🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 38
Who could live without a first love? No, wait—does that mean, in this world, Fernando counts as my first love?
Lynette shivered at the thought and rubbed her arms with both hands.
“Did you get goosebumps before even looking at my eyes?”
“Of course not. It’s just that when you mentioned Sian’s first love, I got chills thinking that guy might have been my first love.”
“That can’t be. I’m sure you have a first love you don’t remember.”
She had no idea how Sian could be so sure of that, but she wanted to believe it. If it were true, she could delete every word about Fernando being her first.
“I hope so. Anyway, have you finished your coffee? I’ll clear this away.”
Since there were no other customers, she planned to leave work early. She picked up the empty cup and went inside. While scrubbing the cup clean, she looked up and saw Sian standing there.
He had taken off his hat. With those red eyes fixed on her, Lynette found herself smiling involuntarily. Perhaps “my breath caught” was exactly the right phrase for this moment.
Sian, without his hat, looked handsome enough to put celebrities to shame. That he’d been hiding such a face under a hat all this time—surely that was a national loss.
Finishing the dishes, Lynette stepped out and said softly with a smile:
“You’re beautiful. Like delicately carved rubies set into place.”
“…What?”
“Your eyes. They’re so beautiful.”
“Most people, when they see these eyes, ask me if I’m some kind of demon.”
Lynette showed no surprise at his bare face. Seeing her go about her work and talking as usual, Sian instead felt grateful to her.
“That’s just jealousy talking. And in legends, the demons were often strikingly handsome. If anyone says that to you, just remind them of that.”
They were eyes one wanted to touch. His vivid red eyes were not harsh but moist, stirring pity, just like the look he’d given her the first time he saw Cheese.
“So I’m the second person, outside your family, who isn’t scared of your eyes?”
“…Maybe.”
Looking at Sian’s faint smile, she almost reached out to stroke his hair without thinking.
“Don’t wear a hat anymore.”
“People get scared of me at night…”
“No way, you’re far too beautiful. Red rubies shining in the night look even more precious.”
She wanted to touch those red eyes. But how could you touch someone else’s eyes—when you couldn’t even touch your own?
“Thank you so much for saying that.”
“You’re welcome. I’m just saying what I feel.”
Lynette, having finished drying the cups, handed him a lollipop. She always offered one to customers who wanted it, along with their coffee. A cookie and a candy with coffee had brought in many more female customers.
“This must be as sweet as a kiss from Lynette.”
“P-please don’t say things like that.”
Her heart, which had briefly calmed, began pounding again. If not for Fernando, she would never have kissed him in the first place.
“But what’s happened can’t be undone. Anyway, I should go now.”
This time he didn’t turn and leave at once. Taking Lynette’s wet hand, he pressed a kiss to her fingertips. Moving with natural ease, he smiled softly. Then, linking his pinky with hers, he said:
“I’m sorry for breaking my promise to come back quickly. But I did my utmost to return here, Lynette.”
Only then did Lynette recall the pinky promise they had made two years ago. She smiled faintly.
“Yes… This may be late, but welcome back. I really missed you, Sian.”
She wasn’t sure if she missed him as a regular customer or for some other reason, but Sian smiled too. With that damp, gentle smile, he left the shop holding the candy.
Lynette blinked as she stared blankly after his retreating figure.
“Wow. He’s really amazing. Haa… He’s not even my man, but I somehow ended up kissing a guy like that… Wait, what does that make us now?”
He was still just a man, but they had kissed. And he hadn’t even asked her to date him. She didn’t know what to do in a situation like this, so she just shook her head.
She had no intention of dating him just because of a kiss, but still, it was a headache. If they hadn’t kissed, she could’ve acted normal.
“Whatever. I’ll think about it tomorrow. Just dealing with Fernando today is enough to make my head explode.”
Even as she said it, her fingers touched her lips. The soft, moist feel lingered. She suddenly lifted her head.
“What did I eat again? Ah—oh no!”
She finally remembered she’d eaten garlic baguette and slumped in despair. She should’ve just filled up on coffee. At least then her breath would smell like coffee.
And she couldn’t exactly ask Sian later if he’d smelled garlic during the kiss. Covering her face with both hands, she groaned.
“Of all things, why garlic baguette?!”
She wanted to erase that kiss. The worst kiss ever—garlic baguette!
She just wanted to dig a hole and crawl in.
“Why am I even still alive… haa…”
❅
Moaning and splashing water on her face, Lynette closed up early and went home, reeling from the emotional shock. There, outside waiting as always, stood Katryn. Lynette ran into her arms.
“I’m back. It’s not even time yet—were you already waiting for me?”
“Of course. Can’t let some guy show up and snatch away our lovely young lady. And you must be tired with all that rain today. Let’s get inside.”
After washing up with the water Katryn had prepared, Lynette sat at the dining table. A special meal Katryn had made was set before her.
