Meanwhile, in the alley outside the cafe, a drama was unfolding that was completely different from the leisurely atmosphere inside.
“Klaus, my dearest friend, my brother—you'll help me, won't you?”
Alden clasped his hands together, practically on the verge of bowing down. He kept his voice low and earnest, his eyes filled with a pleading look that said, “If you don't help me, I'll die right here.”
Klaus Heller stood beside him, resting his forehead in one hand, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
He had brought three friends out shopping today. He had already run into a bizarre little incident at the magic materials shop, and he was currently fretting over a sudden, unexpected romance.
He had originally planned to go to a jewelry store to pick out a few meeting gifts for them, only to be intercepted by Alden halfway and dragged all the way into this alley.
“Explain what this is about first,” Klaus sighed. “Don't start acting like it's a matter of life and death right off the bat.”
Alden took a deep breath.
He began to explain his grand plan, starting from what happened this morning.
As for the reason, Klaus actually knew that Alden was interested in the commoner Liliana; after all, Alden had been showing off since the first day of school.
Besides, who in Class A didn't know Liliana? A commoner with incredible talent. Because of this, the young noble masters discussed her constantly, envying her while also making fun of her. In yesterday's weekly test, she had even fought to a draw with that terrifying little lion, Loris.
The reason he didn't refer to her by titles like “villainous tyrant” was because of his sudden, recent romantic preoccupations.
But...
“I originally planned to go to the cafe where she works today—this one, the Klein Cafe.”
Alden pointed toward the two-story building deeper in the alley. “I already came here once this morning. I even rehearsed a hero-saves-the-beauty plan with two of my buddies beforehand. But guess what?”
Klaus didn't respond.
Could he have run into her too? That would be too much of a coincidence.
“It turns out that Aldheim girl was inside too!” Alden's voice suddenly shot up an octave before he quickly lowered it again, as if afraid of being overheard. “She was sitting right across from the entrance, holding a cup of coffee and looking at me like I was a bug—I nearly fell to my knees on the spot.”
Klaus recalled his own experience on the training ground. He fell silent for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
Her aura was simply too terrifying.
“So my original plan went down the drain,” Alden said, throwing his hands up. “But now I've come up with a new plan. A much better plan.”
He pulled a neatly folded piece of parchment from his coat and unfolded it for Klaus to see.
On the paper was a crooked diagram drawn in ink, marking the layout of the tables and chairs inside the cafe, as well as the positions of several stick figures. It was covered in tiny, dense annotations.
“I call it—the Friendship Plan.”
Alden announced solemnly.
Klaus stared down at the diagram, which looked like a three-year-old's doodles, and fell silent for three seconds.
“That name is incredibly half-hearted.”
“The name doesn't matter! The content does!” Alden pointed to a square on the diagram with three lines drawn on it, which probably represented a table.
“This time, it's not a hero-saves-the-beauty scenario. No need to find someone to give her a hard time, and no acting. We—well, you and me—will just walk in normally, order normally, and spend money normally.”
“And then?”
“Then, we order three cups of coffee.”
Alden held up three fingers.
“One for you, one for me, and one for Liliana. When it's time to pay, I'll pay several times the bill—for example, if we order three cups of coffee, I'll pay a massive tip and tell her that the extra tip is enough to buy out her time to have her own cup. We'll ask her to sit down and have a drink with us.”
At this point, Alden paused, flashing a smile he thought was incredibly handsome.
“Elegant and dignified. This way, she gets extra income and feels my sincerity—she might even think of me as a gentle, considerate guy.”
Klaus remained silent for a few seconds, unable to resist asking a very practical question. “Then why do you need me?”
Alden took a deep breath, then patted Klaus on the shoulder.
“...Because I'm broke,” he confessed honestly.
His eyes were eager.
“—Rich young master.”
“The cost of three cups of coffee plus a hefty tip is pocket change to you. This is the perfect chance for you to show off! Let me show you what romance bought with money looks like!”
Klaus hesitated, lost in thought.
He didn't really approve of Alden's way of pursuing girls. The guy always paved his way with money, staging scenes, hiring people to cause trouble, and giving bribes disguised as gifts. His tricks were endless, and he always seemed to think these petty schemes could win a girl over.
But he couldn't ignore their friendship.
Besides, it was just a few cups of coffee.
“Fine,” Klaus sighed. “But this is the last time. Next time you come up with a plan like this, don't expect me to pay for it.”
Alden was overjoyed, nearly jumping up on the spot. “I knew you'd agree! Brother!”
“But one thing,” Klaus added impatiently. “Once I pay, I'm leaving. If things go south later, don't drag me into it.”
“Don't worry, don't worry, nothing will go wrong this time.” Alden adjusted his collar, took a deep breath, and pushed open the cafe door. “Let's go. The historic moment has arrived. The Friendship Plan, begin!”
The clay bell above the door chimed merrily.
Alden Cross pushed open the glass door of the cafe, taking his carefully rehearsed gentlemanly steps.
Then, in the next instant,
he froze at the entrance, looking as if he had been petrified.
