Putting Aside Nationalistic Bias, It’s Really Delicious

18 – Camilla Wagon, the owner of the Golden Wagon

The blue-haired woman, who finished the mackerel stew, let out a deep sigh and wiped her sweat.

Intoxicated by the spicy and refreshing taste, she ate three bowls of rice and even ate the medium-sized mackerel stew that was calculated for three people alone.

‘What a tremendous appetite.’

I couldn’t help but admire.

Despite her delicate body, she had a robust appetite.

Had she been starving for days?

Otherwise, there was no way such physicality could be possible.

While inwardly admiring, I noticed that her upper abdomen slightly protruded from the dress, likely due to overeating.

As my gaze drifted there, she blushed and hastily covered it with her hands.

“Oh, um, I ate too much!”

“I know.”

“To, to scrutinize a lady’s belly like this, it’s embarrassing.”

“I apologize.”

“Ahem…”

She coughed nervously while covering her upper abdomen with her hand and slyly glanced at me.

“Um, over there.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Uh, can I keep coming here?”

What was I supposed to say again?

“Why not? Our restaurant welcomes all guests. Feel free to come anytime; don’t hesitate.”

As long as you pay, you’re always welcome.

I smiled and extended my hand to her.

The blue-haired woman glanced between me and my hand, blinking her eyes.

She belatedly realized, clapped her hands, and laughed.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t catch on.”

Last time, she had the fried mackerel without paying.

I need to handle that too.

Even for a local business, relying solely on credit can lead to ruin.

Occasionally, for regular customers, you might handle things on credit.

Because trust develops between you.

However, dealing with credit in a newly opened shop that hasn’t even been open for ten days is absurd.

It’s just unthinkable.

Suddenly bolting away can be excused as an accident.

She clasped her hand over mine.

“I’m Michelle Cleonell. I can only tell you that I’m a princess not far from here.”

“… “

She gazed at me steadfastly, not even considering letting go of my hand.

It was an innocent, clueless look, as if asking, “What’s up?”

“What is she saying without offering any money?”

I looked at her, perplexed, surrounded by question marks in my mind.

Surely this woman isn’t a neighborly princess or anyone sent by the royal family, not even a noble?

She’s just dressed fancily… Highly unlikely, but she can’t be a habitual scammer, can she?

Seemingly, this woman was just as clueless as I was.

“What are you doing? When greeting, you should kiss the back of my hand.”

She looked up at me with a completely innocent expression, devoid of any malicious intent.

There was no ulterior motive, no attempt to assert superiority.

Did she really clasp my hand to greet me?

What in the world…?

“Yes?”

“Excuse me?”

A brief silence.

I realized belatedly, taken aback by her surprising reaction.

“This woman is an utterly detached noblewoman.”

Among the nobility, there exist those like her.

People who, due to having everything taken care of from A to Z by their entourage, lack any sense of reality and get caught up in trivial matters.

There were many people like that in the original world as well.

Wealthy people often didn’t know the fares for buses or subways.

It’s exactly like that.

People who think it’s natural because they’ve always been taken care of by others.

“You have to pay.”

“…Ah.”

At those words, Michelle’s face turned red, and she hurriedly let go of my hand.

“I, I’m sorry. I’m not familiar with the customs here.”

“Well, that’s understandable since you’re a princess from a neighboring country.”

I completely understand.

“Anyway, um…I don’t have any money from this country to give you right now.”

“We can’t do this on credit.”

At those words, Michelle, who didn’t know what to do, rolled her eyes.

“Oh, it’s okay! I don’t have money, but I have jewels that can be exchanged for money.”

Michelle pulled out a turquoise shell that decorated her blue hair.

It was an amazing item with a shell-shaped hairpin that changed colors brilliantly depending on the angle at which the light was reflected.

She held out the item, which looked quite valuable, even to me.

“This is a jeweled shell that is considered an important treasure in our country. I heard that it sells for quite a high price in the continent, or rather, the empire.”

“So, you’re planning to use this to cover the cost?”

“Is it not possible?”

She bit her lower lip and looked up at me.

Even though I didn’t know much about jewelry, it was clearly an item that far exceeded the cost of two meals.

No, it looked so expensive that it might be enough to cover three days’ worth of meals for a group of 100 people.

It was too expensive to cover just two meals.

“Hmm…”

For a moment, I looked at her.

She had a few more accessories on her body.

Bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and jewels hanging from her waist belt.

They all seemed more expensive than this shell, not at all cheap.

‘There’s no other way.’

But I couldn’t refuse it.

As a business rule, there were no unpaid bills.

“Alright. I’ll take this.”

I received the jewelry shell from her.

At the same time, Michelle’s face brightened up.

“However, this item is too expensive compared to the food I served.”

The foundation of business is honesty.

That’s true even for local businesses.

Although there are too many restaurants that don’t adhere to that basic principle, at least I intended to follow it.

“You can take it. I ate and ran off last time.”

Her will was tremendously strong.

She firmly grasped my hand with the glittering shell in it.

