Chapter 8: The name is unimportant, yet also very important

Simon turned around and saw the white-haired shop owner tilting her head at him in confusion.

A little cute… his heart inexplicably began to race.

He suppressed the uncontrollable pounding of his heart, calmed himself, and said,

“I came to see you, shopkeeper.”

The white-haired girl’s lips curved slightly, her bright eyes shining, her expression exactly as if everything had gone according to her expectations.

“I knew it. That young lady must have bullied you again, didn’t she?”

Lila took out a key and unlocked the restaurant door.

“Come in, have a seat and rest for a while.”

Following her invitation, Simon entered the office with her.

“You’re in such a sorry state every time.”

Lila let out a soft sigh, as if that noble young lady had nothing to do with her.

At this moment, she truly felt like an ordinary restaurant owner, not the infamous and vicious noble girl cast aside by her family.

“But since you’re my employee, I suppose it can’t be helped. You want me to use Holy Light to ease your pain, right?”

“Yes, please, shopkeeper. Though… I don’t absolutely need it. If it’s too troublesome, I can just go back myself.”

Simon’s gaze wavered nervously, and his hand subconsciously rose to ruffle his already wind-messed hair even further.

“It’s no trouble at all.”

Lila gently shook her head, gathering warm Holy Light in her hand.

Then her tone shifted.

“But Simon… how many times are you going to repeat this kind of misery?”

Hearing this, Simon instinctively clenched his fists, a mix of resentment and frustration flashing through his eyes.

“But with my current strength, I can’t change anything.”

Lila shook her head again, releasing the light in her palm.

The glowing particles danced like little spirits before flowing into Simon’s body.

Then she spoke softly.

“That’s exactly why you need to work harder, Simon. You should know that Lila Stuart is nothing more than a discarded child of the Stuart family. She doesn’t even possess superior magical talent—she only entered the academy through swordsmanship and her family’s influence.”

Lila spared no effort in belittling herself.

Only by doing so could she make Simon believe the gap between them wasn’t insurmountable, and give him hope to resist.

So she continued.

“The difference between you and that young lady isn’t as great as you think. And you possess a one-of-a-kind dark magic talent.”

Surrounded by the Holy Light, Simon felt as though he had sunk into a warm ocean.

The fatigue, pain, and despair within him gradually melted away.

He looked at his hands, doubt flickering in his eyes.

“Can I really do it?”

“Of course you can, Simon.”

Lila answered firmly.

“But instead of dreaming about some distant future, I hope you focus more on the present. For example, the arena matches, you’ll need to work even harder.”

“That makes a lot of sense, shopkeeper.”

Simon scratched his head.

“Of course it does.”

Lila accepted the praise with a smug expression, then opened the drawer beneath her desk and took out the account book.

“Simon, you can head back now. I still need to go over the accounts.”

“Shopkeeper, it’s late. It’s dangerous for you to stay here alone. I’ll wait until you’re done… and I also want to rest a bit longer before leaving.”

Simon racked his brain to come up with an excuse.

“Alright.”

Hearing her agree, Simon finally relaxed.

To him, the shopkeeper had always been somewhat mysterious.

During the day, her appearances were unpredictable, she could show up at any time.

But no matter what, she always came at night, around closing time, to check the accounts.

He had never seen her absent.

Yet today, she seemed unusually late.

Watching Lila focus intently on the ledger, Simon couldn’t help but ask,

“Shopkeeper, why are you so late today?”

The shopkeeper looked up at him, as if pondering, then slowly replied,

“Because I was training a dog, so I got delayed.”

Simon noticed a faint smile tugging at her lips as she said this.

Is it because dogs are cute?

But… why did that smile feel a little strange?

It almost reminded him of that villainess Lila.

Simon quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts.

The shopkeeper was his benefactor, how could he compare her to that demon?

In his eyes, the shopkeeper was not only beautiful, but also kind-hearted, unlike Lila, who had a pretty face but a rotten heart.

Meanwhile, Lila realized she had smiled a bit too openly and quickly composed herself back into a gentle, serene demeanor.

Then Simon asked again,

“Shopkeeper, do you like dogs?”

“I do. They’re simple-minded, tell them to do something, and they’ll do it. Very cute.”

Lila suppressed her laughter and answered seriously.

This foolish boy didn’t even realize he had just been insulted.

“As expected, the shopkeeper is very kind.”

Simon said with admiration.

“Why do you say that?”

Lila found herself genuinely curious.

“Because people who like animals are usually kind-hearted and compassionate.”

Simon replied.

But Lila shook her head repeatedly.

“Isn’t that right?”

Simon looked surprised at her denial.

“What if someone likes animals simply because they enjoy teasing them, hurting them, and taking pleasure in their reactions?”

“That’s just a minority of people, right? And you’re not that kind of person, are you, shopkeeper?”

No, I am exactly that kind of person.

Though she thought this inwardly, Lila maintained her gentle façade, just like the kind person she used to be in her previous life, and said softly,

“That’s right. I’m not that kind of person.”

“Shopkeeper, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask.”

Lila’s golden eyes reflected Simon’s figure, black hair, black eyes, standing there with a serious expression.

“What is it?”

She asked casually.

“I’ve always wanted to know your name. Of course, it’s fine if you don’t want to tell me. It just feels strange to keep calling you ‘shopkeeper.’”

Lila couldn’t help but chuckle.

She hadn’t expected Simon to consider something like this so important.

Resting her chin on her hand, she began to think.

Not about whether to tell him.

But about what name she should give him.

“I’m sorry, I was being too forward.”

While she was still thinking, Simon apologized first.

“No, it’s fine, Simon. I’ll tell you. My name is Comflor.”

“Comflor…”

Simon murmured.

“That’s right.”

Lila smiled in response.

From this moment on, she was no longer Lila.

But a girl named Comflor, who dreamed of making her restaurant famous across the land and spreading her unique drinks far and wide.

In truth, this shop wasn’t just a disguise to offer Simon hope.

Lila genuinely put effort into running it, carefully observing customers’ preferences every day.

That was why it had become the most popular restaurant in the academy.

Even though the drinks were copied from milk tea shops of her previous life, they were unexpectedly well received.

After finishing and organizing the day’s accounts, Lila placed the ledger back into the drawer and locked it.

She stood up, stretched her arms, and said to Simon, who was still lingering by the desk,

“Alright, Simon. I’m done. You can go now.”

Simon seemed lost in thought, then snapped back to reality and stammered,

“Okay… Comflor… shopkeeper.”

“If it feels awkward, you can call me Comflor, or just stick with ‘shopkeeper.’”

Lila looked at him with mild curiosity.

“No, it’s fine… shopkeeper.”

Simon followed her slowly to the front of the restaurant.

“See you tomorrow, Simon.”

Lila bid him farewell.

“See you.”

Simon absentmindedly waved, watching that white figure disappear into the distance.

‘Comflor… huh?’