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Bright morning sunlight streamed through the white lace curtain, and into the Erin’s bedroom.
Erin stirred up, fully awake in her bed.
She gathered herself, lifted the curtains and opened the windows.
She then glimpsed a view of the peaceful garden, with the crisp air smelling of grass, and spillage that she had grown accustomed to.
She woke up a little later than usual.
Erin washed up quickly and smiled.
When she went downstairs, Melly, who was about to head out to the garden, spotted her and came over.
‘I must have been so exhausted last night. I actually overslept.’
“Erin, are you up?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry. I got up too late.”
“No, I know you must have been very tired last night, but why don’t you just rest today?”
Melly said, while looking at Erin worriedly.
“No it’s fine. What are we going to do for dessert if I rest?”
“I have some leftover cakes, pies, and margaritas in the kitchen from yesterday, so that’s all we’ll be selling today.”
Melly counted the inventory on her fingers, urging her to take a break, but Erin shook her head.
“No, I’m fine. I think I can still make a few.”
She was definitely tired, but she can still manage.
“Just don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Yeah. I’ll take it easy.”
Erin turned to go into the kitchen counter and looked back at Melly and asked,
“Melly, did you happen to leave the window in the kitchen open yesterday?”
“Hmm? No.”
“Really? That’s quite odd.”
Erin recounted what she saw in the kitchen yesterday.
“The window was open?”
She asked in disbelief.
“No way. I’m pretty sure I locked it, before I went to sleep
”
Melly blurted out in embarrassment.
“I thought you forgot, but I must be mistaken, I’m sorry.”
“No. It could be, but never mind that for now
”
“Putting aside window thing, who had eaten those chocolate flowers?”
Melly heard the story and shook her head.
“Could it be a wild animal? Maybe a cat got in?”
“Ugh.”
“Can cats eat chocolates
 Won’t they die if they eat chocolates?”
“That, I don’t know.”
“Hmm.”
It was puzzling, but I could only assume it was a wild animal.
Otherwise it wouldn’t have come into the kitchen, stolen the chocolate, and run off without a trace.
Melly sulked and said.
“I’m going to have to be more careful with the windows in the future.”
“Yeah. I’ll be careful, too.”
Melly kept urging Erin to take a break, but Erin said it was okay and she’ll take a rest later.
Even if they sold the cakes they had made yesterday, they were still out of stock.
“We shouldn’t run out of dessert when we’re supposed to be a dessert shop.”
Erin was always short-handed when it came to making desserts on her own, so she settled on a basic menu of cookies, muffins, macarons, and simple cakes, with one or two new specialty items added each day.
She was worried that it would be a bit insufficient, but every day she had customers who were always curious to see what was new on the menu.
Normally, she would make fancy desserts like eclairs and operas.
But today, Erin decided that since she was tired, a simple menu would do.
‘I’d like something simple that’s easy to make.’
Erin pulled out the eggs and flour.
She decided to start with a simple crepe.
She whisked the eggs, milk, and flour together to form a batter, which she spread out into a thin layer and baked into a pan.
As the crepes cooked, a savory aroma wafted through the kitchen.
Erin carefully flipped it over and baked it until, it was a golden brown.
Then she quickly baked several more and stacked them.
She placed the fluffy crepes into a plate and too out some fruits.
She then washed the ripe fruits and cut it into chunks.
She spread whipped cream, strawberries, and bananas on the thinly baked crepe dough, gently folded them together, and placed them on a plate with caramel syrup.
It was a simple dessert that she could definitely do without.
She thought it won’t be too popular, but she was surprised that more than half of the response was good.
Fiona, a regular customer, tried the crepe and loved it.
“Oh, it’s so good!”
When Erin returned to the café to restock, Fiona, who was eating the crepe, greeted her.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Fiona cut into the crĂȘpe, which was filled with strawberries and fresh cream, and admired it.
“It’s so good. I love fancy desserts, but simple ones like this are delicious too.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Actually, every dessert I’ve had in this shop has been very delicious.”
