On the way to the newly established tteokbokki store in the capital.

Miss Olivia sat dejectedly in her wheelchair, her head bowed.

“I’m sorry…”
“It’s alright.”
“Because of me, you used all the money you worked hard to earn, Ricardo.”
“I didn’t have to work hard for it, so it’s fine. It wasn’t even my money after all.”
“Still…”

Miss Olivia was downcast.

Blaming herself for a situation that could have been avoided with a little patience, and believing she could have bought a gift for her father.

I sneaked a glance at the sulking Miss Olivia and pulled out a palm-sized black box from my pocket to show her.

“What’s this?”
“A  tie pin.”
“Uh…?”

Miss Olivia looked at me with surprised eyes.

I chuckled awkwardly and muttered.

“I thought I wouldn’t have enough money, but it turned out to be enough.”
“…Huh?”
“I finished talking to the clerk while Miss Olivia was in the restroom.”

Of course, that was a lie.

I had made a difficult request to the clerk.

—Excuse me, I’m sorry to ask, but could you possibly add the  tie pin to the tab as well? We really need to buy it.
—Ah… Yes, that’s possible.
—I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience. I’ll make sure to pay it back as soon as possible. Please wait a little longer.
—Ah… That’s alright. The money you gave should be enough for the repairs.

Thanks to my conversation with the clerk, I managed to leave the chaotic store with the  tie pin.

Conveniently, the clerk at the store was a senior employee, and the owner wasn’t too strict, so we were able to communicate well.

It turned out that the female students who had provoked Miss Olivia were already marked as troublemakers by the boutique… I even received thanks from the clerk.

—Thanks to you, I finally felt relieved. I’ll talk to the owner, so don’t worry and go on your way.

Since I had paid off most of the damage with the casino winnings, the remaining debt wasn’t too burdensome, and since Miss Olivia had been careful not to damage any  dresses or costly items, the amount to be compensated was relatively small.

The amount would be easily covered by catching a few wanted criminals that would appear later in the novel.

I handed Miss Olivia the black box containing the  tie pin, implying that her worries were unfounded.

“This is Lord Darbav’s birthday gift. You should be the one to give it to him, Miss Olivia.”
“Ricardo…”

Miss Olivia bowed her head and chose to say no more.

“If I had just been patient, none of this would have been necessary.”
“Keeping anger inside can make you sick. You used to say you can endure hunger, but not anger, Miss Olivia.”
“…Right.”

Miss Olivia was known for her fiery temper.

She’s always been quick-tempered, both in the past and now, with a dazzling way with words.

In front of me, she might pout like a plump cat, but in front of others, she might well manifest the villainess depicted in the novel.

The Miss Olivia in the novel was much worse and more malicious than she is now.

Knowing aspects of her that even Miss Olivia herself might not be aware of, I might have shown a bit more leniency.

Others might curse Miss Olivia as insane, but strangely, she always seems kind to me, almost like a saint.

‘You don’t know the true face of a villainess,’ I thought.

I carefully adjusted Miss Olivia’s scarf and wrapped her up warmly. Even if she’s in a bad mood, she still needs to take care of her health.

“You’ll catch a cold. Please dress warmly.”
“Sniff… Yes.”

Miss Olivia spoke to me in a small voice.

“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”

After walking a bit further, I cautiously asked Miss Olivia why she had fought. It seemed impolite to ask right away, so I took advantage of the quiet moment to gently inquire.

“Why did you fight with those girls, Miss Olivia?”
“Ah.”

Miss Olivia spoke with a hint of anger in her voice.

“They called me a ‘cripple.'”

I paused.

“I’ll be back.”
“Where to?”
“It seems they weren’t hit enough.”

Miss Olivia grabbed my coat to stop me from leaving. Her ears, perhaps due to the cold or something else, were slightly red.

“Don’t go. I scolded them a lot.”
“I don’t like it. I’ll just go and tap their heads with a triangle ruler.”
“It’s okay.”

I mentally recalled the faces of the female students who had collapsed on the floor.

Orcs with triangular heads.
Female students resembling goblins.
Lean ones like bamboo.

I resolved to empty a month’s allowance on them if I saw them on the street later, pretending I couldn’t resist as I stood still.

“Are you really okay with this?”
“Yeah. I’m hungry now.”
“Sigh…”

With a desire that their path ahead be thorny, I turned around, following Miss Olivia’s lead.

