I Became the Cute One in the Problem-Solving Team

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A demon lay sprawled out on the floor, its blue skin and protruding horns making it unmistakable, even from behind.

It was hard to feel threatened by a demon in such an adorable female suit, especially when it was of a size smaller than I expected.

After all, I had just witnessed her dramatically drop her tray in a dessert café—how was I supposed to be on alert after that?

In this rather awkward situation, I shared a glance with Sabrina before hurrying over to her.

Upon getting closer, I felt some relief that she had dropped the tray completely, ensuring her clothes were free of sticky desserts. Although, I couldn’t help but feel pity for the desserts rolling away on the floor.

“Ugh… that hurt…”

“…”

“Uh, are you okay?”

“Eek! I-I’m fine! A-actually, um…”

Was it because she had come crashing down onto the hard tiles? The demon lady, groaning on the ground, startled and sat up upon noticing us.

Then as if finally realizing our presence, her face flushed a bright red. It seemed being comforted by a couple of kids was incredibly embarrassing for her. Of course, considering my appearance, I probably looked like just another child.

As she regained her composure, the demon girl glanced around with a still-flushed face. Her eyes suddenly widened as they fell upon the Mont Blanc that had come to rest on the floor.

“M-my Mont Blanc…! Ugh…”

She looked as if she had just watched a prized dessert vanish into thin air. Sabrina stared at me with wide eyes, as though asking how we could help the poor girl.

Well, calming her down seemed like a good first step. I gestured for Sabrina to bring the almost-tearful demon lady to our table. Meanwhile, I looked around for a café employee to help with the desserts that had fallen on the floor.

With my lackluster strength, it wouldn’t be easy for me to carry a woman taller than me without some telekinesis. Delegation according to abilities, after all.

“Yes, how can I help you, dear customer?”

“…!”

“O-Oh? Over there?”

I managed to convey my request for help with the desserts using gestures to the employee.

When I returned to the table after making my additional request, I found the demon lady had covered her face with her hands.

‘She must be mortified. Can’t say I blame her.’

After all, each moment seemed like it could turn into a cringe-worthy memory for anyone.

Tripping while carrying a tray in a dessert café, having her beloved treat dive onto the floor, and then crying while being comforted by a couple of kids?

I wouldn’t be surprised if her pillow tonight was quite damp.

Still, I figured it was probably better than sitting alone and crying on the floor.

I was thinking this when I settled into the chair next to Sabrina. Thankfully, our table was spacious enough for the three of us to face each other naturally.

“…”

“…”

The atmosphere at the table was awkward.

The demon girl’s teary look seemed to have calmed down, but her embarrassment left her mute. On the other hand, Sabrina was sociable enough, but not to the point of initiating a conversation without a topic.

So, as the one who had brought her to the table, it seemed my responsibility to break the ice… but sadly, I wasn’t able to come up with any words.

Thus, we sat in silence, with nothing but quietness filling the air.

Perhaps it was just too hard for her to bear.

Sabrina, who had been sitting close enough for our shoulders to nearly touch, leaned in slightly and whispered in my ear.

“Yuria, please do something about this atmosphere…!”

“…!”

While silently devouring dessert wasn’t a bad alternative, I realized that leaving her to stew in silence wasn’t exactly the right thing to do after bringing her here.

So, I nodded to Sabrina and lightly knocked on the table.

When the demon lady cautiously turned to look at us in response to the knocking, I propped my elbows on the table and supported my chin with my hands, staring at her intently.

If I had nothing to say, then all I could do was let her speak first. This was a non-verbal act of protest that indicated I could stay in awkward silence all day if need be.

I may not have struck an imposing figure, but to my surprise, it seemed to have some effect.

The demon lady trembled slightly, avoiding my gaze, glancing around nervously.

“Um, um… thank you for your help…!”

She finally spoke, biting her lip as if forcing the words out.

Perhaps due to the sincerity in her words—so unexpected from a demon known for playing with people’s hearts—Sabrina gasped beside me, her hand over her mouth.

“She’s so cute… I want to be treated like that too…”

“…?”

I didn’t quite catch what she said, but judging by her expression, it seemed she was taken with the demon lady.

Anyway, having finally opened up, we started introducing ourselves.

It turned out the demon lady’s name was Anser. She was 23 years old and had only just arrived in Night Haven a month prior—a true greenhorn.

She was younger than me. How adorable.

As I smirked at Anser’s awkwardness and nodded, she suddenly covered her mouth with both hands and squealed, “Eek!”

