The evening rush at Kitchen 21 was in full swing. The air was thick with the scent of garlic butter steak and the warm, sugary aroma of freshly baked pancakes. The clatter of silverware and the hum of satisfied chatter created a noise that, a few weeks ago, would have been a headache. Now? It sounded like gold coins dropping into a chest.

I sat at the far end of the counter—my usual "Boss" spot—sipping a cup of coffee while reviewing the daily ledger.

"Lucien!"

The door chime jingled, and a familiar silver-haired figure wove through the crowd. Ariana.

She didn't walk with her head down anymore. Her steps were light, almost bouncing, and her eyes—usually hidden behind bangs or darting away in nervousness—were bright and fixed solely on me.

She slid onto the stool beside me, breathless and glowing.

"I heard! Everyone is talking about it!" She leaned in, her voice dropping to an excited whisper that wasn't quiet at all. "Three point four five seconds! Even the upperclassmen are losing their minds over it!"

I smirked, taking a slow sip of coffee. "News travels fast."

"Fast? It's all anyone in the alchemy lab could talk about!" She giggled, a sound that was becoming more frequent these days. "You should have seen Kael's face during lunch. He looked like he swallowed a whole lemon. And Bordon? He kept staring at the wall mumbling about 'reaction times' and 'human limits.'"

"Let them mumble," I said, resting my chin on my hand as I watched her. "I just did what was necessary."

"It was amazing," she said softly, her excitement settling into a warm, admiring gaze. "You really are amazing, Lucien."

I felt a slight itch on my cheek. Being praised by the entire class felt like nothing, but hearing it from her—with that genuine, unfiltered honesty—hit differently.

"Well," I cleared my throat, pushing a small plate toward her. "Enough about me. You look happy today. Did something good happen?"

On the plate was a fresh fruit tart—crisp pastry shell, overflowing with vanilla custard and topped with glazed strawberries. A new addition Lily was testing.

Ariana's eyes lit up at the treat, but then softened into something deeper.

"Actually... yes," she murmured, picking up a fork. She hesitated for a moment, then looked up at me through her lashes. "I... I received a letter from home today."

"From the Duchy?"

She nodded. "From my father."

I raised an eyebrow. Duke Darian Solmere. The man who had ignored her existence for years.

"He sent gifts," she said, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. "Rare alchemy reagents. A set of crystal vials. And... a dress. He said it would suit me."

She paused, poking the tart gently.

"And the letter... it wasn't long. But he said he heard about the dungeon assessment. He said... he said I did well."

Her voice cracked on the last word. She looked up, her eyes shimmering.

"He praised me, Lucien. For the first time in years... he acknowledged me."

I watched her, a soft smile tugging at my lips. The Duke was a cold man, calculating and harsh. But even a man like that couldn't ignore a diamond once the dust was wiped away.

"Of course he did," I said gently. "He'd be blind not to see it."

"It's all thanks to you," she whispered. "If you hadn't pulled me out of my shell... if you hadn't taught me..."

"You did the work, Ariana. I just pointed the way."

She shook her head, adamant, then took a large bite of the tart to hide her emotion. The custard was rich, and in her enthusiasm, a dollop of white cream smeared onto the corner of her lip.

She chewed happily, eyes closing in bliss, completely unaware of the mess.

"It's delicious..." she hummed.

I stared at her. The sight was ridiculously endearing. The genius alchemist, the daughter of a Duke, looking like a squirrel storing nuts.

"Ariana."

"Hm?" She opened her eyes, blinking innocently.

I didn't say anything. I just leaned in.

Her breath hitched. She froze, her fork hovering halfway to her mouth as I closed the distance between us. The noise of the diner seemed to fade into the background.

I reached out, my thumb brushing against the corner of her mouth.

Her skin was warm. Soft.

I wiped the cream away slowly, my thumb lingering on her cheek for just a second longer than necessary. Her eyes widened, her pupils trembling as she stared at me, paralyzed.

