Soon, we were able to arrive at the cafe Mari had recommended.

Thankfully, we made it before my legs started cramping.

It seemed the cafe’s popularity wasn’t exaggerated, as there were quite a few people inside.

“Let’s hurry in too.”

I grabbed Dante’s hand and entered the cafe.

Ding-a-ling. A cheerful bell sound greeted us.

However.

The cheerfulness ended with that bell sound.

I eagerly scanned the menu, excited about my first outing.

Since opening a dessert shop was also a future goal, I wanted to take a good look.

But something was off about the menu.

“…Fairy’s Tears…? Secret Fairy Festival of Last Night…?”

What is this?

What kind of menu items are these?

All the menu items were unfriendly. They weren’t even vaguely descriptive; just creative names that gave no clue about the actual menu items.

Blinking in confusion, I glanced at Dante, who was also frowning with a ‘What is this?’ expression.

With no other choice, I tried to ask the employee for an explanation of the menu.

“Apologies, customer. Please refer to the notice board for menu explanations.”

“Notice board?”

“It’s on the right wall.”

Right wall?

Looking around, there really was a palm-sized paper stuck to the right wall.

And it was filled with tiny writing explaining the menu items.

Why put menu explanations on a notice board when they could just write them on the menu?

And why write it so small? This is ridiculous, anyone just a bit older would have trouble reading it due to poor eyesight.

I had to squint hard to check the menu explanations, but now the prices were the problem.

“Where are the prices listed?”

When I asked the employee about the prices, which weren’t written anywhere on the menu or notice board.

“…Ah. Haah.”

What? Did they just sigh at me?

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t speak, and the employee rudely stretched out their hand to point somewhere.

It was the far left wall.

“Prices are over there. Please familiarize yourself with the store manual. And when asking questions, please be more polite. It’s rude to ask without any greeting. We employees are people too, customer.”

My goodness. You’d think I had grabbed them by the collar and demanded answers.

At this point, I was tempted to actually grab their collar.

I’ve never engaged in power-tripping behavior in my life, nor had any intention to, always considering it vulgar. But in this moment, I wanted to try it just once.

Something like: ‘I’m a duchess, follow me to the back alley.’

But I controlled myself. What good would it do except spit in my own face? No, I could handle being spat at, but I refrained for fear of Dante and others getting caught in the crossfire.

Still, I couldn’t help but clench my fists.

“Are you angry?”

Dante whispered softly, gently tapping the back of my hand with his fingertips.

I gritted my teeth and replied.

“A little. But since we came all this way, I feel like we should eat something out of spite.”

“We can go somewhere else if you don’t like it.”

“…Really?”

“Of course. To be honest, I’m starting to dislike it too.”

Saying that, Dante swept a cold gaze over the employee.

The employee, who had been standing with hands behind their back pretending not to notice, seemed to sense it and briefly stood at attention.

“Customer, please mind your gaze.”

Wow, tough opponent.

“Let’s just go somewhere else. I feel like my blood pressure will rise if we eat here. The chairs look uncomfortable too.”

Strangely, the tables here were lower than the chairs.

Everyone was hunched over like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, creating a scene that made me genuinely ponder.

It looked extremely uncomfortable. Could they even swallow their drinks?

All the regulars here would probably end up with turtle necks. Above all, it seemed difficult for the muscular Dante, who was much taller than others, to assume such a posture.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Dante quickly agreed and took my hand.

Phew. Where should we go after leaving here?

We should just go to any cafe we see. Forget about popular places and all that nonsense.

But just then.

As we turned to leave the store, the door burst open and three scruffy men entered.

They looked like the type who might as well have ‘thug’ stamped on their foreheads.

The three came in familiarly, looked around, then grinned at the employee.

What’s this? Judging by their slight turtle necks, are they cafe regulars?

However, my guess was completely off the mark.

“Well, well, business is good today too? Phew, that’s a relief. The seat fee just went up again, so we’d have felt bad if business was slow.”

“The seat fee went up again? You just raised it last time.”

The employee who had been speaking with “please” and “thank you” in an odd prayer pose was now speaking firmly in a proper stance as if nothing had happened.

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t speak, but the conversation continued.

“Well, that was then and this is now. How can prices stay the same when the world is changing? Huh?”

“There’s no such law. We really can’t pay this time. What are you even doing for us?”

“Aish. You’re being ungrateful to the people protecting your safety? Huh?”

