Our Cafe is Open as Usual - Chapter 19

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 19

The next day, late afternoon.

“…This is exhausting.”

I pressed firmly around my eyes. Millen seemed to be looking at me pathetically from the side, but I rolled my eyes around and even gave myself a simple eye massage.

I’m too tired to care about appearances.

Of course I was.

‘I got up at dawn to visit the Capital’s Grocery Store… then dealt with customers flocking to the cafe because of the whole thing with Parhan…’

Word of mouth must have spread properly because even more people came than on the first day. When many people gather in one place, difficult customers inevitably appear.

“Hey, why won’t you give me coffee! Miss, are you discriminating against people like this?”

“Sir, we’re currently in our soft opening period, so we only sell 20 cups of coffee per day.”

“I don’t care about that! I want coffee!”

I had to argue with a couple of people like this.

Fortunately, I managed to appease them well and sent them away without any problems.

It was thanks to Millen, who had come to the mini bar on some business with me. Millen’s cool demeanor helped in this way.

Well, after selling 20 cups of coffee during the day, dealing with customers… and even watching the sunset at the reed field…

‘I can’t help but be tired.’

I was even more exhausted from researching drinks for Rumi in between all that.

In the end!

Energy: 20%

Only 20% of my energy remained.

‘This is strange.’

I confirmed I had 100% energy this morning…

On the first day, my energy didn’t drop this drastically.

Even though a lot happened, the energy I checked before going to bed yesterday was about 10%.

Considering that the rate of energy decrease gets faster the less energy remains… when I arrived at Frizia’s Furniture Shop yesterday, I probably had over 30%.

But now it’s 20% before I’ve even left.

And I’m even riding in a carriage without Millen’s help.

‘…This is going to be close.’

What if I can’t make it back to the cafe? What if I collapse at the furniture shop?

‘But why did my energy drain so quickly?’

I retraced what happened today.

Was it because I dealt with difficult customers? Or because I used my brain a lot making Rumi’s drink?

Maybe both.

“…I should experiment later.”

Whether this energy includes mental strength or if it’s just physical stamina.

As I was muttering, Millen casually threw out a comment.

“What are you planning to experiment with? Are you trying to do something strange?”

“…When have I ever done anything strange?”

“You were doing strange things all day today, what was that about?”

“That wasn’t strange, it was…”

I hurriedly cut off my words.

It might have looked strange to Millen’s eyes. I had been crying out to various gods while making Rumi’s drink.

“Hahaha…”

I laughed awkwardly and turned my head away. I could feel persistent and tenacious eyes on me, but I absolutely refused to look at Millen.

Fortunately, it was time to get off the carriage.

After quickly escaping from the carriage, I immediately entered the furniture shop. The space hadn’t changed at all from when I first came, but the atmosphere was completely off.

The cozy feeling was nowhere to be found, and it even felt chilly.

“…Don’t tell me.”

With a sinking feeling, I hurriedly went up to the 2nd floor of the furniture shop. I ran without even breathing to where Rumi’s room was.

When I arrived at Rumi’s room, the door was wide open.

And I could immediately understand why the furniture shop’s atmosphere had been so dark.

“Please, Rumi… Can you look at mommy? Hm?”

“If you don’t like mommy, how about Hyu? He’s sitting on mommy’s head right now.”

“…Please open your eyes, my daughter.”

Frizia was pleading while clutching Rumi’s hand. She begged the child lying motionless, holding back tears.

But Rumi didn’t respond.

I carefully knocked on the open door. Then Iliyana, who had been standing next to Frizia, noticed me.

“Welcome, Lailah.”

“…What happened?”

“…Yesterday was unusually special. Rumi is normally always this sick. Frizia always watches over Rumi like this, and I…”

Iliyana’s gaze moved to Frizia. Even without her saying anything, I could feel from that look alone how long this situation had been going on.

I nodded slightly and slowly approached them.

Frizia still hadn’t noticed me. Eventually, Iliyana carefully touched her shoulder.

Frizia’s gaze turned to Iliyana and then immediately fixed on me. Her tear-filled eyes were full of desperation.

“…Is it still far off? This is the first time Rumi has been so unresponsive. No matter how sick she was, she always reacted to my words.”

No mother can remain calm about her child’s pain. Frizia, having thrown away all her lively demeanor, was on the verge of collapse.

Would the child’s breathing stop like this? Would she leave her behind? Frightened, she looked at me. Her emotions seemed to be transmitted to me completely.

I took a deep breath and opened the bag I had brought. Then I took out something tightly wrapped in cloth.

“I’ll make it for you right now. It would have been difficult to bring the drink already prepared, so I brought everything with me. So please wait just a moment.”

I looked at her with determined eyes and unwrapped the cloth.

Inside the cloth were a steamer, a glass bottle half-filled with strawberry syrup, half a bottle of milk, sugar, and a spoon.

Everything was in perfect condition with nothing spilled. I immediately began setting up what I had brought. Then I cleaned my hands thoroughly with the cloth I had brought.

From now on, it’s a battle of concentration.

‘If I make even the slightest mistake, I won’t get the result I want.’

So I’ll succeed in one try.

Using the maximum concentration I can muster!

“Whew…”

I took a deep breath and began to act.

It was time to showcase the recipe I had researched all day at the cafe today.

I put three spoons of strawberry syrup and an appropriate amount of milk into the steamer. I also added a spoon of sugar and stirred so everything would mix evenly.

Then I operated Millen’s innovative steamer. With a familiar hissing sound, the steamer began to work.

One tap and a shake.

That would complete it, but there was still one more step remaining.

I took out something else wrapped in cloth from my bag. With a reverent heart, I unwrapped the cloth to reveal a small teacup decorated with strawberry vines.

It was the teacup that Basha used to use.

I carefully took out the teacup and poured the prepared drink into it with care.

Finally, adding a little strawberry syrup on top completed the strawberry latte!

The sweet and sour scent characteristic of strawberries filled the room.

“…Is it done?”

I held my breath and checked the completed strawberry latte.

Strawberry latte filled with desperate feelings!

-More perfect because it contains desperate feelings.

Effect

-Status ailment removal

Ah, thank goodness.

I was worried the effect might change…

I smiled with relief and offered the strawberry latte to Frizia.

“The drink you requested is ready, Frizia.”

“…Really?”

I nodded and urged her to take it quickly. Frizia, who had been looking at me with dazed eyes for a moment, hurriedly moved.

Carefully taking the teacup filled with strawberry latte, I headed toward the child.

“Rumi, wake up. Lailah made a drink for you.”

“…Mmph?”

Rumi, who had been sleeping the whole time, happened to open her eyes just then. She looked like she didn’t even have the strength to lift her eyelids. Even so, the child struggled to sit up.

Rumi took a few breaths to steady herself, then accepted the teacup Frizia held out to her. The child slowly inhaled the aroma before drinking the strawberry latte.

“…Gulp.”

It was so quiet that even the sound of swallowing could be heard. That’s how important this moment was.

A moment when everyone had to focus on one person.

However, the most anxious person spoke up first.

“H-how is it? Is it the same as what you had back then?”

Even though her voice was trembling, Frizia clasped her hands together and asked Rumi.

Rumi, who had white foam all around her lips, blinked her eyes.

“Mmm…”

Rumi’s eyes rolled this way and that. As if thinking carefully, Rumi didn’t answer for quite a while.

Then, as if she had reached a conclusion, the child shouted loudly.

“I like this!”

It’s delicious!

At the same time.

Frizia’s request! Complete!

Would you like to receive your reward?

-Intimacy with Frizia & 1,000 Gold

[Accept]

The window I had so longed to see appeared.

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