Pulling Allie out of the brightly lit main entrance of the restaurant, Greg didn't stop. He headed straight around the corner and into a secluded, dimly lit alleyway nearby.
As soon as they entered the alley, Greg immediately released his grip on Allie's wrist.
Almost simultaneously, the forced expression of toughness on his face melted away like snow under the sun.
He turned around to face Allie, who had regained her usual expressionless, cold gaze. He pressed his palms together in a pleading gesture.
"Forgive me just this once, Allie! There's a reason for this, I swear! You wouldn't want to see me go down on my knees and beg, right?"
"Huh?"
Allie raised an eyebrow. She then leaned over slightly and used one hand to lift a corner of her magnificent dress.
The movement made Greg instinctively look away, but out of the corner of his eye, he still caught a glimpse of her absolute territory, and then...
Shring—
A soft sound rang out.
Allie drew a sheathed longsword from beneath her skirt.
Having done so, she looked back up at Greg with her calm, azure eyes and stated in a cold voice:
"Last time, Master Greg, you pitifully borrowed three gold coins from my personal savings..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over him.
"And yet, in the blink of an eye, you're dressed up like a proper gentleman, surrounded by more than one beautiful girl, throwing money around at a place like the Golden Crucible. You certainly seem to be enjoying life."
As she spoke, the air in the alley seemed to grow cold and heavy, matching the pressure radiating from her.
Greg: "............"
Here it comes! Here it comes!
The classic 'I'm working hard to support the family while you're out carousing' accusation scene!
Even if the roles and the actual situation were a bit skewed...
If this had been minutes ago, under the watchful eyes of everyone in the restaurant, Greg would have been breaking out in a cold sweat facing this version of Allie.
But here, in this deserted alley, in a one-on-one situation, he suddenly felt... the situation wasn't entirely hopeless.
In most cases, girls don't stay absolutely rational under every circumstance.
This was especially true when they were angry, aggrieved, or jealous.
What they usually wanted wasn't a logically sound truth, but an attitude, an explanation—a narrative that followed their emotions and made them feel valued and preferred.
Moreover... Allie had the 'dummy maid' attribute!
Though her combat strength was terrifying, in other aspects...
Heh, watch me spin a tale out of thin air!
Countless thoughts flashed through Greg's mind as his gaze became firm and sincere once more.
He took a deep breath, and his Oscar-worthy acting skills began to kick in again.
"No! Allie, listen to me! When I borrowed that money from you last time, I really was penniless! That money saved me, and I'll never forget it!"
He started by acknowledging her contribution before shifting the narrative.
"As for the money I have now, it's actually a reward I received after completing a very difficult mission!"
He moved a bit closer and lowered his voice.
"And... Allie, the reason I'm treating them to dinner is actually for your sake!"
"For my sake?"
As expected, Allie showed a look of confusion. The coldness in her azure eyes dissipated slightly, and her hand on the sword hilt loosened a bit.
She clearly hadn't expected this answer.
"Exactly! It's all for you!"
Greg nodded vigorously, his expression becoming even more earnest as he began to weave his web of half-truths.
"Actually... I've always wanted to find an opportunity to treat you to a proper feast to thank you for everything you've done for me. I wanted to bring you to a place like the Golden Crucible... but!"
He let a hint of distress and uncertainty show at just the right moment.
"I didn't know if a girl like you would like the food there, the atmosphere, or... what kind of arrangement would be perfect. I was afraid that if I just brought you here directly and something didn't meet your expectations, it would be a disaster and I'd let you down."
His tone became helpless.
"So I came up with a plan! I used the excuse of repaying a favor to invite them to the Golden Crucible, but in reality... this was a rehearsal! A live-action practice run so that I can bring you here for a perfect meal later!"
The more Greg spoke, the more natural it felt, as if he even believed it himself.
"I wanted to use this rehearsal to see what dishes they liked, what service they were happy with, and what details I needed to watch out for... Once I've figured it all out and gained some experience, the next time I bring you, I'll be able to avoid all the pitfalls and give you the most perfect, unforgettable dining experience! All this spending, all this enjoyment—it was all so I could make you happy, Allie!"
Allie's expression visibly wavered as she listened to Greg's sincere words.
Cracks appeared in her icy armor. A flash of hesitation, confusion, and... an almost imperceptible touch of emotion flickered in her light blue eyes.
She opened her mouth slightly as if to say something, but in the end, she just turned her face away and muttered softly:
"Impossible... You must be lying to me. You love lying the most, Master."
Though she said that, her tone had softened considerably—more than she probably realized.
Seeing this, Greg immediately pressed his advantage, putting on a look of deep pain.
"Allie! How could you think of me that way?! Search your heart—could someone like me, who has no talent other than being handsome, really deceive a brilliant, beautiful, master-swordsman, insightful, peerless maid like you?! I don't have the skill or the IQ for that!"
Hearing this, Allie nodded with absolute certainty, her tone serious.
"True. You couldn't."
Greg: "............"
Even though he had achieved his goal, her unhesitating agreement left him feeling a bit conflicted. He didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
He forced down that slight sense of defeat and plastered a smile back on his face, striking while the iron was hot.
"See! You admitted it yourself! That means what I said must be true! Now you finally understand my painstaking efforts, right? Everything I did was for you!"
Allie remained silent for a few seconds before taking her hand off the sword hilt completely.
She still kept her head turned away, not looking at Greg, but the tips of her ears seemed slightly red.
In a voice even smaller than before, sounding a bit complaining yet awkwardly shy, she whispered:
"Things like that... you could have just told me directly. Going through all this trouble... and bringing other girls... Dummy Master."
Though she still sounded like she was sulking, anyone could tell that the icy killing intent and the heavy atmosphere had completely vanished.
The crisis seemed to be temporarily averted.
However, at that moment, in the shadows outside the alley—
Wendy, who had been eavesdropping while preventing others from entering the alley, knit her brows slightly, her expression becoming grave.
She had finally found a place to belong, but now it seemed the Vice Bishop of that sanctuary was about to be played by a scumbag.
She was hesitating whether she should go over and expose the scumbag's routine.
Rate on N.U.
