Chapter 6
35.
Lisa is a Kemi who is known for her straightforwardness. She does not like beating around the bush, it's a waste of time for her. Oftentimes she gets misunderstood for having a cold Kemi persona. Kita's group definitely prefers Rin asking them than Lisa. Right now, they are praying to the stars that Rin was the one who picked up the Runecrystal, and Lisa does not know anything.
As Hana and Kita followed Lisa, the atmosphere was indeed a heavy one. While they are arranging the boxes in the stockroom, Lisa's silent treatment is like torture for the two of them.
"Wha… What should we do?" Kita whispered.
"I… I don't know. I'm just waiting for Lisa to ask us…" Hana whispered back.
"Anoo…" Lisa called their attention.
"HAI!" Kita reacted as she was startled.
"GOMENASAI!" Hana immediately apologized in panic.
Lisa was confused by their reaction. "Can nyu please bring that box over here?" She requested as she pointed to the box in the far left corner.
"Aa… Hai…" Kita responded as she got the box.
Kita is sweating right now, a hundred percent nervous. "Is it that heavy?" Lisa asked while she was observing Kita.
"No, no, it's actually light," Kita replied as she put down the box.
Lisa tried to lift it to prove Kita's response. "It is indeed light…" She said. "It's not that hot either… Are nyu alright?" Lisa added.
"Definitely, why did nyu ask?" Kita responded.
"Nyu look rather… tense… It feels like something is off…" Lisa said.
Lisa was worried about Kita's odd movement. She thinks that maybe Kita is not feeling well but not telling them the truth. But on the other hand, Kita and Hana think that Lisa is on their tail.
"Just tell me the truth. Nyu don't have to pretend, it's alright." Lisa added. She meant that it was fine for Kita to take some rest but Kita and Hana surely misinterpreted Lisa.
"Looks like nyu already noticed…" Hana replied.
"Of course I'll notice. Kita has been acting strange since this morning. Though I understand why she is not telling the truth." Lisa bluntly responded.
"What do nyu mean?" Kita asked.
"We already caught nyu sneaking just to rest last time. It's obvious that nyu don't want us to see nyu resting again. It's alright to rest if nyu are not feeling well, it's different from just merely sneaking out." Lisa answered.
"Eh?" Kita and Hana reacted, confused by the scenario.
"Am I wrong?" Lisa asked as she tilted her head.
"Right, right, Kita was not feeling well," Hana replied as she nervously chuckled.
"I knew it, something was strange. Anyway, nyu can rest for now. Hana will help me for now if it's okay with her." Lisa said.
"Hai…" Kita and Hana replied. Both of them are lost, they don't know if Lisa was only playing with them, or if she truly doesn't know anything about the Runecrystal.
Kita did what Lisa said. She went back to their room and took a rest. Minutes later, Hana followed her and brought Kita a warm tea made by Lisa.
"Here nyu go, Lisa said nyu will feel better after drinking this," Hana said as she put down the tray with a cup of tea.
"Thanks, but nyu do know that I'm good. Nyu don't have to serve me." Kita replied.
"We still have to put our acts together. Who knows what will happen next." Hana responded.
Kita crawled towards her bag and grabbed the Runecrystal.
"What are nyu doing?" Hana asked.
"I'm just checking this. I kinda wonder if we are doing the right thing here…" Kita said as she observed the Runecrystal.
"We already made it this far. I think it's worth it, considering the experiences that we've all been through." Hana answered.
Meanwhile, Lisa noticed that Hana forgot the small pack of sugar which they should add to the tea. She picked it up and immediately headed to Kita's room. When Lisa entered to hand over the sugar, she saw Kita holding the Runecrystal.
"Nyu forgot the…" Lisa was stunned before she could even finish her words.
Kita and Hana were speechless as well. They both know that they blew it this time.
"That's a Runecrystal, why do nyu have that?" Lisa seriously asked.
"Aahh… Anooo… Let us explain! We have a good reason for this! Just please listen to us first!" Kita answered while panicking.
"Save it for later. I want my sisters to be present as well before nyu start explaining." Lisa replied as she tossed the pack of sugar and left.