The thug who said that threateningly tapped the framed picture on the wall.

Now I see, by ‘protecting safety’ he meant refraining from causing trouble.

The person who might be the employee or owner seemed to have the same thought, showing an indignant expression.

And at this point, I couldn’t hold back my question any longer.

Seat fee?

Was there ever a seat fee in Richter territory?

Putting that aside, these scruffy thugs are collecting taxes?

“This is strange, isn’t it?”

I narrowed my eyes and whispered to Dante.

…But why is there no answer?

When I looked up at the lack of response, Dante was staring at the thugs and the owner with fierce eyes.

Oh, oh my. He’s really scary. He’s intimidating them with just his gaze.

The problem is that those people don’t even realize it, and I’m the only one being intimidated.

Anyway, just looking at Dante’s expression made it clear that these thugs were up to no good.

If that’s the case, we can’t just stand by quietly.

I pulled Dante’s hand and headed back to the counter. Then I smoothly inserted myself into the conversation.

“Owner, do you collect seat fees here?”

At my sudden interruption, the gazes of all four people turned to me at once.

Under the intense spotlight, I blinked my eyes and silently urged them on.

The owner, who had been momentarily stunned, quickly regained their senses and poured out an answer with an extremely aggrieved expression.

“Yes! They collect seat fees. Actually, it’s just seat fee in name, they’re just forcibly taking money. I don’t know how much they’ve extorted already! But they keep raising the amount every time, and if we don’t pay, they come and threaten us like this…”

“Hey! If you want to do business here for a long time, you’d better watch your mouth!”

“…Kkeu, kkeup.”

The owner, whose words were forcibly cut off, whimpered towards me with drooping eyebrows.

What’s with that.

Since when did we become such close friends?

“Miss, don’t meddle in unnecessary business and just move along. Don’t show useless curiosity and get hurt. Huh?”

The thug who had cut off the owner’s tirade slowly looked me up and down from head to toe.

“Your clothes look quite expensive, but seeing you passing through this corner, you don’t seem to be a noble.”

I can hear everything.

And I am a noble…

“From the looks of it, you seem to be a rich young lady with a wide nose for other people’s business, but it would be better for you to mind your own business and be on your way.”

“And what if I don’t?”

At my question, the man frowned deeply and threateningly snatched my wrist.

“Then something you’ll really regret will happen. So, don’t meddle unnecessarily and stick your nose where it doesn’t belong… Kuhep!”

The mocking voice that had been sneering was cut off right there.

Dante, who had been standing silently behind me, grabbed his wrist.

“Ah, aack!”

As Dante twisted his wrist, the thug screamed loudly.

Only then did the others seem to notice Dante’s presence, looking this way with very surprised expressions.

This was really strange.

How could they only now notice Dante’s presence?

Ah. Was it because I’m small and Dante is so big that they just thought he was a wall?

While I was figuring out the principle, Dante growled in a chilling voice.

“How dare you. Who are you laying hands on?”

“So, so, sorry. Please spare me. It hurts, it hurts!”

The thug began to plead, tears streaming down his face.

However, Dante showed no signs of letting go.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly menacing, the faces of the customers and the owner also visibly paled.

Can’t be helped.

“That’s enough. You’re scaring people.”

I tugged at Dante’s sleeve, trying to stop him.

“Ah.”

With a sigh of realization, Dante released the thug’s arm.

Having gained his freedom, the thug fell down dramatically, clutching his twisted wrist and wailing loudly.

A grown man making such a racket.

“Is your wrist alright?”

However, the concern was directed at my wrist.

Dante, who had just been twisting the thug’s wrist as if to wring it out, now checked my wrist with a gentle touch as if afraid it might break.

“Yes. I’m fine. You helped me as soon as he grabbed me.”

“It looks a bit red though.”

His muttering voice was quite chilly.

“No, I’m really okay, so shall we catch those people first? They’re trying to run away.”

At my tattling, Dante whipped his head around.

The thugs who had been trying to sneak away on all fours glared at me with resentful eyes.

“Oh? They’re glaring at me.”

“…They’re glaring?”

At the chilly murmur, all three men immediately lowered their eyes.

They seemed to remember the one whose wrist had been wrung out for grabbing my wrist just now.

Without anyone telling them to, they unanimously knelt down, looking utterly pathetic.

“Haha! Serves them right!”

The owner, who had somehow leapt out from behind the counter, exclaimed while slapping their knee.