“That’s a bit tempting……”

“They say in Rania they also make desserts with coffee. Aren’t you a patissier before being a businessman?”

“Good! Fine. One hundred!”

At those words that touched his curiosity as a patissier, Dustri finally surrendered.

“I, instead, please make it six months.”

Dustri, who had at least secured six months with his last remaining pride, glistened with moist eyes.

“Will it be okay……”

Though he had been overwhelmed and agreed, it was really an absurd contract.

A contract more than three times the amount he had thought.

At Dustri’s appearance as if his soul had left him, Arthe smiled wickedly and added a word.

“Of course it’s a good choice. The branch business you’re currently planning will be completely ruined.”

“……!”

Dustri, who was startled, jumped up.

“The word ‘ruined’ from a noble lady’s mouth…… More than that! That’s something no one knows about! Ah, no! The business will be ruined!”

“Don’t worry. In just a few months, you’ll be sitting on a pile of money from coffee. More than that, it would be better not to open a branch in that region you’re currently considering.”

Like she had some information…

Looking at Dustri with a gaze full of distrust, Arthe recalled the memoirs.

Newport House would launch a major campaign to open a branch in the southern region in a few months.

However, in less than a few months, that place would suffer tremendous losses and withdraw due to a rebellion that occurred in a nearby barony.

To Dustri, who seemed dazed by the incomprehensible story, Arthe leaned slightly and whispered.

“Do you want to make it seventy silver?”

“!”

“But there’s one condition.”

“What is that condition!”

In front of Dustri, who had unconsciously straightened up, Arthe placed a paper with contract terms written on it.

“Become my eyes and ears. Then I’ll sell coffee at seventy silver and provide the best quality beans first even after six months.”

“What do you mean by becoming your eyes and ears……”

“If necessary, mouth too.”

Since frequently visiting Newport House, Arthe had realized.

When in a cafe, people inevitably have all kinds of conversations.

From trivial conversations to gossip, major issues, sometimes even secrets.

In a way, it was a space where the most up-to-date information came and went quickly.

And that information was mostly gossip that didn’t appear in newspapers, which was the information Arthe needed most.

“Who exactly is this lady?”

Dustri asked, looking at Oren.

Then, as if he had been waiting for this moment, Oren answered her name with a proud expression, and upon hearing the answer, Dustri stamped the contract as if enchanted.

***

“Really, I think I know why you made the contract with such fire in your eyes.”

Mel, who had recently become addicted to coffee, said while mixing milk into strong coffee.

“When I drink this, I can concentrate well too. This must be the awakening effect Master Oren mentioned.”

The coffee business was sailing smoothly.

All the nobles in the capital had tasted coffee under the name of the latest trend, and before long, it was truly leading the latest trend in the empire.

There were even rumors that Marchioness Person, who had insisted only on high-grade tea, after tasting coffee, sent servants to Newport House every day, nagging them for errands.

Thanks to this, Dustri, who had been unable to sleep from worry for a while, gained such great profit that he could literally lay out a money cushion.

Dustri, who was overjoyed, sent a letter to Arthe through Oren.

[Lady, business is so good that even one hundred silver would have been fine. I’ll do my best for the thirty silver you reduced!]

“Seeing a merchant say such things, business must really be going well.”

Arthe inwardly thought of the butler and let out a sigh of relief, then looked at Oren and added.

“Ah, please tell Mr. Dustri to hire a few more handsome employees.”

Newport House was perfect, but inwardly Arthe had been disappointed by just that one thing.

Indeed. The hidden driving force of a dessert bakery was handsome employees.

Even now, it wasn’t that there were no handsome employees—but no matter how many pretty boys there were, it was never too many.

Arthe, who had conveyed the wishes of all the ladies who frequented Newport House, eventually handed over a reply and looked at Oren.

But for some reason, Oren was hanging his head low.

“Master? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“……”

“……Master?”

And a moment later, at Oren’s appearance when he raised his head, Arthe was so surprised that she dropped her letter.

“Kehehe-huk. My la-ady……!”

Oren’s face, covered with tears and snot, was truly a sight to behold.

Arthe, who was flustered and didn’t know what to do, hurriedly approached and sat near Oren.

“Why are you crying again on such a good day?”

