Yustia Banquet (7)
Iriel Yustia wasn't particularly sharp-minded, but she possessed extraordinary memory in two specific areas.
One was her sense of taste.
She had a tongue so sensitive that she could identify the name and flavor of any bread, right down to where it was sold and how long ago it had been baked.
The other was her sense of sight.
When it came to beautiful things, her aesthetic eye was unmatched.
Especially makeup, clothing, shoes, accessories.
She had a habit of committing to memory anything beautiful that adorned or clothed the body.
Perhaps because she'd recounted that day's events to Zeke at the Yohayden mansion two days prior.
Even after ten years, she was certain: these were the shoes she'd seen back then.
Tacky shoes with large Nike wings prominently embedded.
Though worn from age, they had been preserved so meticulously that every detail—the size, shape, texture, even the scratches—matched her memory perfectly.
On that day,
Iriel had been saved from bandits by a man wearing those shoes.
Of course, Zeke had been the one to actually dispatch the enemies, so she'd all but forgotten about it.
But that didn't mean she felt no gratitude toward the man.
Without him, Zeke might not have found and reached her in time.
Who knew what might have happened to her in the meantime.
'These shoes... only high nobles above marquess rank could afford them...'
That's why Iriel had initially assumed someone from Hilais Bakery had stolen them.
But a father's keepsake?
"Wait a second. Your father... he wasn't a commoner, was he?"
Iriel asked in a flustered voice.
"...He was a commoner, right...?"
"But these..."
Iriel examined the shoes in her hand, bewildered.
No matter how she turned them, they were unmistakably genuine—not fakes.
Soy frowned at Iriel's scrutiny.
Her mother had so carefully packed them away in the box, and here was a stranger yanking them out like that.
Even if it was Iriel Yustia, this felt rude.
"It's my father's keepsake. That... it's something my mother treasures. You shouldn't touch it."
Zeke quickly grasped the situation.
'Hmm, so... the man who saved Iriel that day was wearing those shoes...? Not the 2nd Prince?'
If so, then Iriel wasn't the heroine.
That shattered the assumption of the romance novel ending ten years prior.
'Then the heroine must be Soy Spoon after all!'
With so little knowledge of the novel he'd possessed into, even the tiniest clue set him off.
'Sorry, mudskipper.'
Zeke silently apologized for treating her like mere bread delivery fodder in the past.
It was his fault for not holding onto that initial mudskipper investment till the end.
And as a bonus, he now knew Soy Spoon's father wasn't some ordinary commoner but high nobility.
'Hero Spoon—marquess rank at least. Yeah, makes sense. An upright, justice-driven guy like that wouldn't last long among those slimy power players.'
Zeke nodded.
All while hypocritically likening it to his own dark fantasy days.
He couldn't know the exact circumstances, but probably some noble scandal had blown up, forcing him to go undercover as a commoner.
Then enemies from his old life tracked him down and took him out.
That odd name 'Hero' must've been one he'd chosen himself.
'So when Soy Spoon marries the male lead later, the status issue resolves itself.'
Zeke marveled at his own deductive prowess.
As Zeke sorted his thoughts, Iriel spoke up.
"How much do you know about your father...?"
"...Father? Not much. He was always out before he passed."
"...I see."
Iriel pondered.
A bakery girl from commoner stock.
Truth be told, just making bread that suited her palate perfectly was enough to earn high marks.
In joint classes, she could even have her sit beside her if she wanted.
Turning someone of sufficient value into one of her followers didn't depend on birth—commoner or not.
Her willful personality was ironically egalitarian, treating everyone equally regardless of station.
After all, above a ducal house, only imperial blood outranked her.
Everyone else was beneath her.
She could be petty as hell toward enemies, but she looked after her own with impartial care.
That's why, despite the bad rumors swirling around her,
her followers genuinely adored Iriel.
And now, this girl's father was the man who'd saved her as a child.
Iriel glanced around the room.
'Cramped, filthy. And unclean.'
Four pillows suggested the whole family crammed into this tiny space for sleeping and eating.
Having now fully decided Soy Spoon was hers, Iriel didn't like the room's state one bit.
'At least some dignity is in order.'
"Elise."
"Huh?"
"Take it."
Iriel handed over the shoes.
