Chapter 2: A Meeting in the Alley

While taking a break from looking after the girl, I walked into an alley, and in a corner, I found a dirty kitten. He reminded me of myself. Coming to a country as wealthy as this one had made me reflect on my past.

My first memory was of sleeping curled up in a mountain of trash. I didn’t know my parents. I had nothing to my name. The other poor children and I needed to steal just to live another day. My sleep was always restless, because I often would have to wake and run away at a moment’s notice. I was a bony, dirty kid who had never enjoyed a warm meal or a warm bed.

The kitten was pawing through the trash littering that alley, and I just couldn’t ignore him. I walked closer to him, keeping the sandwich I’d bought for lunch in my hand. When he noticed me, his hair stood up. Such fearful body language reminded me of my past even more. I took a piece of ham from the sandwich and tossed it toward the kitten. He looked at me warily, but slowly approached the ham. He took a bite, realized that it was food, and quickly ate all of it.

I kept throwing him pieces of ham to eat. Before I knew it, I’d given the kitten almost all of the meat in the sandwich, but I felt good about it. The kitten walked away—maybe he was satisfied. I looked at him and decided that I’d have to stop by this alley again.

★★★★★

“The dessert was delicious!” one of the girls said with a smile.

“Thank you,” I replied. “Tomorrow we plan on serving a different one, so if you’d like, please come check it out.”

The girls started chatting among themselves, saying things like, “Really?!” and “We must come again!” and “I hope my allowance will be enough.”

The Harbor Restaurant was full of customers for lunch. Regina had told me that normally, even fewer people came to eat lunch than came for dinner, but today was a different story. We served one of Maria’s desserts and even offered free samples to passersby outside the restaurant, and some girls who loved checking out all things new and trendy walked in. Those girls must have had one impressive information network, because very soon more and more young women started streaming in, saying that they had heard about the place from their friends.

The old couple that Regina employed usually didn’t come for lunch, since there were so few customers, and Sora was busy loading cargo into ships at the harbor. When the restaurant was close to being full, Regina had to leave the counter to help me wait tables.

“I’ve never seen these kinds of customers come here to eat...” she remarked, impressed.

The Harbor Restaurant usually had grumpy old men as its main clientele, but now it looked like a fashionable café for students. And since all the girls mostly just ordered desserts, it pretty much was one. Regina usually only opened the restaurant briefly for lunch, since there was no one eating anyway, but this time we kept it open all the way into the early afternoon.

“Thank you!” I called to the departing girl, our last customer before we finally closed.

I went outside to put up the “closed” sign as instructed by Regina. The Harbor Restaurant was on a busy thoroughfare, so one would expect it to always have tons of customers. It probably kept steadily losing them after people realized that they just served food from other restaurants. The fact that the town’s girls talking about our desserts was enough to fill the Harbor Restaurant so much was proof of this. At this pace, it was on its way to become a popular restaurant. I proudly put up the sign and went back inside.

When I returned, I found that Maria, the one who worked the hardest that day, had left the kitchen to join Regina in the dining room.

“You’ve done great, Maria! Thanks to the sweets you cooked, the restaurant was full of customers today,” I congratulated her, but she started shaking her head, looking concerned.

“Thank you,” she began, “but it was all thanks to you that we had so many customers.”

“Huh? Me? Why?”

“Because you promoted what I cooked to the people outside!”

“I did do that for a little bit at the start, but people only came in because the sweets were delicious!”

It was true that I went outside the restaurant to let people try them. If I didn’t, how could anyone know that they taste good? We were on a wide street with lots of people passing by, so I figured I’d stand next to the entrance with samples in hand, praising Maria’s creations. The first girls who came into the restaurant did so only because they’d liked those samples, so I couldn’t take any credit for that.

“But giving out samples was a wonderful idea. Had it not been for that, those girls would never have walked in at all. I truly believe that the credit goes to you,” Maria insisted, inflexible on this point.

Maybe for this world giving out free food samples was a wonderful innovation, but I just did what I was used to seeing in my previous life.

“But—”

“You two,” Regina chimed in, “this discussion is going nowhere, and you should take a break after working for so long. We’ll have to start preparing to open for dinner later on, so rest while you can.”

She then chased us out of the dining room.

“Where should we even rest? In our rooms?” I asked Maria as we looked at each other.

There wasn’t much to do in those empty little rooms other than nap.

“I still have not seen much of the town, so I would like to take a walk. Would you join me, Lady Katarina?”

“Of course!” I instantly replied.

We let Regina know that we’d be outside, and she told us, “This part of town is safe, in general, but be back before sunset. And don’t go near back alleys and other desolate places.”

Being born and raised in the capital, which didn’t really have any dangerous areas, I was surprised by her warning, but she explained that, for other towns, having a few shadier areas was perfectly normal. Even so, people from other countries were apparently still impressed by how safe Sorcié was.

“Understood.” We nodded with serious looks on our faces, and started our walk through town, making sure not to wander into anywhere risky.

Maria had mentioned that she hadn’t seen the town, but I hadn’t seen that much of it either—I’d just been out on an errand to get food for the Harbor Restaurant. I was very excited to explore further. Maybe because of it being a harbor town, there were a lot of people who didn’t look native to our country, and there were a lot of things for sale which you wouldn’t find back in the capital. Fruit I’d never seen before, plenty of fish, little stalls selling food... Everything looked new and interesting.

“Doesn’t this look tasty? Oh, I want to try that too! But I can’t pass up the other one either!” I commented enthusiastically, unable to decide what I wanted to eat.

“We will be here for a while, so you could well eat all of them one at a time,” Maria responded, giggling.

Indeed, we wouldn’t be going back to the capital straight away, so there was no reason to hurry.

“You’re right. Then, I’ll start with—”

Since I still couldn’t decide, I ended up buying a bunch of stuff which I would then split with Maria. We sat on a bench nearby and ate the things I’d bought from the stalls.

“Here’s your half, Maria.”

“Thank you.”

“Looks delicious!” I exclaimed moments before stuffing a pancake into my mouth. The fluffy, airy cake was full of juicy fruit, giving the perfect combination of sweetness and acidity. “It is delicious!” I announced ecstatically, putting a hand to my cheek.

“Indeed! I especially love the fruit.” Maria smiled in agreement.

“I’ve never seen this fruit before though.” I was curious about the colorful tropical-looking fruit that I’d never eaten back home.

“Me too. Maybe it is a specialty from this town.”

If Maria said so, it was probably true.

“I wish I could use it for desserts at the restaurant...” she mused while staring intently at the fruit.

“That sounds good! I saw a greengrocer earlier, so let’s go there and buy some more before we go back.”

“Yes!”

After we ate, it was time for window shopping. The clothes on display here were more colorful and flashy than those that we were used to.

“This is so cute. It’d look great on you. Try putting it on, Maria!”

“Th-Thank you. Oh, look here, Lady Katarina! This one is wonderful too! Would you not try it?”

We also visited a souvenir shop.

