Silence had fallen upon our clan, or rather, the Tea Bookstore.
The spell that escaped the lips of the silver-haired, blue-eyed woman was so powerful that it seemed to be a different form of magic altogether.
“I thought you were just teasing me for a moment.”
I hurriedly cleaned up, handing out a drink to each person at Man Geum Battlefield and then stepped into the empty stall.
Im Ha-yeon chuckled with a hint of disbelief at me. It was indeed a ridiculous situation.
“I was surprised that you were really trying to make a warm iced Americano.”
Im Ha-yeon, you sure surprised me too.
What were you thinking while scraping the leftover ice to make something while boiling water?
“I can’t lose, you know?”
Im Ha-yeon defended herself shyly while sipping her coffee. I wondered what she meant by “can’t lose.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I just thought that someone from the Zhuge family would drink something like that…”
Is it like thinking the youngest son of a chaebol wouldn’t eat yogurt and only eat the part on the lid?
“It must have been shocking for you.”
I briefly touched on the Zhuge family’s personality with Im Ha-yeon.
“But come on, how can you not cast spells?”
“She’s a daughter from a family that doesn’t need to cast spells.”
Some people, during their lives, are forced to do things they dislike, while others live lives where such burdens are unnecessary.
It’s no wonder she’s the youngest daughter of the Zhuge family. At my words, Im Ha-yeon seemed to be taken aback and couldn’t close her mouth.
“Oh… now I feel like I’m the bad woman here.”
Im Ha-yeon forced a bitter smile, looking troubled.
“Am I wrong?”
“What?!”
“Haha. I’ll bring Miss Zhuge her drink separately.”
Let’s run away quickly. I said while staring at the lukewarm coffee that neither was hot nor cold after casting the spell.
“Ah, right. I thought you had a character like a phoenix…”
There was definitely a sense of disappointment mixed in Im Ha-yeon’s voice. Considering her position, it must be hard to think kindly of Zhuge Hyang.
“You know there was no malice, right?”
After witnessing the lady who failed her spell and vanished with a sad expression, it was bound to change my perception.
I left the booth and began to search for the spellcaster who hadn’t answered my call.
———————–
Finding Zhuge Hyang was easy.
In the corner, the place with the least sunlight and where no one would come, among a few such spots.
“…It’s really over. How could I make such a mistake…”
All I had to do was find the box.
“Miss Zhuge.”
“…There’s nobody here!”
I cautiously opened the box, but Zhuge Hyang wouldn’t look at me.
Is she too embarrassed to lift her head? Should I tease her a bit?
“Here’s your warm iced Americano.”
“Ahhhhhh!”
Immediately, the gaze hit me like a dart. But as soon as she made eye contact with me, Zhuge Hyang couldn’t hold her ground.
“With the right mix of ashes and dust, why does it feel so fragile if touched?”
“Haha. It’s a mistake anyone can make. Don’t be too down about it.”
I squatted next to Zhuge Hyang, looking at her with encouragement.
“…But you must be disappointed.”
Zhuge Hyang was silent for a moment before asking me in a crawling voice.
“No.”
At times like this, you need to speak decisively.
“Well, you’re a woman who can’t even cast a spell! Of course, it’s natural to be disappointed.”
Was my decisive tone not enough? Zhuge Hyang couldn’t bring herself to lift her head, still filled with shame.
At this rate, she might punish herself over this mistake repeatedly, turning it into trauma.
Should I soothe her for a bit?
Let’s quickly plan in my heart. The most reassuring way.
Okay. Let’s go with that method.
“When I first tried to place an order for tea, I couldn’t even say the spell and just ran out.”
Starting with empathy.
“Really?”
Zhuge Hyang’s eyes widened in surprise at this unexpected truth.
“Yes. Everyone else was adept at casting spells, but I knew nothing. I felt like I was in a completely different world and couldn’t take it. Because I was so anxious about running away, I didn’t even approach the tea house for a while.”
It was slightly different in reality.
Back when I was a university student, I thought about having a cup of coffee at a franchise coffee shop, but I was startled by the prices and bolted out.
“Ah…”
“On the other hand, I was truly impressed by Miss Zhuge’s actions.”
Now that I could sense the bond of empathy forming, it was time to lift Zhuge Hyang’s shattered self-esteem.
“Did I order it too awkwardly?”
“No. Unlike me, Miss Zhuge faced it without running away.”
“….”
She cast the spell right away, unlike me. When I looked at Zhuge Hyang with genuine admiration, she seemed to shyly avert her gaze.
“No matter how hard you try, there are things that no one can do perfectly. Most of the time, we just give up. But what about Miss Zhuge? Didn’t you work hard to make up for last time’s mistake?”
