FATAL MAID

...

...

Hmm.

Huh?

Why are you all staring at me like that?

Well...

... I think you should consider changing your outfit first.

Ah, you mean into a maid outfit? Why didn't you say so sooner?

Give me a second.

Ta-da! How do I look?

Do you think Master will like it?

Wow.

I-I think he'll probably like it...?

...

You do remember everything you were taught, right...?

Of course. I remember it all perfectly.

... Okay. Then you can start tomorrow.

Sounds good.

Is this where I'll be working?

No. You'll be assigned to the Ark branch during the event.

Hmm...

What's wrong...?

No, it's nothing.

Then I'll head off and get some rest for my first day tomorrow.

*Sigh*

A-Ade... are you sure it's gonna be okay?

... It'll be fine.

Velvet's been in our squad for a while now,

and she's been trained properly anyway.

Yeah, you're right!

B-besides, if anything happens, I'll handle it all!

No. Velvet needs to do her job properly too.

Wh-what...?

I taught her myself after all.

She'll be fine.

Hehe. Yes.

Thanks for all your hard work, Cocoa.

It wasn't hard. In fact, it was fun.

Fun...?

Velvet was a real secret agent, you know.

She even taught me how to be one.

Wow... I want to learn too!

You're not ready for that yet.

If you tripped while trying to hide, you'd be in big trouble.

Aww...

Let's go get some rest now.

This event... something tells me it's not going to be easy.

...

...

M-Master...

Whee!

Master! You came to see me?

Liaaar!

I'll have to punish you for being dishonest, naughty Master ♥

Ehehehe! Reaaally?

Then I'll shall be the one to serve you ♥

What would you like to order, Master?

Okay ♥ Please wait a moment!

...

...

Well, you see...

Welcome back, Master.

I'll escort you to a table inside.

What would you like to order?

Oh, you can find today's specials on the menu. Here, let me show you!

Ehehehe! No need to get impatient, Masters!

There may only be one of me, but I'll serve you with my all ♥

V-Velvet.

If it's okay with you... c-could I have your number?

Hmm... my number?

That may be a little tricky...

but if you order a parfait and share it with me,

maybe I'll change my mind... ♥

P-parfait! One parfait here, please!

Just one?

Two, please!

Hehehe, thank you!

Here, let me give you a stamp ♥

...

... Is that... going to be a problem?

...

Looks like it might be.

I don't think□▣※it's that big□□▣of a problem,

but▣※still...

Um, excuse me...

??

If I order a cake... will you share it with me?

No. I'm not hungry.

B-but Velvet's willing to eat with her guests...

??

So? I'm Anchor.

...

Y-yeah, that's true. All right...

I knew□□▣things would※□turn out like this.

If one person does it, others will start expecting it too.

...

... That's what happened.

After that, all the customers started specifically requesting for Velvet.

In the end, the rest of us got stuck doing kitchen work.

Trony and I are fine, since we were always assigned to the kitchen anyway, but...

Hmph, I have no interest in working in the kitchen.

You should take this opportunity to get used to kitchen duties.

You keep failing your professional maid evaluations.

That's because Mast keeps making pirate food however she feels like it!

Ugh...

By the way... where's Drake?

I haven't seen her for a while.

She went off□▣※to change her clothes▣※a while□ago.

Said it was□※※boring▣working▣□here.

...

O-omurice for table 3 is up.

Got it!

Your omurice, Master ♥

Hehe ♥

Hehe ♥

I don't want to.

Sure, if you take a bite of this.

Is it good?

Maybe it's because I'm feeding it to you ♥

True, but I'm the one feeding it to you ♥

Hmm... Well...

What do you think?

Really? In what way?

Oh, that?

Hehehe, that kind of treatment is reserved only for you, our real Master.

I'm not that extreme with other customers ♥

... Yes. You must treat all customers sincerely, at all times.

... Is that so?

So, I have to treat the other customers out there...

the same way I treat you? Really?

Yes. At least during cafe operating hours.

Hmm...

But I don't want to.

