《A divorced evil lady bakes cakes》 Chapter 1 Erin de Brescia was a villain. I have never deliberately killed or harassed anyone. She had never done anything particularly evil, had never been jealous and haunted her husband¡¯s lover. He was not as lavish and arrogant as the usual evil girls. Far from luxury, Erin wore a plain dress with no strabismus. She was the highest woman in the Imperial Palace, but she had never acted at will. She had never spent her money. I endured all my desires and always tried to be a sweet and humble wife. That way, you¡¯ll get a little less blame. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve lived for nine years. But the only thing left as a result was the stigma of evil. She is the daughter of a fallen family, and she dare to take the place of the Duchess and become the greatest lady of the Empire. Tormenting the poor girl who loves the Duke. A dirty evil woman who wears a mask of a wise wife and has a shameless affair. That was the opinion of most of the imperial nobles who saw Erin. And now her husband, the Duke of Levenberg, was also agreeing with that opinion. ¡°I¡¯m going to divorce you.¡± The Duke threw the document with contemptful eyes. A dry sheet of paper on the table. It was a divorce. Erin looked at her husband, Raymond. The silver hair, which seemed to be squeezed into silver, came first. Under the silver feet, the sharp and delicate features of the imperial people were in a beautiful harmony. A beautiful eye with a cold blue-grey eye. The perfect nose and jawline. And the lips that seem to produce a sophisticated smile. He looked impeccably handsome. He was sitting in a luxurious navy blue uniform, and he saw his natural dignity and dignity. But the blue-grey eyes were drawn to Erin with a terrible rage and disgust. Erin read the brief, summing up the past nine years in a single piece of paper. (¡­and therefore the marriage of Raymond von Levenberg and Erin de Brecia is annulled under agreement. From now on, the two of you¡­) It was his name that caught the eye of the long-spoken letters. Erin de Brecia. She had never used it since she got married. Erin was the only daughter of the Marquis of Brecia. The Marquis of Brecia was an old, prestigious family, but now he had no property left over from two generations of extravagance and waste. There was nothing but debt. The only property his father inherited was a mansion, but he could not sell it because he was in debt with collateral. She was a young lady, but Erin had to live hard every day in a mansion without a servant, she were no better than the rich commoners. It was purely thanks to her grandfather who had never seen her before that Erin became the Duchess. When Erin reached adulthood, a servant came to the palace and said. ¡°Your Majesty wants to make lady Brescia the bride of the Duke of Levenberg.¡± It was a story so big that I wanted to hear it wrong. The Duke of Levenberg was the son of a dead prince; the first grandson of the present emperor, and heir of the most powerful state. The young Duke was known for his intelligence and competence. He was good-looking, perfect-looking. He was a handsome man, as he had come from the painting. It was incredibly great luck. ¡°Why did you¡­?¡± The servant explained the reason for the proposal. ¡°Your Majesty noticed Erin on the anniversary of his last victory, and he said he made a very good impression.¡± All the nobles attend the banquet on the anniversary of the victory. Erin was so poor that she could not go to social circles as often as other noble children. It was the day Erin went to the social gatherings of the nobles, and for the first time that day Erin was the first young Marquis to meet the emperor. ¡°Your majesty the emperor heard the Marquis¡¯s misfortune, and was very sorry to recall the loyalty of the Marquis.¡± As the servant said, ¡®The great-great-grandfather was Erin¡¯s grandfather. Erin¡¯s grandfather was said to have been a trusted aide to the current emperor. But after his grandfather¡¯s death, his uncle and cousin, who took over the title one after the other, wasted their family fortune and died in debt. After that, Erin¡¯s father, who was his second son, took over the family that was left in debt. The servant added, as if to tell a secret. ¡°And¡­ ¡­and, in fact, there is no such thing as a duke in the Empire. There¡¯s no age-appropriate spirituality in the best families, and all the other eternities fall into the family category.¡± My parents were in debt and were unable to attend the social gatherings of the nobles, and Naturally the three families were darkened by rumors circulating among the high nobility. So I believed every word the servant told me. In addition, at the end of the proposal was a compliment. ¡°If you accept the proposal, your Majesty will give you financial support for the Marquis.¡± My father was in conflict, but Erin was not. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get married.¡± My parents asked me a few times with an uneasy face. ¡°Don¡¯t you really regret it?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t regret it.¡± This marriage raises the family and allows parents to live comfortably. I thought I couldn¡¯t regret it. From then on, I entered the palace and studied to become a future empress day and night. When taking a break from studying, I was trained in dance and etiquette to get blisters on my feet. It was hard enough, but Erin tried hard to keep it from hard. The effort was not in vain. Wearing a luxurious dress prepared by the palace, I walked carefully into the palace¡¯s garden for fear that the expensive clothes might be damaged. The silver-haired duke took Erin¡¯s hand and kissed it politely on the back of her hand. ¡°I am honored to welcome such a beautiful and elegant young lady as my wife.¡± Erin was pleased. The Duke, whom she had met, was more affectionate and kind than she had imagined He kindly asked after her family and led the conversation. In a few meetings,Erin naturally felt the love of the Duke , who was alone. ¡®I think I can live happily if I¡¯m like this.¡¯ People were talking about it as a fairy tale. A happy ending story in which a girl born in a fallen family lives hard over poverty and marries the prince and becomes happy. That¡¯s what Erin felt. ¡®But reality wasn¡¯t a fairy tale.¡¯ Dreamy happiness ended on the wedding day. The day I married with a swollen dream and hope. The friendly and friendly Duke changed his complexion as soon as he entered the bedroom. ¡°As you may have known, this marriage is only brotherly. I have no intention of being married to you.¡± The first night of their honeymoon. The new groom, the Duke, spoke in a cold voice that was frosty and went out. He left Erin sitting on the bed, sitting blankly. Erin only learned the truth after she married, that her husband, the Duke, had a lover from a lower nobleman who had been hiding since his teenage years. .Rumors spread among high-ranking aristocrats that the Duke had sworn to make the woman an empress. The emperor, who was worried about the rumor, took Erin from the Marquis, who was on the verge of bankruptcy, and forced the Duke to marry. But when I realized all that, I was already a duchess and left alone in an empty newlywed bedroom. ¡°¡­.¡± Erin, thinking of old memories, put down the papers and looked up. Raymond, who was not much different from that night, was still looking at this side with a cold, careless look. Raymond sighed in a breathless way. ¡°Hah, when I first got married, I thought she was a good, wise woman.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Erin blinked without answering. Can that person be hurt in a dream how much effort I have made to be a decent and wise wife? Although she held the position of the Duchess for nine years by her cold-hearted and indifferent husband , but she returned to herself with a slight disdain and indifference. And he was falsely accused of having an affair with his childhood friend. The man who had not listened to the innocence of the past few months, ¡°It¡¯s the limit of having to endure this marriage, and no matter how much you cry and grievance to the King, I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, I see, can I sign here?¡± ¡°So if you pretend to be as poor as you were last time, this time you¡¯ll never¡­ What?¡± The duke paused at the unexpected remark. Either way, Erin took the pen and wrote it down on the paper. Erin von Levenberg The day I signed this is the last day. The moment I grabbed the pen, that thought crossed my mind. I used to think that if I lost this name, the world would collapse. ¡®Because this was the only thing I had.¡¯ I thought that the only thing left in my life that was nothing but this place. So I wanted to catch it somehow. But when I put the pen on the last letter, the feeling that came into my mind was only a cool sense of freedom. Erin shook the divorce papers with a nonchalant look. ¡°I¡¯ve signed it, can I go now?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, if you¡¯re going to marry your girlfriend right away, I¡¯ll have to fix up my place. They told me to use it as I please, so I sold everything I could.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about what¡¯s going on here. Do whatever you want.¡± And I didn¡¯t really care. I hadn¡¯t been in Erin¡¯s room since. And I really didn¡¯t care. After that, he never even came to Erin¡¯s room. Erin managed the palace by herself and took care of the house, trying to save a penny for fear of others curse at she for being extravagant . I¡¯ve been working so hard, but since I haven¡¯t gotten paid, I¡¯ve decided to sell what I used to get my money back. All, because it¡¯s all yours anyway. The Duke seemed shocked, but Erin was proud. ¡°Why are you surprised? You told me to write it, right? I did what I told you to do.¡± Erin got up and said to the Duke, who looked at him with startled eyes. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t need to talk about alimony because it¡¯s an affair, but you¡¯re still giving me back my dowry?¡± ¡°¡­what are you going to do with that little money?¡± Her husband, who had not caree for what Erin did for the past nine years, asked her the first question. A little money. The little money was the entire property of Erin and the last remaining property of the Brecia family. On the table was a small cream cheese muffin and blueberry tart, which were in style, and sweet cream and sparkling fruit. Erin found the little desserts late on, white cream that seemed to melt down with a bite of water, a tart that crumbled with fragrant nectar and cream cheese. I was so close, I wonder why I didn¡¯t see it. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the dessert plate. This was her old dream. An old dream that I had buried deep in my mind for nine years here. She had just lost everything, but she had the last thing left. Erin smiled confidently for the first time in nine years and replied. ¡°I¡¯m opening a dessert cafe.¡± It is time to achieve that dream. Chapter 2 Erin stood in the room where she lived for nine years. It was empty, after the furniture and luggage were taken out, but it was such a beautiful room that was dazzling even though it was empty. A marble floor with lily patterns and a glittering chandelier hanging from the ceiling with colorful gold workpieces decorated with light green walls. Maybe she¡¯ll never come back. Now she lived as a mistress of the palace, familiar with familiar furniture. I never thought I¡¯d live like this when I was young. Erin¡¯s father was originally a poor knight. He was the second son of Marquis Brecia and married an immigrant baker. He was expelled from the family for reasons. My mother, who was a baker working in a local shop, was an immigrant from the north, Erdan. According to the classification standards of the Empire, she was a low-class citizen with no family or property. The eyes of the people around them were not good, but they were still very happy. Thanks to this, Erin¡¯s childhood was also filled with colorful memories. Like a former baker, her mother made her own food every day and made sweet desserts. Erin learned how to make bread and cookies for fun by helping her mother. Young Erin liked to make cakes and bake bread. My mother taught me how to bake a cake in the kitchen, where white flour would turn white every day. It was good to see the dough in the oven swell up round. It was fun to make rose petals with white cream like snow, and to make dark chocolate out of cacao beans with a pungent scent. ¡°Erin is really talented.¡± With a proud look, the mother took out Erin¡¯s little scone from the tray. As soon as I took a bite, the scone, which was hard, broke down and broke down, and the smell of sweet butter spread out in my mouth. Every time I chewed, the soft bread melted gently at the tip of my tongue. Erin hurriedly ate one whole thing. Mother smiled and whispered to Erin. ¡°It¡¯s a secret, but in fact, we Erdans have a better taste than the Empire.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, so Erin could make a delicious cake, too.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m going to be a cake maker Erin smiled happily and nodded her head. ¡°I want to have a shop full of cakes one day.¡± I also learned how to make cakes and snacks while studying with such dreams. It was a simple and happy life even though I wasn¡¯t rich. But that happiness disappeared in vain when Erin was 19 years old. That year, his cousin , who was the Marquis of Brecia, died in a carriage accident. The uncle, who was the former marquis, had lived a desolate life and died of illness. The uncle had only one cousin brother, and the cousin had no children. There were no relatives in the family who could become successors. Inevitably, Erin¡¯s father took over the marquis. Her father, a poor knight, and her mother, who was a baker, became a marquise couple overnight and Erin became the young lady of the marqyise family. For the three ordinary families, it was a great success, but the reality was quite different. The Marquis was on the verge of bankruptcy. ¡®Instead of living like a noble life, I just sat on a pile of debt.¡¯ My father became a marquise, but he was much poorer than when working as a knight. Although he was promoted to a senior commander because he was a marquis, it was difficult to connect meals with his salary. In fact, if my father had been a little more cool-headed, there was a way to overcome poverty. The Marquis of Brecia was a prestigious family member of a nationally renowned family, Erin, was now the young lady of the family. The man who marries Erin becomes the Marquis of Brecia in the future. Even though it was a debt-ridden title, many rich people wanted to buy the name and title with money. But my father rejected all that sort of proposal. ¡°I won¡¯t sell you for money.¡± I was grateful for my father¡¯s kindness, but now Erin herself is worried that she should rather marry a rich man and pay her debts. The family was going to go bankrupt and all three families were going to be sold as slaves. In the meantime, a proposal came in from the palace. There was no reason to refuse. Erin accepted the duke¡¯s proposal to help the family. I thought I¡¯d never regret it. I thought that I could be a bride of a kind and handsome Duke and help my parents and live happily. Sadly, I truly believed it then. Erin was last looking into the room and was about to be sentimental, but the sniffing sound from her side interrupted her. ¡°Melly, don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Bl¡­ . Mmm. Yes, Your Highness.¡± A little maid with light brown hair hurriedly bowed her head and wiped away her tears. This maid named¡¯Meli¡¯ was the beverage maid of the Imperial Palace here. ¡°It¡¯s not your highness anymore. You can just call me Erin.¡± The remark brought back tears to Melly¡¯s eyes. Her nose was covered with freckles, but she had a pretty cute face. Erin smiled and approached Melly and handed her a handkerchief. ¡°Thank you for everything. The coffee and tea you gave me was really delicious.¡± Coffee was rising from beyond the southern coast, and demand for coffee beans increased mainly in the nobles. In the palace, there were separate servants and maids who served tea and coffee. Melly hesitated and plucked up her courage and asked for a favor. ¡°Eh, Erin. Well, could you take me with you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you could hire me as a maid¡­¡± I knew what you were talking about. Melly was intimate with Erin. That¡¯s because Erin often called Meli to talk to her about the coffee. Now this Crown Princess Palace will have another owner. If she¡¯s here, she¡¯ll be in a difficult situation. ¡®¡­¡­I¡¯m in trouble .¡¯ I wanted to take her with me, but I couldn¡¯t afford a maid for the time being. If you want to get a store and start a business, saving your dowry as much as possible is not enough. Erin was forced to refuse, but suddenly a knock came from outside the door. A middle-aged lady with a nervous look came into the room, opening the door before she even asked her to come in. It was Mrs. Blennon, the head maid of the Crown Princess. She spoke in command without saying hello. ¡°Lady Erin , please finish organizing. The maids are waiting for lady Erin to leave for clean this place.¡± Her husband, Duke, Raymond, brought her lover Serena to the palace as soon as she married Erin. Now that he¡¯s married, he thought he had nothing to worry about, and he lived in his palace without hiding his lover. He made himself a relative of the Count of Blennon, his servant, and raised her status as the Count¡¯s daughter. Serena, the daughter of a low-ranking nobleman, was a nobleman, but she was not able to come and go to the palace. This Mrs. Blennon was the one who had been the Blennon family. Thanks to Serena, she hated Erin while supporting Serena. For the past nine years, Erin has been discredited in everything she does. On the day of the event at the palace, Erin kept an eye to see if she spent any more money than the past empress. If anything went wrong in the Imperial Palace, all of them were inflated hundreds of times as if it were Erin¡¯s responsibility, spreading the rumors. Still, Erin could not bear to be angry. The marriage allowed the Brecia to settle their debts and earn a certain income. My mother and father could live comfortably without any more trouble. Her parents had stopped her from holding up for them, but she thought the family had paid enough for not having to be in debt anymore. And this was the marriage that the emperor asked for. No matter how hard it was, Erin could not ask for divorce first. All she could do was do her best in a given role and be careful not to be cursed any more. The man, the husband, was living with her lover in the palace, and the nobles laughed at her and despised Erin that she had grown up amongst the common people, but she still had to endure it all. So I put up with it again and again. ¡®But I don¡¯t have to take it anymore.¡¯ The father could not see his daughter being ignored, so he volunteered for a dangerous battle to somehow build a merit and succeed. He thought that getting a high position would help Erin. The father, who became a senior commander, he desperately defeated the enemy and led to a dazzling victory. As he wanted, he received a medal for his major and became a hero. But he never came back alive. My mother, who was left alone, died not long ago after suffering from illness. ¡®I wanted to sacrifice myself to make my parents happy.¡¯ But the sacrifice for happiness made everyone unhappy. It was not until after the loss of the two that regrets pushed back. I won¡¯t live like that anymore. The parents who died wanted Erin to find freedom and live happily until the end. Now I will fulfill that wish. Erin smiled and said without qualms. ¡°Did you come to say that on purpose? Don¡¯t worry. Cause I¡¯m going out now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yeah?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand? I¡¯m going out.¡± The snorty voice of Mrs. Blennon flinched. ¡®What, what is this lacking Duchess, why is she so confident today?¡¯ People who were not familiar with the situation said that Erin was a bad woman who committed an affair by pretending to be careful, but Mrs. Blennon, who had been closely watching the Duchess, knew it was nonsense. The duke¡¯s wife had no evil side. The usual Erin, in good terms, was gentle and elegant, and frankly speaking, she was a good person. Erin silently found Melly standing on one side and raised her eyes. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Well, I¡­..Your Grace, no, I wanted to say hello to Erin¡­¡± Mrs. Blennon slapped Melly on the cheek even before the words were finished. Slap! Melly staggered, unable to scream. Mrs. Blennon raised her hand and smiled contentedly. I didn¡¯t like this little girl because she was close to the Duchess. ¡°Who said you could come in here without permission?¡± ¡°Well, I¡­¡± Melly staggered, unable to scream. Mrs. Blennan took her hand back and smiled contentedly. ¡°Get out of here!¡± Erin, who was watching all this from one side, took a step forward. ¡°Mrs. Blennon.¡± Mrs. Blennon looked back at Erin and was surprised again. Erin, who had always kept her mouth shut, she felt a sense of pride and fortitude that she had not usually felt. Erin spat out a cold smile and a brief grin. ¡°I¡¯m going to fire you from head maid today. You also pack up and go out of the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­what, what?¡± Mrs. Blennon stared blankly at Erin with a blank look on her face. Erin said with a grin. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? You¡¯re fired.¡± Chapter 3 Mrs. Blennon stared blankly at Erin and snorted. ¡°Dismissal? Lady Erin, on her own? You¡¯re not a Duchess anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ m not the Duchess anymore. But I haven¡¯t lost everything yet.¡± Erin opened the drawer and took out a small silver box. ¡°The Duchess seal, it¡¯s still in my hands.¡± It was a square box as big as the bottom of a hand made of silver-blue jewelry. The blue box was coiled with white flowers. The petals of the holy water embossed with white jade shimmered in the morning light. Mrs. Blennon was startled. She¡¯s been working as an maidin the palace, and she knew exactly what it was. This was a storage box containing the Empress¡¯s seal. Just as the emperor stamped a document containing national events with the emperor¡¯s seal, the imperial palace¡¯s work is handled with the seal of the empress. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the last thing I¡¯m going to do. You know, firing you.¡± Erin said calmly, as if for granted. ¡°But you got it because you were the Duchess! You¡¯re no longer the Duke¡¯s wife¡­¡­!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that If I am the Duchess, but the Emperor himself entrusted it to me. It¡¯s not what the Duchess would have if it were to be it. It¡¯s the seal of the Empress.¡± Erin laid down the Empress ¡®s seal on the table and struck with ease. ¡°But the Emperor ordered me to take care of the Imperial Palace while leaving the seal to the Empress. Your Majesty is not in the capital right now, so the order is still¡­ It¡¯s valid.¡± The empress died a long time ago, and the Crown Princess, the mother of Raymond , also died of labor. Thanks to this, Erin was officially the highest woman in the palace. The emperor had Erin take care of the palace, leaving the seal of the empress. In the meantime, I have been in charge of living in the palace, but I have never done what I wanted to do because I have always been wary of people around me. But not anymore. ¡°So from this moment on, you¡¯re fired. Get out of the palace right now.¡± Shocked on Mrs. Blennn¡¯s face, but the surprise soon turned into a clear laugh ¡°So you¡¯re gonna fire me? Do you think you¡¯ll be safe if you do something like that without any power? If the new Duchess comes here anyway, I¡¯ll be reinstated.¡± ¡°Yes, when the new Duchess comes in, you may be reinstated. But when will that be? Three months? Four months?¡± Maybe the new Duchess won¡¯t be able to come in for years. I didn¡¯t know how the Emperor would react to the situation, who had not yet heard of the Duchess¡¯ divorce. ¡°It¡¯ll take a long time to get the permission to marry. Unfortunately, you won¡¯t be able to come to the palace until then.¡± Then you¡¯ll be unemployed for years. Erin¡¯s grave answer contained such sarcastic remarks. Only then did Mrs. Blennon, who grasped the situation, look astonished. ¡°Hey, hey, lady Erin¡­! ¡° ¡°Mrs. Blennon.¡± Mrs. Blennon was once again surprised by the stern voice that spoke firmly. Erin was pale and thin, but all over her fragile body, but a moment of vividness and intense pressure came from the whole fragile body. As Mrs. Blennon knows, Erin has lived as a mistress of the imperial palace for nine years, but she has always been quiet and timid. Never before she has revealed such a determined dignity. Erin spoke in a dignified manner. ¡°And now that I¡¯m divorced from the Duke, I¡¯m not Duchess Erin, I¡¯m the lady of, the Marquis of Brecia. On what grounds do you, the wife of a merchant , offer me?¡± It was an irrefutable right remark. The Empire did not recognize the succession of women, so even if her father died, Erin could not be the marquis. However, it does not change that she is the heir of the marquis and the young lady of the family. Although it was a ruined family, the marquis was still marquis. The rank of the knight is different. ¡°This, this¡­¡­.