Maybe She Likes Me

“Young Master Heller?” I looked over, feigning interest.

So it really was him who bought them.

While I knew that nouveau riche types loved to show off, one still had to understand the concept of first-come, first-served.

Seeing that I didn't back down even after hearing Young Master Heller's name, they seemed to realize I wouldn't be easy to deal with.

Behind me, Misha was looking a bit worried, wanting to speak but hesitating. Shirune, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm. After all, she could handle any sudden situation; they were in the Royal Capital, not the wilderness.

At any rate, among the four boys opposite us...

Erich nudged Leander with his elbow and whispered in a voice only the few of them could hear:

“Go call the owner. If she gets stubborn and refuses, she might try to jack up the price on the spot. Hmph, it'll be trouble if we make her cry and people say we lack gentlemanly manners.”

“You're right,” Leander replied after some serious thought.

Although the two of them thought they were whispering, I could still hear them clearly.

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Meeting Alden in the morning and then running into this crowd in the afternoon—it wasn't like I wanted this. I suppose days off just meant running into classmates everywhere... or maybe it was just an unavoidable coincidence.

I figured I should probably play into my persona a bit. “You two over there, what are your names?”

“Hoh, you little girl, you actually dare to ask for my name? It'll scare you to death if I tell you!” Erich rolled up his sleeves, trying to look imposing.

I nodded patiently. “And?”

Klaus wanted to cry. He truly felt like dropping to his knees and sliding into a bow, but he was still hesitating because he didn't want to lose face. To a teenage boy, face among his peers was as valuable as life itself.

“I am Erich, and I have nothing to hide! My father is the tax official of the Kingdom's Northern County! His name is—” This fellow Erich had no idea he was digging his own grave as he boasted haughtily.

I quietly signaled Shirune with my eyes. Of course, asking for his name certainly wasn't because I wanted to settle scores later. I wasn't that petty... probably.

Fine, I was actually a little annoyed.

Fortunately, before he could finish his sentence, Klaus desperately clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him backward with a stumble.

Klaus was panting heavily and breaking out in a cold sweat. Only now did he regain his senses, fully aware that continuing down this path would lead to disaster!

After racking his brain, Klaus came up with a solution that would resolve the situation without making him lose face. He forced a friendly expression onto his face.

He acted as though he were incredibly generous.

Then, he stepped forward.

“Lady L-L-Loris,” he stammered, his lips trembling as he spoke.

“...Classmate Heller,” I replied with a nod, wanting to see what kind of performance he was about to put on.

Klaus's Adam's apple bobbed. The expressions of the boys behind him were also quite a sight, as they couldn't understand why he was talking to me.

“It's a coincidence running into you here. I just bought a batch of glowstone powder and silver-engraved array base plates, and I was actually planning to bring them to school to give to you...”

At this point, Klaus gritted his teeth, his face flushing red as he said, “You taught me a lot of techniques on the training field yesterday... Just take them. They aren't anything expensive!”

So that was his way out.

He put extra emphasis on the word 'give,' making it sound like a long-planned gesture rather than a spur-of-the-moment decision. He even intentionally added a touch of casual extravagance to his tone.

It was as if what he was casually pulling out of his pocket wasn't expensive magic materials, but a handful of wildflowers picked from the roadside.

This was mostly a show for the three boys behind him.

Erich was the first to react. He dazed for a moment, then blurted out, “So generous?!!”

“Cough!” Klaus turned back and glared at him fiercely, then repeated in an even firmer tone, “I'm giving them to Lady Loris because I want to. We're classmates, after all!”

These three weren't in Class A. They were students from other first-year classes whom Klaus was trying to make friends with, so this excuse sounded perfectly grand on the surface.

But in reality, any student in Class A knew that Klaus had utterly embarrassed himself on Friday, rather than receiving any 'instruction.'

Seeing this, my initial annoyance gradually faded. After all, the items were being returned to me, and I had a pretty good idea of what Klaus was trying to do.

