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“Botten Kingdom has the biggest sugar production and it is also their main export. Even the high-quality sugar of the Empire can’t compare to it.”
“It seems so. The aftertaste is clean and not too sweet. What do you think, Gigs?”
Gigs choked down another mouthful of sugar. “I think so too. Even the price is less for the Botten Kingdom’s product. That will definitely help with your costs. I think you should go with the Botten Kingdom’s sugar.”
“This is all, for natural sugar options?” Amethyst just wanted to be sure.
“It is all we carry’” the clerk assured her. “There are cheaper sugar products out there, but our store only sells the farm products that are certified by the trade guilds in Botten Kingdom. Also, we have a contract with the Botten guilds to mainly deal in their sugars, so we can supply it at a lower cost than other stores.”
“I’ll buy a small pouch each of the Empire and the Botten product. Then I can decide after testing it with the fruit juices.” Amethyst thought this would be the best option. “Also, after I have decided, I’ll be needing a regular supply. Do you deliver?”
“Certainly! Just let us know when you have decided.” The clerk handed the pouches to Gigs to carry.
After exiting the shop, she needed the last item, which was fruit. “Gigs, do you know the best place to buy fruit around here?” Amethyst asked.
“There are a series of fruit stalls down that alley. Follow me.” Gigs headed off, with Amethyst following closely behind.
* * *
They had finished their shopping at the market. Amethyst had all of the fruit she needed and had signed a contact at a bakery for regular deliveries of bread. Once she was able to bake the bread herself it would be a better experience, but for now that was too much work.
“Gigs, thank you for everything today. It was a lot of work following me around,” Amethyst said after they had dropped off all of the purchases at her cafĂ©.
“It was my pleasure! I’m glad I could help you,” Gigs said, smiling
“This is for helping me today. Thank you, again.” Amethyst handed him an envelope with some cash for his troubles.
“This is very generous. I’m the one who should be thanking you. Please, call me any time you need help.”
“I certainly will.” Amethyst gave Gigs a quick hug and waved goodbye as he got on a carriage for home.
She looked at all of her purchases piled on the table and realized how exhausted she was. Cleaning and preparing the food could wait until tomorrow. She sat on a chair to remove her shoes from her swollen feet. Massaging some feeling back into them, her mind suddenly returned to Alec massaging her feet in the evenings. She stopped rubbing and closed her eyes.
Have you met someone to make you happy? she thought. And are you making her as happy as you made me? As she imagined him with some woman she didn’t know, her heart began to ache. She still resented him for telling her to leave, even as he had hugged her passionately. She resented herself for missing him. Amethyst ran upstairs to her bed, throwing herself upon it and puling the blankets over her head. She decided to just sleep. It was the only way to stop thinking of him, unless he decided to haunt her dreams as well.
* * *
Timing was perfect. The fermentation of the fruit juices was complete around the same time that Amethyst was informed the interior designing was completed. This news aligned perfectly with the contract on her rental house ending. Gigs, always the gentleman, helped her move the last of her possessions over to the café and her new home above.
The workers had designed the interior perfectly to her requests. The wood floors had been polished to a sheen and the white wall brightened up the entire interior. The kitchen and cash areas contained all of the most modern equipment. The adjustments to her living quarters on the second floor truly felt like home.
All Amethyst had left was to choose a name for the cafĂ©. She had no idea what to use. She had thought of Star CafĂ© or CafĂ© Bean, but those just didn’t fit. Finally, she decided to keep it simple and call it Carol’s CafĂ©. As she was thinking about the sign design, she spotted someone she knew passing by outside.
Running outside, Amethyst called out, “Erina!”
For the entire week that Amethyst had been living in her new home, she noticed the mother and daughter passing by the café at the same time every day. She decided to introduce herself one day and ask if they would like to sample the fruit drinks she had designed. From then on, they had become good friends.
“Carol!” Amethyst lifted the child who ran to her. Her mother, Pauline, laughed.
“Erina, not Carol! I told you to call her auntie.”
“Auntie?” Erina said, awkwardly.
“That’s good!” Amethyst said, giving the child a hug.
“Hello, Carol. You’re still not open?” Pauline asked.
Amethyst laughed, embarrassed. “I still haven’t finalized the name.”
Pauline looked frustrated. “Pick already. How many days has it been? The cherry juice I tasted was good. You need to start selling it. Erina said she wanted to taste it again.”
“If Erina wants it then she gets it.  I don’t need to open the cafĂ© for that.” Amethyst invited the ladies inside. “I was thinking of naming the business Carol’s CafĂ©. Nice and simple.”
“Not bad,” agreed Pauline.
“I’m assuming you’re headed to work and Erina is off to the temple?” Amethyst asked.
“Yep!” Erina said as she gulped down a glass of cherry juice.
Pauline was a maid for this region’s ruling family, Veolense. Her daughter Erina was taken care of by the temple while Pauline was at work. The city did have an official school, but it was only affordable by the rich. The lower classes had to resort to the temple for their children’s education. From what Amethyst heard, the temple took good care of the children so they weren’t running around the streets with no place to go.
“I’m thinking about opening the cafĂ© by the end of this week,” Amethyst informed them.
“Good, I’ll be your first customer,” Pauline announced.
“It would be my honour!” Amethyst said. She set Elina down and the two ladies made their way out of the store. Amethyst waved goodbye to them from the entrance, then went back into the store.