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When I opened the door and stepped into the café, it was completely empty. I had thought Baron Evit would already be here waiting, but he wasn’t. The unexpected sight caught me a little off guard.
“Could it be that Baron Evit hasn’t arrived yet? There’s no one here.”
“Indeed. The preparations for the opening seem to be complete, though.”
“Hm…”
At Lucious’s words, I looked around the café. Just as he said, everything for the opening ceremony had been meticulously prepared. The tables were decorated with blue roses, teacups and teapots were neatly arranged, and even the refreshments specially made for today were set out.
It was all perfectly ready, yet something about it felt odd.
“If Baron Evit isn’t here yet, then who prepared all this?”
“Perhaps he sent his employees and servants ahead of time to handle it?”
“That can’t be. He said he wanted to do it himself.”
Because this was the long-awaited grand opening of his very first branch, Baron Evit had insisted on handling every step of the preparations personally. He wanted to pour all his energy into this special day, and I had agreed to let him.
“Of course, he still needed a bit of help, so I assigned a minimal number of staff and servants to assist him…”
“Then it seems he must have worked together with them. If it wasn’t him overseeing it, this level of preparation wouldn’t be possible.”
“That makes sense. But in that case, where has he gone?”
“Perhaps he stepped away for a moment. Still, leaving without locking the door is a bit strange.”
“Not only the baron, but none of the others are here either.”
Seeing his frown deepening, I found myself frowning as well. Even if he had stepped out briefly, there was no way Baron Evit would have left without locking the café. And it was equally strange that no staff or servants were present either. It wasn’t the sort of situation where they would all leave at once.
Inside the empty café, I began to feel an odd, uneasy atmosphere. Glancing around once more, I checked the clock. The hands had passed 8:30. The opening ceremony was scheduled to begin in just thirty minutes. Would Baron Evit return before then?
The peculiar situation gave me the uneasy thought that perhaps something dangerous had happened. I was just about to discuss it with Lucious when a dull sound echoed from deeper inside.
Thump!
“W-what was that?”
Along with the sound of something colliding, a small wooden barrel tumbled down the staircase from inside. It rolled noisily before stopping on the floor. Startled by the sudden appearance of the barrel, I instinctively stepped back as Lucious carefully approached the stairs.
“…”
He picked up the barrel and examined it, then turned his head toward the staircase. Though the café was brightly lit, the stairway beyond was dim, making it hard to see clearly. Still, there was something there, and Lucious narrowed his eyes at the darkness above.
“Lucious? What is it? Is someone up there?”
The barrel rolling down so suddenly… Could someone be upstairs? The second floor had been built for future expansion but was currently only being used for storage. Could Baron Evit and the others be up there? But if so, why hadn’t they come down?
Though the situation felt strange, it was best to confirm. I approached Lucious, who was still staring at the stairs. His expression had softened slightly compared to before, making me tilt my head in puzzlement as I drew closer.
“Tiana, wait.”
“What is it?”
I tried to move past, but Lucious blocked me. Placing a hand on my shoulder, he shook his head lightly and whispered near my ear with a small smile.
“It seems we’ve caught a little thief.”
“Huh? A thief?”
What was he talking about? His words startled me so much that my voice rose without thinking, and I quickly covered my mouth. Lucious, smiling gently at my reaction, carefully guided me closer to the stairs.
“Look there.”
“…?”
Following the direction of his finger, I tilted my head upward. Behind a large wooden crate, larger than the fallen barrel, a tuft of red hair was poking out. Alongside it, a bit of a dress hem stuck out as well.
The moment I saw it, I had a good idea who this “little thief” was.
“…Alexandra?”
And as if to confirm it, the tuft of red hair twitched in surprise. Why was Alexandra here of all places? I waited to see if she would come out.
But even after being discovered, she didn’t emerge. Instead, as if stubbornly refusing to admit defeat, she tugged her dress hem back out of sight, hiding herself even further. I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the sight.
Lucious, watching beside me, sighed quietly and spoke.
“It seems our little thief’s legs have gone numb, and she can’t move. I suppose we’ll have to lure her out.”
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”
“Perhaps tossing her a bit of fresh meat would do the trick.”
“…Lucious, really…”
I laughed at his words, which so clearly showed how he regarded her. As if hearing us, Alexandra’s indignant voice rang out from behind the crate, accompanied by a rattling sound.
“Don’t treat me like a stray cat!”
She stood abruptly, glaring as she stomped down the stairs. Lucious simply reached out and flicked her forehead with his finger.
“You were hiding like a thief, so of course I did.”
