Val's job today was to help at the pastry shop.
　It was difficult to entrust Val with an important task as he was a clumsy and bad cook, but he simply didn't have enough people to do it.

"Two cheesecakes, Mr. Val, please.

　What he was entrusted with was customer service.
　He was mild and personable, and the decision was made to suit him, as he knew many people in the second class area.
　He was inexplicably unsuitable in his modest, comfortable shirt and pants and white apron, but the customers didn't care.

'Val, give me some strawberry cake to buy my wife to take home.

Val, take care of the pudding.

Val, can you bring me a cookie?

　I worked hard to handle the large number of customers and as I was taking a break, the confectioner's wife offered me some cold water.

Good work, Val. You may take a short break.

Thank you very much.

　He thanks her, tall and lanky for a rabbit, and Baru enters the restaurant and rests in a position that is difficult to see from the outside.
　The owner of the petite rabbit shop comes out from the back and pats him on the back.

'Thank you, Baru. You're pretty good at it, too. You've made quite an acquaintance.

'Oh no, that's normal around here.

　Val humbled himself with a shy smile.

'Even though it's called the imperial capital, this is a second class area. It's not much different for the common people.'

Come to think of it, that may be true. I feel like an idiot for being so eager to be the imperial capital of flowers.

　The shopkeeper laughs at that.
　They came from the south to fulfill their dream of opening a pastry shop in the imperial capital.
　I guess there are still many things they don't know or realize.

'Do you ever think of opening a shop in the prime area one day?'

　The owner laughs and denies it when Val asks him.

'I never thought about that, man. There are many high class restaurants in the first class area and the clientele must be scared. I can't even imagine what a nobleman would eat.

　His words would be true.
　Usually, the so-called common people have never seen what the nobility and the rich eat.
　They just imagine all sorts of things and get carried away with their fantasies.

(Surprisingly, though, it's no different.)

　Val thinks.
　In his opinion, the recipes themselves are similar, although the skills of the cooks and the quality of the ingredients are different.
　I'm aware that I'm just another person with a common sense.

For the most part, I can't afford the rent. Even the second class area is quite expensive.

　It was his wife who said more realistically

'Yeah, the rents in the first class area look expensive, don't they? I don't know.'

　Val replied, but this was a lie.
　He knew, to some extent, because of his position.
　Of course, the confectioner and his wife couldn't possibly know such a thing and took his words at face value.

'They say about ten silver coins is normal. That's a month's living expenses for a common man!''

　His wife's words are neither lament nor dismay.

It's true. It's amazing.

　Val shows them in surprise, as if she's just heard it for the first time.

''I thought the second class area was surprisingly cheap, so I looked it up, but the first class area is still like an imperial city.''

　The owner of the store shrugged with a split expression.

''You're still young, it's amazing just to be a shop owner.

　Val says soothingly.

'Yeah?　I'm thirty-one now, but is Mr. Val older than me?

Yes,

　He dares to affirm the shopkeeper's question with a pathetic face.

'I see. ......'

　The proprietor did not seem to have the personality to make fun of those in a less fortunate position than him, or to feel superior to them, and he looked very awkward.

'You don't have to worry about it,'

　Val smiles amiably, but his demeanor remains the same.