Chapter 24
What’s left after a successful banquet?
The dishes.
A mountain of empty plates came back to the kitchen, stacked high.
But no one was complaining. Some were even humming to themselves.
“Look! They’ve eaten every bite!”
“Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve seen completely clean plates.”
Of course. The fact that these dishes came back wiped clean was proof the banquet had been a huge turnaround.
Then Laura, the hero of the night, entered the kitchen.
Everyone immediately took off their caps and bowed deeply.
“This is all thanks to you, my lady.”
“Exactly. If it weren’t for you, we’d all be in big trouble right now.”
Even though she could’ve placed the blame entirely on the staff and walked away unscathed, Laura had calmly taken control of the crisis and found a solution.
‘Even suggesting serving the fish stew as it cooked — such a bold, innovative idea!’
“Actually, I’m grateful to you for following through with my idea. It must have been hard to trust such an unconventional approach.”
Yet Laura chose to thank them.
Is she an angel?
At the same time, Rihan felt ashamed.
How embarrassing it is that I kept my distance from her just because of baseless rumors.
Rihan had never been mistreated by Laura herself. He had only heard gossip from the palace staff and used that as an excuse to stay away.
If this crisis had gone badly, it wouldn’t have ended with Rihan simply leaving the kitchen. The repercussions would have been severe — not only for him, but for every staff member and their families.
So, Rihan felt it needed to be said.
“May I have a word, my lady?”
“Of course. What is it?”
“…I, Rihan, firmly believe you should be the Crown Princess.”
At that, Laura, who had been drinking water, choked and nearly spit it out.
“Of course, I understand that the support of a lowly commoner like myself may not mean much, but I’ll do my best within the palace walls to help expand your influence.”
“As will I!”
“Me too! I’ll tell my friends about how amazing you are!”
More staff chimed in, shouting their agreement as if in a rally.
Laura stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, then smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
“Thank you, but… you don’t have to do that.”
“Why?!”
“The role of Crown Princess is considered the highest position for the mother of the nation. Shouldn’t one rise to that position by their own merit?”
In reality, this was an excuse to gloss over the agreement she had made with Asel, but the staff didn’t know that.
Their admiration deepened.
“How inspiring!”
“That’s the right mindset for a future Crown Princess!”
They were even more impressed.
“Very well, then.”
Rihan wiped away a hint of tears.
“Alright,” Laura replied, brushing it off with a smile.
But Laura hadn’t come to the kitchen for their thanks. She came to confirm something.
I thought it was Esha’s guild that sent the fish.
Laura had deliberately leaked information about the broken freezer to Marienne and had used Esha to secure the necessary ingredients for the banquet. Since Esha had said she owed Laura a favor, it made sense to use it now.
The quantity and items match what I requested from Esha, so I assumed it came from her.
After the banquet, she learned Esha hadn’t delivered the ingredients.
Then… who sent these?
Laura flipped over one of the delivery boxes and stopped.
Five tiny, black dots marked the surface.
A soft sigh escaped her.
“Is something wrong, my lady?” Rihan asked quickly.
“No, nothing at all.”
Five black dots weren’t random markings. They were the symbol of Dindin’s guild.
Why would he send these?
She hadn’t asked for help, nor had she met him recently.
Confused as she was, it didn’t matter. The crisis was solved, and that was enough.
She placed the box down and sighed with relief.
“As long as it doesn’t come with an outrageous ‘deferred payment’ request later…”
She truly hoped so.
Meanwhile…
In the office of the Marchetto Guild, silence was usually the norm as Dindin worked.
But today, Harl, the deputy guildmaster, was unable to contain himself.
“So, you gave away that much product for free? No payment?”
Harl, normally composed, was nearly shaking.
“I thought you’d use the urgency of the situation for some sharp negotiation…”
The reason Dindin had been able to supply ingredients to the banquet was thanks to the Marceline Guild. The small-sized guild had suddenly started seeking massive quantities of seafood, making itself noticeable. Dindin had taken advantage, intercepting those goods for a hefty price.
Harl had assumed Dindin would use this to force a huge payoff from Laura.
But he gave it away for free?!
And didn’t even reveal that he was the one providing it?!
Harl was unable to hold back any longer.
“Have you… developed an interest in charity?”
“Not charity. Call it an investment.”
Dindin lifted his teacup — a slightly chipped one he refused to discard.
“She’s clearly someone with a nose for gold.”
After Laura had purchased certain shares, Dindin kept a daily watch on her movements. He watched as she sold them right before the Arrieta Kingdom’s ball, going short and making a massive profit before leaving the market completely.
Most people would be hooked after tasting the thrill of making money. Not her.
“She knows when to walk away. Someone like that is worth knowing.”
“Ahh… I see.”
Harl gave a faint laugh and shook his head.
“Why?”
“No, it’s just that… for a moment, I wondered if you were falling for a woman. Silly, right?”
“Ha.”
“Of course. My mistake.” Harl waved a hand and left.
As soon as the door closed, Dindin froze.
A sharp pain surged through his head as faint, fragmented memories bubbled to the surface.
–A voice he couldn’t place.
[“You’re obsessed with gold, huh?”]
[“Ha, don’t get too proud. You’re not the only one.”]
A flood of memories surged and disappeared like a wave.
A woman’s silhouette.
A voice.
A faint emotion.
He didn’t remember her name.
He didn’t remember her face.
But he felt it.
“It really was an excellent investment.”
That evening…
Laura learned the whole story.
“Apparently the Marchetto Guild swooped in and monopolized the supply line,”
said Loren, the knight representing Esha.
“The Lady said that your debts aren’t fully settled, so she is still available if you need further help.”
“No, the banquet went smoothly. That’s enough.”
“Still, debts must be paid properly. After all…”
Loren’s voice softened as he added,
“Your debt is my debt too, my lady.”
He looked determined, clearly wishing to protect Esha from the infamous “witch” Laura had a reputation for being.
How amusing.
“Not long ago, you called me a fairy godmother. Now you look at me like I’ll eat her alive.”
With a mischievous smile, Laura quipped,
“Sir Loren, you really like Esha, don’t you?”
“Wh-what are you saying?!”
Laura gave a teasing shrug.
“Didn’t you know, Sir? You can’t hide a cough… or love.”
