The Other World Dining Hall

In a detached room further from the Imperial capital, Imperial First Empress Ardelheid lay ill.

White skin stains red so that it appears to have heat and is clear, and sometimes you are in a room warmed up enough in the fireplace to make the winter cold feel fine dust and scratch the sweat.

You have your eyes closed but you can't sleep. Your eyelids tremble pimply and exhale painfully from time to time.

Hannah, Ardelheid's side-service, looks at her husband still as she wipes the sweat from her reddened cheeks with a fine cloth.

(... Her Royal Highness, you're feeling better)

I feel a great relief and a slight loneliness in the results of the diagnosis heard by your doctor who is packing it away from the palace earlier, looking at Her Royal Highness, who is now just offended by the disease and sleeps a little bitterly.

Ardelheid is now sick.

But that's just a few days, a light cold that can easily heal if you rest well.

... Now that was the only disease that corroded her.

(You have finally been evacuated from the slaughter of the poor, Your Highness)

There were signs.

It's been two more years since Hannah served Ardelheid, who fell ill...... that individual difference between each was so long gone that the killing of the poor was just healing.

Familiar with his life in a calm out-of-house for the past two years, Ardelheid regained his vitality with every day he added.

The beauty of being regarded as the best beauty of the Empire dwelt in a vibrant light that was not there by the time I moved to the outhouse, and I began to laugh a lot.

Hannah thought it must be one of the most beautiful beauties on the continent, becoming eighteen, a feminine platter, with a little more feminine roundness, and nevertheless a more even body than she would fall in love from Hannah, a woman.

When the hell was the last time Hannah heard Ardelheid zero a unique, faint cough for killing the poor... and Hannah remembers the gloomy days that passed far away.

The figure of Her Royal Highness, pale as a vampire I heard in her bedtime story as a child, with a dark light of despair in her eyes and zero cough conceived of the smell of death all the time, is no more.

Ardelheid was now in a state where he could return whenever his father, His Majesty the Emperor, told him to return.

(Soon, you're saying goodbye)

Hannah sighs softly and small as she takes good care of her husband, who caught a very normal cold.

While I rejoiced in Ardelheid's healing, the goodbye I will certainly visit was still depressing.

Hannah was originally set to serve Ardelheid because Ardelheid depended on killing the poor.

Hence Hannah, who was able to offer a prayer of healing while apprenticing and was out of an old fallen aristocratic house, was taking care of Ardelheid around him while committing the danger of killing the poor, but now that his killing of the poor has healed, Ardelheid does not need to take care of Hannah.

Hannah herself would be spared if Ardelheid had a return order, and perhaps she would have ever been associated with Ardelheid, where the world she was originally living in was different.

"... Hey, Hannah. I have one favor to ask you."

When I look after you with that in mind, I get word from Ardelheid.

"Yes? What is it? Your Highness."

Usually, Hannah asks Ardelheid with wonder and slight joy that Ardelheid has said such a thing, which he rarely asks for because of his stiffness in the outhouse.

Stared at himself with such merciful eyes, Ardelheid says with a smile on his cheek that only slightly increased redness.

"... Actually, I have an important promise to make to your friend today, but I think it would be inconvenient in this state. So, I need you to tell Hannah I can't be here today."

"Promise to your friend, is it?

Hannah unwittingly opens her eyes and asks back to what Ardelheid said.

Hannah is the sideline of Ardelheid. That's why I know Ardelheid spends most of his day in this room.

I was less able to fall ill and lie in bed, as I had just come, but I still spent most of my time quietly reading books, writing letters and embroidering my Imperial family without leaving the room because going out was physically handicapped.

Hannah, who's been dating for two years, didn't even know where the hell she made friends.

(His Royal Highness was out for a walk every seventh day, so is that relevant?

I'll think about that possibility.

Ardelheid has a hobby of going for a walk somewhere fluffy once every seven days.

It is also a secret way out communicated only to the royal family, disappearing without taking a single confession, including the knight of the escort and Hannah herself, but Hannah didn't know where to go in detail, even though she cared, because she was bound to be back by evening.

"But isn't it impossible for your friends to go out today, too?

That's what I said. I look out separated by the vitreous.

Now that it was also in the middle of the middle of winter, there was a huge blizzard outside.

That was the weather that no man would go out, unless he was a demon.

