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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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I arrived a few hours early to prepare for the first day of business.
I didn’t expect anyone to be here yet, but…
“I said don’t push! Do you know what family the lady I serve belongs to?”
“As if your lady is the only noble daughter here.”
“One hit and your jaw will be rearranged.”
Our cafe is definitely not for commoners.
So, people who use such rough language in public wouldn’t be our customers.
Noble ladies wouldn’t personally queue up.
It’s unbecoming of a noble.
So they must have sent their servants in their stead.
Once the cafe opens, the noble ladies who employ these servants will flock in.
“Antonio, are the preparations inside the cafe, like cleaning, all done?”
Antonio, the cafe’s only handsome middle-aged man and assistant manager.
Usually, he’s a handsome man with a gentle smile and the characteristic composure of a middle-aged gentleman.
Perhaps due to the unexpected crowd…
He was smiling, but his lips trembled slightly.
“As you instructed, young master, the cafe is clean, and we have plenty of cakes and tea leaves prepared, but… I don’t think we can handle this with our current staff.”
I anticipated a crowd on the opening day.
That’s why I hired more staff than necessary for the cafe’s size and stocked up on ingredients to the point where Antonio was worried.
But even with this amount, the ingredients I prepared would run out in half a day.
Or even faster, considering customers who’d want to take cakes home.
“First, tell them to get more people in the baking area. Anyone can knead dough, even if they can’t decorate or spread whipped cream.”
Evenly spreading whipped cream isn’t difficult.
It’s just not something a complete novice can do instantly.
On the other hand, anyone can knead dough as long as the ingredients are measured correctly.
“And get someone who can write to set up a temporary stall outside and start taking orders from those who want takeout.”
Half, no, at least two-thirds of the servants out there probably intend to take cakes home for their families or tea parties.
“First, disperse the crowd, and since we haven’t opened yet, get some porters to carry the cakes.”
Even if noble ladies aren’t personally waiting, making their servants wait too long isn’t a good idea.
“And offer the waiting servants some water, or rather, some warm soup. It must be cold and they’ll be hungry waiting like that since early morning, even if it’s late autumn.”
Serving dozens of bowls of soup is a considerable expense.
But earning their goodwill with a few bowls of soup is a small price to pay.
It’s a drop in the bucket compared to the profits from customers who consume cakes and tea.
“I thought I was freezing to death. This is life-saving.”
Smiles bloomed on the faces of those who received the soup.
Now, when they return home, they’ll spread positive stories about me.
That the second young master of the Medici family is a kind person who even cares for commoners.
“We’re opening soon!”
As soon as those words were spoken, beautifully dressed women appeared from all directions.
The ladies immediately switched places with their servants and queued up to enter.
“The atmosphere inside is lovely.”
“I like it. It feels relaxing.”
The ladies who entered the cafe looked around with sparkling eyes.
The interior with tables and chairs, the carefully selected staff, the charming cakes and cookies, etc.
Items and atmosphere meticulously tailored to women’s sensibilities.
“It’s nice to be able to chat comfortably here, unlike at family tea parties.”
“At tea parties, we have to pretend to be friendly with women we dislike.”
My cafe is designed for purely social gatherings among friends without political agendas.
So, if it becomes a salon-like space where women gather and converse like this…
Will men also gather here to share private conversations in the future?
“Young master, we’ve sold all 120 cakes we prepared.”
Even though most of the cafe’s sales come from takeout, 120 cakes already?
It’s only been two hours since we opened.
“And look over there.”
Unlike the elegant and quiet cafe interior, the takeout counter was in chaos.
“Our young lady from the Vieta family is hosting a tea party in two hours! Please give me the cakes quickly!”
“Do you think the Vieta family is the only one in line? Get in order!”
“Our family is in a hurry too!”
While the ladies inside the cafe queue elegantly, despite the line outside…
Mere servants, who don’t need to worry about decorum, are quite enthusiastic.
If it’s like this on the opening day, if we ride the trend properly… can’t I become rich just from this cafe?
“What should we do?”
“Everyone inside and outside the cafe are valuable customers. However, the ladies inside are our priority, so ensure we have enough for those dining in.”
It’s acceptable to make the waiting servants outside wait if there’s a valid reason.
Servants of noble families are nothing more than employees of large companies.
But the young ladies inside the cafe are the daughters of company chairmen.
If I can’t serve them because I’m out of product, my reputation will plummet.
“There are male nobles outside too. What about them?”
This cafe is strictly catered to women’s tastes.
Why are men even here?
“Serve all customers without discrimination! Inform them that they must order at least one piece of cake and one cup of tea per person.”
The Toscana Empire does have aspects similar to medieval Europe.
