"Ron, can we add these three seasonings to the hotpot restaurant? Business would definitely boom even more," Mia said, leaning back in her chair, her stomach full.
"No rush for now." Ron shook his head. "The hotpot restaurant has only just gotten on track. The current seasonings are already attractive enough. There's no need to take it up another level yet."
Good things had to be released slowly—like bait on a hook.
If everything were laid out at once and customers' tastes were raised to the highest level immediately, it would be hard to improve any further later on.
Mia nodded, then turned to look at Lake Impash outside the glass window. Frozen over, it looked like a mirror. She let out a small, wistful sigh.
Just thinking about how all three shops had been maliciously snatched away that morning made her furious.
At that moment, a person in a black uniform walked in from outside.
He approached Eileen, leaned down, and whispered something to her. Afterward, she waved her hand, dismissing him.
"Is something urgent?" Ron asked. "If you have business to attend to, there's no need to waste the afternoon accompanying me."
"Your Highness misunderstands." Eileen smiled faintly. "It was actually a message from my father. He asked me to invite Your Highness to our residence for dinner tonight. I wonder if you have the time?"
"I see." Ron fell into thought. "I have nothing else scheduled tonight. I'll trouble the count's residence, then."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Eileen's smile faded, and her tone turned sincere. "If my father makes any excessive requests this evening, please don't feel obliged on my account. If you wish to refuse, then refuse."
Ron nodded knowingly. "Thank you for the reminder."
If her earlier words had been spoken as a member of the Christine family extending an invitation, then this latter sentence was purely from Mia's close friend, offering a warning.
Duke Christine was already advanced in years. He had several children, and those children in turn had a large number of offspring.
Eileen's father, as the duke's eldest son, held only the title of a count without territory. In reality, however, he controlled the majority of the family's resources.
As for Eileen, she was merely one of his inconspicuous daughters. Aside from her somewhat respectable status as Princess Mia's etiquette instructor, she had little to warrant her father's attention.
Inviting Ron this time was simply making use of the value attached to Eileen's identity.
Ron drained the mug of ale on the table in one gulp and smacked his lips.
Some things were better left unknown. Once you dug deeper, you realized your brain simply wasn't big enough.
Yesterday, the list of "tourists" fishing outside the aquarium that the Archbishop had asked Sylvie to deliver to him contained several members of the Christine family.
Beyond that, the Church of Sebotan, God of War, the Church of the God of Life, the First Prince, the Second Prince, the Fourth Prince, various marquises and counts in the Royal Capital—even the three major merchant alliances of the Goblin race—had all taken part.
So many forces stirring the waters, yet the assassins who had come to kill him days ago were only fourth-tier. Not even a single high-tier assassin had appeared.
If Ron had brought Yuna with him, he wouldn't even have needed to use a puppet as a substitute.
The moment those assassins approached, Yuna would have detected and dealt with them in advance.
So what exactly were these forces trying to do?
Even now, Ron had yet to sort out a clear line of thought.
Perhaps tonight, the current head of the Christine family would give him an answer.
After finishing their hotpot, the three of them rested in the shop for a while, then strolled along the shores of Lake Impash. Only afterward did they board a carriage and head toward the blue-tier shops marked on the map.
And once again, the facts proved their efforts to be meaningless.
Without exception, every one of those blue-tier shops had already been purchased in advance.
Since they barely lingered, they still had half the afternoon left after checking them all.
So Ron simply adopted a sightseeing mood and visited the backup yellow-tier shops as well.
Without exception, those, too, had been acquired. Not a single one remained.
The evening sun, like a dark red haze, cast its glow across Ron's profile.
He stood outside the carriage, leaning against it, looking toward the end of the road. A middle-aged man in a deep red robe smiled politely at him and bowed, like a clown taking a curtain call.
Of course, in the other man's eyes, perhaps Ron, under the sunset, looked more like the pitiful clown.
"Ron, what do we do now… This is just disgusting!" Mia knelt on the seat inside the carriage, upper body leaning out the window, her little head sticking out, her face full of frustration.
"Let's call it a day." Ron watched as the middle-aged man disappeared into the crowd. Leaning against the carriage, he turned to look at the anger on Mia's delicate profile. "Go back to the palace, take a nice bath, and forget all the unpleasantness. I'll handle the rest myself."
Mia puffed her cheeks. "I'm not a child anymore!"
"But you're not that grown either." Ron rubbed her little head with a smile. "Thanks for accompanying me all day just to eat closed doors. Our little princess has suffered today. When this is over, I'll personally reward you."
"Hmph! Like I care about that!" Mia pouted. "Anyway, if you need any help, make sure to tell me. I'll think of ways to help, too."
"Mhm, our Mia is the most reliable." Ron coaxed her a few more times before noticing a carriage approaching in the distance. It finally stopped beside them.
Eileen stepped forward and gestured invitingly. "Your Highness Ron, the carriage has arrived."
"Mm." Ron patted Mia's head again. "Head back early."
"Got it~ Ron, make sure you behave yourself at Eileen's house too~" Mia's "earnest" voice called out from inside the carriage.
Before Ron could glare at her, she had already urged the coachman to hurry away.
Watching the departing carriage, Ron and Eileen exchanged a helpless smile and then boarded the carriage sent by the Christine family.
"Don't take Mia's words to heart."
"It's fine. Mia always likes to worry about my marriage prospects. I'm used to it." Eileen lowered her head, smoothing her wine-red hair, smiling softly. "However… my father might truly have that intention."
"Ah…"
"That's not my personal intention," Eileen quickly added, her cheeks flushing. She turned to look out the window at the swiftly passing streetscape. "It's more like the Christine family's investment principle…"
"As long as it's an investment target they favor, they like to establish bloodline ties through the women of the family."
"Currently, aside from the First Prince refusing a political marriage, both the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince have concubines from the Christine family."
"Now that Your Highness Ron has become a Chosen One, with the Church of the Goddess of Harvest supporting you wholeheartedly, it's only natural that my family thinks highly of your prospects."