I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor in a Romance Novel

Iriel frowned at Lillie’s actions.

Unbefitting her status as a Princess, she carried a tray with five drinks herself.

Usually, such tasks were handled by a server or the owner of the establishment.

Even if she couldn’t hear, it wasn’t as if she lacked hands or feet.

Her willingness to perform such menial tasks, despite being in a meeting between ducal families, made it seem as though she didn’t care about appearances at all.

“…Did you bring these yourself?”

“Yes, that’s the, uh, setting here.

I mean, the way things are done.

Just like at Ramielli Academy, guests here have to do everything themselves.

Though, it’s just fetching drinks and cleaning up afterward.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

It was Soi who was surprised by the unfamiliar rule.

If a place frequented by nobles conducted business like this, it seemed destined for failure.

She thought she understood why the place was empty.

“Well, well, let’s stop with the boring talk and give it a try. You’ll like it.”

Drinks were placed in front of each of them.

The children, even more bewildered, furrowed their brows.

In front of Iriel was a transparent glass filled with a brown liquid that resembled mud.

In front of Selena was a sky-blue drink she had never seen or heard of before.

Yuri received a black drink with ice.

Soi’s drink, although slightly cloudy, looked better, resembling clear water.

“…What is this?”

The children stared at the glasses before them, unsure if they were actually supposed to consume these unfamiliarly colored beverages.

Gulp.

A sound of swallowing broke the silence.

Soi was the first to overcome her hesitation and lift her glass.

Firstly, it was because her drink looked less repulsive than the others.

Secondly, she decided to trust the genuine kindness she felt from Lillie.

As she brought the glass to her lips, a strangely familiar scent tickled her nose.

Suddenly, a pungent, musty odor emanated from the drink.

‘What is this…? Is this really for drinking? It’s like… mop water…?’

Soi closed her eyes tightly and swallowed the drink.

Gulp.

The other children watched her nervously.

“…Ugh!?”

Soi let out a cry.

Iriel’s face contorted fiercely.

“Soi! Are you alright!? What’s wrong? I knew it, this woman did something suspicious to the drink…!”

“I-Iriel, wait a minute… Hmm…!?”

Gulp.

“Hooooom… ?”

Gulp.

“Eh? Huh!?”

Gulp.

“…What in the world is this flavor?”

Gulp.

Soi took a sip, looked at the glass, took another sip, and looked again.

She continued to taste the drink, tilting her head in confusion.

This was truly a flavor she had never encountered before.

As the pungent smell that had initially assaulted her nose suggested, the first taste was like mop water.

She wondered if this was truly meant for human consumption or if she was being given this because she was a commoner.

The initial taste was that repulsive.

However, Soi had tasted countless flavors while baking various breads and believed she knew them all.

That’s why, even though she was initially impressed by the sophisticated flavors at the restaurants she visited with Iriel and Selena, she quickly lost interest once she realized it was simply a difference in the quality of ingredients.

But this drink… it was truly interesting.

Although she initially thought it tasted like mop water, there was a definite sweetness.

And a strange sensation that quenched her thirst.

It was as if it was revealing a new horizon of flavor.

It was a taste that precariously balanced between disgust and delight.

“…This is… really fascinating…?”

“Soi, are you alright!? Are you sure you don’t feel anything strange…?”

Iriel asked, concerned by Soi’s reaction.

Soi, still holding the glass to her lips, waved Iriel off with one hand.

“No, no, I’m fine. It’s okay to drink this. There’s nothing wrong with my body. It’s just… incredibly interesting. It’s a truly stimulating flavor for me. But I’m really curious about the mind of the person who sells this…”

“…”

Soi continued to sip the drink, her expression changing with each gulp.

It was evident that she was thoroughly intrigued by the beverage.

Seeing this, Iriel and Selena cautiously brought their own glasses to their lips.

Iriel took a hesitant sip.

And then, her eyes widened.

This was a flavor that should never emanate from a drink.

“…W-What in the world…? Bread…!?”

It was as if finely ground, flavorful bread had been infused into the drink, with an overwhelming smoothness that lacked any graininess.

And alongside it, the taste of rich milk enveloped the bread.

“…Why is there baguette in here…?”

If Iriel, who had a weakness for bread, had to choose her favorite, it would undoubtedly be the classic baguette.

Not only did it hold memories of Zeke, but it’s subtle sweetness and savory flavor, which intensified with each chew, offered a unique satisfaction that other breads couldn’t replicate.

However, despite her fondness for baguettes, Iriel didn’t indulge in them frequently.

This was because baguettes had a significant drawback.

