"2:00 p.m. today. "Come to the central square of District 42 at 2:00 p.m. today. Count Iketale, thief.

Estella is standing in the central square holding a card with that message written on it.
From his position, he can't see me. I'm in full view.
...... This is the power of the thief, Count Iketale.

I'm wearing a silk hat on my head and a well-tailored suit with a large fake beard over my mouth. It's a perfect disguise that no one will ever find out about.
He had given his high school blazer to Uclines, a dressmaker, who had mastered the sewing and cutting of it.
As he took the clothes apart, he said, 'The care you've taken with this ...... is amazing! He was in a frenzy, his eyes blazing with joy. This will raise the grade of clothing in the 42nd district even further.
......The price will probably go up, too. ............

However, because of this, I am a respectable gentleman by all accounts.
Estella won't even notice me.
I'll just go around behind her while I can. ......

'Hey, Yashiro. How long do you think I should stand here?
'What?

Nonsense!
Did he just say 'Yashiro' to me?
No, no, that can't be right!I'm a perfect gentleman now. There's no way my true identity will be revealed. ......
You're right!Did you say 'hurry up' instead of 'Yasharo'?That must be it!
...... Does Estella say 'hurry up' to a gentleman she's never met before?It's kind of scary.

'Yah shiloh!Do you think you're disguising yourself with that unusually conspicuous outfit?
'Hey, hey, hey, hey!

I thought he looked at me and said 'Yashiro'!
Is it possible that you're starting to sense it?
Is it really five seconds before I'm exposed?

Then I'll just cover it up!

I don't understand the language of this town. Is there a difference between us?
'How is that possible in a city with forced translation magic?
'It's not possible. Yes, there is. There is no such thing. There is such a thing.
'Either it exists or it doesn't!d*mn it!Why don't you just take off that weird beard?
'Ouch!

The fake beard that was attached to the skin under my nose was ripped off.
The sensitive skin screams. ...... What a guy. ......

'...... If this was a real beard, you ...... could have killed someone. ......'
'You don't grow that great of a mustache in a few days!Also, people don't die from this stuff!

It tingles so bad.
I'm a little teary-eyed.

'So, what's the joke?You weren't trying to play a joke on me, were you?'
'No, I wasn't!

...... d*mn, you've ruined the stylish situation I had planned for you.

Estella is waiting for me in the central square, right?
Then, a well-dressed gentleman comes in with a big bouquet of flowers.
And Estella says, 'Haha ......, what a fine gentleman. He must be a nobleman of some renown. It would be rude to show her such flat breasts. I should cover myself up a little.
Then, the gentleman holds out a large bouquet of flowers in front of Estella.
And, '...... what? And when Estella was surprised, the gentleman said.
'A while ago, a very fresh and handsome boy offered you this bouquet of flowers ......'.
Then Estella realizes. 'Yashiro is the only one who's fresh and good-looking! She said.
And she looks around for me. But she can't find me.
Estella gets impatient. Just when you're starting to wonder if you should go look for me or wait for me, I'll tell you the truth.
'Ta-da!It was actually me!
'What?I didn't notice you at all!
The gentleman who took off his silk hat and fake beard was me. ......

'--and that's how it was supposed to be!
'...... At any rate, it's not rude to show your breasts to a nobleman who doesn't have them,......?

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.


It's no use. Let's just go with what's normal.

'Estella.
'Hmm?What is it?'
'I'm sorry!Wait, what?
'Did you eat something bad?

What the hell?
I gave you a cold stunt the other day!

'That's enough!Estella's KY!
'What do you mean by KY?
'It's 'KY' for big tits!
'That's a lie!I'll turn you into a frog!

Hmm!That 'I'll turn you into a frog' is also a lie!
Well, in a joke between friends, it is said that this word means 'let's make peace'. It's a sign of an open mind.

'Well, anyway. It's too late to be cool now, and it's weird to be shy in this atmosphere.
'So, what's the matter with you, since a while ago?
'Hey.'
'............ huh?'

I held out the large bouquet of flowers I had in my hand to Estella.

'I'll do it.
'............ Aren't these props for disguising yourself as a gentleman?
'It's a gift for you.'
'But ...... such a big flower ..................... ...Are you sure?

