Chapter 31 – Flower of the North Sea (3)

“How do I look?”

I couldn’t help but admire Adela’s appearance as she arrived with the princess.

Is this really the same person I knew?

With just makeup and proper clothes, her wild aura had completely vanished. While her mind might still be half-human, half-beast, the progress was remarkable.

“Well… not bad. Let’s start with something simple.”

I prepared the tea set and asked her to make a basic milk tea.

Clink, clink.

The light sound of porcelain accompanied a fragrant aroma that filled the café.

Liv had mentioned there was a tea culture class. Adela skillfully warmed the teacups and steeped the tea leaves. Even to my untrained eye, she didn’t make any noticeable mistakes.

As the milk warmed, creating a thin film on top, it mixed with the lightly brewed tea, producing a beautiful color.

Erzebert took a sip of the resulting milk tea and nodded.

“It tastes good. Thank you, Adela.”

“Let me try,” I said.

When I reached for the teacup, Erzebert recoiled in horror.

“W-what are you doing?! I drank from that!”

“Do you have a poison capsule hidden in your teeth? I won’t die, just let me taste it.”

“N-no! I’ll get you a separate one! Phi, bite him!”

“Phi—!”

“Kyaa! Why are you attacking me? Phi, are you insane?!”

Is this a comedy sketch? As Erzebert struggled with her familiar, I took the teacup from her to avoid spilling and took a sip.

Not bad at all. Even if we only sold a few types of tea and bread, it wouldn’t be a bad business.

I turned to Adela, who was looking at me with eager eyes, silently asking for praise.

“Not bad. You did well.”

As I reached out to pat her head, Erzebert stopped me.

“What are you doing, messing up her neatly set hair?”

Oh, right. I’d been doing it without much thought, but I should be more considerate.

When I withdrew my hand, Adela looked disappointed.

“So, are we hiring Adela?” Erzebert asked.

“Let’s open the café in the evening after her regular classes.”

As a freshman, Adela had many classes to attend, and managing the café along with the busy convenience store at lunchtime would be too much.

Erzebert agreed, nodding. She gestured for me to move to the counter.

“Louis, I want Adela to gain more manners and common sense.”

“Yes, I agree.”

“For that, we need your help, as embarrassing as it is to admit.”

Do you need my help or not?

“What are you trying to say?”

“Give me your hand for a moment.”

Erzebert examined my hand closely, alternating her gaze with Phi on her shoulder.

Ah, right. During the last magic duel, my touch must have triggered <End of Magic>. Fortunately, I had turned it off for today’s meeting, so she found no trace.

“Strange. Have you used any black magic recently?”

“The only thing I’ve touched is the teacup the princess drank from.”

“…Forget that. Anyway, Phi will be at the store while Adela works, so keep the windows open.”

“You’re not coming yourself?”

“I’ll come occasionally, but if I’m here, other students will focus on me.”

Her blue eyes glared at me. She emphasized her point, holding out Phi toward me.

“I have reservations about trusting you with Phi, but I’ll tolerate it for Adela’s sake.”

“Phi—.”

I wanted to ask why she trusted me with Adela in the first place. It seemed more like she was just offloading the responsibility.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

Well, I needed help, so having an employee was a blessing.

If she couldn’t help, I’d make the coffee and tea myself. Serving should be manageable. Having such a pretty employee at the store was beneficial from a business perspective.

“Hehe, teacher, teacher! Do I look pretty? Did I pass?”

Adela giggled, avoiding the forbidden “hehe.” Unlike me, stuck in the store at this age, she definitely wasn’t destined to remain single.

“Yes, you passed.”

“Yay~!”

I felt a bit sorry for any nobleman who might fall for her looks alone.

***

Everett Windguard had a notable career, serving as a royal guard and later joining the Hookslaw Knights in Heljeb after the great war ended.

