This woman really...
Vinny twitched his mouth, staring at the silver-haired girl with a bright smile before him.
Why does it feel like sheâs treating him like a dog again??
No, I canât get angry. I need to stay calm.
Thatâs what I say, but if possible, he really wanted to turn into Vanessa and punch this petite bread bun on the top of her head with all his might.
Vinny took a deep breath.
Forget it, forget it. If I let myself get angry, then Iâm just giving Aesphyra exactly what she wanted, arenât I?
Sometimes, he really suspected that Aesphyra also had a system, but it was called the Destiny System or the Virtue-Deficiency System or something, and he was her number one fan.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain why this purple-eyed girl loved teasing him, a grown man, and found joy in it.
Well, he knew it would be like this. Going out with Aesphyra not only didnât earn him any virtue, but he would also end up losing virtue to her.
Unbelievable. Could it be that even he, the great mental mage Vinny, had an insurmountable mountain??
Maybe he owed her something from a past life. No, scratch that. He definitely owed her something from a past life. Nothing big. Just... his entire life.
Aesphyra, on the other hand, didnât seem to care about Vinnyâs reaction at all. She poured herself a cup of black tea and sipped it elegantly.
âSorry for the wait, here are the two love omelet rice and original pudding you ordered,â Ferris soon brought over the two servings of omelet rice and dessert.
âMaiden energy, BIUBIUBIU~ May the omelet rice become delicious~â Next was adding the maiden magic to the customersâ omelet rice.
The maid named Ferris was clearly a new recruit, her movements were clumsy, and her professional skills were not yet polished. But it was precisely this shyness that made her pure charm even more genuine.
Her attitude was earnest, but because she didnât understand the essence of being a maid in a cafĂ©, she couldnât fully let go.
Although her movements werenât skilled, her sincere attitude gave a good impression, like a shy apprentice maid, embodying the beauty of a budding fruit.
Vinny couldnât help but evaluate her in his mind. He wasnât just randomly commenting; he was speaking from a professional perspective. Without experience in this field, one couldnât truly understand. He had some experience, so he dared to comment.
However, her professional skills were indeed lacking. In such cases, accidents were bound to happen.
âAh! Iâm so sorry, Master, please forgive this careless maid!â Just as Vinny had anticipated, when Ferris saw that Aesphyraâs tea cup was empty, she tried to refill it but lost her grip on the teapot, spilling the tea onto Aesphyraâs sleeve.
âIâll wipe it for you right away...â Ferris hurriedly took out a handkerchief to clean Aesphyraâs sleeve.
Ferris was panicking. She was just a commonerâs child, working part-time at the maid cafĂ© to supplement her expenses.
Most of the customers here were noble young masters and ladies with plenty of leisure money, or at least from wealthy merchant families. As a commoner, she couldnât afford to offend any of them!
However, just as she was about to wipe Aesphyraâs sleeve, her wrist was gently held.
âDonât worry about that. Iâm more concerned about whether Miss Ferris was scalded,â Aesphyra gently held Ferrisâs slender wrist, carefully examining the skin.
Her silver eyelashes, thin as cicada wings, cast a shadow, and her captivating eyes, like soft feathers, brushed over Ferrisâs hand, stirring her heart.
âUgh!â A blush instantly spread across Ferrisâs face. She felt her cheeks burning hotly, her gaze lowered, not daring to look up at the silver-haired girl before her.
It felt as if meeting those eyes, which could drip with allure, would transport her to a new realm from which she could never return.
Wait, is she really this good at flirting??
Vinny, watching from the side, couldnât help but click his tongue.
This female playboyâs bad habits were acting up again. Any girl with a bit of charm would be drawn to her like a magnet.
After seeing Aesphyraâs moves, Vinny finally understood how she managed to gather all those female protagonists into her harem in the original story, making them utterly devoted to her.