No matter how soft and easy to eat Soi made them, baguettes were inherently chewy.

Prolonged chewing strained the jaw and developed the jaw muscles.

For these aesthetic and physical reasons, she couldn’t eat as much as she desired, leaving her with a constant craving for baguettes.

But now, that very bread was contained within this glass.

This meant she could enjoy it as much as she wanted without tiring her jaw.

The utopia she had dreamt of was right here.

“…This… this is an innovation! No, a revolution!”

Iriel exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement.

Meanwhile, Selena wasn’t particularly fond of indulging in flavors.

Of course, she enjoyed snacks while reading as much as the next person, but her preference was for refreshing herbal teas.

Having consumed only herbal teas for so long, her options for snacks were limited.

But at this moment, Selena discovered her favorite flavor.

‘I… I like this…?’

Two seemingly incompatible elements blended harmoniously.

‘…This is… herbs. Mint, to be specific. And it’s mixed with chocolate. Wow…’

Selena’s expression softened with delight at the refreshing sweetness she experienced for the first time.

“…This is a first. I’ve never tasted anything like this.”

Finally, there was Yuri Gilbert.

She stared at the black drink, the same color as her hair, still hesitant to take a sip.

No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like something meant for consumption.

Of course, she had seen Zeke drink a warm, black beverage called coffee a few times.

But judging by the ice floating in her drink, this wasn’t coffee.

She had tried coffee a few times to match Zeke’s taste, but it was always too strong and bitter for her liking.

“It’ll suit your taste. Don’t worry and try it.”

Lillie encouraged Yuri, who reluctantly lifted the glass.

“…Hmm, coffee?”

It was definitely coffee, the same one she had tried and failed to enjoy multiple times.

But it was different.

Perhaps due to the ice, the intense bitterness of the coffee had faded, replaced by a nutty flavor and a pleasant acidity.

She felt like she could drink this as much as she wanted.

As she watched the children’s wide-eyed expressions of enjoyment, Lillie’s lips curled into a gentle smile.

When Zeke had told her about things from Earth, he had mentioned a place called Starbucks.

She had recreated that very establishment in this new world.

In her previous life, she had created this place but only she had used it.

In this new world, despite meeting them again, she couldn’t express her affection or joy due to the constraints of her body.

She had to witness their deaths or even hasten them.

Back then, a heavy guilt had weighed on her heart, refusing to dissipate.

This moment, sharing this time with them, felt like a dream.

“I’m glad you all seem to like it.”

“What’s the name of this tea?”

Iriel asked, forgetting all formalities.

“Well, that one is called a five-grain latte. Yohaiden Princess, yours is a mint chocolate, Yuri, yours is an iced Americano. And Soi, yours is a drink called Zico.”

The children, their initial apprehension completely gone, were captivated by the drinks tailored to their individual tastes.

“…Ah, this is amazing.

I can definitely see myself overlooking that strange rule about clearing my own glass for a drink like this.

Thank you for introducing me to such a wonderful place, Ira Princess.”

Selena said with a satisfied voice, covering one cheek with her hand.

“Can I try that…?”

Soi asked curiously from the side, and Selena readily offered her drink.

“Then, can I try that too…?”

The children exchanged drinks and began to taste them.

However, as soon as they took a sip of each other’s drinks, their expressions soured.

“…Ugh, mint and chocolate? They don’t go together at all! This is wrong!”

“…What is this? It tastes like mop water, even though I’ve never tasted that before…!”

“…Why would you put bread in a drink?”

“…This is bitter.”

In the end, the children returned to their original drinks and sipped them quietly.

They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a faint disgust that seemed to say, ‘How can you enjoy drinking that?’

Clap─!

Lillie, who had been watching them warmly, clapped her hands to lighten the mood.

“Alright, alright. Let’s stop that and talk.”

“Ah….”

They realized they hadn’t had a proper conversation with the Northern Princess yet.

“To be honest, I hate being secretive, so I’ll tell you what you’re probably most curious about.”

Lillie grinned, her expression mischievous, much like Zeke’s.

“I’ll be enrolling in Ramielli Academy starting tomorrow.

In Instructor Zeke Clayman’s class.

The conversation I had with Instructor Zeke just now was about my admission.”

Pfft─!

The sudden announcement caused everyone to spit out the drinks they were consuming.

“So, please take care of me?”

Lillie said with a bright smile.

“Let’s be friends. You’ve all been bribed.

Behave yourselves. This place is run by our family.

I can make it disappear at any moment.”

Zeke’s classmates were completely caught off guard by her from the very beginning.