“Good afternoon, miss.”
As Amy stepped into the Seagull Restaurant, she heard the familiar greeting.
Unlike last time, when she received a red rose, this time she was handed a pink European rose.
Amy lifted the flower to her nose and gently inhaled. The delicate fragrance instantly lifted her mood.
She asked, “Does every customer who comes here for a meal get a flower?”
Oliver, playing his role as a professional waiter diligently, replied seriously, “Yes, miss. Every customer dining here for lunch or dinner receives a fresh seasonal flower—except for breakfast.”
From what Amy had seen peeking in through the window before, the Seagull Restaurant served only freshly baked bread, cakes, and coffee in the mornings, with no dine-in option, only takeout. And most of the customers were workers rushing off to their jobs, too busy to make breakfast. Giving them a flower to carry along would only be troublesome and would lose the original romantic charm.
Amy asked Oliver, “Was this Gabriel’s idea too?”
Oliver answered, “Yes. Everything in this restaurant is managed by our boss.”
Amy thought: Gabriel really was meticulous and creative, and his cooking was delicious too.
If she were a restaurant owner with someone like Gabriel as a competitor, she would probably live in constant fear every day.
Could this be the reason why there was only one restaurant in Hot Spring Town?
Amy felt she had stumbled upon an incredible secret.
She sat near the window and ordered her meal.
Although she had come for a “big meal,” Amy’s definition of one was actually very simple: tasty, refined, no dishwashing for her—preferably a generous portion and reasonably priced. That was all.
The Seagull Restaurant happened to meet all her requirements perfectly.
Amy carefully looked through the menu from start to finish. Every dish looked delicate and beautiful, matching her taste. In the end, she chose one of the restaurant’s signature dishes that Leslie had once mentioned: cream salmon pasta. She remembered it was Leslie’s favorite.
Leslie’s lemon madeleines had been so delicious, so Amy trusted this choice wouldn’t go wrong.
“Please wait a moment.” Oliver left with the order slip.
Before long, Gabriel suddenly came out of the kitchen.
Dressed in spotless white chef’s clothes, he smiled at the guests. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have a little announcement. Our sous-chef, Luke, a kindhearted cook, has made extra cakes. He would like to give them to you as complimentary desserts before your meal. What do you think?”
Cheers rang out at once: “That’s wonderful!”
“Thank you, Luke, you’re such a good chef!”
Who would refuse soft, fragrant free cakes? Amy clapped her hands along with the others.
Then the kindhearted chef Luke came out of the kitchen.
His face was slightly red as he said, “Actually, it wasn’t quite like Gabriel said… I didn’t measure the cream and flour correctly and ended up making too much. Gabriel only said it that way so I wouldn’t feel embarrassed… Of course, I’m happy to give these cakes to everyone as desserts!”
With that, Luke shyly ducked back into the kitchen.
No one minded this small, good-natured accident, and everyone laughed. Amy did too.
In her mind, she added a note: Gabriel was not only meticulous, creative, and a good cook, but also considerate and understanding.
Thus, Amy was lucky enough to receive a piece of corner-cut cream cake.
Soft, light cream decorated with little frosting flowers, with a golden sponge base that already showed its fluffiness and springiness even before tasting; in the middle, layers of fruit and cream—fresh strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi slices arranged together, colorful and beautiful.
One bite, and smooth cream, airy cake, and sweet fruits blossomed on her tongue. Sweet but not cloying, every mouthful satisfying.
【You have unlocked Recipe: “Cream Fruit Cake”】
Amy gazed at the words, nibbling at the delicious cake while deep in thought: if she had to buy such a piece of cream cake, it would cost at least one or two hundred gold, right?
This time, she had really profited.
After finishing the cake, Amy reluctantly picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, just as a deep voice sounded in front of her.
“How was it? Satisfied?”
Amy looked up—it was Gabriel.
He must be asking about the cake. Amy didn’t hold back her praise. “It was delicious. I haven’t had such a tasty cream cake in ages.”
That was true. In her memory, the last time she had cream cake was during a team-building dinner at a Western restaurant with her colleagues.
That had been a long time ago, and she only remembered the cake had been awful—the cream tasted sour, the fruit wasn’t fresh.
Compared to that, this cake was heaven’s delight—even without the comparison, it already was.
“I’m glad you liked it.” Gabriel continued, “I saw you ordered the salmon pasta. The salmon just arrived, Luke is still slicing it, so it might take a bit longer than usual.”
“Did you come over just to tell me that?” Amy asked. “We’re friends now. Waiting a little longer for food is no big deal—I don’t mind.”
In Hot Spring Town, Amy defined friends in the simplest way: unlocking goodwill meant someone was her friend. And Gabriel already had two red hearts of favorability with her.
“Well then… if you’re free now, can I ask you a few questions?” Amy suddenly realized she knew nothing about this friend with two red hearts.
That was very bad for raising favorability further.
“Of course. Ask whatever you like.” Gabriel pulled out a chair and sat opposite her, adopting a “go ahead and ask” posture.
Amy thought for a moment. “How old are you?”
It wasn’t much of a question, but Gabriel still answered seriously. “I’m twenty-five this year.”
“Where do you live after work?” Amy realized she had never seen him elsewhere in town.
Gabriel pointed upwards. “There’s a room upstairs. I live there. My staff usually go home after work.”
When Amy heard “upstairs,” she had only one thought: how close to the workplace!
A commute of less than a minute—what bliss.
She couldn’t help but think back to the misery of being crammed into subway cars before. She envied him so much. Thank goodness she now had her farm.
Gabriel said, “If you have time, you can come see upstairs. I grow vegetables on my balcony too.”
Amy agreed readily. “Sure!”
Growing vegetables on a balcony sounded fun.
The conversation became more relaxed. Amy brought up something she’d heard from Leslie. “Leslie said you came to Hot Spring Town to chase your dreams.”
“That’s not quite as dramatic as the mayor put it.” Gabriel smiled. “I was just tired of the fast-paced, unchanging life of the big city. Hot Spring Town is quiet, clean, and I like it here.”
Amy resonated immediately. “Yes, you’re right. I like it here too.”
That was when she noticed Gabriel staring at her.
“…What is it? Is there something wrong?”
Gabriel smiled and tapped the corner of his own mouth.
“Oh.” Amy realized she still had cream on her lips—the napkin hadn’t wiped it clean earlier.
Calmly, she picked up the napkin again, wiped her lips, and smiled. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“You’re welcome.” Gabriel stood up. “Luke should have finished slicing the salmon. I’ll go check—unless, would you like to eat Luke’s cream salmon pasta?”
Amy answered honestly, “I’d rather eat yours.” Then quickly added on Luke’s behalf, “After all, I already had Luke’s cream cake earlier.”
“A very easy wish to grant.” Gabriel smiled and said goodbye.
After he left, Amy idly watched the scenery outside the window until a plate of creamy pasta was placed before her, pulling her back.
On the fine porcelain plate lay an enticing dish of cream salmon pasta. Every strand of noodle was evenly coated with rich cream sauce, carrying the faint aroma of milk and butter. The salmon slices on top were seared golden, curled elegantly, and garnished with fresh basil leaves and black pepper.
Everything was perfect, except… the person serving it was Clara.
Clara asked sourly, “What are you doing here?”
Amy looked puzzled. “Eating. This is a restaurant, isn’t it?”
“You—” Clara’s chest heaved. Perhaps realizing she couldn’t argue with Amy’s answer, she switched topics. “I saw you talking with Gabriel just now.”
“Mm. Is there a problem?”
Clara sat down next to Amy and lowered her voice. “You’re not allowed to talk to him again.”
“…Why?” Amy was even more confused, though not particularly angry.
Clara was three years younger than her. In Amy’s eyes, she was just a child. There was no need to get angry with a child.
“Because, because…” Clara thought for a while, then finally declared confidently, “Because your clothes are ugly.”
Amy was wearing the same outfit as usual—her work-friendly blue shirt and khaki shorts. Not fashionable, sure, but… did she really have to be so blunt about it?
Amy kept her calm and explained reasonably, “Clara, openly criticizing someone’s clothes to their face is rude. I hope you won’t do that again.”
Since arriving in this world—especially after unlocking goodwill—Amy had always made an effort to interact politely and kindly with everyone, aiming for full-town favorability. What she just said to Clara was the sternest thing she had spoken so far.
She was already prepared for Clara’s goodwill to drop to zero.
But the next second, the game interface flashed a message that left Amy wide-eyed:
【Clara’s goodwill toward you has increased】
Amy: Huh?