I was shown into a reception room, and almost exactly two minutes later, Olivia-sama arrived with a quiet "Excuse me."
She walked directly over to me and transitioned into a prayerful stance with a series of fluid, practiced movements.
"I offer my gratitude for the blessing of this meeting, Kaito-sama... My heart is full knowing you have graced this cathedral with your presence today. I feel as though the very air within these walls grows more sacred just by your being in it."
"A-Ahaha, I’m sorry for dropping by so suddenly."
"Not at all. The doors of the Central Cathedral are never closed to you, Kaito-sama—not at any hour of any day. On a personal level, I feel an overflowing sense of joy simply because you have come. Please, feel free to visit whenever you wish."
It was the same Olivia-sama as always. I had finally grown accustomed to her dramatic "first-move prayers" and her general air of exaggeration.
Olivia-sama gave me a light bow before turning her attention to Kaori-san.
"Mizuhara Kaori, you have come as well. You are welcome here."
"Ah, yes. Thank you for having me... Gosh, the temperature difference in how she treats us is just so 'Olivia-sama.'"
Kaori-san muttered that to herself, but honestly, I felt that Olivia-sama’s attitude toward her was actually quite soft. Toward anyone else, she likely would have offered a curt welcome and been done with it. The fact that she acknowledged her and said, "you have come as well," showed she held Kaori-san in higher regard than most, likely due to their frequent interactions at the restaurant.
It was just that, when compared to the terrifying level of devotion she showed me, her treatment of Kaori-san only seemed cold by comparison.
"Once again, welcome. What business brings you here today?"
"Um, Kaori-san is actually the main focus of this visit. We wanted to ask for more details regarding what you said before—about giving her something close to a blessing when the three of us went out."
"I see... Ah, forgive me! To have left Kaito-sama standing for so long is a Level That Leaves a Name in History Great Sin... Please, by all means, sit."
"There’s no such thing as that kind of sin... Well then, excuse us."
At Olivia-sama’s urging, Kaori-san and I took our seats. Olivia-sama then bowed to me with a noticeably tense expression.
"...Kaito-sama. If it is not a bother, I would like to prepare tea and sweets before we begin our discussion. Would that be acceptable?"
"Yes, thank you."
"No, it is I who should thank you from the bottom of my soul for granting me this opportunity. I have continued to study and learn since the last time you graced me with your presence. I shall put forth my absolute effort to ensure you are satisfied."
With a face like someone heading into a decisive battle, Olivia-sama began the tea preparations. She had brought out Japanese-style ceramic vessels and began brewing Hojicha; I could tell she had been studying quite hard.
Before long, the fragrant roasted tea was placed before us, followed by the tea sweets. While Olivia-sama had served cookies in the past, this time it was a green, ringed cake... At a glance, it looked like a Matcha Baumkuchen.
"Olivia-sama, is this a Matcha Baumkuchen?"
"Yes. I have been studying the 'Japanese-style Sweets' you mentioned previously. This is the result of my trial and error, based on various reference literature and the information I’ve gathered. I... I hope it is to Kaito-sama’s liking."
"It looks delicious. Well, let's try some."
She was incredibly nervous. She watched me with the intensity of a prisoner awaiting a final verdict. If I gave her a poor review, she looked serious enough to suggest disemboweling herself on the spot to apologize.
That said, it looked wonderful, and I doubted there would be any issues.
With that thought, I took a bite. There was a layer of chocolate tucked inside that complemented the matcha perfectly. It was delicious and paired wonderfully with the Hojicha.
"This is excellent. The chocolate combination is a masterstroke; I really like this flavor."
"Ah...! To hear Kaito-sama say that, I feel as though all my efforts have been vindicated. I am still a novice, but I am overjoyed that my studies bore fruit. Regarding the chocolate—after you guided me to Dear Royal Chocolate, I returned to purchase some personally and adjusted it specifically for this recipe. It is likely still far from the perfection you deserve, but my heart overflows with joy to know it pleased you."
The moment I praised her, the tension vanished from her face like sunlight breaking through heavy clouds. She became visibly giddy and talkative, and her small stature only made the transformation more endearing.