“Holy crap—”
At Table Six, Loris von Aldheim turned around to speak with the waitress Liliana. She spoke in a condescending, cool tone:
“Add one spoonful.”
And Liliana, whom Alden was constantly thinking of, was bending over slightly. She carefully held a silver sugar bowl, scooping up a full spoonful of white sugar with a small silver spoon, and held her breath as she added it to a steaming cup of coffee.
On her usually bright and cheerful face,
there was an obvious look of tension.
Alden swallowed hard, his hand frozen on the doorknob.
How did they run into each other again?!
But the scene before him was even more striking. Deciding to put aside the question of how they had coincidentally met, Alden immediately translated this image into a complete script in his mind.
Loris must be making things difficult for Liliana on purpose!
Adding a spoonful of sugar? Any ordinary customer could do such a trivial task themselves. Why did she have to make a busy waitress serve her specifically? With Loris's notorious personality, this was clearly a deliberate attempt to find fault and humiliate a commoner student in public!
Immediately after, an even greater truth exploded in his mind—the explanation for what had happened this morning fit together perfectly.
Loris definitely hadn't just been passing by.
She had come to bully Liliana.
This eldest daughter of the Aldheim family, whose name as a villainess echoed throughout the academy, had targeted Liliana just like he had—except he was here to pursue her, while she was here to trample her.
That chance encounter this morning hadn't been a stroke of bad luck at all. It was clearly because Loris had come to make trouble first, only to run into his rehearsal and end up dealing with him in the process.
The logic aligned perfectly.
As for Klaus beside him, he wore a deep, complex expression, still unsure how to face this little lion.
He hadn't expected to meet her again.
Though his previous conclusion might not have been rigorous, Klaus felt it was highly likely. When he was a child, he had kept a cat at his family's estate. The cat was incredibly haughty and never let anyone touch it, but whenever he sat in the courtyard, it would quietly creep over to his feet, pretending to sunbathe.
Was there any fundamental difference between that and Loris's behavior?
None, he felt.
But he didn't like her flat chest, and her personality was awful. Still, considering her family background—the Aldheim family was one of the kingdom's top ducal houses, boasting thousands of private soldiers, a force that even the royal family had to carefully appease.
Thinking about it this way, she seemed like a decent match for him.
If she really confessed her feelings to him—well, he would reluctantly agree to go out with her.
With this in mind, Klaus decided not to strike up a conversation even though they were in the same cafe. He wasn't the kind of man who wanted to live off a woman. A man of backbone, standing tall, should naturally carve out his own path through his own hard work.
“Klaus, did you see that?”
At this moment, Alden lowered his voice and tugged at his companion's sleeve. “That Loris!”
“What about her?” Klaus feigned composure.
“For her to be in this cafe, she must be bullying Liliana again! Just look at her arrogant attitude in class! This is the perfect moment for me to make my entrance! Oh, that poor, beautiful girl. She probably has to be supervised just to add sugar, and she'll get yelled at if her hand shakes even a little.”
While feeling deeply pained, Alden stealthily found a spot to sit down, and Klaus followed him.
A moment later,
having finished her grueling task at Table Six, Liliana left with a slightly complicated feeling, holding the expensive tip.
Seeing this, Alden immediately adjusted his collar.
The Friendship Plan in his mind was suddenly infused with a brand-new energy.
If Loris was here to bully Liliana, then his appearance would be all the more meaningful.
On one side was the high-and-mighty villainess daughter who took pleasure in trampling commoners; on the other was the gentle, considerate gentleman classmate who sympathized with her hard work.
The stronger the contrast, the greater his presence would be.
He went over the script in his mind once more.
Wait for Liliana to come take their order, order three cups of coffee, pay a massive tip, invite her to sit down and have a drink, and maintain a gentlemanly demeanor the entire time.
A perfect script.
But just then, a gaze swept over.
Someone in the cafe was observing the two boys.
Klaus couldn't help but sit up straight.
While Alden felt a chill run down his spine.
The gaze belonged to none other than Loris von Aldheim herself.
At this moment, she was holding her coffee cup, stirring the sugar cube inside with a silver spoon. Her profile in the afternoon light was as exquisite as a court doll stepped out of a picture book.
Then, she raised her eyes, her gaze landing directly on the two of them.
Seeing that it was Alden and Klaus, after a few seconds, Loris's expression underwent a subtle change—
First, she frowned in confusion.
This sent a shiver of fear through Alden, who worried she was about to make trouble for him again. Surely it wouldn't be that bad? But since they had entered the cafe, she was bound to see them. Whatever would happen, would happen; he had a clear conscience, so he had nothing to fear!
With this thought, Alden tried to remain calm, though his legs were actually shaking.
In the next moment, Loris's confused frown vanished.
The corners of her mouth curved slightly, as if she had seen something amusing, before she returned to her usual haughty expression.
This caused Klaus to rub his nose.
“She definitely likes me, smiling at me like that.”
But if they could hear Loris's inner voice, they would know it was confusion over the recurrence of an event she had already prevented, as well as amusement at seeing the World's Will trying to realize its designs.
