HRMF 22

Chapter 22 

How to Replace a Father

They laughed heartily and said,
“A wise choice indeed. Ah, come to think of it, that’s a familiar face. Aren’t you the granddaughter of the Duke of Balboa?”

The platinum-haired girl answered with a shy expression.
“Yes. I am Ayabel of the Balboa viscount family.”

“So that’s why the Duke holds his granddaughter so dear.”

The attendants all guessed why Viscount Balboa would send his cherished granddaughter to serve as an attendant.

‘He must be aiming for the crown prince’s consort position.’

As proof, Ayabel’s cheeks had turned red as she sneaked glances at Luciano.

When Ayabel signaled with her eyes, the attendants began moving the teacups.

Ain watched as a servant girl placed a cup before him with a suggestive look, and his expression grew weary.

‘So even pretending to be insane doesn’t help.’

Even though he was said to be the “mad” prince, they were still desperate to find some way to tie themselves to him.

Some went so far as to deliberately trip in front of him several times a day just to catch his attention.

Compared to that—

‘What on earth is she doing?’

Eustea.

The same girl who had once aided the alliance between the two princes during their military service.

Hadn’t she wanted so badly to become an attendant that she made a dangerous deal with Prince Luciano himself?

Ain had thought she wanted to curry favor with the powerhouses of Esgaroth.

He drank his tea, pondering such things—

…and then—

“…!”

Ain suddenly looked down at his teacup in surprise.

He wasn’t the only one.

The eyes of the retainers who had taken a sip were wide with shock.

The moment the tea touched their tongues, an incredibly rich fragrance filled their senses.

Some teas with strong scents could be unpleasant—almost like drinking perfume—but this one wasn’t like that at all.

It was deep, mellow, and soft.

The retainers nearly forgot their manners, their mouths falling open.

‘The aroma is amazing, but the taste…!’

Teas with such strong fragrances were usually bitter.

But this one wasn’t bitter at all—instead, it carried a gentle sweetness and a savory, lingering aftertaste.

One of the retainers turned to Ayabel.

“Is this really Moonlight?”

“…Is something wrong with it?”

Ayabel asked nervously.

The retainer quickly waved his hand.
“No, no, not a problem. I only wondered how such a simple commoner’s tea could taste this exquisite.”

“Is it a matter of quality, or perhaps of brewing technique?”

The retainers looked at Ayabel with great interest.

Ayabel grew flustered, glancing secretly toward Eustea before replying,
“I suppose it’s because the quality of the leaves was good, and I steeped it with care….”

“Oh? And how exactly did you brew it?”

“Well….”

“In all my life, I’ve rarely tasted a tea this fine. I must know the secret.”

A bead of cold sweat rolled down Ayabel’s cheek.

The attendants looked just as unsure, fidgeting awkwardly.

The retainers exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why she couldn’t answer—

Then, Luciano spoke.

“The one who prepared the tea was someone else, wasn’t it?”

“…Pardon?”

A retainer asked, confused.

Luciano set down his teacup and looked directly at Eustea.

“The one who prepared the Moonlight tea—it was you, wasn’t it?”

All eyes turned toward Eustea at once.

Eustea bowed her head slightly.
“Yes, it was.”

One of the retainers asked curiously,
“I don’t recall seeing your face before. Who are you?”

“I am Eustea of San Miguel.”

Eustea?!

‘Then she’s the one who was expelled from the Andres family…?’

The retainer who looked shocked quickly got a sharp nudge in the ribs from another beside him.

Everyone here knew that Eustea had only become an attendant through Luciano’s recommendation.

It wouldn’t do to mention her past in front of him.

So they returned to the original topic.

“If this tea is so wonderful, then surely it would have already earned a royal warrant and been enjoyed throughout the nobility. Why hasn’t anyone heard of it?”

“Because the method of processing it has been misunderstood,” Eustea replied calmly.

“The processing method, you say? Please, explain in detail.”

“Until now, Moonlight has been processed the same way as any other black tea—rolling, fermentation, drying.”

“And?”

“But to truly enjoy Moonlight, one must omit the rolling stage.”

Rolling meant twisting the leaves to promote oxidation.

That process broke the leaves and destroyed their cells.

“If you skip rolling, it looks like this.”

Eustea placed the teapot in the center of the table and lifted the lid.

“Ohhh…”

“Amazing…”

Inside the teapot, the petals had unfurled like a round, glowing moon.

It was beautiful to behold.

“As expected of something called ‘Moonlight.’”

“It’s not just the appearance,” Eustea continued. “The raw material, the Crescent Moon Flower, becomes bitter if its stamens are bruised during rolling.”

“Just that alone makes this flavor possible?”

“There is one more important detail.”

“And that is?”

“To brew Moonlight properly, the petals must be gently massaged in ice water for a long time so they don’t lose their shape.”

Luciano glanced at Eustea’s hands.

They were completely red—perhaps even frostbitten.

The other retainers, and even Ain, noticed too.

“Once the aroma is preserved through such delicate handling, drying it again yields the flavor you’ve tasted.”

The retainers smiled softly.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“It’s no waste of effort for those who serve the northern frontier’s people with such devotion. You’ve no need for praise.”

Satisfied smiles spread across their faces.

“She’s not only skilled but thoughtful too.”

“It’s fortunate that among the attendants there’s one so clever.”

Their laughter was warm and approving.

Their gazes toward Eustea grew kind.

“But why didn’t you speak up when asked about the tea, if you were the one who prepared it?”

Ayabel’s hand flinched.

The attendant girl stammered,
“I–I… that is…!”

“Did anyone ask you?”

When Ain shot her a sharp look, the girl’s face went pale.

The retainer nodded and turned back to Eustea.
“What happened exactly?”

“That was simply our division of roles.”

“You must have felt wronged.”

“Not at all. We each have our duties. It’s to minimize mistakes in serving the princes.”

“Haha, even your heart is generous.”

Everyone here knew the attendants had been ostracizing Eustea.

The retainers were moved that, despite being robbed of her credit, she still protected her peers.

Of course—

‘Adults always give high marks to that kind of “mature” attitude.’

It was all part of her plan.

“In contrast, the rest of you are disappointing,” one retainer said coldly, glaring at the other attendants.

Their faces darkened.

Ain snorted and glanced at Luciano.

As expected—she was an entertaining girl.

She had completely captured the retainers’ favor in a single moment.