“That is…… hic…… It’s like a dream sniff…… I thought I was definitely ruined…… sob……”

“Now, now! There’s still a long way to go, so you shouldn’t shed tears so easily. Here’s my handkerchief. Please wipe your tears quickly.”

“Sniff, thank you.”

Oren, who received Arthe’s handkerchief, wiped his snot and tears thoroughly on the handkerchief and said.

“Are you feeling better now? The handkerchief…… it would be better if you just took it.”

“Yes, I’m a bit calmer now…… I’ll take Miss’s handkerchief and make it a family heirloom for generations.”

At his words, which seemed somewhat excessive in gratitude, Arthe scratched the back of her head for a moment.

‘He must have had many worries until now……’

Recalling her days at the underground prison, Arthe could understand Oren’s feelings, so she quietly handed him warm coffee.

After sipping coffee with tears in his eyes for a while, Oren, who had finally calmed down, opened his mouth with an earnest expression.

“I, I want to repay this kindness to you, mady! Though my abilities are lacking…… if there’s anything I can help you with, definitely.”

In books, there are people who don’t forget to repay kindness even after death.

It wouldn’t be proper to refuse someone who wanted to repay kindness.

At Oren’s earnest request, Arthe, who had been pondering for a while, carefully got up from her seat.

“?”

Receiving Oren’s wide-eyed gaze, Arthe took out a package of coffee beans and a piece of paper of unknown identity from the display case.

“Then, Master. Would you listen to my request?”

What kind of request could it be?

Oren carefully received the items Arthe handed him.

On the wrapping paper of the coffee bean package Oren received was written ‘To Lady Elisa of House Person’ in neat handwriting.

“Please deliver this to Lady Elisa. I want to express my gratitude for her helping promote the coffee business. And this……”

On the paper of unknown identity that Arthe hesitantly handed over, there was one name Oren had never seen before and several pieces of information that seemed to be about him.

[Walter Bryce]

Now, it was her turn to repay kindness.

***

An unusually languid and warm spring day at the Marquis Person mansion.

For some reason, the marchioness was suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

“My head feels somehow heavy and dull.”

The marchioness, who had been muttering to herself and turning around, was startled.

Her daughter Elisa was also sitting on the sofa with hollow eyes.

“Hey, Elisa. Didn’t you sleep all night? Your condition is quite……”

“Don’t even mention it, Mother. Having no energy since morning…… It’s just like……”

“Yes, just like……”

The marchioness and Elisa exchanged wistful glances.

“Just one cup of coffee would fulfill all my wishes.”

“It really would fulfill all my wishes.”

It had started when they secretly tried to just taste it because of the marquis who would fly into a rage whenever coffee was mentioned.

The marchioness and Elisa sighed deeply at the coffee aroma lingering in their minds.

It had already been several days since they couldn’t drink coffee.

How on earth had they lived before?

Eventually, they even felt like they couldn’t start their day without drinking coffee.

‘It definitely wasn’t this bad from the beginning……’

They had only intended to taste it slightly so as not to fall behind the trend.

Inwardly, they had even snorted, thinking how delicious could that black water be?

‘Could it be better than our family’s tea? It’s probably just a passing trend.’

Like that.

Until they drank one or two cups, they thought ‘Well, it’s not undrinkable’ and even laughed at the nobles’ fuss.

Then after about a week, they began nagging the maids without realizing it due to a strange thirst.

And now they had reached the point where they could hardly endure a day without drinking a cup of coffee as soon as they woke up in the morning.

“Why does it come to mind so much!”

The deep aroma that gently rose to the tip of their noses and the bitter yet clean taste.

Moreover, it would soon be lunchtime.

How wonderful it would be if they could drink coffee with ice after eating heavy formal cuisine!

They couldn’t enjoy that taste that completely swept away the greasiness after meals.

The marchioness and Elisa had long been slaves to coffee.

What was more frustrating was that this phenomenon wasn’t limited to just the marquis family.

It was truly a sold-out crisis.

They had reached the point where they couldn’t buy it even with money.

‘I should have stocked up more at first……’

They tried to get coffee from Newport House even by paying extra, but the only response was to stand in line like everyone else.

However, standing in line to buy coffee wasn’t an easy task either.