They sent servants in droves from morning to secure coffee, but due to people who had been lining up since dawn, getting coffee was truly like plucking stars from the sky.

How serious it was that the term ‘coffee run’ was coined to describe rushing to Newport House from dawn.

Eventually, the marchioness and Elisa, who had failed to obtain coffee, were having tea time with gloomy faces after lunch.

“No matter what anyone says, tea is the best, isn’t it……?”

“Of course. How well this sweet aroma goes with cheesecake……”

Today their main menu was veal steak and rich cream stew.

The chef had shown his skills and the taste was perfect, but the problem was that the dessert that followed was also rich cheesecake.

To make matters worse, when they added sweetly blended tea, the marchioness and Elisa longed for coffee even more desperately.

Just when they hadn’t even emptied a third of the tea in their teacups,

A maid from the marquis family approached Elisa carrying an elegantly wrapped package.

“Miss. Lady Arthe of House Frey has sent a gift.”

“Hmm? Lady Arthe?”

When an unexpected name flowed from the maid’s mouth, Elisa was surprised and put down the teacup she was drinking.

“What’s that snobbish lady up to?”

Elisa snorted for no reason and primly received the package.

Who was it because of that they had become so addicted to coffee?

Wasn’t it all because of Arthe, who had come to the tea tasting event she had graciously invited her to, only to talk endlessly about coffee?

Though it was she herself who had rushed at Arthe’s casual story, Elisa, who had slightly distorted the memory in her head, pouted her lips.

On the elegantly decorated package was written ‘To Lady Elisa of House Person’ in neat handwriting.

‘Hmph, even her handwriting is like an old man’s?’

Remembering Arthe’s speech that was puzzling whether it was excessively polite or a sophisticated way of being sarcastic, Elisa flared her nostrils.

But for some reason.

The more she unwrapped the package, the more a familiar fragrance was penetrating her flaring nostrils.

Marchioness Person, who had been feeling dazed with a headache from that fragrance, also turned her head to look at Elisa.

“Hey, Elisa! Could that fragrance be……”

“No way!”

Swoosh—

Eventually, when Elisa’s urgent hands made even the last remaining wrapping paper disappear, brilliant brown coffee beans revealed themselves.

“My goodness! Coffee beans!”

“Marie! Brew two cups of coffee with these beans right now!”

The marchioness, who had been staring out the window with dazed eyes just moments ago, jumped up from her seat and shouted.

Life was already dancing in the marchioness’s eyes.

“This greasy tea too, quickly! Ah, no, clear away this tea too.”

Elisa, who was also excited, tried to cover up her true feelings that had popped out without her knowing and looked at the coffee with expectant eyes.

A card with neat handwriting like the surface fell from among the coffee beans.

[Lady Elisa. I happened to get good beans so I’m sending them to you. This is merely a return gift for the tea tasting event invitation last time, and absolutely not because I heard rumors that House Person’s servants are failing spectacularly at ‘coffee runs.’ Well then, have a delicious tea time. No, coffee time. — Your coffee friend, Arthe]

Elisa’s face gradually turned red as she read Arthe’s card with trembling hands.

By the time her face became indistinguishable from the red dress she wore today, Elisa lifted her head sharply with a pretend angry face and shouted.

“Friend? Really! Who does she think wants to be friends with her?”

What Arthe wanted to convey probably wasn’t ‘friend.’

Was it because of excessive withdrawal symptoms?

Or had Elisa’s heart opened up like the beans that had poured out?

Elisa, who had received a cup of coffee from the maid and stomped back to her room, carefully stored Arthe’s card in a box and muttered.

“Just because she sent a little coffee, does she think I’ll be grateful?”

Though it was quite off from Arthe’s intention, Elisa’s cheeks were flushed red like a shy girl anyway.

***

“That marquis family lady who likes to talk about others, she must be jumping up and down right about now.”

On a leisurely afternoon, Arthe, who was looking through memoirs in her private study, muttered as she reached for dessert on the desk.

“If she was born as a marquis family’s lady, she should know she’s blessed and live contentedly. Why compare herself to others?”

In fact, Arthe also knew that Elisa was jealous of her.

How could she not know the meaning of those eyes that observed her every move while mixed with strange jealousy?

However, to Arthe, who had rotted in an underground prison for 20 years and literally died and came back to life, that level of jealousy seemed like cute charm.

