Angela was left speechless for a while at Lynette’s eccentric behavior. Too stunned, she only blinked her eyes, and Lynette let out a small chuckle.
“Well then, see you tomorrow. Ah! Here’s a spare key to the shop. You never know what might happen, so you should have one too.”
Leaving Angela frozen stiff, unable even to say goodbye, Lynette turned her back and walked away. When her figure disappeared from sight, Angela burst into tears on the spot.
She felt hurt beyond words when Lynette had said she’d only come to take measurements for another child. Mortified at her own sulky, tongue-tied reaction, Angela was overwhelmed with shame.
She didn’t know how long she cried on the roadside, but eventually she dragged her swollen eyes back home to where Angelo was surely waiting, hungry and alone.
“Sis, you’re finally home? Oh, something smells good.”
It was too dark for him to see properly, but Angelo’s nose twitched at the aroma wafting from the bread Lynette had given her.
“Uuuh… A-Angelo… waahh!”
The moment they stepped inside, Angela broke down again. Flustered, Angelo hobbled over on his bad leg and hugged her tightly.
“What happened? Why are you crying? Did someone hit you? Did that shopkeeper say something mean to you?”
Angela only shook her head at each question. After a while she calmed down enough to tell him what had happened earlier. Angelo stroked her back gently.
“That’s a relief. Sis, you’ve met an angel. I’m really happy for you. So don’t cry on a day like this. Let’s be strong together, okay?”
“Y-yeah… sniffle… I’ll be strong.”
❅
“I must have low blood pressure.”
Lynette grumbled over a late breakfast, struggling every morning to get up.
“That’s not low blood pressure—it’s because you stay up too late. You used to be the type who woke at dawn to go jogging,” Katrin pointed out.
To create the perfect blends, Lynette often studied coffee late into the night, and every morning she whined endlessly: she didn’t want to wake up, she’d get up after just a bit more sleep… Katrin only found her mistress’s fussing adorable.
“Oh, that reminds me. I decided to hire someone. Her name’s Angela, she’s thirteen.”
After explaining everything about how she’d met the girl, Lynette saw Katrin nod.
“You did well, Miss.”
“To your eyes, whatever I do is always right, isn’t it?”
“Of course. Everything you do is right.”
“Even if I stay out overnight?”
“I trust you, Miss.”
To Katrin, anything Lynette did was right, and anything she said was true. With nothing more to say, Lynette shook her head and hurriedly finished eating, then rushed off to work.
“I’ll come help once I finish the housework.”
“No, it’s fine. I can handle it myself, and Angela will be there today too. Once you’re done here, just rest.”
Not wanting to burden Katrin further, Lynette smiled and left the house. She wondered how busy the day would be—only to stop in surprise in front of the shop.
“What kind of miracle is this?”
The area around the café had been swept spotless. Lynette normally left it wild because she liked nature as it was and found cleaning bothersome. Yet this morning it was as if a typhoon had come and blown every leaf away.
“Huh? The door’s unlocked? A thief? But there’s nothing to steal…”
As the doorknob turned easily, Lynette quickly pushed open the door.
“W-welcome, Boss!”
Angela, wearing the new clothes and red shoes Lynette had bought her the day before, beamed as she cleaned.
“The shop opens at eleven, but customers don’t usually come until twelve. You didn’t need to come this early.”
“I thought it’d be better to clean beforehand.”
She wasn’t wrong, but Lynette firmly told her not to come before work hours again.
“For the one-month probation, I’ll pay you thirty silon.”
“Eh?”
“Is that too little?”
“N-no, it’s not that… I’ve just never received pay before. It doesn’t feel real.”
Angela had never even seen a silver coin properly, let alone received wages. Hearing she’d get thirty silon for the probation shocked her.
“You’re surprised by something so small? After probation you’ll get forty silon, and I’ll raise it little by little every year. But if you think of running away, you’ll be in trouble.”
“R-running away? No way! I’m going to bury my bones here!”
“My, what a frightening thing to say. If you try that, I’ll have to chain you down. Enough scary talk—let me show you your tasks.”
She explained customer service, handling payments, serving drinks, and washing cups. At that, Angela suddenly went pale.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um… I… don’t know how to do arithmetic.”
“Oh! I forgot.”
Because Sharon had been competent from the start, Lynette had overlooked this. Only wealthy children here could afford schooling.
“Well, no helping it. While it’s quiet, we’ll at least practice counting. Can you read?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. Going hungry isn’t your fault, and being uneducated isn’t a crime.”
