Lex's POV
The Culture Festival: Day One, The Café
"Jarvis, report on clientele demographics," I requested, wiping down a freshly cleared table with a practiced motion. The small, repurposed classroom that served as our café was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with male students.
"The current influx consists almost entirely of first-year and second-year students, of mostly of the baronet rank," Jarvis
announced through my earpiece. "Female attendance remains minimal."
We were making a killing. The academy's culture festival was usually dominated by girls hosting tea parties and cafes, but our little operation had become an unexpected sanctuary for the male half of the student body.
And in the center of it all was Olivia. She wore a simple white apron over her her new maid uniform, a gentle, kind smile on her face as she served our medium priced snacks and Leon's expertly brewed (and surprisingly gourmet) tea.
The boys here, tired of the arrogant "witches" from the higher classes, were flocking to her genuine kindness like moths to a flame.
"Another round, Leon!" Daniel shouted from behind the counter, a euphoric grin on his face as he counted stacks of bills. " And were going to need another safe to hold all this money We're drowning in dia!"
I moved through the crowd, my golden eyes scanning the room. Everything was running smoothly. Raymond in a sharp three pice suit (we all wore one and we pulled them off effortlessly thanks to our military physics) was handling the door, ensuring the line moved efficiently.
That's when I noticed it—not a mechanical failure, but a social one.
Leon emerged from the back with a fresh pot of perfectly steeped tea. He moved with the grace of his "tea mastery," his posture perfect. When he reached Olivia, their eyes met. It was just a second, a shared smile, and I don't want to be reading too much into it but it seemed natural to them almost to natural.
It was a spark.
I caught Raymond watching them too, a thoughtful look on his face. He shook his head slightly.
The door opened again, admitting a stark contrast to our clientele. A group of higher-class girls, led by a countess's daughter named Carla fou Wayne, sauntered in. They were gaudily dressed, their haughty expressions a shield against the "common" atmosphere.
Behind them trailed three massive demi-human slaves—muscular, sullen cat-men who had ever present menacinglooks on their faces.
The air in the cafe instantly turned cold.
"Well, well," Carla sneered, her eyes raking over the packed room before settling on Olivia. "Look what we have here. A commoner serving drinks to the dregs of the academy."
The room went silent.
"Welcome, Lady Carla," Leon said smoothly, his posture impeccable, playing the gentleman even in the face of hostility. "How may we serve you?"
Carla ignored him, approaching the counter where Olivia stood, the smile fading from her face.
"Is this what passes for tea?" Carla sniffed, picking up one of the refined, snacks Leon had bought. She took a bite and spat it out onto the floor. "Disgusting. Tastes like military rations."
My blood pressure spiked. Leon had spent two full weeks perfecting the menu.
"And this tea?" Another girl in her posse grabbed the exquisite porcelain pot Leon had just set down. "Probably cheap weeds you found in the field."
"Hey!" Daniel stepped forward, his fists clenched.
"How dare you serve such swill to noble students?" Carla fou Wayne snapped, her face twisting in a sneer. "You have no class, no taste. You should be shut down."
Carla laughed, a grating sound. "You, dirt-poor Barons who live in sheds, think they have the right to earn more than prince Julius's cafe? Don't make me laugh."
She pointed a manicured finger at her slaves. "Boys, this café is unhygienic. Clean it up."
The three beastmen slaves moved instantly. Their orders were clear: trash the place.
With, massive muscles bulging, and began flipping tables. Drinks spilled, snacks flew across the room, and the other male students scattered in panic.
"Stop them!" I growled, my hands radiating heat, my golden eyes blazing with Sunfire power.
I was ready to use my all of my strength and Grace to put those demi-humans down.
Leon was a half-step behind me, a vortex of wind swirling around his hands.
But before we could charge, Raymond and Daniel grabbed us, their grips tight as steel.
"Lex! No!" Raymond hissed in my ear, pulling me back. "They're slaves! You attack a Nobel women's property in the capital, you get blacklisted! No girl would talk with you again! You can't!"
Daniel held Leon back. "He's right, Leon! If you fight back, they win! They are provoking us!"
I stared at the chaos, my Grace flaring uselessly. The slaves were smashing plates, tearing down our decorations. They knew we couldn't retaliate without destroying our futures of finding a wife.
Carla fou Wayne watched it all with a victorious smile, her posse tittering behind her as our perfect café, and our massive profits, were ruined.