...

*Sigh*

Just like before, when you told me to get in line...

Aren't you being a bit too cold only toward me?

And now?

A decision about what?

...

I've already joined you, and became a part of Maid For You.

Isn't that enough?

...

I also—

Oh. Master.

Oh, this?

Since Velvet is new,

I'm going to put this up so our customers can recognize her.

...

C-customers will probably frequent us more often.

Yup. The more, the merrier.

... Looks like I don't have time to just hang around here then.

This newbie maid is heading off to work extra hard.

...

??

Should I draw you and Ade too, Master?

You too, Master.

I caused trouble again... didn't I?

...

Yes, Master.

...

Oh, sorry.

Something felt off about today's service...

... No, it's nothing. I'll tell you once I'm more certain.

Forget I said anything.

Also... as far as the cafe is concerned, I'll figure it out.

That's not the way we want to attract customers, either.

To start with... I'll try to convince Velvet, and then...

...

... Well, first, I need to get to know her better.

I still don't really know anything about her.

I know her name, that she was a secret agent,

and that ever since her squad disbanded,

she's been constantly on the run.

But aside from those three things...

Yeah. She hardly ever talks about her past.

And also... what you said to Velvet earlier, Master.

I've brought it up before.

Yeah. She dodged the question back then, just like she did this time.

It's not that I don't understand, but...

... Velvet probably doesn't know how.

How to find her place in a new environment.

How to get close to new people.

And...

... How to respond to kindness.

Still, I think she's slowly improving.

The way she acts during business hours... that's probably her way of expressing herself...

She works hard and produces results.

S-sales-wise, we're doing pretty well...

Anyway, sorry for taking up your time, Master.

... Okay, Master. Thank you, as always.

What? You're giving up already?

I'm a little disappointed.

P-please! It's all my fault!

I can't—I don't have anything left...!

Hehe, is that so?

From where I'm standing... it looks like you've still got plenty left in you.

Come on, just try a little harder ♥

From where I'm standing... it looks like you've still got plenty left in you.

Come on, just try a little harder ♥

You're here.

H-hey!

Call the police! This woman is...!

Can you be quiet?

Aaarrgh!

You came for this, right?

Oh, this?

He snuck in and was installing bugs and cameras.

So I was just showing him a bit of affection.

Mm-hm...

Let's talk about that privately ♥

Ugh—

Why not? He's the one who was up to no good.

He should be grateful he still has his arms and legs!

He came to capture me, you know.

Well, more like gather information to capture me.

Hehe. Surprised?

Seems like you still don't get how dirty things can get, huh, Master.

Well, isn't it obvious.

I'm useful.

I have my uses.

Back then, Mustang... or should I say, the president...

did a lot of bad things...

And I happen to know every sordid detail.

Not sure if you realized, but the president has plenty of enemies.

And not just for business reasons... but it's annoying, honestly.

We committed those bad deeds together,

and he's far worse than I am,

but now he pretends to be all noble and righteous.

So if they catch me and work me over,

they think they can expose everything from the past... or so they believe.

That said, the only reason I'm still alive is thanks to the president's little "act".

In the old days, my squad and I would've been dead by now.

And it's not like he lacked the power or the means to make it happen.

With just one snap of his fingers,

he could have made us disappear, making it seem as if we never existed.

Yeah. Exactly.

I wonder what's gotten into him.

Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about.

He came in as a customer earlier today.

I still don't know who sent him...

but I'm pretty he sure didn't come here to watch me say stuff like "coochie woochie, boing!"

And he wasn't the only one.

There were about six of them, I reckon.

He's the only one foolish enough to try sneaking in tonight.

Me killing two birds with one stone.

If I want to stop them from pulling anything stupid, I figure it'd be better if I step in.

These guys are small fry, anyway.

They use secure phones, but don't even bother deleting their instructions. What amateurs.

Yeah, but it was disbanded.

*Sigh* It's going to be exhausting guarding the cafe in the meantime.

...

I have to stay here for now, and it'll be annoying if things get ugly.

