Chapter 74
Feeling frustrated and wanting to relieve the pent-up emotions, I filled a glass with sparkling water. Hoping that this one glass can help relieve their stress, even if just a little.
“Excuse me. I prepare a ‘Cuba Libre’ for you.”
Squeezing lime wedges with a muddler to extract the juice, then adding white rum and cola and mixing it together—a ‘Cuba Libre’.
It was perfect for refreshing and easing the tension.
“Well… Ugh! Yeah. This is it!”
The customer drank half of it in an instant, then put down the glass with a clang.
“If you’re really a saint!”
Suddenly, my ears pricked up.
Even Johan, who was pretending to be a customer while tilting his glass, changed his expression.
“She isn’t satisfied as a saint. Go on a rampage, saying you want to be the main character!”
“Hush, senior. Lower your voice. Someone might hear.”
“So what if they hear! Who would believe such nonsense?”
The one called senior snorted and slapped the table repeatedly.
While I tried to maintain a poker face, my heart sank.
Did he just say ‘saint’? And not only that, but tried to become the ‘main character’?
The main character exists in every dimension. Just like how the main character of ‘Rapunzel’ is ‘Rapunzel’, and the main character of ‘Snow White’ is ‘Snow White’.
Then who is the main character of ‘How That Witch Lives in the Fairy Tale World’ where Sylvie belongs to…?
Coincidentally, access to this dimension was not permitted at all.
‘Saying you want to become the main character means you are not the main character.’
At that time, a thought popped into my head.
Wouldn’t Sylvie, who is influencing various dimensions, seem the most like the main character?
‘But in the character information, Sylvie was the villain.’
Could the error in this dimension be related to the ‘main character’?
“You think you can take the witch’s place and become the main character yourself? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life. What main character? Does this look like a book to you?”
“Senior!”
“You even took the man too, didn’t you? It’s such a pain to please that guy. Always hanging out with women. It’s so pathetic, ugh.”
The blunt grumbling easily solved the doubts I had.
So the root of all evil was that ‘saint’.
It was simple to summarize. The saint who found out the structure of this dimension is trying to take Sylvie’s place in order to become the main character.
“Excuse me, customer.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“It seems like you have a lot of built-up dissatisfaction. To cheer you up, I’ll give you another ‘Cuba Libre’ on the house.”
“Oh? Uh, thank you.”
As I handed over the Cuba Libre, the customers nodded in acknowledgment.
They must be dumbfounded. The bartender they treated as an NPC just spoke to them.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it didn’t seem like it was someone else’s business.”
“Do you also have a crazy boss?”
“Se, Senior!”
The junior was startled by the harsh language.
I smiled wryly and continued speaking.
“It wasn’t an ordinary crazy boss. She brazenly demanded extra work at her friend’s shop after getting off work.”
“Good heavens……”
“And she made me do all her kids’ homework during their vacation. Some days, she made me clean her house, saying there were no customers!”
“She’s insane, insane!”
Before I knew it, the junior was also drawn into my story and chimed in.
“I had been living as if it was normal, but then I suddenly realized, ‘Ah, I’ve been living like a fool.’“
“So then?”
“I quit my job on the spot. Now I’m running a wonderful desert bar. I came out today for promotion, though.”
As I shrugged and finished my story, the two customers applauded me.
“Amazing! But weren’t you scared when you quit your job?”
“Not at all! I just thought anything would be better than working under that person.”
“I guess…anything is better than being under that person.”
The senior servant muttered enviously.
“Sometimes you just have to take that first step.”
“But taking that step has too much risk.”
The senior servant’s expression darkened. He seemed cautious, unlike when he was drunkenly rambling earlier.
I’ll leave it at fanning the flames and move on to the main point.
“There’s a saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend…..”
I poured whiskey and amaretto into a glass filled with ice and lightly stirred it.
Then, I handed the completed ‘Godfather’ cocktail to the servants with a smile.
“Why don’t we…cooperate?”
Making an offer they can’t refuse.
The senior servant raised his eyebrows and looked me up and down.
“Cooperate? What exactly are you asking for?”
“I’m going to clear the witch of the false charges placed on her by the saint.”
“…Don’t tell me you’ve been running this place from the start with that goal in mind? Heh, you really planned this out thoroughly.”
