Our Cafe is Open as Usual - Chapter 27

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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 27

 

“Oh, no!”

 

Iliyana hurriedly stood up from her seat. She, who had been maintaining an elegant atmosphere, even waved her hands dismissively while looking at Frizia.

 

“I have to protect Frizia-nim’s furniture shop. How could I work at another store?”

 

“Come on, a few days would be fine.”

 

“A, a few days?”

 

“Yeah. From what I can see, Lailah absolutely can’t do it alone. Until she finds someone, Iliyana, I’d like you to help her.”

 

Unlike Iliyana’s urgent voice, Frizia’s voice was excited.

 

I couldn’t tell whether she was excited about finding a way to help me, or happy about the thought of sending Iliyana to my cafe.

 

Though the parties involved hadn’t reached an agreement yet.

 

Iliyana became even more frantic.

 

Probably because she knew Frizia’s personality. From all the conversations she’d had with her during the interior work… Frizia really was the type who would do something if she said she would.

 

She’d be such a reliable ally to have as a colleague, but the type you’d never want as a boss.

 

Because.

 

‘You’d end up in the same situation as Iliyana…’

 

Right… I’d been through it a few times too…

 

It was a distant memory. Back then, I was working part-time at a cafe…

 

Suddenly the manager told me to go help the store next door. It was a store run by his friend, and they were short-staffed so he’d agreed to lend them a part-timer.

 

I tried to argue that this violated employment law, but I gave in when they said they’d pay double the hourly wage.

 

But that store was a tanghulu shop that was all the rage at the time… and there was an elementary school, middle school, and even a high school nearby.

 

The part-timer had definitely had good reason to run away.

 

I can’t forget the countless fruits, skewers, and the sweet smell of sugar. I must have made hundreds of tanghulu that day alone.

 

‘Hmm, I could sell tanghulu later too.’

 

Sugar-coated fruit would probably work here too.

 

‘Ideas like this just pop up out of nowhere, don’t they?’

 

I excitedly filed away tanghulu in a corner of my mind and started watching the drama unfold like it was someone else’s business.

 

Iliyana was quite desperately trying to persuade Frizia.

 

“Frizia-nim can’t manage the store alone.”

 

“It’s fine. While you’re gone, Rumi and I will go on a trip or something.”

 

“…Without me?”

 

“I want to spend some intimate time with Rumi.”

 

“…You’re going without me?”

 

Iliyana’s eyes reddened as if she was about to cry. She muttered in disbelief, then shouted.

 

“Frizia-nim can’t do anything without me!”

 

Iliyana breathed heavily while glaring at Frizia. It was the reaction of someone who’d been betrayed by someone they trusted.

 

As the situation was gradually turning into something like a lovers’ quarrel, I quickly intervened.

 

“…Um, Frizia? I can manage by myself for now…”

 

“Stay out of this, Lailah. You’ll collapse again.”

 

Ah.

 

I finally realized why Frizia wanted to assign Iliyana to me.

 

‘She’s doing this because I collapsed right in front of her…’

 

In that case, even if I said I could work alone, it wouldn’t work…

 

She didn’t trust my word. At the same time, it would look like I was egging Frizia on.

 

So it was better for me to stay quiet and wait for their conversation to end.

 

If I didn’t want to earn someone’s resentment.

 

When I kept my mouth firmly shut, Iliyana whirled around to look at me.

 

“Lailah, you tell me. Do you think I’d be helpful?”

 

Oh, this is awkward.

 

I smiled while making my discomfort as obvious as possible. Of course she’d be helpful. Even just taking customer service and orders would reduce my workload considerably.

 

But I couldn’t say it outright, so I just smiled.

 

Then Frizia answered refreshingly on my behalf.

 

“Iliyana, I’ve never seen anyone better at customer service than you. That’s why I trusted you with my furniture shop. Because I trust you!”

 

“…Frizia-nim.”

 

“So please help Lailah for a while. I’m asking you like this, okay?”

 

“…”

 

“Fine! I’ll grant you one wish too.”

