Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Of course, women in the empire did socialize—parties and balls were part of that.
But Chloe thought it would be nice to have other places outside the home where women could gather, relax, and chat freely.
She pondered the idea for a while, and then engraved it deeply in her mind so she wouldn’t forget it.
Only after she finished her coffee was she finally able to escape the coffee house. As she exited with her hand on Alphonse’s arm, she felt a mix of relief and liberation.
“Shall we have dinner?”
That suggestion came from above her head. Chloe looked up at Alphonse. He spoke in his usual calm, measured tone:
“I’ve made a reservation at a restaurant. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
Though he looked composed, Alphonse’s eyes were constantly gauging her reaction. He was watching Chloe closely, waiting for her response.
Chloe felt unexpectedly moved.
‘A play and now dinner too. He’s so thoughtful.’
Strangely enough, just hearing about food made her feel hungry. She gladly accepted his offer.
To reach the restaurant Alphonse had reserved, they had to take a carriage. When they arrived, Chloe stopped in surprise. It was the first time she’d seen architecture like this in the empire.
The building mixed Western and Eastern styles, and it looked almost like…
“Is it… On cuisine?” (Note: “On” refers to the East, possibly China or Korea)
Chloe’s eyes widened. Alphonse nodded.
“You said you liked On cuisine, didn’t you?”
Only then did she remember she had mentioned that to him during their second tea time. A casual, passing remark… and yet Alphonse had remembered it all this time.
The place was the empire’s only East Asian-style restaurant, Myeong Haegwan. It was a high-end, reservation-only establishment with private rooms for VIPs.
They entered together, and a staff member who recognized Alphonse guided them to their private room.
The restaurant had three floors. The first and part of the second were filled with general seating, while the rest of the second and third floors consisted of various private rooms. The couple followed the staff up to the third floor and down a long hallway.
Just as the staff was about to open their room..
“Oh ho! Fancy meeting you here.”
…That voice. No, it couldn’t be. Chloe felt as though her fragile excitement had shattered like brittle candy.
She didn’t want to turn around, but if the voice belonged to him, she had no choice. The Duke and Duchess turned their heads together.
“Well, what a surprise. It seems fate keeps bringing us together.”
Sure enough, it was Prince Arthur. The only difference from usual was the elegantly dressed young lady clinging to his arm, likely a noblewoman by her appearance.
“Your Highness.”
Chloe said, bowing under Alphonse’s cold, wary gaze. Arthur waved dismissively.
“Come now, no need for such formality between us.”
“So you’ve come to enjoy a dinner as well, Your Highness?”
Alphonse’s tone was curt and formal.
“As have we. Then, we’ll excuse ourselves. Please enjoy your evening.”
“Wait, wait! Don’t be in such a rush. Hear me out. Since fate has brought us together, why not dine with me? I’ll pay for everything for my dear friends.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Come on, don’t be so cold!”
Arthur hastily tried to block their exit.
“Come now, let’s go. As it happens, there’s a four-person room available.”
Alphonse found the prince extremely irritating. He disliked having a rare outing alone with his wife interrupted by another man. And the fact that the man was the prince made it even worse. He couldn’t understand why he felt such a strong aversion, but it was what it was.
Arthur, the prince, had always had a personality that clashed with his own. Alphonse had never liked him much, but lately, the prince had been getting on his nerves even more. His smirking smile and sly gestures were just plain annoying. Alphonse was not someone who easily harbored either fondness or hostility toward others, so this strong dislike was unusual for him.
Still, regardless of his feelings, there was no proper excuse to reject the prince’s offer. He wished he could come up with one, anything would do, but refusing royalty without a solid reason wasn’t wise, either in the short or long term.
With that in mind, Alphonse let go of the doorknob to the private room he’d been about to open for his wife. Even this simple act required his trademark, almost superhuman patience and self-control. He wasn’t sure whether to thank or curse his father for instilling it in him.
‘He wouldn’t dare pull anything ridiculous with a lady present.’
That thought crossed his mind idly, but Alphonse couldn’t explain why the woman next to the prince had anything to do with his own displeasure.
In the end, the duke and duchess reluctantly followed Arthur. The four of them sat around a private table.
At Myeong Haegwan, all meals were served as courses, and dining there required a reservation with an exact headcount. But it seemed that, for someone like a prince, exceptions could be made.
Before long, the table was filled with a variety of elegant and luxurious dishes, starting with appetizers. The food was excellent—no, extraordinary.
