Translator: Khan

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

"We're here."

"…"

"…"

The booked restaurant was close to the mansion of the Count. Aria stared at Asher's mysterious eyes for a while even though she heard the voice of the driver and took off. As if to be sorry for her body temperature, his hand grasped her hand again.

"…"

"…"

"Next time, I need to book a restaurant in the Kingdom of Croa."

He sighed deeply and complained from the bottom of his heart.

'It takes days to run to the Kingdom of Croa without any rest, but what are you going to do?' Aria, who had taken his escort in the slightest insinuation of the meaning of his words and got out of the carriage, entered the restaurant and said,

"Well, do we need to go out? Rather, it may be better not to go out anywhere."

At those words, Asher, who was slowly walking, stopped. Without answering, he looked down at her face. He wanted to do it right away, so she smiled and opened her mouth, urging him to take his steps again.

"I hope a year passes soon, and it becomes next year." Her words with a smile made him furrow his forehead obviously.

"… Yes, you're right." As he stepped, his feet were a little rough.

* * *

As he entered the restaurant with her, he heard some people talking, and it was the guests because the staff acted politely toward them since it was a luxury restaurant.

Asher said, looking upset,

"... There are guests."

He didn't rent the whole restaurant, but he thought it was a reservation in his name, so he thought they would not receive or arrange other guests, but they did not somehow.

He didn't pay for this in advance, but even though he didn't mention it, he always paid the entire restaurant after the meal. However, some people reserved seats beforehand and were eating. The manager hurried out to the appearance of Asher and said while lowering his head,

"... I am so sorry. I've told them many times that it's going to be difficult for them to have a meal today, but…"

"No, I didn't rent the whole restaurant beforehand, but it's weird to force it. It's okay."

Asher shook his head, saying that he was okay because the manager was about to kneel on the floor, and Aria thought it was natural as she felt that it was so pitiful that he was apologizing while trembling.

Even if there were people, it was not a big deal because they were sitting far away from them. The manager wouldn't have wanted to face this situation, and he must have persuaded the guests but failed.

Asher narrowed his eyes and tried to measure who were the ones eating. He wondered who these people were because they ignored what the restaurant's manager was telling them even though they had been told that it would be difficult to get a seat at the restaurant.

The same was true of Aria. If they had been told that someone higher than them would visit, they would have returned because it was natural that the higher the status of the reserved guest was, the harder it would be to eat.

However, they still remained and ate. One was a humble identity that did not know such a thing; the other was a high enough identity that they didn't care about such a thing. And if they had visited the most expensive and luxurious restaurant in the empire, the latter was clear.

Because of that, Asher was measuring who they were a little away for a while, and one of the guests who ate suddenly raised his hand and pretended to know him.

"Huh, isn't this Your Highness Asterope?"

"…?"

Aria, surprised, stared at the man, who had his hand raised, with her eyes wide open.

'How dare he say something impolite to the Crown Prince of the empire?' It was not only for Aria but for everyone who witnessed this scene, so all the attention quickly turned to the man with a raised hand. He called Asher's name again, not bothering himself at their astonished gaze.

"Your Highness Asterope, don't tell me you don't know who I am."

"… Lohan."

Asher said hello to him, calling him by his name, and only then did Aria recall that she had had a short conversation with him.

"... That man…?"

She had met him in the Kingdom of Croa. The man had pretended to be friendly to Asher. It was the man who had come to her quarters and complained about Asher not coming to see him.

'Why is he having dinner with Princess Isis?' Moreover, unlike last time, he was using an honorific language. Aria, who opened her eyes wide because of the incomprehensible situation, looked at Asher and Lohan alternately.

It seemed to be the same with Isis, who could not understand the situation as well, so she asked Lohan with a deathly pale face. But instead of giving her the answer, Lohan was busy expressing his joy of seeing Asher.

"I thought what kind of a great man would have made a reservation here because I heard from my servant that the manager kept adding some unnecessary words when he made a reservation for just one meal, but it was Your Highness."

"…"

It was only then that Asher sighed and realized why they didn't go to another restaurant despite the manager's persuasion. It was a very troublesome face. Only Aria and Isis, who did not know the reason, were still seeking answers.

"Why don't you join us since we're all here?"

There was a deep smile on Lohan's face when he asked that. It was a natural recommendation as if this was his purpose in the first place. He seemed to have ignored the manager's words with the intention of doing so.

"... Join? join?" As if it was ridiculous, Asher asked back and frowned.

He had a lot to do starting tomorrow, so he was planning to have a long and cozy meal with Aria now, but he had an unexpected interruption. When he tried to reject the ridiculous suggestion, of course, Aria gave him a positive answer first.

"I think that would be better because it seems like you haven't met in a long time."

"... Lady Aria!"

The eyes of Asher, as if he asked if it was her real heart, followed. He seemed to ask if they should spend their precious time with such useless people.

'I won't be able to meet you often because I'm going to be busy starting tomorrow.'

But Aria was curious about Lohan's identity, and why he was having dinner with Isis, so she smiled, pretending not to know it and touched his hand which she held.

"You're going to do that, aren't you?"

'How can I refuse when you are determined to do this and seek an answer?' Asher, who had been staring at Aria for a long time, frowned. He then sighed deeply and nodded.

"... I'll do that."

He had no choice but to follow Aria's words, but his face turned cold as he was going to spend the precious time he had prepared so hard with these intruders. Between Aria, who was rolling her eyes in curiosity, and Isis, who was deathly pale, only Lohan was laughing.

"... How on earth do you know each other?"

While the tableware for Asher and Aria was set, Isis was unable to overcome her curiosity and asked,

It was right to ask because she was about to attack the Imperial Castle and the Crown Prince tomorrow. Allies and enemies joined in a table and ate together a day before the decisive battle. Unlike Isis's concerns, Lohan answered as if it were nothing.

"It is natural for the king of a country and the Crown Prince to be acquainted. Isn't it weird that we don't know?"

"... The king!"

It was Aria who was surprised by this. Aria was the only one who didn't know Lohan's identity, so it was a natural response.

Lohan looked like the same age as Asher at best, but he was a king already… 'Will he make a personal visit to the empire tomorrow?' At the remark, which sounded like a lie, she gave Asher a look, "Why didn't you told me that earlier?"

Asher, who was in trouble because of this, read her countenance and replied,

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to introduce him to you because I don't think you should know, but it was my mistake."

"It is a shame to treat me like that!"

"... That can't be true, but I think you two are quite close."

Isis now sensed great anxiety in this situation. Although he was the king of a kingdom, it was impossible for him to pick on every word of the Crown Prince if he was not close to him.

Lohan had to leave to judge the man in front of him in just a few hours, but he acted as if he was really close to him. As Isis with a face full of anxiety feared and worried spoke, Lohan answered angrily as if he asked what she was talking about.