“Look, Maria, there’s a little statue in the shape of a weird animal. I wonder if it’s one of those they keep in the Ministry.”

“That does not seem to be the case—there is an explanation written under here. It appears that this is the deity which is said to guard these lands.”

“A deity, I see... Look! It’s star-shaped sand!”

“It is so pretty!”

“Oh, that’s right! Let’s go to the beach!” The sand had reminded me that Maria hadn’t seen the sea yet and the day before, she’d said that she wanted to.

“I would love to do so!” she cried, looking enthusiastic about the idea.

“Let’s go then!”

I asked the shopkeeper for directions, then took Maria by the hand and made for the beach. Just as I’d been told, going along the main street led us to the harbor, which was full of all kinds of people. The sea in front of us was clear and beautiful. Maria’s expression upon seeing it for the first time was just as stunned as mine was a day earlier.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

“Yes...” Maria showed her agreement by nodding vigorously.

“Even if it’s still Sorcié, this place is so different from the capital. Other countries are probably even more different...” I reflected while looking at the sea and the ships floating on it.

“Surely so. The world out there must be so big.”

I wondered if Cezar had safely reached his country. Cezar was a foreign prince I’d met through some unique circumstances at the recent International Assembly. I was reminiscing about that when Maria, all of a sudden, pulled on my arm.

“Hm?”

“I just felt like you were going to go someplace far away... Do you want to go abroad, Lady Katarina?” she asked me, probably because I had been staring at the sea for so long.

Before entering the Academy, I was considering the possibility of living outside of Sorcié, in case I was exiled, but not anymore. Besides, this time the game didn’t even have an exile end for me. A jail end—that it did have. My only concern right now was finding a way to escape from my cell.

I also wanted to see other countries, yes, but, “If I ever go abroad, I’d rather go with my friends. Going by myself doesn’t sound like fun. Maria,” I added, stretching my hand toward her, “do you want to come with me?”

“Yes! I will follow you anywhere,” she answered, blushing. If I were one of the game’s love interests, getting a reply as beautiful as that would be enough to make me fall in love with Maria.

I looked at the sky and noticed that the sun had slowly started going down.

“Let’s get going. Hehe, this was so fun. It was my first time shopping and eating out with a friend like this,” I remarked. As a noble lady, browsing food stalls with friends was usually out of the question. “Thank you for coming with me, Maria... Maria? What’s wrong?” Tears were welling up in her eyes. “A-Are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere? Do you want to sit down?” I fired off one question after another, unsure what to do.

“N-No, this is just... I am only...moved, you see... I am fine,” she said, trying to convince me that there was nothing wrong.

“You moved? To where?” I wondered. I was so nervous that I couldn’t even hear her properly. What?

She looked at me, who was still visibly confused, and showed me an embarrassed smile. “I just mean that I love you so dearly, Lady Katarina.”

She had kind of lost me there, but having a beautiful girl tell me that she loved me while blushing felt really good regardless.

“Th-thank you,” I replied, and I couldn’t help but blush too. I still didn’t understand why she was crying, but now she looked okay and was actually smiling. I reminded her that she shouldn’t call me “Lady” here and she blushed again.

On our way back, we stopped to buy some fruit to use to make desserts. At the restaurant, Regina and her usual lukewarm attitude greeted us.

When we told her that we went to the harbor, she asked us if we saw Sora. Now that I thought of it, Sora was supposed to be working there. I’d completely forgotten about it and hadn’t seen him, but Maria said that, right before going to the sea, she’d spotted him.

“Didn’t you say hello to him?”

“I did not manage to do so,” she said, and then we went to our rooms to start preparing to open for dinner.

That’s when I remembered that when we were going to the sea, I was dragging Maria by her hand and walking pretty fast. That was probably why she didn’t manage to greet Sora despite seeing him. Did I interfere with their romance again?

Ugh. I’d just made up my mind to be more independent and try not to interfere with those two and then, on the same day, I ended up keeping Maria to myself so much that she couldn’t even talk with Sora... That’s the very definition of interfering. I felt terrible about having made another mistake. I’ll have to be more careful from now on! I’ll make sure I don’t get between Maria and Sora anymore!

After reflecting on my wrongdoing, I left my room ready to prepare for dinnertime. Sora was back from his work at the harbor and he told us about what he’d learned there.

“The cargo is inspected carefully, but it’s still impossible to police every last nook of every single ship. I heard that that’s how contraband can sometimes slip through.”

So it was possible that the harbor was being used for human trafficking.

“But could that really be happening in a town like this one?” I pondered. Today, during my walk with Maria, I was impressed by how lively the area looked. It was nothing like the place where Keith had been kidnapped. There, everything was in decay and there were people laying down in the streets. But here? It doesn’t seem like a place to commit crimes.

“Our town is lively, I’ll give you that,” Regina answered, “but we’re close to a harbor where a lot of foreigners come to trade. It’s those people who tend to get involved in shady stuff. But the people who come to the area near this restaurant are mostly locals. That’s why it’s so safe.”

So that was why I saw so many people that looked like foreigners near the harbor. I also remembered when, at the Assembly, those entitled foreign nobles who didn’t know about Sorcié’s rules tried to take Maria.

“Sorcié may be safe, but not all countries are the same as this one.” I’d heard that from Cezar, Sora, and many others. The world across the sea suddenly didn’t sound as fascinating anymore.

After reporting on what he’d heard, Sora was ready to go to his room and prepare for opening the restaurant. Before that, though, he asked us if we’d been near the harbor.

“Yes,” Maria responded honestly, “Lady Katarina and I took a walk through the town during our break.”

“Oh, that sounds fun. Anyway, this area is relatively safe, but don’t go to any weird places,” Sora warned us.

“Phew... Sora wasn’t mad...” I mumbled to myself as he left.

“What?” Maria asked, surprised. She obviously didn’t understand what I meant. As an otome game protagonist, Maria could be kind of dull when it came to understanding men’s feelings. She hadn’t noticed that Sora liked her.

“I just thought that, you know, he’d get mad at us for not inviting him.” Actually, what I really thought was that he’d get mad at me for keeping Maria all to myself.

“I see. Maybe he wanted to come along too. We shall invite him next time, and go again! All three of us!”

“Th-Three?!” Why don’t the two of you go?! You wouldn’t be able to enjoy each other if I were there!

“Yes! It sounds lovely,” Maria replied with the cutest smile ever.

“It does, yeah...” I nodded along.

This was one protagonist to be reckoned with. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to be the one falling in love with her. She was too cute. In my heart, though, I knew that I had to refuse that prospect. If I didn’t, I’d end up interfering and become a villainess and... I kept struggling with my thoughts while preparing the restaurant, until it finally opened for the evening.

Just as Regina had expected, there were even more customers than on the previous day. She explained that there were so many people living there close to each other that rumors spread incredibly fast. And apparently, along with the rumors about Maria’s cuisine, rumors about me had been spreading as well.

