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chapter 34
The Crown Prince of Sepia spoke while carefully looking at Cian. Beside him, Marquis Alexander asked Cian,
“Did you know the Crown Prince of Sepia?”
“I did not know him until I saw him today, and our connection is not deep at all. Absolutely not.”
It was Mason. He had been Sharon’s boyfriend a few times when she briefly worked as Linette’s staff. They hadn’t spoken much. He had a somewhat handsome face, and he gave off a slick, perhaps even mischievous vibe, though not malicious.
Yet, Cian had never imagined he would be the Crown Prince of Sepia. Surprised, he didn’t even greet him. He simply bowed in acknowledgment.
“Originally, I didn’t want to intervene, but the situation has dragged on, so I had no choice but to arrange this meeting,” Mason said.
Cian merely sipped his tea and observed him.
“I think there’s no need for us to repeat this over and over. Domestic affairs have only recently stabilized—should we allow turmoil at the border?”
“That’s true. Both sides have mobilized troops to guard this area. That inevitably weakens other borders,” Cian suggested. He wished he could rush to Indigo immediately, but the situation wasn’t favorable.
“So, are you saying we must pay compensation for disturbing the border?”
Marquis Alexander rarely lost his temper, but now he did. Mason smiled and nodded.
“From what I heard, Irlane struck us first.”
“We never did that. Rather, it was Sepia that caused the commotion here,” Alexander replied firmly.
Neither side was willing to yield. If this continued, the year might end without resolution. Cian quietly sighed. Handling this after overtime was definitely not ideal.
As the clash continued without compromise, tensions rose. It seemed as if either side could draw swords at any moment.
“Then, let’s continue this discussion tomorrow. By the way… your name is Cian, right?”
“Lucian Theodore,” Cian corrected.
“Theodore? Theodore…?”
It was a familiar name. Mason furrowed his brows slightly upon hearing Cian’s real name.
“Now is not the time for that,” Cian replied.
“That’s true. Well then, I’d like to talk privately with my people for a moment.”
Mason glanced around, and the Sepia officials left. Marquis Alexander looked at Cian. When Cian nodded, he turned away, leaving instructions to report immediately if anything happened. That was how much he trusted Cian’s abilities.
“How did you come to be here? You should be at the Inn, of all places,” Mason asked.
Although Mason hadn’t been there often, Sharon would share stories whenever she returned. That’s why he knew Cian went to the Inn every day.
“I didn’t come here willingly. But Mason… or rather, Your Highness, why are you here? To achieve merit?”
“Something like that, and to avoid a little hassle,” Mason replied casually.
“Cough!”
Cian accidentally spat out his tea. Mason sighed softly.
“Sharon… the sweet and gentle Sharon has become a berserker lately.”
“I heard that Your Highness had a brief engagement recently,” Cian said.
“Yes, we got engaged recently. Initially, the royal family was strongly opposed, but after tasting Sharon’s coffee, they enthusiastically courted her.”
It was a family obsessed with coffee. Sharon faithfully followed Linette’s coffee recipes, and those who drank it quickly changed their attitudes. They went from complete opposition to even decorating a new room for the union.
“Linette’s coffee certainly achieved great results,” Cian noted.
“Of course. Even now, the family wakes up early every morning just to drink Sharon’s coffee in the dining hall.”
At first, Mason hid his identity as Crown Prince. Upon arriving in Sepia, he opened a café in the capital, Sable, with the same interior as the Inn.
Sharon initially struggled with the café’s territorial issues, but Linette’s coffee recipe proved a huge success. Customers who tasted Sharon’s coffee stopped going to existing cafés and flocked to Inn Branch 2. Word spread quickly, and in a coffee-obsessed country, the café soon became overcrowded.
Eventually, someone from the palace appeared and discovered Mason helping there. His identity was exposed, and Mason finally confessed the truth: he was the Crown Prince, exploring the world, and had met Sharon.
Initially rejecting him, Sharon was swayed by Mason’s sincerity and eventually went to the palace with him. There, she humbled the royal family who had pushed her aside, making them slaves to coffee.
“Indeed, Linette’s coffee works even in Sepia,” Mason remarked.
“Yes, the coffee Sharon makes was originally taught by someone else. They’re so obsessed with seeing Linette that they’re desperately trying to stop any delegation from reaching her,” Cian added.
Cian shook his head at the absurdity of traveling to Indigo, a coffee desert, just to drink a cup of coffee.
“Sharon, having captured her family with coffee, gained influence, and naturally, the nagging increased. So I came here to escape for a while,” Mason explained.