“Ow! That hurts…”
“And why, exactly, were you doing that here?”
Rubbing her forehead, she gave a sheepish smile.
“Well, since I’ve been caught, there’s no point in hiding it anymore. I was planning a surprise celebration.”
“A surprise celebration?”
“Yes! This is Tiana’s very first opening as an investor. Since it’s also your first business venture, I wanted to congratulate you. So I came early to hide and surprise you—but unfortunately, my brother spotted me first.”
“Ahh…”
At last I understood. So all this was Alexandra’s doing? She had come early and set up just to give me a surprise celebration.
“Then, where’s Baron Evit? Are the others upstairs too?”
“Yes. I told them to wait in the storage room. I’ll call them down now.”
Nodding, she went back upstairs and opened the storeroom door. At once, people began filing out. When Baron Evit himself followed Alexandra down, my tense body finally relaxed.
“Your Grace, Your Highness.”
“Baron Evit.”
Approaching with a troubled expression, he bowed and spoke cautiously.
“My apologies. We had finished the preparations and were waiting for you both, but then Her Highness the Princess arrived and wished to arrange a surprise celebration… I also wanted to join in congratulating you.”
“I see. I was puzzled when I arrived and found no one here. Everything was ready, yet neither you nor anyone else was around. I feared something might have happened.”
“I am truly sorry to have worried you. I assure you, there’s been no trouble—everyone is safe.”
“That’s a relief.”
I had been concerned something serious might have occurred, but thankfully it was only this. Though startled, I was relieved to see everyone unharmed. Even Lucious’s stiff expression finally eased. When I met his eyes and smiled, he gently took my hand and turned to Alexandra.
“A surprise celebration is fine, but next time, be more careful. Tiana was nearly very startled. Even though she has recovered, she mustn’t be overtaxed.”
“Ah, you’re right… I didn’t mean to shock her that much. I’m sorry, Tiana.”
“It’s fine. I wasn’t that startled, and I know you only did it because you wanted to celebrate with me.”
Knowing her intentions, I couldn’t be angry. She hadn’t meant any harm; it had only been bad timing. Perhaps I’d just been overly sensitive because of the uneasy atmosphere earlier. After all, so much had been happening lately.
“Actually, thank you for celebrating with me like this. I never expected it, so I’m really happy.”
“Then my surprise was a success! Oh—wait a moment.”
Smiling brightly, she accepted something from a waiting maid.
“A gift! Congratulations, Tiana.”
“Oh, it’s beautiful… Thank you, Alexandra.”
What she handed me was a colorful bouquet of flowers. In a way, it felt like I was receiving the congratulatory gift in place of Baron Evit himself, but I was touched by Alexandra’s bright smile and genuine heart.
Her spontaneity and sincerity were part of her charm, unpredictable as she might be. Breathing in the sweet fragrance of the bouquet, I smiled back happily.
After the little incident, the opening ceremony began without further trouble. As the clock passed nine and neared ten, the invited guests began to arrive one by one.
The noble guests seated themselves at the tables, and Baron Evit personally served each of them alongside his staff. Thanks to his heartfelt hospitality, the event was an even greater success than expected.
The newly developed “blue rose flower tea,” created specially for the grand opening of the capital branch, received glowing praise, as did the imported delicacies. Guests were equally impressed by the interior decorations and unique atmosphere that set this café apart from others.
“The tea is exquisite.”
“The teacups are so unusual and lovely! Aren’t these the new product from the House of Count Werner?”
“So this is Baron Evit? I’d heard rumors about him and was curious… but he seems even more impressive than expected.”
Sitting with Lucious at a table toward the back, I quietly enjoyed my tea while listening to the noble ladies’ comments. The blue rose tea, unlike anything I’d tasted before, was perfectly brewed by the baron’s skilled hands.
The delicate aroma and flavor spread soothingly across my tongue, easing my mind. Lucious, seated beside me, wore a faint smile, clearly enjoying it as well.
“How is it, Lucious?”
“It’s very good. Far more depth of flavor than I expected.”
“Right? Baron Evit’s tea really is the best. I’m so glad we’ll be able to enjoy this here in the capital from now on.”
“Indeed. Whoever that foreign investor was who decided to back him, we owe them our thanks.”
“Pfft… yes, indeed, we should thank them.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Lucious’s sly act. Since we were still keeping my identity as the “foreign investor” a secret, I had to play along as though I were merely another guest. I nodded lightly, and across from us Alexandra set down her teacup with a thoughtful look.
“But… something still feels a little strange.”
