Chapter 49: Running A Shop With ‘May’

The forest tea shop, which opens once a month, is already an interesting spectacle for the villagers.

“What have you prepared this time?”

“Yes, I’ve prepared Hotteok, which is popular in the Empire. You can cut it with a knife and fork, but I recommend holding it in your hand and eating it.”

“Oho… I feel like I’m learning a lot of interesting things thanks to the Young Lady. Thank you.”

A space where villagers gather in groups of three or five to enjoy delicious food and drinks and share their own stories, it has become a wonderful place.

In this space, the Young Lady also enjoys her own form of communication with others.

“What would you like to order!”

“Hehe, I’ll take 3 Hotteok~ with whipped cream on top!”

“Then I’ll take 4! I knew I’d be eating something delicious today, so I brought honey!”

“What would you like to drink?”

“Hmm~ I like that coffee!”

“I’d like green tea, please.”

“Understood!”

I wish the Young Lady would realize a little more that she can be loved by people other than me.

“May~ 7 Hotteok, no, 9 more~”

“Uaaa…! Why do I have to come all the way here and bake this..!”

“Well, because you agreed to work?”

“Kuh-huh..! This is labor exploitation!”

May is busy baking Hotteok in the kitchen.

…Well, you should have read the contract carefully when you signed it.

Especially when you’re making a contract with me, not someone else.

“I wanted to eat Hotteok, not make it..!”

“Then will you do the serving? Of course, if you spill something while serving, it’s your responsibility.”

“Kuh-huh..! You’re exploiting my weakness!”

Seeing her working hard despite being angry, well, it seems like she can still handle it.

If the dishes coming out are wrong, I’ll just go in and do it myself.

“Welcome~ Ah, Mr. Tess. Hello?”

Tess, the only young man among the four construction workers, also came to the tea shop.

“Young Lady!”

“Yes! What would you like to order today? Delicious Hotteok is the most popular today!”

“Th, then I’ll take something to drink that goes well with it, please.”

“Yes!”

The Young Lady trots over to bring the order form.

“Did I do well?”

“Yes! You’re doing so well~”

“Hehe… I’m glad then.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“No! I’m resting well! And I like that other people are kind to me! It seems like everyone isn’t so scared of me.”

“Of course. The Young Lady is definitely not a scary person.”

Of course, the fact that she’s wearing an overly cute pink waitress uniform and lots of pink frills also has an influence.

“Hehe… Does pink suit me well?”

“Of course. Pink really suits the Young Lady!”

“Hehe… I’ll go take the rest of the orders!”

“Yes~”

“Hey~ Why don’t I have the right to rest in the kitchen~ Mana~~?”

“Well, because you came to work. Instead, I’ll let you eat 200 Hotteok?”

“..That’s too much.. My arms feel like they’re falling off right now…”

…Complaining after making only 500…

“Then you do the serving, I’ll make them.”

“Th, thank you… Hwaaaaa…”

“You have to do all the serving, okay? You’re not thinking of letting the Young Lady do the serving, are you?”

“Of, of course not. I’ll go quickly!!!!”

May runs out of the kitchen.

…I think it was harder than I thought.

No, I’m using magic to ripen it, make the dough, put the filling in beforehand, do everything, and all you have to do is bake it, how can that be so difficult…

“Young Lady! Please watch May so she doesn’t make any mistakes!”

“Yup!”

“Hey! I’m still a maid, you know?!”

She’s a maid, alright… a clumsy maid…

Ugh, I wish she would just get married soon…

It takes 3 seconds to properly tear off the Hotteok dough, put the filling inside, tie it up, press it down, and put it on.

May was fumbling around and it was late, and it’s only been 15 minutes since we started doing business, so I have to make plenty considering the packaging as well.

Really…

“Here, I’ve made 10 Hotteok. Plate them and take them.”

“Al, already?”

“…Because it’s me?”

“…Well, because it’s you.”

“Do the plating without making any mistakes. Got it?”

“Okay~! Just leave it to me!”

…I’m most anxious when she says those words.

Instead of trusting the unreliable May, I trust the Young Lady and focus on baking Hotteok.

I have to make at least 200 so I can properly greet the customers, talk to other people, and get to know their faces a little…

Of course, it won’t taste good if it cools down after making it, so if you put it all in one place well…

“Whew, okay. This should be about enough.”

After baking 200 Hotteok in about 10 minutes, I go back outside and start greeting customers again.

“Who is that new lady?”

“Ah, she’s my co-worker. Her name is May.”

“Then is she a lady working at the Count’s estate?”

“Yes, she’s a maid.”

“I see~ She has a different feel from the Young Lady~”

“Hahaha… Did my friend make any mistakes…”

“No no, it’s just that she seems very clumsy, but it’s amazing that she’s a maid~”

…I’m always amazed by that too.

Even now, she’s carefully squeezing whipped cream on top of the Hotteok, but the shape isn’t good…

“That lady should marry a man with good manual skills…”

“…Yes, but she says she won’t marry anyone but a knight.”

“Oh my oh my, she’s so young~”

“How old is she?”

“16 years old.”

“Oh my oh my~ She’s definitely young!”

