Melly’s heart was heavy as she looked at the empty store.

Though she distributed flyers and lowered prices to attract customers to the store, those who had already tasted expensive tea and experienced high-class service at cheap prices showed no signs of returning to her tea house.

Even though she had firmly resolved to never give up.

Sigh-.

When looking at the empty store with no customers, tables that quickly gathered dust no matter how often she wiped them, and tea leaves that had to be thrown away past their expiration date without ever being steeped, Melly felt her determination gradually softening.

“This won’t do. I should at least do some deep cleaning.”

To shake off her increasingly weakening resolve, Melly stood up.

She moved the tables to one side and swept and mopped every corner of the floor. She took down all the curtains, put them in a basin, and stomped on them with her feet. With time still left, she patched together scraps of fabric she had collected from here and there to make new tablecloths. She hoped that if the atmosphere was refreshed, customers might be interested and return.

“Is this good enough?”

Just as she was holding up and examining the newly completed patchwork tablecloth from various angles, the chime bell suddenly rang.

A smile spread across Melly’s face at the prospect of a customer after so long.

“Welco…”

“Baby mama. I’m here.”

But when she turned around, it wasn’t a customer but the landlady, Flora.

The woman with an imposing figure stood awkwardly smiling in the doorway.

“Hello, ma’am.”

Melly greeted her brightly, erasing any sign of disappointment. Today, there was nothing in her hands.

‘I made this, try some.’

She always brought something she had made whenever she visited. Then she would smile kindly and stroke her belly.

‘My, the baby has grown so much already. It’ll be out soon.’

Every time that happened, Melly felt cold sweat seeping into her palms.

But today there was no need for that. Flora did not touch her belly.

“Um, you know. Baby mama.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Melly approached her. Flora, who was usually boisterous, seemed very uncomfortable about something today.

“Actually… my husband got drunk and caused some trouble.”

“…”

“The other party is demanding an unreasonable settlement amount, and as much as I’d like to hold out, he’s still my husband for better or worse, so I thought I should save him first…”

The landlady said she had paid the full amount the other party demanded. Even borrowing money to do so.

“So, about that…”

After hesitating for a moment, the landlady finally squeezed her eyes shut and blurted out what she wanted to say in one breath.

“I was hoping I could raise the rent starting this month.”

“…”

“You know I’ve been renting it to you cheaply all this time because of your difficult situation, right baby mama?”

She seemed to want to ease her guilty conscience with that.

And Melly was happy to put her mind at ease.

“Of course. I’m so grateful for that. I should have offered to raise it myself earlier, I’m sorry.”

“Oh no, there’s nothing to be sorry about…”

The landlady’s heavy mood seemed to lighten considerably at Melly’s words.

“I wouldn’t normally say this, but my situation is a bit urgent. So, I’ll count on getting 3 gold more per month starting next month.”

With that, she left the store as if fleeing.

There was no offering of well-wishes for Melly’s swollen belly. She seemed to be consciously trying not to look at Melly’s stomach.

Sigh-.

While relieved of the guilt over her fake pregnancy, Melly couldn’t help but sigh.

It never rains but it pours. It really seemed that bad things came all at once.

As if having no customers wasn’t bad enough, now the rent was going up too.

‘Where am I going to get the money?’

Melly set down the rag she had been using to wipe the tables and sat down.

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the clear windows, vividly illuminating the grain of the wooden table.

Suddenly, she was reminded of the man who used to come every day and sit in this spot drinking tea. His eyes had looked so profound, shadowed beneath the bangs covering his forehead.

Enough to inadvertently draw her gaze…

‘Bad person.’

Suddenly Melly’s lips turned white as they were caught between her teeth.

It was all because of that person. That person was trying to erode her life, which had been flowing smoothly, by blocking it like a rock.

He was trying to uproot everything she had achieved for the first time on her own.

But what would change just by resenting him?

Instead of wasting time blaming, she needed to find a way to overcome this obstacle.

“What could that be?”

Melly murmured softly as she looked out the window.

The sky was clear, completely indifferent to her troubled mood, and the greenery was lush.

And through the greenery on the other side, there was a conical red roof, with wooden supports erected in a circle around it.

It seemed like just yesterday that they had started building the new town hall, but work had progressed to the point of erecting the roof already.

Looking at it made Melly feel even more complicated.

