Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

Prince Ruifeng, who had been thrown outside the door,

“That hurt! What are you doing all of a sudden? Mio-chan is as mysterious as ever!”

he complained, but didn’t press the matter any further and just laughed heartily. Lord Cyrus and Mio let it slide as well. Apparently, for these three, this was the everyday scenery they had known for over ten years. I, on the other hand, was quite uneasy...

Just around breakfast time, Lord Cyrus, Lord Ruifeng, and I moved together to the dining hall. In the Dirts Kingdom, breakfast is the meal where you eat the most during the day.

Today’s breakfast was a bagel sandwich packed with plenty of roast beef and lettuce, onion gratin soup, salt-boiled large shrimp, and a mountain of assorted fruits. Seeing the spread on the table, Lord Ruifeng exclaimed with delight. After taking a bite of the bagel sandwich, he let out an exaggerated “Ohhh!”

He turned to the head chef, Toppo, and said,

“As expected, meals at Granado Castle are always delicious! Head Chef, why don’t you send some up to the royal palace sometimes?”

“Thank you very much, your highness,” Toppo replied respectfully.

“Seriously though. Palace cuisine is too bound by tradition, or rather, it’s still stuck in pre-war times—hmm? Head chef, you look thinner than the last time I saw you?”

Asked this, Toppo sighed heavily.

“...At the engagement ceremony, we will have a grand buffet for all visitors. Nobles, commoners, men and women of all ages from many countries will come...”

“Ah, so you’re busy with planning the menu and procuring ingredients.”

“Exactly. There are only two weeks left.”

Two weeks—hearing that number from someone else’s mouth made my heart skip a beat.

I wasn’t the only one feeling anxious about the looming deadline. Toppo looked worn out and dejected too.

“Lately, I have been so busy, I’m always starving no matter how much I eat...”

Oh dear, he really has lost a lot of weight. His face and body shape have changed. It’s like he used to be a round cream bun, but now he’s shrunk down to a proper human shape... huh? Is that a good thing?

Looking for an answer, I glanced at Lord Cyrus, who was making a grim face as well.

“Toppo, don’t overwork yourself. You can delegate the appetizers to external vendors if you want.”

“No, this is the chance for Granado Castle’s head chef to show his skills. Toppo is looking forward to the engagement ceremony.”

Toppo’s clear blue eyes sparkled brightly. Ah... this isn’t just toughing it out. I can tell he really enjoys his current work. Lord Ruifeng chuckled as he peeled shrimp shells.

“He’s a good cook. Cyrus, you’re blessed with good staff. They all work hard, but seem to enjoy it. I’d like to learn your secret for employee training.”

“It’s nothing special. When I meet someone promising, I earnestly recruit them. After that, I let them work fairly freely. A master doesn’t give orders to employees but provides the right role, meaning in their work, and fitting treatment.”

“I see... hm. I don’t have your eye for people, so training newcomers takes a lot of effort.”

“It’s better to train the supervisors above the newcomers to be educators. At Granado Trading Company, we build schools in developing countries, educating workers not just as laborers but to become future managers.”

“That costs a fortune... I understand it’s a long-term investment, but still...”

“It’s a necessary investment.”

The head of a vast trading company and the leader of the kingdom’s knights order discussed such matters. I quietly ate beside them, listening intently.

At one point, Lord Cyrus apologized for the boring conversation. I shook my head. These business philosophies were something I had never heard at the Shadelan Family dining table... very fascinating and interesting.

After finishing the meal and conversation, Lord Cyrus suddenly asked his friend,

“By the way, Ruifeng, what brings you here so early?”

“Oh right, right, here you go.”