I went to Milly in the morning and asked her to make me a bouquet.
I asked her to choose mainly red flowers that would suit Estella, based on her taste.
He had a very good intuition, too, because he could tell from the atmosphere of the flowers that '...... this is for Estella.

In any case, since the bouquet was bought for Estella, there was no other use for it than to give it to her.
So you should accept it honestly.

'Didn't you say that you should ask for a date with a bouquet of flowers?
'De ............ date ...... ah!

Did he finally notice?
Yes, I did.
I came here today to ask Estella out on a date.

I asked Natalia to help me out beforehand, and we made arrangements so that we could have some time together.
I'm sure Natalia had been guiding Estella's actions since this morning.
She had also given Natalia the "Count Iketale" card.
No, you've done a great job. I think she did the best job she could.
It's because of ...... that I'm starting to feel depressed about returning the favor.
'All right, sir. I will carry out all of your requests without delay. In return, please present me with a bouquet of flowers sometime. I'm not married and I've never had a boyfriend, so what does that have to do with the law?...... Excuse me. You'll be able to get a great bouquet of flowers. I'm not going to ask the store to choose for me, but I want you to choose the flowers with your own eyes and make a bouquet for me. Is that okay?
...... That's a lot of hurdles.

I'm sure you'll have a great time. ............ How about an azalea that bites?

'That ...... this ............'

While I was reminiscing about this and that to get here, Estella kept alternately looking at the bouquet and me with a puzzled expression on her face.

'......You remembered me. ............'
'Of course you did. Who the hell do you think you are?'

I'd rather tell a blatant lie to every passerby on the boulevard than go back on my word to this guy.
It is more unlikely for me to despise Estella than to risk being turned into a frog.

She's done a lot of work for me.
Well, you have to reward her once in a while.

'That .........'
'Hmm?
'Since you have such a beautiful bouquet of flowers, ...... I hope you'll take care of that too.'
'What?
'So, I'm going to ...... ask you out on a date.'

You're asking me out on a date?
............ Oh, you mean that.
Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah.
All right, all right. I'll show you my brilliant storytelling skills.

'Hey, girl. Why don't you come over and have a cup of tea with me?
Let's start over.

Of course.



I'm sorry.

So, once again .

'Estella. . .............................. ...... Wait a minute.'

What the hell is this?
This is embarrassing. ......
What do you say, in this situation?
'Do you want to go on a date?
'It's a beautiful day, let's go for a walk.
'Would you like to have a morning coffee with me?
'Please!I'm not going to do anything!I'm not going to do anything!Why don't you come over to my place?

...... I don't think that's right.
We already know where we need to go.
So why don't you ask her to go there?

...... is not the place to ask me to go.
I'm sorry.I'm not sure what you mean.
I'm sure you'll be fine.That's right!

Just follow me!

............
............
............ Proposal, this!

'No, uh, Estella!That was ......'.

I hastily tried to explain that there was no deeper meaning: ......

'Yes!

I was interrupted by a very bright smile.

'Then, Yashiro, take me.

The expression on his face was foully radiant. ......

'...... I'll follow you wherever you go.'

Well, that's okay,......, I thought.

'There's a place that makes really good cake. Let's go there.'
'Oh, you're coming now?I'll have to give Natalia a call if I'm going to be late. ......'

At that moment, a knife flew at Estella's feet and pierced the ground with a 'click'. and stabbed into the ground.

'............'
'............'

Estella silently pulls out the knife as I watch in silence.
On the knife was written, 'Don't worry. Good luck from N.' It was written on the knife.

'...... being watched.'
'Looks like it.'

Now that Natalia has given her OK, we don't need to worry about the rest.
It's not like I'm going to make her stay overnight. We're just going to enjoy a leisurely cup of tea.

'Shall we go then?
'Yes.'

As I start walking, Estella walks next to me, smiling, at the same speed.
We walk shoulder to shoulder.
I thought again that this kind of distance is comfortable with Estella.






And here we are, at a place that serves delicious cakes.

'Well, I knew you would,' I said.
'The cake here is the best. Do you know this place?It's a hot store in the 42nd district.
'Oh, really? What kind of store is it?
'It's called 'Sunlit Pavilion'.
'Yes, I know it.
'What's this little play?

We both laughed at the play that had started without really understanding it.

'Well then, ladies first, .......'
'Wow, you can be so thoughtful. I'm impressed.