Chloe, who had once thought black bean noodles and sweet-and-sour pork were the height of Chinese cuisine, was now seeing a whole new world. In particular, the grilled whole abalone with soybean sauce and the lobster steamed with chili oil melted in her mouth almost too quickly to savor.
During the meal, they learned that the woman accompanying the prince was Elina from the Sonton barony. Likely one of the prince’s many female companions. She wasn’t especially striking, but her gentle demeanor eased the tension of sitting with the uncomfortable prince.
Despite all the worries, the meal passed without incident. The most eventful part was Chloe and Elina marveling at the rotating table.
Still… despite everything, Chloe felt something was missing.
‘It’s really delicious… So why does it feel like something’s off?’
She took a sip of white wine as she pondered the feeling. It was a sweet, high-quality wine.
But compared to her usual preferences, the dishes felt a bit heavy to Chloe, like a thin layer of oil was coating her tongue.
To cut through this greasiness…
“They forgot the jasmine tea,” Chloe said without thinking.
“Hm?”
“Excuse me?”
The comment caught the attention of both men at once. When they turned to her, she blinked in surprise.
“Oh, jasmine tea. It’s often served with meals at restaurants in On. It’s green tea blended with jasmine petals or infused with jasmine fragrance.”
Chloe, a tea enthusiast, had unwittingly entered explanation mode again. She was visibly excited.
“It’s perfect for cutting through greasy food and pairs wonderfully with On cuisine. That’s why it’s been served there for ages. And the jasmine scent is so light and lovely, it’s one of my favorite teas.”
“Hm, is that so?”
The prince murmured, resting his chin on his hand as he listened.
“You’re really interesting. Your eyes light up whenever you talk about tea.”
“R-Really?”
Alphonse had said something similar once. Embarrassed, Chloe fell quiet. Alphonse’s brow twitched slightly.
“Seriously. Listening to you, I’d even drink dishwater. I’d like to try that tea sometime.”
It was hard to tell if he was praising her or teasing her.
“Hmm, I really wish we could drink jasmine tea at restaurants here in the Empire,” Chloe mused out loud.
That was when Arthur’s eyes gleamed like a child who had just found a fun new toy. A mischievous grin spread across his face, and Chloe flinched instinctively.
“Want me to call the owner of this restaurant?”
“Pardon?”
“He’s a friend of mine. Probably has nothing better to do tonight. Want me to call him? You can talk to him directly.”
“Wh-what?”
Chloe’s mouth fell open. Arthur was famously well-connected, but she hadn’t expected him to personally know the owner of this restaurant! Flustered, she shook her head.
“N-no, that’s really not necessary!”
“No need to be shy.”
Before she could stop him, Arthur rang the bell to summon the staff. He was like a teenage boy eager to show off his network.
Whether or not the prince was as close to the owner as he claimed, no one could ignore a royal summons. And sure enough, the owner appeared shortly after.
“Pleased to meet you, Your Grace, the Duchess.”
He was Count Braxton, heir to the Marquisate of Braxton. Chloe hadn’t seen his face before, but she had heard of him. He owned several top-tier restaurants in the capital, so many that no noble residing there had not eaten at one of them.
There was no backing out now. With a quiet sigh, Chloe exchanged polite greetings with the count and brought up the topic: jasmine tea.
Whether it was because she was the duchess, or because the meeting came through a prince’s introduction, Count Braxton listened seriously.
“I see. I’d heard of such a tea during research into On cuisine, but since people in the Empire don’t typically enjoy tea, we never considered offering it.”
“Don’t you want to try it for yourself, Braxton? Chloe’s tea brewing skills are second to none.”
“Would… would that be alright?”
The count asked, turning to Chloe with surprise and hope. With the prince putting it that way, refusing wasn’t an option.
“Would you like to come to our residence to try it, then?”
She said, turning to Alphonse as if seeking his permission. He looked displeased but nodded reluctantly.
And so, the five of them headed to the ducal estate.
It was Chloe’s first time inviting outsiders to her tea room. Arthur made himself comfortable as if he owned the place, while Elina and Braxton were much more reserved. It was their first time being invited to a duke’s home, after all.
Chloe brought out jasmine tea she had imported directly from On. Unlike the Empire, where tea was overlooked, countries like On had a strong tea culture. Some even said tea trees originated there.
She steeped the tea carefully in water that had been cooled slightly. Its light yellow color and subtle aroma enchanted the guests.
