Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Flower of the North Sea (3)
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"How is it?"
Seeing Adella arrive with the princess, I couldn't hold back my admiration.
Was this really the girl I knew?
Just with some makeup and neat clothes, the wild mountain goblin vibe had vanished completely.
Peeking into her head, she might still be about five parts human and five parts beast, but it was remarkable progress.
"Well... not bad. Let's have her do some light work first."
I prepared a tea set for brewing. Then I ordered her to make the most basic milk tea.
Clink, clink.
A faint clatter of porcelain mingled with a rich aroma wafting through the cafe.
Liv had mentioned tea ceremony in her liberal arts classes. Adella warmed the teacup quite skillfully and steeped the leaves.
Even to my untrained eye, there wasn't a single basic mistake.
As a film formed over the warmed milk, it blended with the lightly brewed tea, creating a beautiful hue.
And just like that, one cup of milk tea was complete.
Erzebet took a sip and nodded.
"Delicious. Thank you, Adella."
"Let me see."
As I reached for the teacup, she recoiled in horror.
"Wh-what are you doing!? I drank from that!"
"What, you got a poison capsule in your molars or something? Won't kill me, hand it over."
"N-no! Get your own! Piy! Bite him!"
"Piy—!"
"Kyaa! Why are you attacking me!? Piy! Are you insane!?"
Was this a skit? To keep Erzebet from spilling her tea while her familiar turned on her, I snatched the cup and took a sip.
Not bad at all. Selling a few teas and breads like this wouldn't hurt.
I flashed a firm smile and turned to Adella, who was gazing at me with sparkling eyes.
Her whole body screamed, 'Praise me, I did great!'
"Not bad. Good job."
The moment I went to pat her head, Erzebet stopped me from the side.
"Why mess up her nicely styled hair?"
Oh, right. I'd done it thoughtlessly before since she was always clinging, but yeah, consideration was lacking.
As I pulled my hand back, Adella pouted.
"So, we're hiring Adella, right?"
"Let's open the cafe in the evenings after regular classes end."
As a freshman, Adella had plenty of lectures to attend, and no time to handle the lunch rush at the canteen on top of the cafe.
Erzebet nodded in agreement. She beckoned me and moved behind the counter.
"Louis. I want Adella to gain a bit more culture and common sense."
"Yeah, well... same here."
"To that end, I can't deny—embarrassing as it is—that I need your help."
Need it or not?
"What are you getting at?"
"Give me your hand for a sec."
Erzebet examined my hand closely. Then she alternated glances at the vivid parrot always perched on her shoulder.
Oh, I see. From the magic duel last time when I touched this bird and it triggered. Luckily, I'd left it off while meeting them, so Erzebet found no traces.
"Strange. Haven't dabbled in any black magic lately?"
"Only thing I've touched is the cup you drank from, Princess."
"...Forget that. Anyway, Piy will drop by the canteen when Adella's working, so keep the window open."
"Not coming yourself?"
"I'll visit sometimes. But if I'm here, the other students will only focus on me, right?"
Her haughty blue eyes narrowed petulantly. Erzebet thrust the parrot toward me pointedly, conveying her plea.
"I'm deeply worried about leaving Piy in your hands, but for Adella's sake, I'll endure it this once. Just so you know."
"Piy—."
I wondered what made her trust me with it. No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like a casual handoff...
"Sounds good."
Well, I needed the extra hands anyway. A waitress was a blessing.
If she couldn't help with drinks, I'd handle tea and coffee. Serving should be fine. Having two pretty waitresses in the canteen was pure profit for the boss.
"Hee hee, Teacher, Teacher! Am I pretty? Did I pass?"
Adella giggled with a "hee hee" since "heh heh" was banned. Unlike me, holed up in the canteen all these years, she wasn't doomed to spinsterhood.
"Yeah, you pass."
"Yay~!"
Still, one noble was slightly pitied for mortgaging his life to her looks alone.
Averett Windguard was a knight with a solid career: former Penheim royal guard, reassigned to the Hooksclo Knights in Helzev right after the great war.
Whitelett's strong recommendation played a key role in her selection—needing someone with Helzev knowledge for the princess's escort to Pharenchia, not just any royal guard.
She couldn't guess the captain's reasoning for sending her, and she wasn't confident in bodyguard duty anyway.
Whitelett had told her to report major incidents first, but to Averett, Pharenchia was just a peaceful mid-sized city.
Aside from time teaching the boy Kal, she spent most days quietly shadowing Erzebet.
Erzebet Brunhart de Baor. Penheim's sole heir to the throne.
The princess's daily life, with her golden-melted beautiful hair, was the polar opposite of Averett's boring routine—endlessly busy.
She rose early at the royal villa outside the academy, starting her day with light tea and the international news paper.
Before classes, she read the morning paper, then handled backlog in the study: replies to nobles' requests, letters monitoring Thessaly's situation.
"Hello, Princess. The book you recommended last time was truly insightful."
"If it's not too much trouble, care for lunch together? There's a great restaurant on Tester Street!"
Once in the lecture hall, she mingled nonstop with other students.
Her main goal in enrolling at Pharenchia: build noble ties to solidify royal authority.
"Sorry, I have plans for lunch, Epsilon. But have you heard about the new cafe next to the canteen? Let's go sometime."
Penheim's sun-like next queen: warm smiles for all, elegant poise.
Sharp insights in class, spot-on answers to professors.
Students adored her.
'But why is she so cold to that one guy...'
The only one she frowned upon in the academy was Louis.
"Adella, time to clock in, right? Hurry up, we're short on time."
"N-no! I'm keeping my hair like this!"
"Don't be stubborn. Come here quick. Why dress nicely but always leave your hair a mess?"
After classes, she squeezed in lessons for Adella: basics, etiquette, manners, gait—transforming her bit by bit into nobility material.
Even after Adella hurried to the canteen with dainty steps, Erzebet had no alone time.
Academy workload was heavy, especially theory-heavy freshman year—memorization and review essential.
Till the bell tower chimed ten, she studied today's and upcoming lessons in the library.
Clatter, clatter...!
Her sole break: dozing in the rocking carriage back to the villa. Averett even held her breath to let her rest.
Home, another pile of letters from across Penheim, delivered by the butler.
Read them one by one, ponder overnight, reply in morning.
That was Erzebet Brunhart's suffocating daily grind.
"Ngh...! Hnngh!"
But today felt off.
Normally silent in rest, she kept emitting strange grunts from across the seat.
"Haa, haa..."
Legs crossed tightly, biting her lip—clearly troubled.
"Caught a cold, Princess?"
"Y-yes!? N-no! Ngh, it's not pain or... anything..."
Assassination from rivals? Poison in lunch?
Theories swirled, but Averett was at a loss.
Even her ever-present familiar was left at the canteen to check Adella...
'She'll be fine. Even royals have off days.'
She never snapped except at Louis, but better not risk her mood.
As Averett shifted and looked down—
"Kyaaaa—!!!?"
"Wha, Princess!?"
"Th-this pervert!!! Knight Averett! Turn the carriage! No, go fetch that canteen owner's head right now!"
"Pardon? What on earth...!"
Under the dim streetlights, Erzebet—flushed red from neck to porcelain skin—thrashed in the carriage.
"Teacher, Teacher~. Why ignore me for the bird?"
"Rumors haven't spread much, no customers yet. Need help?"
"No, not that... Do you like animals?"
"This one's special. Wanna touch? Chest meat's just like leg meat. Super squishy."
"Piy—."
"For real?"
"Yeah. Feel how tender. Tastes the same too..."
Louis licked his lips, thinking, Wanna try eating it sometime.