chapter 13
“Ah… hello.”
The man who greeted them was a young count who occasionally visited the temple.
Yankeller quickly stood up and subtly pushed the man’s back, distancing himself from Everett.
After exchanging a few unremarkable greetings, Yankeller turned back.
That was close. If the young lord hadn’t shown up, I might’ve said something I shouldn’t have to Everett. Why am I talking so much today? Get it together, Yan.
But Everett already knew what he had stopped himself from saying:
Kyle, when you become Emperor, please get rid of the temple first. I’m going to become the Grand Mage.
When Yankeller returned to his seat, he gave her an awkward smile.
Yan, hang in there. You’re going to become the Grand Mage. I know it.
She couldn’t speak aloud, but Everett clenched her fists in encouragement.
“Lady Everett, are you cheering me on right now?”
Everett gave a big nod and raised her tightly clenched fists.
“Thank you, my lady. That really gives me strength.”
Looking a little shy, Yankeller pulled something out of his pocket and held it out.
“Please take this. I’ve always carried it around hoping to give it to you if we met.”
It was a small, round object—at a glance, it looked like a pebble.
“This is a portable light I made with magic. I call it a ‘light stone.’ If you rub the symbol on the back like this…”
A soft glow emitted from the small stone.
Everett couldn’t take her eyes off the light stone.
I’m glad she seems to like it.
But Everett wasn’t focused on the light itself. What caught her attention was the symbol engraved on the back.
That’s the symbol for the Magician, card number one in tarot. How does Yan know this symbol?
Everett looked up and met Yankeller’s eyes.
Did he use that symbol knowing what it means? Should I… ask him?
Since he made it himself, perhaps he knew the meaning behind the symbol.
Everett parted her lips slightly, but the words wouldn’t come out easily.
“If you’re interested in magic, Lady Everett, would you like to learn how to make simple magical tools? If it’s okay with you… I could bring some next time and teach you.”
Everett nodded at Yankeller’s offer to bring other magical tools.
I need to check if the other items also have tarot symbols engraved on them.
Yankeller smiled brightly at her response.
“Then how about we meet three days from now at this time, in front of the library?”
However, Yankeller never showed up on the promised date.
Everett visited the library at the same time the next day, and the day after that—but there was no sign of him.
She assumed he was just busy with temple work.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed, as it seemed she had lost her chance to learn more about the tarot symbol.
But she couldn’t exactly go looking for him at the temple either.
Two weeks passed.
Then, Masha sent word that the renovation of the tavern’s interior was complete.
Everett arrived with Daisy to find the exterior of the tavern completely transformed.
“Kuna… it looks amazing, my lady.”
Large, carved letters spelling Kuna were now mounted on the roof of the tavern.
“When you said to carve the word ‘Kuna’ and put it up there, both Auntie and I thought it would look strange.”
“Now that it’s done, it looks better than I expected, right? It makes the place stand out more.”
Before the renovations began, Everett had asked Masha for a few specific things—the new sign was one of them.
Previously, there had only been a small wooden carving of food and drink beside the door. Now, the new lettering and a carved mug were prominently displayed on the roof.
“If you do it like this, it sparks curiosity.”
At that moment, the tavern door opened and Masha came out.
“What are you two doing out here instead of coming inside?”
“Auntie, those letters look so cool.”
Masha stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Everett and Daisy.
“You haven’t seen anything yet. That’s just the beginning. Come on in—the real surprises are inside.”
Though the tavern had once been old and worn, it had always held a certain charm.
Thankfully, even with the renovations, that unique atmosphere remained.
“Auntie, everything looks nice and tidy… but the place feels smaller somehow.”
“That’s because I blocked off this area and turned it into your tarot shop, my lady.”
The clutter that once filled a corner of the shop was now gone.
In its place stood a strange door, carved with knot-like patterns that resembled vines.
“That’s…”
The design on the door looked similar to the one on Everett’s mask.