 

At Frizia’s last words, Iliyana’s head dropped. It was Frizia’s complete victory.

 

She gave me a thumbs up. Having successfully persuaded Iliyana as she wanted, she was letting me know.

 

I forced a smile and sent Iliyana a sympathetic look.

 

I really wanted to help, but there was nothing I could say. I just felt a bit sorry.

 

‘I need to manage my energy more thoroughly…’

 

At this rate, more people will misunderstand. I absolutely refuse to have rumors spread that I collapse when I overwork.

 

I made a firm resolution and stood up from my seat.

 

I’d gotten the flower wreath message and, though unwanted, a temporary part-timer, so it was time to leave.

 

Before leaving, I quietly whispered in Frizia’s ear.

 

“Please send her to the cafe by 8 AM tomorrow.”

 

I had to let her know the work hours.

 

* * *

 

Opening day.

 

Iliyana, who had become Yonggari Cafe’s temporary part-timer, was busy handling customer service.

 

With customers flooding in as soon as seats became available, the life gradually drained from her eyes.

 

The same was true for me, the owner.

 

I was so busy just making drinks for the rushing customers.

 

I definitely realized I could never have handled customer service, taking orders, making the ordered drinks, serving drinks, and washing dishes all by myself.

 

Even now, the teacups waiting to be washed had overflowed from the sink and invaded the counter.

 

It would be fortunate if only dishes were piling up. Since I didn’t even have hands free to serve drinks, I was going back and forth between the kitchen and the hall.

 

I was so busy that I was even borrowing Hyu’s tiny hands, which says it all.

 

‘Thank you, Frizia!’

 

Thanks to you, I’m not collapsing!

 

I’d been promoting diligently and spreading word, so I knew many people would visit when the cafe opened.

 

But this was an unexpected number of people.

 

There was even a young lady sitting there who was obviously an aristocrat.

 

At first, I wasn’t sure.

 

So when I served her the ice cream she ordered, I took a subtle look.

 

‘She’s a noble.’

 

She was definitely a noble.

 

Her ingrained mannerisms and gaze were unmistakably those of nobility.

 

No matter how elegant a commoner’s posture or how upright their gaze… the aura they give off is different from a child born into nobility.

 

Because the quality of their experiences would be different.

 

After returning to the kitchen, I pondered while processing the ordered drinks.

 

‘Just how far have the rumors spread?’

 

If rumors about Yonggari Cafe had reached not just commoners but even nobles, that would truly be great news.

 

After all, it’s the nobles who hold and spend the most money.

 

‘Still, I thought only commoners would come for a while.’

 

According to what I heard from Millen, the nobles of Jenen Kingdom were quite closed off. It wasn’t the kind of closed-off attitude that looked down on commoners.

 

It was just that after the disaster five years ago, the nobles had banded together even more tightly.

 

Thanks to that, the distance between commoners and nobles had grown even greater, and high society had completely solidified, Millen said while shaking his head.

 

He even said he didn’t want to associate with them until they changed.

 

So the visit from that aristocratic young lady was fascinating.

 

And on opening day, no less!

 

“Should I try talking to her?”

 

Right, I’ll ask how the taste is while casually inquiring how she found out about this place.

 

I processed as many orders as possible before walking over to where the young lady was sitting. Along the way, people who recognized me kept trying to talk to me, which was a bit troublesome.

 

However, after responding kindly to them, when I arrived at where she had been sitting.

 

“…She’s already gone?”

 

The girl had already left.

 

Only the empty ice cream bowl sat forlornly on the table.

 

…I should have kept the interactions brief.

 

I should have processed fewer orders!

 

Regret washes over me like a tide.

 

But what can I do?

 

Right now I was so busy that I didn’t even have time to be distracted by such things.

 

So I had no choice but to hope for next time.

 

I let my shoulders droop as I returned to the kitchen. Then I focused on making drinks to forget my disappointment.

 

To forget my disappointment.

 

However, as if it was fate that I would cross paths with that young lady again, we ended up meeting once more.

 

“Um, hello?”

 

And it was the very next day!

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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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