“So you’re a relative of Regina’s? Do your best!” some customers would tell me.

One of the customers came with his daughter. They’d wanted to come for lunch to try Maria’s dessert but didn’t make it in time, so we gave the daughter one to take home after she was done with dinner.

Now that I’d gotten more used to the job, I had enough mental resources left to interact with customers more. Most people were probably familiar with one another to begin with, being from the same town, and the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed throughout the restaurant. Some of the customers even remembered my name and promised that they’d come again. Both Regina and the old waitress praised me for getting so used to the job in a single day. I was happy about receiving compliments again. Maybe I made for a better waitress than a noble lady, I thought.

“Thank you!” I saw off the last group of customers. There were even more people than the day before, and at times, the restaurant was almost completely full.

“At this rate, we might even turn a profit...” Regina mumbled to herself.

After we were done cleaning and the old couple had gone home, Regina started reporting on what she’d managed to hear that day. “With all these customers coming in, I was able to hear a lot of interesting things! It’s all because of you guys! Thank you! Of course,” she continued, “I didn’t hear anyone talk specifically about the kidnapping or human trafficking. However, I heard that some foreigners at the harbor were doing something suspicious. That isn’t a rare occurrence, though, so I’ll have to look into it a bit more.”

She explained that foreigners behaving in a shady way around the harbor was common and that people would usually just report it to the harbor guards and call it a day. Most of the people caught were smugglers of illegal items.

“And this time we aren’t even talking about illegal things, but people. We can’t let that go unpunished. I’ll check on the source of that rumor and tell you what I find,” Regina concluded, and then we went back to our rooms to rest before the next day of work.

While we were walking back, Maria approached Sora. “Next time, we should all go around town together, the three of us,” she invited him.

“You’re right,” he answered, sounding happy at the prospect, though I suspected that he actually wanted to go out with Maria alone.

I looked at him as if to say Don’t worry, I’ll leave you two alone when the time comes, but my message probably didn’t get through, because he just looked at me weirdly and that was it. I really wanted to support the romance between Maria and Sora, but things just wouldn’t go my way.

I reached my room, and being just as tired as the previous day, I went straight to bed once again. I was starting to get used to this job, and the restaurant was getting a lot more customers. Now all we needed was a useful lead. If the baron’s kidnapped daughter was here, we had to save her as soon as possible. On top of that, I also had to worry about Maria and Sora and how not to interfere with their relationship.

I have a lot to do, a lot to think about. But I’m so tired I can’t even think straight... I’ll worry about stuff tomorrow.

I sank my face into the pillow, which was harder than I was used to, and before I knew it I was already snoring.

★★★★★

I, Maria Campbell, was once again assigned to a mission together with Lady Katarina Claes. She had saved me, both during our time at the Academy and also at the Ministry, on countless occasions. She was always saving me. I didn’t want to be a weight. I wanted to be the one saving her...

It was our second day since arriving at Ocean Harbor. Our lunch shift was over, and I left the kitchen for the dining area. Katarina was not there.

“Good job. The people loved your desserts,” Regina, coming out from behind the counter, told me.

“Thank you,” I answered, just before seeing Lady Katarina walk in through the restaurant’s entrance. She had been changing the sign to the “closed” one.

Lady Katarina also praised my cooking, going so far as to say that all those customers had come because of me. She smiled at me, but I shook my head. I believed that the credit belonged to her. I explained that, had it not been for her promoting my sweets outside the restaurant, nobody would have walked in. She humbly claimed that she had barely done anything, but I knew that that was not the case. After all, I had done nothing but cook.

I knew from my childhood that, no matter how delicious a dessert was, it was pointless as long as nobody ate it. Before, nobody would eat what I, a lonely child with Light Magic powers, cooked.

This had all changed because of Lady Katarina. I cooked, because that was what I was told to do, but I did not know how we could show potential customers our offerings. Lady Katarina, however, promptly asked Regina for permission and went out into the street, showing off the desserts to the people passing by, and even offering them free samples.

“Starting today, the Harbor Restaurant has desserts too! Come try them!” she would declare.

After the first few people, interested by this peculiar sight, actually walked inside, one customer started following another. I explained my reasoning to Lady Katarina, but she did not seem to agree.

Regina, however, interrupted us to say that it was time we rested, driving us away from the dining area.

As we turned to look at each other, Lady Katarina asked me what I thought we should do in our free time, and I nervously told her that I wanted to see the town, adding that it would be a great pleasure if she agreed to come with me. I thought that inviting her like that was rather impertinent of me, but thankfully, she smiled at me and agreed.

We told Regina about what we were planning to do, and she cautioned us about avoiding potentially dangerous places. Heeding her warning, we decided not to stray too far away from the restaurant.

The town was thriving with activity as the salty breeze from the sea blew through it. Many of the people around us looked like foreigners, and I felt as if I was briefly transported to another country. What’s more, there were lines of shops and stalls selling all kinds of goods which were not available in the capital.

Lady Katarina kept shifting her gaze enthusiastically from one place to the next, unable to decide what she should eat. She was endearing in her childishness, and I could not help but smile. I suggested that she simply try all the stalls that interested her, since we had enough time to do so, and she started thinking about where to start. Despite having stared at the various offerings with a serious face for quite a long time, she still seemed to be having trouble choosing.

“I would also like to try different treats, so why do we not buy several and split them between us?”

“Really?! Thank you, Maria!” she replied ecstatically.

Soon after, we sat on a bench and started eating together. She split one of the sweets she had bought in half, handing me my share. I really respected her for how nonchalantly she could do something like that despite her noble upbringing.

As soon as I’d thanked her, she was already stabbing a pancake with a fork. Moments later she had already eaten it and was rejoicing at how good it tasted. She looked delighted.

I ate it too, and found that the soft sponge was filled with plenty of delicious fruit.

Lady Katarina noticed that we had never seen fruit like that in the capital, and I thought that using a local specialty in the restaurant could make it even more popular. I mentioned the idea to her, and she quickly agreed with me, saying that we should buy some of that fruit before going back. I was more than happy to do so, mostly because I wanted to bake something that Lady Katarina would like.

After eating, we went to see the shops near the harbor. I had never shopped with a friend and I was very excited to be able to do so for the first time.

While we were looking at souvenirs, Lady Katarina suggested that we go to the sea. I had never actually seen the sea myself but really wanted to do so. I replied to that effect, and she grabbed my hand and started walking. The last time I had walked while someone held my hand was probably when I was but a toddler, and so it felt somewhat embarrassing, but in a pleasant way.

On our way to the harbor, I noticed Sora working, but I thought that if I stopped to say hello to him, Lady Katarina would let go of my hand. I did not want that to end. I pretended not to see him, deciding that I would later say, as an excuse, that I did not find the appropriate time to approach him.

Once we reached the harbor, we were greeted by a seemingly infinite expanse of blue. The water, as clear as the sky above it, reached all the way to the horizon.

