People who curiously tried the peach sandwich quickly became regulars, and 〈Jo’s Sandwich Shop〉 was reborn as an incredibly popular restaurant.

Now Edelle was on her way to place a third ribbon on the shop that had just released a new sandwich menu.

“Miss.”

“What?”

“Why do you always sneak around like this?”

Edelle slightly lifted her hood and looked back at Liam. His gaze shifted to the darkened shopping district streets as night fell.

“The young master is always curious too, but he’s never come along with you.”

“Durant makes too much of a fuss, so he can’t come.”

“……But people don’t trust the 〈Michelin Survey〉 because you keep secretly putting up ribbons like this. Everyone thinks the Michelin Coach Builder employees are the ones making it.”

Liam clicked his tongue at the end of his sentence, apparently upset that Edelle’s sincere restaurant guide was being misunderstood.

“With all the rumors already circulating, imagine if people found out I was personally hanging these ribbons.”

Edelle snorted and pulled her hood down even lower than before.

“Do you think those conservative nobles would just sit quietly?”

The Michelin family was new nobility, having earned their title by importing sea salt from the Eastern Continent with their abundant wealth. After they began publishing the restaurant guide 〈Michelin Survey〉, the territorial nobles’ criticism intensified, questioning whether they had any noble dignity at all.

“Besides, this kind of thing is supposed to be done secretly.”

“Huh?”

“If I announced I was coming to hang ribbons in broad daylight, who knows if they’d only serve decent food at that time?”

Edelle quickened her pace, leaving behind Liam whose eyes had widened with realization. She intended to finish hanging the ribbon before the patrol guards made their rounds.

However, before they could reach Joseph’s shop, Liam stopped her with a quiet voice.

“Wait a moment, Miss.”

“What is it?”

“Someone’s there.”

“Who? Is Uncle Jo working late?”

Edelle lowered her voice too and examined the front of the shop. A man much smaller than Joseph was loitering in front of the window where the ribbons were hung.

Edelle immediately recognized what the man was up to.

“He’s trying to steal the ribbon, isn’t he?!”

Before Edelle finished speaking, Liam darted forward and grabbed the thief.

“Ugh! Let go!”

“Stay still!”

“D*mn it, I said let go!”

The thief struggled to escape Liam’s grip. However, there was no way the visibly small man could overpower Liam, a former mercenary.

Meanwhile, Edelle confirmed that two ribbons were still safely tied to the window before glaring at the thief.

“Who are you? You were trying to steal the ribbon, weren’t you?”

“Ha! Don’t accuse innocent people! When did I ever try to—ack!”

“If you weren’t trying to steal the ribbon, why are you lurking around someone else’s shop in the middle of the night?”

Liam asked coldly, gripping the thief’s nape more tightly. Finally feeling threatened, the thief gulped and darted his eyes around.

“I, I am…… that is, I am…!”

“You are what?”

“……I am! I’m the shop owner’s brother! My brother asked me to bring something……”

“Uncle Jo doesn’t have a brother. His only family is Aunt Susan and Uncle Paul.”

Edelle glared at the thief making such an obvious lie. The thief’s face turned pale, realizing she knew Joseph’s circumstances better than he’d expected.

“Why are you stealing ribbons anyway? Do you think putting a stolen ribbon on your restaurant will make it a good one?”

Edelle snapped irritably at the man as his eyes darted around. The mere thought of her ribbon being displayed on a restaurant with bad food made her skin crawl.

“Don’t you know what happened to those shops that made fake ribbons a few years ago? Anyone who should know would tell you they all lost their customers and closed down.”

Eight-year-old Edelle had started hanging ribbons on restaurants that served food to her taste, beginning with Joseph’s bakery. It was to remember the hidden gems tucked away in Fonete’s complicated alleyways.

When word spread that restaurants with blue satin ribbons served delicious food and people began lining up, it wasn’t long before shops started hanging ribbons similar to Edelle’s on their window handles.

Edelle began publishing the 〈Michelin Survey〉 every three years precisely because of that fake ribbon commotion. And yet……

‘You’re trying to mess with my gourmet life again?’