"What should we do…" Hana worriedly asked.
"I guess this is the time that we have to come out clean…" Kita melancholically responded.
Kita and Hana went back to the stockroom to help Lisa. They were trying their best to make it casual but Lisa was completely ignoring them. Treating Kita and Hana like they don't exist. Lisa reads a lot of books and she is definitely literate. Her reaction when she saw the Runecrystal suggests that there's something about the Runecrystal which Kita's group probably doesn't know.
Hours passed and eventually, Rin's group made it back to the cafe, done with their canvassing. Lisa told everyone to go to the office once they are settled. Those words alone already gave Yuna a hint that Hana and Kita failed to cover things up. The maids did what Lisa said, they gathered at the office. Lisa told Kita's group to start explaining themselves.
Rin, Aoi, and Coco do not have any idea about the Runecrystal. Even though Kita brought out 2 of those, they don't know where the topic is actually heading. Only Lisa has an idea about it, her instincts when they first met was right. She knew that the group was on to something, the Runecrystals were the evidence of it.
"That was the crystal I saw earlier. What's up with that?" Rin asked.
"So nyu are the one who put it on top of Kita's bag?" Yuna responded.
"Hai, though I don't know what that is," Rin replied.
"Nee-san, that is a Runecrystal. We should not interact with those." Lisa said.
"What do nyu mean?" Rin asked.
"Right, What do nyu mean about that?" Hana curiously added.
"I read it in a book. There are different types of Runes and the thing that nyu are holding is a Runecrystal. They are cursed and said to be a way towards misery." Lisa answered.
Everyone was shocked when they heard Lisa's explanation. It was the first time that Kita, Hana, Yuna, and Lulu heard about this legend.
The scenario gets complicated as their views about the Runes clash. In Riverania, Runes are considered a mysterious artifact that helps Kemis. While on Kemitopia, their views were on the negative impact, especially when a Kemi interacted with Runes. Their history records tons of misfortune with the Runes. Meaning there are other types of Runes and Runecrystals are one of those categories.
As the discussion continues, Kita's group starts to explain what they know about the Runecrystal while Lisa argues with her knowledge about the Runes.
In Lisa's claim, several Kemis from Kemitopia went missing because of the Runecrystal. The book states that It will start with them having a Runecrystal, and then the Kemi who is holding it will eventually stumble into Runekeys. As far as the records go, those Kemis who have their hands on the Runekeys went missing and there are no further details about them. Some of the Kemis in Kemitopia consider these details as a hoax, just a mere conspiracy. But Lisa is one of those who believes that those are true.
When Kita's group told them everything, starting from their first journey, Lisa's claim became stronger. Traveling while interacting with Runecrystals proves that they are being pulled into something.
"Even if that is true, nyu have to understand. We are doing this to save our world." Kita argued.
"Save our world?" Lisa questioned.
"Hai… An Evil Mimi attacked us while we were on the snowy mountain. It eats Kemis, the Runecrystal can detect if there are Evil Mimis around the area." Yuna explained.
"Chuu…. That's true. I talk with those Mimis and they want to eat your kind!" Pily added.
"I never read that part…" Lisa replied.
"Maybe because it was just a recent incident. We only experienced that once so far…" Hana responded.
"I am so confused right now. Wha-what should we do?" Aoi asked.
"I understand Lisa's side, interacting with Runes is not advisable. But if Kita's claim were true, then I think it's better to keep them here. It will alert and keep us safe." Coco commented.
"We've been trying to roam around this land. Luckily we haven't detected any Evil Mimi so far. We need to meet the so-called Queen to report the incident. This is a threat to every nation." Yuna said.
"We did not mean to do anything bad. We just want to help…" Lulu added.
Everything is in shambles at the moment. Now that the truth is out, the maids don't know what they should do. The scenario finally explains why Kita's group just suddenly showed up and took their bad offer. Their cafe was being used as a hideout for the group's mission. It feels like the cafe's desperation was taken advantage of. Though they cannot hide the fact that even though the group hid their true intentions, they still helped the cafe to improve tremendously.