He puts his hand on the door and opens it gently.
I let Estella go in first, and I followed behind her.

''Welcome. Welcome to the Sunshine Pavilion.''

A cute sales clerk wearing a calmly designed maid's uniform greets me.

''Ah, you're new, aren't you?
''Yes. It's a uniform for tea time.

From now on, we've decided to wear different uniforms for each of the three time periods: from morning to lunch, from teatime to dinner, and after dinner.
The idea is to match the atmosphere of each time.
At lunch time, you want to eat a hearty meal, at tea time you want to relax, and after dinner you want to enjoy a meal in an adult atmosphere. That's why I chose to wear this dress.



'...... Reservations, accepted. Come here.'

Magda leads us to a seat in the back.
There is a slightly sweet smell in the restaurant.

'Your bouquet can be displayed here. Please feel free to use them.
'Wow. You even lend out vases.'
'There's no water in it, though.

If you're going on a date, I'd like you to bring a bouquet of flowers to ask me out.
Estella showed me a glimpse of her girlish side. That's probably what most girls in this town long for.
If that's the case, there's a good chance that the lovers who come to eat the latest sweets, cakes, will be carrying bouquets. A guy who is sensitive to fashionable sweets must be a guy who understands girls' feelings, because such a guy would never disregard the promise of a date.

I asked Theron to prepare several different sizes of vases for me.
I asked Theron to prepare several vases of different sizes, from a single vase to the huge bouquet that Ginette had received for her birthday, so that I could choose the size that would make the flowers look good in any size.
And to keep your clothes dry when you bring them home, we don't put water in them. But I can if you want.

'Sir.

When we were seated, Ginette came to our table with a menu.
Tea time menus are not posted on the wall.

'Here are the menus.

In the same soft voice as usual, but with a hint of nobility, Ginette presents the menu.
She seems to be enjoying herself. The edges of his mouth are a little loose.

'What?There's so much on ......?'

The menu lists seven kinds of cakes as well as the names of the teas.
For the tea, I asked Natalia to introduce me to the lord's official tea garden.
'In return, ...... well, ............ I want to eat cake. ......'
......I guess I'll have to treat Natalia to one next time ............

'But I can't imagine what it's like just from the name. ......'
'In that case, this is ...... Magda.'
'...... Copy that.'

Ginette called, and Magda came over with a tray.
On the tray is a colorful array of food samples of cakes made by Becco. They look like the real thing. No wonder he mistakenly took a bite.

'What ...... should I do? ............ I can't decide anymore. ...... ......'

This is it. This is exactly what I want.
It would have been nice to offer half-size cakes as a set ......, but we decided to hold off until the cakes were fully absorbed.
In this way, the other cakes, which have been discarded after much agonizing and worrying over 'which one should I have,' will make people think 'I have to come back for another one soon! It's a strategy to make people think, 'Hey, Yashiro.

'Hey, Yashiro. Which one do you think is best?

He couldn't decide, so he threw the whole thing at me.

'You've had shortcake before, right?
'Yes!It was delicious. ......'
'Then let's have a different one.
'Yeah, but ...... there were so many of us at that time, and the amount for one person was very small. ............'
'Shall we make a shortcake then?'
'But, but!I want to try something else too!
'Then which one are you going to get?'
'.................. Any recommendations?'

You're throwing the whole thing away.

'Cheesecake, I think.'
'...... Is it good?'
'Of course.'
'Then ...... yeah, I'll have that.'
'Yes, sir.'

Ginette looked at Estella, smiling, and waited for a long time.
Now she turns her gaze to me.

'Yashiro-sa............, what would you like to do?'

In a way, this was a date, and also a demonstration for the Sunlit Pavilion. It was meant to confirm the sequence of events in preparation for the actual event.
That's why Ginette is being more polite than necessary.

'Well, let's go to Mont Blanc.
'Why?You're recommending cheesecake, aren't you?
'No, because. You're going to have cheesecake, right?
'What?...... Actually, that Mont Blanc is the best .......'

This guy can't look at me like that anymore, can he?

'......Customer'

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a little paranoid.

'......If we both eat different things, ...... 'Hey, I want to try that one too,' 'Well, let's trade bites,' 'Yeah,' 'Yes,' 'Ahhhh... ......... Delicious! 'Hey, you've got cream on your cheeks.' ...... can do that.
'Yashiro. You can make it into a Mont Blanc.