As a wealthy young master, he had spent ages bragging to his classmates, only to discover that the reserved items belonged to me. After slapping his own face to look fat by buying them anyway, he realized he was in trouble, so he quickly came up with the idea of 'gifting' them to me to save face in front of his friends.

Should I play along with his performance?

If that was the case, there was no need to get angry anymore. In fact, it was actually rather chivalrous of him.

After all, I had only paid a deposit.

Still, Klaus cared way too much about saving face, didn't he?

“To me? Are you sure?” I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.

Klaus was still scrambling to make up a reply.

Actually, someone behind him was already starting to sense that something was off. No matter how polite Klaus wanted to be, he shouldn't treat a female classmate like this. Besides, the name Loris sounded a bit familiar—if the name Aldheim were uttered, it would be game over.

Fortunately, the culprit—the shop owner—arrived at that moment.

It was fair to say that without him, Klaus wouldn't have been able to take the items today in the first place.

He had come up after being informed by a clerk that customers were arguing at the front, and that Young Master Heller was involved. The owner had figured that was unacceptable; it was likely the customer who paid the deposit had returned, and he needed to step in to resolve it and score some goodwill.

And now, he stepped forward.

Then, the smile on the owner's face froze.

“L-Lady... Lady Aldheim...” Just speaking the name made his voice sound like dry, grating metal freshly scraped by sandpaper.

Because he had just caught sight of Shirune's half-demon horn and then looked at the reservation slip the female clerk at the counter had shown him, which made him think of that family.

He naturally knew the name Aldheim.

In the entire Kingdom of Barton, anyone who didn't know that name probably hadn't been born yet.

He had simply never expected that the leader of the three low-profile young women would be the eldest daughter of the Aldheim family herself. She had no crest, no titles, and no entourage, quietly walking in to order a few jars of magic powder and leaving just as silently.

Who could have guessed? Given her reputation, shouldn't she have had a red carpet rolled out, talking grandly while the entire staff bowed in deep respect?

“Yes, what is it?” My response was an admission of my identity.

With that, Klaus's lie was instantly punctured, and the faces of the three boys opposite us changed in a flash.

The strange sense of discord in the air finally vanished.

They finally understood why the proud and boastful Klaus had bowed his head... Honestly, I still preferred his wild and untamed look.

What do you mean, 'giving them to her'? Erich thought to himself. He just kicked a steel plate.

Then, remembering his own behavior just moments ago, his face turned a chaotic mix of blue and red.

Cold sweat began to bead on the owner's forehead. Having spent decades navigating the business world, he knew exactly when to be polite, when to flatter, and when to bow his head.

And in this current situation, what he needed to do was neither of those.

It was to save his own skin.

Compared to the students' superficial understanding of the Aldheim family, he, as an adult, knew far better just how terrifying this family truly was.

He hurried down the steps, not even sparing Klaus a glance as he passed by, and walked straight up to me.

Then, he bowed deeply, bending his waist at least twice as low as he had for Klaus.

“I am terribly sorry, Lady Aldheim. This was indeed a severe oversight on our shop's part, resulting in such an unpleasant experience for you.”

His voice carried a well-practiced sincerity:

“We will repackage this batch of glowstone powder and array base plates to an even higher standard, entirely at our shop's expense. Furthermore, for the next year—no, three years—any wands, potions, and materials you purchase here will be forty percent off!”

“If you wish, I can immediately issue you our highest-grade lifetime membership!”

He spoke rapidly, weighing every word perfectly. It was clear this script had been rehearsed in his mind countless times.

I gave him a subtle look, though on the surface I maintained a haughty expression.

A shop owner in his fifties was bowing deeply to a twelve-year-old girl, his tone humble to the point of pleading... not because the girl herself was incredibly powerful, but because her last name was Aldheim.

