“Of course. The guild also registers with the city hall.”

Maria nodded as if it were obvious, but then became anxious. San Donus’s merchant guild had influence as strong as the city hall, and was especially famous for territorial behavior toward outsiders.

“But why do you ask about the merchant guild?”

“The merchant guild came last night. They said we need to file an import report to sell Muir Mountain wine.”

The more Edelle kindly explained the situation, the more Maria’s expression crumpled miserably.

“When I said I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t a legal issue, they tried to destroy the shop.”

“If I hadn’t arrived just then, who knows what would have happened to Eddie alone.”

“Oh my. Eddie, you’re not hurt anywhere, right?”

Edelle nodded to reassure Maria.

“Rezeta and my husband happened to come, so nothing serious happened. But they were quite brazen. It wasn’t their first or second time causing trouble.”

“Haah, I should have warned you.”

Maria pressed her forehead and let out a deep sigh, then finally put down her fork.

“Such things have happened from time to time. As you know, many San Donus citizens are wary of outsiders.”

It was unavoidable since their livelihoods were at stake. When shops opened by outsiders became popular, San Donus people’s income immediately decreased.

“Still, I heard it decreased a lot because the city always cracks down on it. Whoever it was must have felt threatened by this shop.”

Whether receiving ‘sincerity’ displays or destroying the shop to eliminate competition from the start, it was profitable behavior. Rezeta couldn’t control her temper and slammed the bar counter.

“Then do we just let it go like this?”

“Of course not.”

Maria, who had calmed her startled heart, added.

“Report it to city hall. That’s an act prohibited by law, so they should receive proper sanctions.”

“But they’re San Donus citizens and we’re foreigners……”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Maria straightened her shoulders proudly toward the worried Edelle.

“San Donus is fair to all flavors in the world.”

⁕⁕⁕

Edelle reported to the city hall with a detailed account of that day’s circumstances, just as Maria had said. A city hall employee who had visited Edelle’s shop several times received the report. Extremely indignant, he boasted that he would shake down the merchant guild thoroughly to find that vermin and sanction them.

Whether his words were true or not, fortunately no similar incidents occurred after that. The Glenville sisters’ tteokbokki shop remained prosperous, and rumors that the younger sister’s husband and son had come to stay with them spread quickly.

Perhaps thanks to the father and son’s beauty, customers increased even more, and Angel enjoyed sitting in the busy shop and challenging himself with new tteokbokki and food every day.

And the day before the long-awaited San Donus Gourmet Festival.

“Mother, look at this!”

“Let me see.”

Edelle, who had been preparing ingredients to participate in the festival, wiped her hands on her apron and approached the table. Eli and Angel were drawing a sign to hang in front of the stall.

Edelle paused for a moment when she discovered the tteokbokki Angel had drawn in one corner of the sign, which was slightly smaller than Eli’s build.

A few red squares drawn inside a white circle—even being generous, it was hard to call it tteokbokki. Though the brushwork was at least not inferior to impressionist painters.

“As expected of our son, you have talent in drawing!”

Eli shook his head as he finished writing the shop name at the top of the sign. Rezeta had just come out of the kitchen behind Edelle and burst into laughter as well.

Edelle encouraged her, since she was especially fond of Angel.

“What do you think, Rezeta? Doesn’t it look pretty good?”

“Of course. Even I think His Highness the Crown Prince has talent in drawing.”

Angel’s chubby cheeks lit up at once.

“Really? Then will Hazel like it?”

A name that little mouth had been repeating constantly these days came up again. Edelle exchanged a meaningful glance with Eli and swallowed her laughter before speaking.

“Why? Are you going to draw a picture for Hazel?”

“Last time Hazel drew my toy for me, so……”

Angel answered hesitantly, his cheeks flushed pink.

Hazel Flint had turned ten this year and was a young lady brimming with affection. When Angel, whom she treasured like a younger brother, became upset over a broken toy, she had quickly drawn a picture for him. She also possessed real talent, managing to recreate the toy almost perfectly despite using blunt oil pastels.

From that moment on, Angel had started blushing whenever he heard Hazel’s voice. Everyone who came and went through the imperial palace knew it.

Edelle pretended not to know and found a suitable excuse for Angel.

