It’s far too late to take it back. I bow my head in earnest apology. We’re already off to a bad start.
“Why are you apologizing? It was a compliment, right? Honestly, I should be thanking YOU!”
“Um…!”
I can’t believe she’s being so nice to me. She’s such a good person!
“You never change, Angela.” With a chuckle, Ektor joins us. “That’s why you’re so popular with the ladies.”
“Whaddya mean ‘that’s why’? I don’t do anything special!”
“Yeah, whatever. You’re a natural sweet-talker.”
Is she really popular with other girls? I guess it makes sense, considering how amazingly sweet she is.
As I nod along with Ektor’s words, agreeing with everything, it seems he’s already started putting his plan into motion.
That’s right! We have to invite her over for dinner.
“Hey, Angela. There’s something I wanted to discuss with you. Would you care to drop by tonight for dinner at the guildhall?”
“What’s wrong with talkin’ here?”
“Hmm… It’s a delicate matter that requires a more private setting. Somewhere we can take our time without other folks listening in.”
Angela seems dubious. I guess Ektor’s never proposed something like this to her before, making her wary.
“I’ve had people invite me over to their homes, and then once I’m inside, try to have their way with me…”
“What?!” I’m so shocked by her words that I can’t help but cry out.
I’m sure my ears and tail are sticking straight up! This kind of danger is unfortunately something you have to be careful about as a woman. I hope nothing horrible happened to her…
Consumed with worry, my ears and tail immediately droop.
“Oof. My condolences. That sounds rough for them.” Rinny’s response seems to completely miss the mark, considering the gravity of her words.
Maybe I’m the one who misheard her? Maybe she was talking about someone else?
“Don’t worry, Miku,” Ektor consoles me. “Angela’s as strong as an ox, with brains coming out her ears, and she can hold her drink to boot. The only one who could possibly take her down is the Demon King himself. She can easily take care of herself.”
“Oh? You were worried about me? Well, Ektor’s right. Anyone who tries to take me on has another thing coming.”
Wow… She really is amazing. And so strong. I’m falling in love with her more and more with each passing moment!
“But just ’cause I can handle myself doesn’t mean I like gettin’ myself into messes. It’s more annoying than anything. I trust you, but it seems to happen so much that I hope you’ll forgive me for being more cautious recently.”
She has a good point. No one wants to jump headfirst into a trap. Hmm… How can we put her at ease and make her feel safe? I got it!
“U-Um… Angela? My name’s Miku. I, along with my twin sister, Claire, recently joined Ektor’s guild.”
I struggle to speak as loudly and clearly as I can. First, I tell her my name. I have to crane my neck back to look up at her, towering above me, and her eyes quickly soften as she extends a hand in my direction. I grasp it in both of mine and am immediately surprised by how soft her skin is. Yet it’s a big hand as well, clearly able to firmly grasp the handle of a blade.
“Also, Claire is an incredibly skilled chef,” I continue bashfully. “Not only can she make tasty meals, but she’s an amazing baker as well! We’ve been stuck in our village until now, so the only people who’ve gotten to taste her fantastic feasts are the folks we grew up with, plus Ektor and his friends, and well…now…”
Huh? I’ve somehow managed to talk myself into a corner. The words were spilling from my mouth so quickly, I lost my train of thought. Where exactly was I going with this? I can’t stop now! I have to finish!
“I know you’re worried, and you have every right to be. I know I can’t force you to trust us immediately, but I was really hoping you could try some of Claire’s cooking, too! It’s just so yummy!”
Ugh! The plan sounds so obvious coming from me. I should have just kept my big mouth shut.
I immediately regret everything, when suddenly Angela grabs me with both hands. I look up to see her eyes practically sparkling with delight.
Huh? What?
“Her food’s really that delicious?” Angela asks. “D-Does she cook m-meat, too?”
“She’s hooked.”
“She sure is. Thanks, Miku. Your charming innocence saved the day.”
My ears pick up on Macro and Ektor’s furtive whispers and dry chuckles. I guess she really does love food. I never expected such girlish glee from someone as cool as her. As I stand there, temporarily bewildered, Claire slips to my side, smiling wryly.
“I’m the aforementioned Claire. Nice to meet you, Angela. You love meat, huh? I’ve got an idea for the main entree that’ll be right up your alley.”
“Really?! Then I’m definitely coming over for dinner!!”
I’m baffled by Angela’s immediate acceptance of Claire’s invitation. Ektor and the others nod to each other, satisfied smiles on their faces, clearly pleased they’ve managed to break down the initial obstacle in their way.
Maybe things will work out after all? It’s still too early to say. If she loves food this much, though, then I know she’ll fall in love with Claire’s cooking. Despite her initial concern, she was pretty quick to agree to come over as soon as she realized food was involved. That doesn’t mean she’ll definitely agree to join the guild, but maybe a nice conversation on top of the meal will help.
“I’ve got some things to take care of, so I’ll see you tonight,” Angela says as she bounces off, clearly in good spirits.
She seems so excited! I can tell from her body language alone. It’s kind of cute. At any rate, she agreed to meet with us in private, which means our plan is off to a solid start! We still have a ways to go, but at least we’re moving in the right direction. Now we just need to make sure Angela has a great evening!
After leaving the tavern, we split into two groups to pick up everything we need for tonight’s feast before returning to the guildhall to prepare for Angela’s arrival!