The Doll Princess of Hildeburg
A few days later, the story about the Hildeburg family I'd seen in the newspaper had completely slipped my mind. Aside from the princess in the portrait being unrealistically beautiful, it had nothing to do with me.
Besides, I didn't like nobles much. They looked down on commoners because of the status they were born into and the wealth they'd inherited. Even back in my adventuring days, I'd seen plenty of nobles who were inferior to me in every way except their rank acting all high and mighty.
So yeah, I couldn't help but view noble scum through colored glasses.
"No customers today either, huh... It's been a while since I last missed Irit."
I muttered to myself, propping my chin on the counter. It was another utterly slow day.
I'd watered the herb pots on the roof and tilled the soil out front for a new vegetable patch. As the saying goes, good cooking starts with good ingredients, so I was growing some of my own to make us a bit more self-sufficient.
With all that done by late morning, things were quiet again. Teasing Aris by giving her silly tasks was fun, but if I overdid it, it stopped being a joke and turned into actual bullying, so I kept it moderate.
"Maybe I should step out for some air."
"Ah! Me too~! Take me too~!"
As I stood up, Aris immediately tagged along. I just wanted a quick breath of fresh air. There was a hill behind the restaurant overlooking the forest, and taking deep breaths while gazing into the distance always cleared my head.
I headed out the door toward the hill, but then...
"...Hm?"
Something was approaching from far off. Looking closer, it was a carriage.
My first thought was, who brings a carriage all the way out here?
Misikdang Slow was in a rough spot to reach. There was a path connecting to the city, but since it was an area with little traffic, it wasn't well-maintained. Adventurers didn't mind, but it wasn't fit for carriages. The wheels probably wouldn't survive.
"Boss, looks like someone's coming~? It's a carriage!"
"I'm already seeing it."
"A customer? Is it a customer~?"
"Who knows..."
There was no reason to take this road unless they were heading to the restaurant. Past it lay an even rougher path into the monster-infested forest. The other directions were blocked by massive mountains, so even traveling merchants or traders avoided this route.
The carriage was clearly coming straight for us. And it wasn't alone—several riders flanked it on both sides. Even from afar, the vibrant colors and heavy ornamentation made it obvious this wasn't a merchant's wagon.
A noble, maybe...
"Oh? It stopped moving!"
Just then, the carriage grinding along the path toward us came to an abrupt halt. The riders dismounted, creating a scene of chaos.
"...Wheel must've gotten chewed up."
"Eek, isn't that super bad? What if they're customers...?"
"I'll be right back. Watch the shop."
I started walking toward the carriage.
"What kind of road is this! Is there really a restaurant way out here?!"
A young man who had stepped out of the ornate carriage grumbled. The wheel was half-smashed, caught in a rut and snagged on rocks.
"S-sorry, milord! We'll fix it as fast as we can!"
The coachman, sweating bullets, pulled tools from a leather bag and fussed over the wheel.
Hoo... quite the exalted guest, it seems.
"Who goes there! Halt! Do you know who this is?!"
As I approached, two armored soldiers leveled spears at me and shouted.
"Here to help, if you'll let me."
I spoke calmly, scanning the situation. Nobles varied wildly in caliber. Some were hollow shells clinging to empty titles with barely any land left. But this group seemed from a powerful house. The carriage was decked in gold and jewels, the guards' gear was top-shelf, and the two white horses pulling it gleamed with healthy coats—likely from a major territory.
"Should've just ridden horses instead of the carriage."
"I asked who you are! Any funny business and—"
"He's the owner of that restaurant up there."
You guys are the ones who came looking... The retort rose in my throat, but years of adventuring had taught me patience with nobles.
"Oh... the restaurant owner? Of Misikdang Slow?"
The highest-ranking young man—the apparent leader—approached and asked me directly.
Weird. My place isn't that famous.
"That's right. I'm Klaus, owner and head chef of Misikdang Slow. May I have the honor of your name?"
I bowed slightly and asked politely.
"I'm Hirel, eldest son of the Hildeburg ducal family."
A duke's heir, huh. He didn't look that old—early twenties, maybe late teens. Handsome face, every gesture dripping with noble poise. At his waist hung a silver-embossed scabbard, more decorative bauble than practical weapon.
Without preamble, young master Hirel thrust a piece of paper at me.
"This is..."
It was our restaurant's promo flyer. I'd paid an ad agency to distribute them in cities, and apparently they'd spread farther than expected. Maybe our marketing was working better than I thought?
Wait—no, hold on—
The ultimate experience you can't taste anywhere else—no menu!
Whatever flavor you desire or dream of, we'll prepare any dish with flawless skill!
Fantasy flavors realized through grand magic!
We don't serve general customers, so please understand.
※Reservations only※
Has our flyer's wording changed? The promo copy seems a bit more sensational now...
"'Any dish with flawless skill, fantasy flavors through grand magic'... That true?"
Hirel asked, holding out the flyer.
"Yes, it's true."
"Any thing?"
"No limits on orders, but I decide whether to accept. Costs are set by ingredients and effort. What I guarantee is satisfaction."
I smiled, explaining our concept. A duke's son or not, I wasn't intimidated. Mages in this world weren't bound by worldly status. Turn one into an enemy outright, and sure, you'd be in trouble—but nobles hated making mage foes too. Mutual respect, basically.
"You should do something about the road to your place. Customers might turn back."
Hirel clicked his tongue at the busted wheel.
"That's the point—it's hard to reach on purpose. Only the truly desperate come this far. If it's just fancy expensive food you want, the capital's full of great restaurants."
"Hoo..."
He nodded, intrigued.
"Anyway... let me fix that wheel first."
Pitying the frantic coachman, I stepped forward, pausing our chat.
"Restoration."
⟨ Restoration ⟩
I placed my hand on the shattered wheel and chanted. Originally for reviving overripe or spoiled ingredients, but repairing a wheel was easy to conceptualize.
"Ooooh..."
The coachman gaped as it reformed to pristine condition.
"There—reattach it, and it'll roll fine. I'll add protective magic for the way back, so tough it out. Next time, leave the carriage behind."
"Th-thank you, sir."
I waved off the coachman's thanks and turned back to Hirel.
"So... you're here as customers? Shall we discuss details inside?"
"Yeah, let's."
He nodded, mounting a horse. Looked like they were ditching the carriage here. I led the distant guests back to the shop.
A strange tension hung in the restaurant.
Young master Hirel sat at a table sipping tea, four heavily armed guards standing stock-still behind him, weapons at the ready.
Aris the kelp-ghost waitress had panicked, unsure what to do, and hidden in the kitchen depths.
You... you're still the waitress, y'know.
I chatted with our noble guest.
"Anyway, we're fully reservation-only. We take orders, quote a price and visit date."
"No house calls? We're in a bit of a bind right now."
"House call?"
"Actually..."
Hirel sighed deeply and spilled an unexpected tale.
"My little sister's marrying into another house soon. Match is set, wedding date approaching—but a snag came up."
"I see."
I responded dryly. Family politics weren't my business.
So, they want custom cooking or something.
"Lately, she says nothing tastes right—barely eating at all."
Ah... noble lady's loss of appetite issue.
Reviving finicky noble palates was child's play.
Then, a newspaper article from days ago flashed in my mind. Hildeburg... Hildeburg...
Ah!
"Your sister... she's the one called the Doll Princess...?"
"You know her well. Yes, Rosaria Hildeburg. My sister."
I'd seen it recently and totally forgotten. Our guest this time... the portrait-beauty herself. The Doll Princess, Rosaria Hildeburg.