As the morning sun filtered through the leaves, birds chirped overhead, their wings flapping and calls echoing, signaling another day had begun.

The island slowly began to wake. Today, Mira prepared to sell the island's produce through her channels.

She yawned, then got out of bed, rubbing her eyes to shake off the drowsiness and prepare for the day.

A notification buzzed through her bracelet, and when she checked it, she saw that her tax payment was due in just a few days.

Haa... when will I find a husband and stop having to pay this tax?" she muttered hopefully. Suddenly, Louis's face flashed in her mind, causing her to pause for a moment.

"Must be the tax affecting me." Mira quickly shook her thoughts away and focused on today's main task, but inwardly, she didn't reject the idea of marrying Louis.

Time passed, and Mira stepped out of her room, wearing a black cowl-neck top under a blazer and stirrup jeans.

Her hair was neatly tied back, complemented by a single silver chain and earrings.

She was ready to leave the island—descending the stairs, she went straight to the dining room. The chefs had already prepared breakfast, and she grabbed a plate and chose her meal from the viewing window.

"Morning." Mira paused as she heard that familiar voice.

Turning, her gaze fell on Louis, who looked fresh out of the shower—his black hair was slightly damp, the dining light played against his figure, casting a soft glow on his face, leaving Mira stunned for a moment.

His limpid black eyes wore warm smiles as they looked at Mira.

"Are you going out?" Louis gestured toward her dressed-up figure.

"Oh... Y-Yes, I'm leaving the island after breakfast." Mira stuttered embarrassedly before her voice returned to normal.

"Alright, bye. I'll see you later," Louis responded in a jovial tone, quickly grabbing his food and heading toward the mansion.

Mira stood there, staring at his back with complicated emotions and reddened ears.

"Isn't the food to your liking?" the female chef asked, snapping Mira out of her daze.

"No, no. I was lost in thought for a second. I'll pick now." Mira shook her head and quickly chose something light and filling for herself.

She sat in a chair near the window, feeling secluded. As she ate, she scrolled through her constant list, hoping to inform her buyers that she would be heading to them soon.

To her surprise and confusion, their responses grew vague, as though they intended to renege on their word.

[Miss Mira, I apologize for not informing you sooner. I recently received a shipment of fruits from a different supplier, and I'm not sure if we'll still need yours.]

[Miss Mira, the shopping mall, currently has enough stock. I wouldn't want it to go bad, so…]

Mira frowned even harder, her food long forgotten as she scrolled through their chats. No one had bothered to call or text her—if she hadn't reached out first, she would have shipped the fruits off the island and left with nothing but spoiled fruits by the time she returned.

"But why did they suddenly back out? Just yesterday they sounded normal and ready to pay, but now… something's definitely wrong." Mira muttered, her hand tightening around the spoon.

She felt stifled and frustrated—her plans disrupted for no sensible reason. With a wave, she closed the hologram screen and leaned back in her chair, her mind racing for ways to preserve the fruits or turn them into something longer-lasting.

'Drinks will do, ice cream as well, frozen mixed fruits…' Mira continued listing ideas, and her emotions settled. Then she turned to her unfinished food and ate quickly.

….

Kyle rubbed ice under his eyes, trying to soothe the dark circles. Yawns escaped his lips as his heavy eyelids fought off sleep from lack of rest.

"Meow… Master~ did you play game behind my back? You look like you might drop at any moment — are you all right?" Blue purred, stretching lazily; its voice casual and curious as it tried to make conversation with its master.

"Shut it," Kyle muttered hoarsely, pressing under his eyes with a cloth wrapped on the other end to prevent his fingers from freezing.

"Meow~" Blue responded with a disdainful glance at Kyle before it limped gracefully from the windowsill.

A few minutes passed, and sleep faded from Kyle's eyes. He went through his morning routine and dressed in his butler uniform, combing his hair back. He left the room with Blue following behind.

He finished his breakfast and was about to leave for town when Mira stopped him in the garage.

"Butler, wait! I need to talk to you about something important," Mira called out as she jogged over to him.

Kyle paused as he reached for the car door. "What is it? Aren't you supposed to be on your way now?"

"Butler, that's why I'm here. Take a look at this," Mira said, showing Kyle the chat records, noticing he frowned briefly before returning to his usual expression.

So, what's your plan for the harvested fruits? The town's mall can't handle this amount," Kyle muttered, his tone pessimistic, convinced the harvest would just go to waste.

"I've already made a detailed plan. We can turn the harvest into fruit juice, ice cream, and other products — but I'll need funds for machines, packaging, and branding," Mira replied, her confidence shining as excitement bubbled with each new idea.

She couldn't wait to begin and was already planning to buy recipes and staff from town. 'Maybe Louis might have some recipes I could use.' These thoughts flashed through her mind as she waited for Kyle's response.

"Text me how much you'll need. I need to inform boss of your idea." Kyle left these words and entered the car after she nodded in response.

Kyle was relieved that Mira had found a solution, and then he quickly followed through on his word; he composed a clear, straightforward message detailing everything that happened and Mira's idea.

[Proceed with your plan. If funds or manpower fall short, let me know.]

After receiving her response, he gave Mira the go-ahead and sneered—already knowing the real reason she backed out at the last minute.

"The island wouldn't be peaceful in these five days…sigh…" Kyle muttered, exhausted, thinking about the small fries he was going to get rid of, and he missed Cyra; at least she made his blood boil and a dangerous thrill surge in him whenever he tried to assassinate her.

"One day, I'll succeed." He vowed, clenching his fist in determination.

While Blue watched his master with boredom, already aware of what he was thinking, blinking its feline eyes, it looked away, reluctant to shatter his hope—let him dream, it's good for his health.

Mira, who got Kyle's approval, started to get busy. First, she went to find Louis, knowing he might have some tasty recipes for the fruit drink and ice cream.

"You need my help?" Louis asked in surprise, pointing at himself. He couldn't think of anything he could assist with, except making desserts for them.

"Hmm. I'm planning to create our Island's own ice cream and fruit juice brand." Louis listened attentively but still didn't see how it related to him being helpful to Mira.