Like I said, I've been on the run ever since the president dissolved Shade.

Do you have any idea how exhausting that is, in a place as tiny as the Ark?

Yeah.

No. The people after me before were legit.

I almost got caught several times.

What do you think happened?

Don't worry. Those guys won't be involved this time.

As capable as they were,

seeing me make such a big deal of coming under your protection will make them cautious.

My value versus the risk of crossing you...

They will weigh between those two.

I even led them to that conclusion from the start...

What does it matter to you? You've got nothing to lose.

If anything, you stand to gain. You've got a dedicated maid now.

Anyway, that's enough story for today.

Hmm... I hadn't planned on talking about this in the first place.

Whenever I'm around you,

I end up letting something vulnerable slip without even realizing it ♥

I'll get going then. Good work today.

As far as all this is concerned, let me handle it.

Don't tell the others.

They wouldn't be much help anyway.

Oh, Master!

This is a secret space meant only for us maids. I'm afraid you're not allowed in.

Ah, Master.

Hmm... is that a button?

Here, you dropped this ♥

Gaaaaah!

Excuse me...

But there's a loud noise coming from the restroom...?

... Sorry, Miss.

Looks like some cleaning supplies have fallen over.

No.

Ugh, seriously. Why are there so many of them?!

Guess yesterday was just a preview!

On top of that, they're all amateurs with no fundamentals, so it's even more annoying!

Even if I want to play dumb, it's all so blatantly obvious.

What real target?

Wasn't I the final goal from the start?

I'm already engaging with them directly, any diversionary tactics would be pointless.

If that happens, all the Nikkes who love you would mobilize,

and they'd round up not just the mastermind, but their entire family, relatives, and even their neighbors.

That's exactly why I'm doing this, isn't it?

I won't let that happen.

Hmm... I don't know...

... There are just too many possibilities.

Like I said yesterday, these guys are small fry.

If they were actually competent, we could at least narrow it down.

But with guys like this, it's even harder to tell.

Honestly, it's like they just grabbed some random thugs off the street.

Hm... maybe they were a group that broke apart once and reformed...

That would explain a few things.

If they needed results, they might rush in without thinking...

Great, here we go again.

When am I finally going to kick them all out?

... Ugh, whatever. I'm taking a break.

Hmm?

No way.

Just no.

... What do you mean I've got nothing to lose?

Asking for help means I need help.

And needing help means I'm in a bad spot.

Being in a bad spot means that it's the perfect time to take me down, isn't it?

See? How's that nothing to lose?

My life is on the line.

...

... Yeah. I know. But still.

... Still, this is just how I do things.

I've lived my whole life like this.

Wouldn't it be strange if I suddenly changed overnight?

How are you gonna guarantee that?

Hahaha. What kind of answer is that? So irresponsible.

Even so...

It's a rather... sweet proposition.

... All right.

I'll humor you and bring it up once.

Of course, I'll help.

I thought something strange was going on, too.

Some of the customers have been acting oddly,

and so have you, Velvet.

I-I noticed it too... the customers keep acting weird, so...

I've been wondering whether we should report it to the A.C.P.U.

I knew it. So it's some kind of covert operation.

I already have a plan laid out.

...

... You're going to help me?

Of course.

Why?

Because we're family.

...

??

... Velvet.

We don't know what kind of life you lived before.

In fact, we don't have the faintest idea.

So please... tell us.

Tell us what you're thinking, and what you're feeling.

...

Here. Take this.

... What is this?

A letter-writing set.

...?

I heard that writing a letter helps when it's hard to put things into words.

You can use these colored pencils too.

Hmm...

Your hair color is similar to mine, so...

I'll let you use this one.

You've never let me use that one...

Because your hair is green, Soda.

Th-that's true, but still...

...

...

... Ade, don't you hate me?

When you were chasing me back at Coin Rush, I felt a lot of hostility from you.

I-I don't hate you...!

What happened in Coin Rush was... a pretty unique situation.

And you were targeting Master too.

But after you joined our squad...

