At a small shop in the Kingdom of Sinfonia's capital, the fortune-teller Elise had finished her morning hours and closed up for her lunch break.
As a high-ranking demon, meals were hardly a necessity for her. However, Elise treated eating as a cherished hobby. Like any member of the Human Race, she made a point of personally preparing and eating three square meals a day.
She was currently mentally scanning the ingredients in her Magic Box, debating what to cook, when the space just behind her blurred like visual static. Alice shimmered into existence.
"This is the absolute worst. Why do you insist on appearing right before a meal, of all times? You’re here for some tiresome errand, aren’t you? The fact that you came in person is proof enough. It’s the worst of the worst. It’s going to make my food taste like ash, so state your business and leave at once."
"You really are as biting as ever, aren't you? Aren't you just a little bit kinder to Kaito-san? I bet if he showed up at lunchtime, you’d be happy to fix him a meal."
"The Human-san is mostly harmless to me. In Shaltier-sama’s case, however, your appearance is synonymous with a troublesome directive. Naturally, my treatment of the two of you differs."
"Hmm. Well, I actually did bring a directive, so I can't exactly argue with that logic."
Alice gave a weary, knowing smile at Elise’s blatant display of disgust. To be clear, Elise’s demeanor toward Alice and Kaito was night and day. When Kaito visited, she might hurl abuse, but she welcomed him in her own way. When Alice appeared, Elise genuinely loathed it because it almost certainly meant more work.
"...Fine. What is it?"
"Yes, I have a few things I need investigated. The request covers your assigned district and the content is well-suited to your skills, so..."
"I understand. Is it urgent?"
"No. It would be helpful if you finished within about ten days, but there's no particular rush."
Despite her attitude, Elise was relatively diligent compared to the other Ten Demons and almost never refused a mission. She complained incessantly, but she rarely rejected the work itself. This made her far easier to manage than the flighty Lilim.
Furthermore, Elise lacked the fanatical devotion to Alice that characterized the rest of the Ten Demons. She was a much simpler subordinate to deal with than the Fanatic Group, who tended to get annoyingly worked up over any direct order from their master.
"Understood. I'll do it."
"Then I’ll leave it to you... Oh? Black tea? That’s a rarity. Weren't you a die-hard coffee drinker?"
"I’d appreciate it if you stopped acting stupid when you already know the answer. I have a policy of making proper use of the things I am given."
Elise was currently setting out her tea-making supplies alongside her meal preparations. Her intent was to brew a pot using the original blend tea leaves she had received from Kaito.
"That looks nice. Perhaps I'll have you treat me to a cup as well?"
"Get out."
Elise threw another sharp dismissal at Alice, who merely continued to wear that teasing grin.
Coincidentally, at that very same moment in a clinic within the Sinfonia Royal Capital, Fie was using her lunch break to enjoy some tea with Fun, who had dropped by to check on her.
"This tea is excellent. Kaito really does have a knack for this sort of thing, doesn't he?"
"He does. I’ve always preferred herb tea, but since receiving this from Miyama-kun, I think black tea is going to become a favorite of mine as well."
The two shared a pleasant, harmonious chat about Kaito’s brand and other trivial matters. However, midway through, Fun’s expression began to cloud. She sensed an ominous trend in the direction Fie’s conversation was taking.
"Ah, er... you certainly seem happy, Fie."
"I am. Oh, that reminds me—speaking of being happy, there’s a story about when Miyama-kun brought these tea leaves over..."
"Wait, Fie... is this going to be a long story? I mean, don't you have afternoon consultations starting soon?"
"Oh, don't worry about that, Fun. I used barrier magic to slow down the flow of time in here a bit, so we can talk for as long as we like."
"...I see."
Fun’s face twitched as Fie beamed at her. Now that she had officially begun dating Kaito, Fie was completely smitten. Between her deep affection and her naturally intense personality, any conversation involving Kaito turned into a blissful, marathon-length monologue.
To put it bluntly, she was about to spend the next several hours gushing.
"We ate herb cookies together that day. I used an herb that Miyama-kun had never tasted before, and his reaction was just so cute..."
"I see..."
"...And the clear herbs he gave me after that... then there was the cup he brought... his reaction at that moment was..."
"..."
Fun stared off into the distance, her eyes glazing over as the endless stream of lovey-dovey stories poured forth. She was truly, genuinely happy that Fie—who had spent so many years wearing a mask of sorrow—could finally laugh with such joy. That being said, being subjected to a non-stop barrage of romantic bragging was a special kind of mental torture.
Still, looking at Fie’s radiant face, Fun didn't have the heart to cut her off. She resigned herself to her fate with a look of quiet desperation.
I hope this ends in an hour or so...
Serious-senpai: "Th-This is weird, right? It’s just like with Isis. Kaito isn’t even here, yet the air is so thick with romance that it's practically saccharine! I hope it's just my imagination, but... I’m definitely taking psychic damage here..."