was the only one who ordered a non-sweet drink, so I wondered what the future held.
Soon, the drinks were brought to us. As the problems that would arise later were significant, I wondered what Izawa-san’s intentions were in inviting Evia-san.
“So, since you invited me to your table, is there something you wanted to ask me?”
“Yes, yes, yes! How did you get so beautiful! Your hair is so gorgeous, and your figure is amazing! I have a mixer coming up, and I absolutely want to land a guy there, so please tell me your secrets to becoming beautiful!!”
“Huh?”
I, who had been somewhat on guard, was stunned by Izawa-san’s complete lack of pretense. She had honestly revealed her desires. Izawa-san, who didn’t even raise her hand with such enthusiasm during regular classes, was asking about beauty, a question that, in a sense, was natural for a high school girl? As a fellow woman, Evia-san was indeed beautiful and had a great figure. It was natural to want to ask about that.
“Secrets, you say.”
However, whether Evia-san’s answer would be helpful to us was another matter. What would she say if she claimed it was due to expensive cosmetics or regular visits to beauty salons? I felt a tremor of anticipation, different from before.
“It’s about not hesitating to put in the effort to achieve your desires.”
Evia-san’s answer was far from what I had imagined. This was true for Izawa-san, who had asked the question, and for Saeki-san and the others who had intended to ask.
“I consider my appearance to be a weapon. The moment you compromise on polishing that weapon, its rank drops by one. That’s how I’ve refined myself day by day.”
“Compromise, does that mean using expensive cosmetics instead of cheap ones?”
But perhaps her wording was too indirect, as neither I nor anyone else seemed to understand what Evia-san was saying. When Izawa-san asked frankly, Evia-san gently shook her head.
“It means putting in the effort, including the basic foundation, to create those choices.”
“…I don’t quite understand.”
Izawa-san became even more confused and started to feel troubled. She couldn’t just say she was done asking after initiating the conversation. Understanding this, Evia-san smiled gently, placed her coffee on the table, and raised her index finger, taking the lead.
“Let me correct one misunderstanding. The method you’re referring to, becoming beautiful, is the result of various processes. To achieve a result, various efforts are necessary, but the foundation for making those efforts is also essential.”
A beauty lecture by a demon in a certain café. Knowing her true nature, I had a fleeting thought that this might be the devil’s whisper, feeling slightly out of place. Evia-san looked directly at Izawa-san, ensuring she was listening intently, and continued.
“Using expensive cosmetics, as I mentioned earlier, is one of those things. High-end products are luxury items because they guarantee certain efficacy. For students like you, they might be unattainable. Because they are expensive, you give up. This is a clear compromise. If you are unwilling to compromise on these cosmetics, you will need to create an environment where you can use them, and maintain your beauty until you can use them.”
While Izawa-san was deluged with question marks, Saeki-san, who was listening, nodded.
“In other words, it’s about creating an environment for becoming beautiful?”
“Correct.”
Evia-san nodded with satisfaction at her words.
“If your goal is to become beautiful, then think about what kind of effort is needed. If you want to use expensive cosmetics, secure the financial means to do so. If you want to improve your physique, create an environment that supports it through exercise and diet. Everyone’s approach is different. The answer changes depending on how much one desires beauty.”
These were words spoken from the perspective of Evia-san, who held the status of a noble. Izawa-san nodded, finding it understandable, but I suspected she only half-understood.
“So, basically, becoming beautiful costs money?”
“That’s one answer, too.”
Indeed, Evia-san gave a wry smile at Izawa-san’s rather blunt summary, but she didn’t deny it.
“Wanting to become beautiful is a desire, a wish. That wish is not easily obtained. If the reason for wanting to become beautiful is to gain the affection of men, then the result of being able to connect with men through becoming beautiful becomes the price.”
I, who had been keeping an eye on the time, sensing that something was about to arrive, sensed from the atmosphere that Evia-san was about to conclude her talk.
“In essence, it’s about whether you are satisfied with that price. You can put in the effort because you can derive results that commensurate with the effort put into the process. Most women who do that become beautiful. Conversely, those who make excuses that it’s difficult or troublesome use their given appearance as an excuse, even though that situation can be overcome.”
Evia-san’s advice was simple and obvious when summarized: don’t hesitate to make an effort, and create an environment for that effort. Finally, Evia-san offered a piece of advice born from her own experience.
“But be careful, there are men who will try to take advantage of the results of your efforts. Don’t just be satisfied with them approaching you; cultivate the discernment to see through them.”
As the service for the “Magical Deluxe Wonderland Parfait,” which filled the entire table, was brought out, she declared the talk was over.
“Now, let’s get some sweets to go with it.”
She was the first to reach for a plate.
Today’s Quote:
Drama only comes through effort.
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