Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 91

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 91
‘Well, that’s pleasant to listen to.’
Isidore couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
‘Is it a piece from abroad? It doesn’t seem to be one that nobles typically enjoy.’
Where on earth had she learned something like this? Or had she perhaps composed it herself anew? A wave of intense curiosity bloomed within me once more.
Deborah Simour always had surprises in store, and her actions were utterly unpredictable. This moment was no exception. The young lady who had suddenly begun mimicking a teacher to instruct me in playing now wore a playful, childlike expression as she gradually accelerated the accompaniment, and my heart began to race in sync with the tempo, beating ever more frantically.
‘I’m dizzy.’
As her long, pale fingers moved swiftly beside me, my own graceful hands wandered across the keys like something lost, struggling to keep pace.
Then, as if by accident, our hands collided.
“…!”
I was startled beyond measure.
When playing the keys, my shirt cuffs had gotten in the way, so I had rolled up my sleeves, leaving bare skin exposed between my gloves and shirt.
Even in summer, I wore long sleeves and thin gloves, so I rarely exposed my skin so defensively. Today was a very exceptional case.
For a moment, I felt as though our skin had brushed against each other. The unexpected contact sent a sudden wave of heat through my entire body, and I found myself jumping to my feet without thinking.
‘I’m losing my mind.’
From the moment I saw her laughing so openly, something went wrong in my head. Everything spiraled beyond my expectations and control. Emergency—the two-character word that surfaced in my mind left me confused, and I tried to flee, but she held me back, insisting I finish playing the piece.
‘She’s always been cautious around me, so why does she hold me back when I’m in distress?’
Resentment and irritation restored some measure of reason to me. Taking the fallen leaf from her shoulder had been an utterly selfish and impulsive act, though.
The leaf, having fallen early and stained red on only one side, spun between my fingers as I gazed at my own pale wrist, exposed between the rolled-up sleeves.
I had always despised being touched by anyone since my childhood. Compulsively donning gloves and neatly lowering my sleeves every morning was a long-standing habit. I don’t know the exact reason my obsession with cleanliness began. I can only suspect it’s connected to ‘that incident.’
As a child, I was extremely sensitive, unable to bear anyone entering my personal space. But once I learned that revealing such severe fastidiousness would cause serious problems in High Society activities, I invited numerous tutors to teach me social dancing in order to suppress such sensations.
Perhaps because I had such a strong aversion to exposing my weaknesses, I eventually became capable of dancing with young ladies at important gatherings without any apparent difficulty.
However, I absolutely had to wear gloves, which provided a psychological barrier. Since gloves were a basic accessory worn by knights whose hands bore calluses from their work, they appeared perfectly unremarkable on the surface.
So it was all the easier to make excuses to myself. It was nothing to worry about.
‘It really is nothing.’
To be so startled that my mind went blank simply because our skin had barely grazed each other. But what was even more shocking was that the emotion I felt in that moment wasn’t displeasure. Rather… I had become curious about the sensation of that white hand….
I bit my lip for a moment, then spun the leaf between my fingers in a scattered motion before jumping to my feet with a flushed face.
* * *
‘Come to think of it, it wasn’t like this at first, but by the end, it always feels like he’s the one being swept along by me.’
The large silhouette of Isidore playing the piano clumsily kept appearing unbidden in my mind. After meeting him, my thoughts became filled with him without my even realizing it.
Perhaps it was because, despite having secretive corners to him, he ultimately adjusted to me and treated me kindly.
As I recalled Isidore laughing joyfully while listening to music, I suddenly had an unexpected idea.
‘How foolish of me not to think of this until now?’
The songs I had loved in my previous life sounded just as pleasant here. Yet the famous melodies I knew had never been released in this world.
The potential for a hit recording!
Music is the most powerful universal language, transcending even dimensions. And since I know the melodies of famous classical pieces or popular songs, a composer could simply borrow from my humming and create similar masterpieces.
Of course, this world isn’t a place where one can earn vast fortunes through music imports. But I can sell sheet music. And I have a wonderful venue in Armand to promote various pieces.
‘I should use recording artifacts to add BGM throughout Armand.’
It would be a win-win project—enriching Armand’s interior atmosphere with something unique and beautiful while pursuing the sheet music business.
