Volume 1 Chapter 4 Mx. Margaret The Butcher
The best thing about the Leonsroar Knights is that, if you ignore the muscles that dominate the shop every morning, they are polite, eat quickly, and clean up their own dishes.
While I was washing Mr. Lucian's dishes in the kitchen sink, filled with bubbles and using my favorite cat sponge, everyone else finished their meals and lined up to bring their dishes to me.
They are nice people who say thank you while delivering their plates.
Mr. Lucian collects the money for everyone and pays every morning.
He comes almost every day, but the other knights go with Mr. Lucian to hunt monsters, so they pay for breakfast as a group.
"Where are you going today, Mr. Lucian?"
"...Lydia. Have you finally taken an interest in the knights' work?"
Today, since ten people came for breakfast, Mr. Lucian put ten thousand rupia in the silver bowl for money.
He always pays a little extra, which seems to be for the 'meal bonus.'
I don't really need it, but since Mr. Lucian offers, I decide to accept it.
I don't need that much money.
As long as I have enough to eat a little rice every day, I can get by.
Of course, I need money for ingredients to keep the diner running, as well as for fire magic stones, water magic stones, and lighting costs.
"I'm not particularly interested, though..."
"Today, I'm going to hunt the Gilfernia beetles that have been increasing in the western forest. There have been several reports of pilgrims being attacked while passing through the western forest on their way to the Mariah Temple."
"I see... Please be careful."
"Honestly, I wish you could come with me. It takes 2 days to walk from here through the forest to the Mariah Church. We might have to stay a few nights at the forest watchtower. The thought of not being able to eat Lydia's cooking during that time is really tough."
"Well, if you put it that way..."
"I don't want to be apart from you.."
"...You mean, my cooking, right?"
"If it's okay with you, I will cherish you for a lifetime."
Mr. Lucian said this to me in a sweet voice while I was scrubbing the plates.
The knights waiting for Mr. Lucian at the entrance were whispering, "The captain is flirting with Lady Lydia again," "How old is the captain again?" "He's definitely over 20," "Isn't that a crime?"
It's not a crime. I'm already of marriageable age, and it doesn't really matter if my partner is 30 or 40.
But no matter how old they are, men betray you, which is unfortunate.
"The knights are busy every day with monster hunting, castle security, and catching criminals."
"It's work, after all. Monster hunting is the easiest. Dealing with humans is tiring, and it's frustrating that I can't enjoy Lydia's cooking. The Gilfernia beetles are great; they're big and strong. You can slash and hit them as much as you want, and no one will hold a grudge."
"Ugh, that's scary... Mr. Lucian is ruining my refreshing morning with such bloody talk..."
"Well, I thought it would be better to talk about it now so that the shock won't be as bad when you come with me."
"I'm not going with you...! Mr. Lucian, everyone is waiting, so go on, take care...!"
I wanted him to go home quickly, so I said my goodbye.
Mr. Lucian's eyes widened, and after blinking once, he smiled happily.
"Lydia. Thank you. I'll be careful. Pray for my safety, my goddess of victory."
He took a strand of my hair and lightly kissed it.
Then he left the shop with the knights of Leonsroar.
Huh?
For a moment, didn't that seem really couple-like?
I almost dropped the plate I was holding and hurriedly put it back into the soapy sink.
"Men are the worst...!"
Filled with anger and hatred, I quickly washed the dishes.
I know Mr. Lucian is popular with the women in town, and I've seen him walking around with women on both arms several times.
I won't be fooled. Mr. Lucian comes to me for my cooking. That's all.
No, I think that's a misunderstanding on his part. My cooking is just ordinary, really just plain cooking.
Still, it's so frustrating. I can only take out this anger on preparing lunch.
After breakfast time ends, customers usually don't come until around noon. So, after finishing the cleanup, I closed the shop for a bit and went out to restock the missing ingredients.
My shop is located in the southern district of the Holy City.
The Holy City is divided into 4 areas: north, south, east, and west, with the royal palace in the center.
The southern district is a bit of a rough area where the lower class commoners live.
Even so, it's not like women get kidnapped just for walking around alone.
I was able to open my restaurant here thanks to a kind person who rented me the space.
"Hello, Mx. Margaret!"
"Oh, Lyd-Lyd. Welcome!"
I usually get my vegetables and fish from the market, but meat is different.
I stopped in front of the butcher shop just a few minutes' walk from my store.
In front of the small shop, which had processed meats, dried meats, and fresh meats displayed, a beautiful person with short hair was sitting on a chair outside, crossing their legs and smoking a cigarette.
That was my benefactor, Mx. Margaret.
Mx. Margaret is a kind gentleman, no, a kind lady who lent me the shop after I ran away to the Holy City after my engagement was broken off.
The place I now call my shop and home is rented from Mx. Margaret.
On my first day in the Holy City, I was broke and hungry, staring at the meat, and Mx. Margaret asked me what was wrong and felt sorry for me. Then they asked, "Is there anything you can do?"
The only thing I could do was cook.
So they told me to open a restaurant, and they rented me an empty store.
Apparently, that place used to be their parents' shop. Both of them have passed away, and it became vacant.
They said I could pay the rent later when I was doing better, so I gratefully opened the shop, and now, even though I haven't really improved, I have more customers and can pay the rent.
Mx. Margaret looks like a slender beauty, but their body is more masculine.
They doesn't have a chest and is quite slim. Their voice is low, too.
But honestly, I can't tell if Mx. Margaret is a man or a woman, and I think it doesn't really matter.
"What did you come to buy today? Meat?"
"Yes! I was thinking of making new sausages."
"Hmm. Sounds good, right?"
"I heard the sausages I've made so far are too thin and small. If I'm going to put in my resentment and hatred, Mr. Lucian said they should be about this big."
I used both hands to show the size of the sausage.
Margaret stared at it silently while puffing on a cigarette and said, "That's quite a realistic size."
"See, you hate the prince, right? If you make it too big, it'll just make you angrier, right? Smaller is fine for that kind of thing."
"But it won't be satisfying to eat."
"Well, I like them a bit bigger too."
This is about sausages.
I feel like we're not quite on the same page, but maybe that's just me.
"Anyway, I want to make them a bit bigger."
"Sounds good, right? By the way, Lydia, are you dating Lucian?"
"I'm not! I'm not doing anything at all...!?"
I shook my head vigorously. I don't like those pretty-boy warrior types.
Besides, I dislike men.
Except for Margaret. I can't tell if they're a man or a woman.
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