Charlotte’s pancake and Ethelbert’s ice cream soon arrived. She immediately sliced the fluffy pancake with a knife and fork before bringing it to her mouth. She fawned over the soft texture that seemed to melt on her tongue.

“How does it taste?”

“It’s so good.”

As confirmation, that wasn’t her first time having pancakes. The castle had first-class pastry chefs who prepared dessert for her every day, with pancake being one of them.

Yet somehow, this pancake was even more delicious. Even though the pastry chefs were more skilled and used high-class ingredients, compared to the current one she was having, nothing was worth noting about the taste.

While she was silently stuffing her cheeks with pancake, Charlotte suddenly noticed something and paused. Ethelbert was uncouthly watching her without finishing his ice cream.

“What’s the matter?”

“No, I just think your manners are pretty.”

“Thank you. I can say the same to you, Sir Ethel. Your manners are sophisticated and excellent.”

“Are you saying that I stand out and am out of place?”

“Your previous statement can be interpreted that way. I guess I should be more careful as well.”

“…Ahaha!”

Ethelbert suddenly burst out laughing.

“I was just trying to make fun of you, but now it’s obvious that someone has the upper hand.”

The women around him, who saw his boyish laugh, swooned. The effect was just that tremendous.

Even more so for Charlotte who was facing him directly. She wasn’t immune to the man’s charms either. That man was usually standoffish and hard to read, so when she saw his innocent and honest reactions, her heart raced.

“By the way, even though you reminded me to be careful, weren’t you about to slip up?”

Apparently, he didn’t fail to notice that she almost said, ‘Your Highness.’

“I’m sorry. If you want to make fun of my mistake, feel free to do so.”

“Who do you think I am.”

Ethelbert chuckled in amusement as he ate his last bit of ice cream.

Ethelbert paid for the desserts in full. Charlotte didn’t have any money with her, so she offered to pay him back the next time they met, but he politely declined. Especially after he told her, “Let me save face.” As continuing to insist would have been rude, Charlotte relented.

After leaving the café, the two resumed their walk and arrived at the market. Other than fruits and vegetables, there were also stores that sold different types of juice and handcrafted goods.

Joining the crowd, Charlotte glanced here and there. As expected, everything she saw was new and refreshing.

“This way,” Ethelbert spoke and she followed him.

Ethelbert stopped by a stall that sold skewers. Along with the heat, the aroma of meat wafted through the air.

“Shopkeeper, I’ll request two skewers with this sauce, please.”

“Oh, you’re the brother from the other day.”

“I’ve come again.”

“Nice doing business with you.”

Apparently, that wasn’t Ethelbert’s first time visiting that stall. The shopkeeper recognized him and showed a friendly smile. It probably never occurred to him that his customer was the younger brother of a neighboring country’s emperor.

“…By the way, is that pretty young lady over there your girlfriend?”

As the shopkeeper turned to Charlotte, his eyes were filled with curiosity.

“Still in progress.”

“Oh, I see. Good luck. Here, enjoy.”

“Thank you.”

Only then did it occur to Charlotte that Ethel was wooing Lotte, at least according to the scenario.

Ethelbert paid for the skewers and received them. After that, the two moved to a nearby bench and sat down. The shopkeeper saw them off with a warm look on his face.

“I ate one before and it was incredible. Lotte, do try it as well.”

Ethelbert proceeded to hand her a skewer, but Charlotte only stared at it. He peered into her face.

“Does the crown princess, who’s accustomed to royal court cuisine, refuse to eat food from street stalls, even if it’s a proper restaurant?”

“No, I was just… I’ve never seen anything like this before…”

“Haha, I was just kidding. No one can blame you for being wary of something you’re unfamiliar with.”

Apparently, Ethelbert was just teasing her, so she was making excuses for nothing. Then, he bit into the skewer without hesitation.

She’d been wondering for some time now, but did he enjoy making fun of people?

At the same time, she could tell that he was just being playful.

“Also, by referring to me as the crown princess, didn’t you just break the rules?”

“I was being careful so that others wouldn’t hear me.”

“But you went out of my way to point out the mistake I just made.”

“Mine wasn’t a mistake because it was on purpose.”

“I know.”

She knew that he did it on purpose, yet she dared to engage in a friendly banter with him. It didn’t seem to offend him at all.

“Eat quickly.”

Ethelbert took another bite of his skewer.

Charlotte followed suit, chewing on the skewer with her tiny mouth.

Delicious…

The meat, glazed in a sweet and spicy sauce, was cooked just right and had a chewy texture. That was her first time eating a meat skewer, so it was a strange feeling.

“Delicious, right?”

“It is… It’s true that the meals prepared by the chefs at the castle are delicious, but they often served me things I don’t like, and I can’t really taste the food while I’m eating. So, it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to taste anything properly.”

When it came to meals, Juliet’s palates and health were always taken into consideration, so Charlotte was often served dishes with ingredients or seasonings that she disliked. Furthermore, as if that wasn’t enough, she had to sit with people she didn’t like, and had to mind her etiquette throughout the entire process. Due to stress, she could rarely enjoy her meals.

“The pancake I had from the café earlier was also scrumptious… This meat skewer is tough and difficult to eat, though.”

“Straightforward as always.”

“Also, I’d much prefer to eat something sweet after I having something like this.”

“To be honest, that’s my fault, I made a mistake in choosing the route. We should’ve visited this stall first.”

“—Just kidding.”

As Charlotte laughed elegantly, Ethelbert went agape.

“No, you’re being honest, right?”

“That’s true, but I’m not blaming you, so there’s no need to apologize.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“…Would you like to walk around some more and try other food?”

“Sure, but I do wonder about your stomach condition.”

Her stomach was pretty full from the pancake. Charlotte tended to be a light eater, so when combined with the meat skewer, she was almost full.

Yet, for some reason, right now she felt as if she could eat an endless variety of things.

“Does Sir Ethel often walk around town?”

“It’s not good for your health to be stuck indoors studying and working all the time. Also, the atmosphere of the town in this country is fascinating.”

The Kingdom of Lymore, which had been developing remarkably over recent years compared to other countries, and the royal capital in particular, were be a good study material for the emperor’s brother. He came to study abroad not only to deepen the friendship between the two countries, but also to learn about this kingdom’s policies.

“Sir Ethel.”

“Yes?”

“It’s very fun being able to spend time time freely without worrying about status.”

“…Indeed.”

Ethelbert’s expression softened as he looked at Charlotte. She was staring at the market with a smile on her face.

---

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***T/N: What do you guys think? Will you still be grateful if you are rich and has your own personal chef, eat the finest ingredients, yet they are all dish you don’t like?

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