"No, that won't be an issue"

But to Hannah's doubts like that, Ardelheid shook his head and showed it in denial, then points to the corner of the room.

At the tip of that finger was a black door with a painting of a cat.

Usually even the magic of cover-ups can't confirm whether it hangs, but Hannah also knows how to show up from time to time.

Hannah knew Ardelheid would always be out for a 'walk' the day she saw the door, although she had never tried to open it because she didn't know what kind of problem it would be to look ahead on her own.

"... the end of that door leads to the rendezvous point.

Master Lanner always visits this much time, and most importantly, what he promises to make today his previous doyo day. You should be waiting.

So I want Hannah to go over that door and explain the situation to Master Lanner... and get the cake. "

"... ok. Your Royal Highness rest in peace. I'll explain it to you instead."

Hannah nods slowly to Ardelheid, who says so heartily.

Honestly, I doubt anyone is really waiting in this snowstorm, but still, if it's a favor on your beloved Highness's, hospital bed, you can't say no.

Maybe it depends on the magic of the metastasis that the Great Sage of Wang Du recreated the ancient elf's secret.

When Hannah nods, Ardelheid smiles like a ho relieved.

"Good...... then I'll take some time off. Nice to meet you."

When I say that, I close my eyes slowly.

"I'm not resting. Your Highness."

Hannah turns back in front of the black door after thanking Ardelheid like that.

(Ahead, what is there?

The hand on the door trembles a little nervously.

Until now, I just thought it was like a hidden door that leads out of the palace, but I can't imagine what would be going on at the end of this door if Ardelheid himself were told that he had no problem in this blizzard.

But no other orders from Ardelheid... no, I would have to go if I had a favor.

"... All right"

After a little worrying, Hannah opens the door, getting ready and putting her hands on a golden handle.

Hannah knocked at the door as she heard the chillin 'chillin' and ringing bells.

At the end of the door was a dazzling room.

(Uh, what kind of place is it? Here)

Hannah is bewildered by a room brighter than the daylight in the outhouse, closed by snow and covered by heavy gray clouds.

The inside of the room is as warm as the Ardelheid room I was in earlier and doesn't make me feel the cold in the winter at all.

(Oh, it's the demons over there, isn't it? What the hell is this place...)

Around eating something uniformly unfamiliar, is this a dining place?

But I've never heard of demons or sub-races, like dining places that serve food to demons.

But I'm not going home until I do Ardelheid's favor.

"Welcome. Welcome to Yoshok's Nekoya. Sir, this is your first visit."

That's how standing at the entrance, this shop's supply-looking daughter comes near me and approaches Hannah.

She is a demonic daughter with well-maintained blonde hair and dark horns, wearing a skirt with a short hem whether it is a service clothing here or not.

"Yes, in fact, my Lord, I am here at the command of Lord Ardelheid..."

To the daughter of an approaching demon tribe, Hannah spins words as if relieved.

Hannah and I are living imperialists. The Demons were used to seeing.

"Dear Ardelheid... Oh, you were the one who ordered the cake"

Fortunately, my daughter, who works for me, knows what to do and returns the answer immediately.

"Oh, if you're using Ardelheid, you're also my guest. Would you like to come here?

And you cleverly picked up a conversation in the store, and a voice comes from a nearby seat.

"Huh?... ah"

It was one girl who was ahead of the word when it arrived.

(brown skin...... what if it is a people of the land of sand?

In his pitch-black hair and his figure of having a rich brown-skinned limb and smiling gracefully, Hannah thinks of the merchant of the land of sand, whom she heard in a letter from her brother that she had recently come to see in Imperial City.

Unlike that of the Eastern Continental style, it was made to boldly expose the skin, but neat, using a brilliant lustrous quality cloth and wearing ornaments with gold and gems everywhere, it was possible to detect that it was a noble birth, commensurate with Ardelheid.

"What if you are Master Laner?

When Hannah asks with half certainty, Lanner nods gracefully and responds.

"Yeah. I'm the runner. I've heard a lot from Ardelheid, Hannah."

"Oh, that's good. As a matter of fact, Mr. Ardelheid asked me to tell you today that he was ill and couldn't come."

"Yeah, that's a shame."

When Hannah tells her what to do, Lanner lowers her brow butt a little and sighs one.