¡± There is nothing to refute. Mrs. Brennan was unable to control his anger and trembled. She couldn¡¯t do anything more, but she wanted to strangle Erin. Of course, she couldn¡¯t scratch Erin because she couldn¡¯t get angry anymore. As Erin said, Erin was the young lady of the marquis, and she was just a wife of a simple merchant. After failing to vent her anger at Erin, Mrs. Blennon looked for a more easy-going anger-pulling partner with hateful eyes. Melly, who was watching all this from one side. ¡°You! I¡¯ll see when I come back!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait and see. Cause she¡¯s coming with me.¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± Melie, who had a bewildered look on her face, was startled at the words. ¡°Melly, come with me. I¡¯m thinking of running a dessert cafe. I want you to work with me.¡± When I said this to Raymond, the duke who was my husband, his face was worth seeing. I¡¯ve never seen that handsome duke look so stupid. The expressions of the two people here now were no different from him. Erin smiled at them. ¡°Because you will in charge of coffee and tea and doing chores, it will be harder than working here, but instead, I¡¯ll give you twice as much as I get here.¡± Originally, to save money, Erin herself wanted to learn more about making coffee and brewing tea. ¡®But it would be okay to hire at least one employee.¡¯ Melly made really good coffee and tea. Not to mention his ability to work in the palace. ¡°What do you say?¡± Melly¡¯s cute face was in full bloom. ¡°Yes, Erin! I¡¯ll work hard!¡± Anyway, Melly had been indispensable to Mrs. Blennon¡¯s attention because of Erin. If you leave her here, she may be avenged by this woman later. And anyway, I would need an employee later, so it would be better for someone that I know. When Melie asked me to take her with her, I was embarrassed to refuse, but it¡¯s better for me. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone, then. Mrs. Blennon¡± Erin walked past Mrs. Blennon, standing at a distance, and went out the door. Melly followed with a smile. Just before the door closed, Mrs. Blennon was heard pouring curses at this side. ¡°Ha! You, you¡¯ll never come back here again¡­¡± This time it was Erin¡¯s turn to laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to come again.¡± * * * Sitting in the Oval Office, Raymond looked out the window and was lost in thought. The sun was sinking as I worked so hard that the afternoon sky over the glass window was light gray. Raymond looked at the cloudy sky and recalled his first encounter with Erin.1 The day we met formally in the palace garden. Erin, who has light platinum hair and green eyes, was embarrassed by her blushing face in a glamorous pink dress that didn¡¯t even fit her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Your Highness, this is Erin.¡± In fact, Erin didn¡¯t do much wrong or do anything to be hated. Erin looked up at Raymond as if she couldn¡¯t believe the luck she had had since she first met. She quickly came to her senses and acted gracefully as she was educated, but Raymond still seemed she like an innocent girl who knew nothing about the world. Even though he went out with hostility to his faceless fianc¨¦e, the first impression that Raymond received from her fiancee, It was ¡°cute.¡± There is some regret left when I think about that time. ¡®¡­¡­I could have been nice to you if only you had known the emperor forced me .¡¯ The emperor ignored Raymond¡¯s opinion and brought Erin to the palace as his fiancee. ¡°You can¡¯t be the daughter of an emerging aristocrat with nothing but wealth. Marry the daughter of a prestigious Marquis family.¡± That was the emperor¡¯s order. Raymond , felt anger and mortification at his grandfather¡¯s behavior. But Raymond was only 19 years old at the time. He couldn¡¯t beat his grandfather, the owner of the empire. After a few clashes Raymond eventually promised to obey the emperor¡¯s orders. One year later, Raymond married Erin, posing as a friendly person as the emperor wanted. Instead, he only kept his promise to ¡°marry.¡± Raymond left Erin on the first night without hesitation and went outside. After that, he never visited the Duchess¡¯s bedroom, but Erin did not complain and remained silent in her duty. However, the woman, who had been ignoring and being abused for nine years, suddenly changed her mind when Raymond pushed the divorce papers. Chapter 4 ¡°I¡¯m opening a dessert cafe.¡± At first, I thought she was out of mind . Did you lose your mind because of the shock of divorce? But it didn¡¯t seem that she was out of my mind. It seemed no joke that it was a dessert cafe. As soon as Erin signed the divorce papers, she was ordering cooking utensils and supplies and looking for a place at the cafe. ¡®What¡¯s on her mind? Are you protesting against the divorce? I wondered if she was trying to pretend to be pitiful to the world because she kicked out without receiving alimony and make and sell cakes.2 Otherwise, why would a woman whose name was Duchess would do business with cakes and coffee? I was looking out the window and the door opened with a careful knock. ¡°Your Grace.¡± The aide, Mael, came in and bowed his head. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mael¡¯s gray eyes were anxious. He read Raymond¡¯s countenance and took out a small envelope of letters. Mael¡¯s anxious voice followed. ¡°Your Majesty hastily sent a letter. Perhaps yhe hear about your divorce¡­ obviously¡­¡± He must be very angry. ¡­¡­I was afraid I couldn¡¯t say anything behind his back, so I was speechless. The emperor went to the south to attack the Kingdom of Arthene four months ago. The war with Arthene was now in the final stage, so the emperor headed there himself for negotiations and for the post-war situation. Raymond divorced Erin while the emperor was away. ¡®You went ahead with your divorce without your Majesty¡¯s permission¡­¡­¡¯ T/n: this is Mael¡¯s POV Mael sighed inwardly. Arthene wasn¡¯t so far away, the emperor would have returned to the capital immediately or called in Raymond. Raymond, however, didn¡¯t even give an eye to the emperor¡¯s letter. ¡°Your Grace¡­.. are you afraid not to read?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious what¡¯s written on it. Do I have to read it? By all means, ¡®cancel your divorce and bring Erin back in polite, cultured words and turn them around¡¯ ¡° At Raymond¡¯s thoughtless appearance, Mael picked up the letter again with a worried look. Raymond has long been on bad terms with his grandfather. There were many reasons for the two¡¯s disagreement but the biggest cause was naturally Raymond¡¯s lover, Serena. It was also largely due to the emperor that Raymond hated his wife Erin. Erin was the daughter-in-law of the emperor who picked it and brought it to he. ¡®So when the Emperor is gone, he¡¯ll get divorced¡­.¡¯ His Majesty will be back soon, and I was wondering what would happen. The Emperor was a kind and gentle man, but he was never easy. At that time, the servant knocked and came into the office and put the plate on the desk. On the plate with green leaves was a cake with a refreshing lemon scent. ¡°It¡¯s from lady Serena ¡° Raymond frowned at it. Looking at the sweet dessert on the plate, he suddenly felt a rush of salty. He turned to the papers and ordered indifferently. ¡°Get rid of it.¡± ????????????1 I packed my things and left the palace, but I had nowhere to go right away. There was a mansion of a marquis who she lived with her parents, but she sold it away as soon as her mother died. I had good memories in that house, but I also hated it because I thought I would keep thinking of my parents when I go there. Therefore, the first thing to do was to find a house. As soon as Erin got out of the palace, she to the broker with Melly ¡°I want a house with a shop¡± The budget was tight to get a house and a store separately. It was my first time doing business, and it was not good to have a store and a house too far apart. I¡¯m going to stay alone with Melly anyway, so I think it would be nice if there was a shop. The broker listened carefully to Erin¡¯s demands and budget, and said, ¡°There is a good place.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a two-story house with a grocery store on Viltraut Street for sale.¡± The streets of Viltraut were in the east of the capital. It was a place where the lowest-ranking officials, who were mostly commoners, or merchants with ample wealth, lived. There were cute shops and brick houses in the peaceful and quiet streets. Erin followed the broker with Melly. The shop, guided by a broker, was located at the eastern end of Viltraut Street. It was a two-story building with a sign with fine cursive writing. The front of the street was covered with a large glass Various objects were displayed over the glass so that passers-by could see things. From the outside, it was just a normal closed shop, but when I went inside, it was in worse shape than it seemed. On the shelf was a pile of pomade bottles, covered in white dust, making it difficult to recognize even the brand. On the bottom of the shelf were shovels and hoees, just before rust, and beside them were bottles of pesticides and herbicides. Next to the door were various seeds, dried herbs, and root vegetables. It was a shop that was very old, crude, and dusty. ¡®I don¡¯t think business went well.¡¯ ¡°The shopkeeper moved to a faraway town in a hurry, leaving the store as it is. Very good for sale.¡± Looking at the dried vegetables in the box next to the counter, it seems that they had not been able to sell them for a long time even after they came out of the water. Well, this was a leisurely residential area. A house with a shop wouldn¡¯t sell easily. While looking around the store, Melly found a door in the back and called Erin. ¡°Erin, there¡¯s a garden behind you.¡± Erin came up to Melie¡¯s words. There was a small garden behind the store. Erin inadvertently opened the back door to get out into the garden and stopped. ¡°Oh¡­ ¡° Inside the store was a dust pit, and when I opened the small side door behind me, a completely different world came out. This was a structure with two buildings back and forth, with a small garden in between. On both sides, high stone walls were covering the next building. A small road from the back door crossed the center of the garden. On both sides of the road, there were vegetable gardens that were divided into squares and pieces like chest boards. Leafy vegetables, herbs, tomatoes, and strawberry bushes. There were vegetables that withered away from time to time because they were not managed, but leaf that grew thickly covered dried vegetables with rich green leaves. The fresh leaves glowed in the sun. ¡®It¡¯s really nice. I feel like I¡¯m at peace.¡¯ Although it was not a beautiful garden that was elaborately constructed, the garden, which was rarely seen in such a city center, created a fresh and peaceful atmosphere. Beyond the small garden was a white brick house with a green roof. It was a small, charming two-story house like a toy house. Next to the house, a leafy apple tree stretches its branches to the top of the chimney. Small cute houses and square gardens planted with vegetables. A flower bed with grass flowers in full bloom and a chimney that rises low on the roof, and the sun shines brightly over it. It was a fairytale-like scene. Melly, who came with her, was also amazed. ¡°Wow¡­ ¡­it¡¯s a beautiful house.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Behind the small two-story house were two lemon trees and a white fence that were attached side by side. There was a small forest at the end of the street in Viltraut, and this house faced the forest at the back. Over the yard of the white fence, I could see a dense forest. It was like a small park rather than a forest, but the green leaves twinkling in the sunshine created a beautiful view. Erin picked up her luggage and went upstairs. There were two small bedrooms on the second floor. It was a simple, tidy, ordinary family room. There was an old white-sheet bed, a wooden table, a chair, a worn-out dresser, and a wooden bookcase with flower patterns on it. The carpet on the floor was also worn out, and there was no painting on the wall, but it was a room with a charming feeling. ¡°Can I use the furniture here as it is?¡± ¡°Yes, because it¡¯s a product that the shopkeeper put together anyway. It would cost more to take all these furniture away.¡± Well, it¡¯s pretty and cute, but they¡¯re all old furniture, so they weren¡¯t worth the money to move. I¡¯d rather tie it up with my house and sell it now. Bedroom on the second floor. On the first floor, there was a living room, a restaurant, and a cute kitchen. Erin looked into the small kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll have to cook here.¡± There was no room for the kitchen in the store in front. I had no choice but to cook here. The store and the house are small, but when I looked around, I thought this would be okay. ¡°Erin, I think it¡¯s so nice here.¡± Melly seemed to have a crush on this place as well. Melly looked around with a happy face, and belatedly said a little worried. ¡°But will it be okay? I think it¡¯s a little remote. If you want to set up a shop, you¡¯d better go to the main street¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to find a shop on the busy street with your current budget anyway.¡± Erin didn¡¯t have much money now. The dowry was smaller than I thought. The furniture of the palace was not priced properly because it was an old item that had been used for nine years. This was the capital of the empire, and the busy streets where many people visit were expensive. You can¡¯t buy a building on the main street even if you spend all your money. Even if she gave up on this house and bought a store, she couldn¡¯t even find it. ¡®Now there¡¯s a lot of people, but I can¡¯t afford a big one.¡¯ For the time being, I have to run a shop alone with Melly. No matter how hard they were, there was a system. Well, this is the perfect amount. I want to sell desserts only enough to make myself a small cafe, so it is difficult to sell too much. I liked the quiet streets instead of the loud streets. ¡°I¡¯ll do it here.¡± Erin payee half the money she had and bought a two-story house with a shop. Chapter 5 As soon as I unpacked, I cleaned the store first. I swept the dirty shop inside the two floor house, and cleaned it up. The floor was also cleaned in every corner. Erin cleaned the shop until lunch time. The shop door opened and Melly came in. Melly left her luggage in her room, right around the corner. I went to the store and bought daily necessities and food ingredients. When Melly came into the store, she was mopping and she was scared to see Erin ¡°Erin, I¡¯ll do that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m not even the Duchess anymore.¡± Now we have to go together and make crabs anyway. I couldn¡¯t sit still because I was a nobleman. ¡°It must be hard, though. Get some rest.¡± ¡°Yes, then can you help me clean up here?¡± Erin took care of Melly and headed for the second floor of the house in the back with her luggage. A warm afternoon of sunshine seeped through the window of the living room. After sweeping and wiping the dust to a certain extent, the two-story house became a place to live in. Erin put daily necessities and food ingredients in a bag and opened the back door of the kitchen. The backyard through the kitchen was very narrow. It was a forest just outside the fence. Beyond the fence, a dark blue forest stretched out from the west. Erin approached the lemon tree near the fence. The tree was filled with yellow lemons between the dark blue leaves. Some of them were withered or dried out because they were not managed Some of them were still useful. Erin raised her hand to pick a ripe lemon. Even though I only picked two, the sour lemon scent was strong. Erin took the lemon and went into the kitchen of the house. It was a small kitchen, but there was everything that could be. There are tools and ovens. On one side, there was also a food ingredient that Melie bought. just before Erin searched the kitchen for tools to make pies and prepared ingredients. First, I pressed the peeled lemon to squeeze out the lemon juice full of lemon scent and made lemon curd with it. The lemon curd was a lemon custard with plenty of lemon juice and a deep sweet lemon flavor. a brownish pie baked with a ready-made lemon curd. And put it on top of a white meringue. The white meringue looked like a hill of white snow. The lemon meringue pie is completed by cooking it in the oven to make the ends of the meringue look golden. Erin opened the oven and took out the finished pie. Melie, who came into the kitchen after smelling the sweet smell, was surprised to see the pie Erin had taken out. ¡°Erin¡­ you really know how to cook, don¡¯t you? I thought it was just a rumor.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s already lunchtime, so I made it. Oh, you don¡¯t like lemons?¡± Erin asked, looking at Melly¡¯s blank face. ¡°Oh, no. I like all fruits.¡± Melly marveled at Erin¡¯s pies. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so good at making pies. I¡¯ve heard a lot of rumors, but¡­ I actually didn¡¯t believe it. I thought you will hire someone else.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe she had learned to cook. Erin was the daughter of Hu. Even though India was a poor family. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take care of everything that makes food. You take care of the drinks and the West Bing.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m confident with drinks!¡± The two sat face to face at a small table in the kitchen. Erin cut a slice of lemon meringue pie and put it on a plate and held it out to Melly. ¡°Come on, try it.¡± Melly looked at the plate in front of her with an incredible glance. The pie in front of it was a marvelous and beautiful shape. White meringue piled up like snow on the soft-looking pie crust. The meringue, which was piled up like a mountain, was covered with like gold at the top of the mountain. Melly looked at the pie for a long time, then carefully picked up a fork and picked up a slice of the pie. She ate a slice of Erin¡¯s pie with half doubt. Pie paper which breaks as soon as you put a piece of pie in your mouth. This leaked a new, sweet lemon curd full of lemon scents. The sweet cream, combined with the fresh and refreshing taste of lemon, melted gently. A refreshing lemon flavor that spreads out in your mouth. And on top of it, a soft meringue with a slightly sweet taste like sugar. It was a fantastic taste. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so delicious!¡± Melly said, admiring the pie piece in front of her. Since Melly was a maid in charge of drinks, she tried many delicious desserts inside the palace. But Erin¡¯s pie was the most delicious pie that Melly had ever had. I closed my eyes with a rapt look and took a bite, and a piece quickly disappeared. All. Erin was relieved.She looked at her. I thought it was a long time ago.. It¡¯s been a while since I made it, so I thought it would be a success. To the extent that Melly, who has lived in the imperial palace for many years, admires. Well, it was my favorite pie. ¡®And it was one of the best-made desserts.¡¯ At a time when she was in debt, Erin used to make some pies with her mother and sell them quickly. Even then, the lemon meringue pie made by Erin was quite popular among the guests. ¡°When did you learn to cook, Erin?¡± ¡°I learned it when I saw you make it.¡± ¡°The Marquis must have liked this pie.¡± Erin floated the memory of the past in the words. A house with warm, tender warmth. A kitchen full of sweet, savory snells. Her long silver-haired mother was wearing thick gloves on her hands and holding an oven tray with baked pies. ¡°No, actually my mother hated lemons. In Erdan San Mac, lemons represent pain and trials.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Why is it a common fruit in the Empire?¡± Erin asked when she was young, too, wondering about it. ¡®Why is lemon a symbol of pain?¡¯ My mother answered as if it were natural. ¡±It¡¯s too sour. ¡° It was a very simple reason. Erin, who expected something like a mysterious mountaineer¡¯s lemon-pre-snow, was disappointed. ¡°But I liked it and sometimes she made me a thick pie.¡± Mother used to make me a dessert full of lemon for her lemon-loving daughter. A lemon meringue pie filled with lemon curd. Sweet lemon weekend cake with a strong lemon scent. ¡®When it¡¯s hard, you always said sweet food is comforting. ¡® I added a sour lemon flavor and a sweet flavor to make a fresh lemon pie. So this is a sweet dessert that overcomes pain. That was what my mother once said. That¡¯s why Erin chose this out of all the desserts and the moment now. As soon as she came out of the palace, Erin wanted to make a lemon-infused dessert first. With the recipe that my mother made for me. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious.This pie must be sold in the store.¡± Melly ate up all three pieces of pie. Erin looked gladly at the figure. Making a sweet and cute dessert was a good thing. In the empire, desserts are treated as an inner dish after being cooked by a chef in an aristocratic family. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious.This pie must be sold in the store. Melly ate up all three pieces of pie. Erin looked gladly at the figure. Making a sweet and cute dessert was a good thing. In the empire, desserts are treated as an inner dish after being cooked by a chef in an aristocratic family. If you are not a skilled chef, you can not make delicious dessert. Most chefs only care about making their staple food delicious, and only think of dessert as a simple dessert. Or they treat it as a snack with tea at teatime, and they will be able to enjoy such a luxury they I have a chef in the house is that excellent. Only doors. Bakers in the city would make bread and cookies to sell or make cakes for weddings or parties, but the menu there was always similar. Some bread and cookies. Just plain whipped cream cake. The opening of several coffee houses has also created a dessert cafe that sells desserts with coffee, but the dessert they sell at such places were the same It was about simple muffins. Coffee houses are places where the focus is to spend time drinking coffee. They only focus on the taste and quality of their coffee, but they don¡¯t care much about the dessert. ¡®I want to make a dessert center¡¯ ¡°I wanted to make a place for sweet desserts to be served with delicious coffee and a variety of tea.¡± It was a little dream Erin had kept since childhood. And I thought it would be possible to achieve that dream here. Chapter 6 Erin smiled at Melly, who was eating lemon pie, and she paused, taking a piece of it on a plate. ¡®So I have had a time when I used to make this pie in the Imperial Palace.¡¯ It was about a few days after I entered the Imperial Palace. Erin, who wanted to eat this pie that her mother made, had sneaked into the kitchen in the middle of the night. It was a time when I did not know anything about the palace, that was supposed to care about others eyes. After that, Erin became a laughing matter when the past that made and sold pies with her mother was known among the nobles. I didn¡¯t even go near the kitchen just in case I was mocked. He didn¡¯t even bother to look for desserts such as pie or cake. The night was the first and last time I had made dessert in the Imperial Palace kitchen. ¡®The guy who shared I the pie with that night ¡­¡¯ Erin gave a bitter smile to her forgotten memory. At that time, Melly, who had finished the pie, asked with a deep look on her face. ¡°Erin, may I have one more slice?¡± *** ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± A sharp voice burst from the inner chamber of the Crown Prince¡¯s palace. It was Mrs. Blennon The Crown Prince¡¯s palace was much more splendid and larger than the Crown Prince¡¯s palace where Erin lived. Everywhere in the eye was a luxurious decoration and full of extravagant furniture. Mrs. Blennon was shouting with a nervous voice in one of the most spectacular rooms. ¡°I¡¯m have been trying to kick her out of the palace for over ten years! Poverty who¡¯s been kicked out for an affair!¡± Erin was not accused of having an affair, but divorced under the agreement of the Duke, but Mrs. Blennon angrily denounced her as an immoral woman and cursed her. Erin exercised her last order before she leaving . stamped on Mrs. Blennon¡¯s dismissal before returning the empress¡¯s seal. After that, she left the Empress¡¯s Seal to the Home Secretary and went out of the palace in a leisurely manner. Mrs. Blennon was angry to the top of her head, but there was nothing she could do. She had no choice but to pack up and get out of the Imperial Palace. ¡°Don¡¯t be so angry, madam.¡± Inside the room was a blonde beauty surrounded by maids. The bright golden hair, wrapped in sunlight, sparkled like pure gold under the sun. Serena von Blennon. Raymond¡¯s official lover and the actual hostess of this Imperial Palace. Erin lived in the Royal Palace, but Serena had a strong residence inside of the Imperial Palace. Mrs. Blennom¡¯s sweet voice, as if she had been angry, made her flattering voice sound like honey. ¡°Well, my work is not important now, and now that she is gone, you will marry the Duke and come to the Crown Prince¡¯s palace. The Crown Prince¡¯s palace was always more suitable for Serena.