Chapter 22 – The Store’s Expansion (3)

A few days had passed since Liv started working at the convenience store.

The best thing about hiring her was experiencing the qualitative life that only wizards enjoyed. Shelves and counters that used to be cleaned daily with a broom were now spotless with a single spell. Although it was a complex spell that required considerable skill, Liv performed it effortlessly.

Additionally, perhaps as a side effect, the number of customers had significantly increased, most of whom were male. These guys, who never showed up when I was at the counter, flocked in like clouds during Liv’s shift. Some even obtained her schedule in advance and waited for her arrival.

Conversely, did female students visit when I was there?

— “Please give me some bread.”

Not even worth mentioning.

In any case, sales had increased, so I paid even more attention to Liv. It was as if I had hired a pretty internet cafe part-timer. Truthfully, even if sales hadn’t increased because of her, I would have still shown her some consideration since I knew her circumstances.

Just small things, like allowing her to study during slow periods, paying her salary in advance when she needed money, and maximizing her working hours since the hourly wage wasn’t high. I believed I was a truly excellent employer. At least I was confident I wouldn’t be called a bad boss.

“Boss, I’ve finished organizing the inventory.”

A soft and sweet voice called me while I was reading the newspaper. Liv was, as I had known, not at all like Adela, who was boisterous. She was often expressionless or deep in thought rather than smiling, but she didn’t exhibit the cold indifference typical of a midnight convenience store clerk. Her every action was careful and deliberate, like she was swimming leisurely in the deep sea.

When I taught her something, her dark eyes sparkled as she tried to learn as quickly as possible. She had a habit of bringing her finger to her lips whenever she didn’t understand something.

“Good job, Baroness Liv.”

“Please, just call me Liv, Boss.”

Occasionally, she would break her stoic demeanor with an unexpectedly bashful expression that—suddenly ignited a fire in my heart.

If she were a princess of Pennheim, I might have deeply regretted rejecting the proposal back then.

“Come and sit down. There won’t be any customers for a while.”

She bowed her head, took a book out of her bag, and sat next to me. We were so close I could almost hear her breathing. Her posture remained impeccable even as she turned the pages of her book. Could a person keep their back so straight? Although she was in the magic department, she could easily have excelled in the knight department if the staff had been a weapon instead of a wand.

I pretended to read the newspaper while glancing at the magic book she was reading. Liv seemed to notice my gaze but didn’t react much since I occasionally showed interest in her books. Instead, she sniffed slightly.

Surely, she didn’t think I smelled.

I quietly moved my chair away to create some distance between us.

***

Magic is one of the many ways to view the world.

This was a saying by Terra Ernestine, whom all wizards deeply respected.

By working at the store, Liv seemed to understand the meaning of those words a little better.

A couple picking out quills at the entrance, a second-year student drawn in by the smell of bread, the warm sunlight streaming through the large glass windows.

Sitting at the counter in the same store where she had always come to buy things, the scenery looked entirely different.

So, this is how the boss always saw the students.

There were a few other things she had learned about Louis as well.

First, contrary to what Karen had said, his hair wasn’t a mess, nor did he have a strange smell. In fact, the store was kept quite clean, reflecting his tidiness.

He also didn’t seem to have a significant other he contacted outside the academy. Sometimes, when she came by early in the morning, he would come downstairs from the second floor looking disheveled.

Another thing. He seemed to like books. Whenever they talked while she was studying, he often displayed a surprising knowledge of history. Even if there were discrepancies between his accounts of the Great War and the textbooks, he insisted he was right.

The most surprising aspect of Louis for Liv was yet to come.

“Boss, how do you read this?”

She asked him about a passage in the book she had been glancing at.

Most ancient magic books were difficult to interpret, mixing runes and old languages. From the second year, a course called “Introduction to Magic Linguistics” was even mandatory.

But Louis glanced at the word she pointed to and answered without hesitation.

“<phaínou>. It means ‘shine.’ If you interpret the entire previous sentence, it’s ‘shine at the tip of the living spear.’ It seems to be about photon magic used by ancient spear-wielders.”

