Chapter 7

Via got off the carriage at a suitable spot and immediately found a money changer in a corner of the neighborhood.

"Would it be alright to meet here?"

Aleks hurriedly grabbed Via's arm as she was about to leave with a lively voice.

"Are you planning to go out alone?"

"No, I will take Evbeck with me, just in case."

Speaking of Evbeck, he was touching his clothes, which looked like what a low-ranking knight would wear, as if he was not used to it.

Incidentally, Evbeck's family is a well-known noble family, ranking high among the Ancheze. Although he is not the heir, he remains in the Antore Knight Order due to his upbringing and lineage, which is far better than Via's.

Of course, walking around the lower town while hiding his status was a first for him, and he looked uneasy as he glanced around.

"Don't get involved in any trouble, and don't leave my side."

Via was disappointed that she couldn't walk around the lower town freely, but she was grateful to be taken out, so she obediently followed Aleks' words.

Reluctantly, she took out the emerald necklace from her hiding place and asked Evbeck to exchange it for money. Evbeck made a pained face at this unexpected and difficult task.

"Me?"

For someone like Evbeck, who was raised well, visiting a money changer who also acts as a pawnbroker was a first.

He alternately looked at the emerald in his hand and his superior, Amon, who nodded for him to go. Evbeck reluctantly headed to the money changer, his broad back slightly hunched.

Amon himself, who had permitted this, followed closely, seemingly interested. He probably wanted to see how useful Antore's knights could be in the city in case of an emergency.

As expected, Evbeck, who had never exchanged anything before, was quickly taken advantage of by the shop owner and bought out cheaply.

Via, who thought the price was clearly fraudulent, couldn't help but rush to Evbeck's side.

"Are you sure you didn't make a mistake with the price?"

Gently pushing Amon's hand, who was trying to intervene, Via smiled at the shop owner casually.

"What, little girl, do you have a complaint?"

The shop owner, realizing that the complainant was a girl, scolded her without remorse.

He was about to make a huge profit. He was not happy to be interrupted.

"Forty capes? This shop can't even see the value of stones?

This emerald should be worth at least five hundred."

Via quickly calculated that it could fetch 550 to 560 at a main street money changer.

That's more than enough for a family of four to live on for a month.

"How much would you put on it, little girl?"

"Five hundred eighty."

"Don't be ridiculous. At most, five hundred thirty."

"Five hundred sixty."

"No, five hundred forty," the shop owner said cautiously.

"It's a flawless piece. If you put it in a box and sell it, it could fetch six hundred."

After all, it was a gift from the emperor to a concubine. Ideally, it would come with a box and a certificate, but he couldn't bring such a traceable item.

"Five hundred fifty. I can't offer more."

It was a reasonable price. Via acted quickly.

"That's fine. I'll take it."

She handed the gold coins, which were a large amount, to Evbeck.

Even in the capital Midas, which is directly under the emperor's jurisdiction, there are plenty of thieves and robbers.

Incidentally, when Via comes alone, she doesn't choose such back alleys. She doesn't know what kind of trouble she might get into.

"Do you always do such things?"

Aleks asked in a small, exasperated voice. Via nodded happily.

"Expensive jewelry that makes noblewomen gasp is actually a problem for me. I find it hard to dispose of.

That's why my mother, when she asked her master for something, always chose something inexpensive and small."

She didn't use the word "emperor" because she didn't know who might be listening.

"Speaking of which, such modesty was interpreted favorably by her master, but, well, I can't tell the truth."

The more he heard, the more the image of the exemplary concubine, Empress Tsity, seemed to crumble. Aleks dropped his shoulders.

"Well, it's fine. Don't leave my side too much."

Aleks, after warning Via, walked through the lower town with Gruuk and the others.

Gruuk, who was most familiar with the lower town, talked to the shop owners.

He skillfully got them to open up about the security situation, hygiene, and changes in prices.

On the other hand, Via, who was walking quietly behind, spotted a food called Capita and her eyes lit up.

"Evbeck, could you buy that food for me? I want to try the strawberry Capita."

Capita is a pastry made by kneading crushed almonds into the dough and wrapping fruit filling inside, then baked. It is wrapped in leaves to make it easy to eat.

"Are you planning to eat something that hasn't even been tested for poison?"

Amon, who followed, couldn't help but speak up, hesitating to leave the inexperienced Evbeck as a guard.

Basically, when taking the prince to the city, they only drink water from the water bag they bring. It's to avoid any problems.

But Amon's subtle warning was lost on Via, who was used to street food.

Then, she tore the newly bought Capita in half and offered it to Evbeck.

"Try it?"

"Me?"

Via thought, "That's the same line you used earlier."

"It's a poison test. Just eat it."

While glancing at his confused superior, Evbeck obediently took a bite of the Capita.

After slowly savoring and swallowing it, he found it wasn't bad and said to the princess with a smile.

"It seems to be fine."

It was a known procedure, but if it was necessary, there was no choice.

Via, excited, opened the package further and took a small bite of the Capita she had been looking forward to.

Amon, having missed the chance to stop her, stood helplessly by her side.

He didn't know what to say to the princess, who was enjoying the walk more than Evbeck.

Meanwhile, Via was thoroughly satisfied with the Capita.

She had tried to make it at the Purple Jade Palace, but without a dedicated kiln, she couldn't achieve the crispy texture.

"This place uses good strawberries."

When she talked to the young shop owner, he blushed and stammered.

"How about the mango one?

It's hard to get usually."

"Sure, I'll take that too."

Not knowing what to do, Amon decided to report this behavior to his master.