¡± If the seat of the Crown prince¡¯s palace is the seat of the empress, Serena can seduce the prince and appoint him, but the crown prince¡¯s position was already occupied. They were also the same people of the Blennon family who Serena had been admitted to. But there was no need to be discouraged. When Serena becomes the Duchess and takes over the Palace of the Crown Princess, Mrs. Blennon will automatically return to the court. Serena had a shy smile. ¡°How dare I wish such a thing¡­¡± Dozens of dresses stretched from the console next to the dressing table to the sofa. Serena was wearing a Saehan petticoat and a nose reset and was wearing makeup with the help of maids. Manilgul was perfect, but when I added a little makeup to it, it was several times more beautiful. It was beautiful and bright like a rose in full bloom. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty that you can¡¯t be a duchess because of the old emperor.¡± Mrs. Blennon felt sorry for Serena. ¡®This is the real empress. Not that poor woman.¡¯ Serena was the daughter of one of the most famous merchant in the capital. Originally a commoner, he had accumulated tremendous wealth for generations, operating the top from his great-grandfather. With that property, his grandfather married the only daughter of a junior knight, and inherited the title of his wife and officially became a nobleman. However, the title earned by money was not recognized by the aristocrats of the four religious circles. The overflow of wealth only works among the aristocrats of lower rank and file. That alone was not enough to join the real nobility. However, things have changed since Serena, the only daughter, was in the eyes of the Duke. Raymond let Serena in as the foster daughter of the prestigious Blennon family. and she had become the son of the Countess overnight. A traditional prestigious artist, Bleen Baek, supported the young Duke instead of the current emperor. The Blennon family had already accepted Serena as the Count¡¯s daughter and pushed her as the Duchess. Originally, everyone would have disapproved of accepting a woman from a wealthy low-class aristocrat family. But now things were different: if I could be a relative of the future Empress, I could forget all that rejection. The expensive gifts Serena gave to the people of the family helped to eliminate such rejection. But the emperor hated Serena from the start. It was the old emperor¡¯s insistence that the daughter of a lower nobleman who had no title could not be put into the Royal House. Instead, the emperor brought Erin, a former nobleman who was poor, and made her the Duchess. ¡°But.¡± Serena, who was choosing a necklace after finishing her makeup, asked calmly. ¡°I heard Erin said she would open a cafe. Is that real?¡± Mrs. Blennon answered, as if she had waited. ¡°Yes. She really wants to buy a cafe. As soon as she signed the divorce papers, she found a place in a store and ordered ingredients in advance. What¡¯s wrong with her? I think She is a little out of my mind because she was kicked out if the palace.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°But shouldn¡¯t we stop it? There¡¯s nothing good about the kicked duchess setting up a cafe downtown and talking about it. If Emperor Rado returns¡­¡± Mrs. Blennon who was talking to her, was overwhelmed. She could see Serena¡¯s eyes, staring at her through the dressing-table mirror. Serena grinned as she looked at Mrs. Blaine in the mirror. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°You have something in mind.¡±2 Serena smiled without answering and shook her eyes with the colorful jewels on the dressing table. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know much about cooking.¡± White fingers slowly past through the shiny red jewels. ¡°You can¡¯t go without coffee in the cafe, can¡¯t they?1 *** Serena walked through the corridors of the Crown Prince¡¯s palace. Every time I stepped, the long, long skirts were drawn slowly like waves. The nobles who passed around were divided into two sides and bowed their heads. They all looked at her with interesting eyes. Just looking into their eyes, I could hear them exchanging words. ¡°And now that the Duchess has been kicked out, is Serena going to be the new Duchess?¡± ¡°Maybe, because you don¡¯t see any other women besides Serena.¡± ¡°But will your Majesty allow it?¡± Since the Duchess disappeared, the people kept whispering so. The nobles chatted about the affairs whenever they got together. Rumors of a duchess¡¯s affair that began three or four months ago. And the recent divorce between the Duke and his wife. Everyone was delighted to see this huge scandal. She was looking at the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace with interest as ifsheI were watching the drama from the deputies to the ones. Now that Erin was kicked out, their coffin screening was one thing. Will Serena be able to be the new Duchess? Everyone was curious about the answer, but none other than Serena herself. ¡°Your Grace.¡± Raymond and his aides were seen coming out of the office at the end of the hall. He stopped when he found Serena. Serena approached Raymond, grabbed the hem of her skirt and bowed gracefully. ¡°I see your Royal Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, Serena.¡± Raymond nodded gravely. It was a dull reaction, but Serena has a bright smile like a flower in full bloom. From the first time she saw Raymond at the age of 15, Serena fell in love with this precious man. Born as the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Serena grew up rich enough not to envy aristocrats. It was not difficult for her to marry a great nobleman. Prestigious aristocrats who were financially challenged often welcomed the daughter of a mountain-rich new family into their child. But the imperial family was different. She was a low class nobleman and could not be a royal bride. It was an impossible relationship, but Serena couldn¡¯t give up. After chasing Raymond and trying desperately, she gained a government position. Even after Raymond got married, Serena didn¡¯t give up hope. And now perhaps she will take the glorious place of his wife. Serena could do anything if she could take the position. ¡°Your Highness, tonight there¡¯s a ball at Flynn¡¯s mansion. Do you know that?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard.¡± Serena¡¯s white cheeks were slightly red. Serena took a step closer, as if she were hugging Raymond. And spoke with a low voice. ¡°Then can you be my partner tonight?¡± Chapter 7 Raymond looked at Serena as she slept with an expressionless face. By the time he was a teenager, Raymond kept Serena by his side for fun.3 Serena was the most beautiful of the nobility of the capital, and she was passionate to look good to Raymond. Raymond answered roughly and tried to send Serena back. ¡°Brother.¡± At that moment, an unexpected sound of voice interrupted. There was a young man standing at the end of the hall. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on him. It was a young man who looked about 24 years old. Dark black hair and deep blue eyes twinkled. Slowly he came to Raymond¡¯s place. with an ecstatic beauty and a innocent smile. Raymond frowned slightly, annoyingly, and called his name. ¡°Calix.¡± Calix. Raymond¡¯s only brother, and second in line to the throne, was Grand Duke Royten Carlix was not originally Raymond¡¯s brother. The Grand Duke of Royten, a family separated from the royal family a long time ago, has been treated like a royal family for generations. Calix¡¯s father, the former Grand Prince, died after losing his friend, the Prince. The prince adopted Calix, the only son of an orphaned archduke, to repay his friend¡¯s sacrifice. Thanks to this, Carlix became a member of the royal family with the title of Grand Duke. Callis had a attractive appearance, but he had a little boyish look on her face to match her age. Raymond was a complete adult man, but Calix was a young man who had a good time. But he looked better than his brother. N/t: that is obvious Calix, who was approaching Raymond, smiled as bright as ever. ¡°Long time no see, brother.¡± ¡°I thought you were by your Majesty¡¯s side.¡± Even though he was not his grandson, the old Emperor, was for his cuteness by wrapping and turning around Calix. The emperor always wanted to keep Calix by his side. But Carlix always wandered from place to place at his own way. If he didn¡¯t go somewhere, he didn¡¯t come to the capital often to play in his own territory. But this time, when the emperor heard that he was going to the battlefield for the first time in a long time, he went to the south. That was three months ago. To Raymond¡¯s hard question, Calix folded his eyes and answered happily. ¡°The atmosphere there was bad, so I came to the capital first. My grandfather was in a bad mood, so everyone was just looking at him. It¡¯s so suffocating that I can¡¯t stand it.¡± Raymond¡¯s aides hardened their complexion at the words. No one knew what made the emperor feel bad. Raymond still looked indifferent. Selena, who had been wary of the brothers, bowed to Calix belatedly to ease the tense atmosphere. ¡°I see your Royal Highness. It¡¯s been a long time since you came to the capital.¡± Serena greeted him, but Calix approached Raymond without even looking back. Then asked, with his head slightly tilted. in an abominably vulgar tone ¡°So what about your wife now?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± A heavy silence descended on the corridor at the word. Raymond¡¯s expression became grim. ¡°Why do you wonder where my wife is?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s natural to wonder where they¡¯ve been since you have lived together for nine years. Aren¡¯t you curious?¡± Calix, who had answered calmly, threw the door and stopped talking for a moment. His attractive appearance deepened his smile. ¡°My grandfather was curious.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He watched the coldness of the atmosphere, but he was still looking at Raymond. Raymond¡¯s blue-gray eyes looked coldly at him, but they didn¡¯t mean a thing. ¡°If he is curious, tell him to find it himself.¡± Raymond exhaled coldly and turned around. ¡°Your Highness, I¡­¡± ¡°Not today. I have a previous engagement.¡± Serena called him, embarrassed, but Raymond was annoyed and disappeared to the end of the hallway. Those left in the corridor could not say anything, surrounded by cold silence. In the meantime, Calix asked sincerely, wondering. ¡°So where did your wife really go?¡± *** Erin opened the oven and took out the tray. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I made it but it¡¯s pretty good¡± I was worried it wouldn¡¯t work, but on the tray I took out of the oven, there was a lot of well-done macaroons. All sorts of colorful macaroons. Pastel pink with strawberry flavored macaron. A sweet beige macaron filled with vanilla flavor. A fragrant light purple macaron with blueberry powder. And mint with pistachio. Erin will put sweet cream on the inside of the macaron and put two on it. Then put the finished macaron on a plate. The plate, full of colorful macaroons, was cute and delicious just by looking at it. Erin went through the garden into the store with a dish full of macaroons. Ever since she came here, Erin has been sweeping, and cleaning the store with Melly. The tables and chairs that she ordered were cleaned, and the store was prepared all night. As a result, the inside of the store has become so clean that it is unrecognizable. All the dust and dirt that had been messy in a day all disappeared and the sparkle changed. The floor and ceiling, which had been stained black and moldy in places, have also become as clean as a new coat. At the center of the floor was a carpet that had been preordered, and round tables and chairs were placed on the guests. Tay fire with neat tablecloth. a cherry-necked chair Small vases and candles placed at each table. In the corner where the dusty messes were, the pots in the second floor were gathered. It was like a completely different store. In a few days, a dusty store had been transformed into a new cafe. ¡°Erin, did you make macaroons?¡± As soon as Erin put down her macaron plate on the table, Melly came out of the kitchen behind the counter. Beyond the store¡¯s checkout counter, the small silver warehouse was turned into a cafe kitchen and there was also a tool for making coffee. Melly also brought a small tray. On the tray were warm coffee in a white teacup. ¡°It¡¯s hot coffee with the last remaining coffee beans.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re having our last cup?¡± As soon as Melie put down her glass, a deep aroma of coffee wafted. ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered coffee beans, so they¡¯ll arrive soon.¡± Other ingredients were ordered as much as they could in advance, but two orders of coffee beans were the most urgent. Coffee beans were very precious. ¡°But Melly could have brought some beans and had coffee in advance.¡± ¡°Because these were beans that I got from the Imperial Palace for practice. I didn¡¯t want to leave it behind, so I packed it all.¡± Even in the imperial palace, beans were treated as precious items, but Melly was given separately to practice brewing coffee occasionally because she was a coffee maid. Erin took a sip of her brown coffee from a white teacup. It was a soft coffee with a deep flavor. Erin closed her eyes and slowly savored the stinging aroma of coffee. ¡°Melly¡¯s coffee is really the best.¡± Erin picked up a macaron over coffee. I could smell the fragrant strawberry before I could put it in my mouth. The smooth surface of the cut-off material gently broke and the sweet taste filled the mouth. The bitter taste and aroma of the coffee perfectly matched the painful sweet macaron. ¡°Erin, the macaron is so pretty that it¡¯s a waste of time.¡± Melly held macaroons one by one and cut them little by little, saying it was a waste. I closed my eyes for every bite and savored the enchanting sweetness that touched the tip of my tongue. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s delicious¡­¡± ¡°Eat as much as you like¡ªit¡¯s made for practice.¡± The sun was setting outside. The afternoon sky was tinted with sunset. A warm sunset permeated the large window on the street. Melie, who was looking at the window, turned her head as if something had come to mind. ¡°Oh, I have an idea.¡± Melie pointed to a large window facing the street. ¡°There¡¯s a glass in front of the store that displays things.¡± When it was a general store, there was a long shelf just behind the window. It was also a show garden to promote shop items to passers-by. ¡°Why don¡¯t we show dessert over there? If you leave the real dessert, it¡¯ll go bad soon, so make a model out of cotton or plaster and display it like it¡¯s real.¡± For example, we made a sample design at a clothing store, displayed it in the show window in front of the store, and promoted it to passers-by, saying that this is a dessert cafe, so let¡¯s display a model of the dessert. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± I thought it would be pretty if I made it well and decorated. It¡¯ll be a promotion. I was talking about what to make, and I heard a knock outside. Chapter 8 ¡°I have your order.¡± The porter came into the store with a big box. It was a box of coffee beans that I ordered. On the box was a large inscription on the door of Arnt Street. ¡®Coffee beans imported from the west coast now have exclusive rights to sell by the Arnt family¡­¡¯ The competition for coffee beans has always been fierce because there are many places they want. As a result, the price was expensive. ¡®This box is worth 300 gold¡­¡¯ It was about twice the price of chocolate. Excluding the shop and the money for buying a house is the biggest expense. But it was not a waste because I could use it for a long time if I bought it once. ¡®If we miss this opportunity, we may not be able to save it for a while.¡¯ To get this large amount of coffee beans at once, you have to apply for the top of the Arnt in advance. It takes time to get this much again because it comes in regularly, not every day. In the meantime, you will not be able to open a store. ¡®I¡¯m glad I got it safe this time. With this amount, we won¡¯t have to worry for a while.¡¯ Where Erin was so relieved, the porter, who brought the box, put down the box of beans in the middle of the store. The box opened as the two looked at it with anticipation. ¡°No, this is¡­¡± And expectations have turned into bitter disappointment. The box was full of dark brown circles. The amount was just as much as I ordered. But it wasn¡¯t very good. No matter how old the beans were, the colour was so dark that it blew up. The shape of the beans was unevenly distorted. Some were as hollow as a worm. There was no sweet coffee aroma from coffee beans, either. There was only a strange sour smell that seemed to have fermented fruit. I can use it if I know only old beans, but some seem to be really bitter. Some of the beans in the corner were moldy. ¡°Well¡­ isn¡¯t in such a bad condition. Well, I¡¯m sure we ordered a high-quality product¡­¡± The porter at the top who brought the box cut off and said, as Melly groped and picked it up. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve brought it. If you don¡¯t like it, ask again. The next item is coming in two months.¡± ¡°What?¡± Melly asked again as if she was dumbfounded, but the servant replied shamelessly. ¡°By the way, we just went as you ordered.¡± Coffee beans are produced only in remote foreign lands that can be reached only by crossing the sea at the southern tip of the continent. The empire ruled the central and western parts of the continent. There is no territory in contact with the southern sea. As a result, the imperialists had to take a boat from the west coast down the road south to get to the foreign country. The empire, in that way, brought in curious imports from this country in the south. Coffee beans are also transported along the route to the western coast of the continent. ¡®Even if you come to the fastest sailing ship, it takes so long that you can not bring it in every day.¡¯ Many people wanted to import coffee beans and sell them. However, under the orders of the Emperor of the Squadron, the Arnt family monopolized the coffee berries imported from the west coast. The validity of the monopoly is 50 years. During those 50 years, no one but the Arnt family was allowed to import and sell coffee beans from the west coast. The Arnt family transports large quantities of coffee beans, creates a production site for mass production, and roasts coffee beans from there and sells them. It¡¯s a very high-quality item, so I¡¯ll treat it with care, but it will still break or rot in the manufacturing process. Since the transportation distance is long, there will be some items that will be damaged before arrival. It seems that only those things that are broken are collected and sent. Erin stared at the box containing the coffee beans. ¡®You¡¯ve been very careful in choosing what you can¡¯t use. It must have been hard for you to choose these and send them.¡¯ ¡°Eh, Erin, what do we do with this? Should I get a refund¡­?¡± Melly was embarrassed and asked Erin. Before Erin could answer, the servant who brought the box out coldly spat out. ¡°Because of the policy at the top of us, the beans are not refundable.¡± ¡°How can this be!¡± Melly got angry and got into it, but the servant only repeated his answer bluntly. ¡°That¡¯s our policy.¡± This is a mess, and I can¡¯t even get a refund. It¡¯s ridiculous. ¡°Eh, Erin¡­ What should we do?¡± asked Melly, almost in tears. Well, what shall we do? Erin tilted her head to one side. I don¡¯t have to do anything about it. ¡°Hey. Where is Arnt¡¯s now?¡± To Erin¡¯s question, the servant answered insignificantly. ¡°They¡¯ll be in the glacier mansion in the city.¡± Glacier Mansion was a gambling house frequented by aristocrats. It¡¯s only dusk that a self-made man is already at something like that. However, Arnt Jakag was originally known as a prodigal man who used his fortune in vain. It wasn¡¯t surprising to say that he has been gambling all day. Erin left the box and called back the porters who were about to go back. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a reward, so can you move the prizes away?¡± ???????????? Erin wore a dark grey coat over her dress and walked toward her destination. The sunset colored the Empire¡¯s water map red and disappeared. It was now a dark night, and the streetlights that were returning to the horsepower were blurring the road. Arriving on foot for a long time was the residence of Glacier, west of Suido Island. Glacier Mansion was a gambling house that renovated a large mansion. There were rooms inside that looked like a ballroom on the outside but could gamble. For example, it is a facility for the aristocrats and the rich. Even in the middle of the night, dozens of windows in the mansion emitted a brilliant light. Erin passed through the gate of the fence and went inside. The entrance was guarded by a young man. The man in the way looked up and down at Erin¡¯s clothes. ¡®I thought you¡¯d draw, so I changed.¡¯ The clothes Erin is wearing now were dresses made of dark blue silk. It¡¯s the best out-of-the-box dress I¡¯ve ever brought out of the Imperial Palace. It was too modest for other ladies, but the sleeves were still the latest fashion. It fits from shoulder to elbow, and it was elegant, hanging on the elbow to the wrist with small ribbon decorations. The soft, breezy lace added a dignified air to the navy dress. She looked like a lady to all eyes. A rich lady who came to the gambling house to gamble. The man who looked over Erin¡¯s clothes opened the way. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯ll take you inside.¡± Such a well-groomed dress allowed me to easily get inside. The Arnt family were originally lower-class aristocrats who ran the small top. In the past, coffee was not known much. Coffee beans were treated as unusual in the south of the country. Sometimes small quantities were imported as specialties, but even though they were long, they were brought into the empire and used as medicinal herbs. But things changed when it was revealed that the unusual fruit could make a drink called coffee. The coffee made like that gained sensational popularity within the empire. The Arnt family, who had been trading with the southern countries, had a monopoly on coffee fruit and several other specialties of the country, but as the coffee hit, they became rich in a day. Thanks to this, Arnt Jakag, who was given exclusive rights for generations, spent his entire life in gambling houses and brothels. Erin walked down the hallway and looked back at some pretty colourful interior decorations. The hall was filled with extravagant decorations that resembled the mansions of a noble family. It was an entertainment facility for aristocrats, so I paid a lot of attention to this and that. ¡®It¡¯s a gambling house, though.¡¯ There were many people walking around downstairs. When I grabbed one of the passers-by and asked him where his work was, the answer quickly came back. Erin went upstairs along the stairs. Bitter smoke seeped through the crack of the door before it could be opened. It wasn¡¯t a cigarette. ¡®Is it a drug? It¡¯s all over the place.¡¯ Erin knocked briefly and immediately opened the door. The room was filled with bitter smoke that had leaked through. the door. A middle-aged man lay in a smoky room. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Erin, who came in without a break, smiled at Arnt, which was strewn on the sofa. ¡°I¡¯m here to thank you for the stuff you sent me.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± He that had been hanging on the sofa rose in a flurry of anger. Viscount, who was angrier, stopped looking at Erin¡¯s face. ¡°Who will remain in the room at will¡­ Of other people¡­.. Madam?¡± Chapter 9 ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Jacques, you recognize me.¡± Erin looked back on her past to see if she had ever been close to him. But I¡¯ve never been close to this man for a single moment. This man was a notorious rascal and pompous man in the capital. As soon as he checked Erin¡¯s face, he sat down again. He slowly returned to her cloudy eyes. He said with a sly smile. ¡°What are you doing here? Duchess¡­ ¡­no, not anymore? Are you lady Marquis? So, a?dy Erin , you¡¯re here to gamble? Then you came to the wrong floor. You have to go downstairs.¡± He sat on the sofa again and filled his pipe with medicine/herbs. ??? ? ?? ?? ? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?. Erin said what came before the rewritten smoke spread in the room. (TN: I think this is what they mean: Erin spoke her business before the fumes fill the room.) ¡°??? ?? ? ? ???. ? ? ??? ??? ??. ?? ? ? ? ??? ?? ? ?? ?? ? ???.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to gamble. I came to see you. I have something to tell you about the product you sent me.¡± ¡°?? ??? ? ?????¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡®??¡¯??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???. He giggled at the word ¡°product.¡± ?? ??? ? ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???. ?? ? ??? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??. He knew what Erin was coming for. He knew he¡¯d sent something particularly trashy. ??? ??? ?? ??? ? ?? ??? ?? ???. But he didn¡¯t seem to care about her protest.1 ??? ? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ???. What if you don¡¯t like it? The subject of being kicked out by the Duke. (TN: I think they mean: What has she to complain about? The Duke threw her out. She has no leg to stand on./no power to complain) ??? ???? ?? ? ?? ?? ????. His behavior revealed him thinking like this is how he thought. (TN: His behavior made it clear how he thought about her.) ¡°??. ?? ?? ?????.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a very good thing.