“Well, I’ll keep this as collateral. If you mention Michelle’s name, I’ll entertain you anytime.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Michelle’s face brightened up.

Is it something to be so happy about?

Perhaps she’s that kind of a good person.

“When you come next time, I’ll prepare a meal ticket with Michelle’s name on it. With that, you can eat anytime you want.”

At those words, Michelle swallowed her saliva with a gulp.

“Thank you. I was wondering what I would do if I couldn’t eat such delicious… food like this in the future.”

She sighed with relief as she let her hand slide down her chest.

“Actually, I am the one who should thank you for enjoying the meal.”

It was then that I received the jewelry shell from her.

Michelle bowed her head and then walked out of the restaurant with dignity.

She was a well-mannered woman, claiming to be a princess.

Our first impression was not so good, but it seemed like the confusion had arisen from a mutual misunderstanding.

And for a shop owner, a customer who pays well is the best.

A customer who leaves such a large amount of money in advance is even more precious.

Why on earth did I accept the black sword from the lake given by Lancelot?

That knight had crossed a line.

He took three bites at a time.

We could endure anything else, but not that.

Not long after Michelle left, the knights and civil affairs officials came swarming in.

Behind them were soldiers who had finished their morning training.

“It’s going to get busy again.”

Kaboom!

I turned the fire on the Flare Range.

***

Thump.

On the road heading to the kingdom.

Michelle patted her full stomach with a sense of satisfaction.

“I’m so full. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a delicious meal.”

It had been almost a week since she last ate so full, since the fried flatfish.

It couldn’t have been more delicious.

Throughout the meal, no other thought crossed my mind.

Only the thought of eating that mackerel dish.

When I came to my senses, I had unknowingly eaten three bowls of rice and finished all the mackerel dish.

I completely forgot about my princess-like demeanor.

My face was burning.

I must have eaten very ungracefully.

‘Ugh… I’ve never eaten so much before.’

She looked at her swollen belly.

So this is how your upper belly bulges when you eat a lot.

It was the first time she found out.

She felt embarrassed about her behavior, but she wanted to go again.

It was a moment that made her forget all her worries.

Even though that restaurant was the very reason for her troubles.

She can’t even begin to describe how surprised she was when they asked her to pay.

She had only heard that mainlanders used gold coins for transactions but had never actually experienced it herself.

Worried that she might be thrown out forever because of this incident, she handed over her most precious jewelry shell as collateral.

The jewelry shell wasn’t a real living shell.

It was a shell-shaped gem.

A single crystal formed from the remnants of depleted mana, gathered in the deepest parts of the sea where manna energy swam.

It was called a jewelry shell in the Dragon Palace because of its clam-like shape.

She knew that mermaids sometimes turned into humans and sold these shells to merchants on the mainland to obtain goods.

She knew they were incredibly valuable as well.

To create a single perfect jewelry shell, at least a hundred years were needed.

The jewelry shell she received as a gift must have easily been over 300 years old.

She handed over the item of immense value, pleading for forgiveness.

Fortunately, the chef said it was fine and to come by anytime.

What a relief.

“Hehehe~.”

With the permission to visit freely, a hum naturally came forth.

“But… the Dragon Palace is too far away.”

A problem not thought of when hunger drove the pursuit, now became a reality.

An hour from the restaurant to the beach.

And at least three hours from the beach to the Dragon Palace.

“…Well, then it’ll be dinner time soon.”

After having such a delicious lunch, one has to eat the Dragon Palace food.

“I need to find a way.”

Michelle headed back to the Dragon Palace with determination.

***

“Leader, I have arrived.”

“Coby, you’re here? You came quicker than I thought?”

“You know it’s because of the gnome.”

“True, no one has the talent to drive like a gnome.”

Coby, Gold Wagon’s chief manager who arrived in the capital after two weeks, sat on a chair and looked at the red-haired woman clicking the abacus.

She had orange pupils that rolled quickly, calculating the profit and loss. She was the top businesswoman who had brought Gold Wagon to its current level along with Coby.

Gold Wagon’s top merchant and the richest person in the empire, excluding the Emperor.

Her name was Camilla Wagon.

As the best merchant ever, her office was filled with extravagant items.

It wasn’t because of her luxurious nature that her office was so splendid.

It served to impress and intimidate the visitors.

-I can afford to spend this much just on an office.

It’s about flaunting the wealth of Golden Wagon to the counterpart.

Every aspect of this room was permeated with her commercial acumen.

As she lifted her head, Camilla’s beautifully coiled red hair swayed gently.

“Did my gift get delivered well?”

“Yes, he liked it unusually.”

“Really? That’s good to hear. I prepared it with my own touch to give it to Duke Lucas. So, what did he say about my proposal?”

“He flatly rejected it.”

“He doesn’t want to become my exclusive chef?”

“No.”

As Kobi nodded, she exerted force on the chopping board with her fingers.

Crack!

The board cracked under her strength.

“Lucas rejecting my offer. Haha.”

Camilla Wagon sighed deeply.

It was a face she never thought he would reject.