At that moment, the door opened.
Yuto turned his head, preparing to greet the customer.
But when he saw who had come in, his expression froze.
"Sakura?" His voice filled with surprise.
There was no one beside the little girl.
She was wearing pajamas, and on her feet were only slippers. That outfit left Yuto deeply puzzled.
"Yuto-onii-san!" Sakura looked delighted.
The little girl quickly ran to the counter, braced herself against it, and climbed up to sit down.
Even Tohru and the others looked at Sakura in surprise.
"Did you sneak out?" Yuto asked.
Sakura smiled and nodded. "Mm!"
That single "mm" made Yuto feel helpless.
At the same time, dissatisfaction toward Hestia rose in his heart.
What kind of goddess was she? How could she fail to keep an eye on a child?
"Why are you only wearing pajamas? Aren't you cold?" Yuto gently touched Sakura's head with concern.
Although it was summer, he was worried the night wind might chill the little girl.
This feeling was rather like a grandmother worrying that you had not eaten enough.
"It's fine. I'm not cold at all," Sakura shook her head.
But Yuto felt otherwise.
"No, you're cold." He directly arranged for Tohru to go upstairs and fetch one of his coats.
When the dragon girl came back down, she was holding a jacket. Judging by its thickness, it was meant for spring or autumn.
Yuto completely ignored the little girl's stubborn resistance and put his coat around her.
"Uu... it's so big..." Sakura muttered as she waved her arms. The sleeves were so long that her hands could not even peek out.
The hem of the coat reached down to Sakura's knees. At this point, it could practically be called a dress!
"It's better if it's too big. That way, it blocks the wind." Yuto pulled the zipper up.
It was around three or four in the morning, exactly when the air began to turn cool.
"Okay..." Knowing that resistance was useless, Sakura stopped arguing.
"Sakura, why did you sneak out? Is there something you couldn't tell Hestia?" Yuto asked.
Sakura raised her hand as if she wanted to scratch her head, but the sleeves were too long, so she gave up on the movement.
She let out a playful laugh, but soon afterward, a serious look appeared on her face.
"Yuto-onii-san, you remember what Loki-onee-san said in the restaurant just now, right?"
There was clear worry in Sakura's voice.
"I remember. What about it?"
Sakura's face showed hesitation and determination. "When Hestia-onee-san and I first met, she said I had talent. Loki-onee-san also said I had talent for magic. I don't want to stay weak like this forever. I want to learn magic and become stronger."
Yuto let out a soft sigh.
"Is it because of what Loki said?"
"Mm! Life is happy every day right now, but if I stay weak forever, then what Loki-onee-san talked about will happen sooner or later. I don't want to be separated from Hestia-onee-san. Since everyone says I have talent for magic, then I'll learn magic."
"That way, I can become stronger. Once I'm stronger, I'll be able to stay by Hestia-onee-san's side. And I don't dare tell Hestia-onee-san about this. If I told her, she definitely wouldn't agree. Hestia-onee-san is good in every way, but she worries about me too much."
Sakura poured out everything in her heart.
Her words were childish, but every word was painfully sincere.
After hearing her, warmth and relief rose in Yuto's heart.
Sakura really was such a kind and gentle child. Far more so than a five- or six-year-old should be.
The things she had experienced in the past had forced this little girl's heart to grow quickly. Yet everyone, including Yuto himself, had failed to notice that growth.
They had still been treating her as a small child. Now, at last, she revealed the mature side of herself.
"So that's why you came to me?" Yuto smiled.
"Mm! If I study magic in the Dungeon, Hestia-onee-san will find out. I want to secretly come to the restaurant from now on and learn magic from Uncle Ainz and the others. That way, she won't discover it."
Sakura had thought this through carefully.
Yuto rubbed Sakura's hair.
He sighed softly, and a helpless smile appeared on his face. "All right. I'll tell them tomorrow. Leave it to me."
Yuto's agreement immediately filled the little girl's face with joy.
"Okay, now hurry back and sleep. You're not allowed to sneak out again," Yuto flicked Sakura lightly on the forehead.
The little girl nodded hard, then jumped down from the stool.
She still wanted to take off the coat and return it, but Yuto stopped her, so she had no choice but to leave while wearing it.
After she was gone, Yuto let out a deep sigh.
He really had underestimated Sakura.
Just now, he had actually wanted to refuse her.
Compared to learning magic, coming directly to him for help would be faster and more convenient. But he had seen the seriousness in the little girl's eyes. Many thoughts had passed through his mind.
This decision was something Sakura had made only after thinking carefully over and over again.
Sometimes, making a decision was itself a great adventure. Even adults could not guarantee much when facing the risks involved, much less a child.
But Sakura was not an ordinary child, he had realized that now.
The little girl was far more mature than anyone had imagined.
That serious gaze was not something he could interrupt. It was her choice, and it was her courage.
Perhaps at a time like this, what he should do was not reject her out of a desire to protect her, but acknowledge her out of encouragement.
That was why he decided to support her.
'Sakura, do your best.'
'No matter what happens, never forget that there will always be many people standing behind you.'
Yuto sighed softly, but the corner of his mouth curved upward.
At this moment, his heart was filled with quiet joy.
...
Sakura quietly returned to the room.