¡± ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ??? ??? ???. ?? ? ??? ?????. So Erin smiled innocently, pretending to know nothing. Then she talked slowly. ¡°?? ??? ?? ? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???. ??? ??? ???.¡± ¡°I thought I had a good item, so I packed it and sent it to the Imperial Palace. As a gift to His Majesty.¡± (TN: ¡°I thought that the product I got was good. So I send it to the Imperial Palace as a gift for His Majesty.¡±) ¡°?, ????¡± ¡°What, what?¡± ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ????. The self-employed man, who was hanging down on the sofa and lighting the pipe, threw the pipe and jumped to his feet. (TN: The man, who sat on the sofa and smoked his pipe, threw his pipe and jumped on his feet.) ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???. Erin looked at the other¡¯s face, and said innocently: ¡°????? ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?? ??. ?? ????. ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ? ? ??? ??? ?? ???. ? ???? ?? ???? ???¡± ¡°Your Majesty always drinks black tea, and I¡¯d like you to try coffee at this time. It¡¯s popular these days. I heard from a doctor that one cup of coffee a day is good for your health. What¡¯s wrong? Is something wrong?¡± (TN: ¡°His Majesty always drinks black tea. But I¡¯d like him to try coffee. It¡¯s very popular these days. I heard from a doctor that one a cup of coffee a day is good for your health. What¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong?¡±) ¡°?, ?¡­¡­ ???? ??? ??? ? ??????? ?? ? ? ??, ??? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ??? ??¡­¡­. ? ?? ??? ??? ?? ??? ? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it for the store? Eh? I heard you¡¯re going to open a cafe, Young-ae. ¡°Hurry up and send someone to the palace and ask them to return it¡­ ¡­because that¡¯s all the beans that came in this time is that I can¡¯t get that many beans for the time being¡­¡± (TN: ¡°Were the beans not for the store? Eh? I heard you were going to open a cafe, Young-ae. We should send someone to retrieve them from the palace because those are the beans I can get for the time being.¡±) ¡°???? ??? ?? ??? ???, ??? ??? ? ?? ? ??? ??????. ??? ?? ????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ?? ? ??.¡± ¡°I was thinking of selling coffee at a cafe, but come to think of it, my store is a dessert shop. Black tea is better than coffee for dessert, right? I¡¯ve decided to focus on black tea.¡± ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?????. ?? ????? ???? ?? ???. Erin¡¯s naive explanation gave him a blank look over here. He stammered with a look of dismay. ¡°?, ???? ?¡­¡­.?¡­¡­ ???¡­¡­.¡± ¡°He, but go¡­ ¡­he¡­ ¡­the beans¡­¡­.¡± ¡°??? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ????, ?? ??? ?? ???? ???.¡± ¡°Why beans? Obviously I ordered expensive beans, and here¡¯s the order confirmation.¡± ??? ?? ?? ? ??? ? ??? ?? ????. Erin took the bell¡¯s lice out of her arms and shook it. (TN: I really don¡¯t know what they mean by this.)1 ??? ?? ?? ?? ?? ? ?? ?? ???. On a stiff piece of paper was my station on the beans deal. ??? ??? ?? ????? ? ???? ??? ???? ? ??. Erin with a faintly natural, tearful expression, asked the Earl of Arnt. ¡°3? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ? ?? ? ?? ?? ? ? ?????¡± I gave you 300 gold and ordered some beans, but you didn¡¯t send me a bad one, did you? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ??? ??? ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ?? ???? He shut his mouth with a hardened face, as if he had finally figured out the situation. ¡°?. ?? ????. ?? ?? ? ??? ??? ? ?? ?? ?. ?????? ????? ? ????? ??? ??? ? ? ???.¡± ¡°Ha. It¡¯s amazing. I didn¡¯t expect you to retaliate like this. I thought you were a stupid woman when you were playing with the knights.¡± ??? ?? ?? ??? ?? ? ? ?? ??? ???. He sat down again with his own admiring laughter. ??? ???? ??? ??? ???. ?? ????? ??? ? ?? ?? ?? ???. In no time, even the formal respect evaporated. He picked up the pipe he had dropped and lit it. ???? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ????. Bitter opium smoke rose and then disappeared. ??? ? ?? ???? ?? ? ???? ???. This self-criticized drink of smoke said scoffingly. (TN: With a sneer the viscount/earl inhaled the smoke.) ¡°???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ? ? ???, ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?. ??? ?? ?? ??? ? ?? ?? ? ??? ???? ??. ????? ????? ? ?? ???? ??? ??? ? ???¡± ¡°Did you think I¡¯d beg you on my knees, Marquis Young-ae? If you ask for forgiveness that it was a servant¡¯s fault even if you were reprimanded by the King. he will be the only one who will forgive you. There are plenty of servants who will stand up for me just because they sent it wrong. Your Majesty is merciful and will forgive the servants for their mistakes.¡± (TN: he¡¯s telling her that a servant of his will take the blame for him and the Emperor will forgive him and the servant) ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??. ?? ? ? ?? ?? ???, ??, ???? ??? ?? ??? ? ? ?? ?. ????? ?? ? ? ???.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll compensate you for the beans and it¡¯ll be over. I¡¯ll give you the money, take it, instead, don¡¯t even dream of getting the beans from now on. I¡¯ll never sell it to you.¡± ??? ???? ??? ????. Viscount spit out with a nasty face. ?? ? ??? ?? ??? ¡®??? ? ??¡¯ ?? ???? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???. Obviously, there are many shops that this man threatened with ¡®not giving beans¡¯ like that. ¡®?? ????? ? ??? ? ?? ??? ?? ?? ? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???. ¡®If it was another store, even if this man gave me poor quality beans, I would have no choice but to pick and use it. ? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ???? ? ?? ??? ??? ?? ? ? ?? ???. As this man monopolizes the sale of coffee beans, shopkeepers can¡¯t say a word even if they get bad ones. ? ???? ???? ?? ? ?? ??? ??? ???? ? ??. If you don¡¯t like this guy, it¡¯ll be hard to get the beans from next month. ??? ??? ????. Erin agreed. ¡°?? ????? ??? ?? ??? ? ??? ?? ???? ? ?? ??? ????.¡± ¡°Of course, if you ask for forgiveness and reward you for making a mistake, your Majesty will just pass over.¡± (TN: She says that he asked for forgiveness and repent for his mistakes that his majesty will forgive him.) ¡°? ?? ??.¡± ¡°You know very well.¡± ¡°??? ?? ???? ??? ???¡± ¡°But will you let the others pass?¡± (TN: other traders/merchants will they let him forget his mistake) ???? ??? ?? ??? ?. It was Erin¡¯s turn to laugh this time. ¡°????? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?? ?. ?? ????? ??? ? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ? ???? ?? ??? ? ??? ?? ????.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell whether it¡¯s high-end or rotten, so you sell for money. I wonder what the other tops would say if it was known that the top, which owned even the monopoly, would operate like that.¡± (TN: I think ¡®top¡¯ means ¡®merchant/trader¡¯) ??? ???? ??? ???, ??? ?? ???. Erin smiled leisurely, and spoke slowly. ¡°???? ??? ???? ? ? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???. ?? ???? ?????? ? ??? ????¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe the top, which is such a mess, has the monopoly everyone wants. Wouldn¡¯t the other tops object to unfairness?¡± ??? ??? ??? ?? ? ??? ???? ? ??? ?? ? 3? ??? ?? ???. Arunde sold moldy garbage beans to this exiled duchess for 300 gold each. ? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ???. If this fact becomes widely known, people will be reluctant to explain that it was a mistake. ?? ??? ???? ?? ? ? ?? ??? ??? ???. There were countless shops that wanted to import and sell coffee beans. ??? ?? ? ?? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ? ???. It was obvious that they were all looking at the Arnt family as a thorn in their eyes, who were lucky to get the monopoly. ???? ?? ?? ??? ? ??? ??. ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?? ? ?? ?? ?? ?. As long as you have exclusive rights, there are rules to follow. To trade as fairly as possible and to make no noise in relation to the goods. (TN: noise as in drama/problems) ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ? ?? ?????? ???? ????. However, he had the exclusive rights but send trash instead of fine goods. and even sent it up to the emperor. ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???. Other tops aiming to sell the coffee beans will use that justification to attack Arnette. ? ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???? ???? ? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??????. They¡¯ll be trying to get rid of the Arndts¡¯ monopoly by encouraging the deputies who are in contact with them without missing this opportunity. ??? ????? ?? ??? ?? ????, ??? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?? ? ? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???. If the emperor says it was a mistake, he will let it go, but since he is the one who received the trash beans as a gift, he will find this unpleasant. ??? ? ???? ¡®??? ? ? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ? ?? ??? ?. ?? ???? ???? ?? ? ?? ???? ??. If one of the lieutenants/deputies/ministers suggests, ¡°It¡¯s not good to give exclusive rights to someone who can¡¯t manage their water supplies like that,¡± it is highly likely that the monopoly will be recovered. (TN: ¡®water supplies¡¯ probably means business; recovered > revoked/stopped) ??? ??? ? ?? ?? ? ?????. That¡¯s exactly what Erin had in mind. ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ???, ? ?? ??? ????? ??? ?. Erin saw his wide face turn to earth, confirming that God¡¯s thoughts were right. (TN: ¡®Erin saw his wide face turn to earth¡¯ probably mean his face turn white/ash; ¡®confirming that God¡¯s thoughts were right¡¯ > her thoughts were right on the matter or they have the same thoughts what will happen in this situation) ¡°?, ??¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ????? ??? ?? ??? ? ??? ???? ?????. I had not thought about it so far, and I was embarrassed. ??? ? ??? ?? ??? ? ?? So why are you trying to eat people back? (TN: I think he means ¡°why is she like this?¡±/¡±Why is she attacking me back?¡±) ?? ??? ? ?? ????. But I didn¡¯t know it would be like this. ??? ??? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??? ???. ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??????. I wouldn¡¯t have thought Erin would make this big. At best, I though she would begged for a refund and would give up and go back. ? ??? ??? ???? ? ? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?. Since this man is a wealthy noble, he often attended events at the Imperial Palace. ???? ?? ??? ?? ? ?? ??? ??? ?? ??? ????. Erin, who lived in the imperial palace, was a timid woman who could bear any unknown loss. ? ??? ??? ? ???? ? ??? ???? ???? ? ? ?? ??. He saw Erin in those days, so he did not hesitate to do so. (TN: ¡®to do so¡¯ > scam her/treat her like this) ??? ??? ?? ????? ?. Erin was a real pushover then. ¡°??? ? ??? ?????.¡± ¡°Give me the right beans.¡± ??? ???? ???? ? ?? ????. Erin went over to Jacques and held out a hand. ¡°?? ??? ???? ??? ? ?? ??? ??? ? ¡®?? ??¡¯? ??. ??? ??? ? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? ? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I ordered a high-quality product and paid for it, so give me a proper ¡®best-of-the-line¡¯. Then I will contact the Imperial Palace and ask them to return the box of beans.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ??? ??? ??? ?? ? ???. ??? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ????. ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ? ??? ? ???. Erin¡¯s threats left his mouth shut. He seemed to be calculating what to do. I could hear the sound of my head rolling over the complex eyes. (TN: ¡®I could hear the sound of my head rolling over the complex eyes.¡¯ I think it means: you could hear the gears turn in his head while he had a complex look on his face) ?? ? ??? ?? ???. After a while, he raised his hand. (TN: he gave up??) ¡°??. ??? ??? ?? ? ???? 3? ???? ?? ? ?. ?? ?? ????.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send you 300 gold of the highest quality as you ordered. No, I¡¯ll let you go.¡± (TN: 300 gold worth) ¡°6?.¡± ¡°Six times.¡± (TN: the ¡®times¡¯ doesn¡¯t really make sense. It more like she says ¡°600¡±) ¡°??¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°6? ???? ??. ?? ?? ????, ?? ???? ?? ??? ? ???. ???? ? ? ?? ???? ???? ? ?.¡± ¡°Give me 600 gold. It¡¯s all the best, it¡¯s your fault, so you have to compensate for the damage. You have to pay for the hard work I¡¯ve made here.¡± (TN: she tells him that she wants beans worth of 600 gold instead) ¡°?, ??, ??? ??? ? ? ? ??? ?? ?????¡± ¡°Hey, hey, but it¡¯s too much to ask for double, right?¡± ¡°??? ? ?? ??? ?? ?? ? ?? ???? ???.¡± ¡°You took my money and gave me less than half the trash.¡± (TN: he gave her trash that¡¯s worth less than half the money she payed) ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ??? ???? ???. ?? ? ???? ?? ????. Jacques could not refute it. Erin calmly threatened him. ¡°? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??? ? ? ??. ??? ?? ??? ? ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ???. ??? ?? ??? ??? ??.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, I won¡¯t do anything and stay still. And the Emperor is Mulrone, and I will write a petition to all of them. You cheated on me.¡± (TN: ¡®And the Emperor is Mulrone, and I will write a petition to all of them.¡¯ I think they are trying to say: she¡¯ll write a complaint to the emperor and his subordinates) ?? ? ??? ? ?? ?? ?. ?? ?? ??? ????. After a while, he raised his hands. He replied clenched his teeth. (TN: ¡®he raised his hands¡¯ > he gives up, like in rising a white flag in sign that he lost the battle (What I think they mean)) ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you everything you want.¡± Chapter 10 * * * I got everything I wanted. Erin walked down the hall to get back to the store. As I walked, there was a man walking from the far end of the hall. He looked like a nobleman in his clothes. Erin slipped aside when she passed without much thought. Maybe I could meet someone who recognizes my face, but I wondered if it had anything to do with it or not. She¡¯s not even the Duchess anymore. It was when I tried to pass by thinking so. Suddenly the man grabbed Erin by the wrist. When I stopped walking and turned around, the man¡¯s face was blurred under the lamp in the hallway. There was a strange face. It was a man who looked a little chubby and roughly cut potatoes. He looked stubborn, and, frankly, grumpy, and above all, his eyes were a bit of a mockery. He was very well dressed, but he was not able to see any serious or serious corners. It was a feeling of . Well, I thought it would be weird if the aristocrats in and out of the gambling house looked sincere and solemn. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± As politely as possible, I asked him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± and the man asked, looking at Erin. ¡°How much are you?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Erin laughed unconsciously. I was so dumbfounded that I started laughing. That said, this was a gambling house frequented by aristocrats. I¡¯m sure prostitutes and cortisans will come and go. This man seemed to mistake Erin for a prostitute. There wasn¡¯t time to be given the useless distance from a place like this. Erin smiled lightly and pulled out the man¡¯s wrist. ¡°It¡¯s more expensive than your life.¡± I didn¡¯t want to go further, so I tried to pass by, but the man rushed quickly and grabbed Erin by the wrist again. (n/t: lpm juat kick him) ¡°Why are you being so cold? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a lady, but if you¡¯re a lady who goes in and out of the gambling hall, there¡¯s no way I don¡¯t know your face.¡± Of course you don¡¯t. Erin¡¯s never been in or out of a gambling place. Erin also didn¡¯t know who the man was. It looks like a low-class nobleman who can¡¯t afford to visit the palace, so we don¡¯t need to know who each other is. A glistening glance swept her body up and down. Erin was horrified at the moment. ¡°Let it go.¡± Erin tried to dislodge the seized wrist. But the man grabbed his wrist and wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡°Come on, I won¡¯t let you be upset¡­ ¡­Aw!¡± Erin lifted her dress with her hand and kicked the man with one foot like a lightning bolt. Exactly at the shins. Hard enough to sound. The man fell on the floor screaming. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The man stared at Erin, shaking with indignation. A hateful voice leaked out of his mouth ¡°You, you low-born bitch¡­¡± Erin raised her eyebrows for a moment. The opponent still seemed to recognize Erin as a prostitute. Can¡¯t help but reveal her identity. She had to reveal her identity and end his relationship with a strange man. Otherwise, things seemed to get too noisy. Erin was forced to reveal herself , but before that, the door next to them opened and an irritating voice came in. ¡°Noisy.¡± Beyond the open door appeared the owner of the irritating voice. A confident-looking young face, silvery hair with polished features He was a proud, arrogant-looking handsome man with blue grayish eyes. He looked at the two with ridiculed eyes. The man who was sitting on the floor lowered his head with a shocked look. ¡°Oh your Grace, Duke¡­¡± It was Raymond. I knew I might meet Raymond again someday. The capital of the Empire was large and prosperous enough to live with a person you don¡¯t want to see for life, but it was quite difficult to live without seeing the heir of the Empire. Even if you don¡¯t accidentally encounter it somewhere, as long as you don¡¯t leave the capital, you have no choice but to see this human face even at the triumph or the crowning ceremony. However, at such an unexpected moment, I did not know that we would meet again in an unexpected place. It¡¯s been about three weeks since I signed the divorce papers. Erin looked at Raymond¡¯s picturesque face again after three weeks and kicked her tongue in her mouth. (n/t: its like ¡°tch¡±) I wondered how it would feel to meet him in person, but even looking at Raymond, I couldn¡¯t feel any emotion anymore.1 On the other hand, it was an expressionless face, but a strong question was revealed in Raymond¡¯s eyes. They are wondering why Erin suddenly appeared in these places. Erin bowed her head as usual. ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± The voice brought a man down on the floor to his senses belatedly. He also got up in a hurry and bowed his head to Raymond. ¡°Your Royal Highness, I¡¯m sorry. I was just talking to this guy¡­ ¡­and I got drunk and I was being rude¡­¡­.¡± Until just now, he was always obsequious in front of Raymond, bowing his head in a dying voice. Well, that¡¯s understandable. Because he was heir to the heir of the Empire and Emperor Mirae. ¡°Apologise to the offender¡± At Raymond¡¯s order, , the man turned his head toward Erin. ¡°I am sorry, Lady¡­. ¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Erin kicked his tongue as he watched the man protruding his nose to the ground. I wanted to hit him one more time, but when she saw him shivering and begging for forgivenes, my heart disappeared (n/t: the feeling of slapping him disappeared) Raymond¡¯s gaze turned to Erin at the sound of a tick. His beautiful eyes, like pictures, were openly crumpled. He glanced at the man lying on the floor with an annoying expression. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Go, thank you, Your Highness. Then excise me.¡±1 Raymond ordered, and the man crawled out of the hall. Raymond approached Erin as the man hurriedly greeted her and ran away. A good-looking face and a blatant sneer. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you again here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± He pretended to be proud and took out his dowry, and seemed to laugh at me for only going in and out of the gambling house. Erin responded without losing. ¡°I know. I didn¡¯t know you were coming here. I didn¡¯t know you had this kind of hobby. Does Miss Serena know about this?¡± He only laughed at me the same way, but the word revealed a cold expression. Her cold, blue grayish eyes, which did not contain a single touch of emotion, looked directly at Erin. I wanted to get angry because it was rude, but Raymond sighed instead of getting angry. ¡°If you don¡¯t have enough money, You¡¯d better ask for alimony,Don¡¯t go in and out of places like this¡­¡± ¡°Ha.¡± He really seemed to think Erin was here to gamble. It was amazing. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I just came to the door to see someone when I was in the store.¡± ¡°A store? Are you really thinking of doing something like a cafe?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure I told you before.¡± When I signed the divorce papers, I made it clear. Have you already forgotten? But Raymond had misunderstood something, and he looked at Erin in a ridiculous way and said reproachfully: ¡°I know you have a grudge against Serena, but you don¡¯t have to go so far to get back at me.¡± (n/t: I¡¯d rather spit at his face) ¡°Why is she coming out here?¡± Erin was dumbfounded. ¡°¡­¡­isn¡¯t this because Serena and you have a grudge?¡± ¡°No, I said, ¡°No.¡± Erin thought of Serena as she looked at Raymond with an unusual stupid face. The blond-haired lady who always stood by this man with an expression full of love. ¡®Oh, yes, there were times when I tried to fight her.¡¯ Serena and Erin have been objects of comparison in all respects since they first entered the palace. A government of pure and lovely low-class aristocrats and the melancholy and timid prestigious family. One has loved the duke for a long time, but the poor girl stays in the shade because of her status. The other is noble lady who took the place of the duchess by the power of the emperor. Although the Duke¡¯s formal wife was Erin, it was always Serena who received sympathy and praise from people. At that time, Erin was a ¡®bad lady who sat down at the duchess place with her bloodline.¡¯ Even that noble lineage was nothing but a ruined family with a lot of debt. The daughter is an aristocrat and holds the position after she is in debt. People looked at Erin and gave her more contempt and ridicule. Serena¡¯s beauty, which deserves to be called the best beauty of the Empire, was one of the reasons that brought such evaluation. Because when I met Serena in person, everyone thought that innocent blonde lady was the victim. It was Raymond who oiled it. Raymond was always on Serena¡¯s side. Even though Erin had no fault at all, whenever she had a problem with Serena, Raymond was annoyed with Erin. ¡®Don¡¯t be uselessly loud.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ So Erin of the past gave up fighting Serena. There¡¯s no point in winning a fight. Erin spoke calmly, shedding memories of the crumpled past memories of the past. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m trying to set up a shop because it¡¯s not because of you or her.¡± Chapter 11 ¡°Then why do you do it? Because of the money? If you need money¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your money. I want to have my store. It¡¯s been something I¡¯ve been wanting for a long time. That¡¯s it.¡± Raymond looked blank again. He didn¡¯t seem to understand anything Erin said. This man was handsome and perfect enough to feel inhumane. He was always superior to others in every way. But this man was too perfect. There was no human aspect. Raymond will never understand such a simple dream of living in peace with a small cafe. Erin was amazed that she once believed she could be happy with a man like this. ¡®It was a difficult time, but I really didn¡¯t have enough eyes to see people.¡¯ Erin turned to help herself. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything more to say, I¡¯ll leave.¡± She was about to go back, but he caught her wrist. I stopped walking and turned around, and Raymond was approaching me. He was holding Erin by the wrist. ¡°We haven¡¯t been in a good relationship for the past 7 years and the divorce process hasn¡¯t been good.¡± He said, holding Erin by the wrist. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to suffer. I¡¯ll give you the money, so you can do what you want and stay comfortable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± In the past, how happy would I have been to hear that word? There were moments in which the man¡¯s distressed voice trembled innocently. Now all those old memories I wanted to forget. I will no longer cling to foolish feelings. It is now over to hold hope in vain in the word of this man. Erin created a cold smile towards Raymond. ¡°All I want is to run a dessert cafe and never see you again.¡±3 I pulled my wrist away from him. Then she looked straight at Raymond. ¡°So don¡¯t be interested in my business.¡± Erin went back to the end of the hallway. Left alone in the hallway, Raymond was staring blankly at the spot where Erin left. ¡°¡­¡­unbelievable.¡± Raymond recalled the situation before he encountered Erin. While waiting for Jade in the room, I heard a loud noise in the hallway. Normally, I would have ignored it, but I couldn¡¯t ignore it because I heard a familiar voice. It was a voice that could never be heard in a place like this. ¡®Erin? Why is she here?