It was obvious she had tried. Be confident!
“Yes, that’s true.”
“How can you create a masterpiece with just one brushstroke? A masterpiece is achieved after countless efforts.”
“Yes.”
Positive reinforcement was clearly effective.
Has her confidence been restored a bit? A strange color began to brighten Zhuge Hyang’s face.
For an average person, this would suffice, but with Zhuge Hyang’s unique personality, I needed to add one more thing.
“In that spirit, can I drink the beverage you prepared for me?”
Holding the coffee that had achieved harmony, I asked Zhuge Hyang.
“Yes?”
“It’s true that mistakes we make for others tend to fade from our memory.”
Let’s reinterpret the embarrassing mistake as one made for someone else. That way, it feels less embarrassing.
I took a sip of her drink as if I were absorbing her mistake.
“….”
With that sight, Zhuge Hyang’s face turned strangely flushed, and her mouth fell shut.
“Miss Zhuge, you enjoy caramel macchiato, don’t you? I think you were trying to order it, so I made it for you.”
I handed her a special cup I had made.
“Y-You made this for me, Master Kang….”
“If we keep experiencing things together, Miss Zhuge will surely become adept at casting spells.”
If she thinks of me as a friend and shares enjoyable experiences, it will greatly help her in life moving forward.
Of course, since it’s a contractual relationship, we’d part ways once it’s over.
“Together? Hehe.”
Zhuge Hyang covered her mouth with her coffee cup and smiled. Thankfully, it looked like she was fully recovered now.
I exchanged light banter with Zhuge Hyang, who shyly claimed my coffee was delicious.
—————————–
“What are you two chatting about so happily?”
While we were in the midst of a light conversation, Im Ha-yeon approached with a sulky face.
“Im Ha-yeon, the coffee is good.”
I welcomed her, holding up the cup made by Im Ha-yeon.
“Huh? What’s that…?”
Im Ha-yeon frowned and looked back and forth between the cups Zhuge Hyang and I held, her expression shocked.
“I thought Miss Zhuge’s would be cold, so I gave her mine.”
“….”
Why does her expression seem to be fading?
“Miss Zhuge, Im Ha-yeon will be helping out a lot from now on.”
If I’m not careful, things might get awkward. I helped Zhuge Hyang up from her seat and introduced her to Im Ha-yeon once more.
“If managing becomes uncomfortable, you don’t have to come to the Tea Bookstore all the time. Master Kang and I will manage just fine. Hmph.”
Im Ha-yeon strutted over confidently, her expression haughty as she spoke to Zhuge Hyang.
Today, dressed to the nines, she certainly radiated an air of elegance, akin to a formidable chaebol sister-in-law.
“Im Ha-yeon.”
It’s problematic to say it so directly.
“What? What is it?”
Im Ha-yeon seemed to be stuttering out of a sense of awkwardness.
“Oh, um… well, please take care of me, Ha-yeon… Ha-yeon unni?”
I forgot to mention my age.
Zhuge Hyang tilted her head, glancing at Im Ha-yeon before carefully addressing her.
“…I’m 19 years old.”
Why did her expression suddenly stiffen? Im Ha-yeon looked a little dumbfounded as she revealed her age.
“Ah! I knew it! I’ll call you Ha-yeon unni!”
“…What did you say?”
“Hehe! Since you’re a year older than me!”
“Who are you saying that to?”
“Ah, I…”
Zhuge Hyang faltered under Im Ha-yeon’s disapproving gaze. The Zhuge Hyang I had managed to lift was crumbling away.
“Why are you suddenly acting like a brat?”
“I’m not being a brat!”
But it’s true that she’s an unnie. Why the pouty face?
“I-I’m sorry. Um… You look so mature… And you’re a year older than me.”
Does she think she made a mistake? Zhuge Hyang added her remark apologetically.
“U-Mature? Eep!”
Im Ha-yeon looked like she had received a sudden blow, unable to respond.
“Miss Zhuge, Im Ha-yeon is generally a bit blunt.”
Ah, the duty of a leader is to love the team. I should defend Im Ha-yeon.
“Yes, hehe!”
Zhuge Hyang nodded in understanding, but startled by Im Ha-yeon’s piercing gaze, she grabbed my sleeve.
“Master Kang, why are you hiding your sleeve behind your back?!”
I’m worried I might get bitten by the haughty cat. These two seem like a hamster and a cat when I think about it.
“Im Ha-yeon, let’s get back to work.”
Now, the best course of action is to separate them.
“Ugh! Who’s side are you on?!”
I’m on both of your sides.
So, let’s end the coffee time here.
I comforted the grumbling Im Ha-yeon and wrapped up the duties at the Tea Bookstore.
