Love and Lust in Contract Marriage

Chapter 21

"We are angels."

Rhea snapped out of her reverie and felt the rush of water in her hands. Apparently, she forgot to turn off the faucet. She had even forgotten why she had turned it on and positioned her hands underneath it.

Oh, she remembered. She was about to wash her hands.

Of course. What else?

So Rhea did it quickly. After that, she tidied her uniform and tied her hair up. She also applied her nude-orange lipstick to enhance her natural appearance.

Yes, she had been preparing herself to start her new job at Angel's Cafe.

However, as quickly as her enthusiasm appeared, just as quickly it disappeared. She sighed heavily. She still couldn't believe the information she had received half an hour ago.

She worked at the angel cafe.

And she agreed.

She obviously knew the risks. But not having money was far scarier than anything she would face soon. Right?

And so, she made up her mind. As she said, she would study everything well, including the existence of angels.

Rhea took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She needed to calm down. There was nothing scary about angels. The villain was the devil, and she must remember it.

"I thought you fainted inside."

A curt voice greeted her as soon as Rhea came out of the restroom. It was Draco, the angel working as a chef.

"Stop it, Draco. You'll scare him," Igor, the barista, scolded him.

"Don't worry, Rhea." Suddenly, Ariel appeared next to her and caused her surprised. "We won't hurt you. I guarantee you'll feel at home here," he continued with a smile on his face.

Rhea could only smile awkwardly. She still didn't know how to react. Scared or... She didn't know.

It was then that the corner of her eyes caught the movement of Faron. He passed in front of her but said nothing. And it made her nervous because he didn't express his mind about her presence.

"Ariel is right. Don't be afraid. We'll treat you well. But you must keep your promise to keep our secret." Lucio joined in.

Finally, the person she was waiting for came. Lucio was the man she met in front of the cafe and interviewed her. He might be the only person capable of calming her down in such an absurd situation. She accepted the job, too, believing in his words.

"S-Sure." Rhea stammered. She wasn't used to getting attention, especially from angels.

"Thanks, Rhea," Lucio flashed a smile that caused her cheeks to blush.

"Don't smile like that. You'll make her fall in love with you," Ariel muttered.

Hearing that made her cheeks even redder. She never thought about it. But Ariel's words instead gave rise to the idea. Damned her heart! Stop beating fast, please.

"Don't believe his smile. He's too good that many women misunderstand him." Ariel said again. This time, to Rhea.

"I-"

Before she could say her sentence, Draco cut her off, "You are even more dangerous. You could make her cry."

Ariel snorted in annoyance. "Don't say anything nonsense," he protested. He then turned to look at Rhea. "I won't do it. I promise you that," he said confidently.

A moment of silence.

Then a tiny laugh escaped her lips. Presumably, Rhea began to understand their characters. Ariel was friendly, Draco was the other way around, and Lucio was mature because he seemed the oldest of all. Others, she would learn soon enough.

"Until when are you guys going to chat there?" Suddenly, Faron said from the counter, insinuating them from leaving their position. "Customers are coming," he continued.

They fell silent for a moment and then dispersed to return to their places.

"You know what to do, right?" asked Lucio before returning to his kitchen position. Yes, he was a chef.

Rhea nodded confidently. He briefly explained her duties as a waitress and what she had to do when serving customers.

"Good. Call me or anyone if you need help." Then he turned and walked towards the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Rhea turned around to get ready to start her work. She stepped out of the particular area for the employee. She gave a smile as she passed the counter, to be precise, to Ariel and Igor but not to Faron because he wasn't looking at her.

She had slightly understood the last two. Igor was classified as kind, even though his level was below Ariel and Lucio. As for Faron, he was similar to Draco in a quiet version. Faron rarely spoke, even with no expression. But once he said something, it hurt.

Okay, enough talking about them. Rhea was here to work, which she had to do now.

Rhea took the menu book to bring it to the new customer. The customer came alone and chose a corner that was hard to reach.

"Hello. This is the menu book," Rhea greeted as she put the menu book on the table. "Are you going to order now?" she asked to make sure. Sometimes, customers needed time to choose a menu, or maybe someone was waiting for them. So, asking when they would order was an absolute must.

The customer didn't answer. But she took the menu and opened it. It looked like she would order soon. "What is the recommended menu here?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the book.

That was a tricky question. Rhea was a new employee and had yet to really study the menu. "In fall, it better has something sweet and warm. A latte or hot chocolate would be great," she replied, trying to sound confident. It was her best effort under these circumstances.

The customer didn't answer. She kept the book open, looking for the menu Rhea mentioned and other options. "What's this?" she asked when something caught her eye.

Rhea peeked to see what she meant. Apparently, it was information regarding the offer only existed in this cafe. "Oh, that's our special offer. You'll get any drink for free if you share with us about your problems," he explained, as Lucio had taught him.

This was the offer that Angel's Cafe had. They helped people with their problems.

"All problems?" she asked doubtfully.

"Yes, you can order anything and tell me whatever you're holding inside," Rhea confirmed. "We'll listen to you," she added with a friendly smile.