You've been working really hard,

and you've been a great student under my tutelage!

... Even if your performance isn't exactly the best.

Wellll, I've never done this kind of work in my life, so that's to be expected.

Which is why...

I should get back to my old line of work ♥

Hey, kid... no, Cocoa.

Yes?

...

Do you like covert operations?

Let's go over the situation first.

Among the customers, there are some who are trying to gather information on Velvet, and on us as well.

So far, they haven't made any other moves.

But once they've gathered enough information, there's no telling how they might act.

Right. In special operations, information gathering is basically everything.

You can spend ages preparing and plotting routes,

while the actual execution takes only a few moments.

H-huh...

Don't worry, Soda. We're still a long way from all that.

Thanks to Velvet, they probably haven't gathered much information at all.

Yes, Master?

Oh, th-that...

I-it just felt right, while we're having this conversation.

I... I just saw Ade wearing it...

I just felt like wearing it ♥

What? Isn't this a treat for your eyes?

...

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

As Ade pointed out, those guys have no choice but to proceed cautiously.

Putting their amateurish methods aside,

they haven't managed to gather much information.

And besides, I've even stepped in personally to stop them, remember?

No matter how stupid they are, they're bound to suspect that something's up.

They'll assume there's something precious and important that we're hiding and protecting.

Yes. From their perspective...

Not only does the leader of Shade suddenly reappear,

she also becomes affiliated with Master and starts working at the Maid Cafe.

On top of that, every agent they sent to gather intel at the cafe was dealt with.

They're probably starting think this place is a base of operations.

A base for Shade's new beginning.

Also, a cafe being the hideout for a secret organization is a classic setup.

D-does that mean those weird customers will keep coming...?

Well...

If we keep playing along, something's bound to happen.

They're not sending these agents here for fun.

Eventually, they'll probably resort to more aggressive tactics.

A-aggressive tactics...?

Don't worry too much.

In the middle of the Ark, there's a limit to how aggressive they can be.

And I'm here, aren't I?

Y-yes...!

Plus, if they use aggressive methods, they'll inevitably expose their weaknesses.

Both sides lack information, but if we target those weaknesses, we can make things work somehow.

Hm. All done.

I've drawn up an operation plan.

Really? As your senior officer, I shall take a look.

Senior officer?

You're officially joining the covert op, aren't you?

That makes me your senior, and you my junior.

Ooh...!

Hmm... this isn't bad.

You've got talent.

Hehe, I've been practicing.

Great. We'll go with this.

Well, I'll fine-tune a few things,

but the overall plan works as is.

Of course.

This is a Maid Cafe, right? So...

We'll handle it the way maids do ♥

There, the customer in the brown blazer.

... Got it.

Here's your coffee.

Please enjoy, master.

... Hmm.

...

Ughh...!

Oh my...! Are you all right...?

Th-the coffee...

Why is it so salty?

Six and a half spoonfuls ♥

Coo... coochie woochie, boing! ♡

Wow, you're really good at this!

Then let me teach you the next spell.

You have to follow along properly, okay?

N-no, I...

That's not it.

H-huh?

The carrot pieces are too big.

If they're this big, they won't cook through when stir-fried.

Again.

Now, now. You mustn't go in thereee ♥

Urghh!

Please do ♥

I was nervous since this was supposed to be a covert op, but this is nothing.

Well, I suppose it does have its own unique charm.

W-we're doing okay, right...?

Yes. This shouldn't be a problem.

None of the other customers seem to have noticed.

□※I never thought▣▣※we'd end up※※pulling□▣off a covert▣op in the▣□Maid Cafe.

□□Seriously, being※with you guys▣▣is nothing□※but fun.

I installed a few of the s-surveillance cameras we confiscated from the agents in the main hall.

It should help... w-with identifying them.

You did? Thanks!

Eeek...

That would be nice...

But foolish people tend to be brave.

Welcome to...

Hmm...?

Have we met before? I feel like I've seen you somewhere other than the cafe...

Of course you have.

Aaah!

