“So, where are we going to eat?”
“Hmm…”
Kent asked where they should eat. Catherine then placed her right index finger on her chin, pondering. It seemed there was no clear destination at the moment.
“Otsupain, do you know any good places?”
“Huh? Me? A restaurant suitable for a Saintess… if we were to arrange it now…”
Otsupain, suddenly put on the spot, seemed flustered. She could think of a few places that would satisfy an upper aristocrat, but they all required advance reservations and weren’t places one could just walk into. Otsupain couldn’t provide a clear answer.
“Besides, I was working earlier, but now it’s personal time. If possible, I’d prefer if you called me Catherine, not Saintess.”
“Th-that kind of thing…”
“I may hold the position of Saintess, but in terms of class, I’m a commoner. In terms of status, when I’m not working, you, Otsupain, who are of the aristocracy, are higher. So please, don’t hesitate to call me Catherine.”
“In that case… Catherine-sama”
Otsupain, prompted by Catherine, hesitantly called her name.
“You can drop the ‘sama.’ Just call me by my name.”
“Ugh, Kent, can’t you say something too?”
“I think calling her Catherine is fine?”
“You’re being surprisingly harsh too. You understand how I feel, don’t you?”
Kent thought there was no need to hesitate since she herself said it was fine to call her by her name. However, perhaps due to the strict hierarchy within the knight class, she seemed to be holding back.
“I wish you’d call me Catherine.”
“Ugh, don’t look at me with those eyes.”
Otsupain averted her gaze, as if Catherine’s pleading look from below was painful, and she desperately endured something.
“Alright. Alright, I will. Th-then, Catherine.”
“Yes, Otsupain-oneesan!”
“Guh!”
Summoning her courage, Otsupain called Catherine’s name. Catherine responded with a smile so radiant it seemed like flowers were about to bloom around her. It was powerfully effective, and something within Otsupain seemed to crumble.
“Ah, you’re so cute! Big sis is going to hug you!”
“Oh, Otsupain-oneesan, your armor is poking me, it hurts!”
“I-I’m so sorry. I lost my composure.”
“You finally seem to have relaxed! It’s nice to properly meet you. Otsupain-san.”
Catherine, who had been tightly hugged by Otsupain, looked like she was struggling. Otsupain, realizing this, hastily let go. Whether it was natural or calculated, Catherine’s smile seemed to have further strengthened their bond.
“Considering where we’re going next, there’s a suitable restaurant, but there’s someone there I’m a bit uncomfortable with, so I’m wondering what to do.”
“Even you are uncomfortable with someone, Catherine?”
Catherine seemed to have one place in mind, but the person she was uncomfortable with was there.
“What do you take me for? It’s not like I can get along with absolutely everyone.”
“But you seem to get along with everyone, they even call you the ‘poster girl’ at shops?”
“I make an effort to do so as much as possible. But that person…”
Catherine seemed to recall something and clenched her own hand tightly.
“If you decide to go, I will protect Catherine with all my might. So please, rest assured.”
“If Otsupain says that, I might consider it.”
Otsupain, who was the captain of the Holy Knights tasked with protecting the Saintess, said so. Perhaps unable to back down after such a statement, Catherine decided to head to the place she had in mind.
“So, is this the place?”
“Yes, considering where we’re heading next, this is the closest restaurant.”
Kent and his companions entered the residential area, and guided by Catherine, they arrived in front of a restaurant that Kent also knew. The residential area was where the impoverished lived, and the townscape could not be described as beautiful. The main street was overflowing with people in shabby clothes. It was a place that even the middle-class commoners would avoid unless they had a reason to be there. Otsupain, clad in armor representing white knights, was walking through the area, so people on the street were surprised and gave way, allowing them to reach their destination without being pushed by the crowd.
“Becky’s Diner? It’s unusual for a restaurant in this district to have its name on the sign.”
Otsupain said, looking at the sign as if seeing something rare.
“Otsupain, you know about the presence or absence of shop names?”
“Well. I am of knightly rank, but my predecessor was in charge of town security, so I have stepped foot in this district several times before.”
When Kent spoke, Otsupain replied proudly. She had heard that aristocrats did not set foot in this area, but it seemed there were some exceptions. Although she said she had been here several times, she hadn’t known about this shop’s existence as it was located off the main street.
“Then, I will take the lead and charge in, so follow me.”
“No, no. We’re not going into battle. We’re entering as customers, so I’d prefer not to draw my sword.”
Kent hastily stopped Otsupain, who was drawing her sword and about to charge into the shop.
“Ah, that’s right. We were here to eat, weren’t we? My apologies. I almost forgot our original purpose.”
Otsupain realized her mistake and said so, scratching the back of her head.
“Well then, let’s go in.”
Otsupain sheathed her sword and opened the entrance door, stepping inside.
“Eh? A knight? W-welcome! Welcome to Becky’s Diner. Oh? And aren’t your companions Kent and Catherine-chan?”
“It’s been a while. The shop seems to be doing well. We’re here as customers today, so please treat us as usual.”
“Yes, thankfully we’re earning well. As customers, understood. Um, the table seat in the back is free, so please go there.”
The shopkeeper, Becky, came out and was surprised to see Otsupain. However, upon hearing from Kent that she was a customer, she guided them to a table in the back.
“Here is the menu. Please let us know when you have decided on your order.”
Becky left them to choose from the menus on the table and busied herself returning to the kitchen. The seats inside the shop were almost full, indicating that it was doing quite well.
“Wow. There are so many things. With this many options, it’s hard to choose.”
“Actually, this shop was rebuilt with Josette’s help when it was struggling.”
