When Yuto glanced at the girl sitting next to Yuyuko, she stood up before he could even speak.
"Hello, Boss. My name is Konpaku Youmu, and I am a court attendant to Lady Yuyuko. I am deeply grateful for the hospitality you extended to her yesterday. You worked very hard!"
Konpaku Youmu bowed, her manner formal and solemn.
Yuto was a little taken aback.
If he wasn't mistaken, he had just detected a note of nobility in the young girl's words.
'Thanking me I can understand,' he thought. 'But why so serious?'
"There's no need for such formality," he said, gently helping her up. "I run a restaurant, so it's only natural to treat our guests well. You don't need to thank me so profusely."
To his surprise, his words only seemed to move her more deeply.
Her eyes brimmed with silent sorrow and gratitude, her gaze toward him filled with the reverence one might reserve for a saint.
"Boss, I never expected you to be so magnanimous! Please accept my deepest gratitude!"
Yuto stared blankly at the girl's formal bow.
'Why is she bowing again? Did I do something?!'
The fox girl, watching from the side, sighed inwardly.
She understood Youmu.
As fellow servants, just as her master was shameless, lazy, and loved to tease others, Youmu's master, Yuyuko, was equally capable of driving her to despair.
Yuyuko's bottomless appetite had kept Hakugyokurou's coffers in the red for ages.
The upright yet despairing Youmu had to take on multiple part-time jobs daily just to make ends meet.
Yuyuko completely ignored Youmu's tearful complaints, continuing to eat endlessly.
The loyal maid could only work tirelessly, tears welling in her eyes, to earn more money to feed Yuyuko's insatiable hunger.
It's just too hard... Why couldn't she have a decent master?
The fox girl sighed deeply.
In that moment, she felt her master's gaze upon her.
'Oh no, oh no, oh no...'
She plastered a smile on her face. 'Yes! My master, Yukari, is the best! When did Ran also become shameless...?'
Youmu had assumed her Lady Yuyuko had caused trouble for the Boss, given her bottomless appetite.
But she never expected Kamisaka Yuto to be completely unfazed.
The upright girl's heart surged with emotion.
"Um... can I get up now?"
Yuto felt awkward.
The girl had been bowing to him for half a minute now!
...
After taking everyone's orders, Yuto returned to the bar counter.
He set down his notebook and was about to head into the kitchen when he heard Shameimaru Aya call out, "Boss, can I take photos of you cooking?"
As a seasoned journalist, Aya never passed up an opportunity for a news story.
Capturing a few photos of Yuto preparing food might prove useful back at the office.
Yuto paused.
He didn't mind being photographed, but allowing someone to film him cooking up close felt a bit distracting.
He wasn't the same person he'd been in his past life. Back then, he'd been meticulous about how he presented himself to the media.
But now, he no longer sought fame or recognition. He simply didn't care about such photos.
"Let's skip it. I prefer to cook in peace," Yuto replied with a polite smile, declining her request.
The reporter's eyes held a hint of disappointment.
Just as she opened her mouth to plead, a sudden chill washed over her!
The icy sensation froze the burning passion of her reporter's spirit, as if the temperature had plummeted to sub-zero.
She glanced around.
'Strange. No one is glaring at me... So where is this chill coming from?'
Aya decided it would be best not to press Yuto.
A gut feeling warned her that defying this intuition would lead to something ominous.
"Alright then, what a shame," she forced out, her lips stiffening into a strained smile.
Yuto found her behavior peculiar.
She seemed to have frozen, her movements stiff and hesitant. Puzzled, he smiled, nodded, and walked into the kitchen.
Aya sank back into her seat. Only then did the bone-chilling coldness dissipate.
'Whew... That was terrifying... Who's behind this?! I didn't do anything...'
Faced with this inexplicable threat, the poor young journalist was on the verge of tears!
At the bar, Kazami Yuuka sat in silence with calm and detached expression.
She glanced at Aya before turning her gaze to Yuto deeper inside the restaurant.
Her vantage point offered the clearest view of the kitchen.
In the corner, Utaha glanced at Yuuka with suspicion flickering in her eyes.
She lowered her head, her instincts told her something was off, but also warned her against speaking up.
'Better to keep playing with my phone...'
In the kitchen, Yuto prepared Reimu's dish: sugar-coated rice.
This couldn't even be considered a proper meal.
In just ten seconds, he carried the dish out.
"Here's your sugar-coated rice." He placed it down and returned to the kitchen.
The impoverished miko's expression remained solemn as she faced the simple dish, treating it as if it were some precious treasure.
The sight made Marisa burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Reimu! This isn't some hard-to-defeat youkai, it's just sweet rice!"
"Shut up! How would you know what sweet rice means to a pure miko?!"
"It means Reimu is both poor and stingy!"
"Damn you, Marisa!!!"
Her pride wounded, Reimu's face flushed with rage. She wanted to punch Marisa, but then she remembered something crucial.
"Boss! You said last night that the sweet rice was free, right?!"
"Yes," Yuto's exasperated voice drifted from the kitchen.
The impoverished miko smiled. 'Well, as long as it's free, that's fine!'
Beside her, Marisa was laughing so hard at her friend's stingy antics that she almost lost her voice.
Click—
The camera snapped as Aya captured the scene.
The soft sound made Reimu whip around to glare at her.
"Shameimaru, what are you taking pictures of now?"
"Nothing."
"Hmph! If this weren't the Boss's restaurant, I'd exterminate you right now!"
"I really haven't done anything!"
Reimu narrowed her eyes, eyeing the reporter with suspicion. Aya looked pitiful, tears welling in her eyes.
"This time, I'll let you off. But I warn you—don't dare write any nonsense about me in the paper! Or else... you'll face a youkai's wrath!"
As the self-appointed "Captain of Gensokyo's Urban Management," Reimu's fierce demeanor was still quite intimidating.
After speaking, she began eating the rice in front of her.
Meanwhile, Aya pulled out her notebook of news material.
The Crow Tengu girl jotted down a line: Hakurei Miko, guardian of Gensokyo's peace, threatens a kind journalist. When will the frail reporter finally stand up?!
She stuffed the notebook under her skirt the second she finished writing.
'Now no one can find it! This notebook has to be protected at all costs. If its contents were leaked... I would be doomed!'
...
Yuto returned to the kitchen and lifted the lid of the steamer.
The potatoes he had been steaming for Kasumigaoka were now done. He peeled off their outer skins.
Perhaps because he had absorbed Yuuka's youkai essence twice, or because he had received Hestia's blessing, Yuto was no longer afraid of the heat.
He peeled away the brownish-yellow skin to reveal the pale yellow flesh beneath.
The air still carried wisps of heat.
The fragrant aroma of the steamed potatoes was deeply comforting.
The scent was steady and calming, easily soothing the mind.
Yuto wrapped the freshly peeled potatoes in a cloth dampened with cold water. He then placed them on the cutting board.
With swift strokes of his knife, he sliced the two small potatoes into seven or eight pieces each.
He also grabbed a piece of tofu. With a flash of silver, the tofu was sliced into thin pieces.
He would fry the potatoes soon, and while he was at it, he could make the fried tofu the fox girl had requested.
In the main hall, Reimu and Marisa were bickering again.
Though they were close friends, they enjoyed sparring with each other.
Amidst their banter, the other patrons relaxed, chatting, smiling, remaining silent, or drinking alone.
The boisterous youkai and girls filled the small restaurant with a lively, spirited atmosphere.
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator