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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Apology Day Bet
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“Are the two of you feeling burdened by my constant investment pitches?”
I deliberately used the term “you two” since I needed May’s help with this as well.
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
But these people were way too quick to answer.
May and Bell responded without a moment’s hesitation, wounding my tender heart.
I barely managed to compose myself and said what I wanted to say.
“Then let’s make a bet.”
“A bet?”
May and Bell looked at me with puzzled expressions.
“If you two win the bet, I’ll never bring up investing again.”
To draw someone in, you have to give them what they want.
May’s eyes narrowed as she briefly looked tempted before staring at me.
“And if we lose, we have to accept your investment?”
“That’s right. It’s a bet, after all.”
The two of them exchanged glances.
They seemed to be seriously debating whether to accept, probably because I’d been such a nuisance.
That was harsh.
“What kind of bet?”
They’d taken the bait.
I suppressed my rising smile and spoke calmly.
“You know about Apology Day coming up in a week, right?”
“Of course. Who doesn’t?”
Apology Day was a unique event here.
On the last day of every month, you reflect on things you felt sorry about and apologize to the person involved—literally.
Conversely, mid-month was Gratitude Day.
Both days were a bit embarrassing, but I thought they were pretty fun and meaningful traditions.
Luciano and I occasionally used Apology Day to clear up any pent-up feelings.
Anyway, it was customary on Apology Day to give an apology along with a small gift.
That was why a market selling simple cookies, accessories, flowers, and the like sprang up in the central square.
“We’ll sell desserts made by May and Bell that day. If you sell the right amount, I win. If you don’t sell them all, you win.”
“What do you mean by ‘the right amount’ exactly?”
May asked sharply.
Just thinking about selling made the two of them tense.
“A hundred!”
I declared proudly.
Their eyes widened at the unexpected number.
But in my opinion, it wasn’t an impossible goal.
With this taste and my advice, they’d definitely sell out.
Plus, if I set the number too low, they wouldn’t buy it.
So I went bold.
“If you sell a hundred desserts in one day, you accept my investment. How about it?”
If my confidence wasn’t enough, I’d just show them the real results.
“Wait, let us talk it over privately.”
May said it a beat late, after being stunned by the bold number and pondering.
“Go ahead.”
I figured it might be hard for them to accept right away, so I let them.
The two of them stepped away from me.
Then they huddled together and whispered intently.
One thing that had been bothering me since earlier was May’s attitude.
Bell might have emotional scars preventing her from wanting to open a shop.
‘But why is May against it?’
Just then, they finished discussing and turned back to me with resolute expressions.
They approached and spoke in stiff voices.
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
“You’ll accept the results gracefully if you lose, right?”
They’d accepted the bet.
“Of course. We’ll abide by the bet’s outcome. But you two have to give it your all. Half-assing it is cheating, got it?”
“Naturally. Oh, and if we don’t sell out our stock, you have to buy whatever’s left, Miss. We need to cover our ingredient costs too.”
May quickly stepped up to avoid any losses.
I could already tell she’d be great at business even without me.
“Deal. The bet is on.”
Apology Day wasn’t far off, so we got busy.
We looked into whether anyone could just sell, found out we needed to apply in advance, and rushed to do so.
“Cookies might be best, right?”
“We could sell brownies by the slice too.”
“I have an idea—want to try making it?”
We selected the menu.
“Is the taste good enough like this?”
“Hmm, it feels like something’s missing...”
“A bit more tartness would be nice.”
We practiced the recipes.
“Since they’re gifts, packaging matters.”
“Cheap prices would be good, right?”
“We need to make a proper profit too.”
We spent a hectic week preparing everything.
Time flew by, and the long-awaited Apology Day arrived.
“What do we do? They won’t sell!”
“Our spot is terrible too.”
“That bad?”
“Yeah, it’s way too much in the corner.”
Bell and May muttered gravely, their faces pale.
The market in the capital’s central square had started early, and the two of them had arrived ahead of time.
As May said, our spot was in the corner—not ideal.
We couldn’t help it since we’d applied late.
Still, I was confident.
“Why worry so much? They’ll sell great!”
“How can I not worry? If people say it tastes bad, I won’t survive it!”
Bell voiced her anxiety.
“I’ve tried it! No one could call it bad!”
“If these don’t sell, we’ll take a loss...”
May trembled with worry.
“If they don’t sell, I’ll buy whatever’s left!”
Seriously, Bell aside, why was May like this too?
