It wasn't long before their orders were served, and Kuromueina’s eyes sparkled the moment they reached the table. The "Decoration Baby Castella ~Sinfonia Kingdom Style~" she had chosen was a truly glamorous sight. The top half of each baby castella was coated in chocolate and artfully garnished with crushed nuts and finely chopped dried fruit, all finished with a drizzle of what appeared to be fruit sauce.
As if to prioritize convenience, each piece was skewered with a vibrant pick, allowing them to be enjoyed with ease.
"…I-I see! So this is how they’re doing it! It has a distinctly high-end aesthetic, yet they haven't sacrificed ease of consumption. And these indentations in the plate… Oh, I get it! They’re using custom-made dishes to keep the baby castellas from rolling away! I have to give them high marks for that level of detail. Eight pieces total, with four different fruit sauces… and if you look closely, even the dried fruit and chocolate garnishes are finely tuned for each variety!"
"…"
Ein watched in silence as Kuromueina, eyes still shimmering, spoke volubly about the dish's aesthetic merits. Ein had plenty of experience with this; she knew better than to interrupt someone so completely engrossed in their passion, so she simply sipped her own tea while her master continued.
"Well then, time for the first bite—Mmm! Delicious! This one seems to be the berry sauce. The tartness is a perfect match for the bitter chocolate, and the texture of the nuts and dried fruit is wonderful. Plus, the gentle sweetness of the baby castella itself acts as a foundation that ties the whole flavor profile together. This is incredible; the craftsmanship is top-notch. They even made the cakes themselves slightly smaller to accommodate the toppings. Through all these meticulous refinements, they’ve truly elevated the baby castella into a high-end dessert! Yes, this is an easy ten stars..."
The quality was more than enough to win over the Underworld King. Kuromueina was in high spirits as she made her way through the dish, offering detailed commentary on every bite. Given the ten-star rating, Ein figured the cafe would undoubtedly feature in the next edition of her Complete Food Tour Guide.
As Kuro finished the last piece, Ein finally spoke. "How did you find it, Chrome-sama?"
"Oh, it was wonderful. My only regret is that we’re limited to one plate per person... Honestly, with quality like this, I'm dying to try the Arclesia Empire and Hydra Kingdom versions... But wait... Ein, what did you say the reservation situation looked like?"
"As far as I've been able to determine, the earliest available opening is four months away."
"Uwah... seriously? I really did miss the boat... Gununu."
Since Nifty’s stores were designed as super-tier oriented cafes, Kuromueina had originally assumed she would just drop by whenever it was convenient. But once she discovered such high-quality baby castella was on the menu, the stakes had changed. Now, she was desperate to try the versions served in the Arclesia and Hydra stores... but her decision to wait for the initial hype to die down had backfired. She had completely lost the reservation battle.
"…If you were to speak to them directly, Chrome-sama, I imagine many would be honored to yield their spots."
"No, Ein, I can’t do that. I’m sure plenty of people would give up their seats if I asked, but they made those reservations because they wanted to visit Nifty's cafe too. I can’t just swoop in and steal that from them. Besides, I'm one of the Six Kings. Even if I mean for it to be a simple request, they might feel forced to take it as a command. I have to be responsible about those things."
"I see. Forgive my lack of discretion."
"No, don't worry about it. You only said it because you were looking out for me, and that makes me happy. Besides, even without asking others to give up their seats, I have another way to handle this. I’ll try that route first, so there's no need to worry."
Kuromueina offered a serene smile, looking perfectly composed. Ein nodded in admiration. As expected of her master—she clearly had a plan or some special connection she could leverage that Ein hadn't considered. Satisfied that her concern was unnecessary, Ein moved on, and the two continued their pleasant conversation over tea and sweets.
Then came that night.
The very same Kuromueina who had acted so composed and dignified earlier that day was now—
"Kaito-kun! Please!! I know this is a cheap move, and I know I'm basically cheating, but I just can't wait months for this! P-Please... find a way... help me out!"
"Huh? Wait, what? What are you even talking about?"
—Begging Kaito for help, having completely abandoned both her pride and her shame.
Serious-senpai: "...Well, I suppose... asking the man himself is the most efficient way."
???: "Technically, his role is mostly just on paper, but Kaito-san is Nifty's top, after all..."