Ch.59Chapter 59. That Sandwich Had a Nostalgic Taste

Originally, I had planned to be angry when he showed up.

I was going to interrogate him about what he’d been doing all this time, and what meaning lay behind the numerous noble ladies’ carriages that had visited his family mansion.

But when Rinasien actually saw Rainfold looking tired, worry took precedence over anger.

“Morgan, are you alright?”

“I apologize, Your Highness. I was so focused on finding a way to repair the goddess’s gift that I failed to send you any news.”

That makes sense. Rainfold had been so concentrated on important matters that he’d neglected everything else.

Though she wanted to ask about the noble ladies’ carriages, Rinasien decided to let it go.

Whether his exhaustion came from trying to restore the shield or from entertaining those noble ladies, it didn’t matter—she planned to establish her place by his side soon enough.

“A day and a half was more than enough painful time to miss you and suffer for it.”

Though tired, Rainfold couldn’t help but smile at the Crown Princess’s petulance.

Traditionally, when a man returns home from work, the lady of the house should welcome him with open arms, but he found this way of expressing how much she missed him quite endearing too.

Presumptuously, Rainfold had already begun to think of the imperial palace as his home.

When he took her hand first, Rinasien shyly lowered her gaze.

Rainfold liked seeing this arrogant woman’s docile demeanor.

“Saint Arsil and Archer Naidrian have arrived!”

Tch.

Their pleasant moment was broken.

Rinasien watched with regretful eyes as Rainfold stepped away from her at the arrival of the other hero party members, then composed herself to greet the two.

“Welcome, Arsil, Naidrian. You must be hungry, but we’re still waiting for others to arrive. If you could wait a little longer, I’ll treat you to dishes prepared by our imperial kitchen.”

“Food just needs to fill the stomach.”

Arsil responded indifferently as she took a seat.

Rinasien’s temple twitched, but she calmed her indignation by reminding herself that the gorilla woman was always like this.

When they had reunited, Arsil had been more concerned about Rinasien not knowing news from the Sewage Alley after leaving it than about her being the Crown Princess.

They had developed a neutral relationship, apart from occasionally getting on each other’s nerves when passing in the corridors.

“A salad would be enough for me.”

“Oh my, we’ve prepared special delicacies! Things you couldn’t even see in the Elven Forest. Our chef’s veal dishes are particularly exquisite.”

“I-Is that so?”

Elves don’t eat meat unless necessary or unavoidable.

Their digestive systems are naturally weak, yet Rinasien insisted without any consideration, and the timid Naidrian couldn’t refuse.

Naidrian sat awkwardly, rolling her eyes, while Arsil seemed lost in thought.

Normally, people would be honored by the Crown Princess’s invitation and try to please her.

Rinasien disliked this silence and their complete lack of interest in her.

“Magician Tigria! Hero Luciena Estel has arrived!”

Ah, finally someone proper with a title has arrived.

But that person was the ill-mannered hero.

There was no decent person at this gathering except herself and Rainfold.

Rinasien barely managed to suppress a sigh.

“You’re late, Tigria.”

“Not late. Right on time.”

Every one of them talking back so bluntly…!

Just then, a strange metallic sound came from the entrance of the banquet hall.

Screeeech!

“Hey, why won’t you let my porter in?”

It was Lucy.

After she had entered, the guards had blocked Lin’s path with a halberd, and Lucy had grabbed and bent it.

“B-But I was informed that the banquet was for the five members of the hero party.”

“What are you talking about? The hero party has six members. Six including the porter. He even received an imperial appointment!”

“Lucy, I’m fine.”

Everyone in the banquet hall was surprised.

At Lin’s words, Lucy, who had been about to protest, grabbed the hem of her dress anxiously and then simply nodded.

That she, who despised the porter more than anyone, would be so attached to him now.

‘As I thought, securing that porter is essential to controlling the hero.’

When the guard wouldn’t move aside, Lin quietly decided to stand by the entrance.

Lucy was deeply upset by this, but unable to go against Lin’s assurance that it was fine, she sat at the far end of the long table.

“That’s too far for conversation, Hero.”

“You want to talk with me? Got something to say?”

No.

At this accurate observation, Rinasien didn’t press further.

Now that all the invited guests had arrived, it was time for the host to announce the start of the banquet.

“Well, you must be hungry, so let’s eat first and talk afterward.”

At her clap, servants filed in and continuously filled the table with dishes.

The table, which could easily seat ten people, was completely covered with sumptuous food from end to end.

Even Naidrian couldn’t help but swallow at the sight of the dishes.

Of course, she was looking at the vegetables accompanying the dishes.

However, the banquet hall was filled only with the clinking of tableware.

Fortunately, no one was eating noisily, but both Rinasien and Rainfold found the atmosphere uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Lucy hadn’t touched any of the food.

She was watching them eat with an expression as blank as the magician’s.

No one could eat comfortably.

“Hero, aren’t you hungry?”

“Yeah, I’m hungry.”

‘Yeah’? What kind of fallen noble trash…

“If you try even a bite, I’m sure you’ll like it.”

“Well, I can’t quite guess what kind of poison might be in here, so I’ll just eat what I brought.”

“Poison…!”

CRASH!

Without responding, Lucy swept all the dishes in front of her onto the floor.

The still-hot food steamed on the ground.

Rinasien, who was about to shout about rudeness, stopped when she saw what Lucy took out.

Arsil also stopped eating and looked toward Lucy.