“Today it’s steak with roasted garlic.”
Clearly garlic was cursed today. Looking at the glossy cloves fried in oil, Lynette suddenly felt like crying. But she forced herself to eat, not wanting Katryn to worry.
“Ugh, why does this have to taste so good? You won’t even let me be picky. Katryn, you’re so mean.”
“Pfft! My lady, what are you saying?”
Making a deeply wronged expression, Lynette ate her steak with roasted garlic and asked:
“Hey Katryn, what would you think if a kiss smelled like garlic?”
“Well… I’m sorry. I wouldn’t know, I’ve never kissed someone who smelled of garlic. And it’s been a long time since I’ve kissed anyone at all.”
Realizing she’d picked the wrong person to ask, Lynette gave an apologetic look. Katryn had married at eighteen, had a child, and then lost both husband and child to illness.
Afterward she had applied to be Lynette’s wet nurse. How much had she cried, feeding another woman’s child with the milk she hadn’t been able to give her own?
After the meal, Lynette nodded off while sipping coffee to “test” again. Katryn, who had been knitting, picked her up and laid her in bed.
“Sleep well, my lady.”
She was about to give her usual goodnight kiss and turn away, but couldn’t move—Lynette was clutching her sleeve.
“Yawn… Sleep with me.”
“Eh? My lady, that’s not proper…”
“Here. Sleep here.”
She patted the spot beside her. It reminded Katryn of when Lynette had been three, afraid to sleep alone and always wanting Katryn next to her.
Thinking of the little girl who used to pat the bed and beg her to sleep there, Katryn smiled gently.
“May I lie down beside you?”
“Of course. Hurry, lie down. Sleep early to wake early.”
Katryn didn’t refuse twice. She lay beside her and patted her belly softly. Soon Lynette was fast asleep, and Katryn smiled.
“When you were little, you said my hands were magical. If I rubbed your tummy when it hurt, it wouldn’t hurt anymore. If I patted you when you couldn’t sleep, you’d fall asleep right away.”
As she remembered little Lynette marveling at her fingers like fern fronds, warmth filled her arms. Catching the familiar scent, Katryn beamed.
“Mmm… Katryn’s boobies are mine…”
Lynette, asleep with her face pressed to her chest, was hugged tightly. She had longed for her mother’s arms, but at night Marcia stayed close to the frail Esther.
So Lynette had often slept with Katryn, sometimes burying her face in her chest and crying that she missed her mother.
“My dear young lady, you can have all of me. Just please stay by my side until my last breath. My precious young lady.”
❅
“Angela, take this to table three. And clear tables five and six quickly.”
“Yes!”
Now clearly grown into a young lady, Angela picked up the tray with the “seppiano” and carried it to table three.
“Enjoy your meal.”
She gave a bright smile as she set down the cookies, then immediately cleared a table just vacated. Before she finished, another customer filled the space. More and more people were opting to take their drinks outside rather than wait for a seat.
From 11 to 3, they worked like crazy. Drained, Lynette had no energy left and sent Angela out to buy bread.
“Youth really is a wonderful thing.”
She was exhausted, but Angela still smiled brightly and skipped out. Maybe she’d dozed off at the counter for a moment—when she heard the wind chime, she straightened up.
“Sian?”
He had come in, wearing a hat again. She’d told him yesterday it was fine, yet here he was hiding his eyes and face under a hat.
“I’ll have a latte today. Ah! Cheese!”
Cheese, who had been sprawled out asleep on a chair, jumped up and rubbed against Sian’s leg.
Watching this in disbelief, Lynette shook her head. She had rescued the stray cat and played servant to it ever since, but it remained aloof with her.
Yet it ran straight to Sian, purring and rubbing? All Sian had done was name it. Feeling wronged, she had told Sian to take Cheese instead, but he refused.
“This little one knows. That you’re its real owner, Lynette.”
“I’m not the owner, just the servant.”
Watching Sian smile as he held Cheese, Lynette prepared his latte.
Since no one else was around, she even showed off some latte art. She then pointed at his hat. Only then did Sian take it off, smiling awkwardly.
“You can leave it off—why wear it?”
“I just worry about what people might think. They might look at me strangely.”
“That’s nonsense. Ruby-red eyes are beautiful, just to look at. Aren’t you being self-conscious for nothing?”
“The only ones who ever called my eyes ruby-colored were my family and my first love.”
He smiled faintly, looking oddly unsure of himself.
Handsome already, the smile made him even more striking, but she didn’t say it aloud. If he went around smiling like that, the hearts of all the local girls would probably float away.
“You still think your eyes are weird? They’re really beautiful. If you’re that unsure, how about we do a little test?”
“A test?”
Sian tilted his head as he sipped the latte, and Lynette beamed.
“Let’s go out at night.”
“At night?”
“Yes. Let’s go on a nighttime date.”