What was that all about? Why the sudden strange behavior?

“I’m so sorry! I just can’t help but laugh when I see things like this!”

“Ah, I think I know how that feels.”

“Right?”

“…”

I observed Sabrina and Anser exchange knowing glances, bewildered by whatever point they were relating on. I wished I knew what it was.

Caught off guard by this rather unexpected situation, I shrugged and decided to let it slide.

I didn’t need to know every single detail about this world. If it was that important, they would surely explain it.

Having settled my thoughts, I shifted a little away from the table and poked Sabrina on the shoulder with my finger.

I felt a bit guilty for asking, but I was curious about why Anser had looked so miserable. I wanted her to inquire about it for me.

“…”

“Hmm? Ah… I was wondering how you’ve been adjusting since coming here.”

“M-me? Well, that’s…”

After a moment of Sabrina and Anser awkwardly hitting it off, the conversation began to flow.

From what I gathered, Anser had failed to find a job in Night Haven several times since arriving.

Even though this city was supposed to be welcoming to diverse races, some folks were hard to mix with due to their fundamentally different mindsets.

Like ogres who couldn’t grasp the concept of buying goods with money.

Or vampires for whom bloodshed was a pastime or demons who’d trick you into binding your soul through contracts.

With 99 out of 100 beings being like that, it was unavoidable that even a single outlier would still provoke wariness. Though that sentiment shouldn’t exist ideally.

“Feeling more and more down over time, I thought I’d treat myself to some dessert to lighten the mood…”

“And of course, you ended up falling down. What a bummer…”

So here she was, all geared up to treat herself to an extravagant dessert, only to wipe out the moment she arrived and lose her money while building a cringe-worthy memory.

For someone sensitive, it wouldn’t be surprising if they thought the world was cursing them outright. No wonder she was on the verge of tears.

But remarkably, Anser simply brushed away the small droplets that had formed near her eyes, offering a smile in return.

To smile even in such a dire situation, she might actually be stronger than she appeared.

“Even though I couldn’t eat the dessert, I still managed to cheer up, so thank you very much.”

“Ah, um… that was Yuria’s idea anyway. I don’t think I should be thanked…”

“Ehehe, really? But I still appreciate it, Sabrina! And you too, Yuria!”

Anser sincerely expressed her gratitude, feeling nothing like the classic demon one would expect.

Despite her shy exterior, she seemed to have a heart that many could aspire to.

I shrugged off her thanks, thinking it was no big deal, when I noticed an employee strolling toward us from a distance.

Sabrina and Anser appeared to notice the employee’s presence as well but figured he was coming to clean up the fallen Mont Blanc and quickly shrugged it off.

“Sorry for the wait! Here’s your Mont Blanc. We’ll take care of the mess on the floor right away.”

“Um, eh? This is…”

“Your friend took care of the bill. Enjoy your meal!”

To our surprise, unlike what they had assumed, the employee placed a plate on our table and left.

On the plate sat a beautifully swirled Mont Blanc that looked absolutely delicious.

I quietly nudged the Mont Blanc plate towards Anser.

Upon noticing it, Anser’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Um, what’s this for…?”

“…”

What do you mean, why? It’s for you to eat.

How could we leave a dessert café without enjoying something, right?

Having smoothly passed the Mont Blanc over, I slid my mask aside to reveal my lips and skillfully cut into the remaining strawberry shortcake, bringing it to my mouth.

Mmm! So good!

My smile grew wider as sweet flavors delighted my taste buds, and as I savored every bite, Anser’s expression fell into speechlessness as tears began streaming down her cheeks. Huh? Why was she suddenly crying?

“*Sniff* S-sorry! This is the first time I’ve ever received something like this… Everyone always calls me bad or says mean things…”

“Uh, is that… true?”

“…”

Sabrina looked taken aback by Anser’s sudden display of tears.

To her, the sight of an older-looking girl like Anser crying could be quite shocking.

Yet, I didn’t find it all that surprising.

I hadn’t really given a huge favor; I merely offered a little kindness in passing.

Besides, even if it was rather costly, it was still just one snack—it wasn’t some sort of outlandishly expensive treat.

If it was a huge hit to my wallet, I probably wouldn’t have been so generous.

Caught off guard by my easygoing attitude, perhaps Sabrina finally managed to calm down.

With a composed demeanor, she gently awaited the silencing of Anser’s tears.

In this corner of the dessert café, where it was hard to catch anyone’s eye, the moist dessert time continued.