You. Get the manager.

You. Get the manager.

Aren't you...!

That's right. I figured I'd find you here.

Been living it up, huh?

...

Please leave. We won't tolerate disruptive behavior.

Ooh, scary.

Is this how you treat a customer?

Don't tell me a maid from Maid For You

is planning to kick out a customer, huh?

...

... Please allow me to escort you to your table.

Good. That's more like it.

Oh, and forget the manager.

Bring me the one with the pink hair.

??

No, not you!

The tall one! The tall girl!

The new one who joined recently!

Hmm...

Yeah, that's him. He's the loser I saw at Coin Rush.

Figures. He looked pathetic, but he has an uncanny way of cutting straight to the crux of things.

So he's the one behind all this.

He knows who I am and what I'm worth.

A bunch of low-life thugs wouldn't have figured that out so easily.

Hurry up and bring her.

Ah, do I have to request her by name?

Sure, I can do that. How much will she cost?

... Please refrain from causing a commotion inside the cafe.

Is being loud a crime?

I said get the pink-haired girl!

...

Would you look at that glare.

Aren't you all Nikkes?

Go ahead, try laying a finger on me.

Let's see if a Nikke can hurt a human, right here in the middle of the Ark!

...

So you're not going to bring her out?

Fine, we'll see who lasts longer.

Boys! Take your positions!

H-huh...?

Oh. They're all bald.

Tell the pink-haired girl to come out.

We're not leaving until then.

... Master.

This is bad.

I hate to have to do this,

but we have to use our last resort.

So you need to stall them, Master.

Good. Here.

Hey, listen!

I wasn't even— huh?

...

What are you doing here...?

What are you doing here...?

Who are you calling miss?!

Wait, more importantly...

I asked you what you're doing here!

A-aren't you a commander?

Why are you working as a waiter here?

...

... R-right. Good timing.

Go get that pink-haired girl, Velvet.

I'm requesting her by name.

Hiii ♥

Y-you!

So you finally decided to crawl out into the open, huh?

I almost starved to death because of you last time!

Hehehehe, is that so?

About that...

I grabbed him last time to lure you into coming after me, remember?

There was something else I was after, but he beat me to it.

Soooo I was just a tiny bit salty, and I threw a little tantrum ♥

But then after things wrapped up, I kinda forgot to release him.

That must be why he's so upset.

Two days...!

I was tied up in that storage room for two whole days!

If it weren't for that annoyingly diligent security guard, I'd be dead!

Hehehe. I'm sooorry.

But you survived. Isn't that what matters?

Grrr...!

More importantly, I came out just like you wanted.

So what now? Do you want me to cast a spell on your food to make it delicious?

*Sigh*

You know, this whole time...

I've been digging into your past to see what you were involved in.

I've gotta say, you're seriously vicious.

I've been in this line of work too.

But I'm a saint compared to you.

Do your little friends here know what you used to get up to?

...

... So?

Oh, it's no big deal.

I just want to do business with you.

...

... What?

Thanks to you guys, my plan to take over Coin Rush went up in flames.

But in this business, you can't be enemies forever.

If we combine your skills and my connections,

taking over the Ark would be a piece of cake.

Hahahaha! I was wondering what nonsense would spill out of your mouth,

but this is beyond anything I imagined.

So? You in?

From what I've seen these past few days, it looks like you're trying to revive Shade.

I've got some connections in the entertainment industry...

What are you babbling about? Get lost.

...

I'm not proud of what I used to do,

but I'd rather turn myself in than team up with scum like you.

*Sigh*

Yeah, I figured.

... Hey! You girls over there!

You girls don't know what she used to do, do you?

Wiretapping, manipulating public opinion, assassination, kidnapping. Those were just the basics.

She even sold out her own squad to save herself in the end!

※※Hmm....

... I did hear she was a Tetra secret agent.

Master Captain, is what he's saying true?

...

...

Well, if that's how you feel, then I'll believe in her too.

Yeah, me too.

You trust people way too easily...

... N-not that I hate it.

