Iana’s cheeks flushed slightly at Veronica’s words, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of her skirt, her face darkening.
Noticing this, Chiye gently patted Iana’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Is something wrong?”
Iana shook her head, took a deep breath, and forced a professional smile. Reluctantly, she said, “What kind of service would you like, Masters?”
Hearing the word “Master,” Veronica’s face reddened, her expression oddly excited, as if she were reveling in it.
“I don’t even know this maid’s name yet,” Veronica said, suppressing a smile and pretending to be casual as she asked Iana.
“My name is Iana.”
But after hearing Iana’s response, Veronica frowned, clearly dissatisfied. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Iana was confused by Veronica’s words, unsure what she’d done to upset her.
“You’re supposed to address me as Master when answering, aren’t you?” Veronica pointed out the source of her displeasure.
Realizing this was why Veronica was upset, Iana was taken aback. I’ve never seen Veronica act like this before.
Though deeply reluctant, Iana had no choice. She’d chosen to help Chiye as a maid, after all.
“Master, my name is Iana,” Iana said through pursed lips, her face full of resistance.
Hearing Iana’s words and seeing her expression, Veronica’s demeanor grew increasingly strange. To hide her reaction, she buried her face in the table.
Ethelrina ignored Veronica’s odd behavior, facing Iana with an expressionless gaze, staring intently at her for a long moment before speaking slowly, “Bring the menu.”
Iana hurried to Ethelrina’s side and handed her the menu.
As Ethelrina flipped through it, she asked Iana, “What’s your shop’s specialty?”
Caught off guard by Ethelrina’s question, Iana looked around helplessly before glancing at Chiye.
Chiye understood immediately and stepped forward, fluently introducing the menu items to Ethelrina.
Just as Iana breathed a sigh of relief, Veronica lifted her half-flushed face, panting slightly as she gazed at Iana.
Due to pursuing Ethelrina lately, it’s been a while since I came to this maid café. I used to be a regular here.
Her reason for coming was simple: to hear the maids call her “Master.” But seasoned maids no longer excite her.
It’s the reluctant ones, forced by circumstance to call her Master, that spark something strange in her.
Now, Veronica had found the perfect prey. She composed herself and said softly to Iana, “Tell me about the menu.”
Though Veronica had been here many times, she still asked Iana to describe the items, purely because she thought it would be amusing.
Hearing Veronica’s request, Iana froze for a moment before walking toward her step by step, like a prisoner heading to execution.
Standing before Veronica, Iana pursed her lips, hesitating to speak.
“What, does your Master need to teach you how to be a maid?” Veronica said, emphasizing the word “Master.”
Iana’s hands tightly clutched her maid outfit, her throat feeling as if something were stuck, making it hard to speak. After a long pause, she barely whispered two faint, unclear words, “M-Master…”
Veronica’s beautiful eyes glinted with dissatisfaction, as if scolding Iana for speaking too softly. “Louder.”
“Master,” Iana said, as if casting aside all shame, using all her strength to address Veronica.
“Mmm,” Veronica closed her eyes, clearly savoring the sound of “Master,” lost in the moment. “Now, introduce the items to your Master.”
“Master, I recommend this item,” Iana said, randomly picking the strawberry parfait.
“Oh? What’s special about this strawberry parfait?” Veronica’s eyes gleamed with mischief, as if deliberately trying to fluster Iana to see her panic.
“Uh… well…” Iana stammered, unsure how to answer Veronica.
“Are you just picking randomly for your Master?” Veronica’s pink eyes sparkled with charm, her tone teasing. “If you treat your Master so carelessly, I’ll be heartbroken, you know.”
“No, it’s not that. I’m just new and not familiar with the specialties yet,” Iana said, her voice growing quieter until it was barely audible.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Veronica prompted.
Realizing she’d forgotten to say “Master” again, Iana was puzzled. Why is Veronica so obsessed with being called Master? She corrects me every time I miss it.
“Sorry, Master,” Iana quickly added. “But I really don’t know the shop’s specialties.”
“Then how should I punish a maid who’s so incompetent?” Veronica reached out, hooking Iana’s chin with her delicate hand, her voice dripping with allure as her pink eyes gazed deeply at Iana.
Perhaps too immersed, Veronica forgot Ethelrina was still there. She only wanted to tease this new maid, a rare opportunity.
Iana tried to turn away to avoid Veronica’s gaze, but her chin was held firmly, leaving her unable to move.
As she met Veronica’s eyes, something seemed to flash in them, but it vanished in the blink of an eye.
“Your punishment is to make me a strawberry parfait yourself,” Veronica said.
Iana couldn’t believe her ears. “That’s it?”
Veronica smiled lightly, and because they were so close, her warm breath brushed against Iana’s face. “Of course not. You’ll also have to feed it to me yourself.”
“Me, feed it to you, Master?” Iana’s voice rose sharply, drawing the attention of nearby tables.
Veronica nodded, clearly pleased with Iana’s reaction.
Seeing Veronica’s satisfaction, Iana realized she had no room to negotiate. Helplessly, she said, “I understand, Master.”
With that, Iana retreated to Chiye’s side, and they headed to the kitchen area together.
Ethelrina, who had witnessed everything, frowned, looking at Veronica with unease. “You like her a lot?”
Hearing Ethelrina’s voice, Veronica snapped out of her excitement from teasing Iana.
She sat up straight, her earlier playful demeanor gone, looking as if she’d been caught in the act.