Because it was there that the donation Edric had given to the town community as an apology to Leon and Elsa was being used.

Both Elsa and Leon were too busy with that to pay attention to Melly. No, they might not care anymore whether Melly’s store survived or not.

The ultimate goal they had pursued of developing the town was already taking shape.

Thanks to the famous tea house prominently situated at the entrance to the square.

‘That’s good. It’s a good thing.’

Melly tried hard to turn her thoughts in a positive direction.

While it was an increasingly mountainous issue for her, there was nothing more fortunate for the townspeople. They would now have a comfortable and pleasant resting place instead of an old, cracked one.

Suddenly, Melly’s eyes caught sight of a few construction workers removing tiles from the roof.

Though they looked like tiny wooden dolls due to the distance, it was easy to see that they were all drenched in sweat.

‘I wish I could offer them each a glass of cool iced tea.’

Melly thought absently. Then suddenly her eyes lit up.

“That’s it. That could work!”

At last, a good idea had occurred to her. Hope sparkled in Melly’s eyes.

Sweat trickled down.

Her neatly tied-up hair was sticking out in all directions, clinging to her neck and forehead as if glued there.

Her protruding belly was cumbersome, and her arms ached from the picnic baskets she was carrying in both hands.

But Melly was happy that there was something she could do.

Dong-, dong-, dong-.

The town hall clock tower announced noon.

‘I can’t be late.’

Melly hurried her steps. It was lunchtime for the construction workers.

Five days ago, Melly had visited the construction site with a sudden idea in mind.

She handed samples of the food she had made to Mr. Hudson, who supervised the workers. He carefully evaluated the taste. During those brief moments, Melly felt as if her blood was running dry.

‘Very good. Please take charge of our workers’ meals starting tomorrow.’

She was so relieved at those words that she nearly collapsed on the spot.

‘It’s not just about the taste, we’re contracting with you because of your circumstances, ma’am. Actually, we had another place we were planning to contract with.’

The supervisor added, looking over Melly’s swollen belly. It would have been better if she had been chosen solely for the taste, but now was not the time to be picky.

At any rate, she had passed.

Melly turned back with a grateful heart. And now she was delivering food for the fourth day.

Jingle jingle-.

Suddenly, a carriage rang its warning bell and quickly brushed past Melly.

Startled, Melly stopped, and a cloud of dust stirred up by the carriage settled lightly on her.

“Cough cough!”

Even as she coughed, Melly hugged the basket to her chest to protect the drinks and sandwiches from spoiling.

“Let me take that.”

A man who suddenly appeared tried to help Melly.

The tanned young man was the youngest worker at the construction site, and had been consistently helping carry her luggage since the first day Melly started delivering food here.

Such a kind person. He made it much easier for Melly to do her job.

Melly accepted his help with an apologetic face.

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry. It’s nothing.”

The young man strode ahead vigorously, and Melly followed behind him.

After turning one more corner, they could quickly reach the workers’ site.

“Lunch is here-!”

Melly greeted cheerfully. Everyone was exhausted from working in the scorching sun. No one was in the mood to warmly return her greeting.

But Melly didn’t mind and lined up the sandwiches and iced tea neatly on the makeshift table.

The bronze-skinned workers downed the iced tea in one gulp and asked for more. On the first day, Melly had underestimated their thirst and prepared insufficient tea. Of course, she heard complaints.

‘Damn. This doesn’t even touch my thirst. Hey, baby mama. If you’re going to do it like this, just quit right now.’

Now she could proudly say,

“If you need more tea, please let me know. I can give you as much as you want.”

The rough and gruff workers’ expressions softened considerably from the cool hydration. This was what Melly had hoped for more than anything. Even more than money.

“The food was excellent again today. It seems to be getting better and better.”

The workers’ manager, Mr. Hudson, handed Melly money with his consistently gentlemanly attitude.

“I look forward to tomorrow as well.”

Melly happily grasped the money pouch he held out. The pouch that usually came naturally to her hand felt unusually taut today. It was because he wasn’t letting go.

Was the timing off?

As Melly hesitated momentarily in confusion, his other hand covered the back of her hand.

“When is your due date?”

“…Soon.”

“It must be hard to give birth and raise a child alone.”

He said, subtly caressing Melly’s hand.

“If you have any difficulties, please tell me. I’ll help you anytime.”