Chapter 94

Chapter 94: The Empress’s Test (6)

Exactly one month after the art exhibition and campaign had begun—

Even the Imperial Palace had begun to slowly take notice of the changes happening in Haman.

The first to feel it was none other than the Minister of Finance.

That was because he was the one who received numerous reports from the capital city below.

“Minister, this is the data on Haman’s floating population change for this quarter...!!”

At his retainers’ somewhat excited report, the middle-aged man with metal-rimmed glasses furrowed his brow.

It was typical of him to maintain a grave and solemn demeanor.

“Why are you all raising your voices like that?”

The minister calmly pushed up his glasses and checked the report.

However, the moment he looked through the contents—

Even he, who had seen countless figures from the Imperial household, couldn’t help but let his lips part slightly.

“How is this even possible...?”

The graph he was looking at showed the highest trend in floating population he had ever seen in any city.

“Crowds are flooding into Haman. Several thousand people each day...!!”

Several thousand.

It wasn’t a huge number for a capital city.

But for Haman, a merchant city lined with warehouses, it was an entirely different story.

Usually, only merchants came and went here.

But recently, the incoming population consisted entirely of tourists...!!

“This is truly an exceptional phenomenon.”

The Minister of Finance could now truly sense the impact of the plan crafted by the two secretaries from the North.

Before forming any judgment, he believed the most important thing to do was to report this directly to the Empress.

“Where is Her Majesty?”

Holding the report, the Minister immediately left his office.

And the moment he made his report to the Empress—

“How fascinating.”

The Empire’s Second Empress rose to her feet personally.

At last, she decided to go see the results of the two men brought in from the North with her own eyes.

“Shall we go, then? To Haman.”

Margaret put together a light entourage.

With only a few attendants by her side, she visited Haman’s city hall with the Minister of Finance.

The city hall they encountered had changed completely.

Countless visitors had come to see the art exhibition.

The crowd in Haman, so different from usual, seemed to satisfy her as she nodded to herself in approval.

“The city hall building is old, which actually matches the art exhibition quite well.”

“Indeed, it’s a cultured plan that suits the antique atmosphere.”

The Minister of Finance believed that the rise in visitors to Haman was due to the positive influence of the art exhibition.

“Furthermore, I’ve heard they’re even handing out carriage wash vouchers to visitors.”

“To use those vouchers, the guests would have to move around Haman.”

The Empress quickly grasped the intention and clasped her hands behind her back.

However, unlike the Minister, she seemed slightly bothered by something.

“Still, I’m not sure all of them will actually use those carriage wash vouchers.”

After all, would people wealthy enough to go gallery-hopping really bother to frugally make their way to the shops of Haman just to wash their carriages?

Even someone like her, who stood at the very peak of the upper class, had doubts.

“Still, there’s no denying that the number of visitors to the city has increased, Your Majesty. And the city’s formerly aggressive image has softened quite a bit.”

“That’s right. Isn’t all of this the positive effect of the art exhibition?”

The Minister of Finance and several other retainers echoed in agreement.

However, Empress Margaret was not the type of woman to agree so easily.

As the mistress of the Empire, she was cautious and always wary of everything around her.

She didn’t believe that the current phenomenon in Haman—showing the traits of a tourist city—was due to the art exhibition.

“Well now. Do you all truly see it that way?”

As she exited the art gallery, Margaret pointed to the carriages heading straight back to the neighboring city of Leon.

“If someone stopped by a museum, wouldn’t they at least have a meal or a cup of tea at a nearby café? But they’re all leaving Haman immediately.”

Those intelligent green eyes that assisted the Emperor from the inner palace—

With her penetrating gaze, she pointed to the crowd heading into the shopping district.

“They came here to make a good impression on Archduke Eric. They’re not interested in the exhibition.”

Even when addressing her retainers, she spoke with formality.

She had begun evaluating the situation with a cool head.

“They likely have no interest in Haman either.”

The ministers looked puzzled at her words, especially at the idea that Tobang’s seemingly strongest plan had failed.

What the Empress meant was—

The one who had led the rise in Haman’s tourism was...

“It was Roger Julius who brought about this change.”

The man who had launched what seemed like a trivial campaign about not skipping meals.

“But Your Majesty, the campaign he proposed seemed incredibly weak.”

