**Matthew’s Part Ends Here**
“It isn’t a serious matter, you know. If it were, I wouldn’t have called you over so casually,” Lady Emily said lightheartedly, but to Matthew, it was a significant event. Matthew was a sufficiently successful merchant, but his status was still that of a commoner. He had never experienced a one-on-one meeting with a lord before.
Far from being honored, he felt a sense of danger. A commoner traveling to and from the capital and ingratiating himself with an important granddaughter—he should proceed under the assumption that he was viewed unfavorably. With this resolve, Matthew followed the maid’s guidance.
“Lord Scott, I have brought your guest.”
“Very well, let him in.”
Matthew entered the parlor as guided by the maid.
He thought the room was quite subdued.
There were no gaudy paintings or eye-catching gold.
A table of dark, glossy wood and chairs of the same material.
An elderly man sat there, drinking tea.
“Sorry to summon you so suddenly. You must be having a hard time dealing with my granddaughter’s whims.”
The elderly man who spoke appeared quite ordinary.
He wore a light tunic and cotton trousers.
Without socks, he was barefoot in sandals—a very casual outfit.
He could easily be mistaken for an old man selling tobacco on the street corner.
“Oh, no, not at all!”
“I’m just sneaking off for a break, so no need to be so formal. Come, sit and have some tea.”
“Huh?”
Surprisingly, the lord began pouring tea into a cup himself.
But at that moment, Matthew somehow accepted that the old man before him was indeed the lord.
Aristocrats of noble lineage often have preferences about the strength of their tea, whether to add sugar, honey, or milk, and when to add them. The tea utensils and glass the old man used, and the way he handled them, suggested a certain attention to detail.
“It’s good.”
Scott poured the tea into a ceramic cup and handed it to Matthew.
The cup seemed chilled, as he felt a cool sensation when he held it.
On this hot and humid day, something cold was certainly welcome.
But Matthew felt like he was in mortal peril.
“I, I shall partake.”
Moreover, it hadn’t been long since Matthew had tasted tea prepared by Jill.
He did not expect to feel the same emotion as he did then.
“What, what is this…?!”
However, Matthew’s prediction was betrayed.
“Is it good?”
“It’s an extraordinary flavor… It’s just like what she made… It’s even more perfectly replicated than Jill’s.”
The moment Matthew tasted the iced tea, the scene of the secret restaurant flashed through his mind. The flavor was so similar to what he had drunk in that restaurant in the past.
Jill’s iced tea was a vibrant and youthful flavor for Matthew. The umami of the tea leaves was reminiscent of what Matthew had drunk in the past, but it had a sharper edge, and the aroma that might be lost when chilled was supplemented with cinnamon. There was a beauty in its developing effort to perfect it to her liking.
However, what Scott brewed was a finished product. The umami, the gentle and deep mouthfeel, everything was exactly the same as what he had drunk before. It was a perfected beauty imbued with the intention of preserving tradition.
“Oh. It seems my skills haven’t dulled.”
“I never imagined the lord would have such skill.”
Matthew said as he took another sip.
“There is more. No need to rush.”
Scott looked at Matthew with a gaze as if watching something endearing.
“My apologies. But, how did you learn to brew it this way…?”
“How, you ask? I learned it directly from Lord Conrad.”
“Lord Conrad…?”
Hearing the unfamiliar name, Matthew looked puzzled.
Scott sighed deeply at this sight.
“Oh come on, Matthew. You have been there too, haven’t you? Lord Conrad’s secret restaurant. I know everyone he has invited, so don’t play dumb.”
At those words, Matthew almost choked. No one but his friend who accompanied him should have known that he had been to the secret restaurant.
But upon careful thought, Matthew realized it couldn’t have been kept a secret. He had talked to the gatekeeper to leave the town, and there were, of course, other people at the restaurant besides him.
The owner of the restaurant.
“… Is the name of the owner of that place Conrad?”
