Chapter 52

A demon lay sprawled across the floor, unmistakable even from just the back of their head.

I mean, come on, their skin wasn’t just pale—it was outright blue, and there were horns sticking out of their head. You couldn’t miss it if you tried.

But maybe it was because of their smaller frame or the tight-fitting women’s suit they wore.

Even though demons were considered dangerous in the city, this one didn’t exactly scream “threat.”

I mean, how do you stay wary of someone you just watched faceplant in real-time at a dessert café—with a tray and everything?

So after exchanging glances with Sabrina in the midst of this chaotic scene, I immediately walked over to her.

Thankfully, up close, the good news was that she’d completely dropped the tray, so none of the sticky desserts had landed on her clothes.

Of course, it was sad to see the desserts rolling around on the floor far away, but what could we do about that?

“Owww… it hurts…”

“….”

“Uh, are you okay?”

“Hek! I-I’m fine! Uh, ah…”

Maybe it was because she’d slammed down hard onto the solid tiles.

The woman groaning on the floor suddenly jolted upright when she noticed us approaching.

And then, realizing our presence a bit too late, her face flushed bright red.

She must’ve felt incredibly embarrassed being consoled by kids.

Though, technically, I only *look* like a kid.

The demon woman soon regained her composure, still looking flustered as she glanced around.

Then, spotting the Mont Blanc dessert lying flat on the floor far away, her pupils trembled.

“M-my Mont Blanc…. Ugh…”

Her expression was like someone who had bought a dessert with their last bit of courage only to watch it vanish into thin air.

She looked so fragile that Sabrina shot me a helpless glance, unsure what to do if she burst into tears right then and there.

Hmm, calming her down first would probably be best.

I gestured for Sabrina to bring the teary-eyed woman to our table while I went to find a café staff member to clean up the fallen dessert.

After all, without telekinesis, my puny strength wouldn’t cut it to carry a woman taller than me. It was just proper role delegation based on abilities.

“Yes, customer, what seems to be the issue?”

“…!”

“Uh, eh? Over there?”

Somehow, I managed to convey the message to the staff member through frantic gestures about cleaning up the fallen dessert.

After making an additional request and heading back to our seats, I saw the demon woman covering her face with both hands at the table.

‘She’s practically wishing she could die of embarrassment. Can’t blame her.’

Honestly, every single moment of this would go down as a black mark in anyone’s life story.

Tripping alone at a dessert café while carrying a tray, watching the dessert they were about to eat take a cool dive onto the floor, and then sobbing while being comforted by a kid?

There was a very high chance the demon woman’s blanket tonight wouldn’t survive intact.

Still, in my opinion, it was better than sitting alone on the floor crying pitifully.

Thinking that to myself, I sat down next to Sabrina.

Luckily, the four-person table naturally positioned us facing the woman.

“…”

“…”

The atmosphere at the table was awkward.

While the demon woman no longer seemed on the verge of tears, shame kept her from speaking.

Meanwhile, Sabrina wasn’t exactly the social butterfly who could strike up a conversation out of nowhere.

This was the part where I, the one who brought her to the table, should say something… but alas, I couldn’t speak.

As a result, we just sat there in complete silence, the quiet stretching endlessly.

Maybe the tension became unbearable.

Sabrina, sitting close enough for our shoulders to touch, leaned over and whispered softly into my ear.

“Yuria, fix this atmosphere… please!”

“…!”

Personally, I didn’t mind quietly eating dessert like this.

But thinking about it, inviting her to the table and then leaving her hanging wasn’t exactly ideal either.

So, nodding to Sabrina to signal I understood, I lightly knocked on the table to get things started.

When the woman peeked cautiously at me after hearing the sound,

I propped my elbows on the table, rested my chin on my hands, and stared at her intently.

If I didn’t have anything to say, I’d just wait until she spoke first.

This was a silent protest: keep avoiding conversation, and I’ll just keep staring at you like this.

I wasn’t particularly intimidating, so it probably didn’t have much effect, but maybe it worked a little?

The demon woman’s lips quivered, and she nervously darted her eyes around, avoiding my gaze.

“U-uh, um… Th-thank you for helping me…!”

Finally, biting her lip, she managed to squeeze out those words.

Perhaps it was the sincerity in her voice, uncharacteristic of demons known for toying with people’s hearts,

but Sabrina, sitting beside me, murmured under her breath while covering her mouth.

“So cute…. I want to be fawned over like that too…”

“…?”

I couldn’t quite catch what she said, but whatever. Probably just surprised by the woman.

Anyway, with the ice broken, we began introductions.

