As the Villainess Who Was Dumped, I Am Saved by My Childhood Friend from a Noble Family and Spoiled in the Frontier - Chapter 14

And so, we traveled to town by carriage.

We did have guards accompanying us, but this might be the first time I’ve gone out so casually. After all, I’m no longer the Crown Prince’s fiancée, so to be honest, there’s hardly any worry about being targeted.

Kidnapping by bandits is a bit frightening, but if I use defensive magic, I can handle anything.

“Here we are! This is the café I frequent!”

The café Maria guided us to was filled with stylish antique furniture. It had such a calm, wonderful atmosphere.

“Well now, if it isn’t Lady Maria! Had you told me you were coming, I would have prepared your seat in advance.”

“It’s been a while, Cranberry! Today’s an incognito date, so no need for formalities. We just want to relax and enjoy some delicious food and cake without any fuss.”

Maria was chatting happily with the elderly shop owner.

“This is my senior from school, Lady Nina. We came to town together today to have some fun.”

“Is that so? Pleased to meet you, Lady Nina! I’m Cranberry, the owner of this café. Please make yourselves comfortable today.”

“Pleased to meet you, I’m Nina,” I greeted him nervously.

“Then please, take the window seat on the second floor. It has a lovely view and is quite popular.”

The owner seemed to be deliberately avoiding prying too deeply into my situation. As expected of Maria’s regular spot. Since the broken engagement between me and the Crown Prince is the talk of the empire, he probably prepared this discreet second-floor seat on purpose.

“We’ll have two Cacio e Pepe and a berry tart, please.”

“And what would you like to drink?”

“I’m in the mood for tea today. What about you, Lady Nina?”

“I’ll have the same.”

“Certainly!”

※

“Cranberry was originally a bureaucrat in a border count’s territory. Even though he was from the noble class, he grew tired of the constraints and quit his job to open this café.”

“That’s quite a background.”

“So technically he still holds his title, but he’s an eccentric who keeps it secret from everyone.”

“Of course, he probably recognized me too.”

“I think so. He’s very good at reading the room and being considerate, which is why this café is so relaxing.”

“It’s a wonderful place. You have great taste, Maria.”

“The berry tart here is the best. Cranberry uses his connections to get the highest quality ingredients.”

“I’m looking forward to it. I love tarts too.”

Since it was a casual café lunch, the dishes were served all at once rather than as courses.

So Cacio e Pepe is pasta. It’s a dish of short pasta coated with grated cheese and black pepper.

It comes with onion soup as part of the set.

I started with the onion soup first.

You can really tell it was prepared with great care. The onions are perfectly cooked to bring out their natural sweetness. And the broth has been slowly simmered to extract the umami from the meat.

You can really understand the chef’s character from tasting the soup.

Mr. Cranberry must be a truly kind person. To cook with such meticulous care.

The pasta was simple too, making it a dish that really showcased the chef’s skill.

The cheese was rich and paired perfectly with the pasta.

“Everything is delicious. Thank you, Maria, for bringing me to such a wonderful place!”

“Not at all, Lady Nina! The regular dishes are excellent, but the tart is even more amazing! It’s too early to be impressed yet!”

My younger best friend said this with a lovely smile.