“Hmm? You didn’t know?”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard it. I was invited as a child, and it wasn’t something I could speak about openly…”
“I see. Then let me explain. Listen carefully.”
Lord Scott grinned mischievously.
“Yes!”
“I’m just joking. I told you not to be so formal.”
“Uh, okay…”
Matthew thought that Scott was quite the easygoing old man.
But he also felt that this relaxed atmosphere suited the lord.
“First, the Forest of Temptation and its mansion. That place is not part of my territory. That forest and mansion constitute an independent territory.”
“… It’s not part of Shelland’s territory!?”
“That’s right. The lord of that forest is someone who, despite their high status, has committed some misconduct or has fallen out of the king’s favor. They are appointed there and cannot return to the capital without permission… In other words, it serves as a prison.”
Matthew was stunned, forgetting to mask his expression at Scott’s explanation.
But hearing that it was a prison for royalty, Matthew finally grasped Conrad’s identity.
“A prison…!? Then, Lord Conrad is…”
“He is the elder brother of the current King Alan. He was banished to the Forest of Temptation for his remonstrance to the previous king. But seventeen years ago, he was called back to the capital to take care of King Alan’s daughter.”
“… That’s why he suddenly disappeared from this town.”
“Indeed. And then…”
“He died in the war.”
Scott nodded slightly at Matthew’s somber words.
“Those with unfortunate fates are sent there. And those who govern Shelland must watch over those living in that mansion to ensure they don’t have ill thoughts. That is the pact with the royal family. Therefore…”
Matthew gulped down his saliva.
He braced himself for the terrifying words that might come next.
“I wanted to go to that restaurant every week… but my position prevented me from going…!”
“Oh, I, I see.”
“It was delicious, wasn’t it!”
Matthew, with a hint of amazement in his voice, received Scott’s angry retort.
“E-excuse me… but it certainly was a wonderful taste.”
“Indeed, we lost someone precious.”
“I also wanted to meet him once more… I had a faint suspicion that he was no longer alive, but it is heartbreaking not to be able to repay him.”
“Damn that foolish king. Dailan keeps winning and getting rich, but looking at the entire island, it just keeps getting poorer. Things might be fine now, but in ten or twenty years, it’s going to be really bad. We might return to an age of civil war.”
Matthew decided to empty his mind and pretend he hadn’t heard.
Indeed, the current king was hated by many, but if it became known that he had been present at a scene where the king was openly criticized, his own neck would be at risk.
“Um, my lord. Thank you for sharing your story. I understand well about the history of that mansion.”
“Oh, right. I digressed. You, you went to the mansion in the forest, didn’t you? I’ve heard from the town gatekeeper, so don’t play dumb any longer. Speak honestly.”
“Y-yes.”
“Now, the master of that forest mansion is Lady Jill. How was it?”
Scott addressed Jill with an honorific.
It indicated that she was someone who must be respected.
This confirmed Matthew’s suspicion.
“I apologize for responding to your question with another question, but… is that person indeed the former Princess Jill?”
Because Matthew frequently traveled between the royal capital and the provinces, he often heard political talk. He had also heard rumors that the first princess, Jill, might be disinherited. Scott nodded, confirming Matthew’s guess.
“Indeed. She is Lady Jill, daughter of King Alan and Queen Bazarde… raised by Lord Conrad. I want to hear your candid impression.”
“It might be disrespectful to speak of someone of such high status in this manner, but…”
“Hmm.”
“She is a bit careless, but she was a straightforward and good person.”
Scott burst out laughing.
“Lord Conrad was also like that when he first came here. When he started the restaurant, there was nothing but trouble…”
“I-is that so?”
“But you are also fortunate. It seems Lady Jill made tea for you herself? How was it?”
Scott gave Matthew a mischievous look.
But to Matthew, it was no longer surprising.
He already knew that the owner of the secret restaurant was the royal Conrad.
“It was probably tea made with the same leaves as Lord Conrad’s, brewed with care. The taste was different, though.”
