Ink & Crown

Chapter 78 – At the Café

The conversation didn’t end immediately.

Eiran asked a few more questions, nothing too direct, just enough to understand how things were running. Rendon answered without hesitation, keeping everything practical and to the point. There was no attempt to make it sound better than it was, and no effort to hide what didn’t need hiding.

After a moment, Eiran shifted the topic back.

“Lucien,” he said. “Would I find him at the café?”

Rendon gave a small nod.

“Most of the time,” he replied. “That’s where he is.”

Eiran nodded slowly.

That matched what he had heard earlier.

Rendon glanced at him briefly before adding,

“If you’re going, just go as you are. It’s not a place where you need to set anything up beforehand.”

His tone was casual.

People had been asking about Lucien more often lately. Most went straight to the café, but almost no one, like Eiran, came here to the press. It wasn’t something he thought much about and thought he was maybe more curious.

Eiran nodded.

“Alright,” he said.

After a brief pause, he added,

“Thanks… for answering everything. I know I asked quite a bit.”

Rendon waved it off.

“It’s nothing,” he said. “You didn’t ask anything out of place.”

He gave a small nod.

“You can come by anytime you want.”

Eiran gave a faint smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Rendon nodded once, his expression settling back into its usual calm.

For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Theo had been around the press more often these days. With things stabilizing now at the press, there was finally some space for him to step away from constant work and worry. It might not be a bad thing for him to have more people his age around, even if it came about in small ways like this.

The thought passed as quickly as it came.

“If you’re heading to the café,” Rendon said, returning his attention to Eiran, “you’ll find him there.”

Eiran gave a small nod.

“Thanks,” he said again, more simply this time.

Rendon acknowledged it with a slight gesture before turning his attention back to the floor.

There wasn’t anything more to add.

Eiran stepped away and made his way toward the exit, the steady rhythm of the press continuing behind him without pause.

Outside, the air felt quieter in comparison.

He stopped briefly, bringing up his wristlink to check the route once more. Ashborne Café. The direction was already set, but he looked at it anyway before moving on.

The station wasn’t far.

By the time he boarded the maglev, the earlier noise of the press had faded into the background. The carriage moved smoothly as it pulled away, the city passing by in a steady blur.

Eiran leaned back slightly, his thoughts returning to everything he had just heard about just now and the pieces didn’t feel separate anymore.

He let out a quiet breath and glanced down at his wristlink again, though there was nothing new to check.

This time, he wasn’t looking for information.

He was going to see it directly.

By the time Eiran reached Ashborne Café, he could tell it was busy even before stepping inside.

People were moving in and out at a steady pace, some leaving with takeaway orders, others waiting near the entrance for a table. The flow didn’t stop, not even for a moment.

He paused briefly, taking it in.

The place was clearly doing well.

After a second, he stepped inside.

The atmosphere shifted immediately. The space was full, but not chaotic. Conversations overlapped in a low, steady hum, and the staff moved quickly between tables, keeping everything in order without breaking rhythm.

Eiran joined the short line near the entrance, waiting his turn.

It didn’t take long before someone approached him.

“Sorry for the wait,” she said. “If you’re dining in, I’ll get you seated shortly.”

Eiran shook his head lightly.

“It’s fine,” he replied. “I don’t mind waiting a bit.”

She gave a quick nod before guiding him toward an open table that had just been cleared.

“Here,” she said. “This should be fine.”

“Thanks,” Eiran said as he took his seat.

Lira gave another brief apology before moving on to the next group waiting behind him.

It seemed to be part of the routine now.

The pace was faster than what he expected from a place like this, but everything was handled smoothly. Even with the number of people coming in, no one seemed left waiting for long.

Eiran leaned back slightly, glancing around.

The staff moved with familiarity, stepping in and out of each other’s paths without hesitation. Orders were taken, served, cleared, and replaced in a steady cycle.

There was no strain in it. The work showed familiarity, each movement practiced and steady.

If anything, it felt… energized.

Eiran watched for a moment longer, noticing how quickly the staff moved between tables without losing track of anything. Orders were handled without delay, and even when new customers entered, the flow adjusted without breaking.

It wasn’t just efficiency.

There was a clear sense of effort behind it, one that didn’t come from routine alone.

Lira moved past his table again, already guiding another group to their seats while apologizing for the short wait. Mariel followed behind her with a tray, setting down orders before moving on without pause. Jareth and Rian crossed paths near the counter, exchanging a few quick words before splitting again, each returning to their tasks in the kitchen.

Elias was at the back, keeping things moving from the kitchen side and he also joined setting aside the finances for a bit as it’s really too busy, while Edrin Hale, despite being one of the more recent additions, kept pace with the rest without falling behind.

The coordination didn’t feel forced.

It felt like everyone had settled into the same rhythm, working toward the same pace without needing to be told.

Eiran glanced through the menu for a moment, taking in the options without deciding immediately.

As Lira passed by his table again, he looked up slightly.

“Could you help me choose?” he asked.

She paused without hesitation.

“Of course,” she said.

