Leroy wanted to ask Luna to elaborate, but Luna was already back helping out new customers to coax cats to sit on their laps.
Emilio has a wide grin plastered on his face to Leroy's utter disgust.
Ken reluctantly told Leroy that his break was about to end.
Madam Mu was wonderfully anticipating the tension to reach its peak, especially when she made sure to personally add spice to the drama.
Then the café's warm, cozy atmosphere abruptly shifted like a sudden draft of winter air as the door chimed and opened.
A tall man in an impeccable black suit stepped inside, his gait confident yet unhurried. His silver-streaked hair was swept back, the sharp angles of his face shadowed by the brim of his fedora. He moved like a man used to commanding boardrooms and bending the rules of empires—an aura of effortless power clinging to him like a tailored coat.
Emmerich Arklight.
Luna, halfway through delivering a tuna snack platter to one of the cats' tables, froze mid-step.
Oh no. No no no no no.
She immediately shot a wide-eyed, desperate look to Emmerich and subtly shook her head. Her hands moved in quick silent gestures behind her tray: Please. Don't. Say. Anything.
Emmerich, catching the silent plea, met her eyes—and offered an imperceptible nod.
He hadn't intended to show up. He'd sworn to keep his distance while Luna was on her part-time shifts, respecting her desire for normalcy.
But a discreet message from an old friend, a certain Madam Mu no less, had come in just fifteen minutes ago:
Your kitten is in the middle of something interesting. Two tomcats circling. Thought you'd want to observe the hunt.
Now here he was.
Madam Mu, without missing a beat, waved at him with all the delight of someone who'd just won a front-row seat to a royal scandal.
"Oh, Emmerich, you do know how to make an entrance," she beamed, pushing a second chair toward her table with her foot.
Emmerich gave her a faintly dismayed smile—more exhale than amusement—as he took the seat next to her. His piercing eyes swept the room.
He noted Leroy immediately—tense jaw, brooding eyes, protective posture as he watched Luna from across the counter.
Then Emilio—relaxed, deceptively casual, but with the unmistakable tension of a fighter sizing up his opponent.
The tension in the room, already tight, grew taut as a string under a bow.
Ken, wiping down a nearby table, nearly dropped his rag. His hand faltered. He'd seen that face too many times in economic magazines, high-end business interviews, even in a Forbes special last year. Was that Emmerich Arklight?!
Luna sighed, made a visible effort to roll her shoulders loose, and walked past Emmerich like he was just another customer.
Which was the plan.
She placed the tray on a nearby table and turned with a chirpy voice, "Ken, we still have those raspberry scones? Madam Mu wants seconds."
Ken stammered, "Y-Yes—yes, of course."
Emilio was the first to speak into the silence. He leaned back, folding his arms behind his head with a smirk. "Quite the gentleman," he said lightly. "Looks like a VIP just walked in."
Leroy, pretending not to recognize the man at all, said flatly, "He looks vaguely familiar. Finance, maybe?"
Emmerich's cold smile deepened slightly—not unkind, but certainly unreadable.
Madam Mu leaned toward him, voice teasing. "Are you enjoying the view, old friend?"
Emmerich didn't take his eyes off the two men. "Let's say I'm… evaluating potential liabilities."
Madam Mu laughed so hard she had to dab her eyes.
Luna, meanwhile, breezed back behind the counter with the poise of someone trying not to acknowledge that her father—the literal billionaire tycoon—was now sipping imported oolong tea beside Madam Mu and scaring half her coworkers.
She plopped a biscuit on a plate for one of the cats and muttered under her breath, "Of all the days, Dad. Seriously."
But when she glanced at him again, he wasn't looking at her.
He was watching the two men.
And though neither Emilio nor Leroy said anything more, both of them sat straighter.
The quiet war wasn't over.
It had just entered a new phase.
What should've been a calm, winding-down hour had turned into a spectacle.
Luna rubbed her temples behind the counter, listening to the rising pitch of chatter and camera-clicks outside the windows. The quiet cat café had become the center of attention—and the cause stood (and sat) right in the middle of it.
