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Chapter 8
In the serialized novel by the author, the description of people wasn’t very detailed. If she hadn’t had dimples, one might have overlooked her as just an ordinary woman.
After all, a person named Sharon with black hair and dark eyes was not uncommon.
“My name is Lynette. But… what business brings Miss Sharon—no, Miss Sharon Mi—here?”
Sharon, being the illegitimate child of the Duke of Mikaela, couldn’t openly introduce her bloodline. Lynette tilted her head, unsure why Sharon had come here.
“Actually, I was wondering if this shop belongs to you, Miss Lynette?”
“Yes, I bought it not long ago.”
When a good item appeared, there was no need to haggle over it. If she liked it, she just bought it immediately. Of course, the wealth of the Pruina Count family helped.
As they stepped outside, Lynette spoke leisurely, and Sharon’s expression momentarily fell.
“Actually, I had my eye on this shop…”
It was then that Lynette remembered Sharon running a tea shop in the novel. But she had never imagined that the tea shop building would be this very building.
She only remembered the part where Sharon, shortly after opening the tea shop, went to the Sepia Empire with her lover. The rest hadn’t been serialized yet, so there was no way to know.
“I see… but I bought it first…”
Lynette had no intention of giving up this place. Even though Sharon pleaded, she shook her head. This was the first shop she had purchased. She didn’t want to stop before even starting, having dreamed small dreams here.
“Even if I offered double the price you paid, would that not be enough?”
“No, I don’t think so. It would be better to use that money to buy another shop.”
“Sorry, heroine. You’ll get your happy ending with the protagonist’s buff later, so don’t be concerned about this.”
Sharon bowed her head and left. Lynette shrugged. Catherine approached cautiously and whispered in Lynette’s ear.
“They’re offering double. Isn’t selling it a good deal?”
“Catherine, I’m not in real estate. I want to run a tea shop. If I wanted to do real estate, I would have asked my father for more money to buy and sell properties.”
Even if she had multiple buildings, managing them would be difficult.
❅
After remodeling the shop into a tea house and bringing in the tools, they planned to start operations. Since they would be quite busy from now on, they moved efficiently. Lynette and Catherine went on a tea shop tour, bought what they needed, and sought help where necessary.
Inside the shop, six tables were placed: two for four people and four for two. Seeing them set up gave a sense of satisfaction. While Lynette was wiping the floors herself, Catherine took over and started cleaning. Seeing the polished interior, Lynette stepped outside to survey the shop as a whole.
“‘Attraction’… such a pretty name.”
They had decided on the name together.
“I hope people come here, just like the name suggests.”
“Of course, it’s a name Catherine chose. I really like it.”
The sign, written in a flowing script, featured a coffee bean emblem. The more she looked at the shop she liked, the more she smiled softly.
“I hope you become as happy as you were lonely and sad before.”
“I’m sorry for always showing only that side. From now on, I’ll show more of my smiling self.”
Catherine had been by her side longer than her mother. Nestled in Catherine’s arms, Lynette smiled. Catherine gently stroked Lynette’s hair and kissed the top of her head with a bright smile.
❅
The next day, after dreaming happily, they arrived early to prepare for the opening. Coffee beans were ground in advance, and milk and other ingredients were purchased fresh.
“Miss, do you think people will come?”
“If they don’t, it’ll be a bit sad, but don’t worry. Even if just one person visits and word spreads, many could come quickly.”
With her heart full of dreams, Lynette opened the shop and displayed the menu. She referred to the prices in the Sepia Empire based on what a tea seller had told her. The menu included brief explanations for those unfamiliar with coffee.
She also added a caution that, although the bitterness might be stronger than usual tea, refunds would not be given.
Finally, payment was in advance! In this world, food was normally paid after consumption, but Lynette adopted a prepayment system and waited for customers seated in the chairs.
“That’s right! The first try is never perfect!”
Due to the unfamiliar menu, passersby only glanced curiously and moved on. Watching them from inside, Lynette despondently wiped tables over and over.
❅
Among those glancing at Attraction, one hurriedly took a carriage to a manor flying a flag decorated with olive-wreath designs.
The place where the young lady of that household had been broken off from her engagement and had bottled-up emotions burst was almost chilling. The corridors, cold and silent since Lynette left, felt even emptier.