This kind of approach was a complete dimensional strike for those innocent heroines who had never experienced love. Who wouldnât fall for it??
Even he, as a bystander, felt his soul being tugged, let alone the person being directly flirted with. This charm was deadly for both genders.
Calm down, calm down. This girl is just a promiscuous playboy. If you let her catch your attention, youâre done for.
âIt doesnât seem too serious,â Aesphyra said earnestly, examining every inch of Ferrisâs hand. She blew gently on it, then took out a disposable handkerchief she carried and tied it into a makeshift bandage with a bow.
âThen, what about you?â The poor green-haired maidâs expression showed she was already completely flustered.
âMe? This temperature is nothing to me,â Aesphyra showed Ferris her sleeve. Clearly, the hot tea had spilled on her wrist and sleeve, but now the tea on her sleeve had completely evaporated, and the skin on her wrist was as white as jade, unscathed.
What?
Did she use magic in that instant??
Vinny frowned.
Now that he thought about it, the temperature in the room had inexplicably risen for a moment, but it was so brief that no one noticed.
The tea spill was entirely an accident. In such a short time, Aesphyra had managed to react and use magic to evaporate the tea??
This terrifying reaction speed could only be attributed to muscle memory, right??
Vinny leaned back in his chair, his respect for the protagonistâs inherent power growing with every subtle detail revealed during their interaction.
Ferris with her face completely red, quickly left, almost stumbling in her haste.
The poor little maid, after this encounter, had probably already had her heart stolen by this arsonist of affection.
Vinny held his tea cup in silence for a long time.
Damn, her level is just too high. How am I supposed to learn anything from this??
âLetâs eat, Lord Vinny. Does the food here not suit your taste?â Aesphyra smiled at him.
âNo, I was just marveling at how skilled you are at flirting. Just how many girls have you flirted with to get this good?â Vinny asked after a moment of silence.
âHmm~ I just understand girlsâ hearts quite well.â
âCut the crap. Anyone can see youâre a seasoned flirt,â Vinny clicked his tongue. âSo, did you take a liking to that maid just now?â
âWhy do you always look at me that way, Vinny? Canât it just be that I admire her?â
âAdmire her for what? How many times have you even met her? How much do you know about her? Admire, my foot. With the way you flirted, itâs clear youâre just after her body,â Vinny rolled his eyes.
âDonât say such things, Lord Vinny. I simply appreciate every beautiful girl. They all have qualities I like, but unfortunately, they canât be combined into one person. So, I have no choice but to interact with each of them,â Aesphyra said with a faint smile, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
âYouâre invincible. This is the first time Iâve heard someone make a playboyâs speech sound so refined and detached,â Vinny said, lowering his head to eat.
âWhat about Princess Mirexia? Didnât you say you like her?â
âYes, I do like Princess Mirexia very much. But unfortunately, the most perfect, most beloved girl in my heart doesnât like me this way, so...â Aesphyra paused.
â......What are you even saying? You like her very much, but thereâs also a most beloved one??â Vinny was rendered speechless. âCalling you promiscuous isnât an exaggeration. Is there also someone who treats you the best, and you canât let her go either??â
âAnd when did this âmost belovedâ one come into the picture? Who is it? Another maid working here??â Vinny asked.
âYes, but she seems to have stopped coming here recently. The manager said she doesnât know where she went; she only came that one time.â
â........â Vinny suddenly fell silent.
Could she be talking about...?
âSo, who is it exactly? Can you tell me?â
âHer name is Vanessa. I think I mentioned her to you before, didnât I?â
â......I vaguely remember, but for her to be remembered by a promiscuous playboy like you, sheâs really unlucky,â Vinny frowned.
This was his honest thought. Anyone remembered by this promiscuous playboy could only consider themselves unlucky.
âYou say sheâs your most beloved? I think you have no chance. Just give up,â Vinny took a bite of pudding.
âOh? Why? Didnât you say youâve never met her?â Aesphyra asked.