“Yeah~ She’s finally an adult, so it’s time to date~ Isn’t dating after 16 real dating?”

“Still, I liked dating when it was fresh and cute?”

“Kyahaha! That’s because you’ve been chasing after him for so long…”

The young women start talking again.

…I wish she would have seduced the other knights while working at the Count’s castle a little faster.

How long will she wait for her destined partner.

“Ah!”

Goodness.

Whether she misspoke or not, May almost fell, but barely managed to regain her balance.

“Whew…”

“What do you mean whew?”

The Hotteok is flying away. Hey.

“Huh?!”

…When will she ever grow up?

I quickly leap forward and carefully catch the Hotteok that was flying away back into the bowl.

“…Be careful.”

“Th, thank you! Hehe… It can’t be helped! These kinds of mistakes happen!”

“Ugh, this klutz.”

-Wow, what was that movement just now?

-She flew like an elf!

-That’s amazing, Young Lady?

Clap clap clap clap, applause erupts from the surroundings.

…I didn’t intend to do this.

“Thank you. Thank you. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

…In the meantime, the Young Lady is also applauding.

…You seem very happy. Young Lady.

“As expected of Mana! Cool!”

“…Thank you.”

Anyway, after a series of commotions, the cafe will operate normally again,

“Kyaa!”

…it was going to operate normally.

May couldn’t stand it any longer and committed another troll move.

“S, sorry..!”

And it was a big one.

“Oh, what to do..! Are you okay?”

“Ah, no. Calm down.”

“F, f, first wipe it off..!”

“I, I’ll do it!”

How can you cause another accident in the meantime…

May was walking again to serve, but tripped over her own feet and fell, smearing a customer nearby with Hotteok full of whipped cream.

May hurriedly wiped the whipped cream off the customer’s clothes.

And the customer doesn’t know what to do.

…Ah, now that I see it, it’s Tess.

Haa…

I can’t help it, I have to handle it.

“Tess, are you okay?”

Young Lady?

“I, I’m okay. But first…”

“May, I don’t think you can wipe off what’s on Mr. Tess’s clothes now. You smeared it too much.”

“I, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry..!”

“Ca, calm down. Lady. You don’t have to do that!”

“Instead, come inside for now. Mana! Do we have any clothes to change into?”

“…Well, we do have some.”

“Then quickly!”

“Yes!”

The Young Lady smiles slyly.

…Young Lady, what are you planning?

While May and Tess go inside the store to clean up the mess, I quickly prepare a piece of clothing and wipe off the whipped cream spilled on the floor.

Whew…

The decision to use May was wrong. Um… Where else do I use her though.

“Mana!”

“Yes, Young Lady?”

“Did I do well?”

“Yes, you did well. It was a good reception.”

It’s important to quickly clean up the accident, but it’s also important not to attract the attention of other customers.

In that respect, the Young Lady’s judgment was really good.

“Right? I did well, didn’t I?”

“Yes yes~”

Pat pat~

As I stroke her head, the Young Lady smiles slyly.

“I thought those two looked good together!”

“Yes?”

“Just by looking at them, it’s like a destined meeting!”

…??

“Ooh, our little lady is Cupid?”

“Oh my, could it be that you sent them together on purpose with that in mind?”

“Yes! Don’t you think they look good together?”

“Hahahaha! Well, let’s just tell them to try it~ It’s a good time to be~”

…I was complimenting the customer service.

It seems that the Young Lady was looking at the other side.

“What do you think, Mana? Do those two look good together?”

“…Both of them are a little… not..? I don’t know..?”

I don’t know anything except that they’re the same age…

One is 20 years old and the other is 16 years old, so the 4-year difference seems right?

“I have a gut feeling! Those two are destined!”

“Uh… I don’t know?”

“Hehehe, I think so!”

Soon May and Tess come out again.

“Th, this is..”

“I’m sorry. Is this your first time wearing a butler’s uniform? That’s all I had.”

“Ah, no. I’ve worn similar uniforms before, so…”

“W, well, you look good together…!”

“I, is that so..!”

…What.

Why are both of their faces a little… red?

The Young Lady pulls on my sleeve and says in a small voice.

“Right?”

“…Why?”

“…Mana, you’re really clueless.”

“…I have 100 levels of sense, you know?”

“Since a while ago, they’ve been exchanging glances, and the villagers have been wanting it too?”

???

Since when?

Looking around, everyone is nodding.

Especially one of the middle-aged women.

“Oh my~ Are you two dating~? You’re so close~~??”

“Ah, no!!”

“Th, that’s not it..!”

…??

Is there a signal that only I don’t know…?

“Mana, how about we let May work here only until today?”

“…Shall we?”

It seems like May, who has high standards, has found a partner…

Mr. Tess is also a very hard worker, so

If the two of them get along well, I’ll feel relieved too.

“May, that’s it for today, get out of here quickly. Go out and play.”

“Huh? Huh?!”

“Ah, take the Hotteok with you.”

I wrap 10 Hotteok and put them in May’s arms, then kick her out of the store as if chasing her away.

“Good job, Mana!”

“…I’ve never had this kind of thing happen before.”

…Well, it’s good if it works out.