Prince Cassian remained expressionless. Yet, he looked at me and nodded seriously.
"You're offering me a drink."
"Yes."
He picked up the slushie glass in front of him. I watched him, counting silently in my heart. One, two, three... Do adults, not just children, like the taste of my slushie?
But perhaps I looked too eager. Carat quickly looked at me and blurted out, "Those drinks are dangerous!"
"...?"
It's not dangerous at all.
However, Carat soon showed me the empty cup in front of him and continued softly, "It's called slushie... It's so delicious. I think I was drugged."
The devil made it, but he certainly didn't drug it, did he?
I looked at Carat with a serious face, then at Prince Cassian with a friendly one.
'What, are you joking?'
I had been feeling a bit nervous, holding my composure the whole time, but now I realized what kind of kid Carat was. He was just a kid! He had a cute way of speaking.
'How delicious must it be for him to promote my drink so earnestly, even in front of the Prince?'
He seemed like a good friend. Moved, I clasped my hands in front of my chest. "Thanks for the compliment, Carat."
The tip of Carat's eyebrows pouted in protest, wiggling up and down. Meanwhile, Prince Cassian took a sip of the slushie without any suspicion.
"This is my first time trying this drink."
"No, hyung—"
"...It's my first time."
"I developed it myself, how about it? Isn't it cool?" I laughed contentedly. It was quite adorable that Shion was huffing, clearly listening intently to the conversation between Cassian and me.
"...Yes, it's a peculiar taste."
Apparently, my slushie didn't quite win him over. Aside from a subtle upward twitch at the corners of his mouth, his expression remained unchanged. Seeing his brother's reaction, Axion's eyes widened, and he happily cupped his plump cheeks with both hands.
Cassian gave Axion a brief glance before speaking. "So, what is the answer to my question, Princess Meldenique Babaloa?"
"For now, I must hide my ambition to attract all the children of this empire." He might pass my words on to his friend Lennox, so it wasn't a good idea to show my ambition openly. I looked at him and said with feigned vigor, "I just dreamed of opening a stationery store."
"Did you say it was a dream?"
"Yes, you know, I've had a lot of business failures... in the meantime." Oops, a mistake. "No, because I've failed in many businesses. While doing so, I felt it. My real dream isn't to run a big enterprise."
"Are you sure?"
"It's about finding a little happiness while running an ordinary business."
Cassian stared at me. He didn't seem to believe it at all. However, there was no reason to be anxious. Even if he wasn't on my side, it couldn't be helped. I continued in a relaxed tone, "Actually, I wanted to open a stationery store like this in front of the academy and talk to children. I also wanted to create good memories for them."
I meant it. I wanted the children who would graduate from the academy to come to my stationery store and make memories, just as I did when I was a child. I wanted them to experience that kind of happiness, which would offer a little hope in a stark, competitive society.
'The kids are happy, and I'll be a big hit. I'll become the children's president.'
His gaze remained fixed on me. But I didn't care if he didn't believe me. I didn't intend to make Prince Cassian my perfect helper. He couldn't be my helper. This man just needed to have a slight fondness for our stationery store.
I shrugged my shoulders and added to Cassian, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is welcome to visit any time."
He didn't answer, but stared at me, as if gauging the sincerity of my words. Then, in the middle of our conversation, Dominic quietly asked, "Why do you want to invite this person?"
Instead of pointing out Dominic's rudeness, the Prince looked at me. I answered Dominic, "It's simply that everyone has a time when they are children. Even good adults need a place to relive their memories."
Good adults are rare, though. Including that adulterous man, my family is completely excluded.
I looked at Cassian and concluded, "I mean... even for adults who have graduated, it doesn't hurt to stop by a stationery store in front of the academy and reflect on those memories."
"I don't know what you mean, but it's cool... Mel!" Axion said. He already believed everything I said. I smiled at Axion.
Cassian looked at us and spoke quietly, "It's not as rumored."
"Rumors are usually exaggerated."
"Yes, I was rumored to have horns on my backside when I was absent... Punish me, brother!" Axion playfully complained.
Then Cassian gently patted his little brother on the head and said with a small smile, "I will believe it. However, Meldenique. You have to be careful."
After all, he didn't seem to be fully persuaded by my honest words. I wonder if a woman who always acts like a loser can truly persuade him.
I shrugged and asked, "What?" However, my thoughts seemed to have been deflected, as I failed to recruit him.
Cassian calmly spoke to me, "Many people are wary of you and regard you as an enemy. You won't be able to live as an ordinary stationery store owner."
Was it a favor or a warning? I tried to read his expression, but it was very difficult. The Prince had a perfect poker face. So I decided to give a simple answer.
"Does Your Highness the Crown Prince consider me an enemy?"
At first glance, the way to treat someone who appears friendly but keeps everyone at a distance is simple: talk directly. He frowned slightly before answering my question.
"Not yet."
That must be sincere. I smiled at him. "That's fine then."
"That's right! They are not enemies, they... determined."
Cassian, whose ears were red, hurriedly covered his brother's mouth. No, it was definitely a serious exploration battle, but with Axion involved, it was turning into a comedy.
"...Haha, I don't want to be taken lightly either."
Lennox, Hildegard, Duke of Babaloa, Sheria...
Seeing me like that, he smiled momentarily and then hardened his face again. 'He can't laugh comfortably. If he laughs in front of me, he'll show weakness.'
I glanced at the small clock in the stationery store. Now that it was almost time to eat, I thought it best to conclude our meeting.
"It's time for us to part ways," I said to Cassian, glancing at Dominic. He looked disapproving, but seemed to be still pondering what I had said.
Leaving Dominic alone in deep thought, I decided to give the departing guests a bonus. 'Finally! The time I've been waiting for has come.' It was no exaggeration to say that I had played with the children for this very moment.
I pursed my lips to calm my excitement. Carat looked at me even more suspiciously.
"Shion, Carat." Whether or not I did, I addressed Axion and Carat first. 'As official first customers of a stationery store, I have to give them plenty of gifts.'
As I handed each of them a beautifully wrapped package of beer candy, I smiled slyly. "Share it with your friends."
"Hmph! I'll promote it to my friends! Huh?"
"...You look unusual. Is it beer?"
"Yes, beer-shaped candy. I didn't even take a sip of real alcohol, so rest assured."
"How can I believe that!" Carat's eyes were full of disbelief.
I hummed as if explaining a secret and opened my mouth. "A white stick with bright yellow candy and a jelly that looked like bubbling white foam on top. It's just sweet candy!" The white jelly on top was soft, and the yellow candy on the bottom was hard. "The soft jelly tastes sour, and the yellow candy tastes sweet!"
The boy saw my smile and opened his eyes wide. "Why are there so many strange things about Mel? Perhaps, just in case!"
I was a little nervous. I hadn't even fully revealed my alchemical talents yet, and I didn't want word of it spreading.
"Are you an angel?"
I laughed and shook my head. Axion looked at me with an innocent face. I looked at the cute prince and smiled bashfully.
'Anyway, it's adorable.'
"There's a funny spell in the candy."
"Magic?"
"Hmph, beer candy and magic...!"
I laughed happily as I stroked the hair of both Carat and Axion, two children with different charms. Carat looked at the beer candy in his hand and swallowed.
'I can see all the excitement, Carat.'
For children who want to look mature, beer candy has an instant effect. I laughed inwardly.
"You should try it, okay? And do a lot of publicity." I squinted at them.