Chapter 36 - Apple Pie

Yvonne glanced at the small run-down cafe that was at the end of the street.

*WILLOWS*

She read the huge signpost that was now rusting and it seemed to have seen better days in the past.

Yvonne looked down at the bland vanilla ice cream in the bowl placed before her and then thought of the mouth-watering description that Asmodeus had given in his script.

'The delectable aroma of cinnamon and apples wafted in the air as soon as one entered the humble cafe called Willows.'

'Few customers and fewer goodies, that was the fate of the old lady that ran this small business.'

'The main attraction of this cafe was its Apple Pie, the dessert that could melt your soul.'

'Soft buttery yet flaky crust combined with the goodness of the tarty apples and sprinkled with loads of cinnamon. Each bite would remind you of the peace and serenity you feel in your soul on a good day.'

'Topped with the homemade vanilla bean ice cream, this could easily beat the other desserts by a landslide.'

'But sadly the nobles would never get to enjoy this delicacy because of their pride and stiffnecked attitudes.'

Yvonne remembers drooling when she had read those words back in her office and now once again her mouth watered.

Looking at the dazed look on her daughter's face, Raylene turned to the direction that she had been staring at for the past few minutes.

'Oh, so she wanted to eat something else but was worried that she would hurt her brother's feelings?' Raylene gushed when she noticed this.

'Why is my Vonny such a nice child?' She turned back to face Yvonne.

"Ahem…" She cleared her throat to get Yvonne's attention and she succeeded in the first try.

Yvonne's thoughts about the mouth-watering pie were interrupted and she turned to face the woman who sat before her.

She tilted her head to indicate that she was confused when she saw Raylene smiling down at her.

"You want to visit that cafe?" Raylene wiped the ice cream that was on Yvonne's lips with a handkerchief and pointed to the run-down cafe.

'Was I that obvious?' Yvonne's face turned a bright red when she realized that she had been caught.

Howard looked up from his half-empty bowl of ice cream when he heard the probable threat to his beloved food.

He glared at Yvonne and then turned to his mother with a pleading smile.

'Please don't take me away from here because of this little brat!' He blinked his dark blue eyes and pouted.

Raylene giggled when she saw Howard's cute appearance and rubbed his head.

"Paula, take your young miss to the cafe that she wants." She handed a small purse with a few coins to her maid.

"Vonny, remember to listen to Paula and no matter what happens, no letting go of her hand." She instructed the confused Yvonne.

"Be right back when she has completed eating!" Raylene ordered with a stern voice.

Paula bowed her head and accepted the orders from her mistress and extended her hand to Yvonne.

Only when Yvonne and Paula had made their way across the street and then entered the rundown cafe, did she realize that she had just dug her own grave.

'Who said that I want to visit this horrible date spot that the stupid Prince and his useless darling liked?' She scoffed inwardly.

But all her complaints against this place vanished the moment Paula pushed the door open.

The sweet aroma of apples with the cinnamon wafted to Yvonne's nose and she took a deep breath in to savor that moment.

*Grrr….* 

Yvonne's slightly bulging tummy growled not too loud but the silent room just amplified the sound that her stomach had created.

Blushing at the intensely embarrassing moment, she looked around the room.

An old lady behind the counter and a young boy were the only two people inside this cafe.

The old lady smiled at Yvonne and signaled her to come forward.

"What do you want, young miss?" The wrinkled face had a smile on it as she bent forward to look at Yvonne's short stature.

The cafe's owner had seen the little girl walking in with a servant and had guessed that she was a child from a noble family.

"Can I have a pie of apple pie, please?" She answered the old lady with a winning smile.

The owner was shocked to see that she was behaving in such a polite manner to a commoner.

Though she was pleasantly surprised and happy with Yvonne, she shook her head in rejection.

'Is my cute charm fading?' Yvonne held her chubby cheeks and wondered with a serious face.

She knew that she looked excessively cute with her hair tied up in two little buns on either side of her head. So she couldn't understand why this was happening.

"I have money to pay. I won't eat for free." Yvonne spoke up again when she thought that the owner was worried about the money.

'Paula has the money bag and there's enough money to buy dozens of pies.' She furrowed her brows.

The old lady chuckled and then shook her head.

"That is not what I meant. I would love to serve you my pie but sadly I have run out of today's freshly baked pies." She pointed at the empty racks.