¡¯ I went out to the hallway to see if I heard it wrong, but Erin was really there. Erin, who he had met again after a few days, was standing in the hallway and having a hard time with a man. The appearance of Erin in this blue elegant dress was really strange. ¡®You don¡¯t think¡­ ¡­are you here to gamble?¡¯ In fact, card games were also played in the Imperial Palace. However, Erin did not enjoy gambling even when she lived in the Imperial Palace. I was wondering if this was about money, and I got a weird answer. It¡¯s because of the cafe. ¡®What the hell is going on here?¡¯ She said something strange about the dream, but Raymond didn¡¯t believe it at face value. ¡°Your Grace? Why are you here?¡± On the other side of the hall, Jade found Raymond and came to him. ¡°no. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Raymond went back to the room. The cozy lights of wax candles filled the room with subtle gold around them. ¡°Did you send the money properly?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll be able to get the weapons supplied within this month.¡± Raymond nodded satisfactorily. Now is not the time to think about Erin and Serena. ¡°Yes. Deal with it without mistakes.¡± * * * * * Erin fastened her collar and went out the door. It was in the middle of the night. A cool night breeze blew from the dark sky. The streets were awfully quiet. The night was dark and the enemy was gone. Erin took a quick step to get to the store I can¡­¡± Erin opened the door, stepped inside, and stopped. ¡°Oh, Erin. You¡¯re back.¡± There was a man in front of Melly, who was looking this way and saying hello. It was a tall man with light brown hair. He stood facing Melly. I could tell who it was just from the back. Erin called out his name. ¡°Einz?¡± Einz von Lefnin was the head of the current Order of the Holy Sword. And Erin¡¯s childhood friend. ¡®Erin!¡¯ In the faint memories, a little light brown-haired child was smiling brightly. Light brown hair with purple eyes. For a boy, he was a boy with fine features. He was Einz. He was a childhood friend who lived next door to Erin. We always hung out together when we were young. Both of them were children of low-ranking knights, so the family environment was similar and had a lot in common. We went to school together in the capital city. Even in school, the two were close friends every day. It brings back unforgettable memories. Erin was wearing an ankle-length children¡¯s dress. Because it was Erin¡¯s birthday. Erin was playing in a small flower bed attached to the house, holding the flower crown by hand. Then Einz jumped out of the kitchen. ¡®Erin, I have something to show you.¡¯ Einz reached out to Erin. Although Einz was only nine years old, he always knew how to behave. Erin took Einz¡¯s hand and jumped over the low wall of the flower bed. ¡®Erin, happy birthday.¡¯ When I entered the kitchen, Einz extended a plate of cake. It was Erin¡¯s favorite strawberry cream cake, a slightly less puffy sponge cake with a lot of strawberry cream. ¡®I asked Einz to tell me what he was making, and He said, ¡®I want to give Erin a present.¡¯ ¡® The mother said with a little embarrassment. The appearance was poor, but the taste was fine. In fact, as a child, Erin liked anything sweet. The two of them sat facing each other and ate the cake. ¡®It¡¯s delicious! Thank you.¡¯ Einz promised, with reddish color in his ears. ¡®Erin, I¡¯ll make you a cake every birthday.¡¯ But the promise was not kept. By the age of 16, Einz was already a poor nobleman when he was knighted. There are very few knights that emerge overnight with exceptional talent. The high-profile knights were able to make their way to the world with some support from their family connections. . Einz¡¯s father had a career of unparalleled work, and Einz had a genius in swordsmanship, although he would have never been promoted to more than a regular. The knight, Einz, was sent to the northern danger zone. He had no choice but to go to such a place because he had no personal connections or backbones. But that was a chance. A large-scale subdue battle that occurred a year ago. In the war, Einz saved the entire knighthood and became a war hero. After that, he was appointed as the head of the Knights of the Holy Sword at the age of 29. And since then, HE came back to the capital and worked in the Imperial Palace. At the ballroom, Einz, dressed in a ceremonial robe with a medal, approached Erin and bowed politely. All the other nobles looked at this shining figure. ¡®Your Grace.¡¯ ¡®Einz? Is that you?¡¯ Erin rose from her seat gladly and approached Einz. ¡®Oh, my God, how long has it been?¡¯ Einz, who grew up in a bright way He was wearing a division commander¡¯s uniform. He wore a neat military uniform and a gold medal on his chest. The little boy who played with her became a handsome man with neat and delicate features. His light brown hair, purple eyes. His sincere eyes. His body in uniform was sleek and strong. ¡®You¡¯ve become a wonderful man.¡¯ Erin loved it so much that Einz came to the Imperial Palace. I was more pleased because I had no family or friends in the lonely palace, because I had someone who I can meet and laugh even for a moment. Since then, Erin has occasionally met Einz. However, I have never done anything misleading. We always met in public in front of other people. When Einz visited Erin¡¯s residence, there were always maids. There was no misunderstanding, and no one actually misunderstood. Until it happened. Chapter 12 It was the day when the banquet was held at the banquet hall in the center of the palace. For Erin, the day of the palace event meant a day of hard work. People liked the event, but Erin, who was in charge of the imperial palace¡¯s household, had no time to rest because she had been preparing for the event and checking this and that even before seven days ago. I had a headache that morning because I couldn¡¯t take a break to prepare for the event. At the end of the banquet, Erin went to the Imperial Palace garden to cool her head for a while. It was when Erin was resting at the side of the lake, looking at the lake. Suddenly, there was a sound of publicity. As I turned my head, Einz was coming this way. Erin tried to wave her hand in joy, but she didn¡¯t have time to make a sound. Because Einz, who was approaching Erin, whined and fell to the floor. ¡®Einz!¡¯ . Erin rushed to Einz. Einz was out of his mind and in a cold sweat. Erin saw blood coming out of his body. Erin pulled Einz¡¯s clothes and revealed his shoulder. ¡®This is¡­¡­¡¯ There was a deep cut on Einz¡¯s right shoulder that showed bone inside. The shape was like an ordinary cut, but it was not an ordinary wound. . The black blood vessels around the wounds were stretched around like tree roots. A little bit of black blood had seeped out from the crack. Erin knew what it was. It was impossible not to know. Poison of Demon. (TN: are we in a magical world??) It was poison by a wicked creature. If not treated, the whole body will be eaten and die. ¡®Einz¡­.¡¯ I knew sometimes he did not look well, but I thought he was just tired. I didn¡¯t know Einz was hiding this secret. The wound smelled terrible. . A smell that was damp, dark, and cold that seemed to rise from the bottom of a basement. It was the smell of death. The smell alone showed that it was really the poison of a monster. If you¡¯re caught poisoned by the venom of a beast, you¡¯ll be isolated. You¡¯ll be taken to the temple. (TN: some translators say beast, some say monster and the other say evil (spirit). If this is a magical world with demons I would go with ¡®demon¡¯, if not I would go with ¡®beast¡¯. ¡®Monster¡¯ can be used for both. It makes it a bit less confusing. But I get a lot of ¡®evil spirit¡¯ which makes me more inclined to say ¡®demon¡¯ instead of ¡®beast¡¯.) The infected are isolated. They are actually kept in captivity and burned to death. The poison of the devil is not contagious. If you took the time and treated it steadily, you could have recovered. Sometimes, however, after the death of an infected person, a new monster was created through the body. In order to prevent it, the temple searched for any infected person, regardless of whether infected or not. It was cruel, but that was the policy in the Empire. I could fully understand why Einz was hiding this. Erin didn¡¯t want Einz to end up like that. ¡®If you¡¯re here, you¡¯ll be caught.¡¯ There were many people in the palace because it was a banquet today. This was a deserted place, but there were still nobles wandering in the distance. ¡®Oh no, what should I do¡­¡­¡­.¡¯ It was an embarrassing and frightening situation. In the meantime, Einz was still in a cold sweat, losing consciousness. The time to worry was short. Erin dragged Einz into the grass. When they hid themselves in the bushes, the surrounding grass-covered the bodies of the two. Erin wet the handkerchief in the nearby lake and wiped Einz¡¯s face, which was covered with cold sweat. She could have left him behind, but Erin didn¡¯t. She stayed with Einz until the end and kept Einz. After a while, Einz came to his senses. ¡®Erin¡­?¡¯ ¡®Einz? Are you awake?¡¯ Einz, who slowly lifted his eyes, paused when he saw his shoulder exposed. Erin reassured him. ¡®It¡¯s all right, Einz.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­I was getting better, but suddenly¡­.¡¯ Einz sat up painfully, covering his shoulders with clothes. . Einz was sorry that he had not told her beforehand and had trouble Erin. Erin tried to reassure and comfort him. If it weren¡¯t for the sudden noises. A lot of words came from the pathway beyond the flower bed. . The grass was lifted and people appeared. ¡®Your Grace? Oh my Goodness¡­¡­¡­.¡¯ Serena, with her maids, was looking at them with astonished faces. It was a matter of seconds before bad rumors spread. Midnight garden. A man and women hiding in the grass. The Duchess, who is ignored by her husband, and the young and handsome knight. They¡¯ve all been close friends since childhood. It was perfect for being the main character of a dirty rumor. After a week or so, there was no one in the Imperial Palace who did not know about it. Some said that the rumors were getting more and more colorful and adapted, and some were even ridiculous enough to the point Erin and Einz were naked and hugging. ¡®Can you explain what happened?¡¯ Eventually, exactly a week after it happened, the emperor called Erin to ask. ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ . But Erin couldn¡¯t answer. I couldn¡¯t say, ¡®Einz suddenly fainted and was taking care of him.¡¯ If he had fallen down. Normally, she would have called a servant to take him into the palace, she would not have hidden him in the grass after picking up a fallen person. ¡®¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything dishonorable.¡® I just had to say that. Without further questioning, the emperor sent Einz to the southern battlefield. After a while, he himself went on a trip to the South. After a while, Raymond, who was in the South, returned to the capital. And as soon as Raymond heard the rumor, he asked Erin for a divorce. * * * ¡®It¡¯s definitely weird to think about it again.¡¯ Was it a coincidence that Einz had a seizure at that time on that day, and that the maids and Serena appeared there? Absolutely not. Einz couldn¡¯t remember how he got there. She just had a formal drink at a banquet and didn¡¯t remember after that. ¡°You should have told the truth.¡± Erin turned her head to the distressed voice, and Einz was looking at her painfully. His pale purple eyes showed a clear pain and guilt. ¡°I should have stayed here and told the truth instead of going to the south. If I did, you wouldn¡¯t be like this.¡± It was Erin who asked Einz not to say anything. I told him to go south at the emperor¡¯s command. ¡®I told you to go and trust me because I¡¯ll take care of this.¡¯ At that time, Erin herself didn¡¯t know it would go this far. The emperor issued a command in the Imperial Palace about this and believed in Erin¡¯s innocence. In fact, among the nobles, affair was no different from daily routine. Even if Erin lived in the palace. Raymond, would live with Serena in his own palace. I never thought Raymond would ask for a divorce on the pretext of it. ¡®You wanted to seize the opportunity and kick me out.¡¯ My parents had passed away anyways. I didn¡¯t have to live for them anymore. Erin was relieved that things had turned out to be like this, but Einz didn¡¯t. ¡°I will reveal the truth now. I¡¯m going to go in front of the Duke and explain what happened. You were only trying to help me, and all the other rumors are false¡­.¡± Erin looked at him with calm eyes. ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to.¡± It was a visible trap. And the trap was clearly aimed at Erin, not at Einz. . Erin couldn¡¯t make Einz fall victim for herself. . It was better to just get divorced. ¡®I feel much better and more comfortable after the divorce, actually. I don¡¯t want to go back to Raymond even if he asks me to come back.¡¯ . Erin had nothing to do with the truth now. However, one thing caught my attention. Did the man who set up the trap know that Einz was in that horrible state? Did he know he was infected with the poison of the demon and used drugs to amplify the poison? Or did he just send Einz to Erin, who was alone, to make a rumor by tying them together, and the drug caused a side effect on Einz who was already poisoned? At present, it was impossible to tell. Chapter 13 At first, I thought it was the first, but when I saw that Einz¡¯s condition had not yet been reported to the temple, there was a chance that it was just due to a weak immune system. The poison of the devil was so sensitive that it was possible for a short period of time to develop seizures. (TN: notes last chappy) Short seizures also added to the to a weak immune system Is he getting weaker? Did his delusional mind lead him to search for Erin? ¡°I¡¯m fine, Einz.¡± ¡°But Erin¡­¡± ¡°Nothing will change if you come and tell the truth because I¡¯m never going back to the Imperial Palace.¡± Erin declared firmly, looking at the distressed Einz. ¡°I don¡¯t want the Duke to know the truth and go back there. That¡¯s why even if you reveal the truth, you¡¯ll be the only one who gets sacrificed and changed. You want that to happen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­your innocence will be revealed.¡± ¡°Why do you need to prove your innocence to such a human being?¡± Raymond lived with his government in his palace for nine years. It was enough black history to be a wise duchess for such humans for nine years. It was better than the man who believed that Erin had acted against him and was irritated by the crumbling of his sky-high pride. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Yes, Einz, I¡¯m fine. Thanks to you, I was able to get this store. I really enjoy it.¡± As she prepared for the opening of her business, Erin became attached to the store with a bee sting It was also good that the store was on a quiet street. This neighborhood was a long way from the high-end residential area where the nobles lived. Thanks to this, I have never met someone I know here. ¡°Are you okay now?¡± Erin changed the subject. Einz sighed and put his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Yes. Much better. The medicine I got from the north worked.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really glad.¡± The poison of the devil is curable enough. If you take good care of your body and continue to treat it, you may get better. (TN: notes last chap naming poison) . Since Einz is healthy, there is a certain possibility of recovery. As long as you don¡¯t get caught treating it. Erin put one hand on Einz¡¯s shoulder and said clearly. ¡°¡°If you want to reveal the truth, tell me after you have cured all of this. Then I can safely tell the truth.¡±It doesn¡¯t matter if you reveal the truth after the poison of the devil has been cured. There¡¯s a risk of being punished for concealing the poisoning. It¡¯s for deceiving, but there¡¯s no risk of dying. ¡°got it? Promise me.¡± Einz hesitated, but When Erin wanted something, he would eventually give in. ¡°Yes. I will.¡± Erin stood up satisfied. ¡± It¡¯s been such a long time since I¡¯d made you something delicious.¡± Erin decided to go into the kitchen to make food for Einz. The menu was tomato stew. Before cooking, she had to get the ingredients. Erin opened the back door and went out into the garden. The white moon was dimly visible above the blue night sky, the moonlight shining white through the dark garden. Erin went to the spot where the tomatoes were. . This place, which was formerly owned by the former owner, has been left for a long time, so many vegetables withered and died. However, there were quite a few vegetables that survived. Erin picked up the dead vegetables and watered the surviving ones every day. New seeds were planted in the empty places. Thanks to this, vegetables that are easy to grow, such as lettuce and tomatoes, were now filling the garden with freshness. Tomato was caught in the bushes. Erin picked ripe tomatoes one by one. I reached out to pick up the tomato, but instead of a fresh tomato, I touched warm fingers) Before I knew it, Einz was holding the tomatoes before Erin. Einz said with a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± The two picked tomatoes together in a small garden. Suddenly, I remembered my childhood. When I was young, I kept vegetables at home like this. The two always played together in a garden full of vegetables and flowers. Erin recalled her memories of those days and asked Einz. ¡°Einz, do you remember our 9th birthday?¡± ¡°Yes. I remember.¡± I remembered. ¡°How can I forget?¡± No matter how many memories were intertwined together to overshadow the good memories of the time, the precious memories with Erin could not be forgotten for a single moment. It will never be forgotten. ¡®Einz!¡¯ A white-haired girl is still smiling in his vivid memory as if it was yesterday. Holding a cake plate with both hands, ¡®Einz! Happy birthday!¡¯ She laughed as if she were too happy. That¡¯s when Einz first found out that a child of the same age could laugh so cheerfully. On the plate was a round cake covered with pink cream. On the cake, there¡¯s a white chocolate cream with crooked letters. ¡°Happy birthday, Einz!¡± . It wasn¡¯t that big either. It was as small as a span of an adult¡¯s hand. Little Einz ate a piece of cake with Erin. ¡®It¡¯s delicious¡­.¡¯ Einz thought she would never forget the taste of the cake. Looking back now, it wasn¡¯t such a great taste. It¡¯s just a fluffy sponge with a lot of strawberry cream. But for little Einz, who had always been lonely and lonely living alone with his father, Erin¡¯s cake was a sweet comfort for the soul. Erin continued with a smile. ¡°You made me a birthday cake for my birthday the same year.¡± On Erin¡¯s 9th birthday, which came a few months later, Einz made her own cake to repay Erin. Einz laughed as she recalled that time. ¡°I did. I learned from your mother and made it, but the cake didn¡¯t rise, it was hard, and it was a total mess.¡± Erin laughed with a clear sound. ¡°But it was delicious.¡± Erin was a pure and elegant beauty. White blond hair as soft as the white moonlight and a slender jawline, light red lips like rose petals and dark green eyes like grass leaves. The skinny body looked fragile, but the whole scene was filled with elegance and fortitude. She grew up to be a proud lady, but her beautiful features clearly left traces of the old days. There was a trace of a little girl playing with him as a child. ¡®If I wasn¡¯t this body¡­¡­¡¯ I wanted to marry Erin when I became an adult. But Einz, born as the son of a poor knight, had no money to help Erin. That¡¯s why he volunteered to be sent to troops in dangerous areas in the North. . It seemed that if he made a great contribution to the battlefield and gained fame and fortune, he would be able to be with Erin. So desperately, he went to battle after learning swordsmanship. Then, Einz suddenly heard that Erin had become the Duchess. The two men¡¯s status widened by a wide margin. ¡®¡­¡­It was hard to get into the palace.¡¯ I got the position I wanted. But I went too far and got myself poisoned. This resulted in Erin getting hurt. And regret followed after. If he cures the disease, he will tell the truth. Even if he could not cure it, he would one day reveal the truth, because he could not let Erin live with an unjust accusation forever. The two filled the basket with tomatoes and returned to the kitchen of a two-story house. Erin washed the fresh tomatoes, peeled, and cut them. Tomatoes, potatoes, and onions were cut, roasted, and the pickled pork was coarsened and boiled. Inside the pot, the delicious tomato stew boiled. The fresh tomatoes gave off a delicious smell, full of meat and a subdued flavor. The stew was seasoned with salt and pepper. The sweet smell of tomatoes and the savory and tender meat filled the small kitchen. While Erin moved the finished food to a small restaurant next to the kitchen and set the table, Melly also entered the dining area. When everyone sat down, Erin distributed food to each bowl. Melly, who ate the stew with curious eyes, savored the taste with a surprised face. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so delicious!¡± Melly ate up the food in front of her, as usual, with admiration. The stew reeked of sour tomatoes. Einz also took a careful bite of the stew. As soon as it got into my mouth, the rich flavor of the tomato stew aroused my appetite. The refreshing taste of fresh tomatoes and the deep taste of meat and potatoes were in perfect harmony. ¡°It¡¯s really delicious.¡± ¡°Right? Erin¡¯s food is really the best.¡± Melly emptied her share of the food and took another bowl, praising Erin. ¡°You make these delicious foods. You¡¯re especially good at making desserts. I think it¡¯s true that Erdan has a good taste.¡± Melly let Erin know every time she praised her. Erin smiled awkwardly and muttered. ¡°Actually, Erdan people seem to like sweet food.¡± Her mother¡¯s cooking was full of sweetness. Perhaps the fact that her mother, who lived in the Erdan Mountains and moved to the Empire, chose to work as a baker is related to the habits of the Erdan people who like sweets. Erin had thought so. The Erdans were hardly known as minorities, who hid their tracks on the continent, so I could not be sure. It was drizzling outside. I could see the raining garden through the window beside the table. ¡°So did you name the store?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The eyes of the two people were focused. Erin replied, putting down the empty bowl. I¡¯ve been thinking of a name for a long ago. ¡°Lemon Tree.¡± ____________ Chapter 14 The Countess Flynn¡¯s house, where the ball was held, was lit up like daylight, even in the middle of the night. Bright light leaked from every window of the mansion. Inside the mansion was bustling greeting countless of guests. There was an endless row of carriages attending the ball in front of the main gate. Serena, who got off the carriage, slowly went into the mansion. The aristocrats who saw her hurriedly bent down to be polite. ¡°Welcome, Serena.¡± As soon as she walked in, the countess ran out gladly. ¡°It is an honor for my family to be present by lady Serena.¡± ¡°Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Flynn. His grace is busy with work today¡­¡± Serena smiled graciously and asked for mercy for Raymond¡¯s absence. Fortunately, the Countess did not think it¡¯s any strange that the Duke was not present, besides she was only trying to please Serena. ¡°Lady Serena come this way. Everyone was waiting for the lady.¡± The countess held Serena¡¯s hand tightly and led her into the guest room of the mansion. It was a place to hold precious guests until the ball started. As soon as Serena sat down, the ladies gathered around her. ¡°Serena, you¡¯re so beautiful today.The praise of being the best beauty in the empire is not a waste.¡± ¡°You flatter me.¡± Serena smiled and won the flattery of the ladies. Then suddenly the lady who was around looked around the main gate and said, ¡°Oh, my God, Your Highness is here.¡± The gathered women turned their heads in unison at the words of the lady. At the main gate of the banquet hall, where their eyes reached was a handsome man with black hair, neatly dressed in plain robes. It was Calix. Serena¡¯s eyes panicked. Calix hated Serena for a long time. Serena wanted to get along with him. Even though he is not Raymond¡¯s real brother, she wanted to be liked because he was the only younger brother of Raymond. But from the first meeting, Calix hated Serena. Grand Duke has always been like that since he was about 15. She spoke to the young Duke a few times, but each time, Calix did not answer and ignored her like an invisible man. She knew it¡¯s to taunt or insult her, but from Serena¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s a big deal. It felt worse than swearing. Serena laughed and got up from her seat. She didn¡¯t want to show that she was being ignored by Calix in front of so many noblemen. ¡°Then I have to see my father. Excuse me for a moment.¡± Serena suddenly left, but the assembled nobles did not wonder about the circumstances. The ladies¡¯ eyes were fixed on the Grand Duke, Calix. Grand Duke Calix Royten, was a famous figure in the capital for many things. Once he was part of the royal family, he became the third most powerful man in the empire, the second richest man in the country, and he was also a very handsome man. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since you¡¯ve been here.