“I cast out the fishing line and waited. Because a witch I care about is in a really difficult situation right now.”
As I calmly responded, the senior servant clicked his tongue.
Caution filled his gaze, but he didn’t refuse. He must have a lot bottled up inside.
“How are we going to get rid of the saint who can even bring down flying birds?”
“Senior, please, let’s drop the subject…”
The junior clerk looked around in panic, worried that someone might hear.
“There’s no one listening.”
Johann, who had interjected with a firm tone, wiped the smile off his face.
‘Oh, it feels like the hurdle has been raised?’
With an atmosphere like this, even if you’re good-looking, you won’t be approached easily. Even the customers sitting next to me seemed taken aback.
Having set the mood, I brought up the main topic.
“Isn’t there a way we can confront her?”
“…The witch?”
I nodded. It was fortunate that he understood quickly.
“But who would listen to talk about the witch? The saint has already taken control of everything…”
“Drop the subject!”
When the junior servant shouted, the senior servant surrendered and changed his words.
“That woman is thorough. She spent a long time carefully spreading rumors.”
The senior servant shook his head. His expression judged that there was no chance of success.
Is that really so? I smiled confidently.
“I’ve secured multiple witnesses. The witch’s misdeeds can be sufficiently explained.”
“Like that would do any good. Not everyone was fooled by the saint. There are already people who know the truth. Quite a few of them, unexpectedly?”
The senior clerk chuckled and continued speaking.
“But it’s not our problem. Even if it’s unjust, the witch is the only one suffering injustice. Who would stand up for her?”
He made a fair point. Since it’s someone else’s problem, whether it’s the truth or a lie, it’s just simple gossip. The majority won’t care and will ignore it, while the rest will hesitate to stand up in a situation advantageous for the saint.
“That’s why we need a stage to get attention. If we explain it in a place where many people are watching, they can’t just brush it off nonchalantly.”
The junior clerk, who had been quietly listening, clapped his hands and spoke up.
“Wait… Senior, about the Snow White that the First Prince brought back. Isn’t her engagement party next week?”
My ears perked up. Perfect, since Snow White is related to the witch, it would be an ideal stage.
‘The world is so small. The prince who saved Snow White was the prince of this place.’
Is that why the saint could easily approach him?
“But the engagement is this soon?”
“That prince is in a bit of a hurry. You know how Cedric, originally the 5th Prince, seized the crown prince position. He needs to make an appeal like rescuing a princess from a neighboring country.”
I calmly nodded. It seemed like we could effectively take advantage of this situation.
“I’ll need your help on the day of the engagement party.”
“What is it? I don’t do anything dangerous.”
“It’s simple.”
I whispered the plan to the cautious senior servant. After contemplating for a while with a skeptical look, she reluctantly nodded in agreement.
“I’ll just do that much. My life is precious too, you know.”
“Yes, that would be enough.”
“Hah, did I get drunk too? I babbled all sorts of nonsense. Since it’s come to this, make sure you bring her down completely. I really can’t stand seeing her face anymore.”
“Leave it to me.”
Judgment becomes impaired when one is drunk. Would I have been able to persuade them if they were sober?
‘Absolutely not.’
Who would readily agree if someone suddenly proposed to take down their boss? Especially without any bribe to offer.
‘But they might regret it when they sober up.’
Regardless, the servants will be able to break free from the saint’s tyranny.
All the clues have been gathered. The stage is set.
Now, all that’s left is to expose the truth properly.
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⋆｡‧˚ʚ Translator Note ɞ˚‧｡⋆
A Cuba Libre is a classic cocktail that originated in Cuba, combining rum, cola, and freshly squeezed lime juice. It is often served over ice in a highball glass and garnished with a lime wedge. The drink is simple, refreshing, and carries historical significance.
The name “Cuba Libre,” meaning “Free Cuba” in Spanish, is believed to have emerged during the Cuban War of Independence and later gained popularity after the Spanish-American War in the early 1900s. The cocktail symbolizes freedom and the spirited culture of Cuba.
The Godfather cocktail is a simple yet sophisticated drink that combines whiskey (typically Scotch) and amaretto, an almond-flavored liqueur. The name of the cocktail is said to be inspired by the iconic Godfather movies, as the drink’s bold and smooth flavor embodies a certain “mob boss” elegance and charm.
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Thank you for reading! ♡
