Chapter 17

Matthew's turn is over.

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It's not a serious matter, you know. If it were, I wouldn't have called you as an afterthought—Lady Emily spoke casually, but to Matthew, it was a big deal. Matthew, though a successful merchant, was still a commoner. He had never experienced a one-on-one meeting with a lord before.

He felt not only honored but also in danger. As a commoner who frequently traveled to the capital and ingratiated himself with the lord's precious granddaughter, it would be best to assume he had already made a bad impression—thus, Matthew steeled himself and followed the maid's guidance.

"Sir Scott, I have brought the guest."

"Aye, let him in."

Matthew entered the guest room, guided by the maid. He thought it was a rather austere room. There were no gaudy paintings or glaring gold. A table and chairs made of dark, glossy wood were the only furniture. An elderly man sat there, sipping tea.

"I apologize for calling you so suddenly. I imagine dealing with my granddaughter's whims must be quite a challenge."

The elderly man who spoke looked like any ordinary old man. He wore a thin tunic and cotton trousers, and was barefoot in sandals—a rather casual outfit. If he were called a street corner tobacco seller, it wouldn't seem out of place at all.

"Oh, no, not at all!"

"Just a casual visit, so don't be so formal. Go ahead, take a seat and have some tea."

"Wh-what?"

To Matthew's surprise, the lord himself started pouring tea into a cup.

But at that moment, Matthew somehow understood that the elderly man before him was indeed the lord. Nobles from prestigious families often have specific preferences for the strength of their tea, whether to add sugar or honey, and whether to add milk before or after. The teacups, glasses, and the way the lord held them all gave a sense of such refinement.

"It's delicious."

Scott poured the tea into a ceramic glass and handed it to Matthew. The glass felt cold, and the chill was immediately felt. It was a hot and humid day, so the cold drink was welcome. However, Matthew felt uneasy.

"I, I will drink it."

Moreover, Matthew had recently tasted tea made by Jill. He didn't expect to feel the same excitement as before and took a sip without much expectation.

"B-but this...!?"

However, Matthew's prediction was proven wrong.

"Is it good?"

"It's a wonderful taste... It's exactly like the one she made... Even more authentic than Jill's..."

The moment Matthew took a sip of the iced tea, the scene of the secret restaurant bloomed in his mind. The taste was so similar to what he had experienced in the past.

Jill's iced tea was a vivid and youthful taste for Matthew. The umami from the tea leaves felt the same as the tea he had drunk in the past, but it had a sharper edge and a cinnamon aroma to compensate for the fragrance lost by chilling. It was a developing beauty, trying to be tailored to his taste.

But Scott's tea was a finished product. The umami, the smooth and deep mouthfeel, everything was the same as the tea he had drunk in the past. It was a perfected beauty, infused with the will to preserve tradition.

"Hmm. My skills haven't dulled, then."

"I never imagined the lord would have such skill."

Matthew took another sip, then another.

"There's plenty more. Don't rush."

Scott looked at Matthew with a smile, as if watching something amusing.

"Excuse me, but how did you learn to make it this way...?"

"How did I learn? I learned directly from Lord Conrad."

"Lord Conrad...?"

Matthew was taken aback by the unfamiliar name. Scott sighed deeply at his reaction.

"Come now, Matthew. You must have been there before, right? Lord Conrad's secret restaurant. I know who he invited, so don't pretend you don't know."

Matthew almost choked when he heard this. He thought no one knew he had been to the secret restaurant except for the friends who went with him.

But upon further reflection, Matthew realized it couldn't have been kept secret. He had gone through the gatekeeper to leave the city, and there were other people in the restaurant besides Matthew and his friends.

The owner of the restaurant.

"Is Lord Conrad the owner of that restaurant?"

"Is that so? You didn't know?"

"I've never heard of it. I was invited as a child, and it wasn't something I could talk about much..."

"Well, then I'll explain. Listen carefully."

Lord Scott gave a sly smile.

"Ah!"

"No, I'm just joking. I told you not to be so formal."

"Y-yes..."

Matthew thought the old man was rather laid-back. But he also felt it was typical of a lord from a relaxed region.

"First, the Forest of Temptation and its mansion. That place is not part of my territory. The forest and the mansion are an independent domain."

"…Not part of Shelton's territory!?"

"Yes. The lord of that forest is someone of high status who has made a mistake or displeased the king. They cannot return to the capital unless pardoned... essentially, it serves as a prison."

Matthew was so shocked he forgot to compose his expression. But when he heard that it was a prison for nobles, he finally understood who Conrad was.

"A prison...? Then, Lord Conrad is...?"

"He is the elder brother of the current king, Alan. He was exiled to the Forest of Temptation for his advice to the previous king. However, he was called back to the capital 17 years ago to raise King Alan's daughter."

"...So that's why he suddenly disappeared from this town."

"Yes, and..."

"He died in the war."

Matthew's gloomy words were met with a small nod from Scott.

"Those with unfortunate fates are sent there. ...And the one who governs Shelton is responsible for monitoring the residents of that mansion to ensure they don't cause trouble. This is part of the pact with the royal family. Therefore..."

Matthew swallowed hard, bracing himself for the worst.

"I wanted to go to that restaurant every week... but my position prevented me from doing so...!"

"Oh, r-really?"

"It was delicious, wasn't it!"

Matthew's exasperated mutter was met with an angry response from Scott.

