After me and Lutz recieved a letter of inivitation from mister Benno through mister Otto, we immediately went to his shop at the time he mentioned in the invitation.
"I wonder what they eat around here in the north..." I spoke as we continued to walk through the sidewalk, surrounded by people who dress better than us. Such contrast to our level of hierarchy. Just thinking about having a lunch meeting with someone with higher social standing than us, makes me feel anxious.
"I bet it's going to be good! I can't wait!"
Lutz exclaimed in excitement. I'm nervous for him.
"Hey, Lutz. When we eat, we should mind our manners, okay? We should also mind table etiquettes..."
His eyes widened in wonder as he turned to look at me. He seems quite confused so I elaborated,
"This must be some kind of a test. We shouldn't eat normally like we do at our houses... I think. Do you know any table etiquettes?"
As a person who just entered this girl's body almost a year ago, I only know the etiquette back in Japan, and so far, some practices back from when I was Urano, was different here. I'm getting morw uneasy every step we take.
"Shoot! I don't know anything at all...!"
As expected.
"Let's just observe what mister Benno does, then we copy him, is that alright?"
"Sure... Now I'm nervous."
I apologoze Lutz, but I'm glad.
"Just act natural while doing it., then we'll be fine!"
I tried to calm him down. We can't afford to shiver infront of a predator.
"Got it!"
When we arrived infront of the building where I went with mister Otto last time, apparently the first floor is mister Benno's shop but this whole building is his, so basically they're brother-in-laws.
But all of those aside, I felt a sheer panic when they started to close the window shutters and the door, and so did the othe shops around.
"Are they closing??"
I silently exclaimed to myself as we approached the man who's about to close the doors after some employees left.
"Umm! Excuse meee!! Are you all done for the day??"
I asked. I tried to keep my panic in, but it seems I failed horribly.
"We're just temporarily closing for lunch break. Please wait here for a while. Excuse me."
The man kindly explained with a small smile as he proceeded to do his work. I sighed in relief as I stepped back with Lutz.
"I'm kinda glad. But does this mean we're late?"
"I'm getting nervous Maine."
After a few minutes of waiting, the man came back to us with a polite smile as he told us to come in.
Inside the dim room with only small gaps of the window shutters probiding light, he guides us further deeper to the shop.
As he opened a door for us, my eyes adjusted from the sudden brightness of the room.
"I'm glad you came."
Benno greeted as he motioned his hand, pointing at the circular table on his further to his right, with three chairs already assembled.
"Greetings, mister Benno"
I greeted as we went to the table with him. Me and Lutz helped ourselves into the chairs as mister Benno spoke,
"We'll be discussing business matters after we have our lunch..."
He then rang the bell in the table thrice, with that, the door farther to our right that I haven't noticed earlier, opened as a cart with the food and utensils is being pushed by someone or something I can't clearly see.
Does this world have magic?? Is this some kind of fantasy world I got reincarnated in??-
But before I could think more about magic, my bubble bursted when I got a clearer view of a child pushing it.
She's dressed finely, with a polite half-pint smile etched on her face like the man that escorted us in (who is now standing in the corner of the room). Her wide blue eyes gleaming through the sunlight with her fluffy looking milk tea color hair in a bob cut and a hairpin holding some baby hairs out of the way, framing her adorable looking face.
Wait, hairpin?? It really is one of those hairpins that I had back when I was a kid, those ones you have to bend to open and press to your head to lock it! How, where did she get that? So it's possible here?
Before I knew it, she stopped pushing the cart further and stepped aside as she brought her right hand to her left shoulder and bent her knees slightly like a curtsy back in Earth.
She's an epitome of a child goddess as she spoke in a soft tone.
"Here is your lunch for today"
I heard mister Benno click his tounge. When I turned to look at him, I couldn't even read his face... It's like a mix of worry, annoyed, or unease. I don't know.
"Why are you even up, roaming around at your state? "
He asked as he scratched his head.
"You told me that today is my evaluation sir."
She spoke politely as she looked back at him with a smile.
"Right, I admit I'm at fault here, I wasn't able to tell you earlier.... Did your fever come low?"
Mister Benno asked with worry in his tone.
"Fortunately yes..."
After her answer, mister Benno was silent as he motioned for her to come forward.
"quite..."
She added from her previous statement as she came front. Mister Benno felt his hand on her forehead and flicked it.
"Idiot. It's very much the same as earlier."
"Ow!"
I wonder what's their relationship though. They seem pretty close. But I am sure that she's an apprentice here.
"Since you're already here, let's just get into your evaluation. "
He said with a frown as he leaned back on his chair.
The girl then turned to us with her usual smile.
"Greetings, ma'am and sirs. Welcome. My name's Franziska. If you need anything, please ring the bell."
She said
I think this is her test... So should we introduce back? It seems like she's supposed to be serving us now if she didn't get a cold.
"Well done. Maine, Lutz, this is my daughter, Franziska. "
Mister Benno has a child!?? I don't see him as a father figure at all!! I mean we only met once before, but he does not look or sound like someone who would raise a child!!
"Greetings miss Franziska, my name is Maine, and he's Lutz. Were glad to meet you."
Crap! I should've let Lutz inteoduce himself! Another slip, you idiot!!
"I'm glad to meet you both miss Maine, and sir Lutz."
She greeted back. I can't stand the politeness, she sounds too angelic.
"Mark, can you take her back to her room?"
Benno turned to look at the man in the cornwr of the room.
"Of course master Benno... If you would, miss."
He responded immediately as he calmly approached to Franziska.
"Wait, sir. You have a message. I haven't looked into it yet though."
She spoke in a bit surprise before mister Mark could approach her and handed him a wooden tag.
"Thank you Fran. Now go and rest up. Your evaluation is over for now."
With that, she was carried away by mister Mark as she obediently went along with it.
She seems pretty weak than how she looks like...
"Umm, mister Benno. May I ask a question?"
I want to ask him about the hairpin.
"Go ahead."
He responded as he started to serve our plates. I guess he'll be the one to serve us since he's the master here.
"Where can I get a hairpin like that?"
Is it common around? I don't want to ask that odd question to him since it might cause some suspicion.
"Hm? Interested?"
He answered with a question.
"Quite..."
"Unfortunately, it's not available for the public. We couldn't mass produce it because that idiot child made something that takes too much time and effort to make that even skilled artisans have trouble recreating."
He spoke with a small scowl.
"She made it herself!??!"
Lutz exclaimed in surprise. I couldn't blame him, I mean, the hairpin looks like it was professionally made, especially with the little fine details engraved on it.
But how did she make it? I wonder how thought about that...
"Pretty talented, huh. She's like a little whirlwind of problems when she introduces new products to the company though."
He sighed in disbelief.
She seems interesting either way. But why do I have a hint of weird feeling in my stomach...
"Eat up."
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ー芽郁。