“What? Josette-sama? Could this shop be belonging to the Duke’s family…?”
Otsupain was surprised when Kent mentioned Josette’s past involvement with the shop.
“It doesn’t seem like they’re under her patronage or anything. She just helped. Josette has a tendency to lend a hand immediately to anyone in need.”
“She helped my mother’s shop too, so I’m grateful to Josette-san.”
“What? Marie’s Bakery too? Even the bakery that’s now called the largest was saved?”
Since Otsupain seemed concerned about the Duke’s family’s connection to this shop, Kent answered. Catherine also mentioned that her family’s shop had been saved. Hearing these stories, Otsupain’s evaluation of Josette greatly increased. While discussing these matters, the three of them decided what to order.
“Excuse me. May we order?”
Once the three had decided on their orders, Kent moved towards the kitchen to place the order and called out.
“Coming! Sorry to keep you waiting. I’ll be right there.”
A familiar male voice answered from the kitchen.
“I’ll be taking your order… Kent? Have you come to laugh at my downfall?”
“That’s not it. I’m just here as a customer today.”
“Mmmph…”
It was Marc who came to their table to take their order. He had previously developed feelings for Marie, and seeing her friendly with Kent, he became jealous and kidnapped her. For this reason, Kent also preferred not to get involved with him, and Catherine seemed to resent the predicament her mother had been through. Kent knew he was working here, but given his pride, he thought he wouldn’t condescend to work in front of customers, so he didn’t voice any objections to them coming here. However, they had run into Marc so easily, and Kent felt it was a mistake to stop by here, even if it was for convenience.
“Is that the scoundrel you were talking about?!”
“Whoa, Otsupain, don’t draw your sword!”
Kent hastily stopped Otsupain, who had suddenly stood up and was about to draw her sword. If he hadn’t stopped her, there would undoubtedly have been fatalities. It was fortunate that he was able to stop her on impulse, but Kent’s heart was pounding. The commotion momentarily drew the attention of the other customers, but seeing that the person was Otsupain, dressed as a knight, they likely didn’t want to get involved and quickly averted their gazes.
“Knight-san. This is a place for eating and drinking, not for swinging swords. I apologize for any trouble I caused both of you in the past. For now, I’m just a student working as a staff member at this restaurant. Please calm down, as it will disturb the other customers.”
Marc, who had lost his composure upon seeing Kent, seemed to regain it when Otsupain attempted to draw her sword. He then turned to Kent and Catherine and offered his apologies again. Seeing his demeanor, Otsupain seemed to calm down and returned to her seat.
“Knight-sama. Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Marc. I was the son of the Knight Commander, but I committed an incident a short while ago, and as atonement, I was driven out of my home and am now working here after being taken in.”
“My name is Otsupain. I am the captain of the Holy Knights. I see, so you are the son of the Knight Commander. Your father treated me very well during my time in the knights’ ranks. I apologize for my earlier outburst.”
Marc and Otsupain introduced themselves to each other.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a knight in white armor. Was this unit newly established?”
“Ah, as I mentioned earlier, I belong to the Holy Knights. The Holy Knights are a newly established unit very recently. Incidentally, my current superior is Catherine, who is here.”
“Huh?”
Otsupain suddenly turned the conversation to Catherine in response to Marc’s question, leaving Catherine frozen and unsure how to respond.
“Ah, please forget about the matter of my current superior.”
“Understood.”
Seeing Catherine’s reaction, Otsupain seemed to realize she had made a mistake, her face showing a hint of panic as she hastily corrected herself. Marc, understanding his own situation, did not probe further.
“Ah, right. I came to take your order. Ahem, ahem. I will take your order now.”
Remembering that he was at work, Marc put on a professional smile and began taking their orders. Kent and the others placed their respective orders.
“Understood. Please wait a moment while we prepare your food.”
After taking their orders, Marc bowed and returned to the kitchen.
“It went better than I expected.”
“Well, yes, but I was hoping to throw my authority around and put him in his place. I’m a bit disappointed.”
“What?”
While Kent was relieved that there were no major troubles, Catherine seemed somewhat disgruntled. Her expression was so unsettling that Kent and Otsupain were left speechless.
“Thank you for waiting. Here are your orders. Um, did something happen with Marc earlier? If so, I don’t know how to apologize…”
A little while later, Becky brought their orders and hesitantly asked.
“Becky-san, nothing happened, so it’s alright. Please don’t worry.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Please enjoy your meal.”
When Catherine assured her that nothing had happened, Becky seemed relieved and returned to the kitchen.
“So, I was going to say this when we sat down.”
“What is it, Catherine?”
“What’s wrong?”
As they began to eat their respective dishes, Catherine spoke with a displeased tone.
“Why are we sitting like this?”
Catherine voiced her dissatisfaction. The current seating arrangement had Kent and Otsupain sitting across from Catherine, separated by the table. The distance between Kent and Otsupain was also close, and depending on how one looked at it, they seemed to be sitting very close, almost like a couple.
“It’s not that I meant anything by it.”
“Oh dear, I unconsciously sat next to Kent…”
While Kent hadn’t paid much attention to their seating positions, Otsupain seemed to have sat there naturally. When prompted, they realized they were sitting close together and hastily moved a little apart.
“I felt it during your inauguration ceremony too, but isn’t there something suspicious about your relationship? Kent, I understand that you can’t help but attract more women, but you have to make sure to leave a spot for me too, or I won’t stand for it!”
“I will do my best to accommodate that.”
Faced with Catherine’s suspicious gaze, Kent could only reply so.
