A Leisurely Tour of the Reichland (2)
The moment we opened the door and stepped inside, the female staff called out in perfect unison.
“Welcome to Cafe Lyonnaise!”
I had only ever visited the street stalls on the main avenue, so the upscale shop felt completely new and fascinating.
The interior was decorated with refined furnishings and ornaments, though the color scheme gave it an unmistakably girlish atmosphere.
The uniforms the staff wore were pretty and cute as well.
Coming straight from a high-end restaurant made the contrast feel even fresher.
Lua’s eyes darted around in every direction, completely captivated by the shop’s vibe.
Among all the details, one thing stood out in particular: a longsword mounted decoratively on the wall.
When we took our seats, a server approached, knelt gracefully, and prepared to take our order.
It was the first time I had ever received such attentive service, and the novelty kept coming.
“Have you visited our shop before?”
“No, this is our first time. Instead, here…”
I handed over the special invitation ticket Delphine had given me. The server’s eyes sparkled instantly.
“You possess one of these? Then you’re no ordinary guest, are you?”
She sprang to her feet and called out loudly.
“Attention, everyone! Our guest has arrived with a special invitation ticket!”
The staff burst into cheers and broke into enthusiastic applause.
While Lua and I stood there flustered by the unexpected welcome, every employee in the shop lined up neatly in front of our table.
“Honored guests, welcome!”
They all bowed deeply at the waist in perfect sync.
I felt a little dizzy from how over-the-top it was, but seeing Lua’s eyes spinning with delight made me think the ticket had been worth using.
Still, this level of attention was awkward.
Once was more than enough.
When the extravagant greeting finally ended, the staff returned to their respective duties.
“Brother, when exactly did you get something like that…?”
“The delegation gave it to me as a gift when they arrived.”
“They gave you an invitation that can only be used in the Empire as a present?”
As expected of Lua. She doesn’t let even the smallest detail slide.
I was sweating, trying to come up with an excuse, when the server who had first approached us returned with two menus.
One of them was clearly special, covered in elaborate decorations.
“This is the regular menu, and this one is the limited menu available only with the special invitation ticket.”
Both menus featured detailed illustrations and thorough explanations of every item.
I started with the regular menu and immediately recognized many familiar pastries.
“Those are brand-new items that just came out yesterday. We tested them at our main avenue branch, and they sold out twice in the blink of an eye. They’ve become quite famous.”
No wonder they looked exactly like the ones Delphine had made.
“By the way, where did you obtain that invitation ticket, if I may ask?”
“About that… just a moment.”
I gestured for the server to lean closer so Lua wouldn’t overhear.
Fortunately, she was quick-witted and promptly brought her ear near.
I whispered softly.
“I received it from someone named Delphine.”
“Delphine? Oh, then…”
The server dashed straight into the kitchen.
I could hear her calling out, “Delphine!”
A moment later, one of the staff burst out from the kitchen at full speed.
It was Delphine, still wearing her apron.
She must have been in the middle of baking, because the moment she reached us, a rich, sweet, comforting aroma enveloped the table.
“Guest! What perfect timing—you came while I was actually here! Oh?”
Delphine’s flushed face, still pink from rushing out, turned toward Lua.
“And who is this adorable young lady?”
“She’s my little sister.”
“Goodness, last time you came with a splendid lady, and now you’ve brought such a cute little sister…”
My mind went blank for a second.
A splendid lady?
“A splendid lady?”
Damn it.
Lua shot me a quick sidelong glance.
“Brother, I thought this was your first time in the Empire. Was I wrong?”
“I’ll explain that later. For now, let’s order first.”
“No, I need an explanation right now… Eek!”
“Come now, none of that! Let me explain the menu instead! This one is our shop’s bestseller. There hasn’t been a single person who didn’t love it! And this one here…”
Delphine smoothly cut in and interrupted Lua.
Her passion was truly extraordinary.
Thanks to her, Lua’s glare quickly shifted to the menu, her eyes sparkling at the sight of all the unfamiliar cakes and pastries.
She kept nodding along to Delphine’s explanations, too absorbed to spare me any more attention.
Delphine, you’re a lifesaver!
She might be a bit dense, but I was grateful she had the sense to block Lua’s questions with sheer enthusiasm.
