Volume 6, Chapter 22 – The Night at De Madura (1)

“Now then, this is where we’re having dinner tonight.”

With those words, Char led me to “De Madura,” an ultra-high-end restaurant that I would absolutely never enter on my own.

Incidentally, Madura refers to the plains region in the southern part of the White Moon Kingdom.

You reach it by taking the highway southwest from the Royal Capital and crossing the Vantour Mountain Range.

“My, what a magnificent establishment.”

“Oh, I often eat here when I visit the Royal Capital. Fiene, you are a Saint Candidate, are you not? Should you not be getting used to such things?”

“No, I mean, I do end up eating with presidents and emperors and the like, but it’s rarely enjoyable. I prefer eating boisterously with people I can truly relax around.”

“I figured you’d say that, so I made sure to reserve a private room.”

Char puffed out her chest as she spoke, and I wasted no time in thanking her.

“Is that so? Thank you, Char.”

“I anticipated as much.”

“As expected of Char.”

When I said that, her face turned bright red once again.

I couldn’t help wondering whether she could really handle the subtle political maneuvering expected of a noble lady when her emotions were written all over her face, but according to Chris-san, she only becomes like this around Hugues-san and me, so I suppose it’s fine.

She’s likely the type who becomes extremely affectionate once she lets someone into her inner circle.

“Welcome, Saint Charlotte-sama, Saint Fiene-sama. We have been expecting you.”

A handsome waiter guided us to a private room at the back of the restaurant.

Chris-san and Hugues-san, who had been accompanying us as guards, were shown to a separate room.

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Apparently, the restaurant was safe enough for that.

“Here is the aperitif menu. Which would you prefer?”

“Let’s see… I shall have the bergamot. What about you, Fiene?”

“Um, I can’t drink alcohol yet…”

“In that case, how about some alcohol-free sparkling wine?”

“Um, yes, I’ll have that, please.”

Despite saying so, I wasn’t entirely sure how it differed from carbonated grape juice.

“Fiene, are you wondering how it differs from grape juice?”

“Eek! How did you know?”

“It was written all over your face. It’s made by using magic to remove the alcohol from finished wine, so the taste is still quite close to the real thing.”

“I-I see.”

“Indeed. Fiene, the creation of this alcohol-free wine is actually your achievement, you know?”

“Eh? Did I do something?”

“Goodness. You were the one who suggested that alcohol was effective during the Mummy Disease outbreak, were you not? Because of that, a vast amount of alcohol was separated from the wine, resulting in a huge surplus of alcohol-free wine. It caught on among the drunks who’d suddenly found themselves without any alcohol to drink, and from there it spread.”

I see. So that’s what had happened while I was shut away in the workshop separating the alcohol.

While we were talking, the aperitifs arrived.

“To commemorate our reunion.”

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“And to our eternal friendship.”

We each held our glasses.

“”Cheers!””

As we raised our glasses to eye level, we met each other’s eyes.

This was the formal way to toast in this country—no, on this entire continent.

I took a sip of the alcohol-free sparkling wine. Though the carbonation was mild, the fizz felt pleasant. However, it wasn’t sweet like juice; it had a slightly more “grown-up” taste.

“How is your first alcohol-free sparkling wine? Some people even call it ‘Fiene-Style Sparkling Wine,’ you know?”

“Nngh!? Ghu—”

*Ahem.*

I nearly choked.

“R-Really?”

“Why would I lie? I hear that in shops catering to the masses, it is explicitly labeled as ‘Fiene-Style.’ Though, not in the establishments I frequent, of course.”

I-I see… Wait, doesn’t that mean everything’s eventually going to be called “Fiene-Style”?!

I’d prefer it if they stopped spreading the name on their own; it’s embarrassing.

“Excuse me. Here are the appetizers. We have prosciutto with fresh lettuce, a tomato caprese, and a mushroom and walnut bruschetta.”

Three appetizers were beautifully arranged on a single plate.

Why was my portion strangely smaller than Char’s?

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It was the perfect amount, almost as if Lu-chan had portioned it out for me.

Wow! High-end restaurants can even do something like this!

First, I tried the prosciutto and fresh lettuce.

The distinct saltiness, flavor, and aroma of the prosciutto blended with the slight bitterness of the fresh lettuce, while an olive oil-based dressing gently elevated everything.

Yes, it was simply delicious.

Next, I tried the caprese.

The first thing that hit me was the scent of basil.

Rather than using the leaves whole, they had made a sauce, likely to make it easier to eat.

When I bit into the fresh tomato, the juicy liquid burst into my mouth, spreading that unique acidity and aroma, which was then tied together perfectly by the distinct texture and mild flavor of the mozzarella.

Finally, the mushroom and walnut bruschetta.

This consisted of mushrooms and crushed walnuts atop toasted bread, sprinkled with powdered cheese and what looked like crushed herbs.

As I tasted the bruschetta, the first thing I noticed was the aroma of butter and garlic.

It seemed to have soaked deeply into the bread—I wondered how they achieved that.

The plump texture of the mushrooms and the firm crunch of the walnuts made for an enjoyable sensation in my mouth.

As the flavors danced across my tongue, the aroma of parsley suddenly drifted in.

It seemed the herbs sprinkled on top were dried parsley powder. Before I knew it, the bruschetta was gone.

Honestly, it tasted so good I wanted a bit more.

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“Mmm, Char, this is delicious.”

“Is it? This level of quality is only natural.”

Despite her words, she looked quite proud of herself.

“Oh, by the way.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Char, you were engaged to Hugues-san, right?”

“Wh—! H-h-h-h-how do you know that, Fiene?!”

“Hehe. Chris-san said she heard it from her fellow knights.”

Upon hearing this, Char turned bright red and nodded while looking down.

“In that case, here’s a little congratulatory gift from me.”

As I spoke, I retrieved a wooden box from my Storage containing a bolt of Yuzen fabric I had bought in Miyako.

“This is a silk fabric called Miyako Yuzen, a specialty of Miyako, the capital of the Golden Sun Miko Nation. I bought it from a shop favored by the Queen. I’m sure it will suit you, Char.”

It was a deep crimson fabric that would perfectly match Char’s gorgeous aura, adorned with luxurious peony patterns—a symbol of nobility and beauty.

“M-my! Oh my! …Hmph. I suppose it cannot be helped. I shall accept it.”

Even though her face was beet red, she couldn’t stop herself from grinning.

As I watched her, thinking how adorable it was that she kept acting all high and mighty despite being so obviously delighted, there suddenly came a knock at the door.