This is...the sea. I expected it to be large, but...how could it be this magnificent? I was so moved by the view that I remained silent.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Lady Katarina asked me.

I could only agree and nod. It was, indeed, very beautiful. I knew that I would never forget the sight in front of me.

“Even if it’s still Sorcié, this place is so different from the capital. Other countries are probably even more different...” she mused, looking at the ships on the water.

The world over the horizon... The countries over there were probably beyond what we could ever imagine.

I looked at Lady Katarina, her gaze pointed toward far away lands that she could not see, and I felt scared. I felt that she was going to leave me and go where I could not reach her ever again. I grabbed her arm.

She looked at me, surprised, and asked what I was doing.

“I just felt like you were going to go someplace far away... Do you want to go abroad, Lady Katarina?”

In my heart, the true question was slightly different. Do you want to go abroad and leave us all behind? But I resisted saying that.

“If I ever go abroad, I’d rather go with my friends. Going by myself doesn’t sound like fun,” she answered, and my fear suddenly vanished.

She then extended her hand toward me and asked whether I would accompany her. She would never leave me behind.

“Yes! I will follow you anywhere.” As long as she allowed me to, I would stay by her side. Always.

Back when I was shunned and lonely, I could never have imagined that one day, somebody would so naturally ask me to accompany them somewhere. The world was a warmer place than I had thought, and I could feel that warmth in my chest.

“Let’s get going. Hehe, this was so fun. It was my first time shopping and eating out with a friend like this,” Lady Katarina remarked, but the same was true for me as well. Honestly, I thought that such a day would never come.

“Thank you for coming with me, Maria... Maria? What’s wrong?” she asked me. As her voice made me come back to my senses, I realized that my face was wet. I had started crying without even noticing it.

Clearly concerned for me, she asked me if I was hurt. Imagining how worried she would be by seeing me start crying all of a sudden, I told her that I was just deeply moved. She did not understand me, but through no fault of her own—my sudden outburst would have confused anyone. Fighting the embarrassment, I simply told her how I felt.

“I just mean that I love you so dearly, Lady Katarina.”

“Th-thank you,” she answered with a smile.

Seeing that made me feel warm in my chest once more, and I had to exert all of my willpower not to start crying again. I did not want to bother her with my tears.

Lady Katarina, today was a special day for me. I saw the sea for the first time and did so together with the person I love the most.

We went back to the restaurant, stopping to buy the fruit we had talked about, and along the way, Lady Katarina reminded me that I should not call her “Lady” here.

Regina was waiting for us at the restaurant, and she asked us if we had seen Sora at the harbor.

I had pretended not to see him but I did not want to lie, so I admitted that I had.

Lady Katarina asked me why I did not say so earlier, and I gave the excuse that I had thought of earlier.

“I did not manage to do so.”

Just saying that made me feel embarrassed, since the real reason was that I wanted to enjoy my time together with her for as long as possible.

Sora, who had come back to help us prepare for the evening, reported to us about what he had seen that day. He found that it was possible to hide something within the cargo of a ship, which meant there was a possibility of human trafficking taking place.

“But could that really be happening in a town like this one?” Lady Katarina asked, and I felt the same.

The town I had just visited was bright and lively, certainly not the place one would imagine when hearing about such heinous crimes.

However, Regina explained to us that there were many foreigners passing through the port and that they often caused trouble. Fortunately, they did not tend to visit this part of town, so it was relatively safe.

I had almost never interacted with foreigners, except during my undercover mission at the International Assembly in the Castle. I remembered some of them, nobles who treated commoners as nothing more than objects. I immediately felt uncomfortable. If people like them were at Ocean Harbor, it was very possible that they were trafficking humans. And if the kidnapped girl was one of them...

I clenched my fists.

We had to do our best to get as much information as possible and ascertain whether the girl was in this town.

After he had finished reporting to us, Sora made for his room, but before leaving, he asked us whether we had been near the harbor. He had probably noticed us too, and I felt bad about it.

“Yes, Lady Katarina and I took a walk through the town during our break,” I confirmed.

“Oh, that sounds fun. Anyway, this area is relatively safe, but don’t go to any weird places,” he concluded, worried for us. Sora was a really kind person, and I felt sorry for pretending not to see him just so I could spend more time alone with Lady Katarina.

After he had left, I heard Katarina let out a sigh of relief.

“Sora wasn’t mad...” she muttered.

Why would he be mad?! Had Lady Katarina figured out the true reason I hadn’t talked to him earlier?! I panicked, but she quickly explained what she meant.

“I just thought that, you know, he’d get mad at us for not inviting him,” she said.

I thought that she made a valid point, so I suggested that the next time we go for a walk, we all do so together. Sora, as I understood it, also liked Lady Katarina very much, so I had no doubt that he would like that idea. I had kept her all for myself today by ignoring him, and not inviting him next time would be very unfair.

After that, I went to my room to start preparing, and before long, it was time to open the restaurant for dinner.

Lady Katarina performed even better at her job than she had on the previous day, gracefully moving between the tables carrying dishes and taking orders. As expected of her, she was very popular with the customers.

Afterward, we learned that Regina had heard a piece of information regarding suspicious actions by some foreigners and said that she would investigate it further.

While we were walking back to our respective rooms at the end of the day, I told Sora, “Next time, we should all go around town together, the three of us.”

“You’re right,” he replied, looking pleased. He probably wanted to go out walking with Lady Katarina as well.

Back in my room, I looked back at the good memories I had made during that day and prepared for the next day’s work. I had so much fun...but maybe, in this very town, a kidnapped girl was suffering. Maybe she was as scared as I was when those foreign nobles kidnapped me. If that was the case, we needed to rescue her as soon as possible. I will do my best to bring her home safely, I swore to myself before falling asleep.

★★★★★

Unlike the previous day, I managed to wake up without any problem before it was too late. ...With Maria’s help, that is.

Today, too, Sora was out working at the docks while Maria looked busy preparing the desserts to serve at lunchtime.

Yesterday I hadn’t really done much of anything, but today I decided I wanted to help, so I asked Regina what ingredients we needed and went to shop for the groceries. I was getting used to the town, and I could go to the closest shop by myself.

Regina ordered me to immediately call a guard if anything happened, but it was barely more than a ten-minute trip, and I didn’t even get lost on the way. I also encountered some of the restaurant’s patrons from the previous day, who recognized me and asked me if I was out shopping for the restaurant. That made me feel even safer.

I bought the things that Regina told me to and was ready to go back when I heard someone calling out to me.

“Oh, you’re the Harbor’s new waitress, aren’t you?”

I looked up and saw a man in front of the store across the street smiling at me.

“Thank you for that dessert yesterday!” he said, and I remembered who he was.

He was the customer who had come to the restaurant with his daughter who wanted to try our dessert. We ended up making one just for her so that they could eat it after they left.

“Not at all! Did your daughter like it?” I asked.

“She sure did! She scarfed down the whole thing while going on about how good it tasted. Oh, right, take this. As thanks for yesterday,” he said, tossing me one of the apples on display at the store.

