Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better?

Isidor sat on the roof of the building he owned and looked down at the opposite building, which had just started business.

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He had been very busy the past few months with the preparations for the opening of Armand.

‘It’s doing well.’

It was a very successful start.
From the opening day, Armand was crowded with people.
Although he expected success, he felt a sense of relief somehow.

He has been running his business as if he were enjoying a game, so he has never been so restless about the results.

But strangely, he couldn’t sleep last night.
Maybe it was because of the business partner he worked with.

Usually, nobles who run businesses leave their shops to skilled merchants and do not pay attention to them properly.
But the Princess was very active.
From the purple seal to the menu, the exterior of the store, and the interior, everything had Princess Deborah’s touch.

‘The advertisement method was also interesting.’

She knew how to get people’s attention.
Even though she has never actually run a business.

Maybe it was because they were together through the whole process, but he didn’t want to see her discouraged, as she had been busy the whole time.

‘Well, actually… It can’t go wrong.’

However, he couldn’t guarantee everything 100%, so he seemed to be paying attention to the results.

He spent a long time on the roof, watching the people gathering in front of the clock tower.

 

***

 

“I’ve finally come to Armand, which I’ve only heard of.
I can’t believe I had to wait for 2 hours.”

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“I didn’t know there would be so many people.
I was surprised.”

The noble young ladies who entered the shop in a group chatted with excitement and took a seat in a well-lit place.

“This place is pretty.”
“I was just about to say that.
The atmosphere is nice.”
“Oh?”

Curiosity arose in the eyes of a young lady as she looked at the menu.

“But what is a set menu?”
“We are selling black tea and scones together as a set, Ma’am.
There are other sets too, so please take your time checking them out.”

The shop manager, who was nearby, kindly explained.

“Ah, so that’s why there was a phrase on the banner saying ‘deep black tea and XX’.
We were meant to imagine desserts that could be paired with drinks.”

[A SET: Deep Black Tea and Scones]

“Then what about the flower tea?”
“Flower tea is sold as a set with a cake topped with whipped cream.”

[B SET: Fragrant Flower Tea and Cream Cake]

“Those blank spaces were cream cake.”
“And the milk tea was macarons.”

[C SET: Soft Milk Tea and Macarons]

The rather unfamiliar concept of a ‘set menu’ was easily and pleasantly accepted by the young ladies through the questionable word puzzle at the time of preparation for the opening.

“As expected, black tea goes well with savory scones.
And sweet macarons are perfect for milk tea with a slightly bitter taste.”
“I am more excited to see the flower tea and cake combination I’ve heard for the first time.”

The excited girls began to order sets as if possessed by something.

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‘Ordering this way is cheaper than ordering the menu separately.’

Although they were trying to keep their dignity, they were feeling happy on the inside, as if they had received a financial benefit.

“Please give me Set A.”
“Yes, Sir.”

Busy wizards or gentlemen who were not interested in desserts preferred the sets because they could easily order the menu without having to say the names of the complex teas and desserts.
It was also convenient that there were only three options.
Because they didn’t have to think too much about what to eat.

‘It’s cheaper than ordering each one individually.
I was slightly hungry, so that’s good.’

Black tea and scones.
It was a simple combination, but everyone liked it.

‘It’s savory and delicious.
Should I try the C Set next?’

The wizard paused for a moment.

‘No, the cream cake the young ladies over there are eating looks more delicious.
Let’s try the B Set.’

They too spent time in the cafe pleasantly, before returning home.

Customers who stopped by Armand said that the message on the banner was a set menu, and spread a word of mouth that was helpful to the shop.

“Haha.
They have such an original menu.
It’s even cheaper than buying everything separately.
How does it taste?”
“It’s delicious.
They used fresh and fragrant tea leaves.
The bread is also properly baked.”
“The atmosphere of the shop is good, and the lighting is good too.
Somehow, it has the feeling that it’s open, as if it’s on a terrace?”

On the other hand, dessert was not even in the minds of the academy architecture professors who stopped by Armand because of its unique and beautiful exterior.

“Who is the architect?”
“The closer I look at it, the more exquisite and beautiful this place is.”
“As the structure of the building is exposed by actively using glass and iron, it is interesting that the architecture looks light and sophisticated.”
“The geometrical and stylized curves you see here and there are also very impressive.
As I came inside, the scent of tea got stronger, as if I was in a forest.”

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“It was all intentional.”

The professor who drew the blueprints for the interior of the building asserted.

“The inside was structured in a straight line so that the good scent circulates well.
The path for movement is good, and the spacing between tables is nice.”

Even the common chairs and tables were firm and had no sharp corners, creating a comfortable atmosphere.
The warm colors of high-quality wood and flooring stood out even more because of the light coming in from the boldly open windows.

“It is also impressive to see how the blinds are used to control the illumination and lighting every hour.”

The professor said, after seeing the clerk lowering the long straps of the blinds to adjust the indoor lighting.

“The harmony between the exterior and interior was very good.”

The flow of the systematic curves was alive on both sides.
The purple accent color, the same color as the seal, also stood out.

“It makes me want to see the designer’s face.
It’s a very well-planned building.”
“I know, right.”

Even people who did not know about architecture fully felt that Armand was a pleasant place to spend time.

Not only on the opening day, but also on the next day, Armand was filled with visitors.

 

***

 

Set menu.
Although it is a common thing in modern times, it seems to have been a fresh concept for the people here.
When I first started organizing the menu, the Master was also curious about the ‘set menu’.

“It’s more effective than I thought.”

As I looked at the sales slips of Armand for the past week, I nodded my head lightly.

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‘Even considering the opening fever, it sold really well.’

“Busy wizards and local administrators don’t usually eat desserts, but they seem to sell well in sets like this.”

The Master tapped his finger.

“Despite being located in the east gate plaza, the dessert sales turned out better than I imagined.
Were you expecting it?”
“Of course I expected it.”

I didn’t know it would work this well, but I bluffed.

‘Hmph! I have to look like a powerful tycoon.’

So that I can continue riding the Master bus.

“Even customers who used to drink only tea choose the set menu and consume twice as much as usual.”

He found this phenomenon amusing.

Even though it wasn’t a huge discount, everyone firmly believed that it was a reasonable spending.

“They think they made a small profit because they saved a little penny even though they didn’t have to spend anything.”

I barely suppressed my cunning smile.

“That’s good.
The set menu will serve as a good starting point for Armand for a while.”

Starting point?
His words seemed to have a hidden meaning somewhere, so I narrowed my eyes slightly.

‘What is it, is there something I’ve overlooked?’

I thought about slightly changing the set composition every month so that regulars would not get bored.
In the case of set A, which was the best-selling set, I thought it would be fun to change the flavor of the jam applied to the scones.

‘It’s probably just my feeling.’

However, it didn’t take me long to understand what the Master meant with ‘for a while’.