Cai Ya had parted ways with Chu Lian's group at Wafuu Inn. Her reason was that she had some personal matters to take care of, and that they could all meet again in the evening for dinner. Although she understood Chu Lian's arrangements, she couldn't help but feel a bit downhearted.
After all, Cai Ya's original intention was to go together with Chu Lian—it would've been livelier, and they could look after each other along the way. More importantly, she would be by Chu Lian's side, rather than separated and left to let her thoughts wander aimlessly.
But since Chu Lian had already declined, Cai Ya had no choice but to go alone. With a small trace of gloom lingering in her heart, she set out ahead of Chu Lian's group, getting off at a random stop in Akihabara. Ignoring the few burly men in black suits following behind her, she strolled leisurely through the streets. When they arrived at a café called "Miss Sakurako's Café," Ruriko Nana and Lux Lyle suggested they go in to take a break.
After walking for so long, Cai Ya herself was tired. The quiet girl following beside her, Liu Yanran, who held a book in her arms, showed a few signs of fatigue on her delicate face. Not wanting to tire herself or her teammates further, Cai Ya agreed to the suggestion.
However, what she never expected was that upon entering the café, she would hear a familiar voice.
"Welcome, dear guest, to the café…" The original line should have been "Welcome, Master," but Chu Lian's sense of embarrassment had completely overwhelmed her. She simply couldn't bring herself to say that word, yet she couldn't omit it either, so she settled for "guest" instead.
What she didn't expect, however, was that her first customers would be Cai Ya and her group. The moment Chu Lian saw the familiar figures, she knew she was in trouble. She hadn't wanted Cai Ya to find out about this—but fate clearly had other plans.
Cai Ya stared at her for a moment with a strange expression before saying, "Well then, little maid, please lead the way. You all—wait outside." The first part was directed at Chu Lian; the latter was addressed to the eight suited bodyguards.
It was obvious that Chu Lian had her own reasons for working here as a maid. Whether that was the "personal matter" she had mentioned earlier, however, remained to be seen. Cai Ya decided she would ask later—keeping it bottled up would do neither of them any good.
Seeing that Cai Ya wasn't going to make things difficult for her, Chu Lian felt a wave of relief, though she knew Cai Ya must be curious about her reasons for being here. Bowing slightly, she stepped aside and said, "Then please, dear guest, follow your maid."
Standing two steps behind, Ruriko Nana couldn't help but stifle a laugh after hearing that Japanese line. She had never seen Chu Lian like this before—it was unexpectedly adorable.
Beside her, Lux Lyle watched Chu Lian's figure in the black-and-white frilled maid dress with a look of intrigued curiosity. There was something new in her eyes—a feeling she herself couldn't quite define.
Only Liu Yanran seemed to understand something. The Chu Lian she knew was rarely busy for her own sake; most of the time, she exhausted herself helping others. It seemed this was another case of that.
Cai Ya's gaze, however, lingered uncertainly. She couldn't understand what could make such a proud girl lower herself to work as a maid in a place like this.
She could feel the laughter and the warm gazes behind her, but it wasn't her place to explain—this was maid time, after all. She was just thankful that there happened to be a few empty seats next to where Chu Lian's group was sitting, perfect for seating Cai Ya's team.
Following Chu Lian through a few turns, Cai Ya and her companions reached the table. From the side, they could clearly see Chu Lian's group seated there.
Cai Ya glanced toward them with questioning eyes, as if silently asking why Chu Lian was here working as a maid.
Inori, who was in charge of managing everything while Chu Lian was in maid mode, turned her head toward them. Her cherry lips moved slightly, as if saying, "Please wait a moment."
Understanding the message, Cai Ya nodded. She knew this wasn't the right time to ask—especially since there was an elegant woman with long, straight black hair sitting nearby, sipping red tea. They had never seen her before, and without knowing her relationship to Chu Lian, it was best to wait for her to speak first.
Chu Lian pretended not to notice the silent exchange between them. She placed several neatly stacked booklets she held in her arms onto Cai Ya's table and said in Japanese, "These are the menus of our café. This one features our signature coffee selections, this one lists all non-coffee beverages, and the last one contains snacks and light treats."
"And this small, distinctive booklet here is our song request list. Every month, after three o'clock on this day, we offer a special 'song request' service. If you believe a maid has the ability—or simply wish to test her—you can request that she go on stage to perform. If you're not satisfied with the maids' singing, you may also request a song from our resident performer. However, song requests are quite expensive—each one costs 300,000 yen."
Unlike the clumsy, absent-minded maid who had greeted them earlier, Chu Lian—now wearing the Black-and-White Lace Maid Dress, Chu Lian Special Edition—had automatically gained the full abilities of the "Perfect and Graceful Head Maid." Her movements were precise and meticulous, her demeanor elegant, and her service impeccable. She was the very model of a professional maid.
The girls, seeing her so composed and serious, didn't distract her. Aside from Liu Yanran, who held the song list, each of the others picked up a menu.