However, they don’t insist on strict gender segregation like “Namnyeochilsebu-dongseok” in Joseon.
So, having men and women mixed in the same cafe isn’t a problem.
The ones who entered the cafe were sharply dressed young gentlemen.
“I heard it’s trending among women these days, so I came to check it out. It’s quite nice.”
“Let’s have some tea and chat comfortably.”
“Then, shall we discuss swordsmanship…”
They’re dressed to the nines and pretending to be disinterested in women…
But their eyes keep glancing at the women.
They’re even nudging their companions with their fingers, giving silent instructions.
Even their tone of voice reveals their nervousness before making a move.
It’s obvious what this is.
Inexperienced men pushing each other before approaching women they like.
Though it’s not uncommon for such encounters at balls to lead to marriage, still…
“I’d like to get some takeout.”
Everyone’s too busy to respond.
“Yes, miss. How can I help you?”
A bright smile appeared on the young lady’s face upon seeing me.
“It’s Young Master Fabio. The cake served at your brother’s Baron inauguration banquet was truly delicious.”
“I’m grateful for your kind words, my lady.”
“One strawberry cake, please.”
I took out a custom-made wooden box.
It’s not an expensive box, being a disposable container for expensive goods.
But with our Medici family crest embossed in brown, it looks quite luxurious.
Like “MADE IN KOREA,” embossing the family crest will greatly contribute to branding the cake.
Nobles, for whom showing off is paramount, will desire cakes from Cafe Medici, which leads the cake trend…
And this box is the most prominent way to show that the cake is genuine.
Counterfeit boxes might appear later…
But even considering that, this is much more profitable.
“Here you go, miss.”
“Thank you.”
“Please come again.”
The men who were cautiously observing finally made their move.
“Um, if you don’t mind, would you like to have some tea with me?”
He stammered, his face flushed red like an apple.
But the conversation must have gone well, as the two groups joined tables and started chatting.
By closing time, quite a few people had something akin to blind dates.
Cafe Medici became a sanctuary for men and women seeking natural encounters.
And the cafe flourished, becoming a central topic of conversation in social circles.
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“The accounts are settled.”
Business went much better than expected.
The sales seem promising, but how much did we actually make?
“Total sales: 7 gold coins, 8 silver coins, and 72 copper coins. Total: 78 pounds and 72 pennies. Total expenses: 1 gold coin, 9 silver coins, and 95 copper coins. 19 pounds and 95 pennies.”
Daily sales are approximately 6 gold coins.
Considering that I initially borrowed just this building and 50 gold coins from my father, it might not seem like a huge amount, but…
6 gold coins is equivalent to a year and a half’s income for a commoner living in the city.
Even though the wealth gap here is wider than in 21st-century Korea, to earn such a large sum in a single day…
“Hooray! Hooray!”
I was the only one jumping for joy, but I wasn’t embarrassed.
If I can consistently earn this much, I can live comfortably.
“Congratulations, young master.”
“Thanks, Antonio.”
“It’s all thanks to you, young master.”
I made all the plans.
But without their efforts, the plan would have been a meaningless fantasy.
“It was all possible thanks to your hard work. Thank you.”
To succeed, one must reward their subordinates for their contributions.
That’s how they work harder.
And they’ll stand by my side in times of danger.
“The daily wage for staff, excluding Antonio, is 3 copper coins, 3 pennies.”
Antonio receives a separate assistant manager allowance, about twice the regular staff’s wage.
Compared to my earnings, the wages for Antonio and the regular staff seem too low, but…
The usual daily wage for workers in these cafes is 1 penny, one copper coin.
Paying 3 pennies is like treating them as regular employees of a large company in Korea.
“Since it’s the first day and you all did a great job, I’ll double your pay as a token of my appreciation. I look forward to working with you all.”
Everyone cheered.
Indeed, regardless of the owner’s earnings, their own wages are the most important thing.
“Line up, everyone.”
There’s only one reason why I bother handing out wages personally.
It’s a performance to make them feel more grateful, since I’m paying them anyway.
But when I handed out wages far beyond their expectations…
“Thank you, young master. Thank you so much!”
They teared up and bowed their heads repeatedly.
“Unlike other nobles, I will always share my joy with you all when good things happen. So, please work as if this is your own cafe. Everyone worked hard. Come back tomorrow at the same time. Antonio, before leaving, post a notice to recruit more people to knead cake batter and send a letter to secure more carts.”
Our cafe prospered as the staff and I, the owner, worked together as one, but…
Just a fortnight later, an unexpected obstacle arose.
“Which damned scoundrel reported our Cafe Medici to the Church as a den of obscene depravity?”
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