The people who had come out to leisurely enjoy dinner from street vendors while watching the fireworks looked utterly dumbfounded.
“That’s a shame. They say if a couple drinks from that heart-shaped cup together, they’ll be together forever.”
“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll at least buy an empty cup for us… Wait, what? They bought out all the cups too?!”
The couple in front of us rummaged through the cart in disbelief, but it was completely empty.
It was chaos. People were protesting, demanding to know how this could happen, accusing the vendors of hiding their stock on purpose.
Most of the stalls around us were already cleared out, and the few that still had food left said everything had already been paid for and couldn’t be sold.
“Who on earth bought all this food at once?”
Standing in the middle of the noisy street, I was completely bewildered. But Kaibel, watching the grumbling crowd disperse, simply smiled playfully.
“Oh, I’d say it’s someone with a very small heart.”
“And who would that be?”
Unless they were planning a feast, it was clear that someone just didn’t want people gathering in groups to eat.
Seriously, how petty can you get? What’s the big deal about eating together at a festival?!
“Someone like that probably exists. Either way, there’s nothing left here, so shall we move elsewhere?”
In the end, we left the commoners’ district and headed to the nobles’ area.
Even though the two districts were right next to each other, they felt completely different.
Unlike the lively, bustling commoners’ district, this side was an elegant open-air café filled with the soft sounds of classical music.
‘What a shame. The other side was more fun.’
I definitely preferred wandering around and exploring over just sitting still.
Still, the outdoor café under the tent had its own charm. Since the people here were out to enjoy the festival, it felt more relaxed and exciting than a formal ball or banquet.
We found a good spot to watch the fireworks and picked out some tea and light snacks.
“Lemon pound cake, avocado sandwich… Anything else you’d like?”
“No, that’s fine. For drinks, how about Applelum tea? It’s been really popular lately.”
I naturally recommended it while looking at the menu.
Kaibel readily ordered from the waiter, and as we waited about an hour for the fireworks, we made small talk.
“When you return, will it be difficult to come back to Bermute?”
“Yes. And lately, my father has been pressuring me about my engagement more than ever, so I’ll be quite busy as soon as I get back.”
“Oh. You don’t have a fiancée yet? You’re older than Xian, so I assumed you already had a marriage partner.”
“Well, somehow, it just turned out that way. If you know any good ladies, would you introduce me?”
“No.”
“…That was a joke, but you answered really firmly.”
“I make it a rule not to meddle in other people’s love lives. It’s troublesome to get involved.”
“That’s quite unfortunate. I, on the other hand, have already gotten involved.”
“Oh dear. I don’t know who you’re caught between, but that sounds like a hassle.”
As I gave him a sympathetic look, our food arrived. I took a bite of the sandwich while watching Kaibel’s reaction.
“Oh, the aroma and taste are quite refined. But… This is the same tea we had at the Marchioness of Hessen’s estate, isn’t it?”
Kaibel, sipping his Applelum tea, nodded approvingly, seeming pleasantly surprised.
“The name sounds familiar too. Right? It was so good that I remembered it.”
“Yes, that’s right. The one you had back then was a gift sent to the Empress’s Palace before its official release, but it seems like it recently started selling on the market.”
I quickly answered, cheering inwardly.
I had been curious about the market’s response, and if even foreigners liked it, Applelum tea was likely to gain widespread popularity.
Great! If this goes well, I might even expand overseas!
“It’s unique, isn’t it? I love how it’s easy to drink without being too heavy.”
“I agree. And the blending is quite high quality…”
Listening to his praise with satisfaction, I glanced around.
Since the café didn’t have partitions, I could see what other people had ordered.
Peeking at the tea sets on nearby tables…
‘Almost everyone is drinking Applelum tea!’
It really was a perfect match for noble tastes.
Even new customers placing orders were mostly choosing Applelum tea. Since it was fruit-based, it was refreshing enough to drink like a regular beverage, and it was also known for aiding digestion.
Hehe, at this rate, I really might become a millionaire.
I smiled to myself as I watched yet another customer order Applelum tea, letting my mind drift into happy daydreams.
“…Oh, you shouldn’t drink that.”
“Hm? What did you say, young lady?”
At that moment, a girl sitting at the next table with her younger brother mumbled something loud enough for everyone to hear.
A curious noblewoman asked again, and after hesitating, the girl leaned in and whispered firmly,
“The Applelum tea. Everyone’s drinking it, but my little brother had some yesterday, and now he’s like this.”
She rolled up her brother’s sleeve, revealing his thin arm covered in red spots.
“The physician said Applelum tea has toxins in it. Sensitive people get rashes like this right away.”
Even through her mask, her expression was clearly distressed.
“I was worried since no one seemed to know, so I wanted to warn you. Drinking it for a long time is apparently very dangerous.”
She started listing various health risks in a hushed voice—stomach ulcers, breathing difficulties, weight gain, high blood pressure, and so on.
“Oh my goodness! No wonder it helps with digestion—it’s practically medicine!”
The noblewoman gasped in horror and immediately canceled her order.
A few other nobles, who had been subtly eavesdropping, hastily called the waiter to remove their tea sets. The commotion quickly spread.
