A Story from Boss Cat Restaurant

Under the quiet hush of dawn, Ikerite gradually awoke. Gazing down from high above, one could take in the busy intersections, where the glow of traffic lights and colossal commercial display screens cast a hazy sheen over the damp asphalt. Classical stone edifices and modern glass curtain walls bathed together in the pristine morning light. As the vantage point descended with a soaring bird, piercing the dense morning mist and drawing near to the iconic bronze statue of the Goddess of Fate at the Ikerite Academy Station— —beside an intersection two streets east of the academy stood a simple, cozy wooden cottage: Boss Cat Restaurant. Leaning out from the window was a young man smiling wordlessly, looking up at the sky. Half of the black-haired, green-eyed youth's body leaned out. Dressed in an immaculate white shirt, he rested his elbows casually against the windowsill. The composure of former days had now been supplanted by an ease that welled from the depths of his heart. This was an ordinary Saturday. "Before I knew it, the sky had already brightened." Lanqi took in the floral fragrance of Ikerite's morning air. He was no longer the headmaster burdened with the weight of leadership and wound tight at every waking moment, but a boy genuinely relishing each passing second. This fresh, ordinary day was, to him, the greatest gift of all. Lanqi drew his upper body back inside. The crisp morning air seemed to slip in right behind him, blending with the warm pine wood scent and the rich aroma of coffee inside. His gaze swept across the familiar space. At this hour, Boss Cat Restaurant had just opened for business. Gentle sunlight poured through the clean glass panes, illuminating motes of dust drifting over the wooden floorboards, while photographs on the walls chronicled moments from days gone by. Behind the counter, Pranay operated the espresso machine at an unhurried pace, the appliance humming with a steady, reassuring drone, while Sinnola practiced latte art by his side. Before Lanqi could even sit down— "Hwaaah..." A lazy yawn sounded beside him. There stood Sigrid holding two large wooden trays, bleary-eyed, having materialized next to him without him noticing. She wore an oversized beige sweater, a few unruly strands of pale hair sticking up out of place. Any trace of her majestic aura as the Bishop of Domination had utterly vanished, leaving only the casual charm of the girl next door. "Let's see what we have for breakfast today..." Sigrid set the trays steadily onto the window bar counter. One plate held mashed avocado toast sprinkled with cheese and crushed mixed nuts, atop which sat a delicate poached egg that looked as though the slightest brush might break it, accompanied by a few slices of pan-seared, aromatic mushrooms. The other held a stack of cloud-soft, cat-shaped pancakes, the golden rounds dotted with fresh blueberries and strawberries, with honeycomb butter melting slowly in the rising steam to trickle golden syrup down the sides. Between their plates sat a cup of coffee with intricate latte art and a cup of fragrant hot black tea. "Eat up before it gets cold." Sigrid sat down right next to Lanqi, smothered another yawn, nudged him lightly with her elbow, and tipped her chin toward the food. "Mhm." Lanqi picked up the fork on his tray, sliced off a corner of the toast topped with poached egg, and slipped it into his mouth. The rich, creamy avocado paired with the savory egg yolk exploded across his taste buds. "A breakfast that melts the soul." He looked with satisfaction at Sigrid beside him, who was nibbling on her pancake. "Though I really didn't expect you to be up so early." "It smelled too good. I followed my nose down," Sigrid replied indistinctly, a speck of pancake crumb clinging to the corner of her lip. "Plus, I smelled you. How could I not come down?" Without the slightest hesitation, she reached her fork into Lanqi's plate. "Which one do you prefer?" Lanqi asked, watching her eat. If she preferred his, he wouldn't mind trading with her. "More than nut toast or cat-head pancakes, I like you." Sigrid didn't forget to set down her fork and trace a heart in the air toward Lanqi with her finger. "..." Lanqi buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling. Even as he suppressed a chuckle, his face grew slightly warm. Over by the counter, the siblings Sinnola and Pranay began whispering to each other, letting out strange giggles. "We're in a restaurant open for business, you know, Your Eminence." "Got it, Mr. Headmaster." The two chatted idly as they ate, relishing this rare peace and quiet. Outside the window, pedestrians were gradually growing more numerous. In days past, Boss Cat Restaurant would have echoed with Antanas's spirited radio broadcasts around this hour. Yet ever since she