Isn't this girl ...... too transparent in her schemes?

'Now, please wait a moment.

Ginette and Magda retreated to the kitchen, and after a while, Loretta came out with a tea set.
After all, cake should be eaten with tea.

'It's a set price, isn't it?
'It's a bargain, isn't it?
'But do you also have individual items?
'Basically, they'll order a set, but there are some people who just want the individual items, so just in case.

Some people might want her to order the cake set and me just the tea.
If you only have one item and it's expensive, like luxury, you're failing.

'And the waitress will make the first cup of tea.
'Why?'
'It makes you feel like a lady, doesn't it?
'............?I'm not.

That's because that's what you usually do.

'I'll make you a cup of tea, sir!
'Loretta, you're too nervous. You need to relax.

The tea set clinks. Loretta is too tense.

'Yes. Like dropping from a high place. Make sure it's well aerated. ...... Yes, you're good.'

Estella is lecturing her on how to make tea.
She's as good as she gets, or at least she's used to it.

'It's ready!Hey, wait for me!
'Yeah. You messed up at the end.

Loretta. Re-education decided.

'Oh, it's good. It tastes just like ours.
'It's from the tea garden Natalia told me about.

...... In exchange for the cake.

'Did she teach you how to brew it?It smells so good.'
'I brewed it my way. It's not bad, is it?
'Yes, I'd like you to make me a cup of tea next time.
'I don't want to work for free.

Estella chuckles and enjoys her tea.
This makes me think that she really is a lady.

'Thank you for waiting. Here's your soufflé cheesecake.
'Whoa, whoa, ......!Too nice .......'

Estella gazes at the cake in front of her with eyes that seem to be melting.

'Thank you for waiting. It's Mont Blanc.
'............ juruuri'

Estella stares at the cake in front of her with eyes like she's watching her prey.
'...... Don't take it, okay?

'Gosh, I'm sorry ...... 'Hey, I want to try that one too.''
'It's too early!Eat your own first.
'Yeah, that's true too. Let's eat ......!

He couldn't hold back and threw the cake in his mouth before he could even say 'thank you'.
...... Is this guy really a lady?

'～～～～～～～～～～～～～!............ happy'.

Estella savored the sweet taste in her mouth.
She puts her hands on her cheeks, opens her mouth and looks into the air.
What a shame. If only there was popcorn here, I could throw it in my mouth and play with it.

'This is going to be popular.
'I'm going to make it so.
'What does it taste like over there?

Estella forgot all about her earlier act and started asking for more.
As usual, her eyes are filled with pure curiosity. Her eyes are sparkling, without any ulterior motives.

'Just one bite.
'Ahem. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to encourage you.'
'I did.

He takes a bite with his fork and holds it out to Estella.

'Here you go, ahhhh.'
'Ah~n .................. Oh, this one's good too!

The next moment, she was writhing in agony.



'--Huh?'

Estella's body shuddered.
What, did she get a bone stuck in her throat?Did she bite the seed?
She was a little confused by the sudden change in her emotions that made her think such a thing.

'Ha............ hahaha ............'

Estella's face turns bright red, and steam rises lightly from her whiskers.

'Ka,ka,ka,ka,indirect............ki,kiki,kiki............'

You've just realized what you've done. I guess what I did earlier was really an unconscious action.

'Calm down. I haven't put my mouth on it yet. It's okay.'

I knew this would probably happen, so I waited without putting my mouth on it.
Well, I'm going to use this fork.

'...... Sir.'

And Magda comes up next to me.
And ......

'...... "Hey, I'd like to try some of that too."'
'You, ......'.
'...... Ahhhhh.'
'............ Don't do that to the other customers.'
'...... of course'
'Oh, dear.'

Well, I'm sure Magda won't be embarrassed by Estella.
She takes a bite of the Mont Blanc and feeds it to Magda.

'............ Magda likes this best. Remember that.'
'What's with the long-winded urging?
'Hey, big brother!

The re-educated Loretta leans in from behind Magda.

'Well, what was it again?Anyway, it's 'aun'!

This guy doesn't even seem to be trying to put on a show.
No demonstration in sight, this one.

'There you go.
'Ah~n .................. Mmmmm!It's delicious!
'Sir.'

And Jeannette smiles at me.
...... You too, Jeannette.