Apparently, the demon woman’s name was Anser.

She was 23 years old and had only been in Night Haven for a month—a total newbie.

She’s even more of a junior than me. How adorable.

As I inwardly nodded, amused by Anser’s clumsy demeanor, she suddenly covered her mouth and giggled. What? Why the sudden weird behavior?

“S-sorry! I just can’t help laughing when I see things like this!”

“Ah, I think I know what you mean.”

“R-right?!”

“…”

I watched as Sabrina and Anser began bonding over some mysterious point of understanding.

What exactly were they connecting on? Someone clue me in.

Feeling a bit bewildered, I shrugged it off and decided not to dwell on it.

Not everything in this world needs to be understood in detail. If it were important, they’d have explained it properly.

With that thought sorted, I subtly moved away from the table and poked Sabrina’s shoulder with my finger.

Sorry to bother you, but I’m curious why she was so pitiful earlier. Could you ask her about it?

“…”

“Huh? Oh… I was wondering how things have been since you came here.”

“M-me? Well…”

After Sabrina and Anser’s rapport clicked, the conversation flowed smoothly.

From what I gathered, it seemed Anser had failed dozens of job applications since arriving in Night Haven.

Sure, this city was free for different races, but there were always those whose ways of thinking were so fundamentally different that blending in was nearly impossible.

Like ogres who couldn’t grasp the concept of buying things with money.

Or vampires who loved spilling blood when things got rough, or demons who tricked people into binding contracts for their souls.

Out of 100, 99 were like this. Even if one mutant appeared, it was understandable that people would be wary. Not that it was fair, but still.

“I’ve been getting more and more depressed as the days go by, so I thought I’d cheer myself up with some dessert despite my poor finances… but…”

“And then you tripped right away. Poor thing…”

On top of that, she’d come to the dessert café to splurge on an expensive treat for a mood boost, only to fall flat on the floor, lose her money, and add another embarrassing memory to her list.

For someone sensitive, it wouldn’t be strange to think the world was cursing them. No wonder she cried.

But Anser simply smiled, brushing away a small tear forming at the corner of her eye.

To smile even in this situation—maybe she was stronger than she looked.

“Even though I didn’t get to eat dessert, thanks to you, I feel a bit better. Thank you so much.”

“Ah, uh… Yuria was the one who suggested helping. I don’t think I deserve thanks…”

“Hehe, maybe, but thank you anyway, Sabrina. And you too, Yuria.”

Anser expressed her gratitude with a seriousness that was completely un-demon-like.

On the surface, she seemed timid and tearful, but perhaps deep down, she was someone worth emulating.

Shrugging casually as if it were no big deal, I noticed an employee approaching from afar.

Sabrina and Anser seemed to notice him too, but they quickly dismissed him, assuming he was just here to clean up the fallen Mont Blanc.

“Sorry for the wait; we had to make a new one. Here’s your Mont Blanc. I’ll clean up the one on the floor shortly.”

“Uh, eh? This is…?”

“The other customer paid for it. Have a great time.”

But contrary to their expectations, the employee placed a plate on the table before leaving.

On the plate was a beautifully swirled Mont Blanc, its chestnut cream looking absolutely delicious.

I slid the plate of Mont Blanc gently toward Anser.

Anser’s eyes widened as she looked at me.

“Um, why is this…?”

“…”

Why? Because it’s for you to eat, obviously.

Coming to a dessert shop and leaving without eating anything would be such a waste.

Coolly handing over the Mont Blanc, I shifted my mask slightly to reveal my lips and dug into my remaining strawberry cream cake with a fork.

Mmm! Delicious!

As I happily savored the sweetness, Anser stared at me, her mouth moving soundlessly for a moment before tears suddenly began streaming down her face. Huh? Why is she crying now?

“Sniff, heuk… S-sorry. It’s just… receiving something like this here… it’s my first time… everyone usually just calls me a bad person and…”

“Uh, uh… Is, is that so…”

“…”

Sabrina looked flustered by Anser’s sudden outburst of tears.

Seeing a grown woman cry like that would naturally shock her.

But personally, I didn’t think much of it.

It wasn’t like I was trying to bestow some grand favor—I’d just casually offered a treat.

Plus, while it wasn’t cheap, it was just one snack—not outrageously expensive.

If it had cost enough to make my wallet wobble, I wouldn’t have done it.

Maybe my calm demeanor helped Sabrina settle down too.

She waited quietly as Anser’s tears gradually subsided.

In the corner of the dessert café, where prying eyes rarely reached, a tear-soaked dessert hour passed by.