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Although the girl had changed a lot since Crystal last saw her — going from being frighteningly skinny to only a little underweight — her face hadn't filled up quite enough for Michelle to become unrecognizable in the blonde's eyes.
Just as Crystal was about to say something, however, Emilia cleared her throat. "By the way, we've been here for so long, but why is the table still empty? I'd assumed the two of you must have already ordered something, but…?"
Obviously, she had been looking forward to chomping down some delicious snacks while chatting with her darlings to relax after the stressful day, but all she got was disappointment.
Given that this was pretty much their own restaurant, it can't be that the serving staff were intentionally snubbing them, right? Emilia couldn't help but be a little confused. 'I-Is this their form of protesting against bad wages or something?'
Crystal and Dixie looked at each other, feeling a little embarrassed, but still not daring to admit the truth.
In the end, the heroine could only cough awkwardly. "W-Well, we were just thinking about ordering something, and then forgot about it when you arrived."
Despite the fact that it wasn't a lie, since she really had been considering ordering some food from time to time so as not to appear too out of place, Crystal still couldn't help but feel a little guilty in her heart.
Emilia tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Is that so? Well, whatever." She sighed before turning to look at her new 'maid' with a smile. "Michelle, you go bring whatever good stuff is ready, alright? I still have to go take care of big sis soon."
The short-haired girl nodded and left for the kitchen immediately as Dixie was left blinking in confusion, having just realized her presence.
Of course, she recognized the girl who had been rescued by her princess, but she'd had no idea that the girl was still sticking around instead of moving on with her life.
Dixie sighed. Well, she couldn't be blamed. Even if Emilia tried to throw her away, she would probably still keep coming crawling back too. "Is she doing well now, princess?"
Emilia tilted her head with a smile. "Of course? Though she doesn't want to continue her college course."
The dark-haired girl blinked. "Then?"
"She wants to be a maid, apparently. Specifically, my personal maid."
Not to mention Dixie, even Crystal was left dumbfounded. This girl was far more direct than any of Emilia's other admirers, wasn't she? Thankfully, her admiration seemed to be purely platonic… probably.
Shortly after, Michelle returned with two trays full of lemon cake slices. She felt like the gazes of Emilia's friends had changed a little, but she didn't pay much attention as she focused on serving her princess to the best of her ability.
Gently setting down the trays on the table, Michelle was just about to move back to give the girls some privacy while still being close enough for Emilia to call her, like before, but a gaze from her princess stopped her dead in her tracks.
Emilia shook her head with a smile. "Where are you going now? Just come here with us."
"But I—"
The redhead rolled her eyes. "I know you're very determined and dedicated, but don't be like that. If you don't come here on your own… I'll have to drag you into my lap."
Crystal sometimes wondered if Emilia knew the difference between threats and temptation, or if she could tell the difference. Maybe if someone put that question in the exams, she wouldn't find it so easy to ace?
Of course, Michelle nodded immediately, not daring to reject Emilia's kind intentions under the pointed look of her two 'friends'.
As the tables at the Miller's restaurant only had two opposing benches, and it would look strange if three people were on one side opposite to her princess, the older girl meekly took the seat next to Emilia, not daring to look at Crystal on the opposite side.
Emilia smiled as she cut a small slice with her fork and fed it to the dumbfounded Michelle. "See? Isn't this much better?"
Even if the short-haired girl found it incredibly hard to swallow the cake under the pointed looks from the girls on the other side, she could only nod vehemently.
After all, there was a sweetness in her heart that had nothing to do with sugar.
Emilia didn't pay attention to their strange looks, and proceeded to slowly continue enjoying the rest of the cake while sighing in delight. "Although self-baked cakes are the best, there's a delight to enjoying something you don't have to work hard on, right?"
Crystal tilted her head in confusion. "I thought you liked it?"
The redhead smiled. "I do enjoy making it for you, and I like what I make, I guess. But I'm more in it for learning?"
The heroine blinked. "Oh, then… I can probably make some for you from time to time, if you like?"
Dixie frowned. She wanted to make the same promise, but… it was probably best for her to not go into the kitchen.
Just as the last of the lemon cake vanished, Emilia suddenly turned to Dixie. "Oh right, Dixie, you remember that sis-con guy from the party?"
Crystal blinked as she listened to their conversation silently. 'The sis-con... she said? Oh well, it's none of our concern, as long as it's not directed at Emilia—'
The dark-haired girl nodded, immediately recalling the pest her princess was referring to. "The one who declared he masturbates thrice a day to his mom, right?"
Of course, as the boy's mother had dared to approach her princess and ask for her hand, how could she possibly forget? If they ever dared to have such presumptuous thoughts again, Dixie already had a few things planned.
Crystal almost choked as her mind turned blank. 'The... WHAT?!'
Emilia nodded as she continued her conversation with Dixie while trying her best not to laugh at the multitude of interesting expressions on Crystal's face. "Yeah! You know, he's the one who helped Sam out. Unfortunately, he got injured."
Dixie frowned, perhaps the only one on the table who didn't realize anything wrong while even Michelle sent her a sympathetic look. "Is he… alright?"
Of course, it wasn't that she was really worried about the boy too much. After all, with the way Emilia was talking about it, it wasn't like he died.
But it was possible that if the person got hurt trying to save Sam, it may create an emotional burden on her princess, which greatly worried Dixie, especially when combined with their 'presumptuous request' at the party.
Emilia shook her head, unaware of Dixie's deep thoughts. "I don't think so? But I was planning to go see him at the hospital… I guess I'll go tomorrow."
Immediately, a cacophony of girly pleading followed.
Crystal couldn't very well let Emilia meet a chronic masturbator and a giga pervert on her own, could she? That was impossible, of course she would go to protect her. "Me too, can I?"
As for the knight, it went without saying. Especially with this 'scare', she had to follow along! "Me three, princess!"
And the maid, well, everyone else was going. Maybe her princess would let her follow? "Uhm... I wanna come along too!"
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Meanwhile, in the hospital, Theo sneezed, wondering if he'd caught a cold or if someone was talking behind his back.
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