“Auntie said the door looked plain, so I drew the pattern I saw on your mask and gave it to her. Does it look close?”
Daisy scratched her cheek sheepishly.
“I… only needed a small space with just a table. I wasn’t expecting anything like this.”
Seeing Everett’s surprised expression, Masha laughed heartily.
“So even you can be caught off guard. But this is just the beginning!”
Everett stepped closer to the door.
“Tarot Card Master, Naz.”
Her other name was stylishly engraved at the center.
“Daisy told me you go by Naz when doing tarot readings.”
A faint smile spread across Everett’s lips.
This… is way better than any shop I’ve ever run before.
The blueprint she’d drawn up was so simple it could hardly be called a design—just a wooden partition, a curtain inside, and two clumsily sketched chairs and a table.
This place looked nothing like her rough plans.
“Shall we take a look inside now?”
Following Masha in, they saw a fluttering purple curtain at the end of a short, dim hallway.
“This is your tarot shop, my lady.”
The modestly sized room had a single round table and three chairs.
Thick curtains lined the walls to block outside noise.
As Everett requested, the interior was simple and clean, with no decorations except a few lights and a small display shelf.
“And here…”
Masha pulled back a curtain, revealing a small door Everett had seen before.
“You should use this door instead of going through the tavern, my lady.”
She pointed to a key placed on the table.
“This is… truly amazing, Masha.”
Everything exceeded Everett’s expectations. She could feel Masha’s thoughtful care in every detail.
“Now that it’s done, I think the tavern feels just the right size. Honestly, it felt too empty before.”
Masha knocked on the wooden wall with her fist.
“We used thick wood. Even if it gets noisy outside, you probably won’t hear much. Plus, the curtains help too.”
Pulling back the curtain by the table revealed a small window.
“What’s that for?”
“If you open it, you can see inside the tavern. You can peek at people when you’re bored.”
Even if Masha and Daisy were just on the other side of the wall, the tarot shop was still a small, enclosed space.
Anything could happen during a one-on-one consultation.
Thanks to the window Masha had added, Everett could quickly respond to any potential issues.
“Thank you… so much.”
Everett sincerely thanked Masha for her attentiveness.
Looking a bit bashful, Masha gave a loud laugh and quickly left the tarot shop.
“Now then, my lady—shall we talk about how you plan to run the business?”
“I’m going to start with a small event.”
“An event?”
“Yes. One shuffle reading per iced Kuna drink. In other words, a free tarot reading with every order.”
They had sold Kuna for a long time, but no one had ever tried drinking it cold.
The same was true for the tarot cards.
Most people only know the name ‘Arcana.’ They’ve never actually seen or experienced the cards.
So spreading awareness about iced Kuna and tarot cards was the top priority.
“My lady, so people have to order an iced Kuna to get a tarot reading?”
“Yes, that’s right. And the price needs to be slightly higher than regular Kuna.”
“Why? It’s the same drink.”
Daisy tilted her head.
“Because it’s a limited edition served only in magical mugs. The harder something is to get, the more people want it.”
Masha, listening with her arms crossed, spoke up:
“I also think we should definitely charge more. And we need to earn enough to buy more pewter mugs. Anyone who tries iced Kuna once won’t even think about the old one again.”
Already addicted to the taste of iced Kuna, Masha swallowed hard.
“The event won’t last long. I think ten days is just right.”
“Got it. Then I’ll pay for the tarot readings.”
Everett politely declined Masha’s offer.
“No, that won’t be necessary. You already created this amazing tarot shop for me, more than worth what I paid you. Besides, this promotes both the tavern and the tarot shop.”
No matter what Masha said, Everett clearly wouldn’t take her money.
Masha looked at her for a moment, then slammed her hand on the table.
“Alright, deal. But in return! I’ll give you free iced Kuna for life.”
“Auntie, why do you keep offering her Kuna? She can’t drink alcohol.”
Everett raised her hand to gently stop Daisy from saying more.
