“Kersey, I’m leaving these to you.”
“On it!”
With Rosie’s reminder, Kersey, who had just finished a delivery, immediately picked up the freshly made desserts and coffee to start the next round.
However, dark thoughts couldn’t help but bubble up in her mind.
‘Even if the pressure is a bit lighter, having just Miss Rosie to help shouldn’t be enough to satisfy the customers, right?’
Meanwhile, at the preparation counter.
“Miss Kirei, please help with the serving as well. The Shopkeeper and I can handle things here.”
“Rosie… right? You know how to make cakes?”
Fortunately, the preparation area was large enough that the three of them weren’t crowded.
“Now isn’t the time for that. Those delicious pastries you made earlier are just piling up. It’s such a shame the customers can’t taste them while they’re fresh.”
The white-haired girl drizzled lemon glaze over the prepared scones, offering an infectious smile.
“I-I know… After all, I’ve only been learning to make desserts for a few days; I used to work the front desk. This cake…”
Kirei instinctively became honest, looking awkwardly at her unfinished cake, which was somewhat lopsided.
“It’s fine. I used to be an apprentice at a bakery. Please leave the rest to me.”
“Then, I’ll count on you.”
Kirei gave a bashful, bitter smile and quickly picked up the meals on the trays to deliver to the customers.
It seemed she had been paying attention to the orders all along; she just hadn’t had the time to deliver them.
Rosie set to work on the semi-finished cake.
The order was for a Snowy Territory Cheesecake.
Although Kirei’s production speed was slow, it was clear she had put in her best effort.
“I’m sorry. You were actually supposed to be off work already. A temporary worker shouldn’t have to be this busy,” Aniler said, looking very apologetic.
“It’s fine, Shopkeeper. I have nothing to do at home anyway, so helping out is no trouble at all,” Rosie replied nonchalantly.
Splitting her attention, she used four different containers to prepare desserts simultaneously.
Lighting the stove, peeling fruit, cracking eggs with one hand—with swift yet steady movements, she placed the cake batter into the oven… Every process was seamless as she moved to the next task.
The extraordinary speed left Aniler stunned.
“Table seven…”
Kersey returned after completing a delivery.
“It’s already done. The orders for the other three tables are finished as well.”
“S-So amazing…”
The meals were already placed on the trays, complete with the order slips attached.
As long as one was literate, they would know which table to serve.
Kersey didn’t have time for much more admiration; she picked up a tray and hurried toward the customers.
“Wow, the parfait! Finally, it’s here! My stomach is already touching my back.”
“…The shape is very exquisite.”
“What’s the deal? This shop is way too slow. Is this how you do business as a new shop?”
Of the three girls at table seven, one leaned her chin on her hand to express her dissatisfaction.
Kersey could only apologize with a bitter smile, though her gaze focused primarily on the girl’s neck rather than her face.
The three girls casually picked up their silver spoons and scooped a piece into their mouths.
“If it’s this slow next time, I’m not coming—Mmm, what is this?”
The girl looked surprised, her eyes narrowing slightly as her expression turned solemn.
Kersey had already guessed what was coming.
The girl’s next words would definitely be—
“This is delicious! It’s refreshing and not too heavy, but so sweet it’s addictive!”
“Ugh… if I’d known, I would’ve taken a photo.”
“(Rapid scooping noises)”
As expected, it was praise.
The attitude did a total 180-degree turn; the previously irritable atmosphere vanished into thin air.
‘Is it really that good?’
Seeing the customers’ blissful expressions as if they had ascended to heaven, Kersey couldn’t help but wonder if some special ingredient had been added.
Just what did it taste like?
However, she didn’t have time to be curious.
She had to hurry to the next delivery.
As she passed the preparation counter, she couldn’t help but stop, her gaze drawn to Miss Rosie’s figure as she prepared the dishes.
***
The burden on Aniler’s end had been greatly reduced.
Before she knew it, her job had dwindled down to just pouring beans into the coffee machine or washing the returned tableware and putting it in the dryer.
“Rosie, you’re incredible. I think you’re a natural-born pastry chef.”
The Shopkeeper’s eyes were now filled with nothing but admiration.
“Not at all. It’s only because everyone collaborated so well that I could focus on the cooking.”
The preparation counter had seemingly become Rosie’s domain.
The white-haired girl maintained an elegant smile while using practiced knife skills to slice a slippery kiwi into thin pieces.
Unlike her outward appearance, her inner self was incredibly irritable.
‘Why on earth does a cafe make something as troublesome as freshly baked cookies?!’
‘I shouldn’t have been such a “good person.”‘
Because of the internship experience from his past life, Siloque knew everyone was frantic and had felt a stir of pity, unable to stop himself from stepping in to help.
‘I definitely have to make the Shopkeeper give me a raise later.’
The secret to his flavor blending was the Talent [Heating], which allowed for masterful control over the fire.
As for the cold desserts, that was purely a result of his own hard-earned skills.
With his constitution already at Lv 18, he could maintain focus while performing multiple tasks without slowing down.
Rosie wanted to take a deep breath, wipe the thin layer of sweat with a towel, and complain a bit to vent, but that would ruin the image of the refined girl she was playing.
She could only maintain a gentle smile.
And so.
The quiet white-haired girl, appearing calm and collected on the surface, completed the decoration of a Black Forest Cake with lightning-fast hand speed.
The wonderful display caused the customers to break into a round of light applause.
“Table one on the terrace is ready.”
“Ah… okay, yes!”
Kersey snapped back to reality after the reminder, unable to resist stealing a few more glances at Rosie’s movements.
***
It was 2:30 PM.
