The Nameless Extra: I Proofread This World-Chapter 14: Café Delaciel

[Silvena’s POV]

Near the back window, where a patina of frost mapped the crystalline fines on the glass, the hanging fern above her cast diaphanous shadows across her coat.

The woman held herself like someone seeking solitude, demure, and almost self-effacing, but the framework of what’s going on inside her head belied the pretense.

The magical device that masked her identity, an opal ring hidden beneath her glove that she had bought from an auction a few weeks ago, seemed to work its craft immaculately.

Of course, she did not doubt her purchase.

Anything that she deemed best for her was always the best.

Silvena will never get that wrong.

The evidence was shown in her appearance itself. The device had successfully reshaped her cascade of emerald hair into a dark, indistinguishable cut. Even her eyes, once jeweled in green and sharp enough to cut, now darkened into a plain black.

Currently, she no longer holds the appearance of a beautiful heiress of the richest merchant house.

Anyone who looked upon her would see a lone woman, perhaps an exhausted traveler or clerk on a morning break.

But beneath that simple disguise exterior, Silvena D’Elvoire was not here to just savor a cup of chamomile cappuccino.

No, she came here to catch those rats who dared to profit off the D’Elvoire Merchant House!

Two days prior, she had arrived in Natoris Town with her father’s merchant convoy—an inspection trip to evaluate new trade routes for textile and spice shipments.

The plan had been straightforward: meet the local guild, assess the harbor cost, confirm supply stability, and leave within the week.

Except for the moment they crossed the city gates, she caught on to a few problems.

A group of criminals had begun using the D’Elvoire name to sell counterfeit products—cheap remedies disguised as imported medicine, imitation silks claiming to be woven with Elvoire thread, even jewelry stamped with a copied crest.

At first, it sounded like petty fraud, just another case for their lawyers and accountants. But then, the rumors worsened.

People were being robbed.

And a few customers were being drugged, too!

Further down the list of every single thing they did, the worst were that those shameless criminals even dared to claim their affiliation with the D’Elvoire Merchant House.

Such a stain on the name was unacceptable!

’How presumptuous of them.’

The thought curled through her mind with a pleasantly vicious smile, all sweetness of a cake, but with a blade underneath it.

So, while her father was dealing with the inspection trip, she decided to investigate the criminal group herself.

And of course, with the help of her competent shadows.

[The Golden Ciphers].

Silvena lifted her cup, letting the steam fog the rim for a moment. Then, a gentle psychic buzz brushed against her mind.

A voice entered her thoughts, a familiar tone she recognized instantly.

A [Telepathy] spell from one of her Ciphers.

—"My lady, this is Irene. Reporting."

Silvena took a sip and then put the cup back on the table.

—"Yes, Irene. Tell me." she answered with her thoughts.

There was the briefest pause from Irene, as thought she gave a mental equivalent of a bow.

—"We have identified two suspicious individuals loitering near the alley behind the café. They appear to be waiting for someone."

Her fingers tapped the ceramic as she listened to the report.

—"Furthermore, a suspicious merchant just arrived at the southwestern corner. She is unloading her wooden crates. Inside, there seems to be a lot of amulets."

’Amulets, huh?’

—"And what about the cafe? Is there anybody who looks suspicious out of the six of them in here?" she asked.

—"Inside the café, my lady... there’s no one suspicious, but... that is only my assumption."

Silvena narrowed her eyes, just a touch.

—"I see."

Silvena allowed herself a quiet hum of approval. Her instincts pointed in the same direction. Before she could inquire further, Irene’s voice alerted.

—"Also my lady. Another customer is approaching."

A breath later, the faint chime of the entrance bell swept through the café.

Ding!

Silvena did not need to turn to look as she was facing the exits. The attendant’s shoes padded across the floor, leading the newcomer inward.

A young man.

By her practiced judgment, he stood near 5’11". His dark hair was unpretentiously lustrous, falling with natural uniformity and trimmed clean along the nape and temples.

His features were arranged with almost patrician balance.

A chiseled jawline, a youthful countenance unsullied by exhaustion, and eyes that harbored a controlled alertness. Those eyes were somewhat captivating. They were dark, threaded with a spectral blue.

’Oh my~ that’s such a dangerous combination.’ she mused.

He looked painfully ordinary, at first glance. But at the same time, not quite either. The young man passed her without a glance and took a seat near the mural-painted wall, settling into the chair comfortably.

The attendant handed him a menu, and he accepted it with a polite incline of the head.

—"What do you think of that pretty man?" Silvena asked.

—"Hmm. Nothing, my lady. He looks to me like any other ordinary customer." Irene replied.

—"Come now. I thought he’d be exactly your type."

—"...Ah, you meant it like that."

Silvena’s gaze lingered on the young man a moment longer, but only out of habit.

In the end, she conceded.

She felt the same way Irene did.

’That person is probably here for a cup of coffee, as well.’

Silvena sighed softly, the steam from her drink drifting past her lip.

Part of her wondered if she should simply leave this entire affair in the hands of the Golden Ciphers. They were trained for this, born for it, even.

Her father had insisted she remain on the sidelines, observing from the safety of distance while they handled the unpleasant details.

But Silvena never liked being on the "sidelines."

She had nothing else to do here, nowhere pressing to be, and boredom was a cruel adversary to her. She wanted to do something that pumped her blood in excitement. Even if the Ciphers could handle everything themselves, she had been adamant about being involved this time.

Silvena raised her cup again, letting the chamomile-scented steam warm her face. After a sip, her eyes softened.

"This coffee tastes really good," she murmured aloud to no one in particular.

—"Irene."

—"Yes, my lady?"

—"After we’re done with this, tell Aqua to acquire the ingredients for this blend. All of them."

Silvena instructed.

—"Even the method of preparation. Recipes, ratios, whatever they use. I want every step of the process."

—"Understood." Irene replied, voice steady. "Shall I negotiate for it?"

—"Of course," Silvena said, setting her cup down with a soft clink. "Secure whatever they’re willing to sell. And if they aren’t willing..."

Her smile curved, polite and predatory all at once.

—"Then we might as well buy the cafe."

—"As you wish."

It made sense now, she realized, why this café was doing so well despite being tucked away in a modest corner of a small town.

Their coffee was excellent!

She genuinely could not understand how anyone would come here once and not return.

’If this is the standard in Natoris, it deserves every bronze it earns.’ she mused.

Her gaze drifted over the room again, but with less scrutiny and more appreciation this time.

’If I ever come back to Natoris, I wouldn’t mind making this my regular place.’

She lifted her cup for another sip—

Unintentionally, her ear caught the young man’s voice as he spoke to the attendant. She hadn’t meant to listen, but the words reached her clearly enough.

"...I’ll have plain water, please."

Silvena almost spilled her drink.

’P-plain... water?’

The cup halted halfway to her lips.

Of all the orders that could have been spoken in that moment, of all the beverages written on that beautifully calligraphed menu....

He asked for plain water?

Her expression remained perfectly neutral, but her thoughts were not.

’...Unbelievable.’

For a brief, irrational moment, she felt personally offended on the café’s behalf.

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[Chapter 14: Café Delaciel]

A/N: I know that the story has been moving at a slow pace so far, but I’m just trying my best to set up the character, the worldbuilding, and other stuff first. I promise there will be plenty of exciting action later on.

I’m excited to write that, too.

For now, I’m trying to be patient and build things up properly.

I hope you’re enjoying the story so far :D