The goddess was sleeping soundly, breathing with a soft "haa... haa..."
The little girl quietly slipped back under the covers, and before long, she too fell asleep.
"Mm... smile... Sakura..."
Inside the quiet room, only the goddess's sleep-talking sound echoed softly.
...
Time flowed on, and during the period approaching dawn, the little restaurant was usually at its quietest.
More than an hour had passed since Sakura left, yet no new customers had appeared.
Under normal circumstances, the restaurant would often be cold and empty during this stretch.
Today, however, was different.
Tohru was there, and Erina and Hisako had joined them as well. Including Yuto, the restaurant had four people in total, so it felt lively.
Erina had observed the customer flow for the entire night. She realized the busy period was from opening until before midnight.
The number of customers during those few hours exceeded the number who came through the rest of the night by a large margin.
The girl noted this characteristic down since it might prove useful.
Hisako sat near the wall at the counter, leaning against it with her eyes half-closed in drowsiness.
After all, she had stayed up all night, feeling sleepy was unavoidable.
It was not only Hisako. Erina's eyelids were also growing heavy, though she tried to hold on.
"Nakiri, you and Arato should go back." Yuto noticed their exhaustion.
Going without sleep was nothing to him, but Erina and Hisako were ordinary people.
"It isn't seven yet." Without Erina noticing it herself, her voice carried fatigue.
Yuto sighed helplessly.
After spending the night together, his impression of Erina had changed. He had grasped her personality. In the end, she was a stubborn, prideful young lady.
Other than that, she was quite good.
"There's no need. At this hour, there probably won't be many customers. We don't need so many people waiting in the restaurant. I'm enough on my own."
The dragon girl promptly raised her hand, as if to say, And me!
Yuto smiled and added another sentence. "And Tohru."
The dragon girl's eyes narrowed, pleased.
"But..."
"There are no buts. I'm the Boss, so what I say goes."
Erina had wanted to say something else, but Yuto cut her off firmly. Since she was mentally exhausted, Erina gave up arguing.
"Call Senzaemon now and have him send a car to pick you up." Yuto's tone was calm, leaving no room to refuse.
Almost subconsciously, Erina obeyed.
After being directed by him all night, she had developed a conditioned reflex toward his orders.
Seeing that Erina listened obediently, Yuto let out a small breath.
His gaze turned to Hisako.
While he and Erina talked, the girl had forced herself to sit up straight, but her eyes were hazy.
Clearly, she was sleepy.
"When you go back, don't do anything else. Sleep properly first. If you feel unwell, you can call me and ask for leave."
After Erina finished making the call, Yuto gave another reminder. Faced with his concern, neither Erina nor Hisako opposed.
...
A short while later, Erina's phone rang.
She answered, said a few words, then hung up.
The car from Totsuki had arrived and it was parked outside Ichinosuke Street.
"Tohru, go escort Nakiri and Arato." Yuto arranged for the dragon girl to accompany them.
Both Erina and Hisako were in a dazed mental state. It would be reassuring to have Tohru see them off.
"Mm!" Tohru nodded, then followed Erina and Hisako out.
Left alone, Yuto sighed.
They were sleepy, so why insist on forcing themselves to keep going? But another thought occurred to him.
In the future, the employees would face this situation often.
Should he prepare a "wakefulness potion"? Ideally, something that could keep a person energetic for an entire night after drinking it.
Of course, it had to be harmless.
The question was worth studying.
Yuto made a note of it in his mind. Then he stretched, he himself had not slept for several days.
He simply was not sleepy at all!
"There's a little over an hour left before closing. Will any more customers come?" he murmured to himself.
As if to prove him correct, the door opened.
It was not Tohru returning, but a new customer.
The coincidence made Yuto feel a tiny bit awkward, though that emotion vanished in an instant.
"Welcome." He spoke gently to the person who arrived.
His eyes were calm, the corners of his mouth lifted.
Standing at the entrance was a girl wearing a red top and a short black skirt.
Two black ribbons held up her long dark hair in twin-tails, she also wore black thigh-high stockings.
Her face was elegant, bringing to mind the image of a refined young lady.
At this moment, a trace of surprise marked her face.
This was the expression every new customer had.
"I thought there was some mage's prank behind this door. It seems I was mistaken." The girl's tone carried a hint of novelty and interest.
Her gaze as she looked at Yuto carried a searching quality.
Yuto smiled.
He had grown used to looks like that. "Hello. Would you like something to eat?"
The girl's gaze swept around the restaurant before she walked toward the counter.
Her steps were light, yet carried a steadiness, as though she had trained in martial arts.
"As for eating, there's no need. It's early, and breakfast should be delayed by another hour or two."
After sitting down, the girl's speech and mannerisms carried the elegance of someone from high society.
Combined with how particular she was about breakfast, Yuto guessed she was a young lady from a wealthy family.
And not an ordinary one.
Yuto could sense the energy contained within her.
Although it was not strong by comparison, it surpassed that of an ordinary person.
"You're right. It is a little too early right now," Yuto agreed.
A smile appeared at the corner of the girl's mouth.
Even though she had entered feeling annoyed, surprise and excitement rose in her heart.
For a girl who carried the name of a prestigious mage family, any discovery tied to mystery was worthy of celebration!
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