"Uhh…"
The guy sitting cross-legged on the bed looked up at me and Olga Marie like a kid caught sneaking snacks before dinner.
"I'm, uh, preparing for what's coming next," he said, very unconvincingly.
I glanced at the plate in his lap. Half a strawberry shortcake still sat there, looking guilty.
"And… this is your magical preparation tool?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Stress relief device!" he corrected quickly, gently setting the cake aside like it might explode if handled wrong. Then, hands up like a criminal surrendering, he added, "Very advanced technique. Highly effective."
"Romani Archaman!" Olga Marie barked, arms crossed, looking every inch the pissed-off boss.
"Sorry!" Romani yelped immediately, practically folding in half in apology.
I had to hide a grin. Somehow, even with him being way taller than her, Olga Marie still managed to look like the intimidating one.
"Sigh. Whatever. You're new anyway," Olga Marie said, massaging her temples like she was already getting a migraine. "I don't know whose backdoor you crawled through to get here, but remember—Chaldea only hires the best. Don't embarrass us."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Speaking of," Olga Marie turned to me suddenly, "what was your name again?"
I blinked. Oh right, she never asked.
"Diqqa," I said straight-faced.
"You messing with me?"
"Nope~ Little Marie."
"Don't call me that!" she snapped, red-faced.
After giving me a furious kick in the shin—not that it hurt much—she huffed and stomped out the door, slamming it behind her.
Which left me and Romani staring at each other awkwardly.
"…You," I said, narrowing my eyes.
Romani fidgeted under my gaze, looking like he wanted to melt into the floor. It was obvious at a glance—this guy wasn't normal. But weirdly enough, I got the feeling we'd get along just fine.
Gulp.
Romani swallowed nervously, refusing to meet my eyes. Probably afraid I could see right through him.
Honestly, he wasn't wrong.
"Got any more cake?" I asked, flashing him a grin.
"…Yeah," he said after a second, visibly relaxing. He rummaged through the drawer beside his bed and pulled out another piece of strawberry cake, like he was hiding state secrets in there.
I plopped down next to him and stuck out my hand. "Looks like we're gonna get along just fine."
Romani hesitated, then smiled and shook my hand. "Yeah. I think so too."
"Oh, by the way," I added as I grabbed a fork. "I was lying. My name's not Diqqa."
Romani blinked. "Huh? Then what is it?"
"Cyd," I said casually, taking a bite of cake.
He froze.
Cyd. The White Hero.
Wait, WHAT?!
His brain screeched to a halt so hard he nearly choked on the cake.
"Cough, cough, COUGH!" Romani turned beet red, smacking his own chest.
I smacked his back lightly. "Relax, doc. I'm just a janitor these days."
"Hack, hack! Ugh, you almost killed me!" Romani gasped.
"Honestly," I said with a shrug, "seeing you choke like that… feels kinda refreshing. Very 'normal human.' I envy it."
Romani smiled awkwardly but said nothing. He clearly knew I wasn't exactly normal. And judging by the way his eyes flickered with something sharper, something aware, I figured he wasn't either.
Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the door slammed open again.
Olga Marie stormed back inside, arms crossed, scowling like a storm cloud. "I'm taking you on a tour. You'll just cause trouble if you wander around blind."
"Aww, Little Marie, you really do care~" I teased.
"Shut up!"
Later that day...
"This list is ridiculous," I muttered, flipping the 'janitor duty' sheet Olga Marie had handed me. "There's no way a single guy can clean all the windows, floors, and walls in one day. And why do you even have this many windows."
Romani gave me a look of pure pity.
"You're not really here to mop floors, you know," Olga Marie said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Focus on your real objective."
"Oh? So you do know why I'm here, Little Marie~" I smirked.
"I don't know the full details," she snapped. "But Lord El-Melloi II said something like… 'If there's any place left that can still help him, it's Chaldea.'"
Her voice softened slightly. "And I owe him… and you… a favor."
She didn't look at me when she said it, pretending to be fascinated with the ceiling tiles instead.
"You know," I said, ruffling her hair, "it's kinda touching how much you trust me."
"Humph! I just don't want to owe anyone!" she said, smacking my hand away. "And don't think you can get anything more from me! That's all I'm doing!"
With a toss of her hair, she marched off, trying very hard to look dignified.
Romani peeked over my shoulder at the cleaning list. Chaldea's most sensitive facilities were all on there—everything but the Director's personal office.
Yup. She really had gone out of her way to help.
"You wanna see where I work?" Romani asked, waving a folder in his hand. "I've got someone I'd like you to meet. She's super cute."
I raised an eyebrow, eyeing his white coat. "You're a doctor?"
"Just started," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"Already slacking off?"
His smile froze awkwardly.
I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Looks like we're the same, doc. Both here by… less-than-standard means."
Romani visibly stiffened, eyes darting away from mine.
Bingo.
"Anyway, follow me," he said hurriedly, shuffling down the hall.
I followed easily. "Relax. I'm not the type to pry."
Romani shot me a weak smile.
"…Thanks."
"No problem," I said. "Just… next time you sneak cake during work hours, bring me a slice too."
Romani chuckled. "No need to wait! I can get you some right now if you want!"
I shook my head, gripping my left wrist tightly. "Not yet. I've still got stuff I need to do."
Romani blinked, confused.
But after a second, he smiled brightly, giving me a thumbs-up. "Then when you're ready, we'll eat together! Promise!"
"And don't think I don't know where you're stashing all that cake," I added with a grin.
Romani froze. "Please leave me at least one slice!!"