‘Well, he is a handsome man you can’t find in this small town.’

I inadvertently recalled the Duke’s face. Today, the Duke still didn’t look well, but he was better than yesterday. His bloodshot eyes had returned to normal, and the strange glint in them was nowhere to be seen. His face, which had worn a fierce murderous intent, now bore only an expressionless look, creating an inhuman atmosphere.

It was a relief. If he had been staring intently at Elodie with eyes full of emotion, I wouldn’t have been able to bear it.

As I was carrying a tray full of coffee ordered by the new customers, I overheard whispered conversations.

“He’s so handsome. I wonder where he’s from? Even the famous theater actors I saw in the capital weren’t this good-looking.”

“Look at that grace. Could he be a nobleman?”

“Don’t be silly, why would a nobleman stop by our town? Even if they did, they’d go to a high-class salon.”

“What does that matter? I’m full just looking at his face.”

“Right, we should look our fill now. Who knows when we’ll see such a handsome man in this countryside again!”

I was at a loss for words hearing the chatter of the late-teenage girls giggling.

‘That’s right. Look all you want…… And order a lot while you’re at it.’

I set down the coffee on the table and looked out the window to gauge if any new customers were coming in.

‘……?’

I blinked. An unexpected sight caught my eye. Duke Baniche was sitting by the window. Which meant…….

Even without entering the cafe, one could see Duke Baniche through the glass window. Quite a crowd had gathered a few steps away from that window.

‘He’s being treated like a spectacle.’

Regardless, Duke Baniche continued to look only at Elodie with a lofty gaze that suggested he was completely oblivious to his surroundings. Fortunately, since Elodie was sitting right in front of the counter, anyone unaware of the situation would think Duke Baniche was just staring blankly at the menu.

I snorted and decided to just enjoy the situation. Since I couldn’t chase Duke Baniche away anyway, it was good if customers were drawn in like this. It was even better that the customers who occupied seats and wouldn’t leave seemed to feel conscious of me and kept ordering new drinks and desserts.

Meanwhile, the subject of all this attention, Duke Baniche, seemed content to merely nibble at his special shaved ice without any intention of ordering anything else.

“Excuse me, what’s the menu item that person is eating?”

And here comes a sucker…… I mean, a valued customer!

I answered with a broad smile.

“It’s our cafe’s pride, a special shaved ice dessert, ma’am. It’s a cold dessert, so I don’t recommend it if you’re sensitive to cold.”

“Cold food is meant for winter, after all.”

The customer nodded and opened her wallet with a determined face. Once one person ordered it, the rest was easy. Everyone started ordering the special shaved ice, saying they were curious about that dessert and wanted to try the same thing.

If the special shaved ice had been just an expensive menu item, I would have dissuaded them. It would have been a way to lose potential regular customers. But I was quite confident about this menu item. It was a popular item in summer too. Of course, it was the kind of menu item that four people would share, but what’s wrong with having some leftovers?

My body was tired from filling shaved ice bowls diligently, but my lips kept curling up into a smile. Time passed, and it was nearly sunset.

Finally, Duke Baniche got up and left the cafe. The shaved ice was barely touched, but I didn’t mind at all. The customers who had ordered the same after him had eaten it up, saying it was delicious.

Most of them were energetic girls in their early to late teens, so they seemed to have hearty appetites, which made it worth the effort to make. As soon as Duke Baniche left, the customers who had filled the cafe cleared out in an instant.

‘……Phew.’

I plopped down on a makeshift chair. It seemed I’d have to close the cafe an hour earlier than usual today, as we were out of ingredients. I tilted my head towards Elodie. Elodie’s sketchbook was filled with drawings, all of figures wearing skirts, presumably depicting the customers.

“Elodie, let’s start cleaning up. We’ll go out for dinner.”

“……!”

Elodie’s eyes sparkled. On days like today when the cafe was busy and I was exhausted, I would usually go out to eat food prepared by others. Each time, I chose a menu item that Elodie had never tried before.

“What is it today?”

“It’s a secret.”

I smiled brightly, thinking of the increased balance in my account. It seemed like we could afford to splurge a little for tonight’s dinner.

***

“I’m… full…”

Elodie put down her fork and let out a contented sigh.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“It was really, really delicious!”

Elodie looked longingly at the little bit of spicy sauce left in the bowl with the fried shrimp.

The restaurant I chose specialized in spicy and sweet seasoned dishes. They offered various seafood and meat dishes stir-fried in spicy-sweet seasonings, allowing us to enjoy spicy food that’s difficult to make at home.

Worried about whether it would suit Elodie’s taste, I ordered the mildest spice level, but that seemed to have been unnecessary. Elodie ate my dish with regular spiciness just fine.

A little while later, we started walking home, leaving behind the restaurant owner who kept bowing to us. I found myself humming a tune.

Yes, what did a little inconvenience matter? As long as the Duke didn’t harm Elodie or me, he could sit in the cafe all he wanted. I was thinking I could install at least three new door panels with today’s earnings as we turned the corner of the alley.

‘……?’

I blinked. There were about a dozen people gathered in front of our house. Next to them were piles of what looked like furniture. I strode towards them.

“What are you all doing at someone else’s house?”

“Ah, Miss Bertin!”

The face of the person who seemed to be in charge brightened. He shook my hand.

“We heard you wanted to replace all the furniture. We haven’t started work yet because we haven’t received permission… Can we start now?”

What?

What did you say?

Who decided this!

Before I could shout these thoughts, I glanced at the furniture they had brought.

‘This must be the Duke’s doing.’

Who else would spend such an enormous amount of money? A large, antique table, expensive-looking armchairs, rolled-up carpets that seemed to be made of extraordinary fabric…

I even spotted expensive tableware and various safety devices for Elodie. My business instinct, honed by years of running the cafe, immediately converted everything I saw into monetary value. The Duke seemed to have spared no expense in his orders. Everything was exactly what I had wished I could replace, and all of it was top quality.

When I roughly calculated the amount the Duke must have spent, I gasped. It was a sum that would take about a year of desperate savings to accumulate.

In other words…

It was too much money to feel bad about!

I smiled brightly at the person in charge.

“Please, go ahead.”

If there was anything I didn’t like, I could always throw it out or sell it, so I had no intention of being picky. The person in charge nodded and immediately began directing his staff.

It was only when I saw the door opening and closing that I realized the Duke had even replaced the door. It looked sturdy and perfect, which I liked.

‘At least he has some conscience.’

I held Elodie’s hand tightly, comforting her as she looked anxious about the appearance of strangers.

“Elodie, let’s wait a little bit. Then we’ll be able to go inside.”

“……”

Elodie nodded silently.

How much time had passed? By the time the major work was finally finished, the sun had completely set and darkness covered the entire street. Of course, they had brought very good oil lamps, so there was no problem with the work.

As soon as all the workers left, we peered into the house with half-nervous, half-excited hearts. Where there used to be a worn-out table chosen from a second-hand store years ago, now stood the antique table we had seen earlier. The rocking chair that used to creak due to missing support had been replaced with a plush armchair.