The situation is indeed crucial, they even have a proposal to accomplish by this day. The cafe needs to achieve that goal but right now, Rin needs to weigh everything in thoroughly.
"This is a bit too much, I need some time to think. Could nyu please head back to your room for a moment? I have to talk with others first." Rin requested.
The group respected Rin's decision and left the room. It's understandable, Rin is the one who is responsible for all of this when the dust settles. Since Aoi, Lisa, and Coco were the ones there for Rin from the beginning, Rin asked them for their opinion. The discussion starts as Kita's group waits in the other room.
"I'm really sorry that I blew our cover. It's all my fault." Kita sadly said as she kneeled in front of the others.
"It's fine, we already anticipated that we have to come clean at some point," Yuna responded.
"But… I still feel bad for making things complicated." Kita replied.
"Don't be sad, we still love nyu as nyu are!" Lulu comforted Kita.
"Nyu did blow our mission, and will most likely do it again in the future. But I agree with Lulu," Hana added as she teased Kita a bit.
"I think the moment when nyu accidentally threw a stone at the King of the Sea is way more of a blunder than this. Like, come on! That thing can kill us all in a single splash or something." Yuna humorously said as they all chuckled.
"I thought we were gonna die there for sure!" Hana replied as the ambiance slowly got lighter.
"I told the King of the Sea to get out hmph!" Lulu proudly claimed.
"Nyu did save us back there," Kita responded as they all laughed.
Since they cannot do anything about the situation, they all just laugh at their previous memories while waiting for Rin's decision. The truth is finally out and as a matter of fact, the group feels lighter after it. They don't have to hide anything anymore.
The deliberation indeed went lengthy and eventually, Rin and the others finally made their decision. Kita's group was once again called to the office, to tell them the final verdict. As the group sat down, Rin started to talk.
"I'm gonna be honest with nyu. We were hurt by the fact that nyu hid your true intentions. We told nyu everything on our side, especially the slump that we were facing but nyu did not do the same thing." Rin said.
It's evident that Kita's group feels guilty about what they have done.
"But as we reflect on everything, we did the same thing to our previous employees. We hid our true state to make them stay. That made us understand why nyu did it in the first place. I guess we had a taste of our own medicine right now." Rin added.
At first, the group was anticipating that Rin would send them out. But the way that Rin is talking made them a bit confused.
"Without your help, our cafe could have been in the same slumps. Also, without our help, nyu wouldn't make it up to this day. I guess we all grew with these circumstances." Rin continued her speech.
"Nee-san, just tell them already." Lisa interrupted.
"Nee-san is indeed an emotional one," Aoi commented.
"What I'm trying to say is that. We will still give nyu another chance but there will be conditions." Rin said.
The group is happy to hear it but they are quite frightened about the conditions for it.
37.
The discussion continued and Rin told the group that they still had another chance to stay. These conditions were decided by the maids, and all of them agreed with the terms. It's up to the group if they will land a favorable deal for both sides.
"First condition, if nyu are going to stay here, no more secrets. We must know if something is up. Basically, letting us know the next course of action that nyu will take." Rin said.
"I don't see a problem with that. How about nyu, Kita, Hana, and Lulu." Yuna replied as she asked the others.
"Fine with me, we should earn their trust back after all," Hana answered.
"I'm bad at keeping secrets, this is much better, to be honest," Kita said.
"I don't really take part in the planning soooo… I agree with what everyone wants~" Lulu commented.
"Next one, us here in the cafe can have input to your plans. Meaning nyu should also ask for our help before doing your mission. This is also vital since your actions may affect the cafe. Of course, we will try to help when it's needed." Rin added.
"Hmm… Slightly a hassle but sounds reasonable." Yuna replied.
"We can use more help, I agree with this condition," Hana responded.
"The more the merrier!" Kita said.
"More Kemi working, more time for Lulu to sleep~" Lulu added.
"We are aware that someday nyu will leave and pursue your mission. So for our last condition, we request that nyu will help us until the time that we can find some Kemis to replace your positions. Even if we manage to have a successful grand reopening, we might end up in the same spot if nyu were to leave us without a replacement." Rin requested.