“We just can’t understand how a slogan about eating lunch properly could lead to Haman’s revival.”

Margaret slowly looked around at her retainers.

And unlike other members of the royal family, she spoke with a gentle expression.

“That’s understandable. The campaign itself has almost no direct connection to Haman.”

She gestured for someone to bring her the campaign poster.

One of the waiting attendants handed her a simple flyer.

“Would you look here?”

The ministers’ eyes followed her finger.

And where they landed was—

A sandwich and a cup of coffee from Haman.

“Do you know much about the food called a sandwich?”

Sandwiches.

The retainers glanced at one another and chuckled lightly before answering in a casual tone.

“Well... isn’t it a street food that came from Haman?”

“You stack various ingredients between slices of bread, right?”

They weren’t outright mocking it.

But, being nobles, it was clearly unfamiliar to them—sandwiches were seen as food for commoners, after all.

“Did you know that a sandwich shop recently received a Red Ribbon?”

The Red Ribbon—

A social club composed of several gourmet enthusiasts from the capital.

Restaurants selected through strict voting standards by the club were awarded the Red Ribbon.

“It means it’s a food even the gourmets have acknowledged.”

With her hands clasped behind her back, the Empress slowly descended the steps.

Then, passing by the art gallery, she personally began walking toward the shopping district.

Her attendants and retainers hurriedly followed after her.

“B-but... even if a popular restaurant opened, that doesn’t mean the city’s image has changed.”

“That’s right. The art exhibition is what really brought in the floating population…”

Some of the retainers who were close to Eric quickly tried to cover for the gallery.

At that moment—

Empress Margaret came to a sudden stop.

Then, unlike before, she spoke again—this time with a voice stripped of all amusement.

“Do you all know where the sandwich originally comes from?”

“Well, Haman, obviously, isn’t it?”

Given the flow of their earlier conversation, the retainers answered in a tone that suggested the answer was obvious.

But Margaret smiled as if she had been waiting for that exact reply.

“No. The sandwich was invented two centuries ago by the Earl of Sandwich from the neighboring Kingdom of Todd.”

The idea that what was now seen as a simple street food was actually the creation of a nobleman from another country—

But that wasn’t even the most surprising part.

“Even so, all of us have come to believe that sandwiches originated from Haman.”

The retainers couldn’t find a single word to refute her calm and flowing explanation.

Because they too had assumed the sandwich was a street food born in Haman.

“And that’s all thanks to this poster Roger made.”

It didn’t look like much, but it was an incredibly clever piece of propaganda.

Through the words of a doctor, it described how the sandwich had a well-balanced nutritional value and made for a perfect lunch.

And the place famous for that signature food? Haman.

So naturally, people came to Haman to eat the sandwich featured in the campaign.

They dined while taking in the ambiance of the shopping streets.

Even the Noble Gourmet Society, known for their picky tastes, had given it high praise.

On top of that, Nord’s leading artists—Bennet and Gehenna—had even come in secret to taste it.

And yet, it had cost almost nothing in terms of budget.

All of this had unfolded like a chain reaction, turning into a massive wave that swept through—

Even the heart of the Empress, who never batted an eye at any kind of achievement.

“Shall I try the food myself, then?”

Margaret, clad in a beautiful dress, clasped her hands behind her back.

Then, she strolled past the many parasols lining the streets of Haman.

“There are far more parasols now than when I visited for inspection last time.”

“According to recent findings, all the street vendors have either expanded their shops or added outdoor tables over the past few weeks.”

As they made their rounds, the Minister of Finance read out reports he had received from Haman’s civil servants.

It was this kind of quick response that had earned him a high post in the state.

“Perfect timing. I thought we might not even find a place to sit.”

At the Empress’s words, the attendants quickly moved ahead.

They approached the street food vendors and informed them who they were escorting and that they intended to have lunch there shortly.

The restaurant’s madam looked over toward the Empress with an expression that said, “What on earth are you talking about?”

And the moment she laid eyes on the elegantly dressed woman and the royal guards—

“Oh my goodness…!!”

Startled, she rushed out holding a dishcloth in her hands.

She hurriedly wiped down the tables and, looking nervous, guided the Empress inside.

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress. What brings such a noble lady to a humble place like this?”

At the sight of the once laid-back madam now acting with such propriety, many of the customers eating their sandwiches turned their heads.