“Thank you! Please come visit us again sometime!” I said before leaving.

The apple he’d given me was shiny and smelled good. I could tell how delicious it was going to be just by looking at it.

I’m going to share this with Maria later. If we have any whipped cream, it’d go great with this. And I wonder if we also have honey. Honey would be awesome.

I was so busy thinking about how to eat the apple that I got distracted and stumbled on a rock.

Wah!

I tried my best not to fall down and to protect the ingredients I’d bought at the same time...but unfortunately, the apple fell down. It was so smooth and round that it rolled all the way into an alley.

My apple! I thought, dashing after it. After walking a short way down the dark alley, I finally found the apple laying next to some other small object which I couldn’t quite make out.

The object jumped up, and as I got a better look, I realized that it was a dirty, underweight kitten. He didn’t have a collar around his neck, so he was probably a stray. He started hissing at me while keeping an eye on the apple. He really looked malnourished. I took the apple and, crouching down, I tried to imitate a cat’s purr. The kitten, however, just started hissing louder and backed away slowly.

I knew that dogs hate me, but I thought cats tolerated me... Maybe strays are just easily scared.

I looked at the apple and noticed that there were no bite marks on it. Do cats even eat apples? They don’t, right? I tried to think of something that I could feed the kitten and remembered that the shop owner, earlier, had given me some extra sausages free of charge. Maybe the kitten likes meat?

I took the sausage out of the bag, tore off a little bit, and threw it in the kitten’s direction. The kitten looked surprised at first, but then slowly started moving toward it. When he reached the sausage, he started nibbling. The poor guy must have been really hungry. I threw another piece of sausage, and then another, and then another, until I heard a voice behind me.

“Little one? Where are you?”

I saw a young man entering the alley with a slice of ham in his hands.

“Oh, there you are. Wait, who are you?” the man, who probably was around my age, asked.

He had deep brown hair and eyes, and tan skin. He didn’t look like someone from this town. His face lit up when he saw the kitten but then darkened when he saw me crouching next to him.

“I found this kitten and was just giving him some sausage. Is this your cat?” I asked. I thought he was a stray cat, but this young man seemed to be his owner.

“No, he’s just a stray,” he answered, looking away from me. “I just found him here, so I come by to give him something to eat when I have free time.”

That explained the ham in his hand, and it also meant that, as I thought at first, the kitten had no owner.

“I see. But he looks so small. I wonder where his parents are.” The kitten was so tiny that he could have fit in my hands, and he looked too young to live without parents.

“He was already alone the first time I saw him. His parents are either dead or they abandoned him,” the young man spat out coldly.

“But will he be able to make it on his own?” I wondered. The kitten looked so thin that his bones showed. I couldn’t come to feed him every day, and apparently the young man only came here sporadically.

He’s definitely too small to hunt well enough to survive... I’m getting worried about this kitten.

“If he can’t, he’ll die. Simple as that,” the man replied, aloof.

His response sounded so cruel that I felt irritated and I turned toward him, ready to reprimand him for being heartless. But when I looked into his face, I found that he seemed genuinely worried for the kitten. My rage subsided, and I thought that maybe this man had the same tsundere tendencies as Alan.

“Excuse me...wouldn’t you be able to take him home?” I asked.

“...I’m not from around here, so I can’t. What about you?” he countered. As I suspected, he wasn’t from this town.

“I’m only staying here temporarily too, so I can’t...” I replied.

Of course, if I could bring him back to the Claes manor, he could probably stay in our garden, but... Easier said than done. I was here on a mission and I didn’t even know when we’d be back home.

“Oh...” he said, visibly disappointed.

He’s been feeding this cat since before I ever did, so he must have grown really attached... Wait, I have an idea!

“I work at a restaurant right now, so I could ask the customers if any of them wants to take him home!”

“Sure. It’s not my problem anyway,” came a stereotypical tsundere answer, but I could tell from his expression that he was happy about my idea.

“I can’t bring him back with me right now, however. Do you think he’ll be fine?”

“Yeah, he’s always in this alley. It should be fine even if you come by later.”

“I’m so glad. I’ll look for an owner and, when I find one, I’ll come back to pick up the kitten.”

“Whatever... I’ll come by to check on him too,” the young man said, mumbling the last part under his breath. I started to understand how he felt about the kitten.

“Oh, I work at the Harbor Restaurant down this road, so do come in if you have the chance. See you, young man!”

“Young man...? Just call me Arneau,” he said, before starting to walk away.

“Okay, Arneau. I’m Katarina, by the way!”

I saw Arneau put the ham down for the kitten as he left. He looked aloof but he was probably kind deep down.

“I’ll find you a good owner, so wait just a bit longer, okay?” I told the cat.

Arneau wasn’t there anymore, and I went back to the restaurant, for real this time.

I promptly asked Regina if I could look for an owner among the customers.

“Yes. I can’t take the cat myself, but feel free to ask around.”

I decided to do so as soon as we were open. I imagined that, just as on the previous day, we would get lots of young girls coming to eat sweets. I had to make sure to tell them about Maria’s new desserts too!

Soon after we opened, as I had predicted, the restaurant was full of girls. We had almost no empty seats left. Expecting a busy lunchtime, Regina had called her other two employees, who were now almost crying with joy at seeing how popular the restaurant had become.

“I’m going to turn a profit...” Regina gasped, grinning.

One smiling customer gushed, “This is so good! It’s so full of fruit!” as she proceeded to quickly finish her dessert. She was the daughter of the man who’d given me the apple earlier. After being too late for lunchtime on the previous day, she tried Maria’s sweets at home and liked them so much that she came again.

“I wish I could actually try all of them,” said the sugar-loving girl as she looked at the menu, “but I’m almost out of pocket money...”

After long and careful consideration, she had ordered three desserts which she was now happily devouring. The way she was attacking those plates made me think that we’d make good friends.

“Ughh... I ate too much... I’ll save my allowance and come again!” she announced, gazing enviously at the other girls who were still eating.

“These are small ones we made to give away as samples, but...here. Have this,” I told her, wrapping up some sweets and giving them to her without anyone noticing.

“Th-Thank you so much!” she said with a huge smile. Nodding vigorously, she added, “I’ll tell all my friends about this restaurant!”

“Oh, by the way, do you know anyone who would like to keep a cat? He’s still a kitten, but he’s living without his parents. I’m trying to find him an owner,” I said.

I had already asked a few customers, but most of the people around here were running businesses and couldn’t keep pets. This girl’s father gave me an apple earlier, so her family probably ran a fruit shop. I thought that, even if she couldn’t keep the kitten herself, maybe she knew someone who could.

“Hm... I can’t tell for sure, but I know someone who might. I’ll try to ask.”

“Really?!”

This was the first positive answer I’d received that day.

“I’ll come back to tell you what they said after I’ve asked!” she promised, with a smile on her face that looked just like her father’s.

“Thank you,” I bowed as she left.