“Actually, there's something I've been keeping from you... Forget it, I won't say it. I'm afraid you'll get jealous.”
Klaus spoke in a leisurely, wistful tone, as if recalling years of weathered memories.
To be frank, it was incredibly irritating.
But Alden didn't respond, only suggesting they change seats.
And so, they moved to a corner.
“This spot is nice.”
Alden sat down, wiping the sweat that had gathered on his forehead with a handkerchief. He propped up the menu beside him, using it to block most of his face.
Klaus sat opposite him, finding his behavior a bit embarrassing, but didn't dwell on it.
Next came the standard service.
“Welcome!”
A clear and gentle female voice came from beside them.
Liliana stood by their table carrying a tray. Seeing two more of her classmates, she bowed her head slightly, her eyes darting around with a touch of embarrassment.
Her light-pink hair was slightly disheveled from her busy work, with a few stray strands slipping down past her ears, making her light-brown eyes look exceptionally bright.
She wore a clean, plain white apron, its pockets bulging with a pen and her order pad.
“Welcome, guests... What would you like to order?”
Klaus took the menu naturally, flipped through a couple of pages, and then set it down. “One Miki Special milk coffee and an order of butter pancakes.”
“Right away.”
Then it was Alden's turn.
When Alden revealed his face from behind the menu, Liliana was visibly stunned—she recognized him in that instant.
He was the classmate who had lost to her in the weekly test and had spent half the day putting on an exaggerated, showy smile.
Though he wasn't a bad person, she wasn't very good at dealing with him.
“H-Hello, classmate Liliana.”
Though Alden stuttered slightly, this was the exact moment he had been waiting for. He took a deep breath, getting into character.
First, he gently closed the menu, set it on the edge of the table, and flashed Liliana a gentlemanly smile he had practiced for a long time.
“Do you remember me?”
“...” Liliana nodded, then shook her head, and finally nodded with some hesitation... She didn't dare displease these wealthy, playboy young masters. This was the Royal Capital, after all.
Seeing this, Alden was highly satisfied.
He had practiced this smile in front of the mirror for a full half-hour, referencing illustrations of male protagonists from at least three knight novels, striving to make it elegant, gentle, and sincere, while maintaining a cool, slightly aloof charm.
She must have been charmed by his handsomeness.
“Today is a holiday, and I felt like coming out for a cup of coffee.” He intentionally softened his voice, speaking at a leisurely pace. “I heard this place is quite good, so I dragged my friend along. Please give me a Miki Special milk coffee as well—same as my friend.”
He pointed at Klaus.
Klaus nodded expressionlessly.
Liliana noted it down on her pad: “Two Miki Special milk coffees and one order of butter pancakes—”
“No,” Alden held up three fingers. “Three cups.”
“Huh? Three cups?” Liliana asked.
This was the exact cue Alden had been waiting for.
He sat up a bit straighter, resting one hand on his lap and casually placing the other on the table. His tone carried a casual hint of concern. “The third is for you.”
Liliana froze.
Klaus quietly used the menu to hide his awkward grimace, dying of secondhand embarrassment.
Hearing the plan outside hadn't been this painful, but seeing it actually play out made him want to bang his head against a wall.
Alden continued according to his prepared script, speaking with smug confidence:
“When I came in just now, I saw you running around constantly, from Table Six to Table Three, and then back to the counter. You barely had a moment to rest. I figured you must be thirsty—this cup is on me, as a thank-you for your hard work.”
Perfect, natural, and proper.
Considerate without being greasy, gentlemanly without being forced.
Alden in his mind gave his performance a perfect score.
“Um... that wouldn't be very appropriate, would it?” Liliana instinctively declined, her fingers rubbing against the edge of her apron. “I'm an employee here, and I'm currently on duty... I'm really sorry, but I can't accept your kindness...”
“It's fine. I'll pay a bit more in tips, so you can find some time to drink your own coffee.”
Alden snapped his fingers, generously spending his buddy's wealth. “The tip for this coffee will serve as an invitation to buy out your time to sit with us for a bit.”
He tried his best to place emphasis on every word, creating an atmosphere that was hard to refuse without being overly overbearing.
A tip, an invitation, and sitting together for a bit.
The Friendship Plan was seamless.
Just then, the cafe's landlady walked over. Having overheard parts of their conversation, she realized they were her classmates. She was pleasantly surprised that more classmates had come to support Liliana. Students from the academy were all wealthy; while top nobles like Loris were rare, even ordinary young masters were enough to bring great business to the cafe.
Besides, the landlady was a kind soul. She smiled and said, “Since your classmates have come to see you, it's perfectly fine to take a little break.”
The landlady was indeed very nice, leaving Liliana with no excuse to refuse, especially with Alden's persistent invitations.
Well... she would take a brief break, then.
However, sitting with these noble boys actually made her wish she were sitting with Lady Loris instead. After all, they were desk mates and had sat together for so long, so it felt more natural. Not to mention, she was truly flattered by the generous tip and still wanted to ask Loris about her thoughts on that brooch.
Rate on N.U.
