Lyria blinked.
"Perry?"
The pregnant Fecund from earlier bolted to his feet so fast his chair nearly toppled over.
"M–Miss Lyria!" he squeaked, bowing so sharply his belly nearly bumped the table. "I–I apologize for intruding. Your father allowed me to wait."
Cyris cleared his throat from behind him. "He came to thank you. Properly."
Perry's tail curled shyly behind him as he clasped both hands over his round belly.
"I know I thanked you earlier at the shop… but I wanted to express my gratitude again." His voice softened, warm and trembling. "Today was the first time in weeks I could eat without nausea. And my cub reacted so happily… it meant more than you can imagine."
Lyria blinked, startled by the sincerity. "O–Oh… I'm glad you enjoyed it."
Enjoyed? The man had practically cried into the frosting.
Finn leaned in, nudging her. "Sis, he's been waiting over an hour. He said he had to give you something."
Perry perked up with a nervous smile and reached into his small satchel. He produced a delicately wrapped box tied with a shimmering moon-colored ribbon.
"This is from my family," he said with a sheepish smile. "It's just a small token Moonblossom Honey, good for digestion, energy, and… well, pregnancies."
Cyris's brows shot up. "Moonblossom? That's expensive."
"I wanted to pay for the joy you gave me," Perry said sincerely. "And… if you'll allow it, I would like to become a regular customer. Every week. Perhaps… two dozen cupcakes? Alternating flavors? And a daily cup of Moonbrew coffee if possible."
Lyria nearly dropped her bag.
Finn choked. "D-daily?"
"Yes," Perry nodded resolutely, as if he had made a great life decision. "My baby insists."
From the kitchen doorway, Rowan coughed into his fist to hide a smile.
Lyria steadied herself. "I would be honored. Thank you."
The Fecund bowed again, deeply this time, then said shyly: "Also… if you want help spreading the word, pregnant Fecunds have a highly connected community. One testimonial from us travels fast."
"I would be delighted," Lyria said, her eyes almost showing the Elyria sign.
Perry laughed softly, then said his farewells and left with a graceful waddle.
The door clicked closed behind him.
Silence.
Then—
"LYRIA!" Finn burst out, grabbing her shoulders. "Do you even realize what this means?! Pregnant Fecunds craving your desserts? That's like... like free advertising to an entire city!"
"Finn," Cyris warned. "Breathe."
But Finn only pointed at his sister, eyes shining. "Sis, we're going to be rich."
"Finn, does that mean we could get all we ever wanted?" Milo asked, not really understanding what was going on.
"Yeah, of course, and our Lyria over here will be our sponsor," Finn assured with a smile while staring at the smiling Orion.
The statement earned him a flick on the head from Cyris.
"Ouch! I'm telling the truth," Finn said, his tail flickering.
Meanwhile, Lyria went to drop the stuff she had bought from the market in the kitchen. The door to the sitting room opened.
"I'm home," Thorne's voice rang out.
"Daddy, we're going to be rich..." Finn started with dramatic flair before describing the encounter that happened in school and Perry's visit.
"Daddy Thorne, Finn said we can get everything we want, and Lyria will be our sponsor," Milo said, cutting into Finn's conversation.
The air was thick with excitement, so lively that even the reserved Orion had something to add.
"You've worked hard. Go take a shower and rest," Thorne said to Lyria, who stepped into the sitting room from the kitchen.
"Sure," Lyria said before going to her room.
After taking a shower and changing into a light short gown, she laid on her bed and checked the mission once again.
[MISSION PROGRESS: 2/3 Tasks Complete]
[TASKS: Identify one profitable business path. (COMPLETED)
Draft a simple business plan using your Holoclaw. (COMPLETED)
Make your first ₤1000 Elyria: 550/1000]
The system countdown now read:
9 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes remaining.
The amount she earned made Lyria gasp.
"Wow, that's more than half made in a single day."
She sat up immediately, took out her ledger, and started calculating the total amount she got from today's sale.
"Wow, after buying ingredients and tools for ₤100 Elyria, my total earning is ₤450. And I just bought more ingredients (to the ones left) for just ₤50 because of the thermal cups," Lyria said, feeling more confident.
After resting for a while, a knock came from the door.
Knock! Knock!
"Lyria! It is time for dinner," Orion's voice came from the door.
"I will be there soon," Lyria said before slipping into her fluffy slippers.
After dinner, Lyria went to have a discussion with her mum in Serena's study.
"Mum, this is the ₤100 that you gave me to start this business," Lyria said, after which she placed the cash on the desk.
Serena just smiled when she saw the money, but she did not take it.
"Lyria, this was what your fathers and I prepared for you, so don't return it." Placing her hands on Lyria's shoulder, she said, "Baby, I am so proud of you, but don't tire yourself out. We will always be here even if you fall. That's what families do."
After a while, Lyria left the study with reddened eyes, happy that she finally had people that would cherish her even when she was nothing.
Very early the next morning, Lyria began her day with baking and leaving for the shop with breakfast packed to be eaten at the flower shop. After sales, she would go to the market to get more ingredients, and then go home, rest, have dinner, and sleep. Lyria continued this routine for two days.
Dinner had barely ended when Lyria slipped back into her room, tired but satisfied. Her body still hummed faintly with the lingering brightness of her last two days—early mornings, long baking sessions, steady sales, and countless new customers eager for her treats.
She sat cross-legged on her bed, tail swaying gentlyy, she checked the mission again.
[MISSION PROGRESS: all Tasks Complete]
[TASKS: Identify one profitable business path.✔️
Draft a simple business plan using your Holoclaw. ✔️
Make your first ₤1000 Elyria: 1550/1000.✔️]
The system countdown now read:
7 days, 6 hours, 20 minutes remaining.
DING!
[MISSION COMPLETED]