"You've got cream on your face," I said, my voice lower than usual.

I pulled back, licking the cream off my thumb casually. "Sweet."

Ariana sat there, turned to stone.

One second passed.

Two seconds.

Then, the heat hit.

It started at her neck and rushed upward, turning her entire face a brilliant, steaming shade of crimson. Her ears burned red. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

"L-L-Lu..."

She stammered, her brain clearly short-circuiting. She looked at my thumb, then at my lips, then back at my eyes.

"Cute," I chuckled.

That was the finishing blow.

"I—I—I forgot I have to—alchemy! Yes! The potion! It's boiling! I have to go!"

She shot up from the stool so fast it nearly tipped over.

"Ariana, wait—"

"ThankyouforthetartI'llseeyoutomorrow!"

She didn't walk; she practically teleported to the door, clutching her burning cheeks with both hands, her silver hair flying behind her as she fled into the night.

The door chime finally stopped swinging, but the warmth Ariana left behind lingered for a few moments longer. I picked up my coffee, intending to finish it in peace, enjoying the rare moment of quiet satisfaction.

But peace, as always in this world, was fleeting.

"Boss."

The voice was low, devoid of its usual energetic spark.

I turned on the stool. Lily stood there, wiping her hands on her apron. She wasn't smiling. In fact, she looked pale, her lips pressed into a thin, grim line. Her eyes, usually bright with the joy of running the kitchen, were clouded with worry.

I set the cup down, the clink sounding loud against the wooden counter.

"What is it, Lily?" I asked, my tone shifting instantly from casual to sharp. "Did we run out of supplies?"

"No, Boss. We have supplies." She hesitated, glancing around the bustling diner to make sure no customers were listening. Then she leaned in closer, lowering her voice further. "It's about the new branches. Specifically, Branch Number Two in the commercial district."

I narrowed my eyes. "What about it?"

"We… we had an incident tonight."

"An incident?"

"A group of men came in," Lily said, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "They were loud. Drunk. They harassed the waitresses, scared the customers, and then… one of them claimed he found a roach in his stew."

I stared at her blankly.

A roach? In my establishment?

I almost laughed. Lily ran her stations with the discipline of a military hospital. You could eat off her floors. The idea of a pest getting into the food was statistically impossible.

"It was planted," I stated flatly.

"Yes," Lily nodded, her voice tight. "I know it was. The staff knows it was. But they shouted it loud enough for everyone to hear. They demanded a refund, flipped a table, and threatened to report us to the Sanitation Bureau. Half the customers left without finishing their meals."

My jaw tightened. "Just drunkards?"

"No," Lily whispered, looking me in the eye. "This wasn't just Branch Two. At Branch Three, near the plaza… someone threw a brick through the front window an hour ago. And our suppliers? The vegetable merchant we contracted with suddenly told us he can't deliver tomorrow. He said… he was 'advised' not to do business with us anymore."

I sat there, the coffee turning cold in front of me.

One incident is an accident. Two is a coincidence. Three?

Three is a declaration of war.

"It's not just random trouble, is it?" I asked quietly.

"No, Boss," Lily said, her voice trembling slightly with anger. "It's the other restaurant owners. Since we opened the new locations… five established diners in the commercial district have closed down. They can't compete with our prices, and they certainly can't compete with the taste."

She swallowed hard.

"But it's not just the commoners. I recognized the crest on the vest of one of the men causing trouble at Branch Two. It belonged to the retinue of Baron Vane. His family owns The Golden Goblet."

"The high-end restaurant three streets down," I recalled.

"Yes. They've lost nearly half their clientele to us this week." Lily looked down, biting her lip. "Boss… they're nobles. They have connections with the Merchant Association and the City Guard. If they decide to crush us…"

She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't have to.

I looked around the diner. At the customers laughing, eating, enjoying the food that Lily and her team worked themselves to the bone to prepare. I looked at the menu board, offering fair prices to people who used to eat flavorless slop.

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