Only then were all the orders finally processed, allowing everyone to take a short break.
There were only four or five groups of customers left in the cafe, making it much emptier.
“We finished the job with only five people… Miss Rosie is worth three people on her own. If you hadn’t come today, we would’ve been doomed. Thank you for your hard work.”
Kersey bowed her head in gratitude to Rosie, who was standing nearby.
Her aunt, along with Amy and Kirei, had been pestering Rosie with praise earlier.
Amy and Kirei even wanted to learn the secrets of making pastries from her.
It was only now that Kersey had the chance to give a proper thank you.
“I’m glad I could be of help.”
Rosie responded with a faint smile, which made Kersey a bit nervous.
The two were currently by the warehouse shelves, moving valuable equipment like plates and cups.
“By the way, Kersey, do you have someone you like? I saw many customers looking at you today. Your uniform is very pretty.”
Unlike a temporary worker like Rosie, who only wore an apron over her clothes, a long-term worker like Kersey had a dedicated outfit consisting of a dark brown pinafore dress and a waist apron.
“…Huh?”
A compliment followed right after the question.
Rosie said it so naturally that Kersey was stunned for a moment, her face turning red a beat later.
‘Miss Rosie is clearly much prettier than me, yet she praises me like that… wait, is she just buttering me up?’
Her mood was similar to a child receiving praise from their mother after working hard on homework—a sense of validation.
“M-Miss Rosie, why the sudden question? …If I had to say… I suppose, there is someone.”
The scene that surfaced in Kersey’s mind was the moment she was protected by the Teacher in the alley that night, and his back as he walked away.
“Is he very handsome?”
“I think… he should be very handsome.”
Since she hadn’t seen his face clearly.
“Does he have blue hair?”
“Blue hair? It’s possible.”
The light in the alley had been dim, so Kersey couldn’t be sure.
But the Teacher was someone Cass knew; perhaps they were relatives.
It wasn’t impossible for both of them to have blue hair.
“I see. Life is short. Fall in love, young maiden,” Rosie encouraged, a saintly light almost seeming to glow behind her.
“Ah, ah, well, um…”
Hearing someone say such things so seriously, Kersey sheepishly rubbed her pink bun before reaching out to grab a box of valuables from the shelf.
“Miss Rosie, I didn’t think you’d be interested in romance topics. I thought you were the type who—”
Stayed in books all day like a science student.
“Ah…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
Because the box Kersey lifted was heavier than expected, her footing became unstable and she began to fall backward.
The things in the box were going to break!
Kersey twisted her body, trying to see if she could save the fragile items.
“Careful.”
A soft and warm touch came from behind.
Kersey fell back into Rosie’s arms, while Rosie supported Kersey’s hands—
Wait.
This touch…
This warmth.
This scent.
Kersey’s pupils dilated slightly.
This was the first time today she had been this close to Rosie, allowing her to smell a light lemon fragrance on the other girl, distinct from the scent of desserts.
“Are you okay, Kersey?”
Rosie helped Kersey place the box onto the small cart.
Kersey simply remained motionless.
After a while, she slowly, very slowly, looked up.
For the first time, her eyes met Rosie’s.
“Is there something on my face?”
The white-haired Rosie smiled gently.
Even though she was just wearing an apron over her casual clothes, she gave off the vibe of someone who would make a perfect wife.
“Ah… nothing! Thank you, Miss Rosie… Sorry, I spaced out. The stock is replenished, let’s hurry and move these in. My aunt might be waiting.”
Kersey’s face was flushed as she lowered her head and took the initiative to push the cart.
***
When Rosie returned to the main room and casually scanned the seated customers, she spotted two familiar figures sitting near the window.
“Cass? And Bried. Ah, they’re my classmates and my partners for Dungeon Exploration.”
Kersey smiled shyly, introducing them to Rosie with a hint of pride.
‘I know that, obviously.’
Rosie’s lips curled upward; in reality, she was even happier than Kersey.
‘What do you know, Cass? You actually pulled it off.’
According to the original Storyline, after practicing together and defeating Cliff, Cass was supposed to receive a date invitation from Bried.
Rosie had felt that their progress was about right, and now that the actual result was before his eyes, his heart felt much more at peace.
The development of the storyline hadn’t deviated.
Plus, he had just confirmed that Kersey liked Cass.
It was in the bag.
“The order for table six is ready.”
Aniler finished preparing a cup of coffee and a glass of fresh orange juice.
“Could you wait a moment?”
Rosie spent three minutes at the preparation counter mixing two Special Mango Parfaits.
“These are on me for your friends. Deduct the cost from my hourly wage, Shopkeeper.”
“Hey, hey, don’t be a stranger. Since they’re Kersey’s friends and you made them yourself, I can afford the cost of the ingredients for two servings. You were a huge help to us today.”
Aniler slapped Rosie’s back heartily, flashing a healthy, white-toothed grin at both of them.
“Wait, is that really okay?… No, I guess since we’re so close.”
At first, Kersey was a bit surprised by Rosie’s enthusiasm, but then she felt a sense of relief.
“?? …Anyway, just consider it a first-meeting gift. Please deliver them, Kersey.”
“No problem, I’ll tell them you sent it.”
Kersey briskly took the parfaits Rosie handed her and picked up the tray.
It wasn’t that Rosie—or rather, Siloque—hadn’t considered delivering them personally.
His fear was that these two, who were the most perceptive, would realize his identity.
‘As a friend, I’ll send this drink as encouragement.’
‘I hope you get out of the “single” life soon, Cass.’
Siloque looked down at his outfit and couldn’t help but sigh.
No one else must ever know about the cross-dressing today, besides himself.