Soon after, they all rose from their seats upon recognizing the Empress who had walked into Haman on foot.

“It’s alright. Everyone, please enjoy your lunch comfortably.”

Empress Margaret waved her hand, signaling that everything was fine.

“I just came by today to try that sandwich myself.”

The highest-ranking woman in the Empire wanted a sandwich.

At her words, everyone turned with nervous expressions to the shop owner—Miss Remy.

“Ah, well…”

Normally, she would have welcomed customers with her usual cheerful demeanor.

But faced with royalty, her lips trembled.

“We’ve run out of ingredients, so it’s hard to make any more…”

Because there simply were no more ingredients left to cook with.

There was no food to serve the Empress.

At those words, the air around them instantly turned cold.

“We’ll procure more ingredients somehow, Your Majesty.”

One of Lenny’s closest factory foremen quickly stepped forward in her place.

But Margaret responded with a kind smile, signaling that it was alright.

“It’s fine. I arrived past lunchtime, so the fault is mine.”

She seemed a bit disappointed but looked content to simply admire the transformed streets of Haman.

However, the surrounding citizens were all visibly uneasy watching a member of the royal family be denied food.

Letting out a short sigh, Margaret appeared to be considering heading back.

The attending retainers swallowed hard, visibly nervous.

Some of the attendants were even debating whether to quickly go and retrieve ingredients themselves.

But—

There would no longer be a need for that.

“Oh my, Your Majesty—”

As if by coincidence, I arrived carrying a paper bag.

“Roger Julius, at Your Majesty the Empress’s service—”

The royal guards, upon seeing me and Echina, stepped aside.

Thanks to that, we drew even more attention from those around us.

“Lord Roger. And Lady Echina as well.”

“Echina Luton of the Luton family greets Your Majesty the Empress.”

Margaret looked at us and gave a benevolent smile befitting a member of the royal household.

“It seems the two of you have come to enjoy a late lunch as well.”

“No, Your Majesty. We’ve already had our meal.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter answered in a composed voice in my place, as if she were the superior here.

“Is that so? Then were you out inspecting the streets?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. We were patrolling the promoted areas to ensure there were no issues.”

The Empress gave a formal nod.

Now that Echina had taken care of all the courtesies, it was my turn.

“Your Majesty, it’s nothing much, but while we happened to be passing by this restaurant, we noticed there might have been an issue, so we stopped in.”

“There’s no real issue. I simply wanted to try the sandwich, but they had run out of stock.”

She looked genuinely regretful as she said it.

I fiddled with the paper bag I had prepared in both hands, then spoke.

“It must have been a great disappointment. To not be able to try the food that currently ‘represents’ Haman.”

I looked toward the royal guard.

Then I handed him the paper bag with both hands.

“I had one set prepared, just in case.”

The guard checked the contents of the bag and promptly handed it to the Minister of Finance.

He silently stared at the steam rising from the bread and the cheese stretching from within.

“Sigh…”

He was deeply conflicted about whether it was really appropriate to hand this kind of street food to the Empress.

She was always served carefully curated courses on luxurious porcelain dishes.

Moreover, Margaret was a royal who was never particularly moved by food.

More interested in state affairs and politics than meals, she usually only ate small portions.

I carefully approached him.

Then, narrowing my eyes slyly, I whispered.

“Reporters from *Gold Morning* are scattered nearby.”

“…!”

Like a petty, scheming courtier who was far too sensitive to appearances.

“Just imagine—what a story it would be if someone were to secretly capture this image of Her Majesty, in such a relatable moment—”

The Minister of Finance swallowed hard.

As he looked around to confirm whether journalists were indeed lurking nearby—

His eyes met with those of the Second Empress of the Empire, Margaret, who had already sensed everything.

“Bring it here, Minister. It’s the food our people eat—why inspect it so seriously?”

Margaret, as if she thought this was the perfect opportunity, wore a benevolent smile.

Then, with graceful hands, she reached for the bag.

“Let’s sit together and make a lovely scene of it.”

That brilliant platinum dress sat upon a street-side chair.

The pungent scent of a warehouse city was overtaken by the fragrance of a luxurious perfume.

The most elegant woman on the continent was eating a sandwich in Haman.

I watched the scene unfold with the sly smile of a devious courtier.

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