Chapter 3 – A Waitress, a Spy, and a Plan B

The morning sun poured into the bustling restaurant. Claire Laradam, now dressed in a waitress uniform that clearly didn’t suit her, glared at her reflection in the window.

“This outfit… humiliating. A witch of my caliber reduced to this?!”

The manager clapped his hands.
“Alright, Miss Claire! First day on the job—greet customers, take orders, and smile!”

“Smile…?” Claire forced her lips upward, creating an expression so stiff it terrified the first customer.

“Uh… d-did I come to the wrong place…?”

Behind the counter, Sentou Kaji sighed while skillfully chopping vegetables.
“Don’t scare the customers, Cosplayer.”

“Stop calling me that!” Claire snapped, nearly spilling water all over the table. Her tray wobbled dangerously, and only Sentou’s quick reflexes saved the cups from crashing.

“Tch… annoying human,” she muttered.

Meanwhile, outside the restaurant, a young man leaned against a lamppost. His brown hair fell neatly to his shoulders, emerald-green eyes sharp with purpose.

“So that’s him… Sentou Kaji.”

He stepped inside casually, taking a seat near the window. When Claire approached with her stiff smile, he lowered his voice.

“You must be Claire Laradam.”

Claire blinked. “Yes? Who are you?”

“The name’s Fubuki. Your sister sent me.” His gaze flicked toward the counter, where Sentou was busy cooking. “Stay away from that man. He isn’t someone you should trust.”

Claire tilted her head, unconvinced. “Really? Because so far, he looks like an ordinary guy… annoying, but ordinary.”

Fubuki frowned. “Ordinary? You don’t know his past.”

Thus began the strangest “espionage” mission.

For days, Fubuki secretly trailed Sentou—watching, waiting for proof of his darkness.

He saw Sentou hang freshly washed laundry.
He saw him sweeping the yard in silence.
He saw him buy groceries, carefully comparing prices like a housewife.
He saw him cook meals with meticulous care, even taste-testing with a serious face.

Fubuki’s notebook filled with increasingly desperate scribbles:
“Suspicious…? No, just clean.”
“Possible dark ritual? Nope, just sweeping leaves.”
“Strange potion? Actually, miso soup.”

At one point, Fubuki crouched behind a bush, whispering to himself.
“Curses… why is this man so… normal?!”

That evening, Fubuki reported to Clara.

“I investigated him thoroughly… but… he’s different from the rumors. He’s just… boring.”

Clara’s violet eyes narrowed. Her smile was thin, cold.
“You were deceived. Sentou Kaji is not the type to change. If he looks harmless, it only means he’s hiding deeper fangs.”

She stood, her hair shimmering under the moonlight.
“If observation isn’t enough… we’ll test him directly. Prepare Plan B.”