Ilion looked at me with an incredulous expression.

“Haah… Did you come to help me or to interfere?”

Of course, I intend to interfere. Why ask such an obvious question?

I pulled Ilion further into the corner, fearing Baron Dubier might overhear our conversation.

“But I really wanted to come here.”

“With Baron Dubier?”

“Well, there’s no reason I can’t go in. I’m just going to eat and leave anyway.”

“Do you realize that you’re my fiancée?”

I mean, I said I’d bring back some food for you, didn’t I? We don’t even eat breakfast together usually, so why are you getting upset now?

“Besides, how is he rich and handsome?”

Lower your voice. Dubier will hear.

“Well, looks are subjective, and he seemed quite wealthy.”

I muttered timidly.

“Is that your type?”

“I’m sure everyone looks like a squid to Your Grace, but he has proper facial features and is well-dressed…”

I couldn’t understand why the conversation was turning towards Dubier’s appearance. Why is that important right now?

“And this is all part of the investigation, you know. They say information gathers where money does. Besides, they only accept nobles here, right? Who knows what kind of information we might find?”

Ilion seemed to somewhat agree with my words, but ultimately shook his head.

“Still, you can’t go in alone.”

Going alone would actually make it easier to slack off… but judging by his expression, he definitely wouldn’t allow it. I raised both hands in surrender and said,

“…Alright. Let’s go in together.”

“How?”

“Just follow my lead.”

Ilion looked at me with a very doubtful expression at my suggestion. Just wait. I’ll take care of everything.

I approached the Baron with a bright smile on my face.

“Um, Baron. Actually, this person isn’t my lover, but my servant…”

“……!”

I didn’t need to look at Ilion to imagine his expression.

“My parents were so worried about me that they insisted I always bring a servant wherever I go. I apologize, but would it be alright if he accompanies us?”

When I blinked with a pitiful expression, the Baron nodded, laughing heartily as if something was amusing.

“So he’s a servant? I see. Then he can come in too.”

Baron Dubier, still chuckling as if entertained, entered the restaurant first with the woman accompanying him.

“A servant, you say?”

Ilion asked from behind once the two had walked ahead.

“You said I could decide on the title myself, didn’t you? And we’ve achieved our goal.”

He looked at me in disbelief as I spoke nonchalantly.

Wait, what’s with that attitude? That won’t do. You’re my servant from now on.

“Oh, and could you call me Miss in front of Baron Dubier? No, I mean, please call me Miss. Leon.”

When I pointed out his attitude with a grin, Ilion’s expression began to change as if he had bitten into something unpleasant.

As a servant, Ilion naturally couldn’t sit at the table with us. This meant that Ilion had to stand behind me without even getting to taste the food.

Of course, he couldn’t just stand there doing nothing.

“Ahem, don’t just stand there blankly. Turn the menu pages for me.”

Seated at the table, I handed him the menu, asking for his help to ease his awkwardness.

Judging by the tension in his tightly closed lips, he seemed annoyed.

However, with so many eyes watching and considering he’s even disguised as a commoner, he didn’t have many options.

So what could he do? He had to obediently turn the menu pages.

“Ah, no, back to the front, no, back, back. No, should I eat what was at the front after all?”

“……”

If eyes could curse, this would probably be what it looks like. Should I stop now, feeling a bit afraid of future consequences?

Actually, there was no need to make Ilion turn the menu pages. I came here with a dish in mind from the start. The menu was just… a small act of revenge.

“I’ll have the Special Crab Dish.”

“I’m sorry, but the crab is sold out today.”

“…What?”

“We apologize.”

Why are so many things going wrong today? Then tell me before I come in! I came all this way to eat that, and now it’s sold out?

Tears welled up in my eyes at this unbelievable reality.

“This place has good steak besides crab. I recommend the T-bone steak. Crab, well, it’s too common…”

Baron Dubier said this as he ordered steak. Having lost all interest in the food, I called Ilion once again.

“Leon, the menu.”

Thud!

Ilion placed the menu on the table hard enough to make it vibrate slightly and smiled at me. No, he was forcing a smile.

“M, Miss. Why don’t you just order steak?”

His expression suggested that if I asked him to turn the menu pages one more time, he might turn me into an ingredient for cooking.

I hurriedly corrected my crooked sitting posture and nodded.

“Th-Then I’ll have the steak. Ah, come to think of it, I was craving steak. Hahaha.”

We pretended to be thorough tourists and chatted with Dubier.

Dubier seemed to be familiar with the local geography and recommended various places for tourists to visit, and I kept the conversation going by agreeing appropriately.

“Come to think of it, I forgot to ask where you’re from.”

“We’re from the south.”

“Where in the south?”

“Uh…”

As I hesitated, not being familiar with place names, Ilion answered from behind instead.

“We’re from Rha.”

“Rha, I’ve been there before. What was famous there again?”

