Chapter 15
For a moment, Lynette’s arms tightened slightly around Cheese.
“Lynette, our little bird.”
That’s what her mother had always called her before she left. Hearing that long-forgotten nickname again, Lynette unconsciously stared at the man who had introduced himself as Sian.
“Why… why did you call me that?”
Could it be that he knew her mother, and that’s why he came here regularly as a customer? Lynette cautiously asked.
“Oh, no reason. It’s just… your hair and eyes remind me of a little finch.”
Her hazel-brown hair and dark eyes did indeed resemble the bird.
“I see. It’s just… it surprised me to hear that after so long.”
“Then, may I call you Lynette?”
“Of course. Please call me as much as you’d like. It feels strange and nostalgic being called that again.”
With that brief introduction finished, the regular customer—no, Sian—stood up. He said he enjoyed the coffee, lightly stroked Cheese’s fur, and left.
Once even the last customer, Sian, was gone, Lynette tidied up quickly and then sat by the window. Watching the rain stream down the glass, she suddenly thought of her mother.
“I wonder if she’s doing well with that man.”
She had run away from home anyway, but still, Lynette wished she could at least know whether her mother was alive. She let out a bitter smile. Then, as soon as she saw Katrine arriving with an umbrella, she ran straight into her arms.
“Miss, did something happen?”
Katrine asked gently, surprised by Lynette burying her face against her chest.
“No, not really. I just… thought how nice it would’ve been if you were my mom, Katrine.”
Katrine held the girl who sounded almost childishly spoiled and patted her back.
“Let’s go home. I’ve made something delicious. I filled the table with all your favorites.”
“Really? Then I have to go! Oh, right, I almost forgot. Katrine, this is Cheese.”
Lynette lifted the cat into her arms and introduced him.
“And where did this cat come from?”
Since the cat hadn’t been there yesterday, Katrine asked carefully. Lynette explained how she had met Cheese.
“So you’re saying this cat—no, Cheese—chose you?”
“Yeah, what do you think? Isn’t he super gentle? Maybe if I raise him well, he’ll even catch mice!”
Cats did catch mice and birds, but house cats fed by humans usually didn’t hunt. Katrine shook her head.
“No, that’s not how it works. You can’t just leave a cat alone and expect it to grow fine. You’ll have to provide everything.”
“But still…”
“Raising a pet costs almost as much as raising a child. Some people adopt them just because they’re cute, then abandon them once they grow bigger, older, or less pretty.”
Whether it was a baby or a pet, it came with heavy responsibility.
“I’ll take good care of him. I’ll feed him myself and—”
“Miss, I’m not talking about just feeding him. I mean you’ll have to take full responsibility if you bring him into our home.”
Could she truly take responsibility for a life, all the way until its end? Katrine’s words made Lynette pause in thought. She couldn’t act impulsively. But at the same time, she couldn’t abandon Cheese, especially after her regular had even given him a name.
“I understand what you’re saying, Katrine. But he already seems to see me as his owner. If I throw him back outside, it’ll only give him the wound of being abandoned again.”
Lynette rolled her dark eyes in an imploring way, as if begging permission. Since childhood, whenever she wanted approval for something, she always looked at people like that. She was so cute doing it that Katrine nearly wanted to pinch her cheeks. Unable to resist, Katrine gave in.
When she agreed, Lynette’s face lit up.
“Cheese, Katrine says you can stay with us!”
“You really do want to raise him that badly. But if one day you can’t handle it, don’t you dare push the responsibility onto me. Understood?”
“Yes, I’ll take good care of him. Thank you for letting me keep him.”
Katrine knew that if Lynette got busy, she would end up taking care of the cat herself. But just seeing Lynette’s joyful face was enough to make her satisfied with the decision.
“Miss, since there weren’t many customers today, how about we close a little early?”
“If it’s what you want, then sure. Let’s go home!”
Cradling Cheese, Lynette left early that day with Katrine.
The next day, having left work early the night before, Lynette stayed much later than usual at the café. After Sharon had gone, she sat alone, savoring coffee and jotting notes. The beans were a new variety the guildmaster had imported and given her to test.
She could’ve tested them at home, but Cheese kept clinging to her and breaking her focus. So, after just one day, she had reluctantly asked Katrine to look after him.
“Beans from the northern Colombo region of Sepia… the body is light, but the acidity and fruity flavor are strong.”
Tasting from three different cups, Lynette made careful notes.
“Those from the central region have a stronger body, and what should I call it… a savory umami, with hints of chocolate.”
Without even eating dinner, she poured herself into testing. At last she slipped the notebook into her small bag and glanced outside.