I-I actually like it... the way the Commander is...

▣▣□That's why▣I like you※too□Instructor.

▣□Besides※this guy's▣intentions※※couldn't be more□□obvious.

※▣□He's clearly※trying▣□to isolate□□Velvet.

▣※□Regardless※□of whether▣※he's telling□the truth▣▣I find□him□irksome.

Hey! I'm not done talking!

You think she actually considers you her comrades?

She'll use you for as long as she can,

suck you dry, then toss you to the curb!

...

*Sigh* Are you starting to get the picture?

Just accept it and work with me.

You don't belong in some childish maid cafe like this.

You belong in the underworld, where people kill and get killed, deceive and get deceived.

Where... I'm supposed to be...

Yeah. Come with me, and let's reach the top.

If we join forces, the Big Three and...

No thanks. I'm not interested.

All the Central Government and...

... What?

... What?

It doesn't sound fun to me.

...

Didn't you say you knew who I was? You even did your research.

And yet you still say stuff like that?

...

You're really naive.

I mean, a certain amount of naivety is nice and all.

But in this line of work, it'll get you killed.

Wh-what...!

Hehehehe. Just kiddinggg.

I'm retired from being a secret agent now, so I don't really have the right to say that.

However...

...

... I'm not the only agent in this cafe.

She's my cute junior... and she might see things a little differently ♥

...

*Sigh* Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way.

Boys!

Yes, boss!

Oooh, so scary!

... You're really pushing your luck...

Looks like words won't cut it.

W-what are you?

He's a martial arts champion.

He says he can only win if he eats crepes that Cocoa drizzled with ketchup before the match.

What...?!

You're with the Sustainable Future Planning Support Office, right?

A brief look over your financial records shows some concerning irregularities.

A tax audit may be in order.

As for her...

this lady works in tax collection.

Wh-what the...

Wh-what is this?

You want to try us, huh?

If that's how you want it, fine by me.

Brian's the one backing you, isn't he?

!!!

I work in the department next door, so I happened to hear something.

Your friend is scheduled for an audit next week.

H-huh...?

There's a limit to everything, even profiteering.

And you've all gone way too far.

Y-you...!

What are you going to do now?

You came here to stir up trouble, and if anything went south, you planned to smooth things over using your connections, right?

Looks like that plan's off the table.

Among some of our guests who adore my dear junior,

there just happen to be quite a few extraordinary people ♥

D-damn it...

Yeah. You've crossed the line.

You dare threaten my Goddess of Victory?

Threaten?

We won't stand by and let our cafe be intimidated so easily,

least of all by a criminal like you.

Exactly.

Cocoa, could you put more ketchup on my pasta?

Got it.

...

So, what will you do now?

If you're not satisfied with our service, you're welcome to come back another time ♥

Though... but you'll probably be in jail by then, so maybe not?

...

Damn you! We'll see about that!

I'm afraid I won't be able to see you out.

Hmm...

Welllll, that was quite the commotion, wasn't it?

Now that we've shown our disruptive guests the door, we can resume service.

... Then, we'll provide you with our very best service.

Mas-ter.

You! Why aren't you ordering the special?!

Why aren't you ordering it?!

It's event week, so we're giving out keychains too!

We're giving out key...

We're out of keychains already...

Yeah. They're all gone!

Hahaha. Too bad! You should've come earlier, slowpoke!

...

You disappear when we were busy, and now you show up yelling?

??

Mast, where's the rum that was here?

Huh?

You drank it all.

Hehe.

N-not all of it.

I thought we m-might need it for cooking... so I saved a little.

You didn't drink any, Trony?

I-I didn't...!

※※Haha▣※▣ha!

That went pretty smoothly.

I thought things would get messier.

You didn't? I was totally sure it would.

They're customers Cocoa is so fond of,

so I figured they'd help protect what was precious to her.

Of course, I ran some background checks on them beforehand ♥

Oh, there you are.

I was just resting.

By the way, since you're here...

Cocoa.

Do you still want to become a secret agent?

