Chapter 41

Well, today we're going for a stroll around the capital. I received a reply that Mimosa would accompany me, and I've been looking forward to it.

"…Miss, it's time to get ready."

Tanya called out to me while I was doing my daily yoga. Oh, it's already that time. I hurriedly took a shower and started getting ready. Since we're going to the city today, I changed into my "Alice" outfit.

"Mimosa has arrived."

"Then have her wait in the next room. I'll be there soon."

Once I was ready, I went to the room next to mine. This room is also part of my suite, but while the room I just left is my private space, this one is more like my personal reception room.

"Good morning, Mimosa. I'm sorry for making you come so early."

"Good morning, Alice. Oh… that outfit suits you very well."

"Thank you, Mimosa."

Mimosa is also dressed more casually today since we're going to the city incognito. She looks like a merchant's daughter.

"By the way, I'll be Alice in this outfit."

"What's that?"

Mimosa seems very interested.

"It's an alias, an alias. I don't want to use my real name in the city… Besides, changing my name changes my mindset, you know."

It feels like being an actress. When I'm called by that name, it's like I'm in character.

"I see… Then I'll be Misha."

"Got it. So, Misha, shall we go? …Before that, let me introduce you. Tanya, you know them, but these two are Lyle and Dida, who will be our guards today."

The two men, who had been standing behind me, bowed when I introduced them. I recognize Lyle, but Dida usually seems so laid-back, which makes me feel a bit odd.

"Nice to meet you… but I've heard your names before, so it doesn't feel like the first time. Thank you for today. And these are my guards, Harry and Dan."

Harry and Dan, who were standing behind Mimosa, also bowed.

"Harry, Dan. Thank you very much."

I greeted them as well. Harry and Dan have a very guard-like presence, a bit intimidating. But at least they're wearing civilian clothes, which is a plus.

"Alright, let's get going. First, we'll head to a café in the capital. They serve chocolate pastries and desserts. They also specialize in herbal tea, I think."

When we arrived, it was bustling with people. There was a line of people waiting. They keep the prices low, so most of the customers are from the city, not the nobility.

"Let's join the line."

"…Excuse me, Miss Alice. Shouldn't we use your name to get in?"

Tanya gently suggested. Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing, as if question marks were floating above their heads.

"If we do that, the purpose of coming without prior notice would be lost. We need to see how the service is, what kind of products they offer, and how the customers behave. I've set aside the whole day, including the waiting time."

"Understood. I apologize for overstepping."

"Misha, we'll be walking and waiting quite a bit today. Is that okay?"

"Yes. The more we walk, the hungrier we get, which is perfect."

"That's good to hear."

After waiting for quite some time, we finally got inside. …We might need to expand the shop. I'll think about it after seeing the inside.

The shop is divided into two spaces: one for take-out and the other for the café.

Hmm… Maybe we should build a separate place for the take-out section. It takes up a lot of space and is similar to a regular confectionery shop. However, some people might want to buy something after eating. In that case, should we move to a larger location or open a second branch? Hmm, it's a tough decision.

"Welcome. How many are you?"

"Seven."

"I'm sorry, but if you don't mind being seated in two different areas, we can seat you immediately."

"That's fine."

So, we were seated separately. When I looked, the tables were quite close to each other. I, Mimosa, Lyle, and Tanya were at one table, and the other was Harry, Dida, and Dan. At first, Tanya tried to balance the groups by sitting at a different table, but she was hesitant about being separated from me. Then, Mimosa offered to switch with Harry. From a security standpoint, I was a bit unsure, but Mimosa said she felt safe with Lyle and Dida. …It seems our two guards are highly trusted.

I ordered a cake set, and Mimosa ordered a fruit platter with chocolate sauce. After placing our orders, we waited and chatted lightly.

The café's system is that the waitresses write down the orders on paper and send them to the kitchen. They clip the paper to a wooden tag with a number and store it at the cash register. The number on the tag matches the number on the wooden tag at each table. The wooden tag at the table has a bare wooden surface on one side and a white surface on the other. When all the orders are ready, the tag is turned to the white side. If there's an additional order, it's turned back to the wooden side. Of course, when an additional order is placed, it's added to the paper at the cash register before the order is sent to the kitchen.

Additionally, since the calculations for the bill were complicated, I introduced an abacus. I'm glad I learned how to use an abacus when I was a primary school student in Japan. The staff were initially confused, but now they're very skilled. They've also become faster at mental calculations, which has been well-received. I'm considering whether to introduce abacus lessons in the primary school curriculum of the domain.

While chatting and thinking about these things, our orders arrived.

"Wow… it looks delicious!"

Mimosa started eating, looking very happy. In my case, I always get to try the new dishes created by the chef or Merida, so there's no sense of novelty. However, eating in a restaurant is different from eating at home.

"…Mmm!! It's delicious!"

Mimosa said, looking very satisfied. It makes me happy as if it were my own achievement.

"That's great to hear."

The service and the food are still excellent despite the busy day. It makes me happy to see how hard everyone is working.

"By the way, why did you decide to open a café?"

Mimosa suddenly asked. I noticed that her plate was already empty.

"There's no specific reason. I just thought it would be nice to use the good ingredients we have… that's all."

"It's amazing that it became so popular."

"In my case, I've been blessed with a good environment."

Not just the environment, but also my friends like Tanya from childhood. I really feel blessed.

"…Well, let's go to the next place."

While chatting, I finished my meal. After paying the bill, we left the café.

"Next, we'll go to the beauty shop. Let's take our time and enjoy the city."

The café and the beauty shop are quite far apart, so we have to walk a bit. Along the way, we'll look at the shops and check the general prices in the capital.

"…Oh?"

Suddenly, I stopped walking.

"What's wrong, Alice?"

"I thought I just saw Lady Yurie…"

She was hard to see in the crowd. Usually, she stands out because she's always surrounded by people, but this time, I thought she was alone or with one or two others.

"Maybe you saw wrong. She would never come here alone."

"…You're right."

Maybe it's because I talked about her with Tanya after meeting Mimosa last time. Her presence might have been lingering in my mind.

I regained my composure and headed to the next shop.