His expression flipped without warning.
One moment he'd been polite and cordial to the diners—
the next, he'd punched the Fatui envoy who stepped forward and sent him flying out the door.
"Mikhail!"
Inside the restaurant, the remaining female envoy, Lyudmila, stared in shock.
The one who'd been launched outside was her partner—Mikhail.
"Y-you… you actually dared to hit him?!"
"You want to try too?" Kaito looked straight at her.
Shing—
All around the room, Fatui guards drew their weapons.
Kaito didn't care. He stood in the center of the hall and said flatly, "Street scuffles are one thing. But you had the nerve to barge into my shop and start acting wild—"
"—and you still chose this place."
"You can try attacking." His tone stayed calm. "Break even one table."
"Tomorrow morning, a Fatui corpse will be hanging from the docks."
The threat in those words made the air go heavy.
"Y-you…" Lyudmila's expression tightened.
This guy was insane.
Threatening an allied nation's diplomatic personnel in public?
But the real issue wasn't legality.
It was strength.
She hadn't even seen what happened—Mikhail was just gone.
"Regarding Envoy Mikhail's injuries," Lyudmila forced out, "the Fatui reserve the right to pursue legal responsibility. We will file a complaint with the Knights of Favonius for damaging diplomatic relations between our nations."
It had no bite.
Even the diners knew the Knights weren't going to punish a local for this.
The Fatui could swallow it and move on—
unless they truly caused a riot here, right now.
But if they did, the Knights would finally have an excuse to crack down.
Expulsion wasn't impossible.
The only way the Fatui could "win" was simple:
Send someone strong enough to take him down cleanly.
"Disturbing my customers during dinner," Kaito said, contempt flickering across his eyes. "I hit him because I felt like it."
Then he swept his gaze across the guards. "And you? Want me to personally escort each of you out?"
The Fatui had been strutting around Mondstadt for days. They'd never met someone more arrogant than them.
They were furious—
but reality was reality.
Their eyes kept drifting toward the doorway.
As if waiting for a certain "someone" to arrive and restore their face.
Lyudmila didn't move. She tried again. "We really are here to reserve the entire venue."
"Then make a reservation ahead of time." Kaito turned his back on her and started up the stairs. "Leave."
He didn't want a fight inside.
Breaking things meant breaking his things. Intimidation was enough.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
From the entrance came crisp applause.
Then a mature, chilling voice—smooth and commanding.
"Paying customers are guests… and distant visitors are guests as well."
"I've heard Good Hunter's cuisine is unrivaled in Mondstadt."
"Boss Kaito… am I not worth a private reception?"
A breathtaking woman stepped in.
Pale-gold hair draped over her shoulders.
A black half-veil covered the lower part of her face.
An expensive, tailored dress cinched at the waist, a fur stole over her shoulders.
Her slender fingers and forearms were wrapped in translucent black gloves—skin faintly visible beneath.
The thin, high heels made her steps graceful, almost swaying.
Even her toenails were painted a vivid, dazzling red.
But her face was ice.
And her aura… pure queenly pressure.
Kaito's pupils narrowed slightly.
His hand tightened—just a little—on the stair railing.
If the System hadn't scanned her information, he wouldn't have dared believe it.
[The Lady]
Level: Lv.20 (Divine power blessing)
…So you're not wearing that "battle outfit" and instead showing up dressed like a noblewoman. What are you trying to do?
Inside the restaurant, every Fatui lowered their heads to greet her.
The Lady swept her gaze over the room. Her red lips parted.
"My subordinates seem to have gotten carried away… staging such a ridiculous farce."
"Tonight's dinner is on me. Everyone, please leave."
Her voice carried a strange pull, as if it could tilt the mood with a single sentence.
The diners hesitated, looking to the owner.
Kaito considered it for a moment, then cupped his hands slightly.
"Everyone—my apologies for tonight. Get your Mora back at the door."
He glanced at The Lady and added calmly, "Ask for extra if you want."
For the first time, The Lady's frozen expression twitched—barely.
The diners held their laughter in and filed out one by one.
With a small wave of The Lady's hand, Fatui guards swiftly restored the entire restaurant.
Tables reset. Surfaces wiped.
It became spotless—like it had just opened for the day.
Then the Fatui withdrew outside to stand guard.
The Lady looked at Kaito with faint amusement.
"Boss Kaito. Are you satisfied with this attitude?"
"Mm. Not bad." Kaito nodded, then asked, "So you came here to—?"
The Lady stood in the hall, hands clasped naturally in front of her.
"Boss Kaito… you won't ask who I am?"
She dodged his question.
Kaito paused on the stairs. "Distant visitor, paying guest. I don't care about status."
"With manners like that, you're worth hosting once."
"Hehehe…"
The Lady followed him upstairs.
Paimon and Lumine instinctively stepped aside as she passed.
"This woman's presence is terrifying…" Paimon whispered.
They let her take the best seat on the second floor—
the one table Kaito never opened to the public, reserved only for himself.
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