Fiona was one of the first customer she had when she first opened the shop, and since then, she’s become a regular.
According to Melly, she owns a small cosmetics shop nearby.
It was at Fiona’s shop that Melly bought the bittersweet perfume for Serena’s cake model.
She seemed to have a lively personality that was easy to get along with, but it wasn’t one that crosses the line.
When rumors spread that the café owner might be a nobleman, Fiona was not the only one to wonder about the authenticity of the rumors.
But she never once asked Erin or Melly to clarify it.
If the rumors were false, it would only offend them, and if they were real nobles, they would have thought it impolite for a noblewoman to run a small café in a place like this.
They were sure that she had some stories to tell, but someone who doesn’t know her well can’t just pry about it.
From the looks of it, Fiona seemed to have a very attentive and polite personality.
After she set down her plate of crepes, sipped her coffee, and looked through the newspaper, she turned back to Erin at the counter.
“Oh, did you hear the news? It seemed like the Duke divorced the wife the emperor had arranged for him.”
At that moment, Melly, who was pouring milk tea into a teacup, accidentally spilled it on the table.
Erin, however, was nonchalant about it, as if it was someone else’s story.
“Oh, did the papers say anything about it?”
“No, I don’t think they would. The lives of the imperial family are quite a taboo.”
Indeed, it was tacitly forbidden for newspapers to publish stories about the Imperial family.
Unless an official announcement was made, no one could dare to write about anything that happened.
“I heard about it from a customer who came into my store, and she said she heard about it from someone who works in a noble family’s mansion.”
“I see.”
Even if they lived in the capital together, nobles and commoners had no circle of intersection.
They didn’t even live in the same place.
Commoners were curious about the lives of the imperial family and the nobility, but they had little access to what went on behind the scenes, and they rarely had a chance to peek inside.
They could only listen to rumors that leaked out from somewhere and talk about them.
The nobles, on the other hand, had little interest in the lives of the commoners, so they didn’t bother about them.
“Well, they say the Duke had a mistress, and abandoned his wife because of her.”
Fiona clicked her tongue.
Erin only smiled faintly.
Melly at the counter, was staring at Erin with a fierce look on her eyes.
Erin glanced in her direction and nodded that it was okay.
Fiona didn’t see them exchange glances and continued to rattle on.
“Anyway, it’s really weird how the nobility has this custom of letting a married man take in a mistress.”
“I know.”
Commoners might have their own affairs, but they rarely had mistresses, because it cost too much money to buy them a house and pay for their living expenses.
Most of the people who could afford to have mistresses were nobles.
“Rumor has it that the Duke has had that mistress ever since he just got married.”
Fiona furrowed her brow in disgust.
Erin’s frown turned into a grimace as she remembered her own honeymoon.
It had been a terrible time.
Being publicly ignored, humiliated, still foolishly clinging to Raymond, and having her heart broken multiple times was just painful.
“The Duke’s mistress is a noblewoman.” She said,
“
 And what’s that noblewoman thinking to climb over another woman’s man for money?”
Fiona clicked her tongue and cursed the two of them without hesitation.
“The Duke’s side is even more pathetic. He’s obviously the future Emperor. How can he fall for a woman like that and give up his own wife. What’s going to happen to the country
 It’s actually worrying.”
‘Well said regular customer.’
Erin inwardly agreed with Fiona.
Melly brought over a small scone with a slice of jam, and set it down on the table in front of her.
“Huh? What’s this?” said Fiona.
“It’s for our regulars.”
Melly said with a wide smile.
“Wow. Thank you.”
Erin turned her gaze to Melly, who whispered,”I’ll take it out of my paycheck.” and looked immensely satisfied.
Apparently, she liked the way Fiona had put things out.
Erin laughed as she picked up the jug and headed to the cashier.
“No, let’s just take it as part of our service.”
Erin was not the only one who finds it refreshing.
Apparently, as famous as Raymond was, it seemed that Serena’s affairs was also being feasted on the rumors.