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“Hmm…”
Watching the carriage of the departing Grand Duke’s family, Marquis Even fell into thought. The last words left behind by the Grand Duchess lingered in his mind.
“To judge the essence, one must examine not only the form but also what lies within? Hmph…!”
He felt as though he had been hit unexpectedly from behind. To have his own words turned back on him like this—he hadn’t anticipated it.
Rumor had it that the Grand Duchess was paying particular attention to the orphan she had rescued during the Sinadelli fire incident. It seemed that the story was true.
“I thought it wasn’t a big deal… but maybe I’ve picked the wrong one.”
By offending the Grand Duchess, any situation he had hoped for was now essentially out of reach. He couldn’t easily shake off the disappointment of losing such a good opportunity as he watched the carriage vanish into the distance.
“Marquis, would you like some tea?”
“Ah, yes.”
“What kind of tea would you like?”
“Hmm… make it lavender flower tea.”
“Understood.”
The manager nodded and transferred the teacups and teapot used by the Grand Duke and Duchess onto a tray. Marquis Even studied the teacup, still steaming warmly, with particular attention.
After the manager left to prepare the tea, Even sat down at the table where the Grand Duke and Duchess had been. The air above the table, which had held the hot teacups and teapot, still felt slightly warm.
Resting against the chair and clasping his hands on his lap, he muttered quietly, staring at the table.
“They hardly drank any… just one sip. And yet… they judged it like that…”
He recalled the Grand Duchess’s cool, unwavering assessment of the flower tea. She had taken a single sip, then set the cup down, never touching it again. Thinking back now, her critique had been sharper than expected for just one sip, and he let out a wry laugh.
“I knew Baron Evit enjoyed flower tea, but I didn’t realize he had such discernment. Perhaps because black tea and flower tea are similar.”
The Grand Duchess had originally enjoyed black tea. Heard had it that she drank a lot of coffee before the accident, but after she awoke, she had returned to black tea. Her introduction to flower tea had come during a short trip to Sinadelli after her marriage, where she had tasted flower tea at Baron Evit’s Café Roland and found it to her liking.
Apparently, she liked it so much that she often visited once he opened a branch in the capital. Since she favored Baron Evit’s flower tea, she likely held some degree of admiration for him.
The problem was that Baron Evit and the orphaned girl the Grand Duchess had rescued had a business connection. By disparaging both the baron whose taste she enjoyed and the girl she had saved, calling them “lacking in essence,” the Grand Duchess had understandably been displeased.
“But it doesn’t seem that she judged my flower tea harshly because of those two. She clearly has considerable discernment and must have been accustomed to a level of flower tea above average, so she could make comparisons.”
Above all, her cold, analytical gaze as she assessed the overall taste left no trace of emotion.
“Marquis, the tea has arrived.”
“Ah, yes. Leave it here.”
“Of course.”
The manager placed a fresh serving of lavender flower tea on the table. As before, he poured the tea into the cup and quietly stepped back, leaving the teapot to one side.
Even inhaled the rich lavender aroma rising with the steam and took a slow sip.
“The fragrance is definitely good. This rich aroma is the charm of the tea.”
The intense scent of lavender spread in his mouth, as if a bloom of lavender flowers had opened there. It was indeed the fragrance that only top-quality lavender grown in fertile soil could produce.
“But the taste…”
Setting aside the strong aroma, he took another sip, holding it a little longer in his mouth to focus on the flavor.
The aftertaste lingered on his tongue as he swallowed. The bitterness made him furrow his brow slightly.
“Clearly… I can’t say the taste is good. Hmph…”
Was this a failure? He could now feel the same impression that the Grand Duchess had earlier. The taste was similar to ordinary tea, with a nutty note, but it lacked depth and didn’t linger. The strong bitterness of the aftertaste left no sense of the refreshing quality characteristic of herbal tea.
“I thought it was good enough after several tests… but I was mistaken.”
This had been the result of painstaking effort, hiring skilled horticulturists and tea sommeliers from across the country. Though he had tried to emulate Baron Evit’s flower tea, the difference in ingredient quality had promised a valuable distinction.
He had thought he could dismiss the pretentious little upstart who had refused his proposal outright. But after tasting it following the Grand Duchess’s evaluation, the flaws were undeniable.
“I even got my hands on the capital branch’s packaged products for analysis. The tea sommeliers there were excellent, and I thought I had surpassed them. But apparently, I hadn’t.”
Clicking his tongue in displeasure, he set down the cup, the slight ripple of the tea stirring a ripple in his chest.
“I’ll need to revise the plan entirely.”
He had originally planned to take down Baron Evit and his café in one fell swoop. The first attempt, using a fake product to distract and interfere, was designed to prepare for opening a new café of his own.