I hope we’ll be able to find this kitten a home...

Another lunchtime made busy by tons of young women came to a close.

Maria said that she’d prepare new dishes for dinner, and I wanted to make myself useful too, so I said I’d go to buy the ingredients again. We had more customers than we expected, and many ingredients were already starting to run out. I wrote them down on a list and went to the same shop I’d been to earlier. Once again, I reached it without getting lost.

“Oh? Here again?” the shopkeeper asked me.

“Yes. We need ingredients again. I’ll buy more this time around.”

Walking out, I looked at the store whose owner had given me an apple earlier today. Maybe he was taking a break, because there was a woman standing there instead. Probably his wife.

With my groceries in hand, I started walking back and reached the alley where I met the kitten. It had been a few hours since I met him, and I wondered if he really was still here. I was so worried that I just had to check, and walked closer.

“Oh!”

Just as Arneau said, the kitten was still there...together with Arneau himself. He said he’d only come by when he had the time, but there he was, again giving some kind of meat to the kitten. I hadn’t noticed earlier, but the cat looked really comfortable around Arneau. He’d eat straight from his hand and was nowhere near as tense as when I was feeding him.

When he saw me, Arneau’s expression turned awkward.

I walked toward him and said, “He looks really used to you. Do you come by often?”

“Not that much. Not that much at all,” Arneau replied indifferently.

“But you were here earlier too...”

“It’s just a coincidence. I had something to do nearby.”

I decided not to press that topic further, since he just kept stubbornly denying that he cared about the kitten anyway. Instead, I told him about the results of my search for an owner.

“...She is going to ask, and when she has an answer, she’ll come back to tell me.”

“I see...”

His reply was terse, but his eyes were full of joy. He really was the type who’s never honest about his feelings.

“And also,” I continued, “tomorrow morning, there’s something I’d like to do for this kitten. Would you help me?”

I wanted to do this even if we couldn’t find the kitten an owner, but at first I thought it’d be impossible, given how tense he was around me. But seeing how relaxed he was around Arneau gave me hope. And Arneau obviously cared a lot about the kitten, so he’d probably help me.

“And what would that be?”

“Well...”

After getting Arneau to promise that he’d meet me the next day, I went back to the restaurant.

I found Maria in the kitchen preparing to open for dinner, and Sora was there with her. The two seemed to be having fun talking. I was ready to walk inside and greet them, but I remembered just in time that I didn’t want to intrude on Maria and Sora when they were together. I don’t want to get myself doomed. I must root for their love. No interfering, I thought, and quickly moved away from the kitchen and into the restaurant’s main dining room.

Regina, as usual, was behind the counter and seemed to be skimming through a notebook.

“I’m back. Here are the groceries.”

“Thank you,” she answered, looking up at me.

“What are you reading?” I asked, curious.

“Oh, Maria neatly wrote down the figures of the restaurant’s sales,” she replied.

“She did what?!”

I asked why Maria would go to the trouble of doing something like that, and Regina explained that Maria overheard her complain about how difficult accounting was and offered to help. Maria turned out to be so good at it that Regina eventually just turned the whole task over to her.

I was surprised both by Maria having yet another skill and by Regina lacking yet another skill.

“Maria’s really incredible, isn’t she?” I remarked.

“She sure is,” declared Regina. “She can cook, she can keep the books, and she even gave me various suggestions on how to cut operating costs.”

Just how much does Regina plan to rely on a single temporary employee? I thought to myself. Still, no matter how much she was entrusted with, Maria was able to do it. I’d always known that she was smart, but she still managed to impress me.

“I wonder if she would stay to work here even after the mission is over...” Regina trailed off.

“Maria easily ends up working too hard without realizing it, so try not to ask too much of her, please,” I replied, knowing about her tendency to comply whenever people relied on her.

“You’re probably right... She looks like the type. I’ll try to be careful,” Regina replied, but then she followed it up with, “If only she wasn’t a Light Magic user...” and I wasn’t really sure I could trust her.

I went back to take a look at the kitchen and noticed that Sora wasn’t there anymore. He’d probably gone back to his room. Since now I could go in without interfering with their budding romance, I approached Maria, and she let me try her new dishes for the day. They were delicious. I took the opportunity to ask her about the fact that she was keeping the restaurant’s books for Regina and whether she was overworking herself.

“Not at all. If anything, now that those messy books are all nice and tidy and I have been able to think about how to reduce all that wasteful spending, I feel much better. I enjoy this kind of thing,” she said with eyes full of delight.

Now that I thought back on it, she seemed to be enjoying herself when I saw her counting the sales and profits at the end of the day. It was a bit unexpected, but maybe she liked working with money.

After I discovered this new side of my friend’s personality, it was time to open the restaurant for dinner for the third day in a row.

Just as Regina expected, Maria’s cuisine drew in even more customers than on the previous days, and there were few empty seats. I’d also already gotten so used to being a waitress that I managed to do my job without any major mishaps.

Earlier, Regina had informed me that most of the customers stopped by here after work. They’d have a meal or a drink after they were done selling goods or loading cargo at the harbor and then they’d head home. It was easy to imagine that they weren’t really interested in fancy dishes. They wanted the kind of simple but tasty meal that they could eat in their own homes, which was exactly what Maria was making.

“Excuse me, Miss. I’ll take today’s special,” one late customer called out to me. He was the man who’d given me the apple earlier that day.

I thanked him for that while I took his order.

“Ha ha, it’s just an apple, don’t mention it. By the way, my daughter said that she was here today and mentioned how good you were to her. Thanks, Miss,” he added with a laugh.

“Not at all! I was happy to see how much she liked our menu. And she also said she’d help me in my search for an owner.”

“Oh, you mean about the kitten? She told me about it, and I asked someone who said they could take it. They’ll come by tomorrow evening to pick it up.”

“Really?! Thank you very much!”

Yeah! That must be the person she was talking about earlier! I didn’t think we’d find the kitten an owner this fast. I thanked the man and his daughter again and then (with permission from Regina and Maria) I gave him some small sweets to take back home.

And so another evening at the restaurant came to a finish. The old employees left once we were almost done with the cleanup, and Regina reported on what she’d heard on that day.

“With all these customers, I was able to listen to a lot of talk. And I even heard about a rumor of a kidnapped girl being sold to someone from another country,” she said.

“So there really was human trafficking going on!” We finally obtained a valuable piece of information.

“That seems to be the case, but it’s only a rumor. The man who talked about it sounded like he was just trying to warn his daughter against playing outside at night. I’ll need to look into it further.” Regina shrugged.

“I see...”

After all, it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“And I’m also still investigating those foreigners at the harbor. They look suspicious, but nobody has witnessed them committing any actual crime,” Regina continued.

All in all, after three days, we still didn’t know anything new. It was so frustrating.

“Hm...” Regina furrowed her brow. “If we’re having this much trouble finding information, it means that someone with a lot of power in our country is involved.”

I didn’t really understand what she meant, so I asked her to elaborate.