"It was problematic earlier, but Nee-san is right. It will be way more problematic if we lose nyu now." Lisa added.
"I also already prepared the dresses for Hana and Lulu…" Aoi mentioned.
"Lu... Lulu is my right hand in the kitchen. She cannot go for now!" Coco said.
The group was quite shocked about the last condition. They thought that their days in the cafe were over, or at least limited until the grand reopening. The group did not expect that the maids would request them to stay longer.
"Is.. is that it?" Yuna asked.
"Yeah, no hidden consequences like we had on the shipping vessel?" Kita added.
"Shipping vessel?" Aoi reacted.
"We can tell the tale some other time if we're going to stay here for a bit longer~" Hana answered.
"Of course, we would not just randomly leave like what Hana and I did from our village!" Kita added.
"Wait, nyu ran away?" Rin asked.
"You don't have to say that!" Hana scolded Kita.
"But they said no more secrets!" Kita argued.
"This is the mess that I watch every time. It's fun right?" Lulu commented.
"They indeed never fail to entertain me," Lisa replied.
They all laugh as the situation slowly de-escalates.
"Shall we proceed with our proposal?" Rin asked.
"HAI!" Everyone gladly responded.
Finally, after the long commotion that occurred, the maids are now back on their track. Conflict truly rises when different views come to play in the scenario. It is normal to have disagreements but what matters is how the Kemis will deal with it peacefully.
The maids continued finalizing their proposal. The original plan is; Rin and Aoi will do the presentation of the proposal in Duke Nasmuir's residence. The others will stay and prepare the cafe, just in case of a sudden inspection after the meeting. Since they agreed that there were no more secrets, Kita's group told the others about their plan for the proposal. One of them has to come with the maids while carrying Pily as the storage of the Runecrystal. The plan was explained in detail but the maids requested some changes. The maids insisted that Hana and Lulu should come instead of Yuna. They are the projected models after all. With that said, the group agreed with the new setting.
Ever since they fully knew each other's goals, working in the cafe is way easier compared to before. Their day may have started on the wrong footing, but the rest of the day went smoothly.
After completing their goal, everyone headed to their rooms to rest. They need to be both physically and mentally prepared for tomorrow's presentation.
As the star once again shines on the UniPaws, it's time for the maids to step forward toward their dream. The presentation for a sponsored grand reopening of the Trio Brews and Sweets finally begins.
Rin, Aoi, Hana, and Lulu together with Pily, reached a big mansion, almost looking like a castle but it is quite small to be considered one. As they enter the mansion, their nerves are truly tense. Good thing that Lulu is there to keep everyone calm.
"I'm glad that you stepped up to the offer," Duke Nasmuir said as he greeted them in the hallway.
"Hai, we spent a lot of time making this proposal," Rin politely replied.
"Lovely, let's head to my office, shall we~" Duke Nasmuir responded as he led the way toward the room.
Once they are settled, the presentation immediately starts. Rin is confident in this type of situation, she clearly knows what to do. With her lead, Aoi, Hana, and Lulu effectively follow. They gave Duke Nasmuir a copy of the document with the necessary details about the plan. In a separate folder, Aoi's designs are compiled.
The presentation was indeed lengthy since the maids thoroughly discussed every area of the plan. Looks like the Duke is interested in the proposal, it will be easier to pull it off because the budget for the project is clearly indicated.
"These ideas are wonderful. I am actually impressed." Duke Nasmuir commented.
"We are glad to hear that," Rin replied. They were all hopeful for a positive response.
"I am allowed to add royalties as models right?" The Duke clarified.
"Hai, only Hana, and Lulu are the ones that we chose. Nyu can still pick 3-4 more models." Aoi answered.
"Well then," the Duke said. "Guard, kindly request the presence of the next in line Queen. Tell her it's something that she would love," he ordered the Royal Guard.
"THE QUEEN?" Hana, Lulu, Aoi, and Rin reacted, shocked by what they heard.
End of Chapter 6