One morning in the beginning of summer, Miaha, as usual, visited Allen's mansion under a cloudy sky.
Wrapped in her hands were a stack of newspapers and a small, ordinary package. She was merely carrying out her delivery routine as usual. But today–
"Good morni— Demon Lord!?" Miaha's eyes were wide open, filled with astonishment. She stood there, dumbfounded, taking in the unexpected scene.
Allen was sitting cross-legged at the entrance with his head between his hands.
"W-What's the matter, Demon Lord? Why are you sitting at a place like this?" Miaha asked, concerned.
"...Miaha." Allen raised his pale face.
Dark circles were etched so deeply under his eyes that he, himself, could guess how haggard he looked. His voice was hoarse, as if he could collapse any moment. After agonizing about it almost all night, it couldn't be helped.
"How many times do I have to tell you... I am not just a 'Demon Lord', but the 'Great Demon Lord'..."
"But, you give off that Demon Lord vibe."
"I can't make sense of it..."
"You don't even have the energy to retort back. What on earth happened?"
"Yahoo, big brother! Your adorable little sister is here to play!" Erika had also arrived, causing a commotion.
Miaha's ears perked up and greeted Erika with a smile. "Good morning, Ms. Erika."
"Good morning, Miaha! Your cat ears are looking fine today, as always."
"Oh my, I'm feeling shy."
The two girls had become acquaintances through Allen and would often run into each other in town.
While giggling, the conversation naturally shifted towards Allen. "Hey, what's the matter with him?"
"Who knows? He was already in this state when Miaha arrived."
"Hmm… if that's the case, perhaps..."
Erika's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she stabbed a finger towards Allen, "Did something happen with Charlotte and you?"
"H-How did you know!?" Allen exclaimed, gulping nervously.
Despite Allen's flustered state, the two girls remained nonchalantly calm.
"What else could possibly make you so distressed?" Erika asked.
Miaha nodded in agreement, "You would usually resolve the problems on your own imperiously."
The girls' observations were spot-on.
There was no one else but Charlotte who could make Allen so concerned. Moreover, the situation this time was particularly troublesome.
"Did you and Charlotte have a fight?" Miaha asked.
"It would have been better if that were the case…" Allen gave a wry smile. Then, bit by bit, he started recounting the incident that occurred last night.
Last night, after they had dinner together, Allen broached a topic with Charlotte. "Hey, Charlotte. It's been a month since you arrived here."
"Oh... Has it been that long?" Charlotte, sipping her tea, let out a deep sigh.
Only a month had passed. Yet, it seemed as if an entire month had already slipped through her grasp.
It seemed like a long time, but only a short time had passed. As Charlotte reminisced about her past days, she lapsed into silence, her gaze becoming distant and vacant.
At that moment, Allen grinned.
"That's why... it's payday today!"