Chapter 47: The Culinary Assassin

The platforms built on the root system of the giant trees were connected by several sturdy suspension bridges of various sizes.
The larger suspension bridges were mostly used for transporting goods, while the smaller ones were for people to pass through.
There were also other-races with wings who would fly directly over.

From the zoned management of the port, the guidance of pedestrian flow, and the regional planning, one could glimpse the high capabilities of the governor.
The huge import and export area was densely populated yet orderly.
In this world where management concepts are not advanced, such a scene was truly rare.

After crossing a suspension bridge, Elvira and I walked on the dining and leisure platform, holding Little Nia’s hand, one on each side.
Perhaps because it was close to noon, the dining platform was exceptionally crowded.
Several shops had long queues.
As luck would have it, those were the shops that I was more interested in at a glance.

“Why is the ‘Sweet and Sour Cream Forest Style Sudel Red Fruit Grilled Fragrant Meat’ shop so full?!” I complained dejectedly as I walked along the platform’s sidewalk.

“How can you even remember such a long name?”

“Compared to the crowd in the queue, this name is adorably short.”

I chatted with Elvira aimlessly, but my gaze was constantly searching for a restaurant I liked.

The crowd was bustling, no less than the prosperous streets of my past life.
It was even more lively because of the presence of other-races with different appearances.
Figures, in groups of two or three, or alone, overlapped with each other like a crowded swarm of bees.

And I am now troubled by the eternal question of intelligent beings—what to eat for lunch?

My selection criteria are very simple: I have four ‘don’ts’.
I don’t eat at a messy shop, I don’t eat at a shop with few customers, I don’t eat at a shop with no creativity, and I don’t eat at a shop I’m not interested in.

And so, we circled the platform twice without finding a restaurant that both suited my taste and didn’t have a queue.

The sun above grew hotter.
After all the fuss, a few fine beads of sweat hung on my forehead.
The witch’s hat was stuffy on my head, very uncomfortable.
So I simply took it off and used the brim to fan myself.

A weak force came from my hand, followed by a tender voice.

“Sister~ Conia is so hungry and so tired…”

Her watery pink eyes looked at me pitifully, her small mouth pouted as if a little dissatisfied.

I immediately squatted down and fanned Little Nia with my hat.

“Sorry, sorry, sister was too willful.
Let’s find a place to eat now, it’ll be quick.”

I looked up at Elvira and sent her a pleading look.
Immediately, she looked around and quickly locked onto a target.
Her efficiency was much faster than mine!

“Over there, ‘Guinevere’s Banquet’. That restaurant is not bad,” Elvira’s tone was calm, as if she knew the restaurant well.

I followed her gaze and saw a restaurant with a neat storefront.
The sign had a classical style of black text on a white background, with the restaurant’s name written on it.
On the far left, there was a curved scythe pattern.

The restaurant Elvira recommended was undoubtedly very stylish, but the only problem was…

“There’s almost no one in this restaurant. It looks so deserted. Is it really okay?”

In fact, “deserted” was an overstatement.
To use an appropriate and exaggerated analogy, it was like another world in there, with a kind of… Silent Hill feeling?

“I think, with your taste, you should like it.”

“But—”

“Sister! Just listen to Sister Elvira, okay~”
Seeing that I was still hesitating, Little Nia swung my arm back and forth, constantly acting cute.

I knew this was because the little one had completely lost her patience.
Children can’t stand boredom.
So I agreed at once.

“Alright, alright~ sister won’t wander around anymore.
We’ll go to that ‘Guinevere’s Banquet’.
Let’s go.”

I got up and walked towards the restaurant door.
I inadvertently caught a glimpse of Elvira’s knowing smile under her black veil.
She also noticed my gaze, and her smile widened.

“What are you smiling at?” I asked.

“You will definitely become a very good and responsible mother and wife in the future.”

An inexplicable, irrelevant answer choked off my next words.
I kept thinking about the meaning of Elvira’s sentence.

How did it get to me becoming a mother and a wife in the future?
This little female dragon’s thinking is a bit too much of a leap.
Besides, become some man’s wife?
Let someone else use me to enjoy family happiness?
Don’t even think about it!

But if… the other person is a girl…

Thinking of this, my gaze unconsciously drifted to Elvira.
I don’t even know why I was looking at her.

If it’s a girl like Elvira… maybe I…
No, even if we get married, we can’t have children!
Let alone become a mother.
No, no, no!

Who wants to marry this lovesick, scheming wicked dragon!

I was just giving an example!!

After my left and right brain had a battle, by the time I came back to my senses, we were already at the restaurant door.
Elvira went ahead.
Before the waitress could make a move, she took the initiative to pull open the elegant double doors made of glass, and held out a slender hand in a “please” gesture.

For Elvira, who is so naturally beautiful, to make such a gesture, it really looked the part.
Her elegance was not deliberate, but seemed to be ingrained in her bones, with a natural arrogance.
At this moment, she even made me feel a little handsome.

Damn it, she’s showing off.

“Welcome, distinguished ladies, to ‘Guinevere’s Banquet’.
May I ask if you are here to dine?”

“Three people. Find a quiet place, thank you.”

“Of course. Please follow me, I’ll show you to your seats.”

As soon as we entered, a cool breeze with a fresh fragrance rushed towards us, instantly enveloping our bodies.
A refreshing sensation spread from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, like stepping into an air-conditioned room from a scorching asphalt road in the summer.

Oh my god, how did this restaurant do it?
Air conditioning is unlikely.
Could it be magic?

This restaurant looked ordinary from the outside, but it was a completely different world inside.
Apart from the pleasant temperature, the luxurious and restrained interior decoration was also very tasteful, simple yet grand, elegant and beautiful.

We were led to a quiet table in the restaurant.
On the table was a small pot of flowers, four sets of neatly and exquisitely placed tableware, and a menu.

After sitting down, I eagerly picked up the menu and opened it, impatient to browse the delicacies.
But, the moment I opened the first page of the menu, my eyes were as if controlled by a pair of hands, firmly fixed on a string of numbers.

“Sudel Red Fruit with Nut Salad… two hundred and ninety-nine Stedes?!?!?!”

My widened red and purple heterochromatic eyes were reflected on the semi-reflective page of the menu.
I slapped the menu back on the table, sat up straight, and looked at Elvira sitting opposite me.

“How about… we go to another place…”

I’m indeed not clear about the value of the Stede currency, but when I bought the red fruit just now, one only cost a dozen or so.
Is this plate of salad made with gold?

299? You might as well just rob me!

That’s what I thought, but Elvira was completely different.
She was very calm.
She slowly took off her veil, tidied her clothes, leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs, and said confidently.

“Order whatever you want. It’s just some ordinary food. I can afford it.”

“No, no, if you want to order, you can order it yourself.
I’m not picky, I can eat anything.”

Everyone knows the saying “he who eats another’s food has a soft mouth.”
This is true for anyone who still has a little bit of face.
What’s more, this is a terribly expensive restaurant.

Or perhaps, its expensiveness is only for ordinary people, like me.

But for those who are wealthy, this is nothing.

Just like Elvira, who is looking at the menu and ordering continuously.
I’m sure she didn’t even look at the prices when she ordered!

My new life in another world starts with a soft meal.¹

Footnote:

¹ 软饭 (ruǎnfàn – soft rice): This is a Chinese slang term for a meal provided by a romantic partner, often implying that the person eating it is being financially supported by them. It can be used playfully, but can also carry a negative connotation of being a freeloader or a “kept man/woman.” Here, Verona is using it humorously to describe her situation of being treated by the wealthy Elvira.