Chapter : 73
Returning to the day of the “Red Tulip” gathering.
The meeting ended successfully.
Except for one noblewoman who briefly disturbed the atmosphere midway through, the rest of the ladies enjoyed themselves comfortably before heading home.
‘She suddenly came looking for me in the middle of it, which startled me… but it turned out better than I expected.’
It felt a bit like being a well-behaved child attending a parents’ neighborhood meeting.
The praise that started with Lady Viola was joined by Lady Grimani, making it even more embarrassingly flattering. Meanwhile, Lady Manfredi gently nodded along in agreement whenever my name came up.
All I did was sit quietly and answer properly, yet my reputation soared tremendously.
Lady Viola had once told me that Lady Manfredi wasn’t particularly fond of me… but this? I had worried for nothing.
Of course, part of the credit went to the tea and desserts I had prepared.
The quince tea and krungji received an even better response than expected.
The quince tea, especially, was extremely popular.
The noblewomen couldn’t stop praising it, saying they had never tasted such a fragrant tea before.
Following her interest in corn tea, Lady Manfredi showed great curiosity about the quince tea as well.
I hadn’t prepared enough corn tea to distribute, but I had made a generous amount of quince syrup, so I gifted some to her.
After the gathering ended, just before Lady Manfredi left, I quietly handed it to her. She looked slightly surprised.
“You’re giving something this precious to me?”
“Yes, it’s a gift. If it feels burdensome, please consider it an early birthday present from me. I made plenty in case you liked it.”
“…What an unexpected gift. Thank you, Leila.”
She seemed genuinely pleased, adding that she had never received such a present before and that she wished to repay me.
‘I didn’t give it expecting anything in return… It’s easy to make, anyway…’
I declined, saying it was fine.
That was when Lady Grimani, who had been listening from the side, chimed in.
“Then how about granting her a favor later? Or perhaps you could prepare a gift that suits Lady Leila?”
“Hmm, that sounds good.”
“Since you’ve already decided to give her something, why not be generous and give her both? From what I can see, Lady Leila wouldn’t make an unreasonable request.”
“That’s true. Very well, we’ll do as Frinda suggests.”
Was this what they called reaping benefits without effort?
I had simply kept my mouth shut, yet suddenly two great advantages fell into my hands. Lady Grimani even seemed a little disappointed, as if that wasn’t enough.
“You must seize this opportunity, Lady Leila. Chances like this don’t come easily. If it were me, I would have asked for a building in the capital. What about a building?”
She smiled brightly at Lady Manfredi.
Lady Manfredi wore an expression that suggested such a thing would not be impossible.
‘…Wow, a building is tempting, though?’
Should I just shut my eyes and say it?
A reckless part of me wanted to ask for one outright.
If we were destined to meet only once, I might have jokingly brought it up.
But I couldn’t afford to squander my connection with the Duchess of Manfredi over blind greed.
‘If I ask for a building, there will be no next time.’
There is always a price for excessive greed.
So I shook my head.
“…I think that would be too burdensome for me.”
“Ah, what a shame. The day Lady Manfredi’s treasury opens doesn’t come easily.”
Lady Grimani looked exactly like Iliana on the outside, yet her personality was completely different. The gap felt strangely unsettling.
I ended up giving an awkward smile.
Even so, Lady Grimani nudged Lady Manfredi again, as if trying to secure at least one more benefit for me.
But Lady Manfredi shook her head.
“There will be more chances to meet. Let us leave it at this for today.”
With words hinting at the future, she left the café.
After her departure, Lady Grimani also took her leave, saying, “Let’s meet again next time. Bring your daughter too!”
And just like that, the lively café fell quiet.
Lady Viola, who had seen the noblewomen off with me, approached my side.
“It ended well thanks to you, Leila.”
“Well… I can’t deny that. But I managed this much thanks to you, my lady. You tipped me off that those two would arrive early, so I think I earned some points.”
“Ahem, that much is basic. Even if I haven’t been part of the group long, I should at least grasp that.”
Though she spoke coolly, her ears were slightly red.
Milena parted her lips, then looked at me.
“Thank you. For agreeing so willingly.”
“It was something I needed as well. I told you before I wouldn’t accept excessive thanks…”
“Even so, take it, Leila. The weight I carried and the weight you carried are different. You deserve gratitude.”
“…If you insist, then I’ll accept it.”
This was truly awkward.
After hesitating, I finally accepted Milena’s thanks. My face felt hot.
She looked at me with a satisfied smile.
“Good. Then send the café rental fee and beverage costs to the Viola household later. You can charge generously.”
“That’s only natural. I calculate thoroughly.”
“I did say you can charge more.”
“If you say that, I really will.”
Milena gave a coy smile as if to say, Go ahead and try. Then she gathered her coat.
“Oh, you probably heard during the gathering… The royal ball will be held soon. If you’d like to attend, tell me.”
“Really?”
“Even if not through me, there will likely be many who offer you an invitation… but I wanted you to remember that I am an option too.”
She paused briefly before continuing.
“And… I sent a warning to Viscount Feurul. Though he’s not the sort to heed mere warnings… it’s good for you to know. Be careful. He’s the kind of man who might do anything.”
Leaving behind advice filled with concern, Milena departed.
I stood still until her carriage disappeared from view.
Only after it was completely gone did I stretch.
It felt like everything was finally over.
No—there was still one more thing to confirm.
I shifted my gaze slightly to the side. There was nothing there but empty air.
Yet to my eyes, a translucent window appeared.
The moment the words royal ball had been spoken, it had popped up.
In other words—
Main Quest!
- The Path to Becoming a Novice Shop Owner 3
- Present a ‘new menu’ at the Royal Ball.
It must be a menu item being introduced for the first time.
Reward: 3,000 Gold & 20 Diamonds
Influence +5%
Failure: Reputation decreases & Influence -10%
It had been a while since the main quest window appeared.
‘It popped up so suddenly it nearly startled me…’
Thanks to that, attention had briefly focused on me, and my heart had nearly leapt out of my chest.
I stared at the quest window again, still flustered by its contents.
“…Just how am I supposed to do this?”
Yes, I understood that if I wanted to thrive in the Kingdom of Zenen, I needed to build ties with the royal family. Attending the royal ball made sense.
But—
‘Why present a new menu at the royal ball?’
That part made no sense at all.
What exactly did it want from me?
‘Since it’s offering Influence as a reward… there must be something to it…’
But I just couldn’t figure it out.
I sighed and shook my head.
Just then—
Ding!
A clear sound rang in my ears.