Lynette pulled out a sheet of paper and quickly scribbled something.
“This says ‘Angela.’ It’s your name.”
“This is… my name?”
“Yes. Let’s start with that. You’ll need to know tool names and ingredients for errands too. Also, a hundred bron make one silon, and a hundred silon make one golon. Remember the units.”
As her impromptu teacher, Lynette greeted a customer with a bright smile, and Angela mimicked her.
“This is called a latte. Take it carefully to that guest over there.”
Sharon had been allowed to taste coffee, but Angela was too young. Coffee was poison for a growing child.
Even just following orders without understanding was exhausting; Angela’s legs shook. Noticing her pale face, Lynette gave up her own chair.
“Sit here and rest. If you collapse, I’ll be responsible.”
She should have refused, but too tired, Angela sank into the chair. As she caught her breath, her stomach growled loudly.
“You didn’t eat breakfast, did you?”
“H-huh? N-no, I did… well…”
She had skipped breakfast to save the bread Lynette gave her yesterday. Misunderstanding, Lynette tilted her head, then nodded knowingly.
“Well, at your age, you’d still be hungry even after eating iron bars.”
Children that age could never stay full. So when Shian walked in, Lynette greeted him with relief.
“Lynet, I see a new face today.”
“Yes, this is a new worker. It’s her first day, so she’s a bit tired.”
Seeing Lynette with her employee behind her, Shian’s lips curved faintly.
“Today, I’d like a warm caramel macchiato. Just a little cream.”
“Right away.”
After the payment, Lynette quickly made it, while Angela watched in awe—everything here was new to her.
When Shian had his coffee and the shop quieted, Angela’s stomach rumbled again. Lynette pulled out a frying pan for the first time in a while, gathered some vegetables from the back garden, washed, and roughly chopped them.
“What are you making?”
“Today, I’m the chef. Been a while—I hope it turns out okay.”
Into a bowl went the chopped vegetables, flour, water, salt, and an egg, mixed together and ladled into the oiled pan.
Hissss—
A lively sound filled the café, coffee aroma giving way to savory oil. When browned, Lynette flipped it neatly with a spatula—the pancake turned golden and crisp.
Angela swallowed hard, mesmerized, covering her mouth with her hand.
“What is that?”
“It’s called a buchimgae (Korean vegetable pancake). Ah! It’s ready.”
Lynette cut it up and placed it on a plate. Angela took a bite and her face instantly lit up.
“I-it’s delicious! Especially the edges—they’re so crispy and nutty!”
It was her first time tasting such food. She devoured it, and Lynette tried a piece herself, then made two more, enjoying the flavor after so long.
“As expected, I must be a genius!”
“You’re amazing, Boss!”
“Hey, don’t call me Boss. Use my name, Lynette.”
Being called “Boss” by both Sharon and Angela made her cringe.
“T-then… Miss Lynette…”
“That’s better. Call me that. By the way, this really is tasty. Should I make another?”
“Yes, please!”
Feeling bad for only tempting Shian with the smell, Lynette plated some for him as service.
“You’re a regular, so please have this on the house. Just taste it. If you don’t like it, you don’t need to finish.”
“If Lynet made it, it will be delicious. Just like your coffee always is.”
But when Shian tasted the pancake, he blinked in surprise. He had expected nothing—it was just vegetables and flour fried in oil. He’d intended to take one polite bite so Lynette wouldn’t be disappointed. Instead, once he put it in his mouth, he couldn’t stop. Blowing on the hot pancake, he kept eating.
“Lynet, forgive me, but… could I have a little more? It’s wonderful.”
“You’re not just pretending it’s good to make me feel better, are you?”
“Never. I could swear on my first love.”
Swearing on the love that had eaten him up and abandoned him felt strange, but Lynette cooked one last pancake and split it between Angela and Shian.
“My word, I’ve never tasted anything like this. You could sell it to customers.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
Angela, lips glistening with oil, beamed once her belly was full. There was no medicine better than a child’s laughter. Lynette smiled faintly back.
“Did you eat your fill?”
“Yes! It was really, really delicious. The best in the whole world!”
Though many things could be “the best,” for Angela—who had tasted so little—this was the highest praise possible.
“And you, Shian? How did it taste to you?”
Half-covering Angela’s ears so she wouldn’t hear more “first love” nonsense, Lynette awaited his verdict.
“It tasted… like even the first love who abandoned me would come back for another bite.”
