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Consul, a transit city in the Tenebrae Nemus Region under the direct jurisdiction of the empire, was originally established as a trading stop connecting the pioneer villages across the vast ex-Dominio Fief. Now, it serves as the official residence of Baroness Brandmüller, the deputy governor of the newly established Tenebrae Nemus Region.

With the construction of a Teleporter allowing instantaneous travel to the Imperial Capital, this city has also become the most important in the region. However, the most talked-about aspect of this city is the elegant cafe on its main street.

The cafe, built with the grandeur of an aristocrat’s villa —and rightly so, as it falls directly under the jurisdiction of the Brandmüller family— is never without customers. It is filled with the aroma of black tea and various fragrant teas, alongside the scents of sweet and savory pastries. The tables are adorned with creatively presented confections, and the walls feature menus with brief explanations, some of which are even unfamiliar to me.

“Welcome. A table for one?”
“Yes, please.”
“This way.”

As I looked around, I noticed families, groups of girls, and couples filling the store. A sense of nervousness crept in, wondering if a boy entering alone might seem out of place in such an establishment. However, a waitress with shoulder-length gray hair, perhaps two years my senior and clad in a uniform, led me to a small, vacant table with brisk, well-trained movements befitting a store managed by the aristocracy. The furnishings and atmosphere of the room were tranquil and comfortable, devoid of the overbearing qualities often seen in establishments run by upstart aristocrats and merchants.

The clientele was diverse, with middle-class and common people entering without hesitation and ordering sweets and drinks with ease. If not for the sign indicating it was a direct-managed store of the Brandmüller family, one might mistake it for a regular town café.

“Are you ready to order?”

Turning to the menu on the wall as the waitress returned, I was unsure of what to choose. “I’m familiar with cookies and rusks, but I’m not quite sure about the various types of cakes listed here, like pâte sucrée, fondant au chocolat, and others. Could you recommend something?”

“Everything on our menu is delightful, but… let me think.” She pondered for a moment, hand under her chin, eyeing me as if trying to gauge my preferences. “You seem to have a refined taste. How about our unique madeleines with maple syrup?”

“Maple syrup?”
“Yes, it offers a refreshing sweetness, quite different from sugar or honey.”

For a moment, it almost sounded like she knew I was royalty, accustomed to sugar and honey. However, seeing that she wasn’t treating me like one, my nerves calmed down.

“I, uh, I’ll have that then, please. And a cup of tea.”
“Understood.”

She gave a deep bow and turned on her heel to leave, just as a girl in a grass-colored dress, carrying a lute, entered the shop. At first glance, she looked like a traveling bard, but I noticed she was actually an elf.

“Ah, Pryui. Isn’t your friend from the village coming today? You can take the day off, you know.”

The waitress spoke kindly, to which the young elf, Pryui, replied curtly, her golden hair swaying.

“It’s fine. It’s like Jill and her exercises, I’m not comfortable skipping my routine.”

“Jill—?!” Not expecting that name to come up, I inadvertently interjected into their conversation, drawing a suspicious look from both the waitress and the elf.

“You know Jill?”
“You know Lady Jill, Sir?”

I nodded in response to their questions. “Yes, I have the pleasure of knowing her well.”

“Hm. Are you her boyfriend, then?”

Her casual question, posed as she tuned her lute’s strings, nearly made me fall out of my chair. “Errm… no.”

“He sure dwelled on that.”
“Well, I can see where this is going.”

While I brooded over my answer, the elf and the waitress began whispering to each other.

“So you came to Letindüte just for the snack? You missed a chance to invite Jill here too.” Hearing the elf girl’s words, the waitress bowed to me and returned to the kitchen.

“…I don’t know where the governor’s residence is, so I was hoping to ask someone in this cafe for directions.”
“I see. You’re lucky. I was planning on going back to the mansion after singing a few pieces. You can come with me.”

That offer was too good to pass up. “Really?! That would be great! My name is Lucas, please call me Luke.”

I stood from my seat to introduce myself to her, but the elf girl, Pryui, looked more annoyed than pleased. “You’re no trouble. And since we’re exchanging names, mine is Pryui.”

“Well, that’s rare. Pryui is actually warming up to someone.”

The waitress, returning with tea and a serving of “madeleine with maple syrup,” spoke to Pryui in a light, teasing manner.

“He’s Jill’s friend. More importantly, the wind spirits seem to like him a lot.”

Pryui shrugged her shoulders, closing her statement. As for me, I was busy stuffing my cheeks with the madeleine, awestruck. “Wow. So good, and the sweetness is so distinct! It’s melting in my mouth…this is the first time I’ve tasted sweets like this.”

Seeing my eyes widen in delight, Pryui puffed out her chest. “Of course it’s good. It’s my village that produced the maple syrup.”

After which, the elf sang a jovial song while playing the lute, clearly in a good mood.