“Foreigners usually don’t know that much about Sorcié, so when they break the law, they usually get quickly found out by someone, and the rumors start spreading. But if they had an insider helping them, they’d be able to cover their tracks better, leaving everyone in the dark. And the more powerful that insider is, the better. I may not look it, but I know about pretty much everything that happens around these parts. My information network is quite a bit wider than just this restaurant. To be honest, I thought that I’d be able to find the girl you’re looking for much faster...” She paused for a while, then continued, “I don’t know who’s behind this, but they’re going to be a lot of trouble for us.”

That would explain why we were having such a hard time finding any leads, but I wasn’t expecting it... I wondered who the powerful Sorcié insider was. Could it be a noble? The nobles who had caused us those problems at the Assembly were foreigners though. I couldn’t get the idea of one of our nobles helping them out of my head, but thinking about it by myself wouldn’t be of any help.

Sora was the next to report, but he said that he hadn’t found any leads at the harbor either. Our end-of-day meeting closed quite grimly.

“Oh, by the way,” Regina added, “Larna stopped by earlier. She asked how you were doing, and I told her that you were working hard and doing great.”

“Larna was here?! When? Where is she now?” I asked.

We hadn’t seen her since the first day when she had said that she’d be investigating on her own, and I wondered what she was up to.

“I’m not so sure because I didn’t ask for details, but she seemed busy.”

Regina’s answer was as useless as I’d come to expect from her. We were all disappointed, but we concluded that at least knowing that she was safe was better than nothing. We all went back to our rooms.

Before parting for the night, Sora and Maria, who knew that I’d been out on errands on my own during the day, both told me to be very careful. Sora especially warned me not to go to any weird places and not to follow any strangers. He must have been really worried about me.

“Don’t worry!” I assured both of them.

I’m not a kid—I’m not going to walk into any weird place or follow any stranger. From Jeord just before leaving for the mission to my colleagues here on the job... Why does everyone always worry so much?

Anyway, on the following day, as soon as I was done with my errands, I was planning to go into that alley to meet with Arneau. Would he be happy to know that I found the kitten an owner?

Now that I think of it... Would Arneau count as a stranger? Well, I spoke with him for quite a while and he looks kind, even if a bit cold, so I guess he isn’t a stranger anymore.

I went straight to sleep, because I wanted to wake up early on the following day. I jumped right into the bed which I’d already gotten used to.

The next day, I did just as planned. I finished my errands early, brought the groceries back to the restaurant, and went to the alley. Arneau was already there with the kitten.

“I’m sorry, was I late?” I asked.

“No, I just arrived too,” he replied, but I saw the meat he was feeding to the kitten, and almost all of it was gone. He’d probably been here for a while and said that not to bother me. He always replied coldly, but I could tell how kind he was.

“I found an owner for the kitten.”

“I see.” He smiled.

“Oh!” I gasped, surprised by seeing him do so for the first time since I first met him.

“What?” He immediately went back to his usual annoyed face. Why is he like this?

“No, it’s nothing. Anyway, so, would you...?”

“Sure,” he replied, and then easily lured the kitten over with the meat and gently picked him up.

At first, the kitten twitched a little bit, but he went back to looking comfortable when Arneau started patting his head. No hissing or anything. If I tried to do the same, I was pretty sure he’d just scratch me and run away.

“There’s a garden near here, and the people living there have given me permission to put him there for the time being. Let’s go,” I said, guiding Arneau to a small house nearby.

The home belonged to the fruit shop owner who’d given me the apple on the previous day. Both he and his daughter were out, working or helping with the shop, but I’d gotten permission beforehand.

I stood in front of the bucket full of water and the bottle of shampoo that I’d prepared, rolled up my sleeves, and looked at Arneau.

“Let’s do it,” I said.

The kitten, probably understanding what was going to happen, started shaking.

“Please, Arneau...”

“Okay,” he said, slowly lowering the kitten into the bucket.

The cat, who’d probably never had a bath before in his life, was struggling to get away.

Arneau gently stroked his head, repeating, “It’s all right, it’s all right...”

The kitten was so filthy that I was worried that he’d get sick. I was planning to wash him clean with Arneau’s help, since the kitten was obviously very attached to him. I also thought that looking clean would help him find an owner sooner. Of course, we’d already found one, thanks to the fruit shop owner’s daughter, but I figured that it’d be better to wash him anyway.

“Okay, I’ll start,” I announced, grabbing the shampoo and walking closer to the kitten, who promptly started hissing at me.

He still didn’t like me that much. But he did eat the sausage I gave him... I sighed.

“Arneau, say... Do you think you could do it?” I suggested, thinking that it’d probably be better if he were the one to actually do the washing.

“...Okay.” He took the shampoo in one hand and slowly moved it toward the kitten, who looked scared but didn’t hiss.

He probably didn’t like the water but he could trust Arneau. The kitten obviously liked him a lot.

That made me a bit envious. But after all I had Pochi, a pet who liked me a lot too. Well, maybe not a “pet.” A Dark Familiar.

Arneau started scrubbing down the kitten, who looked scared like a cute little baby.

“...Will this do?”

“Yes. He looks much better now. Thank you, Arneau.”

He was very thorough with the shampoo, and the kitten was now perfectly clean.

“Could you wipe him dry?” I requested, handing him a towel. He did so, very gently, until the kitten was dry and shiny.

“Look at how shiny he is! So he used to be dark brown...” I said, before looking at Arnaeu and adding, “He has the same color of hair as you, now that I think of it.”

He pulled at his hair and then looked at the kitten, as if he’d only realized it just now.

“By the way, I was planning to hand over the kitten to the new owner today at the Harbor Restaurant. Could you bring him there later on?”

“Why does it have to be me?”

“I don’t think he likes me... I don’t know whether I’d be able to carry him. Please!”

“...Fine,” he agreed with a sour face.

Since he seemed very attached to the kitten, he’d probably feel better seeing what kind of person was going to keep him. When Arnaeu realized that his hair was the same color as the kitten’s, he looked so happy.

I put back the borrowed bucket, towel, and shampoo, and returned to the restaurant. We were going to have to open for lunch soon, and then it’d be time to meet the kitten’s new owner. I hoped they were going to be kind.

★★★★★

It had been a while since I had first found the kitten in the alley. Lately, he had even started eating straight out of my hand. Before I noticed, I was going to that alley to feed him whenever I could. He was very small, but he probably understood that leaving that place was too dangerous for him. Or maybe he knew that I’d come to bring him food. Whatever the case, he was always there.

I was on my way to give him some ham, as usual, when I found someone crouching in the alley next to the kitten. The alley was so dim that I didn’t notice until I was very close.

“I found this kitten and was just giving him some sausage. Is this your cat?” asked a girl with brown hair and blue eyes.

I was coming to see him every day, but I wasn’t his owner. I told her that he was probably a stray. Telling her that I was feeding him often was kind of embarrassing, so I ended up sounding a bit cold.

