‘Why is she here?’

It was the first time I’d seen her since the Olloje party.

It was strange enough that she was here, given that she’d lost to me in a game of makgeolli and would probably prefer to avoid my face.

‘Ah, maybe she didn’t know this was my place.’

Makgeolli would likely be known, but Choco Pie might not be.

Even as I stood there idly, the voices kept rising.

“Surely Countess Karft was standing behind me, wasn’t she?”

“Oh, was she?”

The problem wasn’t with Jeyana.

‘Countess Sisi Karft?’

Jeyana and Sisi had a wellknown feud in social circles.

In Sisi’s hand was a wellwrapped Choco Pie.

“You’re making a fuss over a single dessert. Take it up with the staff here about the ticket issue.”

She provocatively shook it in front of Jeyana.

“Even if the numbers are the same, the person who came in first should get it!”

“Well, I told you to talk to the staff, didn’t I?”

At Sisi’s words, the tickethandling staff was at a loss.

“There was definitely no duplicate ticket.”

“Then why are there two tickets with the same number? Look, they’re both number 15!”

Sisi showed off her ticket for all to see.

It was a waiting ticket for a Choco Pie.

Prompted by this, Jeyana took out her own ticket.

“It really is the same number.”

The staff member was confused.

At this rate, it would become a problem the tickethandling staff had to take responsibility for.

I finally stepped forward, leaving the staff member behind me.

We made eye contact even as I was dressed in a robe. Jeyana’s pupils dilated as she recognized me.

“Just a moment. Could both of you show me your tickets?”

As Jeyana hesitated, Sisi became annoyed.

“Who are you to intervene?”

‘Such a short temper.’

But she was still a customer.

I turned on my professional smile.

“I’m the owner of this establishment.”

“You’re the owner? The one who owns this place?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

At my words, Sisi seemed flustered, but it looked like Jeyana was even more shocked.

“Now, quickly. We have to check.”

I opened both my palms and shook them at the two ladies.

After obtaining the tickets, I examined them side by side.

The result?

“This isn’t from our shop.”

It turned out that the fake ticket was the one Sisi had.

“What are you talking about? The numbers are the same!”

Sisi retorted sharply.

“So you’re saying I’m lying now?!”

“Look closely.”

I held Jeyana’s ticket up to the light.

The word ‘Jeong’ appeared transparently.

“This is…”

“The name of our shop. It’s written on all our Choco Pie waiting tickets. But…”

When I held up Sisi’s ticket to the light, nothing was written on it.

Actually, this paper was specially made.

I’d chosen it to give customers a more luxurious feel. I never thought it would be used like this.

“Do you see this marking? It’s stamped on all the Choco Pie waiting tickets.”

I had an employee bring today’s collected tickets.

Just as I’d said, the same word was written in the same location on all of them.

It was an obvious lie. Yet Sisi insisted until the end.

“I was definitely given this by a store employee!”

“Well, Countess Enders, you did say you were the last to enter, right?”

At my words, Jeyana nodded.

“Yes, the Count was standing behind me. He was the sixteenth.”

The Choco Pie waiting tickets and the entrance tickets were different.

Then Sisi should have received an entrance ticket.

“Well, we could simply check the video.”

“The video?”

“It’s installed at the front for the shop’s safety. If we check it together…”

“Never mind!”

Sisi hastily headed for the exit. In her hand was the wrapped Choco Pie.

“I’ll just give it to you. However, you are banned from entering my shop in the future.”

Slam! The door closed.

The shop became quiet again.

The brief uproar had ended.

From the corridor connected to the staff room, Emma emerged.

“Lady Aileen!”

Emma had left the manor to manage this place.
I had heard that Emma was doing her job well, as reflected by her substantial salary, but today she seemed a bit slow in handling the situation.

“Here, you should call me the boss.”

“Ah, right. I had briefly gone to the supplier when an employee came running, saying that you two were arguing.”

Emma seemed to be out of breath, probably having rushed over.

“It’s fine now. Could you go outside and sprinkle some salt?”

“Salt?”

“Yes, after driving off a difficult customer, you need to sprinkle salt.”

“Understood!”

Emma, who had brought a bag of salt, opened the door and sprinkled it.

Passersby glanced at the glistening salt.

Now the only customer left to deal with was Jiana.

I had an employee pack some Choco Pies to bring to her.

“Here, take it. I still had one left as a backup.”

She hesitated momentarily.

However, ultimately accepting it, she seemed really keen to try it.

“I’ll pay you back for this!”

“There’s no debt to speak of. This is my shop… wait a moment.”

Whenever I see her, she’s such a demure young lady.

As I thought so, I clapped my hands.

Jiana, startled by the sound, took a step back.

“What, what is it?”

“Good timing. Will you pay me back now?”