And then he turns to Hannah, grinning and laughing like he came up with something.

"Then why don't you hang out with me for a little while? I don't even have a brother right now, so I'm a little free."

"Heh!? Wow, me?

Unexpectedly surprised by the sudden offer, Hannah listens back.

I don't know where Lanner is, but I know enough to know that he is incompatible with himself as a fallen aristocrat.

"Yeah. You don't have to worry about it. Now I'm just a little girl named Lanner. If that's what you think and you go out with me, that's fine."

Hannah takes her seat in difficulty against Lanner, who tells her that she is in an extraordinarily equal position.

It would be rude to say no any more. That would probably annoy my husband, Ardelheid, too.

"Well, if that's the case, I'll stay with you. That, Master Lanner."

"I don't need a nickname. Just a runner is enough."

"Okay, Laner."

Hannah takes her seat with a giggling smile.

"Today, I was going to give you a taste of a treat called Bush Donoel that I ordered on the previous doyo day...... Aletta, do you mind?

Confirm with a smile that Hannah has arrived at her seat and summon a daughter of apparent servitude named Aletta.

"Yes. Are you sure you want to order?

My daughter, Aletta, who opposes me, is also used to asking for an order, laughing frankly.

"Yep. Bushdonoel and warmed milk for two, please...... are you sure, Mr. Hannah?

"Yes, of course."

Once confirmed, Hannah didn't know about this store, so she nodded.

Okay, please.

"Yes, please wait a moment"

That said, when Aletta goes in the back, Lanner turns to Hannah and talks worryingly.

"... so, is Mr. Ardelheid okay? I've heard before that empires are so cold that white ice grains descend from the sky in winter."

"Yes, now that I'm lying sick, but it's just a cold, the doctor has also told me that if you take your time off, you'll be fine"

Hannah responds to questions and is interested in public discourse, feeling that she is still an exotic person to how Lanner apparently doesn't know 'snow'.

I usually come here with my brother, but now the brother is on a bit of a journey, and Lanner seems to be visiting here alone.

Hannah is always passionate about chatting as she rounds her eyes to the story that the sandy country she lives in is hot all year and it only rains about once every few years.

"Thank you for waiting. I brought you Bushdonoel and hot milk."

That's how Aletta visits the two tables with a silver tray as we talk.

Milk filled with pure white cups with warm hot air and unfamiliar scorched brown treats are arranged in front of Hannah and Lanner.

"Well, take your time."

After I drop off Aletta who says that and goes to pick up another customer's order, Lanner smiles and says:

"Sa, let's have it first. I hear the treats here are so delicious, I'm sure Hannah will love them too."

With that said, take a bite and see...... it makes a serious face.

"... I see. Everything but ice cream was delicious here."

Apparently, it tasted better than Lanner expected.

(So let's just say it's because of you)

While smiling bitterly about it, Hannah also decided to eat the bushdonoel sweets in front of her.

The confectionery in front of me was brown, close to black overall.

The surface is wrapped in a slightly lighter reddish brown with a dark brown central area.

And during the brown color, which had a strong black color, a brown blush with the same color as the surface was formed.

Immediately next to it, unusually large berries were decorated with fine white powder to show bright red, not unlike in the middle of winter, which seemed to emphasize the extra brownness.

(... you're like a stump)

Hannah takes a small fork while she remembers such a sentiment on a decomposed surface and carved like an annual wheel to mimic the tree's epidermis.

It looks like a round-cut stump, but it's actually soft, and if you push the silver fork vertically, it sinks in and can be cut apart with the softness of the fine futon Ardelheid uses.

(And what is this brown thing?

I'll cut it off for a bite and see if it shivers.

The cut confectionery apparently paints something on the soft baked confectionery by the unusual.

(... maybe this is a different color for what's in the shoe cream, right?)

To that painted something, Hannah fuzzily recalls the contents of a strange confection given to her by Ardelheid, as she recalls from time to time.

I have never told anyone else because everyone tells me to keep it to myself, but I feel quite similar there to white and yellow, whites of the two kinds of contents.

I was concerned that shoe cream was the first delicacy to be eaten by Hannah in her life, and that what she was eating if she were to be the princess of a bouldering great empire was different from what ordinary people like herself, but now I suppose this is where that shoe cream came from.