Three striking men, each commanding in their own unique way, surrounded by purring cats and filtered golden sunlight.
Emilio, still in his cap and tinted glasses disguise, was smiling charmingly at a small group of passing women now clustered by the front window, pretending to admire the kittens while obviously taking sneak photos.
"I do like the concept of this place," he said in that smooth voice that could melt advertisement scripts, speaking to Emmerich, who sat across from him, utterly unfazed.
"I've always admired establishments that combine emotional service with practical comfort," Emmerich replied smoothly, sipping his tea, his gaze subtle but unyielding. "You mentioned you knew my nephew?"
Emilio nodded. "Ah, yes—Sebastian Smith Arklight. Good kid. Spars with me sometimes. Big fan of your company's sponsorships, too. We crossed paths in Monaco last year."
Emmerich gave a diplomatic smile. "Hm."
Leroy, who had been strategically avoiding Emilio's conversation, had now positioned himself across from Madam Mu, maintaining a cool distance while trying to make conversation while giving pets and treats to the cats that surrounded them.
"And so," Leroy said, voice low and composed, "my friend, she's… remarkable. Like the kind of person who walks into a room and makes everything tilt a bit, you know?"
Madam Mu hummed. "Mm. Must be quite the gravitational pull, then."
Meanwhile, Ken was dying.
He came rushing behind the counter, nearly tripping on a cat toy. "Luna. Please. I beg you."
Luna raised a brow, not even turning from the tray of fresh baked treats she was preparing. "What, suddenly a full house is too much for the Great Manager Ken?"
Ken looked around wildly, whispering, "Luna, there are models,executives, and feral fangirls forming outside the windows! I just had someone ask if this is where the new season of a drama is being filmed. They think we're staging an all celebrity café scene! I cannot handle this level of attention and stress!"
Luna sighed. "Let me guess. You want me to extend my shift."
Ken clutched her sleeve. "For the love of catnip, yes. Please."
Luna muttered under her breath, "I swear, I'm not getting paid enough for this," but gave a small nod.
"Bless you," Ken breathed and immediately vanished like a ninja dodging stress.
She returned to the center, adjusting her apron. Mikan, the ever-discerning cat, padded past all three men and leapt gracefully onto Luna's shoulder, settling there like a fluffy judge presiding over a courtroom.
"So…" she said with a placid smile as she placed tea before Madam Mu and Leroy, "Everyone enjoying themselves?"
"Oh, immensely," Madam Mu said, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Your café has turned into a most delightful theater. I'm still waiting for someone to draw a sword."
Luna gave her a flat look.
Emilio leaned his chin on his hand and said, "You never told me you had such powerful connections, Lu."
Luna's eyes flicked toward him, unimpressed. "And you never told me you'd be such a magnet for chaos. If you attract another group of yoga moms, you'll have to set the tables."
Leroy, without even looking at Emilio, muttered, "He's probably used to women paying for him."
Emmerich, sipping his tea, gave an idle glance between the two before setting his cup down with quiet authority. "I'm curious—how do both of you know my daughter?"
The room went still for half a second.
Luna silently mouthed, Dad…! but it was too late.
Emilio blinked. "Ah. So we're dropping the act now?"
Leroy stared, expression unreadable but shoulders tense.
Emmerich's cool smile never changed. "I wasn't aware there was an act. You were both circling her like wolves around a campfire."
"Cats, sir," Emilio said with a grin. "It is a cat café."
"Wolves in cat's clothing, then," Emmerich replied, just as evenly.
Luna rubbed her forehead, picked up Mikan, and set her on Leroy's lap just to distract him—and then turned on her heel and walked away, muttering, "Nope, not gonna deal with you lot. Cuz I have no idea nor do I care why you all decided to do the confrontation game here of all places..."
Ken, watching from behind the safety of the espresso machine, whispered, "She's gonna blow."
Madam Mu laughed so hard she nearly choked on her rice crackers.