A Man's Meal

The bright sun shines upon the residents of Rosalia. Within it, a restaurant opens up to their first customers. "Oh man, the food here is sooo good." That customer that spoke has ordered about every dish on the menu. He excitedly gorges upon it all as he thought to himself, 'Goddamn, so this is the drawback for the extensive use of magic.'

He looks to his finger, 'Well that, and the ring's material integrity.' He shakes his head before lifting a bowl up to his lips, drinking the hot and savoury soup. He lets it down as he took a piece of bread while he thinks, 'Should I leave Rosalian Kingdom or do I stay here?' He then took a bite of the bread then excitedly thought, 'Nah, the incoming shitstorm from the succession crisis is the perfect opportunity to create profit.'

He then stops chewing as he remembers his dream four years ago. 'Do I want to stop in just making a profit?' He looks down to his meal as he remembers the indignation and hardship as he grovelled at the footstep of the men who held themselves as his master. He sighs before using a fork and a knife to cut up the steak in front of him. 'Let's think of the short term first, gotta get myself settled in a house. I can't just live in an inn forever.'

He eats the piece of steak as he started thinking, 'Then what business should I do first? a printing press? a weapons manufacturer?' He wipes his face with a cloth and feels its rough and coarse texture, he inadvertently mutters. "What about cloth?" He stops and thinks as he takes a bite of the steak once more. 'Then again, can I make better clothing with my knowledge?'

He finishes chewing before looking to his bracelet once more then smiles, 'Why am I overthinking this? I can just try my hand with both a printing press and a spinning mule. After all, with the wealth I have, I can afford to make mistakes.' He looks at the chicken and took a bite as the bell rings capturing his attention. He looks to the new customer to notice the two servants he met at the mansion.

He holds his face, to feel the mask's hard material. 'Good thing, I've never removed it.' He thought in relief as the two women sat at a table. He hears the brown-haired one excitedly talk, "I told you this place was open." The black-haired one looks around and notices Michael who stiffly nods, then the brown-haired looks to where her friend was looking then spoke as she nudged her friend "Hey, Isn't that your friend?"

She pulls the girl up as they both sat at Michael's table. She then raises her hand for a handshake as she excitedly introduced herself, "Hello, My name Madelaine. and I'm sure you remember my friend Mary." She smiles brightly before asking. "What's your name?" Michael dryly swallows as he wipes his hand before shaking hers and then before curtly replying, "My name is Michael, It's nice to meet you."

After their introductions, Madelaine comfortably sat as she looked around at Michael's table. "You sure eat a lot first thing in the morning." Michael wipes his face as he slices another piece of steak, he then looks at her before replying. "Yeah, I kinda got the urge to eat a lot." Madelaine nods in agreement, "That's fair, with what happened yesterday. I kinda want to eat a lot myself." The word makes Michael think, after all, they mostly remember him as a servant during the ball.

Michael then spoke, "I guess, it's just kinda terrifying. right?" Madelaine nods looking a bit terrified, "I get what you mean, If we stayed for a few more minutes." Madelaine tears up before giving a hug to Mary as she continued, "Me and my bestie here would be ash by now." Mary only comfortingly hugs her back as she looks to Michael, her face still full of suspicion.

Michael coughs as he drinks his cup of water, a bit afraid of being caught. Madelaine moves from the hug then wipes her tears as she spoke, "I guess I'm just glad we were given this chance." Mary then interrupts her before she could continue, "Weren't we supposed to eat here?" Madelaine stops in shock as she rubbed the back of her head, "Oh right, haha. Kinda forgot." She stood up and hurriedly walks to the counter, "I'll be buying us meals, be right back."

Michael chuckles at her excitable expression, 'What a cute gi-'. His thought though was suddenly interrupted by a grim voice, "It was you? wasn't it?" The words put a chill up his spine as he looks towards the voice, to see Mary glaring looking at him with grim determination. He composes himself as he replied, "Huh? What do you mean?" looking with a confused expression.

Mary continued with determination as her face inches closer, "You're the one that set the quarter to explode? Right?". Michael leans back as his face reddens in embarrassment, her charming features in a close up. He hurriedly replied in denial, "I don't know what you're talking about." Mary then sat back down and frowns, a few minutes pass and she slams her head at the table, she whispers to him in tears "Please, I'll do anything. Just help me take my revenge."

Michael pauses as he takes in the new information, knowing that the feeling of vengeance isn't something to take lightly. A few moments pass before he replies in seriousness. "I see, then its nice to be working with you" Mary looks up from the bow as she wipes her tears, "Y-yes, T-thank you for this opportunity." She stutters with a smile, one which Michael almost fell in love with, Almost.

Madelaine then skips back to their table with a curious expression, she looks at the two of them and smiles. "Oh, did I miss something?" Michael only shakes his head as he replied, "it's nothing." Madelaine then grins as she intertwines her fingers, "Oh great,"

She then walks behind him then she holds his shoulder as she leans closer to his ears and whispers "Then could you take responsibility?" Michael who was about to take another slice of steak chokes and immediately went for the water. He looks to her as he stutters in confusion, "W-what?"

Madelaine twirls her hair in between her fingers as she spoke, "Well, Mary was suspicious of you last night." She points to Mary whose eye was red from tears, "Then Mary here, who shows little to no emotion. Starts bawling all over you, who mind you has a history with the Dunsten." She hugs Michael's neck as she spoke, "So in conclusion, I believe you had something to do with last night's debacle."

Michael then panics as his wrist lights up, almost summoning his gun. But before he could do anything Madelaine then continued as she walks back to her seat, "So can you like give me a job?" Michael opens his mouth in shock but before he could speak. Madelaine followed up, "It's cause Viller went insane paranoid and fired every human servant."

She shrugs before she poses cutely, "And I can't survive on cuteness alone." She smiles brightly "So Please?" Michael facepalms before massaging his forehead, he spoke in exasperation. "Why can't you just ask me like a normal person?". She maliciously grins, "Well, that wouldn't have been fun." He chooses her answer as he takes a bite off his chicken and points it at her, "That could have gone wrong for you on so many levels."

She shrugs as she replies brightly, "You win some, you lose some." He shakes his head before he spoke a voice filled with amusement, "Then would you like to be my secretary?". "Sure." The quick reply was followed by excited clapping, "Yay," She then comfortingly hugs Mary, "So? when do I start?"

He points to his meal, "We'll go house hunting after I finish my meal." He then looks down to his plate as he thought in positivity 'Well, at least I get to have some new employees. That's a start right?' He looks to the two women, 'Well as long as they don't betray me, It's fine. Right?'

He shakes his head, forgetting the last turbulent half hour. He gorges himself upon his plate once more now joined by his two new employees