Maria’s fingers tightened around the edge of her tray as Hayato-sama’s smirk lingered in her mind.
He knew.
He knew she was trying to distance herself. And instead of being deterred… he was enjoying it.
Maria’s stomach twisted.
I can’t let him control this.
She took a deep breath and straightened her posture. If she wanted him to lose interest, she needed to act like she wasn’t affected at all.
— Maria, table four is waiting! Mika called from behind the counter.
Maria nodded quickly, grabbing the order and making her way across the café. She forced herself to smile, to focus, to act as if nothing was wrong.
But just as she reached the table, a deep voice interrupted her.
— Maria.
Maria’s body froze.
Slowly, she turned her head.
Hayato-sama.
Seated at his usual spot, one hand resting on his coffee cup, his gaze fixed on her.
— I didn’t call for you, but since you’re here… stay a moment.
Maria’s pulse spiked. She knew she couldn’t outright refuse a customer’s request. But she also couldn’t let him control the conversation.
She forced a neutral expression.
— I apologize, goshujin-sama, but I am attending to another table. If you require service, another maid will be with you shortly.
She gave a small, polite bow and immediately turned away.
Her heart pounded.
Would he react? Would he push further?
She held her breath as she walked away, waiting—
But nothing came.
Maria exhaled slowly.
She had ignored him. And for now… he had let her.
But somehow, she knew this was only the beginning.
Back at the counter, Mika stared at her, wide-eyed.
— Did you just ignore him?
Maria bit her lip.
— I didn’t ignore him. I followed the rules.
Mika let out a low whistle.
— You’ve got guts, Maria. But be careful.
Maria sighed.
— I just want to do my job.
Mika’s expression softened slightly.
— I get it. But guys like Hayato-sama… they don’t like losing.
Maria felt a chill.
Then I just have to make sure… he never wins.
She didn’t know if she was playing the game the right way…
But she wasn’t backing down.
And as she glanced back at Hayato-sama’s table, she found him still watching her.
Not angry.
Not annoyed.
Just… amused.
And somehow, that scared her even more.
To be continued …
