Yeuju took away my first love in Chapter 84.
Before leaving for the south, I was invited to an unknown gathering.
I came alone, leaving Lily behind, riding in an ordinary carriage.
I was dressed in clothes I wouldn't normally wear.
I wore a skirt made of purple silk that reached my calves, a cream-colored blouse, and a jacket made of the same material as the skirt.
The black boots that reached my ankles were also unfamiliar.
At the coachman's words, I got out of the carriage.
It was not the Berry Street where the nobles gathered, but the Kaltz Street where the gentry and commoners thronged.
It was much more crowded and vibrant than Berry Street.
The signs hanging everywhere were dazzlingly beautiful.
After Aster became emperor, he openly promoted the gentry class.
Their purchasing power was quite attractive.
I visited Kaltz Street with the idea of creating a sub-brand of Nivea Boutique.
‘But it was supposed to be for that purpose...’
Philia, who overheard this story, gathered people and said she wanted to participate.
The gathering was quickly formed, and the time and place were soon decided.
For some reason, it felt like a small social gathering, which made me feel strange.
While walking down the street, I met someone in a fancy outfit.
One of the members of the social club I briefly joined at the academy.
Juliet Wiggins, she was from a gentry family, not a noble one.
Thanks to the economic support her parents received when Aster was the crown prince, she was quite arrogant.
The proud Juliet clashed with Tatiana, who reigned like a queen at the academy back then.
Of course, she was utterly defeated.
Then Tatiana extended her hand to her, and the two became close friends.
‘I'll pretend not to know her.’
She'll probably think I'm just another similar person and pass by.
More brazen than before, I lifted my head and walked past her.
“Wait a moment, Karina Paeonia. Is that you?”
She grabbed my arm and turned me around.
I coldly shook off her hand and said,
“You must have mistaken me for someone else.”
Juliet's gaze followed me all the way.
She had long been wary of me, trying to secure the position of Tatiana's closest friend.
She was one of the people who most actively criticized me while standing next to Tatiana.
‘Thinking about it, Juliet might have been blindly acting because of Tatiana's bracelet.’
Anyway, since we shared unpleasant memories, I didn't want to acknowledge her.
I quickened my pace and headed to the café where Philia, Regina, and Helen were waiting.
While tea houses were still popular among the nobles, coffee houses were on the rise among the commoners and gentry.
The coffee house we were going to today was the most popular coffee shop on this Kaltz Street.
As I arrived at the shop, someone waiting for me waved.
It was Philia, always with a bright expression, and Regina, whose cheeks turned red when she saw me.
I waved lightly to them and approached.
“It's been a while, Lady.”
We greeted each other and entered the coffee house.
This was the first time I had been to a café since the potion shop on the first floor of the place where Raymond used to do his research.
Looking at the menu, it was quite extensive.
From coffee topped with plenty of cream to fruit drinks.
‘Is it because it's a game made in Korea, or is the menu quite detailed?’
I ordered a fruit tea and a cake.
Unlike me, who had eaten a lot in my previous life, Philia and Regina were unsure about what to order.
“If you like something sweet, you can try the coffee on this side.”
Perhaps because she had been to many places with soldiers to win their favor, Helen explained the menu skillfully.
“Helen, have you been here often?”
“Coffee suits my taste... Karina, you seem to know what to order, even though it's your first time. Have you been here before?”
Not in this life, but in my previous one.
“I have a curious nature and always try new things.”
I used to go to new places whenever a new menu came out.
Perhaps because there weren't many nobles who drank coffee, Helen looked a bit excited.
After all, it would be difficult for a noble like her to have such conversations with soldiers who mainly drank coffee.
“Then, would you like to go to another café with me next time?”
“Of course. I'm looking forward to it if you recommend it.”
The excited Helen started talking about the next café.
I also talked with her based on my memories from my previous life.
“When did you two start calling each other by your first names?”
Regina, who had been listening quietly, asked with wide eyes.
“Hmm, it's been a while.”
She glared at Helen with a somewhat resentful expression.
Anyway, I couldn't understand why Regina kept joining this gathering.
Wasn't she the one who had ambitions and aimed for Aster's fiancée position?
I glanced at Philia, who kept calling her.
She said it was her first time at a café and looked around with wide eyes.
“The menu is here, guests.”
“Come on, everyone, try it.”
Helen ordered an espresso, Philia an Irish coffee, and Regina the same peach ade as me.
Regina sipped the pink drink through a straw and her eyes sparkled.
Regina was not the type of person I thought she was. I thought she would be politically savvy, but she was bright, cheerful, and straightforward.
“I'm glad it suits Miss Regina's taste.”
Regina blushed, looked at me intently, and clenched her fist.
“I also want to be on a first-name basis with Lady.”
Regina was immersed in boredom.
Her life so far had been perfect.
Her academy life went smoothly, but somehow it wasn't enjoyable.
Even after graduating top of her class, her ambition didn't easily subside.
It was unbelievable that someone with her talent would become someone's wife and not use her abilities.
‘If I climb to the highest position, will this thirst subside?’
With this vague thought, Regina set her next goal.
The emperor she saw by chance was different from the young men she had met before.
Unlike the students who had just become adults and were trying to talk to girls, he was mature, elegant, gentle, and kind.
Regina aimed for the position of empress.
But the emperor she admired was an illusion.
He was cold, harsh, and a man with a wall of steel who wouldn't give his heart to anyone.
The Aster Regina knew only existed in front of Karina.
At first, it was out of curiosity.
The person who had broken down that steel wall.
What kind of person could it be?
Even years after graduation, rumors about Karina still circulated in the academy.
A woman who had her way with her friend's lover.
‘The lady I saw was different.’
I wanted to know more and become friends.
But there was an age gap, and most importantly, the first impression wasn't good.
‘Appearing as a rival was the worst.’
I tried to shake off that image, but to be outdone like this.
When I expressed these feelings to Philia, she looked at me with a slightly pitiful expression, but thanks to her, I was included in this gathering.
“I also want to be on a first-name basis with Lady.”
Seeing the surprised expression on the lady's face, I felt like I had rushed ahead.
Regina looked at me, then quietly lowered her head.
“If Miss Regina finds it convenient, you can do so.”
Seeing Regina's sparkling eyes, Karina laughed.
Is this how it feels to have a younger sister?
The title felt a bit awkward, but I decided to let her do as she wished.
“Don't just talk among the three of you. I'm here too.”
“You can call me as you like, Miss Philia.”
Pilia smiled slightly at my words.
Unlike Regina, she seemed to feel awkward about such a sudden change in the relationship.
What was important was that she was on my side.
“Anyway, what do you think of the coffee here?”
In response to my question, the three of them gave their opinions.
Helen, a coffee enthusiast, said it wasn't bad, Philia, who said it was her first time drinking coffee, gave high praise.
Regina, who didn't drink coffee, said it might taste like junk food.
“Why did you suddenly come to a café?”
“I'm thinking of opening a boutique here in Kaltz Street.”
“Won't it be difficult? There aren't many consumers in such a place.”
“As you saw earlier, the gentry class is now fiercely looking up. Their purchasing desire and ability will be noteworthy in the future.”
Regina nodded and asked another question.
“The spa services are for VIPs. The nobles are reluctant to expose their skin in front of others, so it's a space created for them.”
The result was a huge success.
The spa reservations were already booked for several months, and even the latecomers were doing well.
But it was questionable whether it would be attractive to a class that didn't mind exposure.
Of course, it would be a pleasant experience