The Princess and the Temple of Gastronomy
The sharp click of Rene’s heels echoed through the street as I held her hand. Walking beside such a stunning woman drew every eye in the vicinity. The attention felt burdensome—men and women alike fixed their gazes on us. The men stared because she was beautiful; it was only natural. The women watched her with open envy and longing. She really was that lovely.
Rene strolled along as if the stares didn’t touch her. Was she simply used to it? Gradually I began to feel the men’s jealous glares shifting toward me. I had only meant for us to take a short walk, but this much scrutiny was too much.
“This won’t do. We should take a carriage.”
Rene gave me a puzzled look. I waved down a nearby empty carriage. Once we were both inside, I asked her about the designer the clothing shop had mentioned.
“Wait, is that Jean Jacques guy really that famous—”
“It’s Jean Jaro, Master.”
“Anyway, is this Jean Jaro person truly that well-known?”
She looked at me as if I had asked whether the sky was blue.
“Jean Jaro is the imperial court’s exclusive designer—an elf who has served for over three hundred years. How could you not know of him?”
“An elf working as a designer? That’s ridiculous.”
I had once trained an elven slave back in the United Kingdom. Their pride was so immense that treating them like ordinary slaves drove them to suicidal frenzy. They simply could not be broken the way humans could. And yet one of those same haughty elves worked as a designer for nobles?
“I have met him a few times when he fitted me for dresses. His personality is… rather eccentric.”
An elf who made clothes. He sounded nothing like the elves I remembered. Just thinking about the past made me tired. Training elves was notoriously difficult. They possessed mental fortitude far beyond humans, and if you crossed a certain line they would throw themselves into death with insane ferocity. The one saving grace was that even in Bairen—where slavery was legal—owning non-human slaves remained strictly illegal. So at least while I operated here, I wouldn’t have to deal with any elves.
Old, unpleasant memories surfaced. I turned my gaze quietly to the window and spoke to Rene.
“Anyway, we’re stopping at the general store first to buy writing tools and a notebook, then we’ll have dinner. Is there anything in particular you’d like to eat?”
She answered without much interest.
“Just… anything is fine.”
It made sense. She had only recently become a slave; it would be strange if she still had strong preferences. Still, since we were already out, I decided to treat her to something truly delicious.
There was one restaurant in Bairen that was quite famous. I had never gone because it was expensive—a course-only establishment that charged five silver per person. Rumors claimed the ingredients came straight from heaven. Of course, I thought that was nonsense. Just marketing to emphasize how luxurious it was. But today, I intended to go there.
Given how mentally exhausted she currently was, feeding her something exquisite might make the upcoming training schedule smoother. The better I treated her, the better the results in her training. Naturally, I was also aiming for the classic whip-and-carrot effect. The price was steep, but… if it succeeded, it would be a profitable investment.
Lost in those thoughts, the carriage arrived at the general store. I stepped down first and offered her my hand.
“Careful as you descend, Miss Rene.”
She took my hand and stepped out gracefully.
“Thank you, Master.”
She even knew how to express gratitude now. A small improvement in manners. Taking it as a good sign, I opened the door to the general store and walked in.
— Ding —
A clear chime rang out. Inside, the store was packed with all sorts of miscellaneous goods. More than I expected. While I looked around, an old man sitting behind the counter reading a newspaper called out.
“Welcome.”
“Hello. I’d like to buy some writing instruments and a notebook.”
The old man glanced back at his paper.
“Writing tools are on the front shelf, notebooks on the one beside it. Take a look and bring whatever you like.”
What a laid-back owner. If someone stole something, he’d be none the wiser. Following his instructions, I found quill pens, fountain pens, pencils, and the like neatly displayed. I could just pick out the writing tools and leave.
I nodded toward the shelf. Rene approached cautiously and began examining the pens. After studying them carefully, she picked up a bundle of quills with striking blue feathers. In this world, writing instruments—except fountain pens—were sold by the dozen. She selected an ordinary-looking bundle and inspected the nibs that would fit the quills. I turned my attention elsewhere.
There were all kinds of practical items: travel knives, flint and steel, and plenty of other odds and ends. Was that a travel bag? It looked quite sturdy.
While I browsed, Rene returned to the counter carrying the writing tools, ink, and notebook in both hands. There probably wasn’t any way she could use these to escape… Had I been worrying over nothing? I had suspected she might try to acquire tools for running away, but it didn’t seem to be the case. Given how resigned she had been yesterday, she might genuinely want to keep a diary. Or perhaps she had intended to buy escape items but gave up because I was watching her so closely.
“Is that everything?”
The old man flipped a page of his newspaper and glanced at the items on the counter. I nodded.
“Yes. Please ring these up.”
He gave them a quick once-over.
“One silver and fifty coppers.”
One silver and fifty coppers. I already knew writing tools were expensive in this world, but the quills Rene chose were among the cheaper options. Even the inexpensive ones cost this much. I clicked my tongue inwardly, pulled out my checkbook, and asked.
“Will a check be acceptable?”
The old man smiled.
“Of course.”
I wrote out the check, handed it over, then placed our purchases into a shopping bag and asked Rene,
“Do you need anything else?”
She furrowed her brow in thought.
“Hmm… nothing in particular.”
We hailed another carriage and headed for the restaurant I had in mind.
The restaurant’s exterior, seen from the carriage, resembled an ancient Greek temple. If one of those old temples had survived intact, it might have looked exactly like this. Without the signboard, no one would guess it was a restaurant. It looked more like a place where one might cook basilisks or medusas from Greek mythology.
Rene’s eyes widened slightly when she saw the sign.
“Are we really going there?”
[Leau de Beaujour]
“Yes. Do you know this place?”
She nodded.
“It’s one of the most famous restaurants in Bairen. My friends always said the food here is incredibly delicious.”
It was considered the best in the city—and priced accordingly.
“Then let’s go in.”
I opened the door. A waiter greeted us warmly.
“Welcome. We at Leau de Beaujour sincerely welcome you. Do you have a reservation?”
“No, we don’t.”
Seeing how crowded it was inside, I regretted not making one.
“I’m terribly sorry, but the only seats available are in a private room. Would that be acceptable?”
The waiter looked genuinely apologetic. Private rooms were usually reserved for conversations that shouldn’t be overheard or for meetings between nobles. Naturally, they cost more. This was going to be even more expensive than I anticipated. Still, backing out now would make me look bad. Women cared about appearances, especially slaves whose status reflected their master’s social standing. I deliberately kept my expression casual.
“That’s fine. We’ll take the private room.”
“Then allow me to escort you. This way, please.”
The waiter led us and Rene up to the second floor. We passed several doors arranged like those in a hotel before he opened one and asked,
“Have you visited us before?”
“No, this is our first time.”
The waiter smiled.
“Then allow me to give you a brief explanation. Our restaurant offers only a single course menu. Every day, our chef carefully selects the finest ingredients to create a new course, and we consider it our greatest joy to present our guests with the very best cuisine.”
Did he really need to explain at length that the menu changed daily?
“Then we’ll have the course for two, please.”
The waiter handed over the menu and continued.
“Our courses are best enjoyed with wine, as it brings out the full depth of flavor. You must select a wine. If you’re unsure which pairs well, I would be happy to recommend one.”
…What a shameless up-sell. Maybe I should let Rene choose. I passed her the wine list.
“Would you like to pick something you enjoy?”
She nodded. After studying the list, she ordered a particular wine. The waiter bowed and left the room.
Once he was gone, silence settled over the private room. Feeling awkward, I spoke first.