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chapter 63
Lately, the café Attraction had been getting a curious increase in couple guests. If not that, then it had become a sort of popular blind date spot. Normally, people met in tea houses, but recently, they started coming to cafés instead.
After ordering a sweet latte, the matchmaker would discreetly leave, and the two shy participants of the first meeting would quietly sip their coffee in awkward silence. Watching them, Lynette couldn’t help but smile playfully.
“Ah, those were the days, right? So young and cute.”
“Miss Lynette, when you say that, you sound just like an old grandmother.”
Angela, overhearing Lynette’s amused comment about the dating couples, jumped into the conversation with a laugh.
“Do I sound like a grandma? Hmm, maybe I do. But it makes sense—after all, I’m my grandmother’s granddaughter, so I must’ve inherited it.”
She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then, suddenly, Lynette found herself missing her grandmother.
To see her paternal grandmother’s portrait, she would have to go to the Fruina estate. She briefly considered visiting her maternal grandmother’s portrait instead, but then stopped. Marsha was currently staying at the Count of Florence’s residence.
Casper had said recently that Marsha was living in the annex, but Lynette felt that if she went there, they might end up crossing paths. Even though they’d already seen each other at their worst, she still didn’t want to go.
“Miss Lynette, what are you thinking about so seriously?”
“Huh? Oh, just… some things. It’s summer, so I was wondering if I should take a vacation.”
She thought about visiting her family’s graveyard in the Fruina territory but gave up on the idea. It would take several days by carriage just to get there, and even a short visit to her grandmother’s grave would require at least ten days in total.
She couldn’t afford to close Attraction for ten full days. And she couldn’t just leave the café to Angela and run off to Fruina with Katrin, either.
“Where would you go for your summer vacation?”
“Just thinking about it. Honestly, it’s too hot to go anywhere, so maybe I’ll just rest at home.”
Lynette had never truly taken a summer vacation before. Even in the heat, she would just eat ice and continue working at the café. She never saw the point in wasting money on a “holiday.” So, she always gave Angela a couple of days off instead.
“Miss Lynette, I can cover for you this time. You should take a break. You’ve lost weight since last year.”
“You think so? Well, yeah, I guess I have lost some weight.”
A while ago, Katrin had told her to try on one of the dresses she’d brought from the Fruina estate. It had been tailored for Lynette, but it felt a bit loose. Katrin, alarmed, had since been piling up mountains of food for her every day—food she couldn’t possibly finish.
But lately, Lynette had been too preoccupied to have much of an appetite.
“Maybe it’s just the summer heat. You’re not feeling ill, are you?”
“The heat? Hmm… not really. Doesn’t feel that bad.”
Shrugging, Lynette scribbled something quickly on a sheet of paper. It read:
“Closed for one week for summer vacation.”
Angela was secretly thrilled—it happened to overlap perfectly with the day Angelo would be off from the knight academy.
“Oh? Summer vacation? You’re closing the café?”
“Yes! We need a good rest to keep working happily.”
Customers who saw the notice murmured among themselves, some even adjusting their meeting plans to avoid the closure days.
“Hmm? Lynette, you’re taking a week off? That’s too bad—I have to work those days.”
It was Cyan, who had just walked in and immediately looked crestfallen. Of all days, her vacation had to clash with his work schedule. And since other customers had already seen the notice, he couldn’t exactly ask her to change the dates for him.
“Can’t be helped. I’ll rest at home with Katrin. No—wait. If I stay home, Katrin won’t get any rest.”
Preparing three meals a day for her was work in itself. If Katrin was going to have a vacation too, Lynette would have to be out of the house.
“Then why don’t you stay at my place—”
“Nope. That’s just a rest stop, not a place for overnight stays.”
Lynette still allowed only brief kisses. Because of that, Cyan hadn’t been able to progress their relationship further. Though he hid it well, he couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated.
“Ah, I miss my grandmothers. My paternal grandmother used to hold me tight all the time, and my maternal grandmother would pile food in front of me like I could eat it all.”
As Lynette reminisced about her childhood, Cyan listened with a warm smile. They were mid-conversation when a new customer came in.
“Miss Lynette, as beautiful as ever, I see. I heard you’re going on vacation soon? I’ve got a villa near Indigo—how about joining me? There’s a valley nearby; it’s wonderfully cool.”
The stranger’s overly familiar tone made Cyan’s brow twitch.
“Oh my, that does sound refreshing. But I’m too lazy—I’ll just rest at home.”
“That’s a shame. But if you ever change your mind, say the word—I’ll take you there myself.”
The man smiled, ordered a Caffè Seppiano, and sat down. Cyan gave Lynette a look that said, So you’re not going to mention you’re already seeing someone?
While Angela served the drinks, Lynette leaned in and whispered in Cyan’s ear.
