Chapter : 17
Suddenly, a memory from my childhood popped into my head.
That day had been an extremely cold winter. In our small, old one-room house, where the freezing winter wind blew straight inside, it was just me and my younger sister.
Our parents were away, constantly working day and night to earn money. Since they were always gone, it was my responsibility to take care of my sister.
It was the same even when my sister was sick with a high fever.
“…Unnie, I’m sick.”
“Uh… what should I do…? Are you in a lot of pain? I’ll go get some medicine right away.”
“I don’t want medicine… I won’t take it…”
“You have to take it, or it won’t get better.”
“Hii…”
My sister pouted, refusing the medicine while barely able to breathe. Medicine always tasted bitter and unpleasant to her.
But she absolutely needed it, her face pale enough to collapse. So I came up with a solution.
I would make her not notice the red children’s medicine that my mother had stocked.
In other words…
“Unnie, this milk looks weird…”
I mixed it into milk.
My sister loved milk. She even had the peculiar habit of eating it with rice and claiming it was delicious.
So I gave her the red medicine mixed into milk. The pure white milk turned a faint pink, but… as long as she drank it, it didn’t matter.
“This color is trendy these days.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Trust Unnie and try it—then all the sickness will fly away!”
My sister looked at me suspiciously several times.
But she had no choice but to drink the milk with the medicine. Since the distinct bitter taste was neutralized, she drank it all, even though it tasted odd.
After only a couple of doses, she quickly regained her health.
Later, my sister reminisced about that incident and said:
“You know the medicine Unnie gave me back then? Thinking about it now… wasn’t it basically strawberry milk?
Well, the scent of strawberry might have been off, but still, it was similar, right?”
I remember how utterly shocked I was when I heard that. I scolded her, thinking she was making no sense…
And yet, now, that ridiculous memory somehow felt believable.
‘Maybe it could actually work.’
I poked my lips with my index finger and looked at the child hiding under the blanket on the bed.
She was about the same age as my sister had been.
Although she looked completely different, the memory made me see my sister in her. That’s why the responsibility I felt for Lumi was so much heavier.
‘…I’m not completely sure it’ll work.’
At least I had a hint.
I got up and approached Lumi. She was hugging Hue tightly, only her head peeking out from under the blanket.
“Hey, don’t take Hue! Lumi answered so well just now.”
“I’m not taking Hue. I just want to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
Lumi tilted her head, sliding the blanket aside. Hue, who had given up entirely, was revealed, drooping pitifully. I reached out and patted him gently.
“Hue, just for today, okay?”
“Don’t worry, Master! Just trust Hue!”
“You look really tired, though.”
“That’s because it’s my sleeping time now!”
Hue suddenly became lively, flopping around like a little fish. Seeing that, Lumi giggled.
“Lumi, do you like milk?”
“Yes!”
“Then I’ll make some delicious milk for you. When you drink it…”
“When I drink it?”
“Ah, it’ll be tasty.”
I shouldn’t get ahead of myself with promises I wasn’t sure I could keep.
I gave Lumi a small smile and said goodnight, then left the room.
Click. No sooner had I opened the door than…
“How… how did it go?”
Frisia asked hurriedly, worried if Lumi was okay and if I had gotten a satisfactory answer.
And then:
“Do you think it’s possible…?”
Her most desperate question slipped out in a sigh. I looked at her for a moment and gave a faint smile.
“Lumi answered kindly. Thanks to that, I have a hint.”
“Really? Do you really think it can work?”
“I’ll do my best. Even if it seems impossible, I’ll make it work… so don’t worry too much, Frisia.”
“…Thank you, Leila. Really, thank you.”
Frisia held my hand tightly and sobbed. As her hand grew wet with tears, Millan, who had been standing behind her, spoke.
“It’s time for us to leave. If we stay here any longer…”
His gaze met mine.
It was a warning—a silent warning that if I stayed any longer, I might collapse somewhere unfamiliar, unable to manage my energy.
Also, an unspoken pressure that this time, I would be expected to pay properly.
I exhaled lightly and nodded, then left Frisia with a final word.
“I’ll come back tomorrow, so please take care of Hue until then.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll treat Hue like a king.”
Despite her tears, she smiled brightly and even gave a thumbs-up, signaling not to worry.
Seeing that, I smiled faintly, my resolve strengthening.
‘I will make this happen.’
No matter what it takes.
After making that promise, Millan and I returned straight to the cafe.
Just like when we visited Frisia’s furniture shop, I relied on Millan’s amazing ability this time as well.
Flash! Everything turned white before my eyes, and the surroundings changed.
This was already the third time… I muttered dumbly to myself, now somewhat used to it.
“Can I keep using this?”
“Do you think so? It comes at a cost, after all.”
“A cost? What kind of cost?”
“One diamond. Isn’t that reasonable?”
“…Expensive!”
I recoiled and stepped back from Millan. Surely he wasn’t asking for the cost of the last two uses as well? I narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion, and Millan sighed.
“This time is an exception. More importantly, how do you plan to resolve this? How can you give Frisia such a definite answer?”
“Ah…”
“No matter how much, Leila, you are the granddaughter of Basha…”
He trailed off mid-sentence. But I could almost hear the rest. He wasn’t doubting me.
He was worried.
I understood why Millan was concerned. He didn’t know what would happen if I failed the quest. Also, I was only Basha’s granddaughter, not Basha herself.
But that didn’t mean I had nothing to work with.
“I have a method in mind.”
“What is it?”
“For that, I need your help.”
Specifically, I needed Millan’s magical tools.
To accomplish what I had in mind, I absolutely needed his magical tools.
Millan looked at me for a moment and gave a deep smile.
“So, you’re finally using my token. What do you need?”
With his words…
Ding!
Tool Shop
Only magical tools made by Millan Basha are available.
- Manual Coffee Grinder: 50 Diamonds
- Everything-Grinding Container: 10 Diamonds
- Manual Coffee Brewer: 50 Diamonds
- All-Purpose Kettle: 10 Diamonds
- Steamer: 10 Diamonds
Some items are still unavailable.
Millan’s magical tool shop menu appeared before me.
“…Oh.”
It was well-stocked. There were a few items with names that piqued curiosity, but overall it was quite good.
Everything I basically needed was here. I couldn’t grind coffee beans with a mortar forever, after all.
‘Since it says some items are still unavailable, it looks like custom orders might be possible too.’
That’s really good.
But the real problem was different.
‘I only have 11 diamonds.’
Even if I completed all the special quests and earned 9 more, that would only give me 20. But if I did all those quests, I couldn’t complete Frisia’s quest.
‘Well, at least I can buy what I need right now.’
That would have to do. Diamonds would come again.
I immediately purchased the steamer. I needed a tool to warm the milk.
Now, the only thing left was…
“Practice.”
I thought I was pretty good at steaming milk…
But in just ten minutes, all my experience became useless.
