Chapter 43: Liela and Janna (1)

Rachel watched Emily make coffee and started making dessert.

The name of the dessert to be made this time is brownie.

A brownie can be said to be a flat chocolate cake baked in a baking pan.

Thanks to the sweetness of chocolate and the chewy texture of brownies, there are no likes or dislikes.

Since Rachel was serious about coffee, she often made and ate brownies in her previous life. The ingredients are simple and the method of making them is not difficult.

“I’ll be making dessert, so Miss Emily, please make some coffee for me.”

“Your coffee too? Okay. I’ll give it a try!”

Emily clenched her fist.

No matter how hard she tries, it’s true that the coffee she makes is inferior to the coffee Rachel makes.

But Emily wanted to give Rachel the best coffee.

It’s natural to want to give even a little tastier food to a friend.

So Emily started making coffee with more concentration than ever. She poured in all the experience she had gained over the years and Rachel’s know-how.

Meanwhile, Rachel focused on cooking.

‘I have to make it as delicious as possible.’

She also had the same thoughts as Emily.

No matter how easy chocolate brownies are, they won’t be as good as those made by a professional dessert chef.

‘Emily’s personality is kind, but her taste might be luxurious. Let’s do our best!’

So they both did their best.

After a while.

Rachel took out the chilled brownie from the refrigerator. She neatly shaped it with a knife.

‘It tasted good before it hardened, so please be good.’

She took a bite.

Fortunately, it was delicious.

The fluffy brownie was like eating castella, and the rich chocolate taste wrapped around her tongue and stimulated every cell.

“It’s a bit sweet, but we’ll be eating it with coffee anyway.”

Just in case she didn’t like it, she also baked bread in butter.

“Is it done?”

“Yes. It’s done. It’s hot, so be careful.”

She put the brownie, cut into bite-sized pieces, on a plate. Emily poked it with a fork and ate it.

Chew, chew.

She closed her eyes and savored it, then finally rinsed her mouth with coffee.

“How is it?”

“….”

After a moment of silence, she spoke.

“It’s delicious. The sweetness and the flavor of the coffee make a really good combination.”

She smiled.

That appearance was so beautiful that I stared blankly at Emily for a moment.

“Hmm? Is there something on my face?”

“No. No. I’m glad it’s delicious. Ahem.”

“It’s my turn now.”

Emily poured steamed milk into the espresso made by the machine. The dark brown color lightens.

On top, there were traces of a clumsy attempt at latte art.

Rachel drank it without much expectation. Because she’s become accustomed to the taste of her own coffee and modern coffee.

But the moment a sip went down her throat, her thoughts changed.

“Hmm?”

“Why? Is it not tasty?”

Emily asked, looking dejected. Rachel shook her head vigorously.

“No. I’ve had a lot of Emily’s coffee, right? But this one is really delicious. You’ve improved a lot.”

“Really?”

She nodded.

Then Emily made a gesture as if she was relieved.

“Then shall we chat while eating properly?”

“Sounds good.”

So the two of us chatted while eating coffee, brownies, and various foods that the butler had packed until the sun went down.

I didn’t know this in my previous life, but I think I know why women chat a lot.

Basically, the conversation itself was enjoyable.

What did you eat yesterday, what happened, and other trivial conversations were funny.

Objectively, it’s not a fun topic, but why? Rachel didn’t find the time she spent with her boring at all.

‘Is it because the other person is Emily?’

I don’t know yet.

“I should be going now.”

“Yes. Be careful on your way. See you tomorrow.”

Rachel and Emily parted with regretful looks. Both of them wanted to play a little more, but unfortunately, they didn’t have time.

Emily still had a lot of work to do, and Rachel had to spur on her business and alchemy studies.

Left alone, Rachel cleaned Emily’s coffee cup and the table. She had tried to help, but Rachel had refused.

‘If it were Earth, I would be watching Netflix. It’s a shame.’

It’s a shame that there’s nothing to enjoy here.

If there was at least a TV, we could have watched a movie or drama together.

It would be fun to play with Yona and Emily late into the night.

