Chapter 10: Lemon Madeleines

Amy hurried to open the door. “Good morning, Leslie—oh, my goodness.”

The sight before her surprised her.

She saw a basket filled with golden, seashell-shaped little cakes, neatly arranged with rustic charm.

Clearly proud of her baking, Leslie smiled and said, “These are lemon madeleines I baked this morning. I put in lots of lemon zest, butter, and vanilla extract. Ophelia said they taste wonderful, and they look adorable too… What do you think, Amy?”

“They look just like plump little seashells,” Amy said sincerely.

“I’m glad you like them.” Leslie pushed the basket into Amy’s arms with a grin. “This is a gift for you.”

Though she had guessed Leslie’s intention, Amy was still caught off guard, her eyes widening slightly. “For me?”

“Yes, as a welcome gift for moving to Hot Spring Town!” Leslie explained. “Actually, I should have given this to you on the very first day, but you know—I wasn’t sure yet whether you were a good person…”

Amy couldn’t help laughing. “And now you’re sure I’m a good person?”

“Of course! Amy, if even you aren’t good, then there are no good people in this whole town.” Leslie joked.

Amy laughed with her. “You’d better not let the rest of the town hear that.”

“Exactly, this will be our little secret… So go on, eat them while they’re fresh, or they won’t taste as good later.”

“Thank you, Leslie… Take care on your way back!”

Leslie gently but firmly nudged her back inside, leaving Amy with the basket of lemon cakes.

Leslie was such a kind person, Amy thought as she looked down at the basket, packed full of madeleines.

The sweet fragrance of lemon and butter quickly filled the small house. Amy inhaled deeply, and her appetite stirred again. Breakfast had been hours ago, and she was definitely hungry.

She carefully pinched one of the little cakes between her fingers—it was so soft, she was afraid it would crumble if she pressed too hard.

For the first time in her life, she treated a piece of cake with such delicate care.

Golden and tender, the madeleine’s shell-like shape made it all the more charming. One bite flooded her mouth with refreshing lemon sweetness, punctuated by tiny tart flecks of zest. The texture was rich and delightful.

【You have unlocked Recipe Codex: “Lemon Madeleines”】

Amy ate six in a row. It had been so long since she’d tasted sweets—apart from the egg tart she had at the Seagull Restaurant.

Raspberry tart was still her favorite, but now she could safely declare: lemon madeleines were her second.

The five remaining cakes in the basket would serve as her dinner.

Amy felt like a wandering bard from a movie, eating whatever she came across, content with whatever fate provided.

Today, she didn’t want to nap. She was full of energy, buzzing with motivation—she wanted to earn a big sum of money. But where?

She decided to ask Nancy.

On the way to the beach, she ran into Charlie the grocer’s wife, Jenny.

Compared to her husband, Jenny looked much younger. She wore a beautifully hued satin green dress, her curls perfectly styled, and her pearl necklace and earrings shimmered softly.

A beautiful, elegant woman.

Realizing she hadn’t raised Jenny’s favorability yet, Amy quickly greeted her: “Hello, Mrs. Jenny.”

Though Amy’s sudden approach might have startled others, Jenny remained perfectly composed. She looked Amy over and offered a gentle smile—different from Leslie’s hearty laugh, but just as warm.

“You must be the new girl in town. What’s your name?”

“My name is Amy, Mrs. Jenny.”

Jenny was surprisingly easy to talk to. “Amy… such a lovely name, just like you.”

“Do you live here alone?” she asked softly.

“Yes, I live alone,” Amy replied. “Hot Spring Town is a wonderful place to live, and I’ve settled in well.” She meant every word.

Jenny nodded. “Yes, the weather here is pleasant all year round. Still, as a young woman living by yourself, I’m sure it must be inconvenient sometimes. If you run into trouble, you can always come to the store and ask me, Charlie… or Andrew. We’ll all help you.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Jenny. Mr. Charlie is very kind—last time I went shopping, he enthusiastically explained the products to me. And Andrew… Andrew was very kind as well,” Amy finished, forcing herself to say the last part.

Jenny’s expression suggested she wasn’t convinced. Amy noticed her lips curve ever so slightly before she said, “If you get to know Andrew, you’ll find he’s actually a good boy. He just isn’t as hard to reach as he seems. He’s only harsher toward his father.”

Amy couldn’t help asking, “Why?”

Jenny held her gaze for a moment before saying, “I’m Andrew’s stepmother. His real mother passed away long ago.”

“Ah…” Amy’s mouth fell open.

This was unexpected. She hadn’t imagined Andrew’s family situation would be so complicated.

Perhaps realizing she had revealed too much, Jenny coughed lightly and put on the same gentle smile as when they first met. “That’s all for now, Amy. We’ll talk again another time.”

Amy still wanted to know more, but Jenny had ended the conversation. She couldn’t chase her down, so she said, “Goodbye, Mrs. Jenny. It was a pleasure talking to you.”

Jenny left.

Amy watched her enter the grocery store and close the door.

So, Jenny was Andrew’s stepmother. She and Charlie had a loving marriage, but Charlie and Andrew’s relationship was strained. As for Jenny and Andrew—their dynamic was still unclear.

That seemed to be the picture.

Amy checked her game panel and saw that her favorability with Jenny had only gone up a little. Clearly, she would need more points to learn anything deeper.

That could wait for another chance.

She continued toward the beach cottage.

By afternoon, the sunlight sparkled across the sea, turning the waves into a glittering view.

But Amy didn’t have time to admire it. She knocked gently on the door. “Good afternoon, Nancy. You’re not napping, are you?”

Soon, the door opened, and Amy saw Nancy’s familiar face. She smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t be asleep.”

Nancy’s tone was cool. “Even if I were, you’ve woken me up. Well? Did you come because you killed your seeds?”

“Of course not!” Amy protested. “I water them every day—my lettuce and tomatoes are doing great. If you don’t believe me, you can come see my farm yourself.”

Nancy showed no interest. “No. Too far.”

Amy muttered under her breath, “Can’t you exercise a little like me?”—though quietly enough Nancy didn’t hear.

“This time I came to ask you something about animals,” Amy said, then told her about catching the butterfly in the forest.

“You caught a butterfly?”

“Yes, an orange-and-black one.” Amy used her hands to show its size.

“That’s good,” Nancy said. “Did you keep it?”

“What? Keep a butterfly?” Amy’s voice shot up. “How would I even do that, and why? What if its wings are poisonous?”

“Relax. Butterflies in Hot Spring Town aren’t poisonous. As for why—” Nancy explained patiently. “Remember the traveling merchant I told you about?”

“Yes, Simon, right?”

“That’s him. Simon doesn’t just buy fruits, vegetables, and goods. He also buys foraged items—like butterflies.”

Amy asked, “Why would he buy butterflies?”

“To deliver them to the city’s insect museum. They love Hot Spring Town butterflies—they’re rare species. The museum staff take good care of them.”

Thinking of the butterfly she had released, Amy felt as if she’d lost a fortune. “I see… What else does Simon buy, besides insects?”

Nancy thought for a moment. “As far as I know, he also takes seashells and conchs—the ones on the beach.”

Amy barely let her finish before blurting, “I’m off,” and dashing away.

“What are you going to do?” Nancy called.

Amy’s voice rang back, bright with excitement: “Collect seashells!”

Finally, she knew how to earn that missing 200 gold.