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  Vol 2 Chapter 18: Loli Elf

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  “What on abyss are you pying at!”

  In a dimly lit room, a portly man smmed his palms down oable in frustration.

  Opposite him, a man stood trembling, sweat glistening on his forehead.

  “I-I’m terribly sorry! I’ll do whatever you ask, I promise!”

  “Whatever I ask? Then tell me, you set that shop abze?!”

  “Uh… well… that…”

  “You inpetent fool!!”

  With a furious roar, the ma everything off the table, sending papers and objects crashing to the floor. However, his siderable girth had him huffing and puffing from the effort.

  Knock, knock.

  Suddenly, a series of knocks echoed from behind the door.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s me. I have something to report.”

  “e in.”

  The door creaked open, revealing a figure cloaked in bck, their features obscured.

  “What is it?”

  “The iigation has yielded results. The rumarding her are irue.”

  “Is that so!?”

  In that instant, the previously enraged man’s expression shifted to one of excitement. This lendid news—enough to overshadow the failure of the quaking man beside him!

  Realising this, the rotund man turo the trembling individual.

  “Well, I suppose I’m not a plete monster. Head to the loentioned here a with those involved. I trust you know what to do ?”

  He hahe man a slip of paper, which tained a series of coded instrus.

  “Y-Yes! I’ll be off at once!”

  The man snatched the paper and hurriedly dashed out of the room.

  “I shall take my leave as well.”

  “Very well, you may go.”

  The figure in bck flickered for a moment before vanishing into the shadows.

  The remaining man sloroached a mirror, a smirk creeping onto his face.

  “At st, I’ve got you in my grasp. Just you wait!”

  …

  “You wouldn’t want your little secret to e to light, now would you?”

  Inside a quaint shop, a dy with golden hair and pointed ears leaned ba shock.

  Before her stood a petite girl, a wicked grin stretg across her cherubic face.

  “H-How did you know…? No, wait. How did you find it?”

  The dy’s gaze fell upon the book in the girl’s hands. Its cover depicted a dishevelled young girl, her cheeks flushed and her body spttered with some uifiable substance, ed as if for dispy.

  “I’m not the only one who ‘knows’ about it, but as for how I ‘found’ it… I merely stumbled into the wrong room while ging my clothes and happened upon it.”

  The little girl toyed with the illicit book, her pink ears twitg with delight.

  “I never imagihe esteemed owner of ‘Fluffy Desserts’ would possess such peculiar tastes, and to su extent…”

  She herself owned simir tomes, though the ‘iy’ of her colle paled in parison to the perverse treasures gathered by this woman.

  “If wot out that these beloo you, it would certainly make for aertaining spectacle, wouldn’t it?”

  “This…”

  The shopkeeper’s knees buckled, and with a thud, she colpsed to the ground, her hands brag against the floor.

  “M-Mistress Misako, as long as you don’t expose me, I’ll do whatever you ask!”

  “Oh dear, what a predit this is…”

  Misako reed on a chair, crossing her legs casually. Her delicate, abaster skin and the slender form of her bare feet were merely inches from Maya’s face.

  …What a delightful aroma. I want to taste… No, stop!

  Maya fought against her rising desires, desperately trying to quell the temptation igniting within her.

  Meanwhile, Misako paid o Maya's internal struggle, tinuing to speak nontly.

  “I’m no monster; I shall not make things overly difficult for you.”

  Misako’s mind wandered back to the series of events that had brought her to this very moment.

  It all began some time ago when patrons of ‘Fluffy Desserts’ had fiheir delightful snacks and were leaving the shop, preparing to return to their lodgings.

  “Ah! You lot head back without me!”

  “What’s the matter, Misako?”

  Farkonia asked, puzzled by Misako’s sudden insistehat they go on without her.

  “I seem to have left something behind. I’ll just pop back to fetch it.”

  “In that case, I’ll apany you. It’s rather te; going alone might not be the wisest choice.”

  With the shop’s hours being from one iernoon to six in the evening, and having just indulged ireats, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. Misako, appearing youthful yet exuding an aura of danger, could easily attract the attention of ill-iioned individuals.

  For safety’s sake, Farkonia felt it prudent to apany her.

  “There’s o trouble yourself. You know I’m quite capable of handling myself. No one could whisk me away without notice.”

  “But…”

  “Holy, don’t worry. You lot head back. I shall not be long.”

  “…Alright then, take care!”

  Thus, Misako returo ‘Fluffy Desserts’, and there she stood, face to face with Maya, leading to their current predit.

  “My request is simple: resd your hiring of Farkonia and cease any attempts to take her away.”

  “W-What?”

  Misako’s demand seemed to short-circuit Maya’s brain.

  What? You have such leverage, and you’re using it for this?

  Maya had steeled herself for Misako to demand something unspeakable, something that would leave her utterly ruined. Yet, the request was oddly disproportioo the power Misako wielded over her.

  “…Is that all?”

  “What else do you expect? I have no i in you.”

  “Gah!”

  To her astonishment, the greatest blow was delivered by those simple words, striking at the very heart of Maya’s self-worth.

  “So, what’s your response?”

  “Um, I’d like to inquire about your retionship with her…?”

  “There are certain things in this world you’re better off not knowing.”

  Misako’s response abruptly shut down Maya’s inquiries. Yet, as a seasoned professional in the business world, Maya quickly realized there was more to this thahe eye.

  “Could it be… you feel something for her?”

  “I’ve said it once; you’re not meant to know.”

  At that moment, Misako’s expression darkened, a seriousness creeping into her features. But Maya, ever perceptive, detected a hint of embarrassment hiddeh that stern facade.

  “Don’t make me ask again; what’s your answer?”

  “Fine, I’ll ply.”

  “Splendid.”

  Misako collected herself, rising from the chair and striding towards the door.

  “…Wait!”

  “What is it?”

  Maya called out, her cheeks tinted with a bashful glow.

  “Um… could you, perhaps, step on me? Without shoes or socks…?”

  In those fleeting moments of intimidation and bravado, Maya had uhed something within herself. She had alreferred to be the one in trol, yet entering Misako had flipped that narrative entirely. There was an ued thrill in being treated as a mere servant, and oddly enough, she found it rather delightful.

  “Or you could just sit on me like a chair!”

  “…”

  “Ah, don’t look at me like that; it’ll make me all giddy!”

  Feeling Misako’s indifferent gaze bore into her, Maya squirmed, hugging herself tightly as if she might melt away.

  …It seems I’m beyond saving.

  With a backward gnce, Misako set off towards the inn, leaving a flustered Maya in her wake.