“Oh no! It’s already night. Katrine must be waiting. I need to hurry.”
She hastily packed up, closed the shop, and headed home—only to notice a cat on the way.
“Cheese?”
It looked just like him. Though it was dark, the lamplight revealed a shape that really did resemble him.
“Did Katrine throw him out because I came home late? No… she’d never do that.”
Katrine would never do such a thing without even telling her. But when that familiar-looking cat gave her a pitiful look and slipped into a dark alley, Lynette instinctively followed.
“Cheese, where are you going?”
Without hesitation she stepped into the shadows. But as soon as she sensed other presences ahead, she froze.
“This damned cat! I told it to bring back a rich noble, and it drags in some shabby-looking girl?”
The harsh voice made Lynette flinch. Something felt terribly wrong. She tried to turn back, but men had already blocked the way behind.
“Um… could you let me go? My family’s waiting for me at home. They’ll be worried.”
She spoke gently, even while biting her lip. There was nothing nearby she could use as a weapon.
“You’ve come this far, you don’t just leave. Since you’re here, let’s see what you’ve got in that bag.”
At the leader’s order, Lynette emptied her bag. Thankfully, she hadn’t brought any money from the shop. All she had was a notebook and a pen.
The men frowned.
“No money, huh? You do realize nobody around here owns notebooks and pens.”
For people who lived hand-to-mouth, such items were useless luxuries. Clicking his tongue, the leader muttered:
“So you really don’t have a single coin…”
“Search her. Every time we find one bron, give her a beating. Go on, get to it.”
At his command, the others reached toward her roughly.
As one man grabbed her arm, Lynette reacted instinctively—twisting away and kicking him squarely in the groin. He collapsed without even screaming.
Before she could breathe in relief, another lunged at her. She rolled on the ground, snatched up a stone, and hurled it.
“Ugh!”
“Argh! Damn it!”
The rocks struck, making them cry out in pain.
But once her makeshift weapon was gone, Lynette’s anxiety spiked. The men, enraged, advanced with murderous looks.
Backing away until her back hit a wall, Lynette realized there was nowhere left to run. She thought desperately of Katrine waiting with a warm meal, even of Edgar and Kenneth.
I should’ve never left the count’s estate…
Regret filled her as the leader stood, smirking.
“Did you really think those little tricks would work—”
“You’re mistaken.”
The reply came in a familiar voice. Lynette’s eyes widened. A man wearing his hat low, holding a wooden stick of some sort, stepped forward.
“S-Sian?”
He hadn’t come to the café today. She never expected to see him here of all places.
He approached carefully, shielding her. The moonlight brushed his lips, giving them a mysterious glow. With a soft smile, Sian placed his large hand over her eyes.
Then, slipping a pair of modern high-grade earplugs into her ears, he said:
“Keep your eyes closed just for a moment.”
Like a knight appearing at the perfect time, he soothed her fear. Draping his coat over her head to hide her face, his expression turned cold as he faced the men.
“Playing the hero, huh? Think that’ll work here?”
“Whether it works or not—we’ll see. But I’d rather finish this quickly, so come at me all at once.”
Shrouded in his coat and deafened by the earplugs, Lynette couldn’t see or hear anything. Yet, strangely, she didn’t feel afraid.
A short while later, the coat was lifted and the earplugs removed. Lynette swallowed hard.
“Sian… what happened?”
He looked perfectly unharmed. Behind him, however, the men lay sprawled unconscious. He only shrugged.
“They all seem to have come down with narcolepsy at once. Dropped like flies. Ha, ha.”
His awkward excuse made her laugh. Of course it was him who had taken them down. Yet he didn’t boast—he only checked her over with concern.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
“Good. I couldn’t go to the café today because of work… but I overheard someone saying they saw you head in this direction. I was so worried you’d be scared and crying alone…”
He sighed in relief, hugging her gently and patting her back. The warmth of his embrace made her heart pound wildly. Alarmed by the feeling, she quickly pulled away.
“Sian, thank you so much for today.”
“It’s nothing. Who else would I protect, if not you? On my way here I kept thinking—what if you were crying in fear? How worried do you think I was?”
“I’m sorry. I just… saw a cat that looked like Cheese and followed it…”
But the cat was gone now.
“Lynette! You’re not a child. Don’t follow strange cats into alleys again. If you got hurt, what would I do? Without your coffee, I’d die.”
He pulled her into his arms once more, his heart pounding so loudly she could almost hear it. It seemed he was the one most shaken by what had happened.
“Um, Sian? How long are we going to stay here? This doesn’t really feel like the best place for hugging.”
