Chapter 346 Two Young Hearts
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The clock turns back a few moments-to the time when Kento, owner of the magic circuit ¹ shop “Harvest,” was busy showing off his collection of lewd magic circuits to King William of Ferguson.
Prince Roland Canaria and Lady Unia Greter, daughter of the Grand Duke, had moved to the gazebo in the courtyard of the royal apartments.
”Sniff… Oh, Her Majesty… why…?” Unia sobbed.
She was in no state to be given a tour. Having been ordered to leave the meeting by Queen Cecile Canaria-the elder sister she absolutely adored-Lady Unia had begun weeping so bitterly that the palace guide was left helpless.
Roland was at a total loss. He was nursing his own frustrations about being shut out of the talks, but a command from his sister was absolute; he had to escort Lady Unia properly.
Beyond his general lack of experience with women, the ones he knew best-Queen Cecile and her handmaids-were pillars of strength. The idea of them shedding tears like Lady Unia was unthinkable. He simply didn’t know the protocol for a crying girl.
In truth, Lady Unia was “strong” in her own way, but Roland had no way of knowing that yet. He guided her toward the gazebo while whispering for advice from Duke Badcage, who had tagged along as a chaperone. He figured that in this spot, a personal favorite of his sister’s, they might finally be able to talk.
”E-err, would you like some tea?” Roland asked. “We have sweets, too. They’re both… things my sister likes.”
”Her Majesty’s favorites…?” Unia sniffled, looking up. “I-I would love some!”
The gamble worked. Lady Unia’s interest was piqued by the refreshments the maids provided. She didn’t try to flirt with Roland or set a “honey trap” as the court had feared; in fact, it was as if he wasn’t even in the room.
Roland let out a private sigh of relief. He watched her nibble on the tea cakes like a small animal. Suddenly, her face lit up with a radiant glow. It seemed the flavors hit the mark.
”Is it to your liking?” Roland asked.
”Oh, yes! Her Majesty has truly wonderful taste in sweets,” Unia replied. “This is a wheat cake from the eastern provinces, isn’t it? And the tea must be an import. I don’t see either of these often in Ferguson, so this is quite a treat.”
In Kento’s world, these would have been called madeleines. Had he been there, he probably would have wondered aloud if it was proper etiquette to dunk them in the tea.
Actually, these sweets were a bridge to the past for Queen Cecile. They had been the favorite of her father, the previous King, who used to enjoy them right here in this gazebo. For Roland, of course, that was just a story he had heard.
Unlike his sister, who always behaved with regal elegance in his presence, Lady Unia was a whirlwind of expressions. Roland felt a slight warmth in his chest, thinking that perhaps this was how young women were supposed to act-and maybe his sister had been like this once, too.
”If you like them that much, I could give you the recipe,” Roland offered.
”My, really? I’d be so happy! That way I can enjoy Her Majesty’s favorite flavors even after I go home.”
It wasn’t as if the Queen had baked them herself, but if it made her happy, Roland wasn’t going to correct her. He signaled a maid to prepare a copy of the recipe, but Unia stopped him.
”Oh, if you just tell me now, I’ll remember it,” she said. “I only bake for my own enjoyment, so don’t worry about the secret getting out.”
”Wait… you cook for yourself?” Roland asked, surprised.
”Yes. My family calls it ‘unbecoming,’ but I can’t stand not trying things for myself.”
With that, Unia began grilling the maid about the recipe. The maid was startled at first, but Unia’s questions were so precise and technical that the servant soon grew serious and began teaching her in earnest.
This was another revelation for Roland. Aside from his sister, he knew very few noblewomen who took an interest in the kitchen. He wondered if Unia was an exception or if Ferguson girls were just built differently. Watching her, he suspected it was the former.
”Phew. Sorry for the trouble,” Unia said.
”No, I didn’t do anything… But did you really memorize all that just now?” Roland asked.
”Yes. It doesn’t seem like a very difficult cake. Besides, I never forget anything I’ve seen or heard once.”
”I… I see.”
Unia lifted her teacup again. ‘I have to try everything myself.’ ‘I never forget anything.’ Roland had seen flashes of this during the meeting, but she was clearly a formidable, spirited woman.
”I suppose that makes sense, given the Greter house is a merchant family,” Roland noted. “You must have seen all sorts of interesting things, Lady Unia.”
”Not really. I think I’m allowed a bit more freedom than a typical lady, but… my father and brother always wanted a more ‘graceful’ daughter. Honestly, if they’d just let me into the negotiations more often, I could double their profits.”
”That’s incredible,” Roland said. “I, on the other hand… I was taken for a complete fool by a street vendor the other day.”
”A street vendor?” Unia blinked.
”Ah! N-no! I mean… it was a ‘Social Studies’ ² exercise! For practice!”
