With Pawnshop K, Elise, and Deboa seriously got to work, things progressed at an astonishing speed.
Exactly 4 months after the day Karan and Elise fought, causing dozens of resignation requests, Deboa’s first café opened in Tetris.
The café, with its added bar interior, was staffed by those who received special training from Deboa.
“They’re really handsome,” Jasmine muttered, resting her chin on her hand while watching an employee brewing coffee at the end of the bar.
“They’re quite charming. Someone helped with that.”
Jasmine, chewing on her straw, tilted her head with the straw still in her mouth.
“I’m saying this now, but I feel a bit hurt, Elise.”
Elise, who had been contentedly watching the casual conversation between the employee and a customer, flinched.
Seeing Elise’s puzzled look, Jasmine spat out her straw and straightened her back.
“Why didn’t you ask me to do business with you?”
“Well, because Jasmine is already doing well on her own?”
Deboa’s case was special. When the newspaper business was doing well, Elise hadn’t thought about unleashing her other talents.
As someone who had turned back time, Elise felt responsible for the lives of those she had relationships with.
It hurt her to imagine them not having what they had in their past lives.
Jasmine had already achieved more than in her past life and lived a much happier life.
This wasn’t Elise’s assessment, but Jasmine’s own confession.
“I’m happy to wake up in the morning. I’m so excited about tomorrow that I can’t sleep. It’s all thanks to Elise.”
It was a confession that almost made her cheeks itch.
Jasmine made another unexpected, embarrassing confession.
“It feels good to be acknowledged by Elise. Elise is the best friend. Both Deboa and I really like Elise.”
“Me too. I’m really glad that Jasmine is my friend.”
Elise returned the sentiment, though embarrassed.
Jasmine’s mouth and eyes slowly widened. Then, tears welled up in those big eyes.
Sensing an outpouring of intense emotion coming, Elise quickly turned her head and called for Deboa.
Thanks to Karan, she was getting used to receiving affection and gratitude, but it was still awkward to receive anything from others.
Deboa, who had been enthusiastically explaining the taste of coffee to a customer, looked up at Elise and gave a refreshing smile.
Then, leaving the customer to an employee, she approached.
“I didn’t even know you were here.”
Deboa’s words weren’t just pleasantries. She had been incredibly busy.
Did the people of Tetris like coffee this much?
It was amazing to think about the customers who had been pouring in since they opened in the morning.
Elise and Jasmine had come during a relatively quiet time, allowing Deboa to spare a moment.
“I told you it would do well, Deboa.”
Deboa had been anxious until just the day before opening, no, even three hours before.
Despite her parents’ dissuasion, she had moved to Tetris to start this business and wanted to do well, but she kept saying it seemed like it would fail.
“I still can’t believe how many people came on the first day.”
Deboa muttered, looking around the packed café.
“Who came up with the idea of wafting the coffee roasting aroma for days before opening? I’d be curious enough to come too if I were a passerby.”
Jasmine asked. Deboa looked at Elise.
‘Of course,’ Jasmine exclaimed in admiration.
“That’s not all. Suggesting to make it a bar-style setup, encouraging light conversation with customers, hiring young and energetic people as staff – it was all Elise’s idea.”
“Oh. In my opinion, Elise should be in business. It’s too much of a waste for her to remain just a queen of a country. Not even the ruler.”
Jasmine made a dangerous statement.
“If you want to do it even now, just say the word, Elise.”
Jasmine made a strange sound and grimaced as she heard a voice from behind. She turned to see Karan.
He handed his jacket to Haltbin as he entered the shop. People drinking coffee hurriedly stood up and bowed.
“Please, don’t mind me and enjoy your drinks comfortably. I’m just here to have some coffee too.”
Karan said, acknowledging their greetings. Though they probably couldn’t drink comfortably just because he said so, it was better than saying nothing.
Karan always prioritized the comfort of his subjects when he went outside the palace.
Unlike other kings or high nobles, he and Elise only brought one warrior guard each.
Even then, they kept them at a distance in places they deemed safe to avoid inconveniencing people.
In fact, the citizens had even petitioned to increase the number of guards for the king and queen’s safety.
“Thank you for coming again, Your Majesty.”
Deboa, the shop owner, greeted him with utmost respect.
“I’m not here as ‘Your Majesty’ today, so please be at ease. Or should I say, as a business partner, can we be more casual?”
Deboa looked confused. Neither Deboa nor Jasmine knew yet that Karan was the owner of Pawnshop K.
Perhaps they had missed the timing to tell them.
Midway through, Deboa had even criticized the owner of Pawnshop K.
“Even if you’re busy, how could you? Is it okay to completely delegate this important business to Elise and me? Maybe that person isn’t really good at business but just lucky? Let’s cut them out of our business even now!”
Karan not meeting with Deboa wasn’t intentional, he had just been swamped with work.
He had even taken on some of Elise’s work to allow her to focus on the coffee business with Deboa, making him even busier.