I could even release it as the ‘Armand Music Collection’ like the jazz albums that come from Star Coffee. I’d purchase pieces from unknown composers that suit café ambiance and create a richer collection of sheet music….
Music and a café. As I excitedly conceptualized a new project brimming with romance, I encountered a significant obstacle.
Recording artifacts were far too expensive, and I couldn’t fit many songs into a single one.
Of course, I had plenty of money and could easily purchase dozens of recording artifacts, but problems would arise when franchising. The essence of franchising was that everything—from atmosphere to menu—had to be identical whether it was the flagship location or the hundredth branch.
‘Hmm…’
Perhaps franchise owners would find the auxiliary costs too burdensome to manage.
‘Let me try it anyway. Since my business partner manufactures recording artifacts, they’ll give me a wholesale price.’
If sheet music sold well later, it would be more than enough to offset the expense.
‘First, I need to refine my humming and find a composer who can fill in the missing notes.’
Since café background music wasn’t as urgent as launching new menu items, I simply jotted down the idea lightly for now.
‘Are the menu developments I ordered all finished?’
I pulled a hooded robe over my head and made my way to Armand.
* * *
The Armand kitchen was filled with the fragrant aroma of roasting raw coffee beans. The scent was certainly more convincing than the coffee I’d tasted at Maison D previously.
“Trading Company Master, would you like to try it?”
Milo, the pastry chef at Armand, asked with a vacant expression. He clearly hadn’t slept properly—it was obvious he’d consumed a lot of caffeine from tasting coffee to test its flavor.
‘The current amount of beans being used is having an effect.’
I took a sip of the beverage he offered and nodded lightly to convey that it wasn’t bad. It was somewhat inferior to what I’d consumed in my previous life, but it was palatable enough.
‘Chocolate really does make everything delicious.’
Since I couldn’t find a barista who could properly bring out the aroma and flavor of the beans, I decided to make a café mocha by mixing milk and chocolate into the coffee concentrate, then topping it with whipped cream.
The Shop Manager standing beside me took a sip of the café mocha and exclaimed repeatedly.
“Who would have thought that bitter, dark beverage called coffee could transform into something so elegant! It’s so delicious with that nutty and sweet flavor. It’s not overwhelmingly sweet like ordinary chocolate drinks.”
Seeing that he’d emptied the cup, it seemed even those unfamiliar with coffee’s taste could enjoy it.
After finishing the new menu development, the Shop Manager and I returned to the office in the basement.
“Trading Company Master. What name are you thinking of giving to that nutty and sweetly delicious beverage?”
“Café mocha.”
“What an elegant name.”
“Marketing is crucial. Put in the description that it’s the beverage of wisdom.”
“The beverage of wisdom?”
“Yes. Drinking café mocha enhances concentration. It improves learning effects too. It’s not just sweet and delicious.”
And now was the perfect timing to launch it.
Currently, the Academy was in a serious academic atmosphere due to various scholarly conferences and autumn semester graduation theses. It was quite different from the leisurely and relaxed spring semester.
‘Soon there will be those cramming for exams. No matter how noble, they need to complete their thesis to graduate.’
Most nobles, like Duke Simour, brewed strong caffeinated tea to combat fatigue, but tea had a much lower caffeine absorption rate compared to coffee when consumed in equal amounts. Tea had a slow awakening effect, but it didn’t have the powerful stimulating effect of coffee.
‘It’s not for nothing that this became the startup item that dominated the twenty-first century.’
Once people touched it, they’d have no choice but to depend on caffeine. Just as I had in my previous life.
* * *
“Lady Deborah, where are you going?”
Margaret asked with a puzzled expression as I headed toward the East Gate instead of the Academy Main Building, despite having a etiquette class coming up soon.
“To drink that.”
I took out two cups of café mocha for takeout and handed one to Margaret.
“I’ve never seen a beverage like this before.”
Margaret murmured with curiosity, took a sip, and let out a brief exclamation of delight. It seemed to suit her palate perfectly.
“It’s delicious.”
‘She’ll be surprised when she can’t sleep tonight.’
I walked into the Classroom without a word, café mocha in hand, making sure everyone could see. If Isidore had elegantly promoted the takeout, then I would personally champion the café mocha.
Who had experienced the most dramatic grade improvement at the Academy?
It was me—from last place to top of the class. No one was better suited than I to promote the beverage of wisdom.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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