The door burst open noisily as someone rushed into the shop.

Before Edelle could even see the person’s face, Eli stepped in front of her. He already had a knife pointed at the stranger’s throat.

“What’s going on?”

Edelle asked as she grabbed Eli’s arm and pushed it down. The man, who had been hesitating until the menacing blade disappeared back into its sheath, blinked rapidly.

“P-please put a ribbon on my shop too.”

“……What did you say?”

“I-I’ll pay you whatever amount!”

The man frantically searched his pockets and placed a fist-sized bundle of gold coins on the table. Of course, Edelle didn’t even pretend to look at the bundle.

“That’s not possible.”

“Pardon?”

“I can’t give you a ribbon without trying the food first. I don’t even know which restaurant you run.”

“Ah! Then please come to ‘Fonete’s Jar’ at the entrance of the shopping district, try the food, and then the ribbon……”

“If the food isn’t good, I won’t give you a ribbon. Is that still acceptable?”

At that moment, the man’s expression hardened. He quickly forced an awkward smile and began pleading,

“Not good? How could that be possible? My restaurant is so famous in Fonete……”

“We’ll only know after trying the food.”

Edelle’s voice was firm.

And for good reason—’Fonete’s Jar’ was a restaurant she had visited as a child and sworn off after eating soup that seemed to contain pepper paste instead of roux. It wasn’t the kind of cooking that would improve with time.

Sensing her negative impression, the man glared fiercely at Edelle.

“Everyone knows you just give ribbons to whoever pays you, so why not me?”

“What are you……”

“Just give me one! Why are you being so stuck up about it?”

The man jumped to his feet and kicked a chair in his rage. Eli pulled Edelle away, distancing her from the man.

“Such a young girl talking back so precisely…… You might be playing games with those worthless ribbons, but our livelihoods are at stake!”

“Enough.”

Finally, Eli stepped in front of the man. Even though Eli exuded an unmistakably noble aura, the man was still too angry to care and shouted almost hysterically,

“And who are you!”

“Threatening a noble isn’t a crime that ends with just a fine. You should know that.”

“Who’s a noble……”

The man’s scornful gaze shifted to Edelle, who was keeping her lips tightly sealed. He finally remembered that she was Lady Michelin.

But his surprise lasted only a moment before he lifted his chin even more defiantly.

“Aren’t we all just merchants anyway! Getting a title with some extra money doesn’t make you a real noble!”

“Then how about a Grand Duke?”

“What?”

The man reflexively glared at Eli before flinching in shock. Those piercing blue eyes were glowing fiercely, as if they might impale him.

Without taking his eyes off the fool’s face, Eli put his fingers to his lips. A shrill whistle filled the shop.

Soon after, Monty pushed the half-open door fully open and grumbled as he entered,

“You finally called me, Your Highness.”

“Hand him over to the guards immediately and charge him with threatening a noble.”

Though he didn’t specify who, it was obvious whom Eli wanted punished.

Monty inwardly clicked his tongue as he looked at the still-confused man. Even though Eli had told him to just watch from a distance, he regretted not stopping the man who had rushed in like a dog with its tail on fire.

“Come on now, pull yourself together and let’s go. With a crime this serious, you won’t be going home today.”

***

Suddenly, it started to rain. Standing in front of the shop waiting for the carriage Eli had called, Edelle stared blankly at the falling rain.

“Are you alright?”

Eli, who had been standing beside her the whole time, asked. Edelle instinctively turned her head, noticed the concern in his eyes, and gave a small smile.

“I thought something like this might happen.”

She had anticipated that once people discovered she was the one giving out ribbons, someone would come asking for one. After all, who wouldn’t approach the person who could create lines outside their restaurant?

That’s why she had worn a wig and dressed modestly, but…

“I just didn’t expect someone to be this aggressive.”

Edelle clutched her now-useless wig in frustration. Watching her dejected shoulders, Eli casually suggested,

“You could stop giving out ribbons altogether. And stop making the guide too.”

“Should I? But then how would I let people know about good restaurants……”

“Do you really need to tell them?”

Edelle, who had been absently mumbling while looking at the rain-soaked sign of Spice Spice Shop, turned her head toward Eli. He stared directly into her eyes, which sparkled like stars even in the gloomy weather.

“People will find places to eat on their own, even without your guidance.”

“……Changing people’s tastes isn’t easy.”

Edelle added with a weak smile,

“Usually, people prefer to return to familiar flavors. If they spend money and time on new tastes only to find them unpleasant, they feel disappointed.”

Like most cities in the Astère Empire, Fonete was a bustling commercial city that operated all day long. The concept of families gathering to eat ‘together’ had long disappeared, and in the search for quick meals to satisfy hunger, taste had become secondary.

“If it’s such a difficult task, wouldn’t it be better to quit? Even if you work hard, if people’s tastes don’t change, won’t you be disappointed? Why continue?”

Edelle stared blankly at Eli, who seemed genuinely curious.

His words weren’t wrong. The effort she put in wasn’t always proportional to the results, and she had been doing this for over ten years. Sometimes it was indeed disappointing.

“At first, I just wanted to eat delicious food. I don’t know if you’re aware, but in the empire……”

“They won’t eat food without salt and pepper.”

“That’s not quite right. They eat food that tastes only of salt and pepper.”

Where would one find food without salt and pepper? The problem with the empire was that they only used salt and pepper—and in excessive amounts at that.

“So to enjoy a much wider range of flavors, I had no choice but to go searching myself.”

“That seems like something you could have enjoyed alone.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

Edelle glanced sideways at Eli and added,

“Food isn’t just about filling your stomach. Sharing delicious food and enjoying it together—isn’t that wonderful?”

“……It seems you want people to be happy, lady.”

“Oh, it’s nothing that grand.”

Edelle waved her hand dismissively. The once-heavy raindrops were gradually weakening.

“Eating something delicious makes you feel good. I guess I find fulfillment in seeing faces light up.”

It was satisfying to watch someone’s eyes widen and cheeks rise after just one bite of delicious food. Perhaps, as the Grand Duke suggested, Edelle simply wanted to see people enjoying small moments of happiness.

‘That’s why I worked so hard in the food industry in my past life too.’

Despite all the complaints, she had worked in that field until her death, and now she was doing the same thing again. It seemed one’s nature truly couldn’t be changed.

“I’m just doing it to make myself feel good.”

“Was that your reason even as a child?”

“Yes. Back then, I used to force food into people’s mouths. I was much more reckless than I am now.”

Edelle burst into laughter as she recalled her childhood memories, unaware of the warmth in Eli’s eyes.

The rain suddenly subsided, and sunlight poured down from the clearing sky. Eli couldn’t take his eyes off Edelle’s face, which glowed like translucent porcelain.

“Did you want to see me change too?”

The abrupt question sounded unusually familiar. Edelle finally turned her head toward Eli.

There was a strange sense of déjà vu in his straight gaze that was fixed on her.

‘Is it because of the weather?’

Perhaps his eyes stood out particularly due to the suddenly clear weather. Edelle dismissed the familiar yet unfamiliar feeling as unimportant.

Then she smiled as brightly as freshly bloomed lavender.

“Just wait and see! You definitely will!”