“Master, Owen has arrived.”
The knight at the door announced, and Nixon, inside, opened the door upon the master’s command.
“Master, I’m back.”
Bowing, Owen entered.
“So, how’s the shop?”
In response to Kenneth’s question, Owen inhaled deeply before speaking.
“The building is clean. It’s been decorated in a very quaint manner, suited to the young lady’s taste.”
“Lynette’s taste is quaint, you say? Hmm.”
Kenneth, unaware of his daughter’s taste, sighed faintly and looked at Nixon, who lowered his head slightly. Kenneth, who had only given Nixon money to prepare gifts for Lynette’s birthdays, suddenly felt another pang of guilt.
“But how is the shop running?”
Kenneth, as her father, wanted to help with management but knew Lynette wouldn’t want it. He couldn’t even visit her despite knowing she had opened the shop, fearing she’d see it as surveillance.
So he sent Owen, who had joined as a servant after Lynette left, to check on things. If Lynette saw a familiar face, she might misunderstand it as spying.
“Well… uh… you see…”
Owen, struggling to answer, forced a smile. Kenneth, even without hearing, seemed to know what Owen was thinking.
“The shop isn’t doing well, is it?”
“I’m afraid so. It’s been three days since the shop opened, and we haven’t seen any customers come in.”
“Sigh…”
Having boasted that she would do well, but now with poor business, Kenneth felt embarrassed to show his face there.
“Master, don’t worry too much. There’s still the dowry you provided, so she can manage for now.”
“That may be true, but knowing Lynette’s pride, she won’t enter the house easily even if she spends all that money. What are we to do?”
Seeing Kenneth so worried, Nixon signaled Owen, who quietly slipped away.
“Though you might not like this idea, perhaps sending a letter to the Florence Count family would help?”
“They are in seclusion, the letter probably won’t reach them.”
The Florence family was Kenneth’s in-laws. Thirteen years ago, the Count had sealed off the family’s affairs and stopped all outside activity.
“In that case, speak to the young master. I hear he’s in the same knight order as Edgar.”
“Oh, I forgot Casper is with Edgar.”
Kenneth nodded at Nixon’s words. The Florence family adored Lynette; if it was about her, they would step in immediately.
“Bring Edgar to me when he arrives.”
“Yes, understood.”
Shortly after, Edgar, returning from strenuous training, was about to rest when Nixon entered his room.
“Young master, the master requests your presence.”
“Wait a moment.”
Before sitting, Edgar went to the office. Seeing his father sign a pile of documents on the large desk took his breath away.
“Father, you called me. What is it?”
Kenneth looked at Edgar, who resembled him in appearance but whose personality was hard to place.
“Did you know Lynette opened a shop?”
“Of course I know. But I didn’t go see her; she probably doesn’t want to see me.”
Edgar had observed from afar when the shop first opened. He thought Lynette would manage it well. Even if the shop failed, he wasn’t too worried.
“I heard not a single customer has entered yet.”
“She’s inexperienced, and the menu is unfamiliar. But once word spreads, it should be fine, so don’t worry too much.”
Kenneth, worried but unable to help openly, fidgeted. Edgar smiled slightly at his father’s anxiety.
“I can’t go myself, so you should. Since she knows you, she won’t drive you away.”
Kenneth fumbled in his pocket, flicking a coin into Edgar’s hand—a 1-goron gold coin.
“I have money myself.”
“Take it anyway. Also, let Casper know Lynette is running a shop. And deliver this message as well.”
“Yes, understood.”
With the gold coin and letter in hand, Edgar left the office immediately. The money, equivalent to several months’ wages for ordinary people, showed how anxious Kenneth was. Giving more could risk Lynette refusing, so this amount seemed just right.
The next day, Edgar, upon arriving at the palace, immediately sought Casper, whose face looked exhausted from overtime.
“What? Do you have something to say to me?”
Despite being cousins of the same age, Edgar and Casper didn’t get along well. Edgar smiled slightly at Casper’s blunt tone.
“I wanted to talk about Lynette.”
“What? Lynette? Has something happened to her? I was so worried when I visited the Pruina Count estate, she wouldn’t even see me!”
Edgar subtly dropped a word about Lynette to the Florence family’s blind devotion to her.
“Lynette left home.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? What happened to our kind, lovable, adorable Lynette?”
