Chapter 22

Sophia's Summons

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Sophia's Summons

The lounge was once again filled with the chatter of dragon ladies in human guise.

—Have you heard? Tomorrow's menu seems quite decent!

—The second-year students have gotten so arrogant.

—What elective did you sign up for? Any clubs?

—Ugh, I don't know. I just want to nap.

Despite their lively voices and complaints, they seemed genuinely happy during their brief moments of freedom. 

In this setting, they didn't seem much different from humans. The girls were seated in their usual spots, chatting away. However, there was one noticeable difference from yesterday.

'Damn, this is intense. What should I do?'

They kept glancing at me expectantly. It was as if they were silently demanding something delicious.

'Sigh, they shouldn't get their hopes up.'

Their expectations had clearly risen since yesterday's biscuits. It seemed like a testament to how poor their meals had been. I had only aimed for mediocrity, but now I feared their increasing demands.

"It is an honor to serve you again, ladies. May I take your orders?"

Pushing aside my burdens, I approached the table. Waiting around would only invite complaints.

"Ah, Breeder..."

Sophia greeted me with a kind smile. Her mood was bright, likely due to my promise of mint chocolate.

Of course, I started with Sophia's table. As the student council president and senior representative, she had to be prioritized. Although she might not like special treatment, I couldn't ignore formalities in front of the seniors.

'Sophia seems pleased. This must be the right approach.'

I was certain she would tell me to take other orders first. That would allow her to uphold her selfless principles while I maintained her pride.

It was a win-win scenario. If I ignored Sophia and took orders from other tables, it might have invited trouble from the other girls.

'Damn, this ordering process is complicated.'

As I was lost in thought, Sophia spoke up.

"You look tired. Did you not sleep well?"

"Can you tell? I stayed up all night thinking about what dessert to serve you."

"Well, I hope that wasn't just flattery. Anyway, I'll have mint tea. What about the rest of you?"

Contrary to my expectations, Sophia went ahead and ordered. Perhaps she was eager to get her order out of the way due to the accumulated fatigue from her classes.

"I'll just have coffee, one spoon of sugar."

"I'll take chamomile, brewed twice."

Her friends at the table frowned slightly at her mint tea order. It was a fleeting moment, but I caught it. They clearly didn't understand her preference.

"Understood."

Maybe yesterday was just a tutorial. Today's orders were much more complicated. Yesterday, Sophia had simplified things by unifying the order to coffee.

I quickly jotted down the orders, making sure to assign table numbers to avoid confusion.

"Mint tea, coffee with one spoon of sugar, twice-brewed chamomile. I'll bring them right away."

"But Breeder, what's today's dessert?"

Sophia's sharp question caught me off guard as I was about to leave. 

"Uh, today we have the same coffee biscuits as yesterday."

"What? The same as yesterday?"

"Unfortunately, yes. The new ingredients haven't arrived yet..."

"How could this happen...!"

The moment I mentioned the same biscuits, the room buzzed with discontent. Sophia's disappointed exclamation echoed, and the other girls began murmuring.

—Did I hear that right

—Is this really happening?!

—No way!!!

The girls' reactions were as if something unimaginable had occurred. 

—Seriously?;[]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] Today's lunch was already a repeat, and now the dessert too?

—Fried fish and chips were bad enough, but repeating the dessert?

—You skipped dinner yesterday and just had biscuits. Why complain?

—It's not that the biscuits were bad! It's just too much to have them again today...

—Dear ancestors, why must we endure this trial?!

The atmosphere turned grim with frustrated voices filling the air. Their cheerful mood from earlier was completely gone.

I had put a lot of effort into my duties at the lounge, but it seemed it wasn't enough.

These girls were in their prime, requiring nutritious and varied food. Desserts were crucial, especially sweet treats for growing girls.

It was like soldiers being disappointed with the limited selection at the canteen. I understood their frustration.

'This is a disaster...'

I felt like I was about to lose my job on the second day.

"Everyone, calm down! We all know afternoon classes resume today, right? Let's not waste our precious free time like this!"

As I stood there, swallowing my dry throat, Sophia stepped in to restore order. Her mention of afternoon classes shifted the atmosphere.

She was my savior.

"Breeder, get the drink orders first, quickly!"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience."

"This is your last warning. Next time, such a mistake won't be tolerated."

Sophia scolded me harshly. Her angry tone was unusual, but she was representing everyone by admonishing me loudly.

However, I wasn't offended. Instead, I felt relieved. She had intervened to cover for me.

I assumed she was protecting me because I had promised her a mint chocolate dessert.

'I was right to align myself with her. Although it's too early to relax...'

I bowed deeply, showing my remorse, as I hurried to take care of the orders.

No matter how beautiful and graceful they appeared, these girls were fierce predators. I couldn't afford to upset them.

"Coffee is ready...!"

"The herbal tea is coming up!"

"Sorry for the wait!"

"I'll make sure to bring plenty of biscuits!"

"Thank you for your understanding."

I moved quickly, brewing and serving drinks, making sure to provide an abundance of biscuits.

It felt like offering tributes to dragons, ensuring their satisfaction.

—The biscuits are not bad, so I'll let it slide.

—It's not as impressive as yesterday, but it's still good.

—I should have just ordered coffee.

Fortunately, the biscuits from yesterday had earned some goodwill. If not, I might have faced harsher consequences.

However, not everyone was appeased.

—It feels like Sophia is covering for him.

—I heard he was in her room during roll call last night.

—Shh, keep your voice down. What if Sophia hears?

—If this happens again tomorrow, I won't hold back!

I had managed to calm the immediate crisis, but it was clear that their patience was wearing thin. I needed to ensure that future desserts were satisfactory.

"Clink..."

"Here's a small offering as an apology."

I served small slices of sponge cake as a gesture of goodwill. It was a trial bake, but it might help ease their disappointment.

"...This is a dessert I'm working on. I could only make a small amount as it's still in the testing phase. I apologize once again."

I added a humble explanation to maintain their dignity. I didn't want to provoke their wrath over a mere dessert.

—Oh, that's why I smelled something different?

—If you had served this earlier, things wouldn't have gotten so bad.

—But the portion is really small.

—Really? This is it? You'd better do better tomorrow.

The girls seemed to calm down slightly after tasting the sponge cake, though some complained about the portion size.

Still, no one criticized the taste, which was a relief.

'Thank goodness. At least they liked the cake.'

Most of the complaints were about the portion size. They devoured the cake quickly, indicating it was well-received.

"I need to be more careful from now on."

"Breeder?"

Just as I was about to catch my breath, Sophia called me from across the room.

"Yes, Sophia? Would you like to order more?"

"No, come with me."

"Excuse me?"

"Follow me. As the student council president, I need to address today's incident."

"...?"

Had I misjudged the situation? I thought she had covered for me, but her cold voice and stern expression suggested otherwise.

I followed her out of the lounge, feeling a sense of dread.