Aphrodite was almost half-dragged, half-pulled into a drink shop by Alice.
A faint fragrance of flowers and fruit filled the air, and most of the seats were occupied by groups of young women chatting happily.
As soon as they entered, a maid approached them, a friendly smile on her face. “Miss Alice, you’re here!”
“Mm,” Alice nodded naturally, obviously a regular. “Two seats, somewhere quiet with a good view.”
“Understood. Please follow me.”
The maid respectfully led them past several tables to a quiet corner by the window.
This spot was indeed quieter than the others, and through the bright glass windows, the bustling street outside was in full view.
Alice naturally sat down first on the soft sofa, and Aphrodite took the seat opposite her.
Ella and the maid carrying several bags stood to the sides of each of them.
“Two of my favorite drinks,” Alice said to the maid standing by.
“Of course, Miss Alice. Please wait a moment.” The maid smiled, took note, and quietly retreated.
Only then did Alice place the dessert bag she’d been carrying on the table, untying the ribbons to take out the cakes inside, as she spoke casually,
“I saw you hadn’t replied to any of my messages, so I was planning to look for you today!”
“I never thought I’d bump into you on the way! Saved me the trip!”
“Looking for me?” Aphrodite was a little surprised. “Is something urgent?”
“Actually… mostly about last time.”
“Last time?” Aphrodite was even more puzzled.
“Yeah!” Alice nodded vigorously, a trace of annoyance showing on her face. “I was almost no help at all back then, and I nearly became a burden…”
Aphrodite hurriedly waved her hands. “No, no, don’t say that! You’ve saved me a few times too, haven’t you?”
“That’s different!” Alice puffed out her cheeks at once.
“That time I really didn’t help at all! Don’t try to make me feel better!” She paused, “Anyway… I’m really grateful to you.”
“Alright, alright, I get how you feel.”
Seeing that Aphrodite had accepted it, Alice brightened up again. “Also, my aunt told me I should learn from you—act with a bit more steadiness, stop being so reckless all the time.”
“Learn from me?” Aphrodite almost choked.
What, does she want to learn how to sleep in late?
She forced a couple of awkward laughs and hurriedly replied, “There’s really nothing much about me worth learning…”
While the two chatted, their drinks were served. Fine beads of condensation formed on the transparent glass, looking cool and tempting.
Alice eagerly took a big sip, closing her eyes in satisfaction. Then she looked at Aphrodite, whose hood was still tightly on. “Aren’t you hot? Wearing that indoors?”
Aphrodite instinctively touched the brim of her hood.
She couldn’t possibly say she was afraid of being recognized, right? That would sound way too narcissistic…
She made up an excuse. “Um… I just don’t want to attract attention.”
“Oh—” Alice nodded knowingly, took another sip, and tilted her head. “Well, it’s true, your golden hair is really eye-catching.”
Then Alice deftly opened the dessert box, scooped a piece of delicate cake with a small spoon, and held it out right in front of Aphrodite’s mouth. “Here, try this! It’s amazing with this drink!”
“Uh… I can do it myself.” Aphrodite instinctively shrank back a bit.
“No way!” Alice’s stubbornness flared up. She held the spoon forward again. “I want to feed you! Just try it!”
Seeing there was no way to refuse, Aphrodite had no choice but to awkwardly open her mouth and accept the spoonful of cake.
“Well? Isn’t it great?” Alice looked at her expectantly.
Aphrodite nodded vaguely, outwardly savoring the flavor, but her mind was far from the taste.
Her attention had long been drawn to a conversation between two women at a nearby table.
One voice sounded young, lively, and brimming with enthusiasm; the other was soft and gentle.
“…Did you hear? That candidate Saintess, Aphrodite, is said to have returned recently,” said the soft-voiced lady.
“I knew about it ages ago!” the lively voice jumped in, full of excitement and pride. “I’m Lady Aphrodite’s most Faithful Follower. She was the one who resolved the recent Beast Tide Crisis! Isn’t that incredible?”
Most Faithful Follower? Hearing those words, Aphrodite almost choked on her cake.
Was she really that famous? She even had Faithful Followers now.
Aphrodite silently thanked Bella for her foresight.
Otherwise, if she got recognized here and was chased around with questions, she’d never survive it.
The gentle-voiced woman spoke again, “By the way, the process of her becoming a candidate Saintess is legendary too. I heard she solved several cases even the Church struggled with, and the people she helped were so grateful that they petitioned together, so the Church promoted her as a special exception.”
Solved several things even the Church couldn’t handle?
Aphrodite racked her brains.
Could it be those times when Bella told her to help out, saying they were short on funds and she should take on some tasks to earn money?
But what did that have to do with becoming a Saintess? Could it be…
“Exactly!” the lively voice grew even more excited. “Lady Aphrodite had no background at all. She made it on her own! Even after becoming a candidate Saintess, she didn’t make a fuss and still does things quietly like before! In my heart, she’s the only true candidate for Saintess in the Catonia region!”
She’s not making a fuss because she’s afraid of her identity being exposed, Aphrodite screamed inwardly.
And she never wanted to run for Saintess at all!
The soft-voiced woman seemed more rational. “But Leah Sist and Rachel Natalie are both outstanding candidates as well. They’re from prestigious families, have considerable strength, and their families can provide strong support.”
“How could they compare to Lady Aphrodite!” the lively voice retorted at once.
“The Sist Family are Church elders, and the Natalie Family is rich—they’re all basking in the glow of their families! But our Lady Aphrodite really rose up from among the common folk and earned her respect through genuine merit!”
Hearing such exaggerated praise, Aphrodite’s cheeks grew hot.
If these people knew that the “candidate Saintess” they talked about mostly wanted to sleep in every day, she wondered what they would think…
The gentle-voiced woman brought up something new. “By the way, I heard that the von Klein family also has a young lady who was chosen as a candidate Saintess recently.”
“Von Klein?” The lively voice paused. “But no matter how many candidates there are, in my heart, Lady Aphrodite is always the most special!”
Just as Aphrodite was wishing she could disappear because of all this over-the-top praise,
A faint ripple of magic suddenly stirred the air, and the temperature seemed to subtly drop.
Without any warning, a circular Magic Circle composed of complex runes abruptly lit up beneath their feet on the floor!