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Sauro placed it carefully into his pouch and then flew away with a flutter of wings. When they looked back down after seeing him off, Maki and Chiharu saw that they had attracted attention. This was not supposed to happen! Damn it, these birdfolk! The two of them hurried away in a huff.

 

“How unusual. Human girls.”

“They were kind of big, but still cute.”

“Nah, they’re way too skinny!”

“Yeah, but they still had curves where it mattered.”

“Did you see how thin her waist was?”

“I did!”

“And the brown hair.”

“That pointed chin.”

“So pretty.”

 

So it had not been the bird person who attracted attention after all. The dwarven men talked excitedly for some time after that:

 

“Did you see them?”

“They are way too big.”

“They also looked so underfed.”

 

The women giggled but also said:

 

“Did you see?”

“That waist.”

“Impossible!”

“I’m jealous.”

“And that one piece. Don’t you think it was pretty how they layered it?”

“Oh, yes. It was so adorable how the cream-color peeked from underneath.”

“Why don’t we check out that store?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

 

The women were also very excited. Maki and Chiharu had not realized how unusual it was for young human women to visit the city.

 

They returned safely to the White Lily and were just about to order their dinner when an elderly dwarf gentleman approached their table. He looked like a wealthy merchant.

 

“Excuse me, beautiful human daughters. You two seem to be alone, and I was wondering if you would like to eat with us?”

 

Maki and Chiharu were surprised, but,

 

“Thank you so much, but we are fine.”

 

They said.

 

“Then how about a drink together after dinner? You see, I have a wife, and I thought that you might prefer to sit with us.”

 

At this, he glanced to the side. Puzzled, they looked too and saw that a young dwarven man was staring at them. His eyes were shining, and he was about to walk towards them when the merchant-like man’s stare gave him pause.

 

And it seemed that the young man wasn’t the only one who had been watching. This…was awkward…

 

“Oh, uh, thank you. We would be happy to drink with you after dinner.”

“Brilliant. I am Edmond, representative of the Edmond Company. I will come again when you are finished eating.”

 

And so Edmond returned to his table in the back. It seemed that he was eating with another, younger dwarf.

 

“Maki-chan, why are we being stared at?”

“Maybe humans are rare?”

“But people treated us pretty normal when they thought we were kids.”

“Because we are so ravishing?”

 

Maki posed with her chin in her palm and fluttered her eyelashes. Chiharu almost spat out the apple wine she was drinking but managed to stop herself. This was a special apple wine with mild sweetness. She was not going to let it go to waste. But more importantly, had she just heard people sighing around them?

 

“No way.”

 

Chiharu felt that her voice shook a little.

 

“Are we actually popular here?”

“While it is very shocking…”

 

Maki looked down and massaged her forehead. Was she turning into Arthur?

 

“We are…”

“Yes.”

“Not supposed to stick out.”

“Yes.”

 

Where had they gone wrong?

 

The answer: Plan B.

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