”Your Highness… were you wandering the city incognito?”
”N-no! Of course not! I would never-“
”I see. Is that so…?”
Roland had let the truth slip. He had been so focused on his “Field Trips” with Kento that it just tumbled out. He knew he’d messed up, but it was too late.
Unia, the girl who never forgot a thing, was already reading the room. She caught the maids’ frantic attempts to keep their faces neutral and Duke Badcage’s poorly hidden look of shock.
”It seems you have a very radical tutor,” Unia said. “Or perhaps this is Her Majesty’s own educational policy? It’s wonderful…”
”Eh? No, well…”
”Your Highness,” Unia said, leaning in with sparkling eyes. “I swear I won’t breathe a word. Please, you have to tell me the details! It’s been my dream to go undercover in the city!”
Her face was so close Roland could see the perfection of her features, like a porcelain doll. Between her intense gaze and the soft, flowery scent of her perfume, he felt himself being pulled in.
”I-I guess…”
”You will?! Oh, I’m so happy! You went shopping at a stall… and what else? What else did you do?”
”Um, well… I learned how to butcher monsters?”
”Butcher monsters?!” Unia gasped. “My! Whatever for? What kind of monsters did you harvest?”
”A-ah, well, my tutor’s rule is that I have to earn my own money while I’m undercover. So, Giant Bears, Giant Boars… some Dark Wolves, too…”
”That’s amazing! How was the butchering?”
”W-well, you use a knife to open the belly. But first you have to take the head and drain the blood. Once you get the organs out, you wash it, skin it, and take it apart by the joints. Cutting through the bone is the hard part, and then you have to scrape the meat from the hide…”
”Oh…! That sounds so authentic! Please, tell me more! Every detail!”
Unia was practically vibrating with excitement, dragging her chair closer to his. Roland’s mind went blank, and he just kept talking. To a young boy, the rapt attention of a slightly older, beautiful girl was a dangerous intoxicant.
But then-
”That is quite enough, Lady Unia,” Duke Badcage interrupted.
”Ah… forgive me. I got carried away.”
Fortunately-or perhaps inevitably-the Duke stepped in just before their shoulders touched. Unia pulled back with a light blush on her cheeks. Roland was even redder, clutching his chest where his heart was hammering like a frantic bell.
”I’m sorry. When my interest is piqued, I lose all control,” Unia said. “I swear to you, I won’t say a word of this to my uncle or anyone else. I’ll even sign a pledge if you want! So, please… won’t you tell me the rest?”
”I… well…”
His heart still hadn’t slowed down. Roland looked to Duke Badcage for help, but the Duke was just as baffled.
”Use your own judgment, Your Highness,” the Duke muttered.
It was a lost cause. For a boy like Roland, it was impossible to turn down the shimmering, expectant eyes of the girl in front of him.
”A-alright… just a little more.”
”Yes!”
He ended up telling her everything about the “Social Studies Field Trips.” When that ran dry, he started on stories about his sister. Between Unia’s intense curiosity and Roland’s own stories, the two of them stayed in that gazebo until the sun dipped below the horizon.
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Summary:
Prince Roland is tasked with comforting Lady Unia after she is excluded from a royal meeting. During tea, Unia reveals her obsessive intellectual curiosity and photographic memory. Roland accidentally reveals his ‘incognito’ commoner experiences, sparking Unia’s intense fascination with monster butchering and commoner life.
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Trivia:
- Unia has a photographic memory (never forgets what she sees/hears once).
- The tea cakes are actually a sentimental connection to the late King.
- Roland was recently swindled by a street vendor during his secret outings.
- Duke Badcage is present the entire time as a chaperone.
- Unia’s interest in ‘butchering’ is genuine and technical, not just a flirtation
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Character Insight:
Roland shows a mix of princely duty and boyish vulnerability, easily swayed by Unia’s intensity. Unia is revealed not as a typical ‘honey-trap’ noblewoman, but as a hyper-competent individual who feels stifled by noble expectations and thrives on raw, practical knowledge.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Social Studies’ term is Kento’s specific modern-world euphemism for the Prince’s secret training in the slums/capital.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
• Roland – he younger brother of Queen Cecile and the heir apparent to the Canaria throne. Clean, golden-blonde hair, same color as the Queen, innocent, beautiful face that could be mistaken for a girl but dressed in a boy’s formal wear.
• Unia – The third daughter of the house of Duke Greiter. Has blonde hair tied in an intricate style, dol-like beauty, and expressionless face.
• Soi – An old professor from Ajire seminary, the first to raise a question. Looks like wizardly.
• Cecile – A queen in the capital who possesses the authority to regulate business and commerce, particularly concerning moral or public order issues. She is currently investigating Kento’s shop, ‘Harvest.’ Have long golden hair, elegant, and wearing expensive white dress with gold accesories.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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