“Um, well…”

When I looked back at Ilion again, he kindly answered once more.

“Wheat is famous there. It’s widely distributed in the Porto region as well.”

“Ah, right. Right. The bread made with their wheat is famous for being delicious.”

Saying this, Baron Dubier took a sip of wine.

“But for that, your servant’s face is quite pale.”

“…Pardon?”

“The Rha region has strong sunlight, so people’s skin usually tans well. I’d believe it if you said your servant was from the Porto region.”

It was a sharp observation, as if there were bones in his words.

“Haha. W-Well, he originally has quite fair skin.”

“Is he not a favored servant that you’re taking care of?”

The blonde woman accompanying the Baron spoke.

“He’s quite pretty too. He must be fun to play with.”

No matter how low a servant’s status might be, to judge his appearance and even make dismissive comments right in front of him…

I was about to open my mouth to say something, but Ilion was quicker.

“I appreciate your words, but unfortunately, I’m not to the Miss’s taste.”

“Really? Then would you like to come to our house? We’ve been looking for a good servant.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I must respectfully decline.”

“Don’t be like that, if you work at our house, I’ll give you better compensation.”

Saying this, the woman pulled on Ilion’s hand. His expression didn’t look good.

I hurriedly grabbed his wrist as he was being pulled by her.

“He’s a servant I care for. So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tease him too much.”

I smiled forcefully and asked as politely as possible.

“Alright, Melina. That’s enough joking.”

At the Baron’s words, Melina shrugged and withdrew her hand.

As the meal was almost over, the Baron and Melina excused themselves to go to the restroom.

“Satisfied?”

“Please call me Miss.”

“M…iss?”

“I’d like you to be more polite.”

“Ravenne…”

Well, it was understandable that he’d be angry, not being able to eat and just serving me from the side.

And on top of that, having to hear unpleasant things he shouldn’t have had to…

“B-But thanks to me, we heard various things, didn’t we?”

“And most of it was useless.”

That’s true, but…

It was something I had done solely to fulfill my own desires, so anything else was really just an excuse.

Only I hadn’t even properly fulfilled my desire.

As we waited a while, chatting like this, there was no sign of the two returning even after a long time.

Wondering if they had gone home first, I called a waiter to ask, and learned that the two had said they were leaving earlier and had already gone.

Couldn’t they at least say goodbye before leaving? Is this saying that a daughter from an unremarkable family isn’t even worth saying goodbye to? How exactly do the manners of this empire work?

“We have no choice. Let’s go back too.”

I clicked my tongue inwardly and got up from my seat.

To pay the bill, I put on my coat at the front desk and rummaged through my pockets.

“Where’s my wallet… Where did I put it?”

I put it in this coat pocket, didn’t I? I searched every pocket of the coat, but the wallet didn’t appear anywhere.

I hurriedly took off the coat and shook it thoroughly, but it really wasn’t there.

“Uh…”

I looked at the waiter waiting for payment with a blank expression.

“I, I seem to have lost my wallet…”

The smile of capitalism that had been on the employee’s face instantly froze.

***

In the carriage on the way home, Baron Dubier recalled what had happened at the restaurant.

“Were those two the people you were looking for, Baron?”

“Yes, I think so.”

He had heard there was a couple roaming around the shopping district all day, but he didn’t expect to meet them by chance at the restaurant he happened to visit.

Their appearance matched the description he had received, and it was suspicious that they were lying about their place of origin. Their skin color which was unlike people from Rha and their well-educated manner of speaking.

Although he couldn’t gauge what their suspicious identity might be, it was certainly bothersome.

Baron Dubier was a merchant with good business acumen. He had used the money he earned to lobby the lord of Porto and dominate the local commercial rights.

Merchants had to get approval from the lord to open a shop, and as the Baron’s influence reached that approval process, merchants naturally had to be mindful of the Baron’s mood while doing business.

The high prices of goods in the shops and the fact that they only dealt with certain merchant guilds were all under Baron Dubier’s instructions.

That’s why he had to be wary of people secretly investigating him.

“Could they be from a merchant guild?”

“I’m not sure…”

It seemed likely that they were from a merchant guild that wasn’t friendly to him. But well, even if they found out his identity, there’s nothing they could do.

“By the way, that was quite a mischievous prank. Inviting those two for dinner.”

“Weren’t you a bit too playful as well?”

“My prank was nothing compared to yours, Baron. You had William steal their wallet, didn’t you? And you even called the guards in advance, right?”

“Haha. You noticed that much?”

“How long do you think I’ve been following you, Baron? I know pretty much everything you’re thinking.”

Saying this, the woman clung to the Baron’s arm and leaned on his shoulder.

“But what was their purpose, I wonder?”

“Well, whatever their scheme was, they won’t be able to move freely for a while.”

Dubier smiled as he looked at the passing lights outside the window.