“Are you jealous?”
“W-What? Jealous? Of course not… well, yes. Honestly, I wish I could keep you to myself at home where no one else could see you.”
He admired even her working self—but hated that others got to see her too. Lynette, smiling at his sulky expression, raised her tray to block prying eyes, and softly kissed him, her lips tasting faintly of coffee.
“Feel better now?”
“Well, not completely… but I’ll manage.”
His ears flushed red, making Lynette grin mischievously.
“When you get off work during my vacation, how about a proper date?”
“A date? Really? Oh, just the thought of it makes my heart want to burst!”
Watching him clutch his chest dramatically, Lynette chuckled and reached for a cookie to feed him—only for Cheese, her cat, to suddenly appear and press its paws on her arm.
“Cheese, I told you—no cookies. That’s human food.”
Nya-nya, nyan!
Cheese begged pitifully for a cookie, but Lynette shook her head. The cat had lost a little weight recently, but its diet journey was still long and hard.
As Cheese turned on the charm, Cyan quickly popped the cookie into his own mouth. Instantly, the cat stood on its hind legs and pressed Cyan’s cheek with its paw, as if telling him to spit it out. But it was too late—it was already swallowed.
Nyaaa… myaaaang…
Cheese let out a heartbroken wail and plopped down on the counter, staring blankly at Cyan. The customers, meanwhile, were melting in their seats.
“So cute…”
“I want to take it home! Look at those chubby cheeks!”
“It’s a male, right? Look at that proud little peanut—pfft!”
At home, Cheese cowered under Katrin’s feet, but here, he was the café’s mascot. Some customers even refused to leave unless they’d seen him.
Though Cheese occasionally made serving difficult by sitting on the counter, Lynette didn’t move him since the guests loved it. The cat sat like a loaf of bread, head bowed, irresistibly cute—but Lynette still gathered up all the cookies and put them away.
Cheese sulked, his tail twitching faintly now and then. And when anyone reached out to pet him, he’d turn his back coolly and retreat into his box.
“Oh, that two-faced little thing. I don’t know who he takes after—such a sly, sneaky personality. I swear he’s got a dozen snakes living inside that furry belly.”
Cyan, realizing who she meant, could only smile awkwardly and stand.
“I should go now. See you tomorrow.”
He gave Lynette a brief farewell and headed straight for the Imperial Palace. The moment he arrived, he heard something that made his ears ring.
“What did you just say?”
“By His Majesty’s command, we’ll be departing on an official tour in a week. It should last about a month. I’ve recommended you to come along.”
At Crown Prince Hermes’s words, Cyan’s face twisted.
“You’re the heir to a noble house yourself, aren’t you? You’ll learn much by accompanying me.”
Cyan clenched his jaw. He couldn’t exactly say, And who are you to decide that for me?
“Your Highness, I’ve barely been back from Fergus, and I’ve postponed my leave to continue working. Must I really go on this inspection tour? Why not take Lord Blackwolf instead?”
“I already asked him. He refused—he has a wife and children waiting at home.”
“And I have a lovely lady waiting for me! Unlike Lord Blackwolf, I haven’t even properly won her over yet—if I take my eyes off her for a second, she’ll slip away!”
He had no desire to go. But Hermes, still harboring a grudge over Cyan rejecting Iris, was determined to drag him along. The prince wasn’t the type to let his own brother’s rejection slide while letting another man happily date in peace.
“Now, now—one doesn’t skip royal duties over women. And besides, you’re not officially the head of your house yet. For now, focus on your knightly responsibilities.”
Cyan could only sigh inwardly. He’d been filling in as acting commander since Lord Tumberton was sent to Fergus. He swore that once his father retired and he became head of the family, he’d drop the title of commander and just manage the household.
Inwardly, he scoffed at Hermes—the man had no practical experience, only book knowledge about the world. At least Mason personally visited the border now and then to oversee affairs (and to escape Sharon’s nagging).
Seeing Cyan’s lingering discontent, Hermes dragged him before the Emperor himself to finalize things. The Emperor nodded approvingly.
“It would set my mind at ease if Sir Theodore accompanied you. Do as the Crown Prince suggests. It’ll be good experience for him.”
Cyan ground his teeth. He had planned an entire week of dates with Lynette, and now the Emperor’s command had wiped that all away. The next morning, right after finishing his shift, he hurriedly sent a letter home.
At the Theodore estate, Claude and Rosemary were quietly drinking tea after breakfast. The family’s matriarch was ill, so even smiling felt inappropriate. The silence was broken by a knock.
“Master, a letter from the young master has arrived.”
The butler handed over the envelope.
“From Luci? Dear, what does it say?”
Claude unfolded the letter, skimmed it—and chuckled softly.
“Dear Father and Mother, Help!”
