“Yeah, but considering there are kids from the junior division running around, they probably had to tone things down a little... as evidenced by that poster over there.”
Alicia pointed at an advertisement posted on the wall, which urged customers to visit their main store in the capital city for more “extensive” service.
“And here is your cappuccino with latte art,” said the waitress, who’d returned with Sain’s order. “Do you have any particular requests for your latte art, Master?”
Having pondered the issue previously, he crossed his arms and declared without hesitation, “The dark dragon’s emblem please.”
“Th-The dark dragon’s... emblem?”
“Indeed. It’s said that there exists a secret organization in the West Continent which worships dark dragons... and the ominous symbol that defines their beliefs is the dark dragon’s emble— Ow!”
He yelped when Alicia reached across with her leg and stomped on his foot. She then grabbed his right hand and, ignoring his pained groan, held it up to show the waitress a ring he was wearing.
“Can you draw something like the thing on this ring?”
“Absolutely!”
The waitress grinned confidently and quickly got to work. With milk and a spoon, she soon produced a pattern on the frothy surface of his drink.
“And there we go! Done!”
Floating on the top layer of his cappuccino was an impressively accurate recreation of the pattern on his ring.
“Wh-Whoa...”
“Huh. That’s actually pretty good.”
Sain marveled at it. Even Alicia couldn’t help but express some awe.
“It’s so beautiful that it’d be a waste to drink,” said Sain with a pained expression.
“I appreciate your compliment, Master, but it’d be more of a waste if it got cold before you managed to drink it.”
“True. Let’s have a go at it then.”
He brought the cup to his mouth and took a sip. A stream of sweet, foamy goodness flowed past his lips and bathed his tongue before slowly giving way to the distinctive piquancy of coffee. The two tastes — sweet and bitter — complemented each other well, melding into a unique flavor that was easy on the senses and could be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
“Mmm... Delicious.”
“Thank you very much!” The waitress cheerfully bowed at him before looking back up at him and frowning. “Oh no, Master, you got a little bit on yourself. Here, let me get that for you.”
She produced a handkerchief from her pocket and leaned toward him. The unexpected gesture caught him completely by surprise, and he froze as her face neared his. Then, she touched the cloth to his lips and removed a small remnant of his drink with a quick wipe.
“There we go. All good now,” she said, folding up the napkin with a smile.
“E-Erm... Uh, thanks.”
“Oh, Master, you can be so sloppy sometimes. But that’s what makes you adorable— Eek!”
Unbeknownst to Sain, throughout the entire exchange, Melia had been staring daggers at the girl, who recoiled like startled prey when she noticed. The motion caused her to bump the table with her leg, which spilled some of the cappuccino.
“I-I’m so sorry, Master! I’ll make a new one for you right away!”
She used the same napkin to wipe down the table before running away toward the kitchen like she’d seen a ghost. Sain scratched his head, perplexed by her reaction. Alicia and Marni, neither of whom had caught a glimpse of Melia’s murderous glare, looked at each other with puzzled expressions as well.
“What’s gotten into her?”
“...Who knows.”
Sain glanced at his cup with a hint of regret.
“I have to say, that was a pretty impressive piece of work.”
“Yeah. We don’t get to see much latte art around here,” agreed Alicia.
Melia was not impressed.
“That’s got nothing to do with being a maid.”
“Well, I guess that’s true,” said Sain, taking care to temper his tone to avoid ruffling Melia’s feathers further, “but personally, I’m fond of skills like those that can bring joy to someone else. I know it definitely brought me joy. It’s got its own kind of charm, you know? A kind of charm that real, professional maids don’t have.”
He might have tempered his tone, but he failed to select his words carefully. As soon as he said that, Melia shot to her feet.
“...Excuse me for a moment.”
She walked away without another word. After she disappeared behind a corner, Alicia shot him a reproachful glare.
“What was that for, Sain? Why would you sing the praises of other maids in front of her?”
“S-Sorry, I was just making an observation. It wasn’t meant to make Maid look bad or anything...”
“I swear, one of these days, you’re going to wake up with a knife in your chest.”
“A knife?!”
He wanted to argue that was going a little too far but, aware that he did hurt Melia’s feelings, chose to remain silent and engage in some honest self-reflection. They waited for a good five minutes, but there was still no sign of her.
“...What’s taking her so long?” Marni murmured.
Just then, a maid came bearing Sain’s replacement order.
“Here you go. One cappuccino with latte art.”
She placed the cup down in front of him.
“Ah, thank— Huh? Maid?”
He looked at the girl and froze.
“Yes, I am indeed a maid. Any other questions?”
It wasn’t one of the waitresses but Melia who’d brought him his drink. She was wearing her usual maid uniform, having changed into it presumably after she’d excused herself from their table.
“So, Master, I hear you wanted a dark dragon’s emblem for your latte art. Here you go then.”
Sain and the other two girls watched with bewilderment as she began pouring milk into the cup, gently agitating it with a thin spoon in the process. Within seconds, a distinct pattern appeared on the surface of his cappuccino.