Maria carefully balanced the tray with the special strawberry parfait as she approached Hayato-sama’s table. Her heart was still racing from the way he had looked at her earlier, but she did her best to appear composed.
She gently placed the dessert in front of him and, remembering the café’s rituals, raised her hands in a playful gesture, drawing a heart in the air with her fingers.
— “Moe moe kyun~! May this parfait be filled with sweetness, goshujin-sama!”
A soft chuckle escaped Hayato’s lips.
— Cute. I can see you’re still new to this.
Maria’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she kept her professional smile intact.
— I’ll do my best to improve, goshujin-sama.
He picked up his spoon and took a slow bite of the parfait, his eyes locked onto hers as if testing her reaction.
— Hmm… it’s good. Sweet, but not overwhelming. A good choice.
Maria felt a strange sense of relief. She had chosen correctly.
— I’m glad you like it! If there’s anything else I can do for you, please let me know.
Hayato tapped his spoon thoughtfully against the glass before resting his elbow on the table, his gaze still fixated on her.
— Since you’re offering… why don’t you sit with me for a moment?
Maria blinked.
— Sit…?
— Just for a little while. I’d like to chat.
Maria hesitated. Was this allowed? She knew that some customers booked special services, which sometimes included conversation time with a maid, but she hadn’t been trained for that yet.
She glanced toward Mika, who had been watching from the counter. Mika gave her a knowing smirk and a slight nod.
Taking that as approval, Maria carefully sat down on the edge of the bench across from Hayato, keeping her posture polite and formal.
— Thank you for allowing me to sit, goshujin-sama.
— No need to be so formal, he said smoothly. Tell me, Maria… how do you like working here so far?
Maria hesitated for a moment before answering honestly.
— It’s… very different from what I expected. There’s a lot to learn, and the atmosphere is really unique.
— Unique, huh? He smirked. And what do you think of the customers?
Maria felt like there was a deeper meaning behind his question.
— Well… everyone seems kind so far. Some are a bit shy, others very friendly… and some are…
She trailed off, realizing she was about to say intimidating while looking right at him.
Hayato’s smirk widened slightly.
— And some are what, Maria?
— …Experienced, she corrected herself quickly.
He let out a low chuckle, clearly amused by her choice of words.
— That’s a safe answer.
Maria swallowed. She wasn’t sure why, but talking to this man felt like walking on a tightrope. He wasn’t rude, nor was he directly inappropriate, but there was something undeniably intense about the way he observed her, as if he were testing her reactions with every word.
— Tell me something else, he continued, leaning in slightly. If I were to request you next time, would you be happy to serve me again?
Maria’s fingers twitched slightly in her lap. Was this a normal question? Or was there something more to it?
Still, she answered in the only way she could.
— If it pleases you, goshujin-sama, I would be honored.
Hayato smiled, seemingly satisfied with her answer.
— Good. I’ll look forward to our next meeting, then.
Maria let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
As she excused herself to return to work, she felt Mika watching her with an amused expression.
— You handled that well, Mika whispered as Maria reached the counter.
— Was that… normal?
Mika laughed.
— Oh, Maria. You really don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, do you?
Maria glanced back at Hayato-sama, who was calmly enjoying his parfait, as if their conversation had been nothing more than casual small talk.
But deep down, she knew that this was just the beginning.
To be continued…