“How was it different?”
“Well… it had a good, smooth finish and seemed perfect for drinking on a hot day. However, I think Lord Scott’s tea brought out the depth of the tea leaves more.”
“Haha. Lord Conrad used to prepare cold-brewed iced tea for reserved guests. I just copied that.”
“Cold-brewed?”
“Instead of brewing the tea with hot water and then cooling it, you brew it with cold water from the start. It takes time and is a bit of a hassle, but it brings out a better flavor.”
“Can such a simple method really bring out such flavor…?”
Matthew was genuinely impressed.
Although he was particular about tea, he had the fixed idea that tea should be brewed with hot water. The method of drinking iced tea was considered unconventional in the past, and it had only become common in the last twenty years or so. In the magical kingdom of Dailan, there was still room for the method and enjoyment of iced tea to develop.
“By the way, Matthew. Does Lady Jill have anything she wants to do?”
“Something she wants to do?”
Matthew tensed up for a moment at that question.
When asked what a royal who had been exiled from the castle wanted to do, the first thing that came to mind was restoring their honor. However, from what Matthew had observed of Jill, he didn’t feel any such ambition. He hesitated about how to convey this.
But Scott, seemingly sensing this, gave a wry smile.
“It’s not a serious question. Like how Lord Conrad wanted to run a restaurant, or maybe she wants to paint or run a café, just something like a hobby.”
“Oh, I see.”
Matthew relaxed and recalled Jill’s words.
“…She wants to make and sell clothes and accessories. Recently, I bought a hat from Lady Jill and gave it to Lady Emily as a gift for her pregnancy.”
“A hat, huh. She takes after Lord Conrad in being a hobbyist.”
“Why are the people sent to that mansion always hobbyists…?”
Matthew tilted his head, but Scott smiled.
“That’s a secret.”
“Oh, okay.”
“I’m not joking. Don’t pry into it.”
“Yes, understood!”
“If anyone tries to uncover the secrets of that forest or force their way into the mansion and angers the master of the forest… even I wouldn’t be able to protect them, no matter who they are.”
Scott’s expression was serious, unlike when they were chatting.
Matthew involuntarily gulped. He felt there were still many mysteries about Jill and the mansion. This was a warning to him.
Scott was likely hoping that this warning would be convincingly communicated to the townsfolk. Matthew sensed that this was the main point of Lord Scott’s message.
“…So, don’t uncover the secrets of the forest… Does that mean it’s okay to talk about Lady Jill’s background?”
“That will eventually come out anyway. Lord Conrad’s background wasn’t exactly a secret either. He just didn’t openly introduce himself, but those who noticed, noticed. It was difficult to explain to children, so people your age might not have known.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Even so, she’s in a difficult position. You understand, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not saying you have to, but watch over her as best as you can.”
An ex-royal who is treated coldly.
People attracted to such a status and position are bound to be dangerous.
And this lord is secretly monitoring those dangerous individuals.
Matthew is also being watched.
And now, it seems he is being invited to move from the watched to the watcher.
“I understand.”
“But anyway, it seems they are living peacefully and are not the type to abuse their power. As long as they aren’t as mischievous as Lord Conrad, it should be fine.”
There was an indescribable gentle tone to those words.
It sounded somewhat joyful.
Matthew shared the same sentiment.
He wanted to see what the people living there would create and what kind of future they would envision.
“But it’s nice to watch over the young ones.”
“Indeed.”
Matthew took another sip of iced tea, soothing his parched throat from the oddly tense conversation.
The adulthood he admired as a child.
It was vastly different from what he had imagined.
There are stifling secrets to bear.
Many worries.
His legs feel heavier compared to his teenage years.
He is overwhelmed with his own affairs, yet there are people he must watch over.
Such fatigue is washed away by the refreshing tea.
“May I have another cup?”
“Yes, drink up. I feel a bit peckish too. Hey, do we have any tea snacks?”