Henry stood near the kitchen entrance, watching as Alina directed a small army of workers carrying crates and sacks through the back door. The ingredients from Liyue had arrived-exactly as Ningguang had promised, right on schedule.
The workers finished unloading, and Alina dismissed them with a wave. She turned to Henry, her expression shifting to something more serious. "The cooks are waiting in the kitchen. They've been practicing the Mondstadt recipes for some days."
"How did that go?"
"I think they are doing great. "I only supervised them"
Henry pushed open the kitchen door and stepped inside. The kitchen was spacious and bright, with polished countertops and gleaming equipment that he had personally designed. Four women sat around the center counter, but they fell silent the moment they noticed him, all turning to face the doorway with curious eyes. Seeing Alina walk in beside him, they immediately recognized him as the man who had introduced bicycles to Teyvat—and now it seemed he was their new boss.
A woman at the head of the table straightened slightly, her hands resting loosely on the polished surface. She seemed to be in her early thirties, her face and figure carried the fullness of a mature woman, and her calm assessing gaze studied him with quiet interest.
Beside her, a younger woman with a focused air about her uncrossed her arms slowly, her gaze fixed on him with silent curiosity.
Across from them, another girl of similar age sat slightly apart from the others, her hands clasped nervously in her lap. And next to her, the girl who seemed to be of similar age to Henry had her hand still hovering near her mouth, caught mid-laugh at whatever her nervous companion had just said, an eager grin spreading across her face.
Henry looked at them, then back at Alina, then back at the four women. He had no idea who was who.
"Uh." Henry cleared his throat. "Hello. I'm Henry. I own this place. And I'm going to be teaching you how to make everything that isn't Mondstadt related."
"We know who you are," the mature woman said. "The person who recently got famous by selling bikes in Mondstadt."
The others nodded in agreement.
"I'm Norma." The mature woman extended her hand, which Henry shook firmly.
Seeing Norma introduce herself, the others followed suit.
The younger woman stepped forward next. "Diana," she said, her voice measured and calm as she shook his hand briefly.
The nervous girl approached hesitantly, her hands still clasped together before she extended one. "Beatrice," she murmured, her voice soft, almost as if she was afraid of saying it too loud.
The last girl grinned as she took his hand with enthusiasm. "Siegfria," she announced, her energy palpable.
I feel like I know these people. Were they NPCs in the game?
Suddenly, her hand shot up like she was in a classroom.
"Yes?"
"Where did your noodles go?" Her voice was earnest, almost desperate.
Henry blinked. "What?"
"The instant noodles! You used to sell them on the street! I bought them every single day. And then they just... disappeared." She stepped forward, her eyes wide. "I thought I'd hallucinated them. I asked around, and nobody knew who made them, and I couldn't find you anywhere."
Henry's expression softened at her genuine distress. "I had to stop selling them. I opened a bike shop, and then I was building this place."
"But they're coming back, right?" Siegfria pressed. "You're bringing them back. You have to bring them back."
Beatrice giggled from her station. "She's been lost since the noodles disappeared around six months ago."
"They're that good," Siegfria said firmly.
"They'll be on the menu," Henry assured her. "Once we open, you can have them whenever you want."
Siegfria let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Barbatos. I thought I'd have to live without them forever."
You should thank me instead of that lazy drunk bard. He's probably still sleeping. I think he'll wake up deliberately around the time the Traveler steps foot in Mondstadt.
Henry smiled warmly. "Alright then. Let's get started."
He walked to the corner of the kitchen, and the women gathered around him. Norma moved to his left, her expression attentive. Diane stood slightly apart, her focus on the beverage station. Siegfria positioned herself on the other side of the counter directly in front of him, practically vibrating with excitement. Beatrice hung back, watching from behind Norma.
"First things first," Henry said. "You all already practiced the Mondstadt drinks while I was gone. Alina told me you got it down."
Norma nodded. "We did. The Black Rock Tea, Rose Honey Tea, Amber Roast—we've been making them daily."
"Siegfria has been tasting them," Diane corrected dryly.
"I've been doing quality control," Siegfria said defensively.
Henry grinned. "Good. So you know the basics. Today, we're working with the ingredients from other regions."
He walked to the counter where the new supplies were laid out—bags of Jade Dew tea leaves, boxes of Silk Oolong, matcha powder in sealed bags, spices from Sumeru, coffee beans from Sumeru, cocoa from Natlan. Each ingredient had been carefully labeled, organized by region.
"We're starting with drinks," Henry announced. "All the region-specific beverages. Liyue teas, Inazuma matcha, Sumeru spiced teas and coffees, Fontaine teas and coffees, Natlan chocolates and coffee, and Snezhnayan Winter Black."
Diane stepped forward immediately, her eyes fixed on the ingredients. "What's the process?"
Henry picked up a bag of Jade Dew leaves. "Liyue teas first. Jade Dew and Silk Oolong. These aren't like Mondstadt's soft black brews—they're robust, mountain-grown leaves. The water needs to be rolling hot, not lukewarm, and you have to be precise with the timing."
He spent the next hour walking them through each drink. Diane caught on fastest. She just watched the water until it turned a deep golden amber, then pulled the pot off the flame the moment the last leaf unfurled and sank. She asked sharp questions about leaf-to-water ratios and pouring techniques, and Henry was genuinely impressed by her attention to detail.
Norma went next, her hands steady and her movements sure as she reached for the ingredients. She barely asked anything, just watched closely, absorbed the process, and did exactly what she had seen Henry do. She kept her eye on the steam and the oils swirling across the surface, and yanked the pot off the heat before the tea had any chance to turn bitter. She adapted fast, relying on sharp instincts and muscle memory of a home cook to nail the process on her own.
