CHAPTER 347: A PROBLEM THAT BEFALLS SHION (1)

"Hah... How annoying. The profits of the three largest restaurants have dropped drastically. How useless."

In her office, Shion read through the pile of documents before her with an irritated expression.

The three large restaurants she referred to were Tears of the Dragon, Ember & Crown, and The Crystal Petal. All three were main establishments owned by the Blue Moon Trading House.

The profits from those three alone were enormous; in fact, about seven percent of their total income came from them.

However, over the past two months, their turnover had declined significantly, becoming a serious problem for her and the entire staff.

"Sister Shion, I brought you some tea. Please enjoy."

A soft voice came from the side. Shion turned and saw Luna standing there.

The girl wore a maid’s uniform with a gold headband on her head.

If she had once seemed shy and afraid to look at Shion, Luna now appeared far more confident—perhaps the trauma from her previous kidnapping had completely healed.

Shion brushed off her irritation and replaced it with a gentle smile.

"Thank you," she said, patting Luna’s head lightly. She took a sip of tea, feeling the warmth flow down her throat and calm her mind.

"By the way, Sister Shion, why do you look so troubled? Is something bothering you?" Luna asked curiously. "If there’s anything I can do to help, please tell me. I’ll do my best."

Seeing Luna’s adorable, determined face, Shion couldn’t help but laugh.

"Thank you for your concern, but... it’s okay." She ran her fingers gently through her hair. "I can handle this problem. Don’t worry."

Luna sensed the lie behind her words, but she didn’t dare press further. If Shion was truly overwhelmed, she would step in immediately.

She didn’t even know if she could help, but she promised herself she would try her best.

Just then, footsteps echoed outside, followed by the opening of Shion’s office door.

Both of them startled and turned, only to see Nolan and Eliza entering.

"Master?" Shion exclaimed, surprised, and hurriedly greeted him. "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I could have welcomed you in better attire."

A red blush spread from the base of her right ear to the left, and she lowered her head shyly.

Nolan: "..."

Can you be serious for a moment?

Sighing softly, Nolan relaxed into a smile and stepped inside.

"It’s fine; I don’t need formalities. By the way, is there any important news today?"

He sat in the chair across from the desk and helped Eliza into the chair beside him.

Luna hurried to the minibar at the back of the room, preparing drinks for them.

"Nothing important, Master. But..." Her expression betrayed hesitation and embarrassment, as if she didn’t want Nolan to know.

Nolan sensed this and encouraged her gently, "Just tell me what happened. It’s okay if you can’t solve it—I’m here. I’ll help you."

His words made Shion feel both relieved and grateful. Despite his usually indifferent attitude, her master paid close attention to his subordinates, herself included.

Quickly, Shion grabbed the documents she had been reviewing and explained, "There’s been a problem with declining revenue at our three main restaurants, Master. They are Tears of the Dragon, Ember & Crown, and The Crystal Petal. Together, they contribute seven percent of our income, so this issue has had a significant impact."

"Oh? All three having problems at the same time is unusual," Nolan said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Tears of the Dragon was a restaurant he, Eliza, and Evalyn had visited before. It was the most luxurious of the three, a place where the wealthy gathered for lunch or dinner.

Ember & Crown wasn’t located in the capital but in one of the major southern cities.

Like Tears of the Dragon, it had a luxurious, elegant theme aimed at attracting affluent merchants.

The Crystal Petal, however, was different. With a nature-inspired theme targeting the middle to upper class, it was the only restaurant of its kind and one of the most popular in the entire Empire.

Some people even traveled from far away just to try the food.

Despite the lack of internet, word about these restaurants still spread widely through word of mouth.

Unexpectedly, the three establishments that had stood strong for years were now facing such issues.

"Here’s your drink, Master Nolan, and also..." Luna set two cups of tea on the desk, glancing at Eliza with curiosity.

Nolan smiled and rubbed his sister’s head. "She’s my sister, Eliza. You can just call her Eliza, Luna."

"Oh!" Luna’s eyes lit up. She placed the cups on the desk and bowed politely to Eliza.

"Nice to meet you, Eliza."

Caught off guard by the sudden introduction, Eliza felt a bit embarrassed, but she could tell that the sister before her meant no harm.

With a shy smile, she replied politely, "Nice to meet you too... Sister Luna."

Watching the interaction, Shion looked at Eliza with curiosity.

"It’s unusual for you to bring your sister, Master. Won’t your father scold you?"

"Pfft! He won’t," Nolan replied with a wave of his hand. "I brought her here for a reason. But that’s for later. Now, tell me why all three suffered losses. Was there a problem with the service?"

In both the previous world and this one, rich people—whether nobles or merchants—had one thing in common: exclusivity.

They were willing to pay hundreds of times more for food that was actually worth no more than ten Sharn.

The service provided by the staff was part of that exclusivity, so it was highly likely that the problem lay there.

Shion read the document in her hand and explained, "The main issue is that the head chef from each restaurant suddenly resigned. We struggled to find replacements and had to hire less experienced staff."

Chefs were the brains of the kitchen. Without them, the entire operation would falter.

Most of the chefs in their restaurants had been trained since the establishments first opened.

So, one could imagine the scale of the losses—nine key staff members from three restaurants all leaving at once.

Nolan frowned at the explanation. It seemed unlikely that nine people would resign simultaneously without something happening behind the scenes.

"Who... is responsible?"