Yvonne stood on her toes to peep at the empty racks and then hung her head low.

'Shouldn't have kept hopes on eating it!' She cursed her luck and was about to turn away when the old lady called out to her once again.

"I just sold three slices to this young man, you can ask him if he is willing to sell you one of them." The lady gestured to the young boy who was counting his copper coins at the side.

Only now had Yvonne bothered to take a better look at him.

Brown hair and a bland face. That is exactly how Yvonne would describe him.

The boy turned around when he felt the gazes on him. He looked at the old lady and then at the doll-like face standing beside him.

His eyes widened and he had a dazed look on his face.

'Yea, yea… I get it. I have a pretty face. Now stop drooling and hand over the pie.' Is what she wanted to say. 

But there was no way she would spoil her image in front of these strangers. 

Especially when Paula was right next to the door, watching her every move.

So, Yvonne did what she had been doing ever since she was dropped into this world.

"Big brother, can you sell me a single slice of your pie…" She blinked her big watery amethyst eyes at him and twisted her fingers around the handkerchief.

'My ultimate attack- Playing cute! When will this face be of any use to me if not in such situations?' She silently scoffed at her own face.

The owner as well as the stone-faced Paula were affected by her pitiful and fragile face.

The young boy just stared at her in awe and then cleared his throat when he noticed the three women staring at him.

"I am willing to give you one slice." He lifted his index finger to indicate the number of slices he would like to sell.

'I'm not an idiot, I know what 'one' means.' Yvonne was not so pleased with his thoughtful gesture.

But nonetheless, she smiled and nodded at him.

"However, I will sell it to you… On two conditions~" The boy dragged out his words with a playful smirk on his face.

Yvonne frowned openly when she saw his mocking smile. 

'What's with that smug face? Makes me want to punch him!' She pursed her lips.

Her face revealed her unwillingness to listen to his demands. 

As though he had noticed the hesitation in her actions, he opened the cardboard box and showed the three beautifully glistening pieces of apple pie that were neatly placed inside.

The rejection that was on the tip of her tongue was swallowed back along with a mouthful of saliva that formed after seeing the supposedly delectable pie.

'Blue bird! You better hope they taste as good as you described them or else I'll pluck your feathers out!' She cursed a certain god and then slowly nodded at the boy.

"What are your conditions, big brother?" She regained her composure and asked with a sickly sweet voice.

"Condition number 1- Stop smiling like that, it makes me want to puke." The boy gestured with his finger in his mouth as though he would vomit any second now.

'What did this asshole just say to me!?' 

The mask on Yvonne's face almost cracked when she heard his first condition and watched his disrespectful actions.

Her smile faded and there was a scowl on her face. 

'No one wants to smile at you anyway. I just want what's in your hand.' She sneered inwardly.

"What's the second condition?" Yvonne dropped the 'big brother' title that she had wasted on this disrespectful child.

"Condition number 2 - I will sell it to you for 20 copper coins." He crossed his arms over his chest and raised his brows at her.

The old lady who had been watching the show coughed when she heard the price that he had just asked for.

'Even I charge only 10 coins and this lad is demanding double the price?' She shook her head at the greedy boy who was her regular customer.

"But boy…" She began but was cut off by Yvonne's words.

"I don't mind." She smirked at the boy and then turned to Paula.

"Ms. Paula, pay him please." She instructed and watched as Paula came forward and opened the purse.

Reluctantly, she handed over the money to the boy and went back to stand by the door.

"Can I have my share now?" She scowled at him in anger.

The boy wordlessly handed over the box to the owner and she packed a slice for Yvonne in a separate box.

Handing two boxes, the bigger one to the boy and the smaller one to Yvonne, the owner was happy to have finished her work for the day.

'Kids these days! How are their parents even teaching them!' Yvonne shook her head in dismay and headed for the door.

The boy stood in the same place and watched as Yvonne and Paula crossed the street and entered the ice cream store.

"That was not nice of you to demand extra from the little girl." The owner spoke up as she wiped down the counter and started packing her stuff.

"She looks like she's from a noble family. I'm sure she wouldn't mind losing a few extra coppers." He bounced the coins in his palm.

"I'll see you next time, Granny!" He smiled at the owner and slowly strode away.

'This boy! Always comes and goes as he pleases.' She shook her head.

She had completed her business for the day and all she had to do was lock up and head home.