Chapter 31: A Wish Come True

From the oak-paneled dome hung chandeliers suspended by brass chains. Warm, honey-colored light flowed over mottled stone walls and finally spilled onto the finely inlaid wooden tables.

Behind the bar counter crafted from dark brown oak, various copper utensils gleamed with a gentle luster. Carved wooden chairs quietly embraced low tables, and the entire space was steeped in an atmosphere of lazy luxury.

“Ah… I feel like I’m about to die…”

Alberna lay sprawled against the solid wood counter, weakly propping up her head. Her fingertips tapped the surface without rhythm, producing dull, repetitive thuds.

“Miss, you haven’t closed your eyes since yesterday. Feeling like this is perfectly normal,”

said a young girl in a traditional maid outfit from behind the counter, softly setting down a cup of coffee mixed with milk. Her tone was so calm it bordered on indifference—less comfort than a statement of objective fact.

Only Alberna and the maid were in the café. The spacious interior felt especially empty and lonely.

Through the transparent glass door, one could vaguely see an exquisite wooden sign hanging outside, engraved with recruitment information.

Since arriving in Falisa, that hiring sign had been hanging outside for a full four days.

Over those four days, applicants had come one after another, yet not a single one had satisfied her. Even now, the number of official employees in the shop was still zero.

The only staff currently in the café were maids she had brought from her family, such as the personal maid before her, Carol.

Why was hiring people so hard?!

She should’ve brought more people with her in the first place.

And now she still had to go looking for some witch—troubles just kept piling up one after another…

There hadn’t been any news of witches in the human world for centuries, yet just days after she arrived in Falisa, traces of a witch suddenly appeared. She really was heaven’s chosen unlucky soul.

“Heh, staying in a place like this all day—even without that happening, there’s no way anyone could sleep,”

Alberna said irritably, rubbing her temples as her pink hair fell loosely over her shoulders.

“By the way, has Father sent any word about that matter?” Alberna lazily stirred her coffee, clearly referring to the witch.

“He told you to handle it yourself,” Carol replied calmly, then imitated the duke’s stern tone.
“‘Alberna, you are already a member of the Isaachsen family capable of facing difficulties on your own. Some things must be experienced personally to be understood.’ And that was all.”

Alberna waved her hand impatiently, as if trying to shoo away the annoying words.

“The Duke is doing this for your own good,” Carol continued, her voice still steady.
“Compared to the young master, you do indeed lack certain… traits belonging to the Isaachsen family.”

“Oh? Like what?” Alberna raised an eyebrow.

“At the very least, I believe neither the Duke nor the young master would have imagined that your so-called ‘getting in touch with reality’ would mean opening a café like this at a street corner in Falisa’s trade district…”

Carol paused, carefully choosing her words, but did not finish the sentence.

“Forgive my bluntness—this is simply outrageous.”

“Outrageous or not, I don’t get it,” Alberna pouted, idly fiddling with the coffee spoon on the table.
“Anyway, coming here to find something to do was his idea, not mine. I don’t care about all that family honor stuff.”

“Miss, the coffee is getting cold,” Carol said with a faint curve of her lips, pushing the brown liquid toward Alberna.

“Thanks.” Alberna lifted the cup and slowly took a sip. The rich aroma and just-right temperature briefly soothed her frayed nerves.

“Miss, at the very least, you should care about this café’s business situation.”

“I know…” Alberna immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, collapsing onto the table and shrouded in a gray gloom.
“But it’s really hard…”

She suddenly lifted her head and slammed both hands on the table, letting out an unwilling shout:

“Ahhhhh!!! Why can’t I ever run into a tall, big-chested, curvy, white-haired, golden-eyed, gentle-faced, shy, slightly temperamental, beautiful and intellectual big sister—like a living saint—who would主动地 come up to me and say she can’t live this life without me?!!”

Carol fell silent for a moment, then offered her advice expressionlessly:
“…Miss, you should go to sleep.”

“Ahhh, why can’t I ever meet one…” Alberna continued to wail, burying her face in her arms like a spoiled child.

“Miss, you should be well aware that even just the trait of being a white-haired girl already makes someone one in ten thousand—let alone meeting all your other requirements,” Carol analyzed rationally, her tone tinged with helplessness.

Just as Alberna lay listlessly on the table, a crisp chime of the doorbell suddenly rang by her ear.

“The café isn’t open yet. If you want coffee, come back later…” Alberna began to shoo them away without even lifting her head, her voice muffled in her arms.

“I’m not here for coffee. I saw a recruitment notice at the door, so I came in… to ask.”

A gentle female voice sounded softly, like a spring breeze brushing past the ear.

Alberna suddenly felt her shoulder being lightly tapped twice.

“Ah, what is it, Carol?” she asked impatiently, lifting her head.

“Miss… your wish has come true.” Carol stared blankly toward the entrance. After a long pause, she finally squeezed out those last three words, a rare look of shock appearing on her usually calm face.

“What?!!”

Alberna shot upright in disbelief. In her line of sight stood a silver-white–haired young woman holding the hand of a small white-haired girl. Half her body was hidden behind the half-open glass door, clearly nervous.

Perletti had never expected the inside of this café to look like this.

From the outside, it seemed like a cozy little coffee shop—so why was the interior décor so luxurious? Would a café of this caliber really appear in a place like this? She began to suspect she had come to the wrong place.

Perletti really wanted to turn around and leave. But the doorbell had already drawn attention, the recruitment sign hung plainly on the door, and the café was obviously not yet open. The intention behind pushing the door open was painfully obvious.

Pretending to be clueless now was meaningless.

With no other choice, she could only steel herself.

“Um… if you’re not open yet, maybe we should look somewhere else?” Perletti said, seeing the pink-haired girl staring straight at her without moving—it was unsettling. She immediately prepared to take Feiye and leave this uncomfortable place.

“Please wait!” Alberna hurriedly called out to stop her, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.

Silver-white long hair, delicate features, perfect proportions—wasn’t this exactly what she had dreamed of?

More importantly, she was even bringing along a little white-haired loli! This was practically a buy-one-get-one-free miracle!

In Alberna’s eyes, Perletti was like an angel descending from the heavens—appearing before her after she had made such a sincere wish, perfectly matching every one of her fantasies.