Yeah.

...

... Then promise me one thing, and I'll recognize you as a secret agent.

You will?

Yup, I will.

I promise.

Okay then.

A secret agent must only work with their senior officer.

Even if someone else comes and asks you to be an agent, you can't listen to them.

Got it?

??

I was gonna do that anyway.

... Good.

...

It just made me think about the past.

... Cocoa, I'm gonna have a quick chat with Master.

Do you draw strength from Master, just like Soda does?

All right.

What kind of strength did you give Soda?

I doubt it was something like, "You can do it! Go get 'em ♥"

Well...

... It's nothing, I was just rambling.

... A long time ago.

I knew a girl with pink hair who was a lot like Cocoa.

She was really good with her hands, and quick on her feet.

And above all, she had an incredible talent for deceiving others.

Not all talent is a good thing, you know?

I guess you could call it a devil's gift.

That talent bloomed even further as she grew older,

reaching its apex when she became a Nikke.

... But we don't need any more girls like her.

Well, anyway...

It's all in the past now.

Now...

Velvet, we're short‑handed in the kitchen...

...!!

Ah, caught red-handed ♥

Are you gonna scold me?

...

... P-please refrain from doing that during business hours.

Hehehe. Then it's okay during break time?

Th-that isn't...

Hehe.

This is what you do during break time too, huh?

...

Yes, Maaaster.

*Sigh*

Velvet. We're short‑handed in the kitchen right now.

Could you come help for a bit?

Sure.

... I'll show you again next time.

My true feelings ♥

...

...

Yes?

I'm standing guard so you can't go in.

Velvet asked me to.

Velvet wrote me a letter.

She said to read it after this mission is over, then burn it.

Because it's a secret between two secret agents.

Oh.

Yeah. She says the mission's over.

You can go inside now, Master.

Okay.

...

You're hereee!

Umm... cooking... Or whatever you'd like to call this.

I'm making chocolate.

I put my heart and soul into it ♥

Nope, it's done.

Here, my heart and soul ♥

Well? Do you feel it?

Hahaha. Are you so moved you're at a loss for words?

Mmm...I've given it some thought.

In a chef's hand, a knife is a useful tool, right?

But in a killer's hand, it becomes a weapon.

Then, what does it become in the hands of an assassin or a secret agent?

You really are innocent when it comes to this stuff, Master.

Looks like you still have a lot to learn from me.

... Listen carefully.

A knife in a secret agent's hand is a brush.

A brush wielded by their master, who uses the secret agent as a tool.

People often talk about the big picture, right?

Once you climb high enough, the world looks like a painting.

People become lines you can erase or draw with just a lift of a finger.

Money becomes abstract numbers you can rewrite however you want.

It's similar, yet different at the same time, don't you think?

Well, that's all over now.

At any rate, I'm not a secret agent or anything anymore...

I'm only your maid now ♥

So, how are you going to use me?

As a secret agent? Or as a maid?

Or...

Okay. I'll be waiting ♥

But aren't you going to taste this?

I worked really hard on it, you know. I'm kinda hurt ♥

Hiii ♥

Hmm...

Providing security?

Yep ♥

*Yawn* It'd be dangerous if someone snuck into your bed while you were gone.

Who knows?

A ninja or something could sneak in.

What's with that reaction?

You need security too, Master.

You're kind of a big shot, you know.

Come now. There's a reason I'm an expert in my field.

I'm perfect for the job.

A former secret agent,

and now a maid who has to stay by your side ♥

Maaaster, I'm huuungry.

I haven't eaten anything since luuunch.

It is? But I don't know how to cook.

If everyone could succeed just by learning, the world would be a better place.

However...

There's something else I'm much more confident in ♥

Oh, hey, you two.

Hiii.

I came to protect you.

Secret agents don't just conduct covert operations.

They also have to protect their master from other agents.

Says Velvet.

Haha, you really do exactly what you're taught, don't you?

Hmmm.

I'll let Cocoa handle the day shift.

I'll be back... for the night shift ♥