Thanks to the carefully timed delay, the new café opened safely. He had even replicated almost everything from Baron Evit’s capital branch. Although the initial response was underwhelming, he had expected customers to arrive soon. He had confidence that his team could surpass Baron Evit’s tea and draw all the capital branch’s customers.
“I was going to lure the customers here and destroy him completely…”
But the unexpected encounter with the Grand Duke and Duchess made him sense that things might go awry. News of their visit would surely spread through high society. Even though it was morning, there had been nearly ten guests, most of whom had witnessed the Marquis conversing with the Grand Duke and Duchess.
They might not have heard the details, but it was evident from their observation that the couple had barely touched their tea before leaving.
“Judging by their expressions, they weren’t pleased. The rumor will likely spread that our café’s flower tea was subpar.”
Ironically, the encounter that could have served as publicity backfired. Even as the Marquis groaned, he knew he needed another strategy. His pride would not allow him to fail in business again.
“Marquis, Miss has arrived.”
“Oh, really?”
The manager approached cautiously while he was deep in thought. Looking out the window, he saw the marquis’ carriage waiting. The serious expression vanished, replaced by a bright smile, as Marquis Even leapt to his feet.
“Understood. I’ll go now.”
“Yes. Please be careful.”
Receiving the manager’s farewell, Marquis Even left the café and spotted his daughter waiting after stepping down from the carriage. His face lit up, and he ran toward her in a single stride.
“Julietta!”
Hearing his voice, the young lady of the Even family turned to look at him.
“…Father.”
Her deep crimson hair, so like his own, cascaded over her shoulders. She looked at him for a moment before smiling and playfully folding her arms as she spoke.
“You’re late. Let’s go. I’m hungry.”
“Sorry, my dear. What would you like to eat?”
“I’d like some seafood dishes after so long. Oh, and something sweet for dessert.”
“Ha ha. Very well. There’s a good place nearby. Let’s go eat. You can tell me all about it while we eat—I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“Really? I’m curious about what you’d like to discuss, Father.”
She nodded, smiling, and linked her arm with his as he led her to the carriage. His face bloomed with a smile at her charming behavior. Just before the carriage door closed, her gaze lingered briefly on the café.
“Welcome, Your Highnesses, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess. Thank you for visiting.”
Upon entering the restaurant, the manager, who had just come down to the lobby, greeted them. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they were led to a private room upstairs.
“This place is always nice. Clean, quiet, and full of ambiance.”
A special room in the center of the second floor. Whenever they came to this restaurant, they used this room. The manager likely reserved it especially for them. Since the previous incident, their treatment had become even more attentive.
“Thank you. What would you like to order today?”
“I’d like something light but savory. Do you have any recommendations? And some refreshing dessert, too.”
“In that case, I recommend today’s special, Course B. A steak made from tender cuts, with duck in orange sauce, a salad full of seasonal vegetables, and for dessert, our limited-time mango sorbet for this week.”
“Sounds good. Lucius, what about you?”
“I’m fine with that, too.”
“Then we’ll have that, please.”
“Very well. Please wait a moment.”
After taking their order and retrieving the menus, the manager turned to leave. Noticing the decoration on the tie securing his long gray hair, she saw it had fallen to the floor and quickly called him back.
“Wait a moment.”
“Yes? Is something the matter? Do you need anything?”
“No, it’s nothing. Your hair accessory fell.”
“Oh…”
Pointing to the piece on the floor, he looked flustered as he checked the tie. Confirming it had indeed fallen, he bent down and picked it up.
“T-thank you. I didn’t even realize it had come off. I almost lost it. Thank you very much, Your Highness.”
His bowing revealed lingering embarrassment. Could it be such an important item?
She examined the piece in his hand. A small bird-shaped decoration, neat and carefully crafted, with a purple gemstone seemingly embedded as the bird’s eye.
“A hair tie like this… seems like a woman’s accessory.”
Long-haired men did wear hair ties, but the design of this one seemed closer to a woman’s taste.
The manager’s hands trembled slightly, and his gaze lingered affectionately on the accessory. Could it be a lover’s item? But that didn’t fit his age—women of that age typically used pins or nets, and their hair ties were more ornate.
“He wouldn’t treasure something belonging to the young lady of the Even family… Could it be…?”
It was only a hunch, but seeing the usually cold manager act this way sparked curiosity. She carefully asked as he regained some composure.
“This accessory… seems like a woman’s. You value it greatly. But it doesn’t seem like it belongs to a lover…”
“…Yes. It belonged to my late mother.”
His violet eyes shook briefly as he looked at the piece in his hand.
