Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Side Story 9

When Siata opened the money pouch and spread its contents across the table, gold, silver, and copper coins poured out. Following Siata’s quick sorting, Miesa counted the money with a delighted face.

Then she called for Eirik without hesitation. As Eirik, who had been talking with the guards, approached, she greeted him with a bright smile.

“A total of 232 Jere and 81 Parse.”

“This is the first dirty money you’ve earned.”

“And it will also be the last. Should we distribute it to the townspeople?”

He touched Miesa’s cheek and replied, “Let’s leave it to the guard captain. Some have lost quite a bit, but we can’t spend our time calculating and redistributing it all.”

Miesa agreed easily and playfully rubbed her stomach. “Honey, I got hungry from concentrating for the first time in a while.”

“Really? Then just wait a moment.”

Eirik quickly gave instructions to the guards and then turned back to her.

“Shall we go get something to eat now?”

As he smiled and put his arm around Miesa’s shoulder, the guards made way through the crowd that had gathered to watch. As the couple passed through the murmuring crowd, the women who had spoken with Miesa earlier gave her a thumbs-up from afar. Though their praises were loud and enthusiastic, they were not audible. Miesa responded silently by raising her hand and giving a thumbs-up in return. Her laughter echoed in the crisp autumn air.

After making their way out of the crowd, Eirik took Miesa’s hand and slowed their pace.

The two strolled leisurely, looking around at various sights. Stalls lined up one after another, selling walnut-stuffed pastries, walnut bread, and walnut pieces coated in something sweet.

“Oh, right. Kazen walnuts are famous.”

Just as Miesa was about to stop, Eirik coaxed her gently, “Why don’t we save those for later, once we’ve had a proper meal first?”

“Hmph.”

Eirik gently led her away to divert her attention.

“I saw a decent place earlier. On the way here, there was a fairly large inn with a good-looking dining area on the first floor.”

“You know, I want to try something unusual.”

“Something unusual?”

At Miesa’s words, Eirik raised an eyebrow, seeming uncertain. What did she mean by unusual food?

“I mean, we often eat delicious things, right? I want something new, something you could only experience here in Kazen…”

While Miesa was elaborating, a savory aroma wafted over to them, piquing their senses. It seemed to be coming from the direction where a noisy group of people had gathered.

“I want to see what that is.”

At Miesa’s words, Eirik signaled to Siata and the knights following them and headed in the direction she was pulling him. It was clearly a smithy rather than a restaurant or inn, so why were they cooking?

“Come on, everyone, come get a bowl of rabbit stew and a drink!”

As they neared the smithy, they saw an old woman standing atop a large crate, excitedly waving her hands. A few people who had been walking ahead stopped and asked her.

“What’s going on here? Did you change the business to a restaurant?”

“Oh no, we’re still running the smithy. We just had something wonderful happen, so we prepared this. Come and eat; it’s free.”

The old woman, her face beaming with pride, continued to wave her hands.

“My daughter gave birth to twins four months ago! We hadn’t heard anything from her for twenty years since she got married, but now she has two babies!”

The old woman’s apron was stained, and her hands didn’t look particularly clean. However, Miesa eagerly pulled Eirik’s hand.

“Free drinks and food. Let’s go check it out.”

Eirik narrowed his eyes, placing a hand on her shoulder as he whispered, “Let me taste it first. If there’s nothing strange, then you can have some.”

“I don’t mind even if it’s not delicious.”

As they approached, the old woman, catching sight of them, enthusiastically waved them in. In the end, Eirik allowed himself to be dragged by Miesa inside the smithy’s courtyard.

Inside the yard, dozens of people were already seated. The people of Kazen sat on makeshift tables and boxes instead of chairs, eating stew from wooden bowls and clinking their rough cups together as they shared cheerful conversations.

In the center, a middle-aged couple sat receiving congratulations, clearly the guests of honor. The woman looked healthy, with a bright complexion, while her husband, red-faced from drink, was laughing and crying as he spoke proudly.

“Yes! Our daughter looks just like me, and our son looks just like my beloved Martha. Oh, Martha, my love.”

As he passionately spoke to the crowd, he turned to embrace his wife, rubbing his nose against her face.