I can't help it. ......
I take a bite of the Mont Blanc and point my fork at Ginette.

'Here, ah~n.
'What?No,......, I was going to give you a new fork,.......'

Ginette's cheeks stained with impatience. In his hand, he holds a new fork.
............ My misunderstanding ............?

I'm not sure what to say.
I'm sorry.I'm so embarrassed!
I'm not sure what to do.I'm not sure what to do.

'Oh, well, if you'll excuse me from ......, I'd like to go to .............'

Holding her long hair in her hands, Ginette slowly bends over.
Her mouth gently approaches the fork, and she takes a bite of the Mont Blanc in her mouth.

'It's very delicious.

She holds her mouth and smiles softly.
I'm glad I gave you the Mont Blanc .......
Do you want another bite?
I'm sorry.I don't know, there's hardly any left,Montblanc......

'......The manager ............ is tough.'
'They took it all away from me. ......'
'Ginette,...... the destructive power of the unconscious ...... is tremendous.'

Across the table, the three girls are mumbling. But you can ignore them.
I mean, if you mess with me now, I'm going to blush.
To prevent that from happening, I'll announce my summary.

'From now on, I'm going to offer a stylish tea time like this. Of course, you don't have to do anything to keep out the regular customers. It's a bit silly, like Umaro, but in this atmosphere, they'll be able to behave themselves.

It's difficult, but we'll make it work. It's difficult, but I'll try to do both.
You could separate the seats like a non-smoking and smoking area.
'← normal customers' 'customers of idiot children →'
'← normal customers''← stupid customers''← stupid customers''← two stupid customers are here'......

'By the way, Estella.


'What?What, what?'

Estella's eyes rolled back in her head as she was suddenly asked to speak.

'How was your date today?I'd like to hear your objective opinion about the atmosphere, the service, and the atmosphere of this restaurant.'
'I see. ...... So that's the story behind today's date.'
'It's also true that I wanted to keep my promise to you.'
'Yes, yes. I understand.'

I wonder if he really understands.
It's like he was simply swept away.

'I guess so. I think it's good.'

I straighten my back and the mood changes from the girl on a date to the familiar Estella.

'I don't know how well it'll go over, but I think it'll work. It tastes good, too.'
'So it has Estella's seal of approval.
'Well, I'm not sure how much my endorsement is worth.

Finally, we can start moving.
With this, the Sunken Pavilion has acquired another great weapon.

Now all that's left is for the city gate to be completed and for the street to pass in front of the Sunlit Pavilion. ......
This restaurant will become, no joke, the best restaurant in the 42nd district.

More customers might come here than when Jeannette's grandfather was running the place.
I'm sure Jeannette will be very happy if that happens.
If that happens, I'll go to ............

'Oops, I almost forgot to pay.'
'Huh?No, thank you. It's just a demonstration.
'I had a date with Estella this time. It wouldn't look good if I didn't pay.'
'Is that so?Then please pay at the counter.'
'Estella. I'll buy you a drink, you should be grateful.'
'If you hadn't said that, you would have been smarter. You're a disappointment, aren't you?
'Leave me alone.'

He speaks lightly, then pays at the counter.

'Hey, Jeannette.
'Yes, what is it?'

I take out 20Rb from my wallet and ............

'No, it's nothing.'
'I see. Oh, that's right. Thank you very much. I'll look forward to seeing you again.'
'Well, let's go outside for a while.
'No, no, not that far.'
'It's just a fling, a fling.
'Then why don't you just leave me here?

With Estella's joking voice in my ear, I left the sunlit pavilion.
I close the door. ......

'............ I haven't returned it yet, have I?

I grabbed the 20Rb and put it back into my wallet.
It clinked and got mixed in with the other coins.

20Rb.
The price of stir-fried scraggly vegetables at the sunny-side up restaurant.
It's the price I ran away from ...... and haven't paid back yet.

I'm not sure what to make of it.


I stretched out and looked up at the sky, which was clear as day.


Well, it's always good.
There's still time.

I'll just have to figure out how to sell the cake.
It's not so easy to get customers just by waiting.
There are rivals all over the 42nd district. I can't lose to them!

All right!I'm going to be the number one!

I spit out such enthusiasm into the sky, returned to the face of a shopkeeper, and entered the Sunlit Pavilion.