Cian chuckled at Mason, who had come to a potentially war-torn area to avoid his fiancée’s nagging.
“But Sir Theodore, why did you come all this way for Linette?”
“I was chosen by drawing lots,” Mason replied.
“Pfft!”
This time, Mason spat out his tea. Using a lottery to send someone to the border was unexpectedly childish.
“Sir Theodore is something else. Anyway, would you like a cup of coffee?”
“There’s coffee here?”
“Of course. Don’t let my appearance fool you—I’m the Crown Prince,” Mason said. Shortly after stepping outside and giving a word, the coffee was served. Cian, seeing the dark liquid after so long, frowned after tasting it.
“It’s terrible.”
“Of course. Who would dare imitate Coffee Master Linette? Someone addicted to her elegant, sophisticated coffee like Sir Theodore would never be satisfied with this,” Mason said, taking a sip and immediately putting the cup down.
“Indeed, Linette’s coffee is the best in the world,” Cian noted.
“I’d like to say Sharon’s coffee is the best, but since it was Linette who taught her, I can’t claim that,” Mason replied.
“Naturally. Since Your Highness and Sharon left, Linette’s coffee has only improved further.”
“Really? Ah! I want to lead a delegation there myself,” Mason exclaimed.
A seemingly trivial cup of coffee brought the two together. They began meeting frequently, always with coffee and animated discussions praising Linette.
“Although the situation between Sepia and Irlane isn’t great, some trade items can be freely imported and exported. Among them, coffee beans are included…”
“Of course. I specifically requested that beans remain exempt from trade restrictions so Linette could continue selling coffee,” Mason said. Linette seemed quietly beloved.
“But you, who love Linette secretly and come to the Inn daily, is it alright to leave her place unattended for so long?”
Sharon said she sometimes sent admirers or introduced men to Linette.
“I’ve made her family regulars at the café, but now I regret it,” Mason said. His meticulous way of filling his absence with her family made Cian chuckle.
“The family protects her. Why would you regret it?”
“You’ll understand when you see this,” Cian said, pulling a few letters from his pocket. Mason, seeing them, nearly spat out his coffee.
“Take it slow. These days, I’m wooing Linette. I’ve promised her I’d let her live a comfortable life.”
“Brother, just stay there. I’m asking Linette to accept me.”
Mason couldn’t laugh out loud but shivered with excitement.
“Linette even made Sir Theodore’s family fall for her,” Mason said.
“Yes. I sent her to protect against admirers, but it ended up the opposite. It’s a serious situation.”
“What should we do?”
“Do? Quickly make peace. I’ll go to Linette’s Inn, and Your Highness will face Sharon’s nagging,” Cian said solemnly. Mason nodded. Mason had come here to escape Sharon’s scolding but wasn’t ready to return, prolonging the stay deliberately.
“But since we must protect Linette, who is like a benefactor to Sharon, we have no choice,” Cian added.
“Very well, let’s make peace tomorrow. No point fighting over territory; better to get along. Good is good,” Mason agreed.
❅
Another ordinary day began. During busy hours, Katrin helped briefly, sending Linette home when customers dwindled. Seasons passed, and spring returned once more. Linette, now 22, laughed softly in front of the mirror.
“I can feel each day is different lately.”
“You have no hesitation speaking in front of me,” said Katrin, who had just turned forty, serving Linette breakfast-lunch. After enjoying the delicious meal, Linette walked to work with a heavy step.
Though she considered quitting after earning some money, she continued for the regulars at the Inn. Today, Angela accompanied Angelo, who had stayed out overnight, leaving Linette alone in the shop.
“Fwaaah!”
Although Angelo could have rested, he had voluntarily submitted himself to Linette’s care. Exhausted from handling him all day, she brewed a cup of coffee. Once the shop slowed, she took a moment to rest.
“It seems second-year students are finally adapting. Right, Cheese?”
Cheese, sensing Linette’s presence, stretched in his chair. His relaxed gaze seemed to claim his and Linette’s positions.
“Even so, how dare you take the butler’s seat? Don’t you know who feeds you?”
She earned Cheese’s meals by providing him quality meat and fruit. Still, Cheese seemed oblivious.
“Ugh! If you weren’t cute, I’d have chased you off immediately. Back then, you shivered and rubbed against me,” Linette said.
Now, Cheese moved away lazily at any touch. Watching him, Linette smiled and sipped her coffee. Seeing the scenery outside, she finally rose.
“Welcome! What would you like… you madman!”
