A fortune-telling princess

“You’re a genius, I’ll say it again.”

“Oh, Camilla, really.”

Even Ferrol, the ghostly chef, had gone wild with excitement after trying the desserts. He claimed he had never tasted anything like them before.

The problem was…

“It’s a shame there aren’t any customers.”

It had been less than two weeks since the café opened, and luck wasn’t on their side.

The unfamiliar interior design, the self-service ordering system, and the novel menu—everything was so new that people hesitated to step inside.

“Our desserts are seriously good, though…”

“They are,” Camilla agreed.

“What if we fail?” Laila asked gloomily, her shoulders slumping. The other staff members, catching her mood, also lowered their heads.

“Don’t worry. We won’t fail. I’ve taken measures.”

“Measures?”

Ding-ding!

Right on cue, the door opened, and two familiar figures entered.

“Huh?”

Laila’s eyes widened when she saw them.

“What brings you two here?”

It was none other than Petro and Arision.

“Camilla called us over,” Petro replied.

“And why exactly are we here?” Arision muttered.

The staff gawked at the two men. Petro was radiant, and Arision wasn’t far behind, exuding a sleek, polished air.

‘This is exactly the reaction I wanted.’

Camilla had brought them in as bait. Their attention-grabbing looks would draw customers. She needed to lure people inside somehow.

“Laila, guide them to the window seats.”

She gestured toward the seats most visible from outside. After getting them settled, she brought over a tray of desserts herself, which included macarons and a few new summer specials.

Clink!

“Enjoy.”

The two men sat silently, staring at the desserts laid before them.

“Desserts, huh?”

“You want me to eat

this

?” Arision asked, incredulous.

“Yes.”

“Hey! I hate sweet stuff—”

“Eat it.”

“…”

“If you don’t want to eat, at least

pretend

you are.”

Camilla’s face carried a warm, saleswoman’s smile, but her eyes burned with a threatening intensity. Both men understood: refusing was not an option.

“You should smile. Do you think scowling over delicious desserts is going to help me? Do you

want

my café to fail?”

Arsion’s face twisted in disbelief, while Petro chuckled softly.

“What’s this?” Petro asked, taking an interest in one of the desserts.

The colorful macarons were eye-catching, but the dessert in a glass bowl drew more attention. Packed with fruits and ice cream, it exuded a cold mist.

“It’s called

bingsu

. Perfect for summer.”

“Bingsu?”

“I skipped the syrup and condensed milk, so give it a try.”

Making the shaved ice machine had been a project in itself. It wasn’t easy to find someone capable of building a machine based only on her descriptions.

Thankfully, a workshop had managed to create something decent. They used frozen milk, shaved into fine, fluffy pieces.

“It’s ice,” Petro remarked after taking a bite, his expression satisfied. On the other hand, Arision pushed around the fruit, pretending to eat while avoiding the sweetness.

“Why’d you suddenly decide to open a café?” Petro asked.

“Desserts go hand-in-hand with shopping,” Camilla answered simply.

The reasoning was straightforward. She figured that after shopping, people often sought out cafés.

That’s why she opened the café right next to Ghost Trade—to ensure that shoppers would naturally drop by.

“Who says people eat this stuff after shopping? I don’t.”

“Have you ever even gone shopping?”

“…”

“Just eat the dessert.”

Camilla smirked as Arision averted his gaze.

If I followed your preferences, all my businesses would fail.

“Anyway, cooperate, please.”

“Understood,” Petro replied.

A group of young noblewomen passing by stopped in their tracks when they noticed the two men sitting by the window.

Petro met their eyes with his signature warm smile, and they seemed enchanted. Without hesitation, they stepped inside.

Ding-ding!

“Welcome!”

‘Perfect bait.’

Camilla felt vindicated.

‘Although one of them is a bit of a failure.’

She glanced at Arsion, who still scowled as he pushed his dessert around, his brow furrowed.

“Give me that.”

Camilla grabbed his spoon and scooped up a bite of bingsu.

“Mmm!”

She exaggerated every movement, her face lighting up as if she had just tasted the most heavenly treat on earth.

Her expression said it all—no words were needed.

Arision and Petro stared at her, momentarily captivated.

‘Well, I was a CF queen, after all.’

Did they have any idea how many companies had seen their sales soar thanks to her?

“I’ll have what she’s having!”

“What’s that? I want one too!”

The new customers eagerly placed their orders, pointing at what Camilla had been eating.

“See? That’s how you do it.”

Camilla handed Arsion back his spoon and left the table.

“…”

Arision stared at the spoon in his hand, then at the bingsu. Slowly, he raised the spoon—

Clink!

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Petro snatched the spoon from his hand.

“Can we get a fresh spoon here?” Petro called out, smiling at a passing staff member.

“What’s your problem?” Arision growled.

“Surely, you weren’t planning to reuse her spoon?”

“…”

“Put it down.”

“Damn it…”

Muttering curses, Arision set the spoon down. He glanced at Camilla, who glared at him from across the room, her eyes warning him not to cause a scene.

A staff member soon replaced the spoon, and Arsion sighed in defeat, while Petro’s smile grew even wider.

****

“Huh?”

After leaving the café, Camilla returned home to find someone waiting outside the estate. At first, she thought it was Duke Sorpel, but it wasn’t.

“That’s… Bellak?”

She recognized him as the man she’d briefly encountered during the hunting competition.

“Lady Camilla! You’ve returned!” Bellak greeted her enthusiastically.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you.”

“For me? Why?”

“I wanted to thank you.”

How long had he been waiting? Sweat glistened on his forehead under the blazing sun.

“What’s so important that you’ve been waiting here?”

Bellak’s face turned red as he hesitated. Then, with visible nervousness, he revealed what he had been hiding: a bouquet of vivid red roses.

“This is to thank you for your help last time.”

Camilla blinked, momentarily speechless.

‘Is this… the first time?’

She had received plenty of flowers from fans and at events, but never like this, as a gesture of romantic intent.

“Lady Camilla, I thought these roses would suit you perfectly…”

His hands trembled as he offered the bouquet. Amused, Camilla smiled.

Well, it’s just flowers.

Snatch!

“What?”

Before she could accept the bouquet, someone else took it. Camilla looked up to see her brother, Ravi.

“We have plenty of roses at home,” Ravi remarked dryly.

“Brother?”

Ravi stood holding the bouquet, his gaze fixed on Bellak.

“Greetings, sir!” Bellak stammered.

“A thank-you gift? A measly bouquet is all you’ve got?”

“I-I also planned to invite her to dinner—”

“Dinner? Do you know our chef is the best in the empire?”

“Well, I…”

“Are you confident your meal can compare? One hundred percent?”

“No…”

“Then don’t bother coming back.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Bellak fled in a panic.

“What was that about?” Camilla demanded.

“Pest control.”

“What?”

“Let him know I’ve handled it.”

“Who are you talking about?”

Ignoring her question, Ravi tossed the bouquet aside, only for Ludville to appear, catching it mid-air.

“Burn it,” Ludville ordered, tossing it to his aide, who shredded the bouquet with his sword.

“Why is everyone acting like this?” Camilla muttered, staring at the ruined roses.

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