It's cash if you think about it that way, and Bushdonoel, which was suddenly a inexperienced treat, looked delicious.

Hannah carries a small cut bushed noel into her mouth...

"Hmm..."

I sighed inadvertently.

The confectionery was incredibly delicious from the looks of it.

(It's just a little bitter... but that's what makes it sweet...)

The brown one used for the surface painted on the confectionery and the inner groove did taste similar to the white one in the shoe cream's contents.

It would be something white mixed with something brown to observe.

The brown one seems to contain a unique aroma and bitterness, giving the white one a brown color and a little bitterness.

And the bitterness was adding to the sweetness, which, overall, made the sweetness of the confectionery feel adequate even though it was far less sweet than the imperial fine confectionery.

(And this fabric...)

It was wonderful of the dough used as a foundation, which would inevitably be eaten after a full taste of the cream on the surface.

That dough, which is softer and lighter than any bread I've ever eaten, had a faint Michele aroma and a liquor flavor.

And the refreshing Michele flavor, which was not unlike that winter, and the liquor flavor, which had a sharp bitterness, went well with the sweet and bitter flavor of the brown fabric, at the same time harmonious and united with that of the surface, which was less bitter and more sweet.

I might hate it a little bit if I were a kid. That felt great for Hannah, who was already an adult.

(Are you sure this is a treat?

Eating exactly the confectionery now, Hannah thinks about the contradiction.

This is a treat, but it was too good to be what I knew it to be. I honestly didn't think it was the same thing.

And while I was thinking about it, Hannah's hand didn't stop, and when it was finally served on the plate, Bushdonoel disappeared, leaving only a pompous and unusually large berry later.

(Is that it......!?

Unfortunately for that I stretched the fork to the last remaining berry...... I am stunned that it was just a fresh berry that was shaken with fine sugar.

(Such an idiot. Did you even use elf magic for fresh berries in the middle of this winter?

Hannah, who knows there's no way she can take berries in the winter, only takes warm milk in her hands while confused, feels slightly sweet, relieved by the flavor she knows so well, then unexpectedly looks forward and realizes that Hannah kept eating silently without chatting with the Lanner she invited all the way up here, blushes with that disrespect.

"Well, I'm sorry about that. Not too delicious..."

"It's okay. I was just as dedicated to savoring as I was, so good that I couldn't talk to you."

The word was not a lie, nor was the plate placed before the lanner empty.

"But it was just fine. If I hadn't ordered it on the previous doyo day, I would have asked for another plate."

As attracted to the word, a man emerges from the back and gives two bags to Lanner and Hannah.

"Thank you for waiting. I brought it with me as I was ready to bush donoel your order. Your bill is done when you book, so keep it up. It's a sweet treat, so save it in a cool place and eat it soon."

If Hannah peeked into the bag in the words, there was an elongated box inside that smelled faintly sweet.

(Speaking of which, it's like His Highness was telling me to pick up the cake and come)

"Yeah, thanks...... well, how does our chef react"

Funny Laner also smiles and looks at the contents.

"So shall we go? Say hello to Ardelheid."

"Ah, yes. We're here for you."

Hannah leans against the side and knocks at the door together to follow the runner who stood up, saying so.

(... that? Where is Master Lanner?

"Welcome home. Hannah. So, have you received the cake?

The moment she knocked on the door, Hannah was back in Ardelheid's room, the same as when she first knocked on the door.

Lanner, who was certainly supposed to have walked a while ago, disappears and is instead greeted by Ardelheid, who is smiling with a hot face.

"Yes. Cake is this, right? They tell us to put it in a cool place."

To Ardelheid's words, Hannah takes the box out of the bag she received from the man earlier and shows it.

"Yes, you've received it... I need to heal my body soon after. Because it's a treat."

Ardelheid's voice, who shrugs like that after looking at the box, was already back in vibrancy and seemed to heal really quickly.

"So long, Hannah. Keep that bushed noel in a room free of fire. I'll be back in shape by tomorrow, so you can eat with me then. I'll tell you more about Nekoya then."

I don't feel lost in Ardelheid, who declares that he will cure the disease in one day.

It certainly made me feel like a princess of the Empire and at the same time a granddaughter of a great first emperor.

"... Yes. Looking forward to it."

Hannah smiled naturally and responded to her husband's appearance.