A sandwich.

What Lucy had taken out was a sandwich Lin had made for her last night.

He had made so many that even the big eater Lucy had been able to save one.

She took a modest bite of the sandwich.

Though it had become lukewarm, it was still delicious.

Only then did a warm smile spread across the hero’s face.

Plop.

The jam and mashed potatoes that Lin had generously spread for Lucy overflowed onto the tray serving as a plate.

Recognizing the familiar composition, Rinasien found herself watching Lucy eat.

“Um…”

But Arsil was different.

With a face that somehow looked desperate, she carefully addressed Lucy.

“Can I have a bite too?”

“Go suck a flea’s liver.”

“Come on, just one bite…”

Though she felt pathetic even to herself, Arsil wanted to confirm.

Whether that sandwich was what she thought it was.

And if it really was, who had made it.

Though stubborn, Arsil wasn’t stupid.

Both Rinasien and Rabin had come from Sewage Alley.

Then there was a high possibility that Mr. Lee had also left the alley and entered the world.

Being a good cook, he might be working as a chef somewhere or running a street food stall.

Those damn Church people, even Pope Agreus, only said that Sewage Alley was doing fine.

With no allies, she couldn’t even send her own spies to investigate.

Additionally, she was forbidden from mentioning her criminal village origins, as it might cause aversion among the faithful.

Though she wanted to go see for herself, she was either at the frontlines because of the Demon King and his forces or confined to places like the imperial palace or papal office, so she had no way of knowing what she desperately wanted to know.

For such an Arsil,

A food of memories that could be a clue about Mr. Lee had appeared.

Why had she betrayed the hero and made deals with the Empire and the Church?

It was for Mr. Lee and Sewage Alley.

To bring peace to the world, then develop her hometown with the one she loved, making it respectable in the world.

But now Arsil knew.

To save her hometown, she had no choice but to dirty her hands.

That’s why Mr. Lee’s whereabouts were more desperate to her than anything else.

“Get lost.”

“Then at least tell me who made it.”

“…The porter.”

“The porter?”

“Why are you so surprised? The porter always made our meals.”

Lucy chewed the sandwich earnestly.

Even though it only had jam and mashed potatoes, she couldn’t understand why it was so delicious.

Surely because Lin had made it with care for her.

A smile spread across her face without her realizing it.

“This rudeness ends here!”

Rising from her seat, Rinasien signaled to the guards at the entrance.

The two guards who had been waiting for the signal turned to restrain Lin.

And,

That’s how they died.

SMACK!

CRUNCH-!

“Who do you dare to lay hands on?”

Lucy, who had instantly sprung from her seat, kicked one of them.

He died with his stomach burst open before even hitting the wall.

The one holding the bent halberd was punched in the left chest.

His broken ribs pierced his heart, killing him instantly.

“W-What…!”

“Luciena, isn’t this excessive?!”

Rinasien and Rainfold each exclaimed in shock at another murder within the imperial palace following the teleport return incident, but Lucy merely snorted.

“Having experienced losing my limbs, I can’t forgive anyone who touches me or my companions.”

Lucy took out a handkerchief from her bosom.

The red silk, resembling her, carefully wiped the blood splattered on Lin’s face.

“Thank you, Lucy.”

Ah, that’s right.

Having Lin is enough.

Even though there were those who betrayed her despite fighting back-to-back on the frontlines, at least Lin would never abandon her.

He had already proven that by saving her.

“Guards…!”

Rinasien, who was about to call for more guards, met Lucy’s eyes and froze.

Killing intent.

For her, who had only experienced Rabin’s perfunctory battles in Sewage Alley, this was her first encounter with a true warrior’s killing intent.

It wasn’t something that someone steeped in arrogance and pretension could handle.

And no one could handle a hero’s killing intent to begin with.

Under the pressure that seemed to crush even the air, the entire hero party was rooted to the spot, unable to move.

“I’ve shown restraint twice.”

Lucy warned.

“There won’t be a third time.”

With her red hair fluttering, the hero left the banquet hall with the porter.

Only after a considerable time had passed did Rinasien collapse.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Rainfold, who was about to support her, heard a splashing sound as something wet was stepped on by his shoes.

“Ugh…! This is wine! I just spilled wine!”

Rinasien hastily explained, but she clearly saw Rainfold momentarily frown before composing his face.

Hanging her head in shame, she watched as Rainfold stepped away from her and called for maids to take the Crown Princess away.

As she was led away by the maids, Rinasien kept muttering.

“Such humiliation… I will never let this go… never…!”

The banquet was thus disbanded.

While the area was in disarray as they dealt with the guards’ corpses, Arsil approached where Lucy had been sitting.

Just one bite.

One bite of the sandwich remained, which Lucy hadn’t finished because she had rushed out to save Lin.

Without hesitation, Arsil put the remaining sandwich in her mouth.

“Ah.”

That taste.

The taste she had always longed for since going to the Church.

A sandwich made with jam from unknown tree fruits and mashed potatoes.

A deep, piercing longing thinned her heart.

“The porter made this?”

Suddenly, Arsil recalled that the porter had black hair.

“It can’t be…”

It mustn’t be.

If he were Mr. Lee,

Her world would collapse.

If he were Mr. Lee,

With her own hands, she would have to subject him to the Demon King’s demonic energy…

“It can’t be…!”

Fear bred hesitation.

And hesitation would only amplify the tragedy that could have been stopped here.

There would be a brief wait, but it would be soon.