Erich, the boy who had been talking tough and calling me a 'little sprout' to my face, had practically shut down and pretended to fall asleep, hoping he wouldn't be held accountable.

The other three were even more embarrassed than Klaus, swallowing hard and exchanging awkward glances.

Actually, causing such a scene wasn't what I wanted. These people weren't even main story characters; I just wanted to get back what was rightfully mine.

Thinking of this, I pondered for a moment.

I should probably avoid making things too difficult for Klaus. After all, this guy was quite entertaining. Between him walking away with his head bowed and him provoking me, I actually preferred the latter.

After all, life would be quite boring if everyone did nothing but flatter me.

“By the way, what do you need these for?”

I asked Klaus, gesturing toward the package of magic powder in my hand.

Klaus didn't lie. His face remained flushed red with embarrassment. After all, he had already backed down, which was a severe blow to his pride in front of his three friends:

“For my friends and myself, of course. They need this powder to craft...”

Before he could finish his sentence...

“No, no, no, we don't need it at all!” the three behind him said in unison, shaking their heads frantically.

Klaus's face stiffened, but he still loyally turned back and said, “Fine, I'll take you to other shops later! Although the purity won't be as high as this, I guarantee it won't be too far off...”

I tilted my head slightly and opened the lid to take a look.

Six jars of high-purity glowstone powder were neatly arranged in crystal containers, and the silver-engraved array base plates were exactly the specifications I had expected.

Closing the box, I weighed it in my hands. It was indeed the order I had just placed.

Honestly, I didn't even need that much; I had only bought the whole batch because I had too much money.

He was only trying to buy them for his friends. This was the guy who had caused the steak incident in the first week of school; at his core, he probably just didn't want to be looked down upon and wanted to make more friends.

I should probably save him a bit of face.

“I see.” I closed the box and thought it over. “However, I only need half of this amount. Since you've already paid for it and I only paid a deposit, let's just split it.”

Klaus froze.

He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, I had Shirune retrieve an empty velvet bag from her carrying pouch.

Shirune took three of the six jars of powder from the gift box, placed them in the velvet bag, and then slipped them into a cloth pouch.

Then, she handed it over to him.

The silk pouch even bore the floral crest of the Aldheim family.

“This half is for you,” I said, brushing non-existent dust off my hands. “Next time you make friends, remember to choose better ones. When it comes to friends, quality matters more than quantity.”

With that, I turned around and walked toward the exit.

The owner of Mephisto had jogged over to my side at some point, bending his waist even lower than before. His face was plastered with an obsequious smile, looking as if he wished he could pack up the entire shop and load it onto my carriage.

“Watch your step—the threshold is a bit high—have a safe trip, Lady Aldheim—please come again soon—” His rapid-fire words left no room for breath, and he didn't spare a single glance at the four stunned boys standing behind him.

Misha and Shirune followed me out. Misha mentioned that those three boys seemed to be classmates, and the reason they had been so arrogant earlier was likely because they saw Misha and assumed Loris wasn't anyone famous either. After all, the weak tended to huddle together, and Misha considered herself one of the weak.

Hearing this, I felt no guilt about keeping a mental note of their names.

After the three of us left, peace finally returned to the shop. The owner wiped his forehead in relief, though he had no desire to flatter Young Master Heller, who was, after all, the culprit who caused this whole mess.

...

Inside the shop.

The moment the shop door closed, the owner could finally straighten his back and let out a long breath.

He pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped his forehead, the back of his neck, and behind his ears, then muttered something that sounded like a prayer and a sigh of relief.

“Thank the gods for sparing my little shop... May there never be a second time.”

He stuffed the handkerchief back into his sleeve and turned around.

The shop was quiet. Only the four boys remained standing in place with complicated expressions. Klaus held the gift box, which had half of its contents removed, with the velvet pouch resting on top of it.

The other three stood half a step behind him, their expressions varied, looking as though they still hadn't recovered from the sudden storm.

