"Thank you so much. The collectible offered as a reward this time holds special meaning for us, which is why I made such a request." Chu Lian bowed politely to Miss Sakurako in gratitude, while also explaining the reason she was participating in the event. "Among us, there's someone who is a surviving orphan from the destruction of the Shun Prison Sword Style—a daughter of the last generation of that family. Therefore, this blade is something we must obtain, even if it troubles others."
"It's no big deal. I just didn't expect to meet a descendant of the Shun Prison Sword Style—it's a bit awkward, honestly. After all, this very collectible originally belonged to them, so using it as a reward now feels rather inappropriate." Miss Sakurako didn't ask who that survivor was, though she already knew from the video that the white-haired girl was the last of the Shun Prison Sword Style. Since it was someone's painful past, she didn't want to reopen the wound.
Chu Lian nodded silently, then looked around before asking, "Are the participants supposed to bring their own maid outfits, or are they provided by the café? Where should I prepare?"
Miss Sakurako rested both hands over her abdomen, pressing her right index finger lightly against her chin as she thought for a moment. "Hmm… Normally, the maid outfits are provided by the café, but participants are also allowed to bring their own. After all, we can't possibly have suitable sizes for everyone. If a uniform doesn't fit, the participants have to prepare their own. So generally, most people who join this event come a bit early to pick out their maid outfit and see if it fits. If not, they get one custom-made."
"Then it looks like there definitely won't be one in my size." Chu Lian gave a wry smile. Standing at just 1.4 meters tall, the idea of finding a perfectly fitting outfit here was pure fantasy. She would have to rely on the system's exchange function to get one quickly.
"That's for sure. Honestly, I never expected a thirteen-year-old little loli to voluntarily participate in the contest—and one so petite and delicate, too. Although I did approve your entry, a maid uniform for your size would definitely need to be custom-made. Will you have enough time for that?" Miss Sakurako tilted her head slightly as she looked at Chu Lian, kindly reminding her.
"That's no problem. Just let me see what the maid outfit design looks like." Chu Lian's face was full of confidence. Since she could exchange such things using Integrity Points, it was no issue at all. After all, during her continuous loss of integrity points, the total had already surpassed 1.5 million—far more than before.
After all, no other celebrity would cosplay so many alluring outfits to provide fan service. Even if it wasn't her own intention, she still bore the consequences herself.
Miss Sakurako looked at her in mild surprise, then said, "It's the same design our waitresses wear today. However, contestants' skirts will have an additional, unique pattern of their choice. You can either design your own or use one from the café's collection."
"So the pattern can be anything?" Chu Lian subconsciously touched her chest. The white rose there still seemed to be blooming faintly. She already knew what she wanted her pattern to be.
"Yes—but it's best not to make it too flashy. No matter how fancy it is, remember that right now, your role is that of a maid. If the outfit is too dazzling or attention-grabbing, it'll outshine your master." Kujou Sakurako raised an eyebrow, watching Chu Lian's confident expression with interest.
"Please wait a moment. I'll just step outside to make a quick call and will be right back." Chu Lian nodded to show she understood, then glanced at the time. After apologizing briefly, she picked up her phone and headed out.
"What an interesting little girl…" murmured Kujou Sakurako softly, watching the white-haired figure disappear from sight.
Then, turning around, she looked toward the pink-and-white-haired girl standing nearby—Inori—and asked curiously, "So you're the other member of the Twin Lotus Duo, Inori? You really do look like you've stepped straight out of a CG animation. Such a beauty…"
After speaking, she sat down in another empty seat, completely ignoring Chu Chu's dissatisfied expression. After all, this seat was right beside Kurosaki Satsuki, and directly across from Chu Lian. For her, this arrangement couldn't be any better.
Originally, she had wanted to sit there herself, but when she saw Inori and Kurosaki Satsuki sit down one after another, she couldn't very well separate from Li Xiu'er. Thus, she ended up beside Chu Lian, with Li Xiu'er between them. Watching Chu Lian from the side like that felt far more uncomfortable than facing her directly.
Chu Lian hadn't expected Kujou Sakurako to be so naturally familiar and close, treating her group as if they were old friends. The excuse of "making a call" had merely been a pretext—her team of male attendants, led by Xu Jingyao, were still on standby at Wafuu Inn. She had strictly ordered them to remain there until she gave permission, as she wanted to keep this entire matter as private as possible.
Since she wasn't summoning Xu Jingyao's group to deliver a maid outfit, there was only one other option: using the system to exchange for a black-and-white maid uniform with a white rose-patterned trim. It was already past three o'clock—there wasn't much time left before the event's registration deadline.
