OCOB 27

Chapter : 27

“Ah, no!”

Iliana jumped up from her seat in a hurry. The elegance she usually carried was replaced with frantic gestures as she waved her hands toward Freesia.

“I have to protect your furniture shop, Freesia! How could I possibly work somewhere else?”

“Ah, it’ll be fine for just a few days.”

“J-just a few days?”

“Yeah. From what I’ve seen, Layla can’t handle it alone. Until we find someone, Iliana, I want you to help.”

Despite Iliana’s desperate voice, Freesia’s tone was excited.

I couldn’t tell if she was thrilled because she’d found a way I could help or because she was happy about sending Iliana to my café.

Even though no agreement had been made between the parties involved.

Iliana grew even more anxious.

Probably because she knew Freesia’s personality. After spending a lot of time talking to her while working on interior design… Freesia was the type to do what she decided—no matter what.

As a colleague, she was reliable to the extreme, but as a boss? Absolutely someone you wouldn’t want in charge.

Because…

‘I’d end up going through what Iliana’s going through…’

Yeah… I’d been through it a few times myself.

It was a bittersweet memory. Back then, I was working part-time at a café…

Suddenly, the owner told me to go help at a neighboring shop. It was a friend’s store, and they didn’t have enough staff, so they borrowed a part-timer. Something like that.

I almost argued that it was against labor laws, but then they offered double pay, so I let it go.

That store had been a trendy tanghulu shop, and nearby there were elementary, middle, and even high schools.

No wonder the previous part-timers ran away.

I could never forget the countless fruits, skewers, and the cloying sweetness of sugar. I must have made hundreds of tanghulu that day.

‘Hmm… maybe I could sell tanghulu here too.’

Fruits coated in sugar would probably work at this café as well.

‘Ideas just pop into your head sometimes, huh?’

I happily filed tanghulu in a corner of my mind and watched the scene unfold like a spectator.

Iliana was desperately trying to persuade Freesia.

“Freesia, you can’t manage the shop alone!”

“It’s fine. While you’re gone, Lumi and I can go on a trip or something.”

“…Without me?”

“I want to spend some cozy time with Lumi.”

“…You’re going without me?”

Iliana’s eyes were almost red with tears now. She muttered in disbelief before shouting.

“You can’t do anything without me, Freesia!”

Iliana puffed out her chest, catching her breath as she glared at Freesia. She looked like someone betrayed by a person she trusted.

The situation was starting to turn into something like a lovers’ quarrel, so I quickly intervened.

“…Uh, Freesia? I can manage on my own for now…”

“Hold on, Layla. Don’t collapse on me again.”

Ah.

Now I understood why Freesia wanted to assign Iliana to me.

‘It’s because I’ve actually collapsed in front of her before…’

Even if I said I could manage alone, it wouldn’t work. She didn’t trust me. At the same time, it made me seem like I was encouraging Freesia.

So it was better for me to quietly wait for their conversation to end.

If you don’t want to be resented by someone.

When I kept my mouth shut, Iliana whipped around to face me.

“Layla, what do you think? Would I be helpful?”

Ah, this is tricky.

I smiled as awkwardly as I could. Of course she’d be helpful. Even just taking orders and serving customers would reduce my workload significantly.

But I couldn’t say it outright, so I just smiled.

Then Freesia confidently answered for me.

“I’ve never seen anyone handle customers better than Iliana. That’s why I trusted her with my furniture shop. Because I trust her!”

“…Freesia.”

“So, help Layla just for a little while. Please?”

“….”

“Alright! I’ll even grant you one wish.”

At Freesia’s last words, Iliana’s head drooped. A perfect victory for Freesia.

She gave me a thumbs-up, letting me know she had successfully persuaded Iliana.

I forced a smile and gave Iliana a sympathetic look.

I really wanted to help, but there was nothing I could say. I just felt a little sorry.

‘I need to manage my energy more carefully…’

If rumors spread that I collapse from overwork, it’d be a disaster.

I promised myself firmly and got up.

With the floral arrangement done and an impromptu part-timer secured, it was time to leave.

Before I left, I whispered quietly into Freesia’s ear.

“Send her to the café by 8 a.m. tomorrow.”

Gotta let her know the work hours.

Opening Day at the Shop

Iliana, now the temporary part-timer at Yonggari Café, was busy attending to customers.

Every time a seat emptied, more customers came, and her eyes gradually lost their sparkle.

I, as the owner, felt the same.

Even just making drinks for the influx of customers was exhausting.

There was no way I could handle taking orders, making drinks, serving, and washing dishes all alone.

Even now, the cups waiting to be washed had piled from the sink to the countertop.

At least it was just dishes. With no hands free to serve drinks, I was running back and forth between kitchen and floor.

I was so busy that I even borrowed Hu’s tiny hands to help. That says it all.

‘Thank you, Freesia!’

Thanks to you, I haven’t collapsed!

I had promoted the café diligently, spreading the word… so I expected many customers.

But this was beyond what I imagined.

Even a little girl who looked every bit like a noble had taken a seat.

At first, I was skeptical.

So I subtly peeked while handing her the ice cream she ordered.

‘Definitely a noble.’

Her manners, her gaze, everything was noble.

No matter how refined a commoner’s posture or gaze might be… a child born into nobility exudes a completely different aura.

Experience makes all the difference.

I returned to the kitchen and continued fulfilling orders, pondering.

‘Just how far has the word spread?’

If rumors about Yonggari Café had reached even the nobles, that was great news.

After all, nobles had the most money to spend.

‘I thought for a while it’d only be commoners visiting.’

Millun had told me that nobles in the Zenon Kingdom were quite exclusive—not dismissive of commoners, just tightly knit within themselves, especially after the disaster five years ago.

As a result, the social distance between commoners and nobles had grown, and the aristocratic social scene had solidified. Millun shook his head when he explained this, saying nobles didn’t even want to speak to outsiders.

So the visit of that noble little girl was surprising.

And on opening day, no less!

“Should I say something?”

Yeah, I could ask how she liked the taste and maybe casually ask how she found out about the café.

After finishing as many orders as I could, I walked toward where the little girl sat. People recognized me along the way, which made things a bit awkward.

But after politely responding to them, when I reached her table…

“…She’s already gone?”

The girl had already left. Only her empty ice cream bowl remained on the table.

…I should’ve attended to her a little.

I should’ve handled the orders a little faster!

Regret washed over me like a tide.

But what could I do?

I was too busy to spare even a glance.

So I had no choice but to hope for next time.

I slumped my shoulders and returned to the kitchen, focusing on making drinks to distract myself.

To forget the disappointment.

Yet fate had it that I would meet the little girl again.

“Um, hello?”

And that was the very next day!