Hawaiian Pizza

“Welcome.”

The place I went to after receiving Ernst’s invitation was a restaurant in the city. As soon as he received the phone call, he guided me here to this restaurant without any hesitation.

Was he waiting? His friendly attitude and assurance that he would grant my request weren’t just mere courtesies, it seemed.

“The lady’s name is…?”

“Yena Freud.”

“Ah, this way please.”

Following the waiter’s gesture, I took a few steps and a familiar figure appeared.

“It’s been a while,”

“Hello.”

Ernst, who had arrived first, waved his hand while seated.

From the material of his black suit that looked luxurious at a glance to his hair parted and combed back with wax, his appearance exuded elegance.

“I never thought you’d contact me after coming all the way to Bern. To think we’d meet like this outside the military academy.”

“Due to the incident in the individual combat…”

“You stopped by the capital for a break, right? I heard the reason from Principal Lustet, you don’t need to explain.”

Ernst opened the menu on the table with an expressionless face.

“I sincerely feel sorry for the evil deed Wolf committed against you, and for the harm you suffered.”

“……”

“The reason I specifically brought you here is that I wanted to treat you a little better. As far as I know, this is the best Itarian food specialty restaurant.”

In fact, until I started talking with Ernst, I had judged his considerate actions as stemming from a nobleman’s pity and sympathy towards a commoner.

At least, since I was the one who put his son in jail, I thought he might have some hidden motive.

“…Thank you.”

But now, the eyes of Ernst I was facing were filled with sincerity. I instinctively knew this through my numerous experiences of meeting and dealing with people.

“Puhehe, don’t suddenly become formal, it’ll be awkward. I want to converse with you comfortably, putting aside the pretenses of status.”

Whether it was a unique trait of the Stresemann family, Ernst swept his blonde hair to the side, just like Wolf, and called the waiter.

“I’d like to order this.”

“Understood.”

“For the wine, please bring the one I drink daily.”

He muttered something while pointing at the menu and then turned his head and passed the booklet to me, who was sitting blankly.

“Choose what you’d like to eat.”

As Ernst said it was an Itarian specialty restaurant, the paper listed various Itarian dishes. There were even some foods I hadn’t encountered in my previous life.

“Then…”

Since a nobleman is personally treating me, I guess I don’t need to worry about the price. I can order what I like with ease.

“I’d like to order a Hawaiian pizza, please.”

“…Hawaiian, understood.”

The waiter opened his mouth in a round shape for a moment as if shocked, but then jotted down the order in his notebook and left.

“That one with fruit on top of the dough…”

“That’s right.”

“Y-Your taste is quite unique.”

Ernst too, as if he had heard something unheard of, showed the same shocked expression as the waiter and lost his words for a moment.

Is it really that surprising?

Although Hawaiian pizza is rejected even in Itaria, its place of origin, it’s not unpalatable as it’s still food… It’s a shame it receives such harsh treatment.

I hoped that someday this food, which simultaneously provides the warmth of bread and the sweetness of pineapple, delighting the mouth, would receive proper appreciation.

“Anyway, the fact that you called me means you need help, right? So what did you call me to ask for?”

Click─

The shock from the word “Hawaiian pizza” was brief; Ernst took a sip of wine that the waiter had placed without notice and immediately got to the point.

“You, a child favored by Lustet.”

He didn’t beat around the bush like the common noble’s way of speaking. He looked at me, displaying a straightforward gaze.

“Please continue to provide support.”

“Hm?”

Then I had no reason to not speak directly either.

“Please lend me the power of the Stresemann family, as I have neither connections nor wealth. It might be shameless and presumptuous, but this is my request to you.”

Leaning on the barren table still without food, I calmly continued speaking while looking straight into Ernst’s blue eyes.

“…I’m not sure if I understand correctly. So you mean you want me to be your solid backing?”

“There might be children like Wolf appearing again in the future. Even if it’s just in case, I desperately need the help of Ernst, the head of the Stresemann family and leader of the Conservative Party.”

“Huh, in all my life, this is the first time I’ve seen someone so bold…”

I didn’t mind even as Ernst chuckled, filling his lungs with air. I just steadfastly waited for his answer, my black pupils glistening.

“Yena Freud.”

And finally, he broke the silence while swirling his wine glass.

“I think you’re quite an extraordinary child. Despite the twisted starting line of being from a commoner background, you became the first freshman to receive a recommendation letter and claimed the title of joint training champion. It’s an unprecedented achievement.”

Even as I watched Ernst gazing at the purple liquid with sleepy eyes, it felt like he was speaking truthfully with every word, seeming to have put aside pretenses.

“In that sense, Yena, you’re a highly valuable investment. So much so that it’s a waste to compare you with a failure like Wolf.”

“Thank you.”

“However, your flaw is that you still don’t know the ways of the world.”

But it wasn’t all good words coming my way.

“Of course, you have such excellent value that I’d like to adopt you as my daughter if possible. But I hope you understand that this means you’re outstanding compared to others your age.”

“……”

“I understand you have difficult circumstances, but I think it’s still too early to provide help of that scale.”

“Your order is ready.”

“Put it here.”

Ernst waited until the staff laid out the food on the white tablecloth, and only after they left did he point at me with his fork while chewing the steak he had ordered.

“Still, I’ll highly regard that courage of yours. When the day comes that you grow into a proper magic officer, I’ll consider it.”

It was a clear rejection.

His act of quietly chewing meat without even looking up at me seemed even cold-hearted. Like a nobleman who maintained power even after the Great War, he drew a clear line.

Certainly, he wasn’t wrong.

From Ernst’s perspective, I’m just a cadet candidate with a bright future. He probably doesn’t feel inclined to go as far as moving his family to protect me.

Ernst isn’t taking the current proposal seriously, but rather dismissing it as an action stemming from a young girl’s impetuousness.

“Mm, this is delicious. You should eat your Hawaiian… pizza too. I simply can’t bring myself to eat that food, haha.”

I could tell how indifferent he was to this situation from his behavior of not showing any displeasure outwardly and just recommending food with the same calm face as when we first met.

If I had been expecting Ernst to readily accept my request, it would have been a disappointing enough reaction.

“I’ll eat with gratitude.”

But I wasn’t discouraged. Even though I might have lost my appetite and be unable to eat even a slice of pizza, let alone the whole meal, I quietly picked up the crispy crust and put it in my mouth.

“Uh, mmm.”

It’s delicious.

The corners of my mouth lifted involuntarily.

Following the characteristic sweetness of the pizza seasoning, the unique savoriness of pineapple as a fruit hit the tip of my tongue. It was the most delicious Hawaiian pizza, including my previous life.

Ernst didn’t bring me to a cheap restaurant. At this level, he must have brought me to a quite expensive restaurant.

Gulp!

As I filled my stomach even slightly, a sense of fullness made my body comfortable. I reviewed the previous conversation with a more relaxed mind.

As expected, I was rejected.

Actually, this was what I had anticipated. It’s foolish to expect compensation from Ernst when I haven’t shown much except for the incident entangled with Wolf.

Today, I just laid the foundation.

I was satisfied with having made his acquaintance, even if I might be remembered with descriptors like a girl who bravely spoke without being intimidated by status, or a student who still doesn’t know the ways of the world.

As he said, wouldn’t it be more impressive if I demonstrate my true worth and then approach him?

It doesn’t seem like it will take too long until that day arrives.

“Is that… tasty?”

I looked at him as he grimaced at the pineapple topping. I wondered how he would react when we meet again after I reveal my true self.

“Chomp, yes.”

“……”

At least it wouldn’t be boring. With my mouth full of stretching cheese, I showed a bright eye smile.