"Excuse me... but it was indeed a wonderful taste."

"Yes, a great loss. I would have liked to meet him again... I had a feeling he might not be alive, but it's sad not to be able to repay his kindness."

"Damn that foolish king. Even if Dylane gains wealth, the entire island will only become poorer. Things will be very bad in ten or twenty years. We might return to a warring state."

Matthew decided to remain neutral and not react to Scott's words.

Indeed, the current king is hated by many, but being known to openly criticize him could be dangerous.

"Lord, thank you for the conversation. I understand the history of that mansion now."

"Oh, right. I got off track. You went to the mansion in the forest, didn't you? I know from the town gatekeeper, so don't pretend you didn't. Speak honestly."

"Y-yes."

"The current owner of that forest is Lord Jill. How was it?"

Scott used an honorific when referring to Jill, indicating her status. This confirmed Matthew's suspicions.

"I apologize for asking a question with a question, but... is she really the former Princess Jill?"

Matthew, who frequently traveled between the capital and the regions, had heard political rumors, including the possibility of the first princess, Jill, being disinherited. Scott's nod confirmed Matthew's suspicions.

"Yes, that's correct. She is the daughter of King Alan and Queen Bazalde... raised by Lord Conrad. I want to hear your honest impression."

"Speaking frankly about a noble might be disrespectful..."

"Hmm."

"She's a bit clumsy but very honest and a good child."

Scott burst out laughing.

"Lord Conrad was the same when he first arrived. He caused a lot of trouble when he started the restaurant..."

"R-really?"

"But you're a lucky one. From the looks of it, Lord Jill made the tea for you, right? How was it?"

Scott gave Matthew a sly look. But for Matthew, it was no longer a surprise, knowing that the owner of the secret restaurant was a royal.

"Probably using the same tea leaves as Lord Conrad, it was carefully made. The taste was different, though."

"How was it different?"

"Well... it had a smooth throat feel, perfect for a hot day. But the depth of the tea leaves was more pronounced in Scott's tea."

"Ha ha ha. Lord Conrad used to prepare iced tea with cold water for reserved guests. I copied that method."

"Cold water?"

"Yes. Instead of brewing tea with hot water and then cooling it, you brew it with cold water from the start. It takes time and is a bit troublesome, but the taste is better."

"Such a simple method can produce such a taste..."

Matthew was genuinely impressed.

Though he was particular about tea, he had a fixed idea that it should be brewed with hot water. Iced tea was once considered unorthodox and only became popular in the last twenty years. There was still room for development in how iced tea was enjoyed in the Dylane Magic Kingdom.

"By the way, Matthew. Does Lord Jill have any particular interests or things she wants to do?"

"Interests or things she wants to do?"

Matthew was momentarily on guard at the question.

If asked what a royal exiled from the castle wanted to do, the first thing that came to mind would be to restore their honor. But from Matthew's perspective, Jill had no such ambition. He was unsure how to convey this.

But Scott smiled wryly, as if sensing his hesitation.

"Not in a formal sense. Like Lord Conrad, who wanted to run a restaurant, or someone who wants to paint or run a café. Just something like a hobby."

"Oh, I see."

Matthew relaxed and recalled Jill's words.

"...She wants to make and sell clothes and accessories. I recently bought a hat from her and gave it to Lady Emily as a gift for her pregnancy."

"A hat, huh? Lord Conrad was also a man of many hobbies."

"Why are the people sent to that mansion all hobbyists...?"

"That's a secret."

"H-huh?"

"I'm not joking. Don't pry into it."

"...Y-yes, sir!"

"If you try to uncover the secrets of the forest or break into the mansion and anger the lord of the forest... I can't protect you, no matter who you are."

Scott's expression was serious, unlike when he was chatting casually.

Matthew involuntarily swallowed hard. He felt that there were still many mysteries surrounding Jill and the mansion. It was as if Scott was driving the point home.

Scott probably expected this message to be convincing to the townspeople. Matthew felt this was the main point of the conversation.

"...Huh? So, I shouldn't uncover the secrets of the forest... but I can talk about Lord Jill's identity?"

"That will eventually come out. Lord Conrad's identity wasn't a secret either. He just didn't introduce himself openly, but those who noticed did. It was hard to explain to children, so your generation probably didn't know much."

"I see."

"Still, she's in a difficult position. You understand, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm not asking you to do it forcefully, but if you can, watch over her within your means."

A former royal who was being neglected.

Anyone drawn to her status and position would be a dangerous presence. And this lord was secretly monitoring such dangerous individuals. Matthew himself was being watched. It felt like he was being recruited from the watched to the watcher.

"I understand."

"But she seems to be living peacefully and doesn't seem to be the type to abuse power. I just hope she's not as mischievous as Lord Conrad."

There was a gentle and somewhat playful tone in his words. Matthew felt the same way. He wanted to see what the people living there would create and what kind of future they would envision.

"But it's good to watch over young people."

"Yes, it is."

Matthew took another sip of iced tea, refreshing his dry throat from the tense conversation. The adult he had admired as a child was very different from what he had imagined.

He had to carry the burden of secrets.

He had many worries.

His legs and back were heavier than when he was in his teens.

He was preoccupied with his own affairs, yet he had to watch over others.

He washed away such fatigue with the refreshing taste of tea.

"Can I have another cup?"

"Yes, go ahead. I'm also getting hungry. Hey, do we have any tea snacks?"

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