When Elise found out about this later, she felt very sorry for Karan.
“If you’re sorry, just give me a kiss, Your Majesty.”
Though it was a modest request for making the king work, considering what followed the kiss, Karan probably didn’t lose out either.
Recalling that moment, Elise’s cheeks flushed. She unnecessarily fanned herself while trying to stop Deboa.
“Deboa, that’s enough.”
“Elise, since we’re on the topic, how about making His Majesty our business partner instead of that Pawnshop K or J owner? Look. See all those people lining up outside just to see His Majesty. That’s proper promotion.”
Karan and Elise’s popularity in Tetris was tremendous. Actually, across the entire continent.
Elise looked at Karan with lowered eyebrows.
Far from being upset, Karan listened to Deboa’s complaints with an amused smile.
“Is having money everything? Elise and I worked so hard. Even choosing the wood for this bar!”
‘Didn’t I mention that Karan chose the materials?’ Elise tilted her head. She definitely did…
“You said His Majesty chose them.”
Making a deflating sound, Deboa bowed to Karan once again.
“Thank you for your active help, Your Majesty, even though it wasn’t your responsibility.”
At this point, it became increasingly difficult to speak up.
Karan approached Elise. He tapped her arm, and she put her ear close to his mouth.
“Now you understand why it was hard to speak up, right?”
Elise let out a low sigh.
She realized it must have been similar to her current position when Karan hid his identity as the owner of Pawnshop K.
Missing the timing to speak, the situation getting complicated, and eventually becoming awkward to step forward.
Nevertheless.
“You should have said something. I’m going to do it.”
Elise glared at Karan. It was just a warm gaze, not intimidating at all.
“Deboa, I have something to tell you.”
Elise grabbed the excited Deboa’s arm.
“Yes, please tell me. My friend, the respected Queen of Tetris, my reliable business partner, come to think of it, my savior, and even the benefactor of my life. After all, you actively sponsored Leber’s research!”
Deboa highly praised Elise. Being complimented to her face, Elise forced a smile and rubbed the back of her neck.
This is embarrassing. I feel like I’m going to die.
To reverse this atmosphere – though it’s uncertain what atmosphere it would turn into – she had to speak now.
“About the owner of Pawnshop K. That person isn’t uninterested in our business. They’ve been helping us to the best of their ability.”
“Elise, don’t take their side. They didn’t even show up at the opening ceremony. Okay, maybe they were busy and couldn’t make it to the opening. But it’s been a month since our shop opened. Not visiting even once means they’re not interested, right?”
“They came to the opening ceremony, Deboa. And they’re here right now.”
“Pardon?”
Elise awkwardly smiled and pulled Karan in front of Deboa.
“Say hello. This is the owner of Pawnshop K. Karan Lysandro Tetris.”
“Eeeeh?”
Jasmine, who had been listening nearby, screamed on behalf of the stunned Deboa. She almost dropped her coffee cup too.
“Nice to meet you, Deboa.”
Karan calmly extended his hand to Deboa.
“Your, Your Majesty is the owner of Pawnshop K? The one I just badmouthed?”
As Karan nodded, Deboa’s face turned pale.
“What I said earlier, I mean…”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”
Was Karan always this magnanimous?
Deboa was newly impressed. And as she belatedly recalled the things Elise had told her, she wished she could erase her past self who had genuinely badmouthed the owner of Pawnshop K.
“His Majesty chose the coffee beans.”
“His Majesty found us a shop with a great location.”
“His Majesty suggested opening the 2nd and 3rd branches right after the 1st one.”
And so on.
While she might be in the coffee business because of Elise, his interest and support far exceeded Deboa’s expectations.
So Deboa bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Your Majesty… Boss?”
Deboa slightly raised her head, looking at Elise as if seeking an answer.
At her rarely seen naive expression, Elise, Karan, and Jasmine all burst into laughter.
****
Deboa’s café took the entire continent by storm.
Just having her café open in an area was enough to cause real estate prices to surge.
The synergy created by the combination of Karan’s distribution power and funds, Deboa’s expertise in coffee, and Elise’s strategy was nothing short of a storm.
Thanks to this, Dimitris and Schule also hit the jackpot.
“Argh, Boss! This is too much. Didn’t you say you were going to scale down the business? Huh?”
Dimitris had even looked for a house to retire to. Schule had planned to manage a small branch, date, and get married…
“Since it’s out in the open now, we might as well continue. Elise likes it.”
Occasionally, when Elise called him “Boss,” Karan felt a tightness in his chest.
The positions of prince or king weren’t obtained solely by Karan’s power. It was different from Elise becoming queen.
It was possible because he was born as the king’s son.
But the title of Pawnshop K’s owner was entirely his own achievement. He might have used his position a little, but everyone does that to some extent.
If he had known it would feel this good, he would have revealed it earlier. Karan had a small regret.
Tonight, he was determined to hear “Boss” in bed as he pushed Dimitris and Schule.
“Which country should we open the 23rd branch in?”
