Our Cafe is Open as Usual - Chapter 78
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Episode 78
I looked at the Crown Prince.
‘…I need to become friends with this person somehow.’
That way I can solve my goal while also completing the Main Quest.
Thinking this way, he appeared in a new light. Like a savior who would rescue my life.
I showed him the most friendly smile I could muster. It was a smile that even made Millen feel burdened.
However, the Crown Prince seemed unaffected. He looked at me quietly and only showed a faint smile.
‘It’s not working.’
Well, being in that position, he must have met all kinds of people.
Rather than a pretentious appearance, a more straightforward demeanor would leave a better impression on him.
I immediately erased the friendly smile and looked at him.
Only then did the Crown Prince let out a light laugh and speak.
“Since you guessed my identity correctly, shall I give you a reward? Try telling me something you want.”
It was a sound that made my mind snap to attention.
I had heard similar words recently, but when the Crown Prince said it, it felt different.
Perhaps it felt different because it came from someone I had something to ask of in the first place.
I stared at him for a moment.
He was looking at me with eyes full of tolerance, as if telling me to say anything.
Eyes like a god’s that seemed like they would listen to anything I said.
I bit my lip slightly and carefully opened my mouth.
“…I heard that Your Highness is preparing a royal ball.”
“Ah, that’s right. Thanks to you, the social circles are quite bustling. I thought it necessary to refresh the atmosphere, so I’m preparing for it. Along with the royal ball, I’m also discussing with the temple. It would be good to hold a festival as well.”
“Ah…”
“But why are you asking me about that? Someone like you would have many people offering to take you to a royal ball. Are you perhaps aiming for the position of my partner? I don’t have anyone promised to me for the future yet.”
When he said such things in a serious and gentle voice, I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or serious.
If he weren’t the Crown Prince, I might have pondered his intentions. But the Crown Prince was surely testing me.
Why I had brought up the royal ball.
In this situation, it seemed better to speak honestly.
I cleared my throat softly and answered.
“To be honest, I want to showcase my abilities at the royal ball. I think there’s no one who can make beverages as well as I can.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. If my abilities were mediocre, Mrs. Manfredi wouldn’t have looked favorably upon me. I’m confident in my skills.”
I was truly confident.
My past successes weren’t making me overconfident.
What I believed in was my experience and the trends I had witnessed living in the 21st century.
In a changing world, trends always emerged and disappeared quickly.
Some things settle for a long time while others disappear, but at some point they always remain by our side.
They become trends because people liked them.
‘This place is also where people live, so it should work.’
The beverages and desserts I had introduced so far already showed the answer.
So I was truly confident. Since I was presenting proven things once again.
I looked at the Crown Prince with a confident expression. His deep blue eyes swept over me.
He slowly closed his eyes as if thinking about something, then opened them. Then he slowly opened his mouth.
“Do you think our meeting was coincidental?”
“…At first I thought it was coincidental. But thinking about it again now, it couldn’t have been coincidental. I think Your Highness came looking for me.”
“That’s right, I went looking for you. News about you has been reaching even inside the royal palace, so I couldn’t help but be curious. Even my knights were talking about you. Saying that you would become a new wind…”
I thought I knew which knights he was referring to. The only royal knights who knew me were Sir Valter and Sir Lev.
I shrugged my shoulders lightly. Seeing me like that, he smiled faintly.
“Honestly, when I first saw you, I was disappointed. You only looked naive. But still, I couldn’t ignore you. The news coming in was so spectacular… it kept making me have expectations.”
“…Yes?”
“So I hope you become even more famous. It’s true that you’re reviving the stagnant atmosphere of the Jenen Kingdom. Without you, the Jenen Kingdom would still be… dying without escaping from the devastation of that time.
However, that doesn’t mean you’re sufficient to be brought into the royal palace. No matter how much you’ve gained Mrs. Manfredi’s favor, you’re merely a cafe owner at best, without noble blood. Moreover, you haven’t yet taken any steps that anyone would acknowledge.”
It was true.
Everything I did went well and became rumors, but I hadn’t done anything great enough to turn the country upside down.
‘…Though it would be strange for a cafe owner to do such things.’
From the Crown Prince’s perspective, I would indeed seem insufficient.
Just because a cafe became a hit doesn’t mean the president comes and says ‘Let’s work together.’ I’m still just a somewhat remarkable person who can make beverages.
So the Crown Prince’s words were all correct.
I could attend the royal ball, but I was insufficient to work with the royal family.
‘…Now I understand what the Main Quest wants.’
It wasn’t a quest that appeared out of nowhere.
It wanted me, Yonggari Cafe, to grow to the point where I could present a new menu at the royal ball.
It believed it was possible.
I slowly nodded and looked at the Crown Prince. For some reason, I could predict his next words.
Surely he would tell me…
The Crown Prince looked at me and continued speaking.
“So create a justification. So that the royal family can gladly use you. I hope you become a new wind for the Jenen Kingdom, an unstoppable change.”
As soon as Crown Prince Liandro Jeonen finished speaking.
Ding!
For Justification!
-Lead the trends of the Jenen Kingdom!
Before the royal ball is held, under the name of ‘Yonggari Cafe’
make one menu item trendy.
Reward: Collaboration with Liandro Jeonen
Failure: Liandro Jeonen’s distrust
(The Main Quest will automatically be processed as failed.)
A quest window appeared.
Just like with Millen and Frizia.
I slowly read the quest window that appeared.
The content contained exactly what I had expected.
Greater buzz and justification.
It was what he wanted from me, and the goal the system wanted from me.
‘If I succeed in this, my influence and world restoration rate will rise together.’
Everything was organically connected to an annoying degree.
I smiled faintly and nodded again. Then the Crown Prince continued.
“If you want, I’ll arrange a place for you. It’s true that I’ve made an unreasonable request of you, so I should provide this much help. I’ll say it again, I hope you succeed.”
“When you say a place… what kind of place do you mean?”
“Through reconstruction, I’ve acquired quite a few buildings. Buildings whose owners disappeared were all recovered by the royal family.”
“Then you’re saying you’ll arrange a place in Noren?”
“Only for a certain period. I’m thinking of the royal ball in two months. I’ll only lend it until then.”
‘Hmm, is this a pop-up format?’
Though the feeling was different, the format seemed similar.
Still, if I could proceed with work in the capital with its large floating population, there would be no better start than that.
The accessibility would be better than now.
I accepted immediately.
“Good. Since you’re even providing a place, I’ll achieve results that will more than satisfy Your Highness.”
I extended my hand to him.
Come to think of it, we hadn’t properly exchanged greetings until now.
We had just gauged and speculated about each other’s identities and figured them out.
So we needed to establish a new definition. In business, you can’t skip the most important self-introduction.
“I’m Leilah Token, the owner of Yonggari Cafe. This is the first time I’m introducing myself like this. Please treat me well.”
“…Haha! That’s right, we did skip too many steps. Yes, Miss Token. I am Liandro Jeonen. I shall gladly watch over you.”
It was a moment when a new connection was formed.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————