I walked two blocks from Grizelle Park. Although there were grocery stores on Indar Street where I lived, the one I was headed to had cheaper prices and a wider variety of goods.
‘There’s so much to buy since I haven’t been able to restock due to work.’
I arrived just as the store opened, and it was relatively empty inside. I methodically filled my shopping basket.
“That will be 1 gold and 47 silver.”
‘That much?’
I had bought a dozen eggs for 2 silver, potatoes and tomatoes for stew, and a few other items, but nothing particularly expensive. Still, my mental math confirmed the total was accurate.
‘I can’t believe I still struggle with the conversion of 10 silvers to 1 gold.’
Given my profession, it felt even more frustrating.
‘But seriously, eggs were 1 silver just two years ago.’
Feeling the rising cost of living every time I shopped, I paid and left the store.
‘Now that the war is over, food prices should go down, right?’
Carrying the heavy grocery bag, I trudged along, feeling an itch on my cheek.
‘What is that?’
It was an itch I couldn’t ignore. I set the grocery bag down and scratched my cheek, habitually glancing around, only to lock eyes with a pair of golden ones.
“Wow…”
An involuntary exclamation escaped my lips.
‘Again?’
Was the capital really this small?
‘Did I pray for more opportunities to see Everett Roxas for eye candy?’
It seemed like I kept running into him because there weren’t many good-looking people in the capital.
Everett Roxas and I stopped awkwardly as we recognized each other. He seemed to be exiting an old bookstore next to the grocery store.
Although we had encountered each other several times, we weren’t on friendly enough terms to greet each other.
“Haha.”
I let out an awkward laugh, picked up my grocery bag, and walked towards home as if I hadn’t seen him.
‘It wasn’t great when he avoided me like I was some weirdo earlier.’
I felt his gaze on my back, but I didn’t turn to confirm it.
‘This time… I won!’
With a small triumph and a wide smile, I forgot about the repeated coincidences as I stocked my empty pantry.
All that remained in my mind was the thought of cleaning up and finally getting some rest.
* * *
Edwin watched Rina’s retreating figure until she became a small dot and eventually disappeared from sight.
Standing like a sailor bewitched by a siren, Edwin finally moved after several minutes.
He changed his intended path back to the palace, heading instead to a small café with an impressive glass window.
“Welcome!”
The sound of a cheerful bell was followed by a man in a brown apron greeting Edwin.
With sunlight-touched brown hair, warm green eyes, and a smile, the man matched the cozy atmosphere of the café perfectly.
“Hello.”
Edwin responded absentmindedly, sitting at the nearest table without care.
The man, Kyle, Edwin’s long-time friend and the head of the Emperor’s secret intelligence unit, fidgeted nervously around the Emperor’s relaxed posture.
“The matter you mentioned hasn’t been fully compiled yet.”
“I didn’t come about Duke Camelot.”
Kyle sighed in relief.
“But I do want the results within a few days.”
Edwin’s addition made Kyle mentally calculate his workload before responding.
“Four days. I’ll report to the palace as soon as it’s ready.”
Edwin nodded lightly. After a brief silence, he asked Kyle.
“Kyle.”
“Yes?”
“Do you believe in coincidences?”
“Coincidences?”
Kyle’s voice lowered, sensing the odd context of the question.
“Yes, coincidences. Like meeting the same woman repeatedly.”
Edwin’s gaze shifted from the wall to Kyle.
“Are you suspecting her to be an assassin or spy?”
Kyle’s voice dropped, wondering if he had missed something significant.
“Not quite.”
Edwin hesitated before continuing.
“Judging by her actions, it doesn’t seem like it.”
Her arm had minimal muscle, just enough for survival.
‘I realized she wasn’t a threat the moment I grabbed her wrist.’
Perhaps her guard instincts were weak, as she casually grabbed Edwin and stared at him openly, like a pampered pet.
“But I keep encountering her every time I leave the palace.”
Edwin began recounting his chance meetings with Rina.
“The first time was the day I arrived in the capital ahead of Bliss’s memorial.”
He didn’t want to visit his only sister empty-handed after eight years.
The first encounter was when he was out buying freesias for Bliss. The second was when he visited the Grizelle Park nearby.
“And the third time was when I stopped by this café on my way back to the palace. She didn’t seem to notice me, though. Still, I should count it.”
Although she had vanished into a shared carriage looking pale, Edwin had only thought the capital was unexpectedly small.
“But today, I ran into her twice.”
That made five encounters in total.
Too many to be mere coincidence.
“That does seem strange,” Kyle agreed, stroking his chin.
“We need to find out if these coincidences are the will of the gods or humans.”
Kyle bowed sharply at Edwin’s order.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
While Kyle wrote messages to his informants, a few customers entered the café.
Kyle, sincerely invested in his side business, greeted them warmly.
Young women, almost girls, whispered excitedly to each other as Kyle turned away.
Their whispers about the charming owner and the delicious coffee were easily audible to Edwin.
“Your order is ready.”
Kyle smiled sweetly at the customers, playing the friendly café owner perfectly.
‘This guy, pretending not to hear with those sharp ears.’
Edwin smirked at his old friend’s fake smile.
After serving the coffee and sweet cakes, Kyle offered Edwin some as well.
“No coffee for me. Do you have whiskey?”
Edwin rejected the coffee without hesitation.
“This is a café, after all,” Kyle grumbled lightly.
“You forgot to add ‘tasteless’ in front.”
Edwin gestured to the customers making faces at their coffee.
“It’s not that bad anymore.”
Kyle’s voice held a tinge of defiance, like holding onto his last shred of pride.
Ignoring him, Edwin smirked and continued teasing.
“I used to think all coffee tasted like dirty water.”
Coffee had been imported from the southern continent about ten years ago. Initially enjoyed by a niche group, it had recently grown popular enough for several cafés to spring up.
“No matter how much of a coffee wasteland the Empire is compared to the southern continent, this is too much.”
Kyle, who seemed destined to be a barista by appearance, was notoriously bad at it.
Despite months of training from a barista from the southern continent, he hadn’t improved much.
“You should’ve opened a pub or something instead of going through this trouble.”
Edwin whispered as if giving a secret.
Kyle, now in his mid-30s, nearly teared up.
“Still, it’s a good choice for its unexpectedness.”
Edwin tried to console his friend before he got too upset.
“Thanks to your coffee, only the right people come here.”
Kyle’s eyes grew moist, his disappointment evident.
“I’ve improved, I swear.”
Kyle walked away, muttering about proving his skills.
Edwin watched his friend’s back, grinning mischievously, preparing for the notoriously ‘bad’ coffee he would soon receive.
* * *
After enjoying three sweet days off, I returned to the grind, back to the cog in the machine.
‘But once the Treasury’s report is done today, a major hurdle will be over.’
Early in the morning, the head of the Treasury, carrying documents heavy with our souls, headed to the main conference room with a grim face.
The remaining employees prayed for a smooth session.
‘Please let it go quietly! I don’t want to work this weekend!’
But our prayers were not answered.
“We are here to arrest the traitor who assisted Duke Camelot in accepting bribes and embezzling funds!”