“Thank you so much. Really, thank you! Who made me a father, huh? My Martha did.”

His wife, her cheeks flushed in that characteristic northern way, smiled broadly. She turned her head, shy from his kisses, but soon took the cup from his hand, telling him not to drink too much.

As Eirik and Miesa watched the heartwarming scene, Siata appeared with drinks and food, guiding them to an unobtrusive corner.

“I tasted a bit while getting it, and it’s not bad.”

“I see.”

Eirik took the wooden bowl and quickly drank the stew before nodding.

“I suppose I had some prejudice. It’s quite good. Let’s find a place to sit.”

Siata quickly secured a spot, and the two of them settled into a relatively secluded area.

Miesa held the cup Siata had handed her, her mouth open as Eirik blew on a spoonful of stew before putting it to her lips.

“Careful, it’s hot.”

As Miesa took a mouthful of the stew, her eyes widened. The humble rabbit stew was surprisingly delicious. The warm, savory broth soothed the chill she had unknowingly felt from the autumn breeze.

“What is this? Why does it taste so good?”

Miesa murmured, and Eirik smiled as he scooped another large spoonful, blowing on it to cool it down. Before bringing the spoon to his own mouth, Miesa turned to Siata, who was standing beside them.

“Siata, go find out what’s in this stew.”

“Yes!”

Siata hurried off to the women serving the food, while the couple continued to share the stew.

In front of them, their makeshift wooden table bore numerous marks and scratches. Eirik wiped the stew from Miesa’s lips, whispering in a low voice.

“This place, it looks like they forge not just farming tools but also weapons and armor.”

“How do you know that? You’re amazing, honey.”

Miesa’s eyes widened in surprise, but Eirik chuckled, shaking his head.

“Actually, I can see through that window over there. There’s a pile of helmets and spears in one corner.”

“Ah, I see. I didn’t notice because I can’t see over the wall while sitting. You got me.”

Miesa giggled and took a sip from her wooden cup. The sharp flavor filled her senses, warming her from the inside. She shivered slightly and let out an exclamation.

“This is something else.”

“You… The way you talk… You’re getting more and more like Mother…”

Eirik stopped mid-sentence as Miesa gave him a glare.

“Honey, stop nagging me.”

“Alright, today I might have gone too far. But just know that most of the time, I’m holding back.”

Perhaps he had been a bit too restrictive during their trip, forbidding this and that. Feeling a bit sheepish, Eirik brought his wooden cup to his lips. After tasting the drink, he frowned deeply.

“It’s stronger than it looks. Good thing it’s just one each.”

“One isn’t enough for me. If you don’t like it, give it to me.”

“……”

Eirik narrowed his eyes in displeasure, but despite his expression, he readily tilted the wooden cup, pouring a bit more into her cup. Miesa burst into giggles, leaning against him.

“You were about to nag me again, weren’t you?”

“…You won’t get that drunk from this. Still, it has a strong aftertaste. Are you really going to drink it all?”

“It’s fine when I eat it with the stew.”

Eirik feigned a disapproving look, but the more he did, the louder Miesa’s laughter became.

“Madam, I got the recipe. I’ll let the cook know when we return home.”

“Good job.”

Siata, who had brought her own portion of the stew, sat a bit away from the couple. After a few spoonfuls, she glanced around before exchanging an “all clear” hand signal with the Cladnier knights sitting further away.

After finishing their stew, the couple sipped from their wooden cups, chatting quietly.

“Having twins all at once… It’s amazing. It’s my first time seeing it in person.”

“Twins are rare, but they do happen.”

While twins were shunned in more remote island nations like southern Trea, in Esquillir and nearby countries, they were seen as a good omen, thought to bring endless blessings to the family.

The father of the twins, who had been moving around greeting guests, eventually made his way to the corner where the couple was seated.

“Congratulations.”

Eirik was the first to offer his greeting, and the father of the twins, grinning broadly, scratched the back of his head.

“Thank you. How did you find the food? Did it suit your taste?”

“It was very good. My wife even wanted to know the recipe.”

When Eirik answered with a smile, the father hesitated. The alcohol had dulled his senses, and he hadn’t noticed at first, but now, hearing Eirik’s low but clear voice, he realized there was something unusual about the couple’s appearance and attire.