Chapter 78

Only when she put on her glasses did she feel like her true self.

Celestine d'Orleans, as usual, slipped out of the inn in the ancient city and put on her favorite silver-rimmed glasses, becoming just Celeste. The cold evening breeze caressing her cheeks felt pleasant.

The capital city of La Parisia, where Celeste lived, was also a city embraced by a river.

Perhaps because they were built in the same era, the two distant capitals had a similar appearance.

Princess Regent Celestine d'Orleans, the regent of the Eastern Kingdom, had come on an official visit to the ancient city, the largest stronghold in the northern part of the Empire. This visit, of course, was not for leisure.

The political season had arrived in the Eastern Kingdom.

Her younger brother Yugo, once mocked as a child king, was now twelve years old. It was about time for him to take on the responsibilities of governance.

As the Princess Regent who had long handled politics and diplomacy, Celestine would step back. In a sense, it was like an abdication.

There was one issue with this abdication.

It wasn't Yugo's ability. This brother, who shared the name of the legendary founder of the nation, was excellent even in the eyes of his sister Celeste. He showed glimpses of talent that surpassed their father, known as the Holy King.

The problem was the neighboring country.

The Empire.

A giant dragon that had competed with the Eastern Kingdom for centuries.

Whenever this country had a capable ruler, it would exert terrible pressure on the Eastern Kingdom. This had happened many times in history. During the reign of the previous emperor, it was precisely the case. If their father, a genius king, had not been there, the Eastern Kingdom would have had to drastically redraw the balance of power.

Therefore, the power of the Empire had to be reduced.

In ten years, Yugo would be able to handle it. This was not just a biased opinion of his sister but a cold, political assessment. To buy those ten years, Celestine d'Orleans was here.

However, Celeste, the "glasses-wearing" version, had a different idea.

She was just nineteen years old.

A sheltered young lady, finally freed from that office. The tedious paperwork that should be done by the king, Yugo, was being handled by him. He would be confused at first, but that's why there was a bureaucracy.

So, it was only right for her to stretch her wings a little. After all, she had dedicated everything to the country, the royal family, and her brother for so long.

Celeste took out a bundle of parchment from her bag. It was a report from the Curator of Strange Tales.

"Pub Nob, huh. I wonder what kind of place it is."

There was no substitute for actually walking through a foreign city.

The atmosphere, smells, and noise couldn't be conveyed in a report, and you couldn't see things at eye level from a carriage. Celeste, with the help of her maid, would occasionally slip out of the inn like this.

Of course, she was careful about her safety. She didn't go too far from the inn and avoided dangerous places. Usually, she only took short walks.

But today was different.

She was going to eat at the pub mentioned in the report by Jean-François Mauvent de La Vigny. The target was kushikatsu. This was something she absolutely had to try.

As a royal woman, it was considered unseemly for Celeste to eat too greedily, and her options were limited. Fritters, which she was not allowed to eat, were excluded from her meals. Her brother Yugo, on the other hand, ate them endlessly to build his body.

So, Celeste's goal was to conquer kushikatsu.

The report's descriptions, such as "pork is righteous when fried" and "shrimp becomes sweet when fried," were hard to believe, but they certainly whetted her appetite. It would be strange not to want to eat after reading such things.

She walked across a wooden bridge over a waterway.

This city had many bridges. Kicking the remaining snow from the morning into the water, she watched it float and melt before sinking. It was oddly amusing, and Celeste realized she was smiling naturally. Just walking was somehow enjoyable.

As she walked down the street lined with stone houses, she saw a sign in the imperial language that read "Stable Street."

If the report was accurate, the pub Nob should be on this street.

She took a small deep breath and stepped firmly on the muddy road. It was a small step for the residents, but a big step for Celeste.

"There it is."

Her worries melted away instantly. A store with a distinctly foreign atmosphere stood before her, built of wood and plaster. The appearance of the store matched the report. The sign had characters she had never seen before, but it was definitely the right place.

With a mix of tension and anticipation, she reached for the glass door. Pulling open the frosted glass, she found the inside of the store warmer than expected.

"Welcome!"

"…welcome."

The greeting was just as described in the report, which made Celeste feel happy. She was standing in a place she only knew from parchment. It was oddly amusing.

She was led to a counter seat. The hot towel and appetizer came out just as the report said.

"What would you like to order?"

"Kushikatsu, please."

She ordered clearly and loudly.

This was something Jean-François had emphasized in his report. Speaking in a low voice would not only make her suspicious but also embarrassing. The black-haired waitress, after a moment of surprise, bowed deeply with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have kushikatsu today."