On the other hand, she also felt sorry for Elisa because she seemed to see her previous life’s self who had cared about others’ gazes.

If Elisa had a teacher like Old Man Walter, she might have been different.

If the old man saw Elisa, he would have said, ‘Instead of worrying about others, take care of yourself!’

When Old Man Walter’s hearty dialect came to mind, a gentle smile spread across Arthe’s lips.

But…….

‘……Old man, you’re not starving somewhere right now, are you?’

During her 20 years with the old man, she had heard about everything from his child’s death to his wife’s illness until her ears were worn out, but why hadn’t she thought to ask where he lived?

If she had known she would come back like this, she would have asked more persistently.

Since there was surprisingly little information about the old man, Oren said he was thoroughly searching the commoners’ residential areas centered around the capital.

Just this morning, Arthe had received a letter from Oren with the content ‘no results so far,’ and she sighed.

‘……Where on earth are you, Old Man Walter?’

Even if they met again, the old man wouldn’t remember her, but she wanted to meet him as soon as possible—him who had been her only teacher and friend in that dark world.

When she thought of Old Man Walter, her nose tingled and stung.

‘No! If I shed tears over something like this, how would I be different from Oren!’

Arthe hurriedly dried her tears and turned her gaze to the dessert.

Separate from Arthe’s moist eyes, the desk was full of new menu items that Dustri was preparing.

‘I asked him to pick the most delicious one among these.’

A craftsman is a craftsman indeed.

Dustri was putting effort into developing new products even while Newport House was frantically busy.

Coffee buns with deep coffee aroma that stimulated the appetite.

Coffee cream puffs with plenty of coffee cream in soft choux.

Even coffee bread that looked heavenly with plenty of coffee and butter.

Dustri was developing so many coffee-based desserts that one wondered how he had made desserts without coffee until now.

And among them, the dessert that most captured Arthe’s heart was.

Tiramisu, made by layering cake sheets soaked with rich coffee and sweet cream cheese, then decorating the top with cocoa powder.

[Coffee buns are savory and sweet with good taste. Cream puffs blend the bitter taste of coffee well with existing cream…… Above all, tiramisu has coffee, cheese, and cocoa powder flavors united as one, truly deserving to be called ‘damn delicious’……]

It was when Arthe, who had instantly cleaned the tiramisu plate, was seriously writing a tasting review.

“Miss, have you chosen the menu?”

Mel, who had entered the study, was startled to see Arthe writing a full page of tasting reviews.

“What is this…… Mr. Dustri just asked you to choose…… Why did you write so much about how delicious everything is again?”

“I haven’t finished writing yet.”

“Oh my, that’s enough. Mr. Dustri contacted us saying he developed new menu items again, so I was going to bring those too.”

At those words, Arthe’s eyes widened.

Then she hurriedly finished writing with the content [Anyway, everything is very delicious] and got up.

“Yes? Are you coming too, Miss? Is there something going on?”

“No. Since I’m going anyway, I’ll get a few more tiramisu.”

“……”

***

Newport House in District 7 of the capital.

“Now, now! Everyone, from now on, the quantity each person can purchase is four cups of coffee and one bag of beans!”

“What to do! Don’t tell me it’ll end right in front of me?”

“Tsk! Really, Miss told me to succeed today for sure……”

Today too, the nobles of the capital sent servants to Newport House from early dawn for the so-called ‘coffee run.’

Actually, coffee runs hadn’t been this hot from the beginning.

At first, Newport House sold coffee without restrictions to people who arrived first.

However, as coffee’s popularity soared, the ridiculous situation occurred where dealers bought coffee in large quantities and then sold it with markup.

Eventually, Dustri, who couldn’t stand this, limited the quantity each person could purchase, and when restrictions were created, people jumped into coffee runs even more competitively.

As a result, Newport House, which had already been popular, had been bustling without room to step for the past month.

“Lady! Please don’t push!”

“What, who is this girl calling lady?”

“Excuse me! Sir, are you cutting in line right now?”

Thanks to this, there were unexpected benefits too.

Indeed, when three people gather, they can create a dragon that never existed.

When the front of Newport House had been crowded for nearly a month, people who didn’t know about coffee also joined the coffee commotion, wondering what on earth was going on.