¡± Someone murmured as if whispering. At the same time, the Grand Duke turned his head over. I could see deep blue eyes like sapphire. Grand Duke, Calix glanced at the women gathered in one corner and looked away again. It was only a moment, but the ladies, who caught the eye, were all quick-witted. The ladies gathered on one side covered their mouths with fans and began to shout in unison. ¡°How can he be so beautiful?¡± ¡°You looked just like your mother.¡± His mother, Teira, was famous for being the most beautiful woman in the capital. She was the only daughter of Grand Duke of Royten. But the woman could not succeed to the title, so Calix¡¯s father married Teira and took the position of Grand Duke. Calix was the only son born to him. Although his mother died when he was young, his father, Grand Duke, died trying to save his friend, the old prince. ¡°But don¡¯t you think the son is more beautiful?¡± They all agreed Calix had a striking appearance. Dark black hair used to appear dark blue, faintly blue in the light. A sharp blue eyes, with a sharp nose and beautiful eyes. Compared to Raymond¡¯s blue-gray eyes with solemn dignity, Calix¡¯s blue eyes were always as charming as the clear sea. Despite the mixed atmosphere between the two young people, it added to the charm. Some people thought his brother Raymond was more attractive. ¡°Have you heard about it?¡± A lady¡¯s heart sank beyond her debt. ¡°The duchess, who was kicked out, wanted to open a store in the east of the capital.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard. What did she say again¡­. uh¡± She said she¡¯ll open a cafe to sell cakes? Like a coffee house? ¡°Yes, I heard she already found a shop somewhere in the east.¡± It was only a month ago that the social circles were bustling with the divorce scandal both inside and outside the peasant, and this time rumors circulated that the exiled duchess was trying to set up a coffee house somewhere in the east. It didn¡¯t make as much headlines as it did at the time of divorce, but it was still a strange thing. Why would the exiled duchess do that? Everyone was curious, but no one knew exactly. The east Viltraut street was a place where the commoners below the middle class lived, and nobles did not pass by. ¡°Why did she go to such a remote place?¡± Someone asked suspiciously. The high-ranking aristocrats lived only near the imperial palace lined with great mansions or in the western residential districts of the capital. Usually, they rarely left the area. Other parts of the capital city were inhabited by commoners, so they never visited those places in person. In their opinion, it was normal to open a cafe in their area. Someone covered his mouth with a fan and whispered meaningfully. ¡°She must want to avoid attention of the people with the commander of the knights¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I know. Maybe she went to such a remote place to live together with her secret lover.¡± ¡°Well, no one would see it if it were at such a remote place. It¡¯s perfect for lovers to live secretly.¡± The ladies were whispering as if they had found the answer. ¡°Isn¡¯t the cafe just a cover? As an excuse to see the handsome knight commander often.¡± It was a bit unreasonable, but they chatted merrily. It didn¡¯t really matter if it didn¡¯t make sense. Regardless of age and sex, there was nothing more entertaining than the stories of high-ranking officials. Then a playful voice interrupted from behind. ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am. What do you mean, a lover?¡± I turned around in amazement and found Calix. ¡°Oh my, Your Highness.¡± At the sudden appearance of Calix, the ladies who were sitting in their seats, rose in unison. Grand Duke Calix Royten, smiled innocently and asked the ladies for forgiveness. ¡°Excuse me, I heard something interesting while passing by. I want you to forgive me for listening to the conversation.¡± While looking at the man making a fascinating expression, the lady folded her fan and spoke fluently. ¡°Oh, is there something to forgive? It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± The women were silently staring over there fans at the Grand Duke, and a sigh of admiration came out. ¡°Well¡­ ¡­you look more beautiful up close.¡± Everyone nodded in their hearts at someone¡¯s muttering ¡°So, is the rumor about my sister-in-law true?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, well¡ª¡± The ladies exchanged looks as if they were embarrassed, and the end of their conversation was blurry. They had no choice but to be clueless. In fact, rumors about Erin¡¯s affair was a subject that the emperor himself banned. Calix said with a naive smile. ¡°I¡¯m just asking because I¡¯m curious. There were so many things happening while I was away from the capital.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what you¡ª¡± ¡°What about it? This is not the Imperial Palace. My grandfather said he would punish the person who spoke of the rumor at the Imperial Palace, but this is not the Imperial Palace.¡± The ladies seemed to understand that. No matter what happened, it seemed that the Emperor would forgive the Calix. The Emperor is the one who protects his handsome grandson no matter what he does. When such a judgment was made, everyone was not willing to take care of the lady who spoke out. Among them the highest-ranking, Marquess Elston, came forward. She began to explain with a meaningful look. ¡°Well, the Duchess, or the former Duchess, was hugging Einz, the commander of the knights, in the darkness of the garden. They hid themselves in the grass and¡­¡± It was a little bit of a criticism, but the Marquess could not hide her feelings of humor. She continued to explain the two in detail, describing their outfits and their appearance. Calix, who was listening without losing his smile, asked with a smile. ¡°I see. Did you see it yourself?¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°What? No. It¡¯s not me, but Mrs. Melvin.¡± ¡°Did she say she saw it herself?¡± ¡°Not that, but count Lynell told his wife¡­¡± ¡°Is Count Lynell afraid to see the scene?¡± ¡°Yes, yes? Oh, well, I heard that the Count also heard from a maid.¡± ¡°She must be one of those people who witnessed the scene, right? What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± After several questions and answers, such as a pre-answer question, the Marquess, who answered, bite her lips with cold sweat. Only then did the ladies who grasped the atmosphere, turn white and bit their mouths. Calix was satisfied and smiled. ¡°So the maid who you didn¡¯t even know, told the count, the count told his wife, and she was talking as if she had seen it.¡± Calix¡¯s smile was pleasantly beautiful. A beautiful smile blooms as the blue eyes, which are clearer and deeper than the lake, fold slightly. But the ladies, who saw the smiling faces, all turned pale and curled their heads. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me¡ª¡± (TN: I¡¯ve been using ¡®your Grace¡¯ for Raymond and your Highness¡¯ for Calix, bc Calix is a grand duke) They forgot about his cute smile, but he was the only Grand Duke in my country. Raymond was also high in terms of title. In addition, he was openly favored by the emperor. Calix warned with a chill laugh. ¡°If you want to live, don¡¯t say anything that¡¯s useless.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Calix left the ladies who were sobbing and begging for forgiveness and walked away I felt like I had done something useless, but I didn¡¯t want people who didn¡¯t know to say anything behind their backs. This is why I hate the capital. Such ridiculous nonsense. What lover? The palace was a place where countless city servants and maids roamed. There were countless guards and soldiers in the palace, officials and nobles come and go all day long. Even Erin lived in the palace where the Emperor stayed. Can you enjoy the beautiful Imperial Palace without going crazy? If you really wanted to hide and meet your lover, you would rather use the secret room in your palace. Besides, Erin was a frustratingly quiet and patient lady. She was never a person to do such a thing. Calix was blowing out the window in the hallway, overlooking the garden. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Bill, his subordinate, found Calix and ran to him. ¡°Why? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bill came up in a hurry and said, ¡°This is news from the South. Your Majesty is coming to the capital.¡± * * * Erin stood in the shop in a plain monochrome dress. The empty shop was neatly arranged. The tables and chairs are in their respective positions, and the vase with small flowers on each table is neatly placed. The glass display case next to the counter was full of pre-made edible cakes, muffins and pies. ?. Macaron, stacked like a mountain. Apple, plum, and blueberry pie cut into pieces. Princess cake filled with sweet and fresh cream, and fluffy muffins that swell up nicely. The sight of it made me feel like I was getting a sweet taste. . The display case and storage box were previously used to store food, so that the food would not go bad. I really wanted to place a dessert for sale next to the checkout counter, so I was really happy when I discovered that there was magic. Originally, I was going to set the window side with a dessert model, but I was so busy preparing for the opening that it was still empty. It was okay, though. It¡¯s not a bad idea to look at the guests and pick out desserts for the show window. Erin looked carefully at each of the desserts in the glass walls of the display case and then turned to Melly. ¡°Now, are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡± . Melli also firmly agreed with a cute face. Obviously, this seemed to be ready. Tables are all ready, desserts, coffee and tea, and even small changes at the checkout counter. Erin walked slowly and opened the door leading to the street. It was finally the day to open the store. The sky was clear without a cloud. The signboard hanging on the door of the store was brightly lit. The signboard is beautiful The sign had the name of the shop in beautiful cursive style. (Lemon Tree Cafe) * * * Even though it wasn¡¯t summer yet, the streets in broad daylight were quite hot. Fiona, who runs a cosmetics store in the city, was walking down the street, fanning her hands repeatedly. Today was a long holiday, so she stopped by her friend¡¯s house and came back. As she walked along the quiet residential area, She saw a strange shop on one side. It was a shop with a new signboard on a shiny wiped glass window. Looking at the signboard, it¡¯s a cafe. ¡®When did this place opened?¡¯ There were not many shops around here, because it was a quiet residential area. I¡¯ve never seen a cafe or coffee house. ¡®Should I go in? I wanted to have some iced tea in the hot weather. Fiona opened the door without much thought. The shop was neatly and beautifully decorated like a newly opened shop. There was an elegant carpet on the floor and a vase decorated with beautiful flowers on the table covered with white tablecloths. Fiona, looking around the store, caught something in the glass showcase next to the counter. The glass was full of colorful cakes, pies, and muffins. There was a kind of cake I¡¯d never seen before. It was a feast of all kinds of desserts. ¡®It looks pretty good, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ . Fiona sat down and turned to the menu. There were many kinds of desserts, including coffee and tea, on the menu. Still, I didn¡¯t want to buy a cake earlier. I was thinking of going out for a simple drink. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like a glass of iced tea, please.¡± After a while, a cool iced tea in a long glass came out. . But the cup wasn¡¯t all. Next to it is three scones in a small plate. ¡°What¡¯s with the Scones?¡± ¡°Opening service. Try it.¡± ¡®Oh, it¡¯s the first day of business. I¡¯m lucky.¡¯ I was actually very hungry. Fiona hesitated for a moment before reaching for a small scone on a plate. As soon as I took a bite, the hard-looking scone broke gently, spreading the savory aroma of butter inside my mouth. Every time I chewed, the soft bread melted gently at the tip of my tongue. Unlike ordinary scones, these scones were savory and soft. Fiona hurriedly ate one whole thing. ¡°I¡¯ve never had such a delicious scone!¡± ¡°I added cream to make it smoother.¡± The owner of the cafe who had white blonde hair smiled with a proud look. Fiona looked at the cafe owner¡¯s face. She was a young woman in her mid to late 20s. She was dressed in monotonous clothes, but she looked neat and beautiful. ¡®Are you a clerk, not an owner?¡¯ Fiona was staring blankly, and a white-haired woman brought her jam from a small plate. ¡°Would you like some strawberry jam?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± Fiona spread strawberry jam on the yellowish-baked scone. As soon as I put it in my mouth, the sweet and strong strawberry flavor was caught between the scones. Fresh and sweet strawberry jam combined with savory butter flavored bread. It tasted great. Fiona held a cup with a refreshing scent and drank a lot of cold iced tea. Iced tea was delicious, too. It was a cool iced tea with peach nectar, and the sour and sweet taste of the fragrant peach is better. With each sip, a refreshing peach flavor and a subtle black tea scent refreshed in my mouth. Fiona, impressed by the taste, decided to try something else. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll order something called milky milk. I¡¯ve only heard the name from a long time ago, and I¡¯ve never eaten it. I couldn¡¯t eat such a formal dessert until I went to the right dining table. A platinum-haired woman brought me the milk from a small dish. It looked like a layer of sweet custard cream that melts gently in the mouth amid crispy pastry. ¡°Wow¡­¡­ that looks appetizing.¡± Fiona carefully cut the corner with a fork. The layers of pastries and rich cream were cut into small pieces. As soon as I cut a piece and put it in my mouth, my face lights up by the savory pastry, which is thinly baked, moist with a soft, sweet cream. The cream melted away from the tip of the tongue with crispy pastries. ¡°It¡¯s really delicious¡­¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Other guests went through a similar process. They were curious and admired the taste of the scones served as drinks and services, so they ordered a dessert. Everyone seemed to be satisfied that it was delicious. ¡°Is it okay for the first day of business?¡± Erin took turns with Mellie, then went back to the kitchen and made the cookie dough. It was a butter cookie with vanilla essence in an ordinary half porridge with butter and eggs. Erin put the well-mixed dough into a squeeze bag and squeezed it into shape one by one. And I baked a cookie dough made into a circle like a coin in the oven. In the hot flames of the oven, the fragrant and soft scent of butter began to ooze. After a while, a brown-colored cookie came out with a savory buttery scent. Erin ate a hot cookie. As the cookies crumbled, the savory smell of butter spread in my mouth. The sweet and sweet taste of butter and softly mixed was excellent. ¡°I¡¯m going to give this out instead of scones in the afternoon.¡± Erin headed to the store with a tray of cookies. The inside of the noisy shop was strangely quiet. When I opened the back door from the garden and entered the store, I saw men in the store. Erin was surprised and stopped. ¡°Lady Erin.¡± A familiar middle-aged man found Erin and approached him. He¡¯s the one she¡¯ve seen every day for the past nine years. It was the emperor¡¯s chieftain. He politely bowed in front of Erin. ¡°Erin, your Majesty is looking for you.¡± * * * 9 years ago. Sunlight penetrated through the glamorously colored glass. After a long walk through the long corridor along the corridor, a small annex with a chapel came out. The chapel at the western end of the Imperial Palace. Erin was there. The chapel was quiet without people. A statue and a candlestick were visible on the altar. On one side was a golden chalice. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ There, the emperor honestly apologized to Erin. ¡®I knew Raymond didn¡¯t like this marriage. But I didn¡¯t know it would be this much. I¡¯m sorry. I have no face to see you.¡¯ Was it about three months after I got married? Probably it was. It was a time when Raymond¡¯s attitude of ignoring Erin without having to spend the first night was all about the new Duchess talking about being unpretentious. The emperor called Erin to the chapel and apologized. ¡®t¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ As the emperor said so, he bowed his head to Erin. At that moment, I remember being so surprised that I couldn¡¯t even breathe. At that time, His Majesty, as high as the sky, bowed his head in front of me. I couldn¡¯t believe it, so I had no time to think about anything else. ¡®Your Majesty, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t blame yourself too much. I am really okay.¡¯ Despite being the person who received the apology, Erin was confused and tried to appease the old emperor. At that time, I thought it was really okay. It was about 3 months since I was married. Until then, I could still endure it. ¡®And, I¡­ I am deeply grateful for the things Your Majesty has done for my father.¡¯ Although she learned about Raymond¡¯s sincerity and realized the reality of her marriage, Erin at the time was satisfied just that her parents were comfortable. I was so satisfied that I was determined to be patient even if I was condemned. The emperor nodded quietly. ¡®As long as I am alive, I will surely protect you no matter what happens.¡¯ The old emperor kept that promise. Because of his face, he was reluctant to intervene deeply in his grandson¡¯s privacy, but he was on the side of Erin when absolutely necessary. Even when she was in trouble with Einz, the emperor trusted Erin and was willing to side with her . * * * And now, Erin¡¯s small shop had attendants of the Imperial Palace. A carriage was also seen outside the door leading to the street. It was a carriage with the emperor¡¯s emblem engraved on it. The tea-drinking guests stared at Erin and the city hall with their eyes wide open with astonishment. ¡°Your Majesty told you to bring lady Erin to the Imperial Palace.¡± The middle-aged attendant serving the emperor politely conveyed the emperor¡¯s will to Erin. ¡°Your Majesty is back.¡± I knew this would happen one day. However, Erin did not intend to return to the Imperial Palace again. Even if it was a brief visit, I didn¡¯t want to go. ¡°Was it an order?¡± Erin asked calmly towards the bell. ¡°Did your Majesty order me to return to the Imperial Palace?¡± The attendant looked at Erin calmly and replied. ¡°No, Your Majesty said he would ask Erin for a favor.¡± It seemed so. The emperor was a gentle and educated man. You can never force it. ¡°Thank you for visiting me.¡± Erin nodded and calmly and clearly communicated her will. ¡°But I am not going back to the Imperial Palace anymore. Thank you so far. Please tell him this.¡± ¡°Okay, lady Erin.¡± The chieftain tried to return without asking any more. At that moment, Erin recalled a tray of cookies he had just made and brought to the store. ¡°Oh, wait a minute.¡± Erin asked the attendant for patience, took a small glass bottle from the store and put a cookie. Cookies were filled in a small glass bottle and the entrance was wrapped with paper. Then, the paper was tied with string and decorated with ribbons. It was quite reasonable to make it that way. Erin handed the glass bottle to the attendant. ¡°Give it to your Majesty. It¡¯s a small gift from my part.¡± * * * Raymond was walking through a long corridor in the emperor¡¯s palace. The emperor who went to war returned to the imperial palace after a long time. In the corridor leading from the reception room to the garden, there were crowds of people who wanted to see the emperor. As usual, Raymond calmly walked toward the garden at the emperor¡¯s palace. People bowed towards him as he slowly walked through the corridor. The emperor¡¯s palace was the most luxurious and luxurious place in the imperial palace. Marble floors and painting ceilings. The hall was filled with colorful vases and sculptures. It was a luxurious palace that could not be imagined in other countries. The empire has long enjoyed wealth, but it was the current emperor who prospered to this extent. ¡°Your Majesty is waiting.¡± The emperor¡¯s tea room was on the first floor facing the garden. As I entered the tea room with the window wide open, the fresh scent of flowers exudes pleasantly. The interior of the tea room covered with marble tiles was bright and comfortable with the sunlight. the two sitting face to face with the tea cups turned to him. As Raymond reached the tea table, the eyes of the two men, who were sitting opposite him with a teacup, turned to him. One was the emperor and the other was the prime minister. As he had entered the elderly, the prime minister stood calmly and bowed his head to Raymond. Raymond walked towards the table and was polite. ¡°I see Your Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°okay. Come on.¡± The emperor was an old man who looked kind and caring, unlike the clumsy-looking minister. Blue-gray eyes shining brightly for his age were looking closely at Raymond. Raymond sat down facing the emperor. It was the seat next to the Prime Minister. It was their first meeting in a few months. Raymond glanced at the prime minister next to him, but he looked at his emotionless eyes and said nothing. On the table were tea cups and tea pots made of high-quality porcelain that can only be obtained in foreign countries across the sea. It was a beautiful teacup with light blue wisteria flowers on a pure white background and a gold frame. It was a complete tea set, including a tea cup and a tea pot. The emperor, who liked tea, also had a hobby of collecting tea. As Raymond sat down, he poured tea into this teacup. A white tea cup filled with fragrant tea with sweet scents was refreshingly shining. ¡°There must have been a lot of hard work doing my job in the meantime.¡± Raymond added light admiration as he put down the teacup after sipping the tea. ¡°Will you compare it to your Majesty? who commanded the war directly in the South? I have no experience yet, so the prime minister here is the one who suffered.¡± The prime minister fell in love with the words and touched the teacup. ¡°Your Majesty managed the state administration much more competently than me.¡± After such a formal greeting, the emperor first brought out the main subject. ¡°I came back early because there was something bad in the palace.¡± _ Still looking for proofreaders please dm me :¡¯) with ur gmail this time I¡¯ ll make sure to reply skjsks Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Raymond put down his cup and said, facing the emperor. ¡°There is nothing that is not good. The two of us were divorced by agreement. Even ordinary couples break up if they don¡¯t fit together.¡± ¡°You are not an ordinary couple.¡± The emperor calmly refuted. ¡°You are the future Emperor and Empress. It¡¯s never an ordinary couple.¡± ¡°Yes, it was a normal couple. This was a simple family matter.However, since the woman has disgraced the name of the family with dirty rumors, it is not possible to move on to the marital problem.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± The emperor did not answer, but turned his gaze. His wrinkled fingers were touching the teacup. The minister, who has been serving the emperor for 20 years, could see what the old emperor thought. Even if the Duchess really had an affair, it is not the voice of a man who has lived in the government for nine years. I can¡¯t speak out, but the emperor refuted it. The prime minister did the same. Of course, the royal family, especially the male royal family, always had a government. ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor. I saw the witnesses together. How can you bet that there was a disgrace?¡± The emperor spoke slowly and carefully, as if to tie Raymond. The emperor was always friendly to his grandchildren, not only to his grandson Raymond, but to his son, Calix, who was the son of the Crown Prince. However, as the two grew up, the relationship was divided into two extremes. His grandson, Calix, genuinely liked the emperor who raised him, but his grandson Raymond constantly had conflicts with the emperor. Even now Raymond laughed at his grandfather coldly. ¡°Your Majesty is always generous to her.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± At the rude words of the young Duke, he minister looked into the air and swallowed a moan. The emperor hated Serena and sarcastically told Erin to be generous. The conflict between the grandchildren began ten years ago when the emperor forced Raymond to marry her,There were signs of it from before that time, but it was from then that it was decidedly. Then, the conflict between the two continued for years. Raymond threw out a new bride and put the government into his palace, and the emperor refused to make Raymond the prince. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to be generous than to trust a rumor and to dismiss a wife who hasn¡¯t been together for nine years?¡± The emperor persuaded his grandson to be calm as if to comfort a child. ¡°Erin is a wise and good girl, and she has been in charge of the palace for nine years, and she has endured no matter what you do, she is good enough for us.¡± Raymond¡¯s blue-grey eyes flashed with annoyance. He seemed to be at the end of his patience. Raymond spoke to the emperor while the prime minister looked at it with a breathtaking feeling. Have a cup of tea. in a very strange way of speaking, even with a smile his face ¡°If you like her that much, make her Empress right now. The divorce process is over.