She was unfazed by my icy response, and asked me whether I knew about his parents. I told her that his parents were either dead or they had abandoned him. That happened a lot, even with people.

“But will he be able to make it on his own?” she questioned. She was obviously raised in this wealthy country, never having to worry about surviving another day.

But if the kitten wasn’t able to survive by himself, he’d just die. That’s how the world worked, and it applied the same to me, the other kids in the slums, and this kitten too. I told her as harshly as I could, so that she’d realize that I didn’t want to keep the conversation going any longer... But she didn’t seem to get it. She was either very strong-willed or very dumb.

She asked me whether I was planning to keep the cat. I told her that I couldn’t, because I didn’t live here. I asked her the same thing, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about feeding him myself. Unfortunately, she said that she didn’t live here either. I’d have to leave eventually, and if this kitten found a home, I wouldn’t have to worry about him. The girl said she’d ask around about finding an owner, and I was honestly grateful. I was starting to get attached to this little one. Just a bit.

“I can’t bring him back with me right now, however. Do you think he’ll be fine?” she asked.

“Yeah, he’s always in this alley. It should be fine even if you come by later.”

“I’m so glad. I’ll look for an owner and, when I find one, I’ll come back to pick up the kitten.”

“Whatever... I’ll come by to check on him too,” I said. Actually, I was stopping by whenever I could, but I didn’t have to tell her that.

She told me the name of the restaurant where she was working and smiled at me. I really couldn’t tell what she was thinking. She called me “young man,” which just sounded weird, so I told her my name instead. As I was leaving, she introduced herself as Katarina. I felt weird. It was like a tingling sensation in my chest.

When I got back to work, the girl was crying again. The others looked annoyed and they asked me to do something about it. I sighed and put on a smile and my gentlest voice.

“Is everything all right?” I asked her. I didn’t have any special talent and I’d never even been to school. This farce was all I could do.

That tingling in my chest was all gone.

In the evening, since I had some free time, I went to check on the little one. He was in the alley, in his usual spot, and as soon as he saw me, he pattered toward me. He’d started doing that lately. Honestly, I was starting to grow attached. If I had a normal life, I’d even consider keeping him myself. I stroked his head, and he purred at me. He was so small and weak that I felt I had to protect him. I fed him some meat, piece by piece.

“Oh!” I heard a voice behind me all of a sudden. It was that girl, Katarina.

After I told her that I only came here every once in a while, she saw me in the alley again after just a few hours. Well that was awkward.

“Do you come by often?” she asked sweetly.

Is she doing this on purpose?

“Not that much. Not that much at all.”

“But you were here earlier too...”

Can’t you take a hint?!

I made up an excuse about having some other reason to be around here, and she finally stopped badgering me about it. But her innocent grin was annoying me so much.

At least what she told me afterward made up for it. She reported that she’d found someone who, maybe, could give the kitten a home. We just had to wait for the answer. If he found a home, he wouldn’t have to worry about starving. He wouldn’t have to worry about dying. I looked at the kitten, who’d been hiding behind me ever since Katarina had stepped into the alley. I let out a sigh of relief.

She then told me that she wanted my help with something. I asked what it was, suspicious, and she started elaborating with a smile.

“Well...”

The next day, I met her in the alley like we’d agreed to. It was still early, so I was feeding the kitten. He was cute when he ate from my hand.

After a while, she arrived, looking like she rushed here. She asked me if I’d been waiting, but I told her I hadn’t. After all, I just came early because I wanted to.

Then she said that she found someone who wanted to keep the kitten. He’d be okay... And a girl as nosy as this one was bound to find someone that’d be nice to him. From now on, he wouldn’t have to worry about being hungry, cold, or threatened. I was so happy for him that the corners of my mouth curled up in a smile.

“Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise, staring at me.

She saw me smiling... I smiled a lot for work, but it was always fake. This was probably the first time since I was a child that someone had seen me smile for real, and I felt so embarrassed. Or maybe it was the first time I smiled for real since being a child, regardless of whether anyone saw it or not.

“What?” I grumbled, sounding annoyed because of how awkward I felt.

“No, it’s nothing,” she replied. She finally showed that she could get a hint...sometimes.

We then decided that it was time to go wash the kitten. I lured him closer to me with a piece of meat and then carefully picked him up. I had stroked his head before, but I’d never actually taken him in my arms. He was so light. I thought he’d try to get away, but he just sat there in my arms. I felt warm... Was that something special about small kittens? Or were other living things like this too?

Katarina showed me to the garden where we were going to give him his bath. She prepared a bucket full of water and a bottle of shampoo.

When he saw her roll up her sleeves, the kitten started shaking.

I carefully lowered him into the full bucket. He looked scared, probably because this was his first time taking a bath. I stroked his head and told him that it was all right, and he calmed down.

We were washing him because Katarina said that being so dirty could end up making him sick, and even if it didn’t, it’d make it more difficult for him to find a home. I promised to help her, in part because what she said made sense, and in part because the kitten just hissed at her whenever she tried to get too close.

When she took the bottle of shampoo in her hand, he hissed even louder than usual. I thought she wouldn’t be able to wash him, and she must have realized the same thing.

“Arneau, say... Do you think you could do it?” she asked as she handed me the shampoo.

I’d never washed an animal this small but I couldn’t step back after getting so far. I started scrubbing him, making sure not to hurt him. Once I was done, I asked her what she thought.

She said that he looked all nice and clean, and that we could wipe him dry now.

“Look at how shiny he is! So he used to be dark brown...” she remarked after I was done with the drying. She was right. He almost looked like a different cat. Now he can find happiness...

Out of the blue, Katarina said that the kitten and I had the same hair color.

I pulled my hair toward my face and checked it. I never really looked at my hair, so I hadn’t noticed, but she was right. It was just a coincidence, of course. But then...why did I feel so happy about it? Why did my chest feel so warm?

“By the way, I was planning to hand the kitten to the new owner today at the Harbor Restaurant. Could you bring him there later on?” she requested.

I asked her why I’d need to do that, but she was almost begging me, so I eventually gave in. I wanted to see who was going to keep him, and whether it was someone who could make him happy.

Even after parting with Katarina, I still felt warm inside. The kitten was so cute... He reminded me of something. Something from my childhood in the slums.

One day, a grown-up had walked into the slums. He wasn’t like the other grown-ups around us. He started teaching us kids lots of stuff. And when I was around him, I felt warm in my chest—just like with the kitten.

I didn’t know why I felt like that, and it felt awkward, so I tried to avoid him. One of the kids closest to me, however, really liked that man and was always around him. I remember how happy he sounded when that man had given him a name.

One day, the kid came to talk to me. He was going to go to look for medicine because the man had gotten sick. I never saw that boy again.

I later heard a rumor that he was caught stealing and was then sold off as a slave. What an idiot, I thought. There’s nothing we can do to help other people. We can barely do enough to help ourselves.

I wondered how that kid was doing right now.

Was he even still alive?