Leveraging the advantage of her petite figure, Miss Nico darted through the crowd, swiftly squeezing into the dessert shop.
As a dedicated talent scout, Nico would never miss any opportunity to sign a skilled swordmaster.
She pulled out a contract that was already prepared, only needing a signature, and began scanning the center of the arena.
Bang—!
Barely parrying a slashing strike.
As the shop’s poster girl, Miss Tangke had been forced to the edge of the arena by her opponent, where a single misstep could send her out of bounds.
She struggled to block the girl’s increasingly fast and nimble sword strikes.
Finally—
With a loud wooden crash.
Clang—!!!
The wooden sword in Tangke’s hand was knocked away by her opponent’s horizontal slash.
She collapsed onto the ground, watching the girl slowly approach, sheathing her blade.
Under the glow of the lights, the girl extended her soft, fair hand.
Tangke thought she was offering to help her up and reached out in a daze.
And then~~~
She heard the girl’s sweet, soft voice.
“I’m super cute, please give me a free voucher.”
Pfft—
—Miss Tangke, spitting blood internally—
…
^
This just proves that when the old geezer is in a good mood, she really acts differently than usual.
Just moments ago, she was gagging from embarrassment after calling Tangke “big sister” in a cutesy voice, but three minutes later, she was shamelessly declaring, “I’m super cute.”
All of this, just for a free dessert shop voucher.
Tch, women.
But Eleanor really is adorable.
Propping her chin, she used a fork to pop a piece of cream-covered toast into her mouth, her face beaming with a hugely satisfied, cute expression.
This shop’s toast was truly top-notch, even surpassing the toast served at the Rabbit Inn.
Munching on sweet pastries, sipping honey tea, and playfully pinching the soft, adorable cheeks of the girl beside her, Eleanor shifted her gaze to the window.
Suddenly, an ominous feeling crept over her, as if a pair of earnest eyes were watching her, yet she couldn’t spot anyone.
Eleanor adjusted her demeanor, deciding that maintaining her elegant ragdoll cat persona felt safer while out and about.
Thus,
Her soft, cutesy aura began to fade, replaced by an aristocratic, refined elegance.
Perhaps in her past life, Eleanor was indeed a noble, as the aura she exuded didn’t seem forced.
But that’s a story for another time—Eleanor couldn’t quite recall her past.
The shop’s lively atmosphere calmed down after the beautiful girls’ duel ended.
Aside from a teary-eyed Miss Tangke burying her face in her big sister’s ample chest for comfort, everything seemed as usual, unchanged.
Oh, wait.
Miss Nico was different.
Gone was her usual gloomy, slouched demeanor.
At this moment, Nico was staring excitedly at the two girls by the window.
Even her hands, clutching the contract, trembled with uncontainable excitement.
White hair, red eyes, and a breathtakingly beautiful face.
Just one glance at her sword-dancing figure in the arena, and Nico was certain of her identity.
She was the noble young lady she’d met before, traveling incognito.
Her career’s lucky star—
“Miss Eleanor!!!”
“I’m your loyal fan, oh my gosh!”
Her sudden shout startled Eleanor, causing her hand, holding a piece of toast, to tremble uncontrollably.
The girl turned around, slightly annoyed, and fixed her gaze on the disheveled blonde puffball who had been weaving through the crowd.
She spoke,
“You are…?”
“Miss Eleanor!!! Don’t forget me, waaah!”
In a flustered panic, Nico lifted her head, brushing her messy bangs aside to reveal the bright eyes hidden beneath.
“You are… Miss Nico!!”
With a hint of disbelief, Eleanor recognized the girl before her.
She just hadn’t expected that in just ten days, Miss Nico would transform into this disheveled, yellow-haired beggar look.
Her golden hair was messily scattered on both sides, paired with her slightly haggard cheeks from late-night work.
Nico (Destitute Beggar Edition).
Unaware of how terrible she looked, Nico was overjoyed that Eleanor recognized her.
Thank goodness, the young lady still remembered her—her career was saved!
“Yes, it’s me!”
“Miss Eleanor! Your little Nico adores you, oh my gosh!!!”
“?”
…