officially joined the Hutton Times Broadcasting Company, the restaurant had returned to how it had been in the beginning. In place of the radio was the morning broadcast playing on the large magic screen mounted on the wall. "What else is even on a Saturday morning..." Sigrid seemed to find the Hutton news on screen somewhat dull. She reached out, grabbed the remote, and flicked through a few channels. The display flashed through several feeds before finally settling on a familiar scene. "Oh?" Sigrid uttered a sound of intrigue. Appearing on screen was the official rebroadcast of *Holy War Romance: Half-Demon Witch Arc*, which had just drawn to a close at the Ikerite Opera House not long ago. The footage happened to capture the penultimate act, the most gripping scene of the entire play. "So it must be a demon near us who cursed me, aiming to sabotage our families' union. We can narrow down our investigation now. For now, we should return to the city." On screen, the demon governor's eyes focused as he spoke to the half-demon witch. "Let's go. We'll head over and investigate near Grand Duke Horst's estate!" The half-demon witch chimed in eagerly, cutting to the chase. "???" The demon governor stared at the young witch in utter disbelief. His cracking expression was practically screaming at her: *Wait, is there even a Grand Duke Horst in this opera adaptation?* Perhaps to play along, the melancholic, plaintive piano melody in the background shifted into something decidedly comical. The tragic atmosphere on screen grew increasingly derailed. "Now this is my kind of show. Definitely tuning in." Sigrid propped her chin on one hand and set the remote down. "Watching it again, my heart still tightens. You really threw yourself into that performance," she sighed softly. "..." Lanqi said nothing. He merely stared in silence at his on-screen self on the verge of a breakdown, his eyes filled with mixed emotions. He would never forget the longest day of his life. He had nearly ended up as an Imprisoned Soul. Right then, the wind chimes at the restaurant entrance rang out with a crisp chime. The heavy wooden door was pushed open. "Another day full of hope!" Toryardo appeared in the doorway, still wearing his practical overalls. "Pranay, Sinnola, morning!" He gave a casual wave toward the counter. "Morning." "Good morning, Yabo." The siblings merely glanced up to return the greeting before going back to their tasks. The familiarity and ease were so natural that the dimensional demon's sudden appearances seemed entirely matter-of-fact. Before long— Spotting his mark, Toryardo headed straight for Lanqi and Sigrid, taking the empty seat beside Lanqi. "Ah, the Half-Demon Witch Arc." Toryardo followed their gaze to the magic screen on the wall. On screen, the despondent governor reached out a hand, trying to hold back the half-demon witch. Toryardo watched with keen interest at first, but after a few seconds, his expression turned peculiar. He tried his best to purse his lips, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward uncontrollably. In the end, he couldn't hold it back and snorted with laughter. "Oh, so it's the very first performance of the premiere!" Whenever he thought of the chaotic improvisation that had turned this seemingly poignant farewell upside down behind the scenes, pleasant memories rushed back to him. For instance, the Ash Maiden Arc back in Brierda had been an even heavier heavyweight. The Talia Method of acting. All of the Poet of Great Love's painstaking deliberation couldn't match a single flash of inspiration from Talia. "When it comes to loving Lanqi..." Sigrid sighed deeply. ...nobody beat Teacher Talia. "Just how did the princess of our former Demon Realm end up like this?" Toryardo marveled, gazing at the screen. "I've always thought Talia is still very formidable. At the very least, her strength hasn't slipped," Sinnola remarked as she passed behind them, setting a glass of water down next to Toryardo. "Then why do I feel like Tata is always eating dirt?" Sigrid couldn't help asking, recalling the stories of the Southern Continent that Hubao had told her. "Talia is immensely powerful and can beat ninety percent of anyone out there, but she spends every single day fighting the remaining ten percent." Lanqi shook his head. Clearly a grandmaster, yet she plays in challenger lobbies all day long. Naturally, it looks like she's constantly taking a beating. Just as he was about to deliver further sharp commentary— "Awoo, awoo." Hearing Lanqi's words, the black fox yipped twice, trotted over, and rubbed against his leg. Lanqi cut himself off, elegantly lifted his coffee, and took a delicate sip. Though Tata wasn't here today... ...the fox had an excellent memory and would remember everything Lanqi said. The moment Tata asked, she would know everything.