The spirit of Lim Mi-sun from Edelle’s previous life, who had died from overwork, bubbled with anger.

“Liam, let’s take this person with us.”

“What? To the mansion?”

“Yes. I’m going to use this opportunity to root out the problem once and for—ack!”

At that moment, someone grabbed Edelle’s shoulder and yanked her back. Liam drew the sword from his waist as he watched Edelle being dragged away.

“Miss!”

“Miss? Hoo, now that I look closer, you’re quite a brave little lady who doesn’t know the ways of the world, aren’t you?”

Another man’s rough voice rumbled in her ear. He must have been keeping watch and came to rescue his companion.

Edelle looked down at the dagger gleaming beneath her chin. She couldn’t believe this situation—trying to catch a thief who was messing with her gourmet life, only to risk losing her own neck.

Seeing this, Liam pointed his sword at the thief’s chin.

“Put that dagger down now.”

“Let my friend go. Then I’ll release this brave little lady.”

“You……”

Seeing the dagger move closer rather than away, Liam’s grip loosened slightly. As a guard knight, Edelle’s safety took priority over catching a ribbon thief.

But Edelle wasn’t about to let things end like this.

“No, Liam! Don’t let that b*stard go!”

“This is……”

“Ahhh!”

Edelle screamed and squeezed her eyes shut as she saw the dagger arc through the air.

Though she had acted knowing she might get hurt, nothing happened. When she cautiously opened her eyes because the silence seemed strange, Liam’s worried face was right in front of her.

“Miss, are you all right?”

“W-what happened? I’m sure……”

Edelle looked around in confusion. She saw the thug who had threatened her and the thief who had been in Liam’s grasp both lying side by side.

A bespectacled man examining them with a bent waist let out a sigh of relief. Then he spoke in a reproachful tone to the tall man standing behind him, who was dusting off the hem of his robe.

“Fortunately, they’re still breathing.”

“I told you. I didn’t hit them that hard.”

“Don’t underestimate Your Highness’s strength.”

“……Why are you getting irritated about that?”

The man turned his gaze away, pretending not to see his superior’s furrowed brow, and asked Liam,

“Is the lady all right?”

“Yes, she’s unharmed.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

“……Thank you for your help.”

Edelle peeked out from behind Liam, who was shielding her, and expressed her gratitude.

Judging by their titles and attire, these well-groomed men were clearly high-ranking nobles. A fake smile spread across Edelle’s lips.

“Then we’ll take those people and……”

“You’ll go home after giving your statement.”

The man, who had somehow approached the window, cut off Edelle’s words. Edelle asked with an awkward smile,

“Statement……you say?”

“You caused a disturbance, so naturally an explanation is required.”

“Huh, I wasn’t the one who caused the disturbance, those thieves……”

“To my eyes, both sides look equally suspicious.”

The man’s gaze fell on the ribbon. Realizing his intention, Edelle’s cheeks crumpled like paper.

“Are you saying I’m a thief?”

“Unless you have another explanation for why you’re wandering around the shopping district at this hour when not a single shop is open.”

“Hey, listen here!”

“Lady.”

As Edelle’s voice rose, the other man stepped in. He gently pushed aside Edelle’s outstretched finger and added,

“His Highness does tend to speak rather bluntly, but pointing your finger like that is problematic.”

“But he’s accusing me of being a thief!”

“The term ‘that person’ is also inappropriate. He is His Highness the Grand Duke of Norton.”

“Why would someone of Grand Duke rank……”

Edelle froze mid-mutter, utterly dumbfounded. The title was completely unfamiliar to hear in the middle of Fonete.

‘Grand Duke? Did he say Grand Duke?’

Even though Edelle had distanced herself from social circles, she couldn’t possibly be unaware of the Grand Duke of Norton.

The young Grand Duke who had inherited his title at a tender age after his predecessor’s early death.

The guardian of the border who had protected the Astère Empire by fighting a seven-year war against monsters.

There were many descriptions of him, but none included rumors about him looking like he’d stepped out of a painting. Under his midnight-black hair, his harmonious features shone through the darkness.