Fortunately, the open-air café was large, so not too many people overheard. But once a rumor like this started, it was bound to spread like wildfire.
‘What do they mean, toxins?! Lindo made this himself!’
Besides, I drank it too, and when the Marchioness of Hessen and other noblewomen had it, there were no issues!
“Your Majesty?”
Noticing my expression change, Kaibel followed my gaze to the girl.
I downed the rest of my Applelum tea in one gulp and shot up from my seat.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
There was no way those two were ordinary kids.
People were already starting to complain to the waiters, demanding to know why an unsafe drink was being sold.
The soft classical music was now disrupted by an out-of-place commotion, drawing more attention.
Meanwhile, the masked girl was quietly slipping out of the café with her younger brother.
As I moved to follow them, Kaibel and a few of the distant-guarding knights immediately stepped in.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll go with you.”
They must have been worried.
‘Hmm, I wouldn’t mind the knights, but Kaibel coming along is a bit tricky.’
Still, if I hesitated too long, I might lose them.
“Fine. But from now on, this is our little secret. You can’t tell anyone else.”
“…Hmm. This seems like exactly the kind of situation where someone is getting involved.”
“Huh?”
“I swear I’ll keep it a secret. They just turned into that alley—shall we follow them?”
Kaibel whispered mischievously, pointing ahead.
What was that supposed to mean?
Blinking in confusion, I adjusted my mask properly and quickly followed.
Catching those two came first.
****
“Nuna, I’m hungry…”
*누나 (Nuna) in the Korean language, often romanized as “noona,” means “older sister.” Males use it to refer to older females. They can use this for family members or friends alike.
“Shh, Jamie!”
Mary hushed the child as they entered a dark alleyway.
“The cookies earlier were really good. Can’t we go back and get more? Please?”
“No. Once we go back, we’ll get bread, and we can all have dinner together.”
“But hard bread tastes bad…”
Holding Jamie’s hand tightly, Mary kept walking. She fixed her gaze on the ground, trying to ignore the hunger making her head spin.
Once she delivered the clothes and made her report, they’d get a week’s worth of food…
“Hello there.”
She froze.
Mary lifted her eyes to the hem of a dress in front of her.
A young woman with sparkling silver hair, wearing a half-mask, and a young man with striking red hair, also masked, stood before her.
“W-Who are you?”
Mary instinctively tightened her grip on Jamie’s hand. Her voice was tense, and the woman knelt slightly to meet her gaze.
“Can I ask you something?”
“…Me?”
Mary swallowed hard.
The woman smelled nice, and though her sharp, cat-like eyes peeked through the mask, her voice was gentle.
Every adult Mary had met until now carried arrogance in their eyes. But this woman’s violet gaze held none of that.
Unlike Pangston, who always scolded them harshly and resorted to hitting, she felt… safe.
‘She’s like a princess.’
As Mary stood there, slack-jawed, overwhelmed by this unfamiliar kindness, the woman spoke again.
“I heard your little brother has a rash on his arm. What’s that about?”
She flinched.
Snapping back to her senses, Mary licked her dry lips. This woman must have overheard her at the open-air café.
“I-It’s a secret… but actually, my brother drank Applelum tea and broke out in a rash. It’s itchy and burns a lot. I’m sure that drink is dangerous. You must not drink it.”
Just as Pangston had ordered her to, Mary repeated the words exactly, pressing down the pounding of her heart.
The woman’s eyes filled with concern.
“Really? That’s serious. If that’s the case, then even after taking medicine, he’ll have to stay isolated until he’s fully recovered.”
“…Huh?”
“Nuna! I have to stay alone? Why?”
“Well, because rashes are contagious, of course.”
The woman spoke regretfully and pulled Mary closer. Jamie whimpered in fear.
“No! I want to stay with Nuna!”
“But you can’t risk spreading it to her, can you?”
“Nooo!”
Jamie’s lips trembled, on the verge of bursting into tears.
Mary, flustered, looked back and forth between the woman and Jamie.
“R-Rashes are contagious?”
“You didn’t know? It’s a secret, but the rash from Applelum tea spreads to others. And once it does, it takes a long time to heal and hurts even more. So you have to stay apart from your brother.”
The woman reached out, gently holding Mary’s hand as if to lead her home.
Mary panicked.
Jamie had been abandoned by his parents. If she wasn’t with him, he would cry uncontrollably, unable to calm down until she soothed him.
“I’m fine. Just leave us.”
“But if you catch it too, you’ll get sick. How could I do that?”
The woman stroked her hair gently, sounding genuinely concerned.
Mary quickly dodged her touch, shaking her head.
She appreciated the kindness of this princess-like lady, but…
“I’m fine! We really don’t need help!”
Jamie’s cries grew louder.
Mary shoved the woman away and ran to Jamie, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“Nuna!”
“Don’t cry, Jamie. I’m right here!”
The boy sobbed and clung to her, his tiny body shaking. Mary patted his back, sighing in relief.
“…Hmm. So you really don’t care, huh?”
The woman stepped closer again.
Her cat-like violet eyes gleamed with an unreadable expression.