Wiblet’s influence was significant in her appointment, insisting that someone familiar with Heljeb accompany the princess to Farencia.

Everett wasn’t confident in her ability to protect, despite the captain’s instructions to report any major issues to her first. To her, Farencia seemed like a peaceful mid-sized city.

So, except for teaching a boy named Carl, she spent most of her time quietly observing Erzebert.

Erzebert Brunhard de Baor, the sole heir to the throne of Pennheim Kingdom.

With hair as beautiful as melted gold, the princess’s daily life was very busy, contrasting with Everett’s dull routine.

Erzebert began her day early at a royal villa outside the academy, starting with light tea and a newspaper on international affairs.

After reading the morning paper, she wrote letters and handled delayed tasks in the study until the academy classes began.

Most of these were responses to noble requests or updates on the current situation in Thessalon.

“Hello, Princess. The book you recommended was truly inspiring.”

“Would you mind joining me for lunch? There’s a nice restaurant on Tejer Street!”

From the moment she entered the classroom, she constantly interacted with other students.

The primary reason for her enrollment at Farencia was to foster relationships with the nobility and strengthen the royal power.

“I’m sorry, Miss Epsilon, but I already have plans for lunch. However, have you heard of the new café next to the store? Let’s go together sometime.”

With a warm smile for everyone, she was the graceful future queen of Pennheim.

During lectures, she answered the professors’ questions with outstanding insight.

The students’ evaluation of Erzebert was exceptionally high.

But why does she dislike that man so much…

Within the academy, the only person she found unsatisfactory was Louis.

“Adela, it’s time for work now. We don’t have much time, so come here.”

“N-no! I’ll keep my hair like this!”

“Stop being stubborn and come here. Why is your hair always a mess when your clothes are well-kept?”

After classes, she used the remaining time to teach Adela basic knowledge and etiquette.

From greeting manners to minor habits and walking postures, she meticulously guided Adela, transforming her bit by bit into a noble lady.

Even after Adela left for the store with a somewhat modest quick pace, Erzebert had no personal time for herself.

The academic workload was substantial, especially for freshmen, making memorization and review essential.

Erzebert studied the day’s lessons and prepared for the next until the clock tower chimed ten times.

On the way back to the villa, she would catch a brief nap in the carriage, her only respite. Everett would keep as quiet as possible, allowing her to rest.

Finally, at home, she would receive piles of letters from all over Pennheim through the steward.

Reading each one and pondering the matters until morning, when she wrote her replies, was part of her daily routine.

This was the exhaustive daily life of Erzebert Brunhard.

“Ugh… ah…”

Today, however, something was different.

Usually silent and restful, she kept making strange noises from the opposite seat.

“Haa, haa…”

She even crossed her legs and bit her lip, clearly in distress.

“Are you ill, Princess?”

“What?! N-no! It’s not that… ugh, I’m not in pain…”

Was it an assassination attempt? Poison in her food from the afternoon?

Various guesses swirled in Everett’s mind, but she found it difficult to handle the situation.

Her familiar, usually by her side, was left at the store to monitor Adela’s condition.

It should be fine. Anyone can have a bad day.

Even though the princess never got angry except in front of Louis, it was still best not to provoke her.

As Everett adjusted her posture and lowered her gaze—

“Kyaaah—!!!”

“Princess?!”

“T-that perverted man!!! Sir Everett! Turn the carriage around! No, go get the store owner’s head now!”

“What? What are you talking about…?”

Even in the dim night, her porcelain skin was flushed red down to her neck as she thrashed in the carriage.

***

“Teacher, teacher~. Why do you only play with the bird and not me?”

“Not many people know about the café yet. Need help?”

“No, that’s not it… do you like animals?”

“This one’s unique. Do you want to touch it? Its breast feels just like its legs, so it’s really soft.”

“Phi—.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Look at how tender it is. It actually tastes the same too…”

Louis smacked his lips, thinking he’d like to try it someday.