He was like a walking dictionary. He didn’t take a moment to think; he read the characters directly in front of him.

Even Liv, who usually showed little interest in others, especially men, couldn’t help but ask how he knew this.

“I don’t know? It’s like an automatic translation, so I never really thought about it.”

His answer was incomprehensible.

There were many more things she wanted to ask, know, and even share a little about herself. But Louis seemed to keep a deliberate distance, making it hard for Liv to open up. Even now, after a few light questions, he suddenly remembered he had something to do, folded his newspaper, and got up.

“I’m here, sir! Give me some bread!”

Instead of dealing with her, he went to welcome a frequent first-year visitor. He was very casual with her, tugging at her hair or playing pranks with the bread.

What is this…?

Liv, sitting at the counter reading, felt out of place. Finally, a couple who had been choosing quills approached her.

“Excuse me. How much is this?”

“Oh, it’s 12 silver each.”

“Then we’ll take two.”

“Got it. Will you take them with you?”

“Yes. Ah, by the way…”

After handing over the 24 silver, the couple looked a bit awkward. What is it? Liv wondered as the woman in the green cape leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

“Can we also get a box of condoms?”

“……!!”

Liv’s face turned beet red in surprise.

What should I do? Does the store even carry such items?

“A-ah… Please, just wait a moment…!”

She went to find Louis, who was playing with a piece of bread on a fishing rod over Adela’s head.

Coming out from behind the counter, she walked stiffly and pulled on his clothes.

“B-boss! Um, do we… have…”

“Hmm? What’s the matter?”

“Do we, um, have any, um… c-… condoms?”

“What? Say that again?”

Her face was about to burst from embarrassment, but she had to ask him. With trembling fingers, she pointed to the couple waiting at the counter. Then she stood on tiptoe and whispered very softly into Louis’s ear.

“Do we sell… condoms?”

“Ah.”

Louis nodded.

“Of course we do.”

***

Historically, there has never been a time when nobles’ sex lives weren’t promiscuous.

It seemed that rule applied even in another world. The academy, after all, was a gathering place for fresh adult men and women, either just about to debut or recently debuted in high society.

Even if it wasn’t about marriage between families, love affairs and breakups happened frequently.

“Follow me.”

I led Liv to a secluded corner of the store.

There was a door there that required a key to open.

Still looking embarrassed, I explained kindly.

“Not many people look for adult products at the store, so I forgot about it. Usually, they get them secretly from their family servants or buy them in the city.”

“……”

“Baroness?”

“Y-yes…”

She was just fidgeting with her head down, still deeply shocked. When I first opened the store and saw students asking for condoms or gel, I was quite taken aback by how forward young people were. But I had grown used to it over time. Mostly, they would sneakily ask for such items during quiet nights or when no one else was around, and after three years, I could roughly gauge their sex lives.

At least, I could confidently say that our Baroness Liv had never asked for such items before, so her reaction was understandable.

“Let’s see……”

Click!

The door opened, revealing a multitude of adult products inside.

Most of them were from Kayno’s workshop and were essentially slow-moving stock.

“They’re organized by popularity, with the best-sellers near the entrance. Condoms are on this shelf… How many did they ask for?”

“Ah, uh, just one…”

“Baroness?”

“O-one box!”

With her hair dark as ebony, Liv covered her face with both hands, flushed to her scalp. I wondered if she’d manage to get married with this level of shyness, but it wasn’t my place to meddle in someone else’s personal life.

Just in case, I grabbed a box of condoms and asked her purely out of curiosity.

“Would you like a box too, Baroness?”

“I-I don’t use such things!!”

Wow.

That was bold.

Realizing her slip-up, her lips turned pale in embarrassment.

“N-no, I mean…”

“Well, it’s possible. I’ll keep it a secret.”

“No, that’s not what I meant!!”

This was fun.

Teasing someone who was usually like a stone statue turned out to be surprisingly entertaining.

Liv, her legs weakened, half leaned on me as we walked back outside.

Adela watched us from outside the store.