Chapter 181: Talias Unusually Gentle Today

Chapter 181: Talia's Unusually Gentle Today

As twilight settled over the city of Ikerite, it bathed every inch of the royal capital in a pearlescent glow. Less than a kilometer east of Ikerite University, the Cat Proprietor's Eatery was already bustling with the dinner rush. Wisps of cooking smoke and the appetizing aroma of the evening meal drifted from its roof.

Illuminated by the streetlamps, the quaint wooden building took on a mysterious air against the backdrop of night. The warm light spilling from its windows promised a cozy, cheerful atmosphere. Whenever a guest entered or left, the wind chime on the door would ring out melodiously, as if bidding a warm welcome or farewell to every patron.

Upon stepping through the entrance, a person was immediately greeted by a lively scene. The tables on the ground floor were nearly full. The sounds of clinking glasses, light chuckles, whispered conversations, and delighted laughter filled the air.

A waitress was darting about busily, spinning like a top, to serve steaming hot dishes. Spotting Lance and Hyperion as they entered, she quickly called out, "Please take a look at the menu! I'll be right over to help you."

Hyperion smiled and waved her hand, signaling that the waitress didn't need to worry about them. They had already eaten dinner; they were here to find someone.

Lance, already familiar with the layout, headed straight for the stairs to the second floor. Just then, something caught his eye. Turning his head, he saw Talia acting as the hostess behind the counter.

She wore her hair in girlish braids and had an apron over a pure white dress. The entire ensemble made her look demure, sensible, and charming. Nothing about her appearance suggested she was a member of the demon race.

Lance was momentarily stunned. He realized he had never even drawn Talia looking like this. Do Great Demons really need to work part-time jobs?

Moreover, she seemed to have blended perfectly into life in the royal capital, as naturally as he had once integrated into Purgatory Corridor Academy, without a hint of awkwardness around her. And so, Lance simply stood there, gazing at Talia.

Talia also looked at Lance. She didn't say a word. The silence was oppressive. The face that had previously looked a touch gentler instantly turned frosty. Clearly, she hadn't expected Lance to show up at this hour. Usually, the boy would come in the morning or afternoon to learn card making and leave before evening fell.

Hyperion, who had been glancing around the restaurant and waiting for Lance to lead the way after entering, noticed him staring at the counter and followed his gaze. To her surprise, she saw the Poet of Boundless Love standing behind the counter.

Hyperion murmured in wonder, her voice barely a whisper, "Why is Lana out here?"

"Lana?" Hearing this, Talia frowned slightly and shifted her gaze from Lance to the face of the young woman standing behind him. A flash of surprise and unknown emotion crossed her golden eyes.

Then, Talia realized what had happened. It was obvious that her niece had mistaken her for the Poet of Boundless Love at first glance. She had that damned fellow to blame for basing the summon's appearance on her own!

Talia fixed a piercing stare on Lance. She would settle the score with him over this lingering issue sooner or later.

Lance didn't dare keep looking at Talia and averted his gaze.

Hyperion glanced back and forth. Sensing the awkward atmosphere, she realized she might have said the wrong thing. She then spotted the discrepancy.

The Poet had blue eyes, but the lady before her had golden eyes. Their temperaments were vastly different too; the Poet would never be so distant with Lance.

Lance introduced her to Hyperion while dodging Talia's death glare, "Ahem, this is my teacher, Miss Tali."

Apparently things were off to a bad start today.

Hyperion greeted Talia as respectfully as she could, "Hello, Miss Tali."

She fought hard to conceal the turbulent emotions surging within her. She had expected Miss Tali to merely resemble the Poet, but she hadn't anticipated an exact match.

Talia remained silent. She was clearly deep in thought.

Lance felt a twinge of nervousness. The demon princess's mood could be gauged from her very first response. If she gave Hyperion the cold shoulder, then there would likely be no room for further discussion.

However, Talia gave Hyperion a slight nod and glanced around the restaurant. It was dinnertime and standing in the lobby chatting wasn't ideal. She took a key from her apron pocket and handed it to Lance.

She then said in a gentle voice, "Take her upstairs first. I'll watch the shop for Boss Cat a little longer, then come up to join you."

"Oh... Okay!" Lance took the key, looking slightly dazed. Is the sun rising from the west today? Why is the old lady being so gentle today? Could she really be the Poet in disguise?!

***

It was now past seven o'clock. The number of customers in the eatery had dwindled slightly, and the waitress was no longer as rushed as before.

Talia remained behind the counter, her expression impassive. To her, an hour had passed in the blink of an eye. Even months or years felt fleeting to a long-lived demon like her.

Just as Talia was fully immersed in her work, a cute little black cat bounded out from the kitchen, hopped onto the counter, and said to her in a youthful, high-pitched voice, "Tali, thank you~ Meow."

Curiously, the surrounding customers didn't find it strange that a cat could speak the human language.

"You're welcome." Talia untied her apron and put it back in the cupboard.

While the customers assumed the black cat was a mage skilled in shapeshifting magic, only Talia could see its true form: a fae cat.

Although naturally very weak—often unable to defeat a ferocious Rank 3 or 4 magical beast even at Rank 7—these creatures possessed incredibly long lifespans. Even she couldn't tell exactly how long this fae cat had lived to have stubbornly survived all the way to Rank 7.

Since Boss Cat often prepared late-night snacks specifically for her, she would lend a hand whenever the restaurant was short-staffed.

The little black cat asked, "Did that young man come looking for you again?"

Even though it spent most of its time in the kitchen, it knew that a black-haired, green-eyed youth frequently came to see Tali. These visits had become particularly frequent in the last month, with the young man often staying in Tali's room for long periods of time.

It was incredibly curious about the relationship between the seemingly ice-cold Tali and that gentle, refined young man. It had intended to observe the situation a while longer.

This time, however, the young man had brought along another stunningly beautiful girl. Its curiosity simply couldn't be contained.

Without a trace of emotion in her voice, Talia said, "We're just acquaintances, nothing more."

Her relationship with Lance was purely one of employment. She was there to protect him until he paid off his debt and to ensure he actually made the payments. Besides, he would occasionally bring her opportunities that were exactly to her liking. Take Hyperion, for instance; she was someone Talia had long wanted to meet. Before she could even find a suitable excuse or opportunity to drop a hint to Lance, he had unexpectedly brought the girl right to her.

The little black cat tentatively asked, "Don't you think he's someone special?"

It had always sensed a deep connection between Tali and this young man. After all, Tali never socialized with anyone else, yet this boy was the only one who could spend long periods of time in her company.

"What do you mean by special?" Even after years of traveling through human lands, there were still many human emotions Talia didn't quite grasp.

She understood that the "special" Boss Cat was referring to wasn't merely about being unique or distinct. It implied something akin to the human concepts of a "partner" or "love."

Eager for an answer, she turned to the Boss Cat for insight. Having lived so long and interacted so well with humans, it surely had a deep understanding of them.

Hearing a call from the kitchen, the little black cat hurriedly jumped off the counter. It glanced back at Tali as it responded, "It means he always makes you happy. You find yourself, gradually and without even realizing it, unable to do without him. You start to care about and get curious about his thoughts, and your usually calm self becomes prone to emotional fluctuations because of him."

The little black cat waved its paw. It had to get back to work in the kitchen.

Talia frowned in thought. Boss Cat had hit the mark on every single point with uncanny accuracy. Yet, she still couldn't quite wrap her head around it. Where exactly was the disconnect?