The special invitation ticket not only granted access to exclusive items but also came with extra discounts.
I didn’t really need the discount anymore, but there was no reason to turn down any available benefits.
Delphine personally took our order and brought the food out herself, then asked curiously.
“Now that I think about it, what do you do for a living? Our prices are a bit high for younger customers.”
“I’m a prince, and my sister is a princess.”
“Oh come on, sir. I can see why you’d be with such a splendid lady. I meant your actual occupation.”
“We really are a prince and princess.”
“Sure, sure… next joke, please.”
Her lack of tact seemed to cause more problems than it solved.
I was wondering how to convince her when I noticed our carriage parked outside the window.
It was the royal Solea carriage we had arrived in.
“That is the carriage we arrived in.”
“Which one?”
Delphine looked out the window.
Passersby had gathered to admire the ornate vehicle.
Her previously carefree eyes suddenly widened.
“You’re nobility?”
“I told you, we’re royalty. From Solea.”
“Huk. Just a moment, please.”
Delphine set all the dishes down on our table and hurried back into the kitchen.
“What?! Why are you only telling me this now?!”
A powerful female voice boomed from the kitchen.
Soon after, a woman with an unmistakably commanding stride emerged.
Her gait was far too confident for a mere kitchen worker.
“Please forgive me for not recognizing you sooner. I am Marta, former knight and current manager of this establishment.”
A former knight. That explained the distinctive walk.
“If it’s not too much trouble, could I ask both of you for your autographs? I would like to commemorate this honorable occasion and display it in the shop for years to come.”
“That’s no trouble at all. Lua, are you okay with it?”
“I don’t mind.”
Marta bowed deeply once more.
“Thank you. As a token of gratitude for your signatures, everything you order today will be on the house.”
“Excuse me? But I understand all the items here are quite expensive…”
“Not at all. The fact that royalty from another nation have visited us is far more valuable. It will surely bring us many more customers in the future. If anything, I feel ashamed that we cannot offer you even more.”
The treatment we received was nothing short of royal.
Dishes we hadn’t even ordered kept arriving, all personally brought out by Manager Marta and Delphine.
They explained in detail what made each item special.
From the additional information, I learned that the shop’s name, Lyonnaise, came from Marta’s family surname.
It was a lineage that had produced female knights for generations.
Marta herself had belonged to a knight order, but after discovering her passion for cooking, she left to open the cafe.
Her younger sisters remained in the order, and even after starting the business, she had never forgotten her knightly mindset.
“Anyway, Delphine, you’ve done well.”
“It’s all thanks to our guests. They sold out twice because of him.”
“I had no idea those were test products.”
“I was the one who was shocked. I thought you had such refined dignity, but to think you were actually a prince.”
“Delphine.”
“Y-yes!”
Marta gave a stern warning to Delphine, who had been giggling happily.
“No matter how kindly they treat you, maintain proper etiquette. These two are royalty.”
“Understood, Manager…”
After receiving such exceptional service, both Marta and Delphine escorted us all the way outside and saw Lua off.
“Thank you. We look forward to your next visit.”
They even finished with a formal knight’s salute.
The food and atmosphere were clearly geared toward young women, yet the manager was like this.
After receiving their farewell, I was about to climb into the carriage when Lua caught my sleeve with her small hand.
“Can we walk for a bit instead?”
“We still have so many places left to visit. Won’t your legs get tired?”
“That’s not the problem.”
Lua’s face had turned into a perfect pout.
Had something upset her?
“I ate way too much. All that food, plus pastries, cake, and drinks! I’m definitely going to gain weight!”
She gently rubbed her stomach.
Even though she was only eleven and still utterly adorable, I kept forgetting she was a proper young lady now.
“Then shall we walk? I was told there are some nice sights nearby.”
Marta and Delphine had kindly recommended several worthwhile spots to me, since I wasn’t familiar with the area.
I instructed the coachman to follow slowly behind us, then took Lua’s hand and began strolling down the street.
Our clothes were rather distinctive, and Lua’s cuteness drew plenty of eyes.
But without the luxurious carriage, we simply looked like nobles taking a walk.
We had come to the Empire with complicated purposes, yet seeing Lua’s genuinely happy expression made me think that occasionally enjoying ourselves like this wasn’t such a bad idea.