Published: January 4, 2026
I entered the shop, intending to confirm if it was really Alice, but the townspeople were so captivated by her singing that they swarmed around the entrance like moths to a flame.
Just by glancing inside, I could tell the shop was packed to capacity.
Normally, I would think, "There's no way to get in with this crowd."
“I’ll get a seat ready, please wait a moment,” Zoe seemed to think the same, slipping her hand into her pocket to grab some money and try to secure a seat.
“Wait.”
“Master?”
“There’s no need for that.”
“But…”
Ignoring Zoe, I pushed through the crowd and moved further inside.
Crossing the threshold, it became even clearer—completely packed, not a single seat available.
Almost at the same moment we entered, an apologetic-looking staff member approached us.
“Sorry, sir, as you can see, all the seats are taken…”
“I see.”
I nodded and was about to turn back when another staff member came rushing out from the back and whispered into the first one’s ear.
After a few nods, the first staff member turned to me with a businesslike smile.
“Sir, it seems a customer is just about to leave. We can seat you immediately.”
“Understood. Please.”
They nodded and retreated inside briefly.
Zoe turned to me with a puzzled look, so I whispered an explanation.
“It’s a contrived coincidence. If this was orchestrated by them, they wouldn’t have let me be denied a seat.”
“I see… As expected of Master. I never would have thought that far.”
I smiled faintly at Zoe, then turned to take in the shop filled with the sound of Alice’s voice.
“Hmm?”
“Is something wrong?”
Zoe asked with a curious expression.
I hesitated slightly, wondering how to answer.
Just by looking, I spotted a few people who clearly weren’t here just for the singing. Their eyes were fixed on the stage, but their attention was directed toward me—three of them.
I sensed that three agents were already mixed in, monitoring me.
But I couldn’t just tell Zoe outright.
When deceiving someone, telling only the truth tends to be more effective.
Both for me, and for Zoe.
Taking that into account, I chose my words carefully.
“A seat just happened to open up in a convenient spot.”
Saying so, I directed my gaze toward the “available” seat.
I noticed those watching me.
I thought for a moment.
To deceive, I wouldn’t lie.
“There was a good seat conveniently left.”
This time I spoke in a normal tone.
Zoe’s eyes widened, as if caught off guard.
Her reaction was the exact opposite of my previous statement, so she wondered what I meant.
But in an instant, she understood and froze.
Her face didn’t move, and she said nothing unnecessary, but I saw her eyes dart around briefly, checking her surroundings.
She grasped it instinctively and reacted accordingly.
Compared to when she first became my maid, Zoe had clearly grown a lot.
“Because it’s Master,” she said.
“I see.”
I exchanged casual words with her as we waited.
After a while, a staff member came to guide us to our seats.
It was the spot at the very back, slightly elevated, directly facing the stage in the center.
There was no doubt—it was the best seat in the house.
I secretly smirked.
It was too deliberate to pretend to be a coincidence.
I didn’t point it out and took my seat.
Zoe stood quietly beside me.
We listened to Alice’s singing.
She seemed to have improved a bit again.
To improve in the arts, a few things are enough.
First, perseverance.
Second, a clear goal.
Lastly, no worries about daily life.
Alice had had the first two since we met.
I had removed all her anxieties, including those about her mother.
And so, Alice visibly improved—and continued to improve every time I saw her.
Most people inside and outside the shop were enchanted by her voice.
Only those monitoring me were not.
Songs have “waves.”
Carried by the wave the singer intends, the audience sways with the voice.
Snap!
One of the strings on Alice’s signature harp snapped.
The shop buzzed with murmurs as the dreamy singing was broken, and the patrons were brought back to reality.