Marie’s Bakery During Summer Vacation

One day, as summer vacation was nearing its end. I decided to head to my part-time job, which had become part of my daily routine.

“Father, I am heading out.”

“Take care. Be careful on your way.”

After greeting Father before leaving, I headed for Marie’s bakery, my part-time workplace. Until summer vacation began, Josette had gone there by carriage, but after Kent and Caro left for the territory, she decided to go on foot, despite the slight distance. Nearly a month had already passed, and now her feet no longer hurt from walking.

(Father does not approve of my relationship with Kent-san, yet he does not reprimand me for going out like this. I do not know what he is thinking. But for now, I shall enjoy this time.)

Josette’s father did not approve of her relationship with Kent. However, he did not stop the relationship either, nor did he say anything about her going to work part-time. Because of that, Josette spent her days immersed in part-time work, but she had also gained enough leeway to enjoy it.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Josette-san.”

When she arrived at Marie’s bakery and entered the shop, she met Rachel, who was about to head to the second branch. Previously, Rachel had been a girl she did not like, but now they were getting along well… she thought. Rachel was carrying a lot of luggage.

“You have quite a lot of luggage today too.”

“Sales at the shop are going well, so I stocked up on plenty again today.”

By placing orders through Emily and having Kent approve them, they could stock goods to sell at the second branch. The first branch used the same system. Precisely because this system existed, they could stock goods that other shops did not handle and continue running Marie’s bakery from an advantageous position. Previously, Kent had done this work, but because he was now away from this land, Emily was acting in his place.

“Then I will be off. Please do your best too, Josette-san.”

“Rachel, be careful on your way too.”

Josette saw Rachel off. Then she went up to the second floor, changed into the shop uniform in the room prepared for her, and decided to begin preparing for opening.

“Good morning, Marie-san.”

“Good morning, Josette-san. I am counting on you again today.”

She greeted Marie, the owner of this shop, and began her work. Josette’s work was mainly to take charge of the dining area. First, she began with cleaning, then checked and maintained the kitchen equipment.

“It is cold and pleasant again today.”

Josette said that after checking the stock of ice cream inside the freezer. The shop interior was comfortable thanks to the air conditioning, but the moment one stepped outside, it was very hot. She had been working outside for inspection until just earlier, so the cold felt extremely pleasant.

“Hey, Josette. If you leave the freezer open, the important products will melt.”

“I am sorry. Elder Sister, are you ready too?”

“Yeah, I just finished carrying in the ingredients.”

Josette’s older sister, Elnette, finished her work and showed her face in the kitchen. Elnette’s work involved a lot of physical labor. Carrying out flour, the ingredient for bread, transporting heavy luggage, and helping in the dining area when she had free hands were her main jobs.

“Good morning.”

Then Patty entered the shop. Since she came after doing housework at home, her arrival time was slightly later than Josette and the others. Patty also seemed concerned about the difference in status at first, but now they worked together on friendly terms.

“The kitchen side should be ready soon, so please handle the tables.”

“Yes, I will get to work after changing.”

Patty went up to the second floor, took a shower, changed into her uniform, and came back down. In the meantime, Josette prepared the kitchen together with Elnette.

“Then I will arrange the products, so I leave the rest to you.”

“Yes, please do, Josette-san.”

Josette spoke to Patty, who had begun setting the tables, and entered the workshop where the bread was being made. There, Marie and Emily were busily baking bread from the dough, while Catherine was doing the necessary plating and similar work.

“Then I will arrange the finished bread on the shelves.”

“Please do, Josette-san.”

After telling Marie that, Josette carried the trays loaded with finished bread into the shop and began arranging them. At first, she had done it while thinking about where to place each item, but now she could place them in the appropriate spots without even thinking.

“I suppose this is about right.”

After going back and forth between the workshop and the shop several times, she finished arranging the bread. Marie, who had finished her work one step earlier, prepared the register, while Emily performed the final shop check and finished the opening preparations. Once everyone took their positions, it was opening time. A line had already formed before opening, but recently, they no longer had to organize the line, and the customers adjusted it on their own. Then, the moment the shop opened, the waiting customers flowed inside.

““““““Welcome!””””””

From the morning opening time, many customers who were heading to work visited the shop to secure their lunch. At this time, selling bread, the main business, became busier than the dining area. Patty and Elnette remained in the dining area, while the remaining personnel, including Josette, handled additional bread production, restocking, settlement, and so on.

Beep beep beep beep, beep.

Josette pressed the register keys at a tremendous speed as she entered the items.

“Thank you very much. The total is 1,260G.”

Until she became accustomed to handling it, she could calculate the amount faster by hand, but now she felt that entering it into the register made the work easier. If she did it by hand, she would have to record what had been sold and how many, making later settlement troublesome, but using this machine allowed her to instantly understand the details of the day’s sales after closing, so it was extremely convenient. Next to her, Catherine was packing the items that had finished being calculated into bags. Depending on the day, Catherine sometimes operated the register while Josette packed the bags, but today they were arranged this way.

“Here are your items. Thank you very much.”

“Thanks.”

Catherine handed over the items, and the customer left the shop looking satisfied. However, it did not end there, and since there was a line in front of the register, they settled the next customer’s purchase. Even if Josette could operate the register quickly, there were many customers, so this much could not be helped.