Eiran tilted the menu slightly toward her.

“What would you recommend?”

Lira gave a quick look over it, then pointed to a couple of items.

“These are my favourites,” she said. “The Zerathian Spiced Chocolate Cake, and the Iced Mocha Drift.”

There was no long explanation, just a simple recommendation given with confidence.

Eiran nodded.

“I’ll go with those,” he said.

“Got it,” Lira replied, already noting it down before moving on to the next table.

It didn’t take long for the order to arrive.

Eiran took his time with it, trying each properly rather than rushing through.

The flavors were balanced, distinct without being overwhelming. Nothing felt excessive, and nothing felt lacking.

He paused for a moment after the first few bites, then let out a quiet breath.

It made sense.

He glanced around the café again, at the steady stream of people and the tables that never stayed empty for long.

With food like this, it would be strange if the place wasn’t full.

The current state didn’t feel exceptional. It felt expected like it is, as it should be.

By the time Eiran was nearly done with his meal, the pace of the café hadn’t slowed at all.

He set his fork down for a moment, taking a final sip from his drink, when a voice came from across the table.

“May I sit here?”

Eiran looked up briefly.

“Yes, please,” he said, gesturing to the empty seat.

The man took the seat without hesitation.

It was only then, as Eiran’s gaze settled properly, that he paused.

For a moment, he didn’t say anything as he recognized him immediately.

He had seen him before, in the photos circulating on the fan page, standing with readers or speaking to small groups.

The same face. Lucien. The thought came together quickly.

It made sense as this was his place and he was here for him in the first place.

Eiran let out a small breath, more out of realization than surprise.

Lucien looked at him, his expression calm.

“Do you have a moment?” he asked.

Eiran nodded. “Yeah.”

He wasn’t entirely sure what this was about, but he waited for him to continue.

Lucien glanced briefly at the table before speaking again.

“How was it?” he asked. “The food. The service. Anything that stood out, or didn’t.”

He paused slightly. “Just a little feedback. Nothing more.”

Eiran understood immediately.

“It was good,” he said. “No complaints at all from me. The food’s great, the staff’s efficient, and everything runs smoothly and efficiently.”

He paused for a moment, then added with a small smile,

“If I had to point out something… it’s just too crowded.”

He let out a light laugh.

“But I guess that’s not really a problem.”

Lucien gave a faint smile in return.

“We’re working on that,” he said, letting out a quiet, brief laugh. “It’s not exactly a problem we mind having.”

He leaned back slightly before continuing,

“We’re already making some adjustments. A second branch is set to open at the MICF campus. That should ease some of the traffic from the MICF students here.”

His tone remained even.

“After that, we’ll see if it’s enough. If not, we’ll expand further.”

Eiran nodded.

“That sounds good,” he said. “Congrats on the new branch.”

He paused briefly before adding,

“And on the book… and the press too.”

Lucien was slightly surprised. It wasn’t obvious, but it was there.

Most people only mentioned the café, sometimes the book.

The press wasn’t something that came up often.

“You know about that?” Lucien asked curiously.

Eiran nodded and reached into his bag, taking out a copy of A Study in Scarlet.

“Yeah,” he said. “Would you mind signing this?”

There was a small pause before he added,

“I really liked it. Read it more than once.”

Lucien took the book without hesitation. “Of course,” he said.

He signed it quickly and handed it back.

“Thanks,” Eiran said.

He hesitated for a moment, then continued,

“I actually went to the press before coming here. Just to see where it was being printed.”

Lucien looked at him again, this time with even more surprise.

“You went there yourself?”

Eiran nodded.

There was a brief pause before Lucien spoke again.

“What made you go there?” he asked. “It’s not exactly a place people usually visit out of interest.”

His tone wasn’t skeptical, just curious.

Eiran gave a small shrug.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I guess I was just curious.”

He paused briefly before continuing,

“I wanted to see where it was coming from. The book, I mean. It didn’t feel like something that just appeared out of nowhere.”

Lucien listened without interrupting.

“I ended up speaking with Gareth Rendon,” Eiran added. “He explained quite a bit. Took the time to answer everything I asked patiently.”

Lucien gave a small nod as that part wasn’t surprising.

“That sounds like him,” he said.

Lucien was about to say something more, then paused slightly, as if catching the thought mid-way.

He let out a faint breath and tapped his forehead lightly.

“Right,” he said. “I forgot and didn’t ask your name.”

There was a brief pause before he added, “Sorry about that.”

He extended his hand. “Lucien.”

Eiran responded immediately, shaking his hand. “Eiran,” he said. “It’s fine.”

Lucien gave a small nod, then asked, “So, what do you do, Eiran?”

Eiran leaned back slightly in his seat.

“I’ve been trying to get into acting for some time now,” he said. “Still in the early stages, mostly background roles for now, taking whatever I can find.”

He gave a small, easy shrug.

“It’s not much yet, but I’m taking every opportunity I get. Just being on set, watching how things work, how people perform, how scenes come together… it helps.”

He paused briefly before adding,

“I’m still learning, figuring things out as I go.”