Without using the system exchange, there was simply no way to find a suitable maid outfit in such a short amount of time. However, even so—did the system really have to exploit her like this? Just what was going on with this outrageous price?
"Black-and-White Maid Dress (Chu Lian Special Edition): Exchange Price—Integrity Points 98,888. While this maid dress design may appear common—frequently seen in ACG works or Western shows and films—how could Chu Lian's special edition possibly be ordinary? Once worn, this maid outfit grants you the temporary skill 'Perfect and Graceful Head Maid.' During this period, you'll flawlessly perform any and all duties expected of a maid.
"Of course, this feature applies only to Chu Lian's version. Anyone else using the same design—don't even think about it.
"Additionally, upon purchasing this maid outfit, the system will automatically open the 'Chu Lian Official Merchandise Store' on Taobao. This dress will be listed as the first product on sale, and all profits generated will be added to your 'Spacetime Traveling Merchant' mission account.
"The first 100 buyers will receive a signed cosplay photo, randomly chosen or specified from over ten outfit options. Buyers ranked 101 to 1000 will receive a Chu Lian maid photo. Those ranked 1001 to 10,000 will receive a white rose-patterned scarf.
"Look, I even came up with the ad slogan for you: 'Only 398! Bring home your own adorable maid outfit today! Whether you're a guy or a girl, once you put it on, you'll become a maid too! Don't just dream it—buy it now!'
"As a self-proclaimed maid-obsessed system, I must say—maids are the absolute best… Ahem, pretend you didn't see that last part…
"Cough, cough. Since this item is essential for your mission, it's normal for the price to be high. You can choose not to buy it, of course—but don't regret it later!"
Reading this long, rambling message, Chu Lian first blushed in embarrassment, then flared up in anger, and finally calmed down again with a touch of subtle irritation.
Even knowing the system was taking advantage of her, even realizing she was being played once more, even suspecting that so-called store had long been prepared in advance—she still chose to make the purchase.
All because of one line: "All profits will count toward your 'Spacetime Traveling Merchant' mission."
The system was, in its own twisted way, helping her. Though its attitude was awful and it often seemed to torment her on purpose, its behavior was more tsundere than malicious. Once she understood that, its intentions became clearer.
"Even in your slumber, you're still helping me, aren't you? Ayase, though you haven't returned from the Punishment Space, you must have worried that I'd be burdened by this mission… So you set this up to help me. I know… thank you."
The moment Chu Lian received the maid dress, she whispered softly to herself. Without waiting for the system's response, she immediately exited the system space.
In a secluded corner, holding the maid dress in her hands, Chu Lian made her way toward Miss Sakurako's Café. No one noticed the radiant light that had briefly flashed where she had been standing—likely another act of the system shielding her.
"What a tsundere you are…" In the dark system space left behind after she departed, a line of text flickered across the floating screen, as though foretelling something yet to come.
"Sorry, I took too long…" Chu Lian returned to her seat, glancing in surprise at Miss Sakurako sitting across from her before speaking.
"It's fine. It's only been ten minutes. There are still a few left before the deadline. Aren't you going to change into your outfit?" Miss Sakurako took a delicate sip of her black tea as she spoke.
Indeed, the café did serve tea, but the maid in charge had simply forgotten to hand them the menu earlier.
Seeing Sakurako's calm, leisurely demeanor, Chu Lian couldn't help but roll her eyes before replying, "I just came to check on things. I'll go change now."
"Inori, keep an eye on them—especially Chu Chu. Don't let her cause trouble. We'll probably be busy until around six, so you can either go out for a walk or stay here." Whenever Chu Lian had to step away or get busy, she would always entrust Inori to watch over the others. It was both a sign of her trust in Inori and her way of showing care.
Taking care of others was one of the best ways to gain perspective. Only when you were more capable than those you looked after could you stay composed when they relied on you.
As for Chu Chu's discontented look—well, it was best to just ignore it. After all, it was always her who caused the trouble. Who else was she supposed to watch out for?
"Mm, Lian, go on then. You got this!" Inori nodded, raising her right hand in a small, encouraging fist pump. Hearing that, Chu Lian waved her hand casually and left her seat, heading upstairs…
"Miss Sakurako, I'll borrow your space to change." Her voice drifted faintly from the distance as she climbed the stairs.
Kujou Sakurako shook her head. That girl was clearly teasing her—but it didn't matter. If she wanted to use the room, she was welcome to.
Taking another small sip of her tea, her gaze was suddenly drawn to the white-haired girl sitting beside her…