Once bread sales settled down, they became able to take a short break.

“Then, Josette-san, you can go ahead and eat the staff meal first.”

“Yes, then I will have it first.”

After Marie told Josette that, she began preparing to bake the bread for lunch. Josette went to the kitchen to have her staff meal.

“Now then… What shall I have today?”

Josette rummaged through the refrigerator and freezer, searching for today’s staff meal. At this shop, they were allowed to eat the products for lunch. Originally, Kent had decided this for Marie and Catherine’s sake, but the employees who joined later received the same treatment. Josette could also eat rare things, so after summer vacation began, she started eating lunch here, and she had come to look forward to this time a little.

“I have decided. I shall have this today.”

Josette decided on today’s lunch and began cooking it herself. The ingredients were provided, but she had to cook them herself. She had never cooked before, but after she started working here, she learned to cook, and now she could make most of the menu items served at the shop. In terms of flavor, she was nowhere near Emily, but Kent had told her that it would be fine to serve her cooking to customers. Josette quickly prepared it and decided to have a slightly early lunch at the kitchen table.

“Thank you for the meal. Mmm, I must say, I did quite well.”

Since she had to switch with the next person right away, she could not eat slowly, so she quickly finished her meal in a manner utterly lacking even a fragment of elegance, to the point that one would not think she was a duke’s daughter.

“Elder Sister, I am finished, so please eat next.”

“Sure. Then I leave the rest to you. Now then, what should I eat today?”

She switched with Elnette, and this time she took charge of the dining area floor. It would soon be lunchtime, so it would become crowded all at once. For a period, nobles had occupied seats for long stretches of time, creating a situation where commoner customers could not come near, but after having them go to the second branch, the commoner customers returned.

“Welcome. Here is your water and wet towel. Please call me if you wish to order or need anything.”

“Miss, may I order?”

“Yes, I will be right there.”

“Thank you for waiting. Here are the items you ordered. Please enjoy.”

Josette served the customers who came to the dining area with flowing movements.

“Then I will join you here as well.”

“Yes, please do.”

Before noon, the bread-baking work settled down, so Emily moved to the dining area. From around that time, the number of customers in the dining area began increasing, and even people waiting for seats to open appeared. If they made it through this lunchtime period, they would have a little leeway until evening.

The four people in charge of the dining area—Josette, Elnette, Emily, and Patty—moved busily through the shop and got through the crowded lunchtime period. Since it was currently summer vacation, they had this many people, but normally Emily and Elnette did this with only the two of them, so it was difficult work.

After they made it through the hectic lunch period, a peaceful time came to the shop. That said, it was not that there were no customers, but rather that there were not so many that it became crowded. From this time onward, people with leeway in both money and time began coming to the dining area to eat desserts and the like. During this time slot, they were not people in a hurry, so the turnover became slower. During this time, those with free hands cleaned and inspected the inside and outside of the shop.

“Josette-san, he came again today.”

Patty said that to Josette in the kitchen while looking at the customer seats.

“He really did. Then I shall go serve him.”

“Yes, please.”

“Welcome. Here is your water and wet towel. Please call me if you wish to order or need anything.”

“Ah, then you there, may I order?”

When Josette served him according to the manual, he placed his order in a slightly condescending manner.

“Certainly. Then please wait a moment.”

Josette took the order and returned to the kitchen.

“Ah, when a spoiled brat of lower status speaks to me like that, it makes me a little angry.”

“Josette-san, please calm down.”

“I know.”

The person who had entered as a customer earlier was Mark, the knight commander’s son. In terms of noble rank, there was a considerable difference between a duke and a knight. The difference in status was obvious even among nobles when comparing the daughter of a duke, who was almost at the very top, and the son of a knight, who was closer to the bottom. Mark seemed to think of Josette as a town girl working as a waitress. That was why he spoke that way.

“He definitely has not noticed Josette. It would be amusing to see what happens if he learns the truth.”

Elnette said that in an amused manner.

“Even so, for what purpose is Lord Mark coming to this shop? It does not feel as though food and drink are his objective.”

Patty said that in puzzlement.

“Maybe he is after girls? See, since Kent is not here, this shop has become a shop full of beautiful women except for me.”

“Elder Sister, you are very beautiful too.”

“Even if my younger sister says that… If Kent said it to me, I might jump for joy.”

Elnette said that while laughing cheerfully.

“If I remember correctly, he should have been aiming for Rachel, but… she is not in this shop.”

Josette thought that because she had experience interfering with Rachel’s romance before. In the end, Mark ordered one dessert, did not take any particularly strange actions, and left the shop after eating it.

After that, evening came, the shop bustled with customers buying bread for dinner, and then closing time arrived.

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work today. Now then, those who are going home, please be careful on your way.”

After holding a final simple meeting, they dismissed everyone for the day.

“Now then, today is over as well.”

After finishing changing and leaving the shop, Josette walked toward her home. Of course, she returned on foot as well. Incidentally, although she appeared to be walking alone, several guards from the Duke’s Household had blended into her surroundings.

“Then, everyone, please take care of me on the way.”

Josette spoke toward the people who could not be seen and disappeared into the town.