¡± The prime minister didn¡¯t understand what it was at first, because Raymond had said it so casually and the meaning in it was so great. The terrified minister turned to the emperor belatedly. But before he even opened his mouth, the emperor moved his hand holding the teacup. The emperor splashed a warm black tea from the cup on Raymond¡¯s face. ¡°¡­.¡± The fine silver hair was soaked in the black tea, and the tea water dripped down along the chin line. The minister and the servant standing on one side looked at the air with an expressionless face as if they had not seen anything. ¡®No matter how it is, if you like it, you can marry her¡­¡­It also leaves his ex-wife.¡¯ The prime minister could have assured him that if his grandson had said this, he would have hit him with a cane. Maybe her mother would run in first before he hit he, and beat him to pieces. The emperor put down his teacup and looked to the window for a moment to calm himself. The Duke, who was covered in black tea, sat silently. The emperor set down his teacup and the servant beside him poured it again, as if nothing had happened. The servant handed the Duke a dry handkerchief. The Duke wiped the tea with it. ¡°I want you to bring Erin back.¡± After a few minutes of silence, the emperor broke the silence of the heavy luck that had been cast in the tea room. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, she agreed to divorce.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll bring Erin in yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, looking out into the garden where the warm sunlight was shining. ¡°I am the emperor and you are my grandson. To divorce, it is polite for two people to come together for permission. Bring Erin, yourself.¡± It was a voice that did not contain any anger, but it was an order of firm will. Raymond, however, retorted without bowing. ¡°I told you, the divorce is over, and I can¡¯t bring her back now.¡± The emperor sighed silently. The prime minister felt that he had reached the end of his patience. The emperor looked at his grandson and ordered: ¡°I¡¯m not asking.¡± * * * * ¡°Your Grace¡ª¡± Serena found Raymond walking down the corridor and hurried up. Raymond¡¯s clothes were wet on the back of his neck and shoulders, she noticed what had happened. Raymond passed her and went into his bedroom. His blue-gray eyes were sparking. ¡°Go out.¡± The servants followed, and then, hurriedly, the cold command of Raymond. Serena didn¡¯t go close. She knew from experience that she shouldn¡¯t be close to Raymond at this times. Serena looked at him in horror, and the door closed. Serena was in the hallway, and she was going to cry. ¡®I thought it would all be okay if she was gone.¡¯ I knew that if Erin disappeared, Raymond¡¯s wife could be me. As soon as the emperor knew that Raymond was going to be with Serena, he took Erin and forced him to marry. That¡¯s how much she hated Serena. But I thought he would give up at this point. Since the wife chosen by the emperor was left unattended for nine years and made to be self-defense, he thought that the emperor would now give up and accept him. But it was wrong. The emperor still seemed not to give up. ¡®What the hell am I worse than her?¡¯ She felt as if she were going to cry out of anger. Serena squeezed her fists to make her blood. ¡®Why can¡¯t he give up, even when she dissapeared?¡¯ * * * * Erin went into the kitchen in the second floor. The kitchen was completely new. It was full of fresh, clean water. The cooking tools, the ovens, were all new. There were plenty of ingredients, including flour, sugar, salt, pepper, butter, as well as ham and sausage, lean meat, smoked fish and all kinds of canned food. This was not the case when I first bought the house. It was a clean but old kitchen. All of this was a gift from Einz, even the ovens and tables, pots, frying pans and three pretty china bowls that Einz had sent. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t prepare a gift for the opening. What do you need?¡¯ The first day he came, Einz smiled uneasily and asked, Erin replied without thinking. ¡°Um¡­ would you like a tool or bowl that would help you in business¡± Two days later, a full load of luggage arrived at the store in a row. (A gift from Einz to Erin) It was filled with a lot of things, all kinds of tools, furniture, and groceries, along with a note reading ¡­. Not just kitchen items, but living things such as handwriting, beds, closets, and so on, all of the old Einz sent me new and beautiful things. Thanks to this, this two-story house behind the store has been transformed into a clean and cute new house. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect you to go this far.¡± Einz hasn¡¯t been in the store since then, perhaps because he¡¯s been busy. Erin opened the box with the fruit and picked up two apples. The sweet and refreshing apple smelled over the shiny red skin. I got the ingredients, so it was time to make food. I sliced the apples and put them in a pan, boiled them with water, sugar, and honey, and the apple turned into a transparent gold with the smell of sweet caramel. I put the pie on the pie frame and took the shape. I put the apple on it, sprinkled cinnamon powder, and baked it in the oven. A moment later, a sour and succumbing Apple pie came out. I saw a glossy golden apple through the crisp, soft crust of pie, and the apples were filled with sweet, caramel-flavored juice. The store has been busy ever since its opening day. Some of the desserts made by Erin were good because they liked tea and coffee, but the biggest cause was the emperor¡¯s servant who came to the day. The guests in the store saw clearly the servant who came in the carriage with the sell of the emperor receiving the cookie from Erin. That made a strange rumor from that day. It¡¯s a patisserie shop that , she worked at the Imperial Palace, or the dessert here is so delicious that he want to invite you from the Imperial Palace. The contents are slightly different, but anyway, it was a rumor that the Imperial Palace sent a person to Erin¡¯s store to buy cookies. I explained that I did not do it a few times, but rather the guests seemed to believe more. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Erin cut a slice of the steaming yellow pie, she took the sliced pie into the tray and went into the store. But before I even opened the store, there was a loud shout. ¡°Did you think that I was a beggar?¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± A middle-aged man pushed her and Mellie fell to the floor. Erin dumped the tray and ran to Mellie. ¡°Melly!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Erin, he¡¯s here again.¡± Erin looked at the bragging man. He was a mean-looking middle-aged man. The man was a guest who came when Erin was out buying ingredients. The truth is that he was angry at paying a 10 silver coin and insisting that it was a 10 golden coin and was angry to give out change. I¡¯ve heard from a regular customer that it¡¯s quite famous in the whole area. He always goes to the store where he first opened, or the store where young women and the elderly are guarding him. Then everyone just give him money to avoid the trouble and send this man out quickly. It¡¯s not that much money, actually. ¡°Excuse me, I saw it clearly and it was a ten-silver coins.¡± The lady at the next table stepped in. ¡°What is it? Are you the owner? Why are you cutting my sentence?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the owner.¡± ¡°What?¡± Erin stood up to the man and answered. ¡°I¡¯m the owner.¡± The man approached Erin. The man was quite big. When I came close, he looked bigger. ¡°You¡¯re the owner? How do you train the staff? Can¡¯t you guys even calculate the money?¡± | ¡°It was obviously a silver coin, as you¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Something popped before I could finish my words. Erin turned her face instinctively. Several brown coins fell to the floor. The man threw some fairy tales at Erin¡¯s face without a hitch. ¡°I definitely brought some gold coins and some fairy tales. Do you have any gold coins here? Count your face.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°You treat people like beggars. Why do you ignore people when you¡¯re in a small shop like this? ¡° It was an excessive insult. The coins were scattered to the floor. The store was tautly long. There was shock and anger in Melly¡¯s face. The guests were looking at the man with an unpleasant look on their faces. They couldn¡¯t get in, but everyone looked at Erin without worrying eyes. But Erin wasn¡¯t angry. As people looked nervous, Erin collected all the coins that had fallen on the floor. Then he threw it back into the man¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s this store supposed to do to me¡­ ¡­aah!¡± The man standing triumphantly raised his arms and hid his face. The coin fell around the man and rolled away. ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing?¡± The man shouted in amazement. Erin spoke gravely to him. ¡°You can count it. Even if you don¡¯t know polite, you have to learn to see coins. It looks like you don¡¯t even know the basic numbers.¡± ¡°What, what?¡± The man was quite shocked in his own way. There has never been a owner who has responded in this manner. the shops are always run by a gentle young woman or an old lady. It was because I had only gone. Most of them were dirty and avoided, but no one was quick to fight back. ¡°Is this woman out of her mind?¡± It was when the man raised his fist to hit Erin. Erin hurriedly grabbed the small dagger she had put in her pocket. Her father was a knight and Erin was his only daughter. Erin also learned self-defense. It was enough to stab the opponent in case of an emergency. ¡®Would this be self-defense?¡¯ That was the moment I thought about it. Suddenly the man collapsed, screaming. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Blood trickled down from behind the man¡¯s knee. I saw a man standing behind a fallen man with a sword pulled out. A dark blue hair with a faint blue flag. beautiful eyes that look Beautiful features, vivid, blue eyes. It was a familiar person. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± The moment the man was about to raise himself, Calix kicked his head with a snap. The man screamed and fell on the floor. Not to miss the gap, Calix stepped on the man¡¯s thick neck. ¡°Shall I kill this, sister-in-law?¡± Calix stepped on the man¡¯s neck with one foot and gently pressed it. The man struggled with a gasping sound. Erin hurriedly stopped him. ¡°No, don¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Who would come to the shop where the murder took place to eat the cake?¡± Calix was convinced and put his feet away. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The man rushed out of the store dragging one leg. Erin quickly apologized to the guests. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the commotion.¡± But no one saw Erin. All the customers of the store were women. Their eyes were all on Calix. It was worth it. He was such a beautiful young man. Erin cleared up the spilled tray and blood, picked up Kalix and went out to the garden. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I just came to look around. Thanks to you, I enjoyed watching.¡± Carlix grinned. ¡°How did you say that, sisterr-in-law? You weren¡¯t supposed to be like this, were you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Is that so? Erin played a quiet and patient duchess for nine years and couldn¡¯t even remember what she was originally like. Perhaps her personality has changed while living in the palace. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± It¡¯s been quite a while since I met Carlix. I haven¡¯t seen Carlix very often except when he was young or on his way out. When Erin was thinking she should serve tea as soon as possible, Melly suddenly came home and told her. ¡°Erin, we¡¯ve got an order!¡± Erin turned around to ask Carlix for his understanding and he said in a calm manner first. ¡°You must be busy. Then I¡¯ll go back.¡± ¡°Will you just go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Carlix turned away as if he were insignificant. ¡°It¡¯s okay today because I saved your sister-in-law¡± He slowly passed through the store and went out. ¡®He was really just looking around. But I wanted to serve you some tea. He won¡¯t come again. I¡¯m divorced and I¡¯m not even a family.¡¯ I felt sorry. Erin went into the store with a wistful heart. There was a young customer at the door of the store. He introduced himself as a man of the Labantz family. ¡°Mrs. Katherine herself ordered the cake.¡± The order was to send Katherina von Labantz, a Sachertorte two days later during tea time. ¡°Catherina¡­¡­lady Catherina?¡± Catherina was the granddaughter of the prime minister. She was a pretty and confident beauty, as the love of the Duke of Lavantz family. Sachertorte is a sour, sweet chocolate cake with chocolate on the outside of the cake after sliced chocolate sponge cake and stacked in layers with apricot jam. It was tricky, but there was no need to make it. What bothers me, however, is why lady, a duchess who can make enough cakes like this, ordered this run from Erin¡¯s store. ¡°Lady Katherina asked you to bring her the cake on your own.¡± Even with these instructions. Melly¡¯s nervous eyes at Erin. I did it. It seemed like there was something weird, so I wondered if I had to be careful. ¡®Of course you don¡¯t want to eat cake purely.¡¯ But if she wanted a cake for any reason, she wouldn¡¯t accept it. Erin took the order after a short thought. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take your order.¡± * * * Erin boiled white whipped cream mixed with vanilla bean. When the white cream was boiling, the savory cream smell, which seemed to be mixed with vanilla in frost milk, was small. Mix the egg yolk and sugar in a lightly boiled cream. Put it in a small bowl and cook it in the oven until the top is a delicious golden color. After taking out the yellow-cooked cream, lightly sprinkled sugar on the golden-cooked top and melted it with fire to coat it with a hard caramel film. The white sugar pellets, neatly covered like snow, turned into caramel with a sweet smell. It was a creme bruise made by cooking cream. Simple as it may seeming It was a luxury dessert. ¡°This is pretty good.¡± The sweet caramel membrane, which was covering the cream with a spoon in the caramel membrane, broke, and the yellow custard cream revealed its moisture. Carlix, sitting at a kitchen table, was amazed by the cream of the creme brisket. Erin blankly watches the finished dessert disappear in no time. asked ¡°Your highness, what brings you here today?¡± It was the second day of the man¡¯s case. Carlix, who helped Erin that day, came to the store again today. Since when they have been walking alone, women have followed up to the store while looking at Calix. I like you, but I don¡¯t want any more rumors going around here. ¡°I came to watch your sister-in-law work today? While I am here, you ¡®re having some summer season desserts, and I like sweet things, too.¡± Erin quit while trying to refute that she am no longer his sister-in-law and that he can eat enough dessert in the palace. ¡ª- Sorry for the mistakes, please proofreaders¡­. Dksks Chapter 19 Chaptet 19 ¡®It was originally a unruly kid.¡¯ As soon as he was born, Calix lost his mother and a year later his father. It is said that both of Calix¡¯s parents, were friends of the prince . The Grand Duke died guarding the Crown Prince on the battlefield. The prince made it his adoptive son, saying that he would take care of the son of his friend. If it were another noble family, there could have been a backlash. However, there was nothing much wrong with the Grand Duke because it was originally a family separated from the royal family a few generations ago. If the royal family was cut off from the royal family anyway, it was also a family that could inherit the throne. However, two years after Calix was adopted, the prince also died of illness. Kalix grew up spoiled by his Majesty, who became grandfather by adoption. When Erin first went to the Imperial Palace, Calix was 13 years old. He was curious by new family was curious, so he kept chasing Erin and bothering she. ¡®I could still bear it because it wasn¡¯t swarming or grumpy. Whenever he smiled cutely, he followed Erin around all day, saying, ¡°What are you doing, sister-in-law?¡± ¡°Hey, sister-in-law, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Hey, sister-in-law, play with me.¡± ¡°Do you want some cake?¡± Even if I refused and told him to go, I didn¡¯t feel sorry for anything, or he continued to laugh and follow me.. Honestly, it was very annoying, but since the child was so bright and cute, it was not annoying even though I was suffering so much. For example, it¡¯s a clear annoyance. ¡®But if I had done that for all 9 years, it would have been so annoying that I couldn¡¯t have lived¡­¡¯ Fortunately, thanks to the emperor¡¯s drying up, Carlix did not pursue Erin a few months later. Not to the extent that he didn¡¯t chase after what he said and how he stopped going to the royal palace. ¡®It disappeared so suddenly that it was a bit sad.¡¯ Soon afterward, calix left the Imperial Palace to learn to rule his territory. After that, they didn¡¯t come to the capital very often, so Erin and calix didn¡¯t have much opportunity to meet. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to play somewhere else?¡± Erin quietly said that it was often to go to the nobles¡¯ play area, and Calix replied, biting a small teaspoon in his mouth, as if complaining. ¡°It¡¯s not fun to go anywhere else. I¡¯m really bored of talking.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be the only one in the Empire who says that.¡± The nobles preferred the capital, which had a luxurious socialite, over the boring rural estates. Living in the capital cost several times more than living in the countryside, but most of the nobles did not leave the capital all year round. Of course, Calix was an exception. Calix always stayed in his estate. Calix frowned. ¡°The capital is boring. Every soiree, party, prom¡­¡­ My estate is a hundred times more enjoyable. There¡¯s no one to bother you there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Erin easily agreed. In fact, this young Grand Duke was almost like a king in his estate. Grand Duchy of Royten was out of the emperor¡¯s authority to the point that it could be called an independent state. Nevertheless, in that no sanctions were imposed, I could see how great his Majesty¡¯s affection for this cute grandson was. Thanks to that, there are rumors that the successor might change, but it was absurd. Erin quickly collected the desserts on the tray before they ran out. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I am going to move it to the store and come back.¡± Erin picked up the tray and said to Calix as she left the door. ¡°If you want to try something else, there are pre-made cookies on the cupboard. You are eating it.¡± It seemed that Calix was trying to say something, but it seemed that he couldn¡¯t finish the job anymore, so Erin quickly closed the door and came out. Today was a holiday in the store. It was a day off, but I had to make some foods and prepare them in advance so I couldn¡¯t do business. Suddenly, the number of customers increased, and I was so busy that I could not take a rest day. ¡®Today I have to make a Sachertorte, which the lady from the Rabantz ordered. The day I had to bring the cake was tomorrow. Since it is a rule to finish the ordered cake the night before or the morning of the day, Erin went into the store, thinking that he had to go buy the ingredients as soon as it was set. In the store, Melly was sitting in a pile of materials. ¡°Erin.¡± ¡°Melly, how are you doing?¡± Melli sat down with craft materials such as cotton, plaster, clay, and paints, making a model of the dessert to display in the store¡¯s window. Shape and color with plaster or clay, and finally, with a transparent nail polish applied to the nails, the texture of the sparkling syrup is expressed. It seemed difficult, but the finished macaron looked quite plausible. ¡°Well made. It¡¯s real. Certainly, Melly has good dexterity.¡± To brew tea and drip coffee by hand, it was necessary to have good dexterity and meticulous personality. Erin thought that Melly would be good at making drinks, so her dexterity would be good, but it was as expected. ¡°Hehe. In fact, macaroons were the easiest. You just need to get the shape and color it.¡± Erin put Cr¨¨me Brulee in a glass cabinet and picked up a jacket. Melli, who was making a pie with plaster, saw her and asked. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I will go to Bayard Street to buy the ingredients for the cake ordered.¡± Erin closed the door and disappeared. Melly was still wrestling with plaster to make a model in the store. Calix, left in the kitchen of the two-story house, was looking through the small window, looking at the garden in the afternoon. Green vegetables were seen against the blue sky. ¡®It¡¯s a peaceful place.¡¯ It was a small and cute place. A small shop and a toy-like two-story house are attached with a garden in between. Yesterday, I was here to watch, but as soon as I came, I saw a strange sight. Erin is angry and sarcastic in front of a violent man. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen you so angry..¡¯ Erin, seen from the imperial palace, always looked quiet and lonely. I couldn¡¯t meet often, but every time I met, she became more and more depressed. Calix sat down and waited for Erin. The cookie Erin said was not even touched. However, no matter how long he waited, Erin had no sign of returning. Calix waited a long time for Erin and got up from the seat. Then I passed the garden, opened the door and entered the store. ¡°What about your sister-in-law?¡± The maid, who was making a lot of things, got up in a hurry and answered. ¡°Erin-nim went to Bayard Street to buy ingredients.¡± . ¡°this time?¡± ¡°Yes, she has to send the cake by tomorrow.¡± calix looked at the dark sky through the window, then opened the store door and went outside. * * * Raymond looked out the window of the carriage. The sunset was setting in the afternoon sky. The setting sun colored the serene scene of the capital red. The streets in the evening were busy. There was hardly anyone in the street where the wagon was passing. Raymond stared out the window and frowned. It has been a week since I was ordered to bring Erin in person. However, he hasn¡¯t even contacted Erin yet. In the meantime, the emperor did not meet Raymond and refused business requests several times. It was clear that he was insisting that he would not do anything if he did not listen to the order to bring Erin himself. ¡°Now come and bring her back, what do you mean?¡± Raymond muttered annoyingly. Jade, sitting face to face, advised anxiously. ¡°Your Majesty, you must not disobey Your Majesty¡¯s orders anyway.¡± Raymond looks out the window of the carriage. He looked annoyed and answered. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was against it.¡± It was obvious what the emperor was thinking. You want to take Erin back and reunite with Raymond. However, since you can¡¯t put pressure on Erin¡¯s, you¡¯re hassling Raymond. Raymond recalled the last time he met Erin. What I want is to run a dessert cafe and never see your Grace again. Erin clearly said so. ¡®It¡¯s a dessert shop.¡¯ I thought it was because ahe was angry, but Erin was really setting up a cafe and doing business. They even circulated incredible rumors of making their own food. ¡®No way, it won¡¯t.¡¯ After a sigh, Raymond turned to Jade. ¡°Where did you say her shop was?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on Biltrout Street.¡± Raymond pondered for a moment before ordering. ¡°Go there.¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ### Erin¡¯s shop that¡¯s standing on the side of the quiet street was very small. He imagined a small coffee house when he had heard of it, but it¡¯s ten time smaller than he thought. Raymond frowned before he even reached the store. His carriage stopped on a quiet street, then he stepped out. ¡°Wait here.¡± The lights were off but the door was open. Raymond opened the store door and went inside. When he went inside, the shop was bigger than he had imagined from outside, but it was still considered a small shop. Raymond went in and found a little garden, there he found a table that¡¯s he used to find inside of weapons shop. But compared to such a place, Erin¡¯s shop was no different than a hole. ¡®I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re living in a place like this.¡¯ It was ridiculous. As I looked closely, the place was stood like a corridor¡ªlong and neat with it¡¯s own neatness and trimness, although it was narrow. There are tables and chairs on the carpeted floor. The tables covered with white tablecloth were all empty. Only strange things like plaster, clay, and cotton were piled up like mountains on the middle of the table. Looking around the store, Raymond found a glass display case next to counter. The glass was filled with colorful cakes, pies, muffins, etc. And there, he saw things like wheat kernels and creams. ¡®You didn¡¯t make it yourself, did you? ¡® I heard such rumors, but I didn¡¯t believe it because it was nonsense. ¡®No way, you can¡¯t be. There¡¯s no way a woman who once a Duchess would cooked herself.