Siegfria was the most enthusiastic of the group, her energy seemingly boundless as she fired off questions about everything—the color, the smell, the taste. She wanted to know why the matcha was so bitter and whether she could substitute honey for sugar in the Lemongrass Tea.
Henry answered each question patiently, explaining the reasoning behind each choice, and then she'd produced a surprisingly good Lemongrass Tea—bright and refreshing, with the honey perfectly balanced against the citrus notes.
Beatrice struggled.
She let the leaves sit in the hot water far longer than they should have. When she finally poured the tea into a cup and took a tentative sip, her face twisted. "Oh no," she murmured, setting the cup down with a grimace. "I let it sit too long. This is... this is really bitter."
Henry picked up the cup and took a small sip. "It's not undrinkable, but it's not good either." He set it down gently. "Don't worry about it. That's why we're practicing."
Norma stepped forward as she moved to guide Beatrice. "Let me show you. Watch my hands." She reached for fresh leaves and began the process again, her movements slow and deliberate as she poured the water, counting silently to herself before lifting the pot and straining the tea with practiced precision. "You see? The moment the water hits the leaves, you start counting. Not too long, not too short."
Beatrice watched closely, her earlier embarrassment fading as she focused on Norma's hands. On her second attempt, she followed Norma's rhythm more closely, and when she poured the tea, she tasted it carefully, her brow furrowing before her expression shifted to relief. "It's... better."
"Good," Henry said, offering her an encouraging nod. "Keep going. You'll get better."
Norma stepped back, and Henry caught her eye, mouthing a quiet thank you. She winked at him in return before turning back to her own station.
By evening, the drinks station was covered in cups, and the air smelled of tea, coffee, and chocolate.
Diane had worked her way through half the menu with quiet precision, her movements efficient and her results consistently good—the Liyue teas, the Fontainian blends, even the Sumeru spiced drinks. Norma had followed closely behind, her steady hands and sharp instincts producing equally impressive results across the board.
Siegfria's enthusiasm had led to a few early missteps—a forgotten stir, a batch left too long on the heat—but she'd quickly found her rhythm, and by the time she reached the Natlan hot chocolate, she was declaring it "the best thing she'd ever tasted."
Beatrice, to everyone's surprise, had found her footing after Norma's patient guidance. Her movements were still careful, still a little hesitant, but she'd worked through several drinks without incident, earning a quiet nod of approval from Henry.
Henry wiped his hands on his apron. "Alright. That's enough for today. Practice what you've learned over the week. I'll be back tomorrow for the snacks."
Siegfria looked disappointed. "We can't do the snacks today?"
"One thing at a time. You need to absorb what you just learned."
"But I'm ready for more!"
"You're ready for a nap," Norma said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You've been bouncing around this kitchen for hours."
"I don't need a nap. I need more food."
"Later," Henry promised. "Tomorrow."
The next morning, Henry walked downstairs to find the four women already waiting for him in the kitchen, their expressions a mix of eagerness and anticipation.
"Alright, everyone!" Henry raised his voice, and the kitchen fell quiet. "Today we're doing the snacks—all of them."
A cheer from Siegfria, a quiet nod from Norma, a focused look from Diane, and a nervous breath from Beatrice followed his announcement.
Henry walked to the counter where the ingredients were laid out in neat rows. "We'll start with Liyue. Bao buns first."
Henry taught them every dish on the menu—the Bao Buns and Egg Tarts from Liyue, the Onigiri and Dorayaki from Inazuma, the Samosa and Baklava Bites from Sumeru, the Crème Puffs and Fruit Tartlets from Fontaine, the Empanadas and Plantain Fritters from Natlan, and finally the Pirozhki Minis and Medovik Bites from Snezhnaya.
Norma picked up the Liyue dishes quickly, her steady hands producing consistent results with each attempt. Siegfria loved the Inazuma ones, her enthusiasm undimmed even when her first batch of Onigiri came out misshapen. Diane focused on presentation, arranging each dish with careful precision—Henry had asked her earlier if she was willing to work on food as well, and she had agreed, though he assured her that her main role would still be behind the drinks station, given her expertise, and that she would only help with food during busy rushes.
Beatrice struggled with the pastry—it was too sticky, then too dry, then it stuck to the counter—but she kept trying. Norma stepped in and helped her, instructing her kindly but strictly, her voice patient yet firm. She moved between the stations throughout the session, correcting a mistake here, offering a quiet word of encouragement there, guiding each of the women when they needed it. It seemed that drinks were Diane's specialty, while Norma's expertise lay in the snacks and drinks both—and Henry had already confirmed in his mind who the main chef would be.
By the end of the day, the kitchen was a beautiful disaster. Flour covered nearly every surface. Bowls and spoons were stacked in the sink. The smell of fried dough and sweet pastries hung thick in the air. And on the counter, laid out in neat rows, were samples of every dish they'd made.
Henry leaned against the counter, surveying the chaos. "Alright. That's enough for today."
Siegfria looked like she was about to protest, but Norma shot her a look.
"You have the recipes," Henry continued. "Practice everything—drinks and snacks—for the rest of the week. I'll be here, so if you have questions, come find me."
___
Note: Why the deep dive and taking so much time to open the café? Simple-once the first café is opened, I'll be able to fast-forward through other locations. Every first thing Henry brings to Teyvat will go on for a while, consider them arcs. And don't worry, I know most of you are probably bored with how many chapters it took to get here. The café will be opening in the next to next chapter.
And finally, these chefs have bright futures ahead. Once Henry expands, he can fast-forward and trust everything to his trained team. And Norma will make sure that she and her team will make the person consuming their food and drink feel things they never felt before. 😉
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