“I can’t help it. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“I’ll try to hold back more next time.”
“Don’t hold back. Just let it out on me.”
“Then, I’ll only get a little angry.”

We slowly made our way towards our destination, the cold wind feeling slightly warmer.

Was it because of the anger or the warmth, I didn’t know, but the chill didn’t seem so bad.

*

In front of the bustling tteokbokki store.

I looked at the long line of people with a trembling gaze and said.

“What is this?”
“A line.”
“I know that, but isn’t it excessively long?”

There was a huge crowd.

So many people were waiting just to eat tteokbokki that it seemed unbelievable to Miss Olivia and me, who were from a rural area.

“Wow. This is no joke.”
“Are we not going to eat?”

Miss Olivia asked with a troubled look. Already upset due to her anger, not being able to eat would only add to her distress. I wanted to give her some hopeful words, but seeing the crowd that didn’t seem to be dwindling, I could only offer an ambiguous answer to soothe her anxiety.

“Yeah. There are too many people…”
“I’m hungry…”

The tteokbokki store that had opened in the capital was smaller than expected. A small building of about 15 pyeong with a red sign and no space inside for customers to eat—only for take-out and some tables placed outside.

I didn’t expect such a setup until I found the place, given the casual conversation I had with Malik about the business back at the mansion.

—Hyung-nim.
—Don’t call me hyung-nim, I might get attached.
—Then boss.
—… Just call me Malik.
—Do you know the best way to enjoy tteokbokki?
—Shouldn’t it be about using good ingredients?
—No.

Malik listened intently to my words with a serious voice. Even more focused than when we talked about aura.

—It’s all about the atmosphere.
—Atmosphere?
—A cold winter. Warm broth and tteokbokki.
—…
—Eating outside the store can be more delicious than inside.
—Wouldn’t it be cold?
—Isn’t that romantic?
—Certainly…

I remember him busily jotting down in his notebook then, but I never thought he’d actually implement it.

The spirit of challenge shown by the capable Malik was evident in the long line of people waiting in front of me.

To see a scene from my past life in another world was quite nostalgic, and I was lost in memories when—

—Gurgle.

A bizarre noise came from beside me.

I looked at Miss Olivia with questioning eyes, and she was drooling while looking at the tteokbokki store.

“I’m hungry.”
“You seem hungry after exerting yourself for the first time in a while.”
“That’s right. But the line is too long.”
“…”

I nodded as I looked at the long line. Indeed, it was excessively long. If it were my past life, I would wonder if it was worth it for just tteokbokki, but this was the only place in the Empire that sold it.

I didn’t expect it to sell so well, and while I entertained the arrogant thought of opening a store myself, I knew I couldn’t do what Malik did and shook my head, discarding the impolite thought.

I glanced at Miss Olivia and asked.

“Shall we queue?”
“Yes. Let’s get in line before more people come.”

Miss Olivia didn’t suggest eating anything else.

She must really want tteokbokki right now.

I carefully pushed Miss Olivia’s wheelchair forward, and hearing a familiar male voice from behind, I cautiously looked back.

“Ricardo.”

A man with a handsome appearance.
A shiny landlord.
A man more suited to a kitchen knife than a sword.

Malik was shouting at us.

“Where are you going? You guys are supposed to be this way.”

Malik pointed to the back door of the store and said.

“You have a free pass.”

Truly, he was an amazing man.

***

At the same time.

To clear her gloomy mood, Yuria went out for a walk with Ruin and Michail for the first time in a while.

The three of them, who had been suspended from the Royal Academy, wandered the streets amicably. Ruin, who was indignant about the punishment, was complaining about the unfairness when he stopped at the scent of something spicy wafting from a store.

“Uh…?”

A familiar scent.

Yuria turned her head, drawn by the smell of food she hadn’t smelled in a long time.

[Forest Friend-Tteokbokki Store]
-Created with a recipe obtained from a monster hiding in the outskirts.

Ruin asked Yuria, who had stopped in her tracks.

“Do you want to go eat?”
“Huh?”
“You seem like you want to.”

Yuria nodded to Ruin’s probing question.

“Yes.”

She had wanted to for a long time.

The food that Ricardo had made for her at the Royal Academy when she was feeling down.

And so, she queued up.

When her turn came.

“Huh?”

The face of a familiar man in a white chef’s uniform caught Yuria’s eye.

“Oh?”
“Oh? We meet again. Miss Yuria.”

In an unexpected place, Yuria encountered Ricardo.