Chapter 48
Chapter 48
“What?”
Just then, on stage, the male lead finally began his revenge against the villain—a climactic moment in the play.
Alphonse hadn’t thought he could relate to any emotions in the performance, but there was one. The thrill and joy of a kiss.
Chloe had said that ‘feeling the emotions of someone entirely different as if they were your own’ was what made it fun. If nothing else, he had felt that one emotion, so he considered it a success.
“This play is quite enjoyable.”
“Huh?”
“It’s enjoyable.”
As he said so, Alphonse kissed the nape of Chloe’s neck. Her small body visibly flinched with each brush of his lips. He wanted to mark that spot deeply, but he resisted, knowing that if he did, Chloe would stop going out and retreat to the estate.
Finally, the play ended. The male lead challenged the villain to a duel and won. The heroine recovered and rose from her sickbed. The happy couple married with blessings all around. The actors came onstage and took their bows amid applause.
And Chloe was still dazed. The lingering feeling from Alphonse’s touches hadn’t faded, and because of that, she had missed most of the final act. The story was all jumbled in her head.
“Did you enjoy the performance?”
The man who caused all this asked with a straight face, as if nothing had happened. Chloe, for the first time, felt that Alphonse was truly infuriating. As he escorted her out of the theater, she couldn’t even say for sure whether she enjoyed the performance or not.
“Um… Yes. It was fun.”
Chloe answered with a confused heart. Alphonse looked at her with a gentle gaze, as if he found her adorable.
He tried to lead her to the carriage, but she shook her head. The weather was nice, and she wanted to walk a little.
Alphonse easily handed the carriage over to the coachman. Then they strolled through the lively city streets.
After walking for a while, something caught Chloe’s eye.
‘Oh, there’s a café here?’
It was actually a coffee house, but Chloe couldn’t tell the difference.
From the vintage-style shop drifted the pleasant aroma of roasted beans and the murmur of quiet conversation. To Chloe, who had lived over twenty years in 21st-century Korea, cafés were a great place to rest. Besides, maybe it was just her imagination, but her throat felt dry—she wanted a drink.
Though she didn’t love it as much as tea, she did enjoy coffee quite a bit. Just as you crave a snack after a full meal, sometimes she wanted something different.
“Shall we have some coffee?”
She pointed to the coffee house. Alphonse looked in that direction with a momentary look of puzzlement, though Chloe didn’t notice.
“That place? Very well.”
Alphonse quickly hid his confusion and answered calmly.
Just as they were about to step into the coffee house, a staff member blocked their way.
“I’m sorry, sir. But we do not allow entry with a wife in tow.”
“Oh my—?”
Chloe turned to Alphonse in surprise. His face was unreadable, betraying no emotion.
“The coffee house is a place for gentlemen’s social gatherings. I’m sorry, but ladies are not allowed inside.”
Only then did Chloe realize this wasn’t just an ordinary café.
Come to think of it, she remembered reading about this in a book on the history of tea. Unlike modern cafés, coffee houses were spaces for men’s social activities. She realized she had made a mistake and felt embarrassed.
But even so, why hadn’t Alphonse stopped her from coming here? She stared blankly at his impassive expression. There was no way Alphonse didn’t know what kind of place this was. Unlike her, he was a native of this world.
Meanwhile, Alphonse was preoccupied with something else.
‘A face I haven’t seen before.’
There was no way he hadn’t been to this coffee house before. It was a place designed specifically for noblemen, people like him. He had an excellent memory for faces, and this clerk was definitely not someone he recognized.
Moreover, the fact that the staff of a coffee house catering to nobles didn’t recognize the only Duke in the Empire suggested the man was probably a new hire.
The clerk had no idea he was addressing the Duke and Duchess. He was simply proud to have stopped some nobles at the door, feeling a deluded sense of authority, as if even nobles had to bow to his rules.
Had the couple acted entitled or pushy, he wouldn’t have dared speak that way. But the woman had only looked confused and sheepish, as if she hadn’t known any better. Emboldened by his novice zeal, he ended up saying something truly foolish.
Clearing his throat, the clerk added with an arrogant look:
“Unfortunately, our establishment isn’t simply for socializing. It’s a forum where gentlemen engage in deep discussions about politics, society, and business. It wouldn’t suit a lovely lady like yourself. After all, ladies are far more interested in makeup and the latest dresses than in politics or economics.”
Chloe, who had been ready to apologize and leave with Alphonse, froze in disbelief. He was clearly talking about her.
“Ah, of course, I don’t mean that as an insult. Women simply aren’t suited for intellectual activity by nature. God made men for reason and women for emotion, after all. It can’t be helped. But in exchange for being irrational and emotional, God blessed women with beauty… That beauty is something for ladies to cultivate. That, dear madam, is your noble role. Sir, you must be proud to have such a wife, fulfilling it so well.”
He spoke as if offering a genuine compliment. Chloe found it hard to keep her expression neutral.
‘Why would he say something like that?’
She already knew this empire was far more sexist than 21st-century Korea. Women received little education beyond etiquette and bridal training.
But knowing that and hearing such thoughts spoken so blatantly to her face were entirely different things.
This clerk clearly assumed Alphonse would agree with him. In this world, maybe that was a reasonable assumption. A typical nobleman might have laughed along and agreed without issue.
Thinking this far, Chloe gave up hope. He was a man of this world, too. If Alphonse said something that hurt her, she’d just have to swallow it.
While Alphonse had been silently listening to the clerk with his usual unreadable expression, he finally spoke.
“Fetch your manager.”
“Ah, I thought so… Pardon?”
The clerk looked confused. Alphonse continued calmly.
“I’ll buy this establishment. For three times its market value.”
“E-Excuse me?”
“And you’re fired. You needn’t return here ever again. I’ll pay your wages up to today. Pack your things and get out.”
The clerk froze mid-smile. He couldn’t tell if Alphonse was joking or serious. After all, even most nobles wouldn’t casually buy a prime-location business for three times its value.
But Alphonse had already pulled out a checkbook and was signing it. He scribbled his signature across a high-value check and tossed it toward the clerk like a candy wrapper, saying with a blank face,
“Deliver it. Immediately.”
Just like that, ownership of the popular “Littlefield” coffee house on the main street changed hands. The staff were baffled, a young man who had only recently come to the capital and finally landed a job was fired on the spot for running his mouth, and the former owner, who received triple the market value, left gleefully.
But the most shocked person wasn’t any of them.
“Do you like the coffee?”
Alphonse spoke as if he hadn’t just spent enough money for dozens of commoners to live comfortably for life. His face was blank as ever, but if you looked closely, you could see it—the slight curve of a smile on his lips, and those fierce red eyes softened with unexpected gentleness.
Across from him, Chloe held her coffee cup with trembling hands.
Everyone in the coffee house, staff and patrons alike, was staring at them. She could see the surprise in their eyes.
She wasn’t used to being the center of attention like this. Especially not in a situation where her husband had bought an entire business just so she could have a cup of coffee.
The coffee itself was a basic hand-drip, less refined than modern brews, but she couldn’t taste a thing. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure whether it was going down her throat or up her nose.
“…Yes. It’s very good.”
Chloe answered with difficulty. Alphonse looked at her like she was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen, like a mother hen watching her chick pecking at feed.
At this rate, she might choke on the coffee alone. As she struggled to ignore all the stares and drink in peace, a new thought suddenly crossed her mind:
‘Wouldn’t it be nice if there were social spaces for women too? Like this coffee house.’
