“In summer…… he’s coming? To see me? “

It was now the end of late spring. Summer would be here soon.

Though I felt a bit nervous thinking about the image of the Northern Grand Duke’s family, I also felt a flutter of excitement at the thought of meeting Dad’s family.

‘Will I, an orphan without a soul in the world, finally have a family?’

But…… something had been bothering me from the start.

What was this ‘My little one’ at the end?

Did he mean to write ‘Mylar’ but wrote it carelessly?

“This letter was sent two months ago?”

The date of sending was written on the back of the letter.

“How did it get misplaced?”

“Well…… it was found in a hideout where the Second Prince’s remnant forces were staying.”

Adam’s expression darkened as he delivered this news.

Second Prince Karhin Aslet was Parmes’s half-brother who had once risen to the position of Crown Prince before Parmes’s rebellion. Though Parmes killed him immediately after the rebellion, it took a year of bloody purges to eliminate all his followers.

“Though it might have been a coincidence, we should strengthen security since they might be targeting you out of resentment for what transpired at the masked ball.”

The men who had been lying in wait at the Imperial Palace for an ambush had all collapsed when my elemental power suddenly awakened.

In the end, they were all apprehended by Duke Guermont.

Back then they were targeting Briton, but…

‘Have I become a target as well?’

“So, about the opening, Miss.”

Adam spoke to me with a troubled expression.

“…Ah…”

I puffed my cheeks in disappointment as I thought about the opening day three days from now.

We had promoted the opening enthusiastically, even holding tasting events.

Though the three ministers had left Cheran temporarily for urgent famine prevention business, we had sent invitations to many people, including the members of Lafiole…

“Wouldn’t it be better to postpone it? Now that we know those people had this letter, we can’t let our guard down. Even though the Mylar Shop’s employees are trustworthy people we hired directly.”

“We can’t postpone the opening. We already have lots of red sugar beets in the basement, and we’ve hired workers with good wages who are making red sugar beet products. We’ve even distributed flyers!”

Though Adam’s concerns were certainly worth worrying about, I had no intention of postponing the opening.

“Miss.”

Of course, I had no intention of being that sweet potato character who insists ‘Surely nothing dangerous will happen, let’s proceed’ and then gets captured by bad guys.

“If we had reliable… people helping us, wouldn’t it be fine?”

Adam’s eyes wavered at my words.

“But if we hire under the Mylar Shop name, we’ll be flooded with applicants. It might be more dangerous if suspicious people apply.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Then we can hide the shop’s name and add conditions for hiring. Make it so people below the conditions can’t apply, and add a poison clause too… Let’s target specific people.”

Something that only those who should understand would understand.

“I seem to have underestimated your cleverness, Miss.”

Adam, who quickly caught onto my intentions, sent me an admiring look as he immediately replied.

“I’ll head to the newspaper office.”

***

In the Imperial Palace’s Alchemy Tower, alchemists in black clothes were walking back and forth carrying documents.

In a small office inside the Alchemy Tower sat a man, and when someone entered with a newspaper, he frowned harshly.

“Why are you… here instead of guarding in front of the Marquis Mylar’s house?”

“It’s my day off today, and another friend is guarding.”

The man protested while sweating profusely.

“We need to watch carefully without any gaps. To exploit others’ weaknesses, that is.”

“Don’t worry, the alchemist on duty is trustworthy.”

The man who had been conducting surveillance in front of the Marquis’s mansion for a long time following orders handed over a fresh newspaper, just printed from the press, to the Alchemy Tower Master.

“I found a suspicious advertisement that I wanted to report.”

Along with news of the opening, this article was written in the newspaper:

[Seeking two daily helpers to assist with a food shop’s opening.

The hiring conditions are as follows:

-Must have identity verification from at least a ‘Tower Master’ level official

-Must have no issues with eyesight, kidneys, liver, and blood

-Those without family ties welcome.]

“What a strange job posting. Especially the second and third conditions are chilling… Could this be the rumored dark alchemist organization?”

The Alchemy Tower Master slowly read the advertisement again.

For a moment, his eyes gleamed.

He jumped up from his desk.

“Al… Alchemy Tower Master?”

The man watched nervously as the Tower Master’s eyes filled with stars, appearing excited.

The Tower Master’s lips curved upward as if he had encountered something extraordinary.

To think such a day would come after waiting. What a thoughtful job posting, how considerate.

“Quickly bring me application papers.”

“…Pardon?”

And at this time, a similar report was being made at the Ministry of Justice.

“Could this be some kind of code they use among themselves?”

“It’s suspicious. Shouldn’t we raid them immediately?”

“It must be a criminal organization. Though no sane person would apply to such a job posting, just in case…”

The men in judicial robes asked the Justice Minister, who sat in her chair with her hair in two braids.

However, the Justice Minister holding the newspaper had a smile on her face.

She had heard several reports about what kind of business Arinel was preparing.

And she could immediately recognize who this newspaper advertisement was targeting.

“If it’s a food shop, this must be her signal.”

She moved her lips with a pleased expression.

The shrimp who couldn’t dare to intervene in the whale’s fight had been watching for an opening.

Because if they approached carelessly, they might get crushed.

But with such a clear signal for an opening… even shrimp had to jump with all their might.

“Write an application right now.”

“Yes! What?”

She slammed the desk and her eyes blazed.

The judicial officers looked at her in confusion as she suddenly burned with determination.

The Justice Minister, her lips curved upward, shouted passionately with a hint of laughter.

“I’m going to apply for this!”

***

Stretching my slightly short arms upward, I stretched.

“Ahhh!”

Finally, the morning of the long-prepared opening day had arrived!

We had bought the land right next to the Marquis Mylar’s mansion and built a building.

We also added a warehouse next to the building.

Since it was a single-story commercial building for sale rather than residential use, construction didn’t take much time.

The shop’s name is <Mylar Shop>.

We’ll sell food products, desserts, and candies related to red sugar beets. There are also meal kits with simple recipes attached.

We’ve posted large product lists and filled the display shelves.

Though the employees were working hard, we still needed two more people.

People who were skilled at dealing with others and who could fight alongside Adam if there were any threats.

“The successful applicants should be arriving soon.”

Adam, who was looking at the landscaping outside the shop with me, said while gazing into the distance.

I smiled thinking back to the past in Galnem village.

Uncle Burnel and Aunt Annie lived in the house behind Uncle Parnel.

The twin siblings, who were in their mid-twenties, took good care of me after Mom passed away, making pies and giving me cookies.

And like the other villagers…

“Arinel, how about learning about the law? Law is the foundation of a nation. Knowledge of law will be of great help in life.”

“No, Arinel. In my opinion, alchemy suits Arinel better. Seeing how well she can identify herbs, she’s definitely going to be the next Alchemy Tower Master!”

“Burnel! Arinel is going to be the Justice Minister!”

“Ha, look at Arinel’s sparkling eyes. There’s no room for your rigid legal knowledge in a space filled with creativity.”

…They fought over me.

The siblings’ influence(?) couldn’t match that of Duke Siegfried, Lady Alens, or Duke Guermont, so they couldn’t intervene in their tug-of-war over me, but they were just the same in trying to persuade me from behind to learn their respective fields.

“Hmm? Arinel, law. Law. Law.”

“No, Arinel. Alchemy, alchemy!”

I had sensed it since I found out that Uncle Amrus was Duke Siegfried.

Who was giving orders to the people from the Ministry of Justice and Alchemy Tower who were quietly circling around my house.