They were so fidgety it was making me anxious.
“Come on, stop shaking and let’s sell! You prepared well, right?”
“Y-Yes.”
The two of them nervously unpacked their prepared goods.
That’s when we were stacking them neatly on the stall.
“Oh my, how cute. These are macarons, right?”
A neighboring seller preparing her own stall spoke up.
We already had a reaction.
I grinned at the sight.
“Y-Yes.”
May stammered in response.
“Give me one. How did you even think to make these? They’re so adorable—I need to buy before they sell out.”
“Huh?”
“How much? I’m curious about the taste.”
May and Bell were stunned.
Seeing their expressions—like they hadn’t expected a sale so soon—I stepped in.
“One donghwa each! How many would you like?”
“Two, please. I’ll try them and decide if I want more.”
“They’re delicious. You’ll regret only getting two once you taste them, so hurry and try. They’ll be gone if you’re late!”
“Hee hee, I’ll eat one right now.”
I placed the two donghwa from the first sale into May’s hand.
The two of them stared blankly.
“How did it sell so fast...”
“It sold right away...”
“I told you they’d sell well!”
It was inevitable.
I’d targeted it perfectly when picking the menu!
While they agonized over what to sell, I suggested macarons.
And not just any—the taste and design too.
They were bright yellow macarons with drawn-on eyes and a beak, shaped like chicks.
This place had plenty of fancy desserts.
Lots of pretty, appetizing shapes, but nothing with character designs like this.
It would grab people’s attention instantly.
‘And they’re so cute—perfect for apologies!’
Sales strategy mattered too.
Sure enough, people stopped to check out the macarons.
“Oh, what’s this?”
“Macarons. Edible ones.”
“Wow, so cute! Mom, buy me one!”
“They taste great too.”
“One, please.”
Some even bought on the spot.
As the macarons sold one by one, confidence bloomed on May and Bell’s faces.
“They’re delicious. One won’t be enough.”
“So cute, it’ll melt away the recipient’s bad mood from the apology.”
Watching them actively sell, I smiled in satisfaction.
We didn’t need to wait until the market ended to know the bet’s outcome.
‘Once they taste success like this, they won’t settle for just a hobby.’
I watched them sell from the side, pleased.
“Miss.”
Billy, who’d been guarding me, called out.
“Yeah?”
“Not going to look around at the other stalls?”
This wasn’t like Billy to ask first.
Ah, no way!
“You’ve got someone to apologize to!”
“...Yes.”
I giggled at Billy’s caught-red-handed look.
I considered asking who and what he’d done wrong, but let it go.
I wanted to watch May and Bell sell too.
But I couldn’t ignore Billy’s request.
“I’ll behave, so you can go alone.”
“No.”
Billy turned serious.
“...”
His sternness soured my mood a bit.
“I’ll tell the Count off myself.”
His belated addition didn’t sound trustworthy.
‘Even you, Billy...’
Did he think so little of me...?
I thought I’d been pretty well-behaved.
Billy wouldn’t budge without me, it seemed.
I glanced at May and Bell.
People kept swarming the chick macarons, so they were too busy to notice.
‘A quick trip should be fine.’
“What’re you buying?”
I held out my hand to Billy.
Only then did he take my hand and relax his expression.
We strolled around, browsing gifts.
“I’m stumped on what to get.”
“Food?”
“Food’s kinda...”
“Flowers? Those gerberas over there are pretty.”
“Flowers probably won’t work either.”
Who on earth was the recipient that he was being so cautious?
After wandering a while, we stopped at an accessory stall.
“Shall we check these out?”
“Sure.”
Watching Billy’s eyes scan the accessories, I got a read.
It’s a woman!
Billy was in love!
I was dying to tease him, my whole body itching to, but he was choosing so gravely that I held back.
‘I’ll tease him once he picks.’
My mouth tingled with anticipation.
Billy wavered between a pretty hair ribbon and a necklace.
As he deliberated, I channeled Detective Espin.
Billy stayed in the estate’s servants’ quarters.
And he was almost always with me.
So the recipient had to be at our estate!
‘An unmarried woman around Billy’s age...’
Celly from the kitchen?
Gina, one of Mother’s attendants?
Laura from the gardens?
As I racked my detective brain,
A huge shadow suddenly loomed over me.
It approached with such pressure that I flinched and turned.
A massive person stood there.
So huge I had to crane my neck all the way back.
‘Did a bear come down from the mountains?’
My jaw dropped.
I Thought I Was the Protagonist
