The story begins with Mai in a hospital bed, receiving oxygen and reflecting on her impending death from a rapidly metastasizing internal tumor. Her only regrets are her grandmother and her cat, Yatarou. Her grandmother visits, her demeanor shifting from sorrow to a surprising strength. She reveals her regret for not noticing Mai's illness sooner, lamenting the advanced medical care and peaceful life of their world, which ironically couldn't prevent tragedy. The grandmother then proposes a radical idea: sending Mai to another world where she can start anew with a healthy body, albeit one lacking their world's conveniences. Mai, initially confused, agrees, finding the prospect of a healthy life appealing. Her grandmother performs a ritual, touching Mai's brow and whispering something, imbuing her with warmth. Mai drifts off to sleep, her last thoughts on apologizing to her grandmother and asking her to tell Yatarou she won't be returning.
Mai awakens in a simple room on a bed, watched by a kind elderly couple, Ingo and Ella. She finds herself in a place called Orb Village, a stark contrast to her previous life. Her body feels miraculously healthy and strong, her breathing easy without oxygen. The village is rustic, surrounded by fields and distant, smoking mountains unlike any she's seen in Japan. Over the next few days, Mai grapples with the reality of her situation, realizing her grandmother's words about a new world were true. She accepts this as her grandmother's final gift and dedicates herself to adapting and living healthily.
Two months pass, and Mai has learned essential survival skills from Ingo and Ella, accustomed to a life without modern conveniences, where most of her time is spent on self-sufficient labor like farming and cooking over a fire. She discovers that her grandmother's "farewell gift" was magic and magical power, which she now possesses. She has learned to use wind magic, among others, to hunt for food, overcoming initial guilt. She diligently helps the couple with chores and secretly practices her newfound magic, which includes fire, water, earth, and a unique conversion magic, her grandmother's specialty. This conversion magic allows her to transform materials, and she begins experimenting, recalling her father's physics knowledge about opals. She successfully creates opals from sand and soil, envisioning a way to earn money.
Ingo and Ella announce they must move to be with their son and his growing family, meaning Mai must leave. She feigns a desire to go to the capital, thanking them profusely for saving her life. As a parting gift, they give her bread and a metal water flask. Mai, in turn, gives them ten opals she created, a secret gift. She sets off for the capital, a six-day journey on foot. The arduous journey leaves her physically exhausted but mentally resolute. Upon reaching the capital, she is struck by its size and the prevalence of money-based commerce, a stark contrast to Orb Village. She sells opals to fund her stay in a clean inn and begins researching the local food scene, planning to open her own cafe. She observes that meat is often tough and simply seasoned, lacking the tenderizing techniques she knows from modern Japan.
Mai finds a two-story shop in a quiet, dead-end alley in the capital, which she purchases outright using her opals. She sets up a cafe named "Hidden Place," aiming to create a space for human connection. She discovers that magic can provide for her basic needs, but she craves interaction. Her cafe becomes a regular spot for Henry, a tall, handsome, and stoic castle official. Henry is initially reserved but clearly enjoys Mai's cooking, particularly her innovative dishes like rice bowls and tender meat preparations. He expresses concern about her business, which Mai reassures him is stable, though she admits she doesn't aim for overwhelming success.
Henry's visits become a routine, and he begins to show subtle signs of affection, though he maintains a guarded demeanor due to his mysterious past and his belief that he is unworthy of love. Meanwhile, Mai continues to hone her magic, creating cooking oil from rice bran and developing new magical applications. She also begins venturing out at night to taverns for social interaction, finding solace in the company of others and the cats she encounters.
One evening at a tavern, Henry encounters Mai and, concerned for her safety, escorts her home. During their walk, Mai, slightly tipsy, reveals her past as an orphan from Orb Village, surprising Henry, who had assumed she was a wealthy noblewoman. He also learns about her love for cats. Later, Henry is involved in a high-level meeting concerning the disappearance of a prominent magic researcher and a powerful magic artifact. As a compromise to resolve the incident, the magic department's budget is cut. Henry, a skilled diplomat, negotiates a plan to offset this by assigning the magic department new tasks, which he intends to discuss with the young magic user, Kilias, over a meal at Mai's cafe.
Kilias, a talented but somewhat immature magic user, becomes a frequent visitor to Mai's cafe, often accompanied by other magic users. He is impressed by Mai's cooking and her unique creations, questioning her use of oil and her seemingly effortless creation of high-quality tableware. Henry, meanwhile, continues his regular visits, his interactions with Mai growing more comfortable, though he remains emotionally distant. He expresses concern about Kilias's disruptive behavior and his frequent visits.
As the year draws to a close, Mai learns about the "Spring Festival," a tradition celebrating the end of winter and the coming of spring, involving bonfires and a focus on romantic relationships. She realizes her lack of knowledge about local customs could be a liability. Henry, who has revealed he is an orphan adopted into a noble family and has no romantic partner, expresses his loneliness during the holidays. Mai, feeling a connection to his quiet sadness, offers to open her cafe on New Year's Day for him. She prepares a lavish meal, a tradition from her adoptive family's past, and they share a meal, deepening their bond. Henry, touched by her gesture, gifts her flowers and baked goods.
Mai continues to develop her magical abilities, including creating a protective barrier spell, which she tests in various ways, even using it to conceal smoke from her cooking. She also begins to notice subtle hints about Henry's true nature and his past, as well as Kilias's growing curiosity about her abilities. The story concludes with Mai embracing her new life, finding purpose and connection in her cafe and her magical abilities, while still grappling with the mysteries of her past and the world she now inhabits.