âNo reason. You donât need any basis for this. Any normal person with logical thinking would realize that no sane person would like a promiscuous playboy,â Vinny said bluntly.
âIf I were Miss Vanessa, Iâd stay as far away from you as possible, afraid to have anything to do with you.â
âNo, anyone who knows what kind of person you are would choose to do the same,â Vinny said firmly.
âThen, Vinny, do you know what kind of person I am?â Aesphyraâs purple eyes stared seriously at Vinny.
âYes, a promiscuous female playboy,â Vinny glanced at her. âIsnât that obvious?â
âSo, even if I actively pursued you, you would definitely reject me, right?â Aesphyra said with a captivating smile.
Here we go again.
Sheâs teasing him again.
Honestly, with the protagonistâs overwhelmingly alluring charm, Vinny was genuinely afraid that one day he might not resist the temptation and take some of this little vixenâs words seriously.
With Aesphyraâs charm, it was no wonder so many female protagonists in the original story allowed her to build a harem and flirt around.
Just look at that little maid Ferris. If Aesphyra openly pursued her, sheâd probably fall for her in less than an hour, willingly agreeing to let Aesphyra have a harem, content with just a small corner in her heart.
This is just how harem stories are.
With this thought, Vinny leaned back, putting some distance between himself and the approaching Aesphyra.
âDonât mess with me. Iâm a man, not within your hunting range. Iâm unselectable, thank you,â Vinny continued eating.
âPfft,â seeing Vinnyâs reaction, Aesphyra chuckled. âVinny, contentment brings happiness.â
âHuh??â Hearing Aesphyraâs sudden and cryptic remark, Vinny was utterly confused.
Aesphyra didnât explain, having already gone to the front desk to pay the bill.
Whatâs this woman on about now??
Vinny chewed his food, tilting his head in confusion.
After finishing the pudding, he left the maid café with Aesphyra.
Vinny noticed many gazes from both the café and the street directed at him and Aesphyra.
In fact, there had been such gazes since they entered the café.
It was understandable. Aesphyra was a big name at Carillian Academy, with once-in-a-millennium talent and outstanding looks. The teachers all treated her well, and many boys paid attention to her, even sending love letters. Wherever she went, she was the center of attention.
However, Vinny felt that the looks directed at him were more âpassionateâ than the surprise of encountering Aesphyra on the street, passionate enough to burn him to a crisp.
Damn it, who is this blue-haired bastard?? How can he walk side by side with Aesphyra?? What gives him the right??
When Vinny and Aesphyra entered the café and sat together, it was even worse. If the envious and hateful gazes could kill, Vinny felt he would have been riddled with holes.
If it were some talented, wealthy, and handsome young master from the academy walking with Aesphyra, most boys would know they couldnât compete and just feel a bit sour. But this blue-haired bastard clearly didnât fit those criteria. No one had seen him before; he definitely wasnât from a wealthy family.
So what gives him the right??
This sparked the indignation of many boys, and even some girls.
To this, Vinny could only say, âA bunch of idiots.â
These clueless fools had no idea how dangerous it was to be around Aesphyra.
He finally understood the meaning behind this meal. Aesphyra, this pure-blooded purple-eyed girl, wouldnât just invite a one-on-one meal with a guy for no reason. It was disgusting, right??
She was testing whether he had been behaving recently.
Their âlife-and-deathâ friendship from their past life wasnât something Aesphyra would forget.
This shrewd female protagonist wouldnât just trust him to have completely reformed based on a few events. She would definitely keep an eye on his behavior and occasionally give him a warning.
Vinny was frustrated. If he had known this meal would earn him so much hatred, he wouldnât have greedily taken this small benefit.
The protagonist, with her wealth from selling alchemy formulas, wouldnât care about such a small sum, right??
After parting ways with Vinny, Aesphyra watched his retreating figure, her smile gradually fading, remaining silent for a long time.