Via, not noticing that Amon had left, asked Evbeck to buy it with her eyes.

Aleks and the others were still talking at the previous stall. They could take their time.

When Evbeck brought the mango-flavored Capita, he ate it without complaint this time.

"How does it compare to the previous one?"

"I prefer the previous one. This one is too sweet."

"Do you not like sweet things?"

"Yes."

Via also took a bite of the Capita. Without the acidity of strawberries, it was indeed sweeter.

Via, who could handle this level of sweetness, slowly chewed the Capita. She liked light cookies but sometimes craved very sweet pastries.

"If you don't like sweet things, do you drink alcohol? Is there alcohol served with the knight order's meals?"

When she asked if even twelve-year-old Celty drank, Evbeck replied that alcohol was forbidden until they received their knighthood.

"Is it true that people dance when they drink?"

Evbeck, taken aback by the pinpoint question, grunted.

"People do dance... and I often hear that they cry or laugh a lot."

He added in his mind that some people also wanted to take off their clothes.

"Drinking is a scary thing."

Via, who had been sniffing the air, suddenly turned around, sensing a delicious smell.

It was probably grilled meat. Via's eyes lit up as she looked around excitedly.

"What are they doing?"

Noticing that Via had disappeared, Aleks looked around and saw her waving her hand slightly from a side street.

He was surprised to see the princess eating standing up and sharing food with the knight Evbeck, who looked like a lover.

"Princess, you shouldn't eat without testing for poison. She made Evbeck do it."

Amon reported in a weary tone.

It seemed they were having a lively conversation.

It didn't seem to be a flirtatious conversation, but Aleks didn't like the way they looked so happy.

"Via"

Approaching and pulling her hand, Aleks saw Via, who had just taken a bite of a skewer, hastily wipe her mouth with the tip of her little finger.

"I thought I shouldn't interrupt such a lively conversation."

" Eating in a place like this..."

He was about to scold her when a piece of meat was put in his mouth.

"It's been tested for poison."

Before his subordinates could say anything, Via cut them off and turned to Aleks.

"Do you like it?"

Aleks, who had no choice, chewed. He wasn't averse to meat, and he was hungry from walking.

"It's good."

When Aleks said this, Via looked pleased.

"This is grilled with a salt sauce. It's strange how much better it tastes than what we eat at home, even though it's a simple dish."

In this case, "home" probably referred to the palace.

While the dishes there were elaborate, eating only cold, refined dishes could make one appreciate freshly made, simple dishes.

Aleks, who often ate such dishes in the knight order, understood this.

"Have you tried others?"

When he asked, Via shook her head.

"I heard this was the best and decided to try it. But the other skewers look delicious too."

Via, eager to eat, was looking at various skewers.

Among them, the skewers with plenty of spices seemed to catch her attention.

"That red one looks delicious."

Aleks, having no choice, bought the skewer for her.

"Oh, will you eat it with me?"

Asked with a breathtakingly beautiful smile, Aleks couldn't help but say "Ah."

It was a matter of male instinct.

"Your Highness... Young Master"

Almost saying "Your Highness," Louis quickly corrected himself.

"Don't eat just anything."

"I'll taste it for you."

Via took a bite of the skewer she received from the shop owner, savoring it before smiling and offering it to Aleks.

Aleks, smiling wryly, took a bite. It had been years since he had been fed by someone.

"How is it?"

The tone suggested, "It's delicious, right?" Aleks replied that it would go well with alcohol.

"Do you drink, Your Highness?"

Aleks couldn't understand why Via was so surprised.

"Men who don't drink are rare."

"...Then, do you dance?"

Asked in a lowered voice, Aleks looked down at Via.

"What are you talking about?"

"I was told by Evbeck that people dance when they drink."

Aleks, finding the conversation sometimes incomprehensible, suppressed a rising laugh.

"I don't have that bad a drinking habit.

What about you? Do you dance?"

When he asked, Evbeck replied regretfully that he had never drunk enough to dance.

"I can drink Shil wine, though."

"That's not really considered alcohol."

Seeing the two masters enjoying their food, the four attendants exchanged glances and shrugged.

"We might as well enjoy ourselves too."

Feeling hungry, Amon muttered, and Gruuk looked around, saying, "Sure."

Luitas suggested, "We could take turns eating in pairs."

Evbeck, who said, "Is that okay?" was given a look by Amon that said, "Don't you say that."

"You were enjoying it so much just now."

Amon thought to himself that that had sparked the prince's competitive spirit.

Evbeck, completely unaware of this, hung his head, saying, "I've never done such impolite things in the middle of town before."

"Still, it's been a long time since I've seen the prince so happy."

Gruuk, pointing at a stall and watching the two laughing, muttered.

It had been a while since he had seen the prince laugh out loud.

Perhaps it was around the time the prince, realizing that the only way to survive was to seize the throne, started on the dark and long path to power.

Surrounded by those who tried to curry favor, those who tried to trip him up, and those who kept their distance, anyone would become disillusioned.

That princess was different.

She was unconventional, positive, intelligent, and yet had a genuine warmth.

Gruuk thought she might become an irreplaceable concubine for the prince.

But if the prince fell in love with Concubine Viatora, Gruuk would have to eliminate that concubine, he thought bitterly.

The indispensable presence of the empress, necessary to solidify the prince's power.

The empress would never allow the prince to love Concubine Viatora.

And for the prince to firmly secure the throne, he needed to marry a legitimate wife with a strong backing.

Gruuk didn't want to see the prince sad.

Sighing, Gruuk strongly prayed that the prince would not fall in love with that princess.