“I had fun today. It was definitely worth looking forward to.”

Emily came to her room and lay down on her bed. Her eyes closed thanks to the fluffy mattress.

But she opened her eyes. She still has a lot of work to do.

“Rachel will die soon.”

She recalled the shocking story she had heard from Yona a while ago.

If it were just a tarot reader with no ability, she would have just ignored it.

Even the most skilled magician cannot completely predict a person’s future. In fact, there were many charlatan tarot readers.

But this time, she couldn’t ignore it.

After hearing Yona’s words, she immediately called her subordinates and searched for the tarot house, but the tarot house did not appear.

It was as if it had never existed from the beginning, there was no trace of it, and she said that Yona’s fortune was also correct.

It is a prophecy that cannot be overlooked.

Then someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

“It’s me. Emily.”

“Ah, come in. Aris.”

The person who opened the door and came in was Aris. She, wearing light armor, stood in front of Emily.

“I have a favor to ask. Please protect Rachel until I tell you to stop.”

“Rachel… you mean the person I met a few months ago. She was the heir of the Medicine King, right?”

“Yes. Don’t get too close, and do it without Rachel knowing.”

“I understand.”

Aris bowed her head and left Emily’s mansion.

“I hope nothing happens.”

Emily didn’t want to lose her only friend. She didn’t want her to get hurt, and she didn’t want her to suffer even more.

If there is someone who touches her, she will kill that person somehow.

Even if it’s an elder of the family.

Emily looked at the documents piled up on the desk. At the top, the names of the elders were written.

A few days later,

While I was studying alchemy, the communicator rang. I picked up the communicator.

It was Janna.

“Hello?”

“Yes, Rachel. It’s Janna. I called to let you know that the deal with the Blazing Castle is over. I wanted to let you know the results.”

“It’s already over?”

“Yes. The wizards belonging to the Blazing Castle were strangely cooperative.”

Armil must have used her power. Otherwise, there’s no way the deal with the wizards, who are notorious for being picky, would end so quickly.

The pickiness of wizards is often described in novels. In particular, their stubbornness is hard to break. That’s why merchants have a hard time dealing with wizards.

“Then how, shall we meet in person and talk?”

“I’d like that. Can I go right now?”

“Yes. I don’t have anything to do anyway, so you can come. I’ll send you the location now.”

I sent the location coordinates through the communicator. Janna said she would see me later and hung up. With this, one of my worries was relieved.

Anyway, it was sponsored, so even if the merchant guild makes money, I have no profit, though.

After waiting for a while, someone knocked on the door.

It must be Janna.

“Come in.”

I opened the door. Standing in front was a green-haired woman, Liela.

“Hmm? Why are you here?”

“I’m sorry for visiting without saying anything.”

“No, no. It’s not like I’m angry. I’m not asking why you’re here, I’m asking why you’re really here. We saw each other this morning. In the lab.”

“It’s about what you asked me to do a while ago, you see.”

I checked what was in Liela’s hand.

The title of a book written in an unknown language. At a glance, it exceeds hundreds of pages.

The book she was holding was the book I asked her to interpret a while ago.

The book itself is written in the language of another race, not the common language of the continent, so I couldn’t read it.

I was too curious about the content to not read it. Fortunately, Liela said she knew the language, so I asked her.

“Did you already interpret it all?”

“Yes. I did it all. You can see it now.”

I received the translated version from her. When I read it roughly, all the letters were written in Liela’s handwriting.

“Wasn’t it hard? It wasn’t that urgent.”

“It was a lot of work, but it was doable. And I learned new knowledge while doing it.”

“Thank you.”

It’s been a few months since she volunteered to be my assistant. During that time, she never refused any of my requests and did everything.

Naturally, the first impression I had in my heart changed 180 degrees.

“Come in and have some coffee. It’s time for lunch anyway. It would be nice to eat together.”

“Can I?”

“Of course. Come in.”

I guided her inside.

The moment I guided her to the living room, someone knocked on the door. It was Janna.

“Rachel!”