As Cai Ya flipped through the menu, she occasionally glanced up at Chu Lian's face. But the girl kept her head slightly bowed, eyes focused on the table before her, showing no expression at all. With a faint sigh of disappointment, Cai Ya finally said, "Please bring me a cup of Lunoir's Heart. Thank you."
"Understood," Chu Lian replied—but the moment she heard that name, her heart gave a small jolt.
Lunoir Coffee was a drink of legend—an incredibly bitter brew whose flavor no amount of sugar could soften. The only way to taste its true beauty was to hold it in one's mouth for ten seconds, at which point a subtle sweetness would bloom, lingering deep in the heart.
But for anyone who still had a sense of taste, very few could endure it that long.
The origin of this coffee was tied to a tragic tale:
Once, there was a girl named Lunoir who, after being betrayed by love, fell into despair. Even when she later met someone who truly loved her, she refused to believe it.
But that person loved her so deeply that he was willing to do anything for her—even die.
When he said as much, Lunoir sneered and replied, "Then prove it—jump from that cliff and die for me."
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. But the boy didn't hesitate. With a gentle smile, he turned and ran toward the cliff.
As she watched his joyful figure disappear, something inside Lunoir shattered. She chased after him desperately, but she was too late. Just before he leapt, he turned and smiled at her—a smile of fulfillment, of one who had finally gained recognition from the one he loved most.
Crying on the edge of the cliff, she found no way to bring him back. Realizing that no one would ever love her again as he had, Lunoir wiped away her tears, stepped forward to the cliff's edge, and followed him into the abyss.
Some say it was fate: neither of their bodies were damaged, and their hands were still clasped tightly together.
After a night of rain, the soil covered their resting place, and in time, a grove of trees grew there. It was from those trees, they said, that the Lunoir Coffee beans were born.
Over the years, few dared to drink it. Its bitterness was overwhelming—so much so that no ordinary person could withstand it. Eventually, it became something forgotten, untouched.
That was, until one day, another girl—also named Lunoir—went through her own heartbreak. Wandering aimlessly, she stumbled upon that grove and, by chance, placed a single coffee bean in her mouth.
She had only wanted to numb her pain with bitterness. But after several seconds, an exquisite sweetness began to bloom across her tongue, soothing her heart in an instant.
Determined to share that feeling with others—to help those in sorrow find comfort once more—the girl spent years perfecting the blend, until Lunoir Coffee finally spread throughout the world.
No one truly knew whether the legend had been based on the girl's real story, or whether the girl had been shaped by the legend—or perhaps the legend had been born from her. Regardless, after this coffee appeared, it quickly became one of the most luxurious and exclusive varieties in the world—rare in supply, exquisite in taste, and impossibly expensive.
Chu Lian knew the story well, and she also understood the flavor of that coffee. That was why she froze for a moment, her mind drifting.
Cai Ya was using the coffee as a message—to tell her, without words, just how heavy her heart felt. But Chu Lian couldn't say anything about it—not now.
After quietly noting down everyone else's orders, Liu Yanran raised her head, lightly waving the song request booklet in her hand. "Can I request a song from someone who isn't listed here?" she asked.
Chu Lian immediately understood what she meant—she was asking if she herself could be requested to sing. Lifting her gaze to the song list, Chu Lian nodded slightly and said, "As long as she's a maid of this café, even if her name isn't listed, she cannot refuse a guest's request if she meets the necessary conditions."
"Then I'll request a song from you," Liu Yanran said with a gentle smile. "Please sing Tori no Uta (Bird's Poem)."
"Understood. Once I finish arranging these orders, I'll go on stage and perform it for you," Chu Lian replied calmly. She gathered the menus and notes back into her arms and turned toward the back of the café.
The moment she left, the atmosphere at the table seemed to loosen up. Inori quietly slipped past Kurosaki Satsuki and Sakurako Kujou, stopping beside Cai Ya's table. "May I sit down?" she asked softly.
"Of course. I actually wanted to ask you something," Cai Ya replied with a nod.
Inori understood what she meant and didn't press further. After smoothing down her skirt, she sat gracefully and said, "Then let me tell you a story first…"
The story she told was of Kurosaki Satsuki—her past, and her origins. Before coming here, Inori had already spoken with her and received permission to share it. Though there were still many details she couldn't reveal, she could tell enough for them to understand.
When she finished, Inori concluded softly, "And now, her mother's final keepsake has become the prize for this year's Maid Festival. Chu Lian wanted to win it for her, with her own hands. So… now you understand why she's here, don't you?"
It was the longest speech Inori had ever given—and likely the last. She simply didn't want the girls, especially Cai Ya, to misunderstand or overthink things.
After listening to the story, they all fell silent for a while. Then, a soft melody began to play from nearby. The crimson curtains that everyone had assumed were just part of the décor began to draw open, revealing a small stage hidden behind them.
And there—standing beneath the lights—was Chu Lian.
At the same moment, on M Station in Huaxia, a new video was uploaded under the title My Goddess Maid…