¡¯ Did Erin said she sells pie in the past because she owed so much to the Brecia family? I¡¯ve heard that before. One day someone sent it with a bunch of pie shells in a gift box to mock Erin. It was a gift sent anonymously, so I didn¡¯t know who the culprit was. On her birthday, Erin opened the gift box and put it down because she was blue. Even after that, Erin didn¡¯t get angry and demand to catch the culprit. I just had my maids throw the gift away. It was not long before the whole imperial palace was known. Everyone made a fuss about it and laughed at Erin for coming from this poor family. [The Duchess, who used to make and sell pies.] I remember laughing at you like that. At that time, I wasn¡¯t interested in what people¡¯s opinions about Erin. ¡®Did she really make a pie and sell it?¡¯ Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t know anything about Erin. No wonder we haven¡¯t had much conversation in the last nine years. It was what Raymond thoughts as he were looking around the shop. It was then, a woman who was coming in from the back door of the store, found Raymond and bent down in surprise. ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡®I think I¡¯ve seen her somewhere.¡¯ It was Melly who was guarding the store. But Raymond didn¡¯t know who she is. He vaguely thought that Erin hired a clerk. It was worth it. Raymond had rarely been to the Crown Princess¡¯s palace where Erin lived. So he couldn¡¯t help but not reco Melly who was working there. ¡°Where¡¯s Erin?¡± ¡°I ¡± Melly thought for a moment. Erin wouldn¡¯t like Raymond here. Infact, Melly wanted to kick him out, too. Melly had been watching on how Erin lived in the imperial palace. She didn¡¯t want Raymond to show up and bother Erin. ¡°She¡¯s out to buy materials. Oh, It¡¯ll take a long time, so please comeback later.¡± Melly tried to answer Raymond and lied like that. However Raymond didn¡¯t give up easily. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll wait.¡± * * * It took less than one hour to get to Bayard¡¯s shopping district. There, precisely at Beltrout Street stand a shops. Located at the southeast of the capital¡ªBayard street surrounded a small river like a border. Cross the bridge of the river and you will find another dull, simple city. Bayard Street is largely divided into three parts. A busy area with a market, a crowded area of small shops, and a poor district where suspicious people come and go. As one part of the capital, Bayard Street is followed by cleanly maintained roads, but further than the crowds that leads to the back, there¡¯s a dirty brick road that not yet paved properly. The place was littered with shoddy shops in a narrow, messy alley way. ¡®Don¡¯t go to the deserted side.¡¯ An ordinary aristocrat would never have come to such a place in their life. But Erin once came here with her parents to shop. Because they could get groceries cheaply in this market. Erin went into a store of familiar signs. The store were selling baking ingredients such as chocolate and jam. The large box was full of sweet ingredients. Sachertore was a cake full of chocolate. Naturally, it needed a lot of chocolate. Erin brought her purse and bought a lot of torte chocolates and apricot jam. After finishing the purchase, Erin went back to where she hadcome from. Maybe because it was late in the evening, there were no people around even though she had walked for quite some time. Not long after, the sun went down. Following that, most of the shops light were also turned off. The surroundings gradually darkened. ¡®I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m taking too much time.¡¯ The streets were unsettlingly quiet. The hazy evening mist damped the shabby road. Erin passed the dark streets as fast as she could. It was around then that she felt a suspicious presence. Erin turned her head as she felt someone was coming. At that moment, an unidentified man popped out of the next alley and rushed to Erin. ¡°Aah!¡± Fortunately, she was able to avoid being dragged helplessly because she had sense the presence just before her. Erin hit the man in the face with a basket of luggage he was carrying. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The chocolate in her paper bag was scattered. As the paper bag bursts, pieces of chocolate spilled on the man¡¯s body like rain. The opponent was embarrassed and hesitated for a moment. After Erin had push the man and make a gap between them, she ran away. Without knowing where she was going, she recklessly ran away. Small shops and old houses lined up along the narrow alley. I was wondering if there was anywhere I could ask for help, but it was all closed. Erin ran off along the winding road without a break. She was wearing a petticoat and a dress that was simple but worn as a fast skirt. The long hem of the skirt wrapped in a cumbersome way throughout the run. If I had a corset on, I would have been able to run as fast as I could, but it was heavy enough just to come down to the tip of my toes. Her breath ran out to the chin. She was so scared and tired. She wasn¡¯t running away recklessly. Erin knew some of the geography of this alley. While running frantically, Erin searched her memories of where and how to get to the alley. Where Erin thought of was a complex alley where a cross was immediately taken out after a side turn. As soon as you enter the alley, you¡¯ll be able to hide on one side of the alley and fight back. However, the hem of the skirt was a stumbling block. The long skirt made it difficult to speed up. It was when Erin was running desperately toward the fork in the alley. The man who was following her caught Erin¡¯s long skirt from behind. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Erin screamed and fell forward. The man catch up and caught her. Erin pushed him away with her shoe paws, but she lacked strength. ¡®Ugh !¡¯ Erin struggled to escape. She hit and scratched the man with both hands. Nevertheless, he held on to Erin tightly and did not let her go. The man took a small knife out of his arms. It was a dagger with a small but a sharp blade. Erin saw the creepy little blade in the man¡¯s hand, as she struggled. It was when the man raised one hand high to stab her. Erin, who was frantically busy, bit the man¡¯s hand as hard as she could, covering his mouth in the gap. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The man held his hand and screamed. Erin got out of his clutches in the gap and rose to escape quickly. But even before she managed to stood up, the man rushed in and grabbed her ankle. ¡°Aah!¡± Erin fell down again. But as soon as she fell, she hurriedly put her hand at her waist and took out a small dagger. As soon as the man approached, Erin turned to the man and stabbed the dagger into the man¡¯s shoulder. Staaabbb! Splashhh! Blood flowed like a fountain from where the blade was inserted. Then, after that Erin tried to run away. But the man took out the dagger stuck in his shoulder and grabbed Erin¡¯s skirt rock again. ¡°I ¡°! The man raised his hand to stab Erin. The sharp blade shone gruesomely in the dark. Erin struggled frantically. Puck! At that moment I heard a foreign sound. The man stood tall like a broken spring doll. Erin, turned in amazement and found a raw object sticking out of the man¡¯s stomach. The blade of the sword has come. The blue blade pierced the man¡¯s chest. Black red blood dripped down the blade that penetrated his chest. Standing next to that man, he died. Swoosh, the blade that broke through the man¡¯s chest slipped out in a flash. At the same time, the man knocked down towards Erin. Surprised and pushed the man away, the hot blood from his chest soaked the floor. The man was already out of breath. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Erin slowly raised her head. A sharp blade of blood-soaked sword showed it¡¯s own work first. The red blood on the blade flowed slowly to the floor. Against the backdrop of the dark sky, a tall man stood with a sword. The blue eyes glowed coldly in the dim alley. He came close to Erin. ¡°Are you all right, sister-in-law?¡± It was Calix. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°Are you okay? Can you get up?¡± Calix approached Erin and reached out a tender hand. It was an incredibly polite and gentleman attitude that came from someone who had just murder a man. Erin ignored his hand and tried to stand up. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can get up by myself.¡± But it wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounds. I ran for a long time. I was shocked by a sudden event, and my legs wouldn¡¯t cooperate. The moment Erin was trying to get up with her staggering legs, Calix who looked still, stepped forward and reached out again. ¡°Hold my hand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Erin was forced to take Calix¡¯s hand. Calix held Erin¡¯s hand and supported her. ¡®Ah !¡¯ As soon as I got up, my knees were weak. My body leaned without notice. Erin was taken forcelessly inside Calix¡¯s arms. The scent of a mature man flashed through her mind as soon as soon as she touched his chest. Musk scent resembling a cool forest. And the body odor of a strong adult man mixed in it. It was a mature and seductive scent that went well with the adult Calix. Erin was amazed and stepped back. ¡°Ah¡­ thank you.¡± While trying to step back, the man¡¯s body touched the heels of her shoes. I looked around in surprise and found blood on the dirty stone floor. The man, who fell over creating pool of blood, had become a cold body. His eyes are completely empty. Looking down at the body. Calix asked. ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°No. I was trying to buy something in the store and he suddenly attacked me.¡± It was similar in size, so Calix thought the man was one of the customer so Calix tends to injured and ignore him, but he wasn¡¯t. Callix replied as it was nothing. ¡°Then it must have been just a robber.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Erin didn¡¯t answer, but in her heart she denied Calix¡¯s words. ¡®He¡¯s not an ordinary robber.¡¯ She thought as looking at the man¡¯s body. She was wearing very ordinary clothes. By all means, it doesn¡¯t seem like she has a lot of money. In fact, I spent all of my money to buy chocolate at the store, so I didn¡¯t have a lot of money in my wallet right now. If he was a robber, he wouldn¡¯t have followed her back. When she ran away after hitting him with a basket, he should¡¯ve go and target others. If that man¡¯s purpose was not Erin¡¯s money. ¡®Then, it must be¡­¡¯ No one could ever try to harm the former duchess who had been accused of having an affair and is divorced. Except for one person, ¡°You must have been very shocked. Is there any injuries?¡± Asked Calix anxiously. Standing in the dark inside dark alley way, Calix was strangely not match to the place. It felt like she put a statue of him a dirty alley. In the dark alley, his dark blue eyes shined gently. When I first met him, he was a 13-year-old boy, but when did he grow up to be such a handsome and cool man? Erin thought the time was so fast. Since he wasn¡¯t related to Raymond by blood, Calix had no resemblance to Raymond. Raymond was a nice handsome man and this one was a beautiful young man. The delicate appearance with the dignity of the Grand Duke was beautiful like a picture. But the first thing that caught my eyes was Calix¡¯s dark blue eyes. There was a heartfelt warmth inside those blue eyes looking at Erin. Erin looked in the eyes and asked. ¡°Why did you follow this far? Did you followed me?¡± I asked him if he was following me in this situation. I asked him, but then Carlix responded softly. ¡°You disappeared all of a sudden, and I was arround, so I followed you here and saw you being chased.¡± Oh, that¡¯s how it happened. ¡°Thank you. I am alive thanks to you, Calix.¡± Erin honestly said thank you. In fact, if Calix had not followed her, she would have died. Calix laughed as if it were fun. ¡°Then, can I come to the store every day to eat cake?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine by me, do whatever you want.¡± He was a life saver, but I wanted to say that. ¡°Now, you can let go of my hand.¡± Erin said, pointing to the hand still held inside Calix¡¯s palm. Then Calix slowly released his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll guide you. It¡¯s dangerous to go alone.¡± I wanted to refuse, but my legs hurt and my shoes couldn¡¯t cooperate because I ran madly just now. It would take a while to get to the store from here. Actually, I don¡¯t even know where this is. ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± You don¡¯t have to refuse. Erin left the alley with him. The streets at night were immersed in a silent darkness. The visible distance is hazy with a faint fog. ¡°Don¡¯t go alone in this place in the future.¡± While walking down the street, Calix suddenly spoke. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. You should hire a maid or a servant to do errands like this.¡± Melly was no longer a maid but a hired clerk, and Erin couldn¡¯t afford to have a servant yet. But Erin didn¡¯t dare deny it. ¡°I have to be careful about going back after sunset.¡± I found out I can¡¯t get around safely anymore. Erin smiled as she looked back at Calix who was walking with her. I always thought that he was a little boy, but I was grateful for him on worrying about my own well-being. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Sir. Calix.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Calix didn¡¯t answer. He only saw Erin¡¯s smile attentively. Her lips that look soft like cherry blossoms are faintly curved upside. A charming smile like petals bloomed on her elegant face. Even the white and slim cheeks were oozing with light red blush. He composure was much paler because of what happened just before, but it was a fascinating smile that caught his eye. I know it from the first time I saw it, but Erin was beautiful. When he first met Erin at the age of 13, Calix thought his sister-in-law was very beautiful. So even with a young heart, he didn¡¯t understand why Raymond hated Erin so much. As he walked in thought, they finally stood in front of the Erin¡¯s shop. It was midnight, but the inside of the store was brightly lit. Calix opened the door for Erin to enter. Erin went into the store and stopped in surprise. Calix also went inside and stopped. A familiar silver-haired man stood inside the store. Erin was surprised and called his name. ¡°Your highness Raymond?¡± * * * ¡°You must have been amazed ! How are you feel? Do you feel like passing out?¡± When Melly heard his words, she was amazed and was in a fuss. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you met the Grand Duke. Thanks to him, you came back safely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Erin asked while taking off her dirty dress. ¡°Melly, can you prepare tea? I¡¯ll change my clothes quickly and go to the shop.¡± It¡¯s better to go as quickly as possible. There are two bad brothers sitting in the shop right now. Fortunately, nothing happened until I changed my clothes and went downstairs to the store. When I opened the door and went inside, there¡¯s a strange silence surrounding the shop. Raymond and Calix, sitting at the chair, and they seemed haven¡¯t exchange any conversation. Erin sat down facing Raymond. Melly¡¯s timing was good, and she served a cup of hot tea. The steaming teacup was placed in front of three people. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Although they sat facing each other, Raymond and Erin said nothing for a while. Only Calix started drinking tea without worries. I didn¡¯t know we¡¯d meet again this way, but we had nothing to say even when we sat face to face. What word¡¯s would you say after you¡¯re divorced? ¡°You said you¡¯re attacked? Are you okay?¡± It was Raymond who broke the silence first. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine now.¡± Raymond looked inside the store silently. He frowned. ¡°Do you had no place to stay?¡± ¡°There is a house behind the cafe. I live there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.A house attached to a store. Why do you live in such a place?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very beautiful two-story building. It¡¯s much better than the Imperial Palace. It¡¯s much more comfortable.¡± I said a word that emphasized the imperial palace was very uncomfortable, but Erin did not care. The Imperial Palace was really uncomfortable. Raymond also understood what Erin meant. But even if I understood what it meant, it seemed that I couldn¡¯t understand. He laughed and said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone who likes a cafe more than the Imperial Palace in my whole life.¡± Erin also smiled without losing. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you haven¡¯t been to a place better than the Imperial Palace. There are many good places in the world other than the Imperial Palace.¡± For Erin, the Imperial Palace was a terrible place, even if no one else knew it. The nine years I lived in the imperial palace, that was suffocating and terrible. I only just get out of that place and now live by myself. ¡°Why did you come to see me?¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 I asked him to finish this quickly because I was tired, but he didn¡¯t answer for a while. Raymond looked closely at Erin¡¯s face then said. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Having nothing to say, Raymond turned to Carlix sitting next to him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Carlix, who was only just eating the cookies that came with black tea next to him, answered calmly. ¡°It¡¯s a dessert cafe.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I came to eatdessert.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Raymond looked at his younger brother as if he was embarrassed. Then he woke up from his seat as if he didn¡¯t want to be involved any longer. ¡°We both better get going. You must¡¯ve been tired.¡± Erin didn¡¯t refute because she was so tired. ¡°Yes, thank you Your Grace, and Grand Duke, take care on your way back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow, sister-in-law.¡± Carlix waved his hand to me before he went out the door. He saved my life, but I couldn¡¯t tell him not to come anymore. Erin replied with this weak smile. ¡°Yes, come tomorrow.¡± Raymond watched the two people for a while, then turned around and went out. ¡°Brother.¡± As soon as he came out the door, Carlix called Raymond. ¡°The robber who attacked sister-in-law He didn¡¯t look like a normal robber ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± Raymond listened to Carlix and fell silent for a moment. He couldn¡¯t gather what he¡¯s talking about. Raymond is¡­ For a moment, I looked directly at Carlix with dark eyes. Although the were not brothers related by blood, Raymond was on good terms with Carlix when he was young. Because Carlix was very cute. As he was a younger brother of different ages, he had no chance to hang out with each other and fight. He was the grandson of the emperor, customarily a duke, and Carlix inherited his father¡¯s work and became the Grand Duke, but it didn¡¯t bother him back when Carlix was young. Raymond is the legimate royal family, his position was higher than Calix. But as he grew up, Raymond became wary and hated Carlix. The two men quickly drifted apart. One day it, because of his father¡¯s old letter, Raymond found out. The letter contained a long-cherished affection for Thera, Carlix¡¯s mother, who was the only descendant of the Grand Duke. The relationship wasn¡¯t that shameful, however after Raymond¡¯s mother died, and Carlix¡¯s mother was still single. He sense there¡¯s something about his father and Carlix¡¯s mother. But the relationship was difficult to achieve anyway. Teira was the only child of the Grand Duke, so if she came to the house of the emperor, the Grand Duke will lost their name as a Grand Duke. Calix¡¯s maternal grandfather, the War Squadron Grand Duke, never wanted such an outcome. The Crown Prince is Raymond¡¯s father, and Thera is Calix¡¯s mother. Raymond wouldn¡¯t have been wary of Calix if the two had ended up having a secret relationship. However, in the letter of the deceased prince, it was stated that the two were in a relationship until the very moment of Teira¡¯s marriage. And Calix was born exactly nine months after the Grand Duchess married. Officially known as premature birth¡­¡­. Raymond asked, looking carefully at Calix in front of him. ¡°Where¡¯s the body?¡± ¡°In the back alley of Bayard Street. Maybe he¡¯s still there. I¡¯ll look for it.¡± Said Carlix, looking straight at Raymond. ¡°You better pay attention to your brother¡¯s girl as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Calix didn¡¯t answer than he turned around and went to the other side. Raymond walked towards the west. As soon as a block passed, he saw knights on horseback and carriage. An intelligent man with brown hair rushed up to greet him. ¡°Your Grace.¡± When Jade saw Raymond who had returned alone, he asked wonderfully. ¡°Your Grace, you didn¡¯t mean to take Erin to your Majesty?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Raymond answered briefly and got into the carriage. Originally, he was going to take Erin to the palace. However, seeing Erin in a pale complexion due to the after effects of the attack, he couldn¡¯t say a word about going the palace with her. Raymond sighed. ¡°We can meet again later and talk.¡± He called in Jade to order before the carriage left. ¡°There¡¯s a robber¡¯s body in the alley. Send a man to the security forces and make sure they identify him.¡± *** The next day, Erin got up before dawn and wore a light green dress. The sprout-like light-green cloth matched Erin¡¯s platinum hair. Erin came out of the store quietly with the finished cake. Last night alone, I threw away all the chocolate and ingredients I had bought yesterday, so I wondered what to do with the order of cake. I was forced to explain the situation and decided to delay it a day, but at dawn I heard a knock on the door on the first floor. Erin hurriedly got up, put on a thin shawl and went down. A small basket was placed in front of the door of the two-story house. In the basket, there were plenty of ingredients for the cake, including chocolate and apricot jam. I could quickly see who sent it. Raymond and Calix were the only ones who knew about yesterday, and Raymond wouldn¡¯t have sent me this. However, there is no way that the person who bought the culprit could have sent it. ¡®No, but how did it get here?¡¯ Erin looked blankly around the garden, where the dawn light permeated. Of course there was no one in the garden. The shop¡¯s door was locked tight and there were tall stone walls on both sides of the garden. ¡®Should I raised the fence?¡¯ It was a bit awkward, but all the ingredients in the basket were fine. Just in case, I checked to see if it was poisoned, but there was nothing suspicious. Erin finished the morning cake with the ingredients. Then she took a box of cakes and walked westward. This neighborhood was a mansion in habited by noblemen. There was a line of well-dressed mansions here. The eminent aristocrats of the Empire, the aristocrats from foreign countries, and the great-grandchildren It was broad daylight, but few people walked around. Well, it¡¯s tea time now. . At this time the nobles stayed in the tea room of the most mansion. There was a mansion a few steps ahead. A silver eagle is drawn on the flag on the gate. Silver color were painted on a black background. It was a sentence of the Labantz family. Erin went to the front door of the mansion. I showed the box of cakes to the guard who was guarding the gate. ¡°I brought the cake you ordered.¡± The maid came out and led Erin to the patronage of the mansion. Beyond the small garden came a cute picture-like gazebo. It was a well built and small gazebo that is used as a tea room in the mansion. Around it, I saw a garden full of warm sunlight. The sweet smell of flowers fluttered in the wind.. The inside of the tea room was also beautifully and luxuriously decorated to suit this mansion. There were also cute and delicate furniture and fancy pottery. ¡°Oh, welcome, Erin.¡± A beautiful black-haired lady stood up and welcomed Erin. This was Kathy, the grand daughter of the prime minister. Wearing a light blue dress, Kathy looked as chic and graceful as a rose. Cathy laughed at Erin¡¯s box of cakes. ¡°You brought the cake. We were all looking forward to it.¡± Kathy smiled and looked at the people at the tea table. In the bright sunny tea room, there was a gathering of young ladies in all kinds of dresses. Colorful eyes glistened with penance. Erin noticed what was going on. ¡®Oh, so everyone was curious, so they called me here.¡¯ The young people gathered here were now the most popular aristocratic ones in society, mainly in Kathy¡¯s state. Hearing that Erin is opening a shop and doing business, it seems that these ladies were very curious about what I was selling. However, the young children of the noble family could not come to buy the cake directly, so Kathy went out to gather her friends and ordered the cake from Erin.. As expected, the red-haired lady sitting on one side asked with a tone full of curiosity. ¡°Did you really makes your own cakes?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Originally, it would not be necessary to provide answers for such young child, but now I¡¯m like a shopkeeper. Erin spoke with courtesy to the order. ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± They were all shocked faces. It was shocking that Erin, the emperor¡¯s favorite and once the Duchess, made food. Kathy asked with elated eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to try it. Could you please take out the cake ?¡±