Chapter 34: Maid Training

“Mm, very good~ I knew Didi was the best! Come on—let’s repeat it one more time.”

Dusk spread like ink, gently enveloping the streets and alleys of Farissa. Fine droplets of condensation clung to the café’s glass windows, reflecting the warm yellow light inside and the graceful silhouettes of three young girls.

Elberna lounged lazily against a velvet chair back, her fingertips lightly tapping the tabletop. In front of her sat a delicate strawberry shortcake—the vivid red fruit gleaming enticingly under the warm light. She propped her cheek with one hand, the corners of her mouth lifting uncontrollably.

Peletti stood elegantly at her side. The flawless, sweet smile on her face was marred by a faint blush. Her hands were folded neatly over her lower abdomen, posture impeccable. If a stranger were to walk in at this moment, they would surely believe Peletti to be a young lady maid from some noble family, rigorously trained and perfectly polished.

No one would guess that this was merely Peletti after a single day of maid training.

That perfect, saccharine smile—spoiled by an unusual flush—evoked both pity and an oddly thrilling urge to ruin it.

“Welcome home, esteemed master~”

Suppressing the discomfort in her heart, Peletti forced her stiff cheeks upward. With slender fingers wrapped in white lace gloves, she pinched the hem of her skirt. The ruffled edge lifted slightly, revealing the “absolute territory” hidden in the shadows. She bent forward and curtsied in one smooth motion. These actions had been rehearsed countless times in her mind, but only when performing them for real did Peletti realize just how difficult they were.

Especially having to address a customer as “master.” The first time she tried, it nearly took half her life to stammer it out. Now, she could say it with almost no psychological burden.

That counted as quite a bit of progress.

“Hehe~ not bad, not bad! That’s exactly it—that’s how a maid should look~” Elberna clapped happily, her pink hair swaying slightly.

She suddenly leaned forward and gently lifted Peletti’s chin with a finger. “Your expression can be a little more natural. You need to let the customer feel your heartfelt welcome.”

The overly intimate gesture made Peletti stiffen from head to toe. She could clearly smell the faint rose fragrance on Elberna, mingled with the rich aroma of coffee.

This distance had already gone beyond normal social boundaries, yet Elberna did it so naturally—as if they were old friends who had known each other for years. In reality, they had only met a day ago.

“D-don’t do that…”

Peletti said no, but her body honestly stayed right where it was, as if she herself had accepted this closeness.

“Mm-hmm, congratulations, Sister! Sister is an excellent maid!” Feiye appeared from nowhere with a party popper, clapping in celebration beside Peletti. She tugged at colorful streamers; the popper went off with a loud bang, showering Peletti’s head with multicolored ribbons.

“AAAAAAAH— I can’t take it anymore!! If this keeps up, my sense of shame is going to explode!!!!”

After venting all her pent-up frustration, and with her spirit utterly crushed, Peletti finally couldn’t support herself anymore. Her black low-heeled leather shoes slid outward, and after a sharp pain in her backside, she simply sat down on the floor.

Who knew that this sight would make Elberna’s eyes light up even more as she looked at Peletti with heightened excitement?

“Oh! This pose! A caring maid, exhausted from overwork, sliding weakly down to the floor—this will definitely awaken a customer’s protective instincts… It’s amazing!”

“P-please stop talking already!! Kill me already!!” Peletti grabbed a serving tray and slapped it over her face, no longer daring to face what was happening before her.

This was really, really too embarrassing!!!

Before, Peletti had always thought that the hostesses in high-end entertainment venues were the most unbearable existence. Now she knew—she had been wrong.

Purely explicit content, if you see enough of it, eventually becomes numb; people who don’t understand it might just blush at most.

But this—

This was different!

Maid cafés were a whole different thing.

When maids are inexperienced, the maids feel ashamed. When maids become skilled, then every single customer who walks into the café feels the shame instead—an equal-opportunity, 360-degree, no-blind-spot mental critical hit for everyone involved!

Shame and embarrassment aren’t the same. Embarrassment is when you see something, know it’s not appropriate, and instinctively want to run away.

But shame is pure torture—being pulled back and forth between wanting and not wanting it. It’s like two little people fighting in your head: one screaming to escape this ridiculous situation, the other secretly enjoying the thrill of breaking convention.

That push-and-pull feeling—that was what every customer was really thinking!

Especially in a perfectly proper public place like a café, combined with the contrast of maids, turning what should be a serious environment into something else entirely.

It was like deliberately making suggestive noises in a library—the excitement came from breaking rules and trampling on the boundaries of common sense.

She got it.

Peletti had an epiphany—about an entire industry.

But why did it have to be this kind of realization?!!

Could it be that she was naturally suited for lewd work??

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!

How could she, the Witch of Light, ever sink to a place like this?!

It was just for the money.

Yes. That’s right.

Peletti began hypnotizing herself internally.

Outside the window, the night grew deeper. Occasionally, the sound of carriages passing echoed along the street. Inside the café, it was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard, the warm yellow light casting gently swaying shadows on the walls.

The day’s maid training came to an end, and Peletti changed back into her original clothes.

Calling it “maid training” was generous—she was the only one actually being trained. Feiye had spent the entire time watching from the sidelines, enjoying the view.

“Alright, today was just a rehearsal. Tomorrow is the real opening, so don’t be so nervous. Take today to rest well,” Elberna said as she looked into Peletti’s eyes. The other maids turned off the café lights, and the entire place instantly fell into darkness.

According to their original agreement, Elberna would provide lodging for both Peletti and Feiye.

Accommodation provided by a noble young lady shouldn’t be too bad, right?

Elberna walked over to Peletti and naturally linked arms with her. “I’ve already had your rooms prepared—two rooms. But judging by how close you two are, one room should be enough, right?”

The intimate gesture made Peletti pause slightly. She instinctively wanted to pull her arm back, but hesitated when she saw the sincerity in Elberna’s smile. Perhaps this seemingly carefree noble lady wasn’t as hard to get along with as she had imagined.

“What do you mean nervous? You’re the one who’s been teasing me the whole time, okay…” Peletti replied with mild dissatisfaction.

“That’s also part of the training—handling unexpected situations. In the service industry, you’re bound to run into things like this sometimes. Training like this helps you stay calm when it happens,” Elberna’s voice sounded especially gentle in the evening breeze.

The two chatted back and forth as they walked along the pitch-dark street, followed by four or five little tails who said nothing at all, like mere background props to the pair.

“I’m just… not used to it,” Peletti finally replied softly.