"Sorry for grabbing it like that. Didn't know it was a keepsake."
"Ah, no, it's fine. Seems like it has a story. Sorry I snapped at you."
"Yeah. Your father saved me ten years ago."
Iriel told Soy straight out.
"He saved... you? Ten years ago?"
Soy's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yes. So, have you ever thought about moving the bakery somewhere bigger? I could build you a house too. It'd just be pocket change for me, so nothing extravagant."
Soy clamped her mouth shut.
It'd be a lie to say Iriel's words didn't shake her.
'Making life easier for my family and earning more money—that's my dream... and she offers it just like that.'
Accepting her goodwill and entering the Yustia fold would mean unparalleled warmth.
A chance like this came once in a lifetime for a commoner.
Turning it down would be sheer idiocy.
It almost felt like her long-gone father pushing her toward it from beyond, saying he'd prepared it for her.
Iriel downplayed it, but it'd surely be great.
Just that restaurant from the demo class finale had blown her mind, yet Iriel had critiqued the meat's doneness and cheese notes while eating.
When such a girl praised her bread? Soy had been over the moon.
Iriel had raved about how delicious it was,
even showing up the next day herself.
Recalling that, Soy let out a soft pfft of laughter.
"No. It's okay."
Soy ultimately turned down the sweet offer.
"Hilais Bakery is something my mom and family built together. Moving to a fancy new shop and house... it'd be nice, sure, but the bread probably wouldn't taste the same anymore. You said you love our bread, right? What if the flavor changed—would that really be okay?"
Soy grinned playfully.
"...Th-that would be a problem, wouldn't it."
"See? It's fine. Still, it feels nice somehow. I know nothing about my dad. But hearing he saved you... makes me kinda proud."
"O-of course! Saving me is worthy of the highest praise!"
Iriel tilted her chin up haughtily.
'Hmm. Still, doing nothing feels off.'
As she mulled it over, Zeke cut in.
"First, let's do the mana road work. Staying too long will worry your family outside."
"Ah."
"I-I'll cover your eyes!"
Serena, who'd been wearing a complicated expression between Soy and Iriel, hurriedly scanned the room.
"Th-this work?"
Soy pulled out a white cloth.
It was the wrapping cloth she used daily as a handle for Zeke's baguette.
"Yeah, that'll do."
Serena took the cloth and blindfolded Zeke.
'Pfft.'
Zeke didn't look entirely unlike a seasoned blind swordsman,
but the "[Hilais Bakery ♥]" printed where his eyes should be was hilarious.
"Turn around and take off your top."
Even in that ridiculous state, it didn't feel off.
She'd thought it was some noble prank at first, but no.
And her father saving Iriel?
Somehow, she felt closer to them now.
Even with the status gap, they could be friends.
With a relaxed mind, she unbuttoned her training uniform.
"Th-this can't... Ah, no. Why..."
"This is betrayal... That insolent..."
Iriel and Serena stared at Soy's body in shock.
Soy Spoon usually wore clothes two sizes too big.
During academy time, buying new ones when growth outpaced them was a burden.
Iriel's eyes shook violently.
Not as absurdly massive as Serena's, but this was her ideal.
Beautiful teardrop breasts.
Softly swelling volume.
Flawless skin.
If there was a perfect aesthetic form, this was it.
Loving beauty as she did, Iriel unconsciously grabbed them.
"Kyaa! D-don't!"
Soy twisted away, ticklish.
"How did this happen? Does eating bread three meals a day do this?"
"It-it just grew like this, what do you mean how?"
Serena sighed in relief.
"Good thing the instructor's eyes are covered..."
Of course, overhearing them, Zeke was just as curious—but he scolded himself inwardly.
'I'm here to check mana roads. Not ogle her body.'
"Hand on your back."
Zeke reached out.
His fingertips touched a deep dimple.
"Ahh! Th-that's my, my waist."
Swish.
"Hnnngh!"
As his hand traced up her erector spinae, Soy shuddered.
"Seriously lucky we covered his eyes."
Serena muttered with dead eyes.
Vmmm—
Zeke infused mana into her body.
'What the hell is this. Again. No, why are all the women in this romance novel like this?'
Zeke's eyes glowed, piercing the white cloth.