The Princess and Her Apple Pie (Part 1) She returned to her true self when she put on her gla.s.ses.
Celestine de Oiria slipped out of Aitheria"s inn via the usual way and put on her favorite silver rimmed gla.s.ses, transforming into "just" Celes. The cool evening wind felt pleasant on her cheeks.
Celes lived in La Parisia, a city that encompa.s.sed a river, much like Aitheria.
Was it due to both cities being built in the same time period? These two capitals were far apart, but had similar features.
The Princess regent of the Eastern Kingdom, Celestine De Oiria, was visiting Aitheria, the largest strategic stronghold of the Northern Empire.
The season of politics had arrived in the Eastern Kingdom.
Her younger brother Hugh, who was sneered at for being a child king, had become 12 years old. It was about the age where he could begin to partic.i.p.ate in politics.
As the Princess Regent, Celestine had been involved in politics and diplomacy for a long time. She had now taken a step back from it all; in other words, it was like abdicating the throne.
However, a problem arose.
It wasn"t Hugh"s ability. Her younger brother, who bore the same name as their country"s founding father, had excellent character from what Celes" could see. He was already showing flashes of talent that exceeded their father, who had been known as the "Holy King".
The problem was the neighbouring country.
The Empire.
For hundreds of years, the Eastern Kingdom had been competing for supremacy with the "Giant Dragon".
Whenever the Empire was ruled by a great and wise leader, the Eastern Kingdom would be placed under immense pressure. History had shown it to be the case numerous times; it had also happened during the reign of the Empire"s previous Emperor. If it weren"t for Celes" father being a talented king as well, the Eastern Kingdom would have had their power and influence dramatically reduced.
That was why it was necessary for them to reduce the Empire"s strength.
Hugh would have some achievements to his name in ten more years. This wasn"t an a.s.sessment made as a biased older sister, but rather as a level-headed politician. Celestine de Oiria was here to buy him those ten years.
However, the "Bespectacled" Celes had other ideas.
She was just 19 years old.
The girl in the cage, whose beauty surpa.s.sed that of fresh blossoms, was finally freed from working on official matters. King Hugh, the one who was originally supposed to be handling the troublesome paperwork, had now taken over. It would be confusing at first, but the government officials would support him.
Therefore, it would be fine if she let her hair down a little. It was a well-earned privilege for Celes, who had spent so many years devoted to her country, the Royal Family, and her brother.
Celes retrieved a bundle of parchment from her bag. This was a report from the Collectors of Mysterious Tales.
「Izakaya n.o.bu, huh. I wonder what kind of shop it is.」
There was nothing better than to walk and see the sights in cities of different countries.
The report could not convey things like the atmosphere, smell, noises, and other ambiences that were hidden when one travelled using a carriage. At such times, Celes collaborated with her lady attendant to sneak away from the inns.
Of course, she was careful about her safety. She never wandered far from the inn, and she avoided dangerous looking places. She usually restricted herself to taking a little stroll.
However, this time was different.
She wanted to eat at the pub that was reported on by Jean Francois Monte de la Vinnie, a member of the Collectors of Mysterious Tales. Her objective was the kus.h.i.+katsu. She most definitely wanted to try it.
The things that Celes could eat were limited, as it was improper for a royal lady to eat so freely. Fritters were not allowed, so they were excluded from her meals. On the other hand, her brother could eat until he was sick of it, all under the pretense of "building his body".
For that reason, Celes" aim was to conquer the kus.h.i.+katsu.
She couldn"t make sense of the report, which had phrases like “Frying pork is justice,” and “Shrimps taste sweeter when deep fried,” but it definitely gave off an appetizing feeling. It was rather amusing that she couldn"t help but want to eat it after reading about it.
She walked across a log bridge that was laid across a waterway.
This was one of the many bridges in this town. When she kicked some of the remaining morning snow, it fell into the waterway, where it floated for a while before melting into the water. Celes found it strangely interesting, and when she realised it, she was smiling naturally. She was just on a simple stroll, but it was fun and amazing.
As she walked through the streets, where stone houses laid parallel to one another, she saw a sign written with the Imperial language that said "Inns & Stables Street."
If the report was true, a shop known as Izakaya n.o.bu should be on this street.
She took a small, deep breath and advanced while cautiously navigated her way through the muddy road. It may have been a small step for the residents along the street, but for Celes, it was a big one.
「S-so it"s here.」
However, her worries were cleared away in an instant. The shop, which was built with wood and plaster, stood before Celes" eyes, exuding a foreign atmosphere. The appearance of the shop had been written down on the report. Even though the signboard was written with characters that Celes had never seen before, there was no mistaking it.
With nervousness and antic.i.p.ation on her mind, she placed her hand onto the gla.s.s door.
When she pulled open the frosted gla.s.s door and entered, the shop was warmer than what she had expected.
「Welcome!」
「…"elcome.」
The greetings were as stated in the report, which made Celes feel a little delighted. She was now standing in a place she had only read about through parchment. It was somewhat fascinating.
She was guided to the counter and took a seat there. Just as reported, a warm towel and appetizers were served.
「What would you like to order?」
「I"d like the kus.h.i.+katsu please.」
She ordered with a clear and loud voice.
It was repeated many times in Jean Francois" report. If she had spoken in a soft voice, it would not only make her appear suspicious and strange, but it would also make her embarra.s.sed. In response Celes, who had mustered all of her courage into her voice, the black haired waitress made a blank expression and bowed her head to apologize.
「I"m very sorry. We can"t serve kus.h.i.+katsu to you today.」