“You want to return the favor?”

“That’s right. I’ll draw Hazel.”

“Huh?”

Edelle couldn’t hide her confusion at her resolute son. She could hear Rezeta quietly inhaling behind her.

She couldn’t bring herself to say that Hazel might cry if he did that. Not knowing what to do, she looked at Eli, and after thinking for a moment, he offered an alternative.

“There will be many souvenir shops at the festival tomorrow too.”

“Right! Since you want to return the favor, how about buying a souvenir Hazel would like?”

“But the picture……”

“You’ll need time to draw the picture after we return. Don’t you want to give her a gift quickly?”

Edelle was smiling as if nothing was wrong, but cold sweat was running down her back. For Angel’s sake, she absolutely had to protect against the picture.

Angel bit his lips tightly and pondered, then finally nodded. Just as all the adults who had been watching only that tiny face felt relieved—

Click, creeeeak.

The kitchen back door slowly opened and the sound of someone walking in with heavy steps was heard.

“Mo—”

Edelle covered Angel’s mouth and pulled him into her arms. Rezeta, who exchanged glances with Eli hiding the two behind him, headed to the kitchen while muffling her footsteps.

Edelle bit her lips hard. Suddenly she recalled that there had often been assassination attempts at the Astère imperial palace too.

The current Astère imperial family was trusted more than ever, but among them were forces that brought up the reason that the imperial family had been usurped and constantly aimed for the position.

Had rumors spread that the Emperor of Astère was here?

After what felt like an eternity, a scream loud enough to extinguish Edelle’s anxiety in an instant was heard.

“Kyaaaah!”

“How dare you!”

Some black figure burst out of the kitchen as if fleeing. Eli hid Edelle and Angel even more tightly.

“Get it away! Get it away!”

The voice of the man threatened by Rezeta’s long sword was familiar. Edelle’s brow, which had poked out slightly, crumpled like paper.

“You again?”

“Such a weapon in the middle of the city! When the guards come……”

“I should tell them a rat snuck into someone else’s shop.”

Eli’s monotone voice fell on the man’s head.

The man looked up at Eli and swallowed his saliva. For some reason, he felt overwhelmed by his presence every time he saw him. He was just a young dad at most.

“Sn-snuck in? I don’t know what you mean!”

“Then how will you explain this?”

This time Rezeta threw the pouch she had been holding. Several medicine bottles rolled out of the pouch that fell with a clatter.

“What were you trying to do to our ingredients?”

“Wh-what do you mean, when did I, eek!”

The tip of Rezeta’s sword moved from the man’s neck to near his mouth. She intended to cut out his tongue as it was if he didn’t answer properly.

The man trembled while glancing at the sharp blade, then spotted the guards beyond the window and his eyes sparkled.

“He-help! Foreigners are killing people here!”

His voice was so loud that the guards on patrol immediately entered the shop. Seeing Rezeta’s sharp blade, they immediately drew their clubs.

“Lower your weapon.”

“If you don’t disarm immediately, we’ll subdue you by force.”

Without anything more to endure, Rezeta sheathed her sword and raised both hands. Edelle blocked the guards approaching her.

“Rezeta did nothing wrong. That man trespassed into the shop.”

“Even so, to point such a large sword at a person……”

“He snuck in through the back door and tried to sprinkle this on our food.”

Javier, San Donus’s guard captain, followed Edelle’s finger with his lukewarm gaze. After seeing the scattered small pouch and medicine bottles and easily guessing the situation, he spoke to the man reaching out to hastily gather the pouch.

“Hey, Bruno. Didn’t I tell you to restrain yourself last time? How long has it been since the city issued an administrative order, and you’re causing trouble again?”

“Trouble? I was exercising my legitimate rights!”

Bruno’s thin shoulders trembled violently as veins bulged in his neck.

“Javier, you know too, don’t you? How much we San Donus citizens suffer because of these d*mn foreigners……”

“I know, I know well.”

Bruno’s expression brightened as he got up with a smirking face toward Edelle. However, he turned deathly pale at Javier’s following words.

“I know very well that you’re trying to harm innocent foreigners because you’re pissed off about paying fines and getting suspended for illegal activities.”