To be honest, the owner did feel a bit of resentment toward this young master of the Heller family—after all, today's trouble was entirely his fault—but in business, who holds a grudge?

He took a deep breath, wiped the remaining panic from his face, put on a warm and gentle smile once more, and stepped forward to greet them.

“Young Master Heller, what an unfortunate turn of events. I apologize for the scene today,” his voice returned to its smooth tone. “I am truly sorry—it is rare for you to visit in person, yet you had to encounter such a situation.”

Klaus gave a vague grunt. He wasn't actually listening to what the owner was saying.

His mind was still processing the scene from moments ago.

From “she actually only took half” to “she left half for me.”

Then to “the pouch she gave me has her family crest,” and finally to “she said to make better friends.”

These words replayed over and over in Klaus's mind, with new details jumping out at him with every loop.

“...Young Master? Young Master Heller?”

Leander waved a hand in front of his eyes. “Aren't you going to respond to the owner? He's been waiting for a while.”

“Huh?” Klaus snapped out of it. “Oh, right, let's do as you said.”

He nodded absentmindedly to the owner, then mechanically turned around holding the gift box and walked out of the shop.

The three companions exchanged meaningful looks and quickly followed, while also feeling a touch of admiration.

Erich's face still carried a trace of the paleness from his earlier fright, but he had already recovered from his cowardly state and began speaking with the relieved tone of a survivor.

“I almost thought we were finished today. I can't believe that little sprout is the legendary villainess daughter. Dammit.”

“Still, to think we got away completely unscathed. I practically saw my grandfather calling to me from the afterlife! Especially after how I mocked her...”

“It's all thanks to Young Master Heller being friends with her!”

“Exactly! Look at that, she even returned half of the items she already had in her hands! Young Master Heller is amazing!”

The three of them began to heap praise upon him, and the face Klaus thought he had lost was restored once more.

They chatted back and forth, discussing whether just now could be considered a “strategic tie,” and what order of magical beast Loris's level of villainy would equate to.

And the topic quickly drifted to...

...things completely off-topic, like “if there were actually a magical beast that looked like her, would you even dare to fight it?”

“Actually, she's kind of cute.”

“It's just that her personality is too awful.”

Erich remarked, pinching his chin.

Klaus walked ahead of the three, holding the mostly empty gift box with the extra velvet pouch resting on it. His eyes were dazed, and he barely spoke a word along the way.

He was thinking. He was racking his brain to think.

Loris clearly could have taken everything. She was the lady of the Aldheim family, and no one in the academy dared to say no to her.

Yesterday on the training field, she had crushed his confidence to dust, lecturing him while mocking him.

Today, she could have easily taken all of the remaining magic powder as well, but after playing a little trick on him, she left half behind for him.

These actions were just too strange.

Klaus suddenly remembered his father's teachings.

“Women say one thing but mean another.”

If a woman lets you off once, it might be an accident. But twice? That had to be intentional.

Thinking of this, the more he analyzed it, the more seamless his logic felt. These two times, she was clearly giving him an out, helping him save face in front of everyone.

Klaus Heller suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Because he realized a fact—an exciting, thrilling fact.

...

—Near the Cafe, Royal Capital—

“A-Achoo!”

I suddenly sneezed.

“What's wrong, Lady Loris? Did you catch a cold?”

“Would you like a coat, Lady Loris?!”

Misha and Shirune asked with concern in unison. I rubbed my nose and waved my hand to assure them I was fine.

How strange. Why did I suddenly sneeze?

Is someone talking behind my back?

And here I was, treating others with kindness and doing good deeds on a whim... Well, people cursing me was normal enough. But it couldn't be that group of four from just now, right? I had definitely saved them plenty of face. If they were talking trash, they'd really be ungrateful.

Now, I just had to wait and see if anything would happen on Liliana's end.

If nothing happens, I can go back to school and be a shut-in... My feet are honestly getting a bit tired from all this walking.

...