Chapter 74: Just Another Day As An Unfortunate Manager
Finally... it’s over.
Late evening had settled over the shop by the time the last customer left. My legs gave out the moment the door clicked shut, and I collapsed onto one of the sofas, throwing an arm over my forehead with a groan.
Turns out, the "crisis" Cassandra had summoned me for was the early arrival of customers—far earlier than planned.
What was supposed to be a soft opening turned into a full-blown, chaotic debut when a flood of students showed up before we’d even finished setting up.
And of course, Cassandra and Princess Sara had to give an impromptu speech—some grand spiel about the shop’s purpose, future, and ideals—which only hyped up the crowd further.
What should’ve been a manageable number of customers quickly spiraled out of control. The long queue of students attracted curious townspeople, and before I knew it, our expected crowd had tripled.
Which meant I, the supposed manager, had been reduced to playing waiter alongside the twins, darting between tables, taking orders, and occasionally glaring at giggling students who recognized me from the academy.
The only saving grace? Cassandra actually rolled up her sleeves and manned the counter, her sharp efficiency keeping the orders flowing. Without her, the whole place would’ve descended into absolute anarchy.
A thud beside me made me crack an eye open. One of the twins—Mira, I think—had face-planted onto the adjacent sofa, her red braids frayed from the day’s chaos.
"I’m... dead," she mumbled into the cushions.
"Same," her sister’s voice floated from somewhere on the floor.