"Ah, does that sound too strange?"
Just after saying that, Moli felt somewhat embarrassed, but how could she take back the words that had been spoken?
She could only add another line,
"Anyway, have a safe trip!"
It was exactly this kind of non-explanatory explanation, but it was all right as long as Fisher understood what Moli meant.
He looked at Moli’s rosy face and, for some reason, sighed deeply; then he went to the wardrobe and changed into another outfit that Renie had brought back, ready to head out.
Lady Martha had just gotten up as well, and after he told her that he would not be home for breakfast because of errands, he picked up his hand cane and hit the streets.
It was now full-blown autumn, and the morning in Saint Nali was still a bit chilly, but the streets weren’t too crowded.
This was because the street where Fisher’s rental was located had no factory workers; a few blocks further, the mornings would be much busier.
Parents had to get up early to go to work in factories or small workshops, forcing their children to rise with them so they could have breakfast before the parents left for work.
As for the children, they would be taken to school a bit later, led by a tutor hired by the district.
Fisher planned to grab some food for himself and, after finishing his tasks, bring back some meat for Moli; by that time, Lady Martha would also be out of the house, as she was a member of the local senior citizens’ fitness group, leading a very healthy life.
He casually chose a breakfast stall on the street to eat; the choices for breakfast in Saint Nali were limited, and there was no way to make it different.
As the waiter was serving up scrambled eggs with bread and cheese crumbs, Fisher was still pondering whether the recent research on the Whale-man Species had made significant progress. He had felt the warmth of the Demi-human Girls Completion Manual when he and Moli were discussing the creation of life that day.
"A gentleman from Nali can’t have breakfast without milk, add a glass for this gentleman."
While Fisher was deep in thought, a tranquil male voice next to him interrupted his train of thought.
Fisher looked up to see a man standing in front of him in a dark suit, with short golden hair slicked back with oil, very handsome overall, and his pale golden eyes were looking intently at Fisher, who was sitting before him.
Behind him, numerous Royal Etiquette Officers in white uniforms had already sealed off the small shop, leaving only the stunned shop owner who, upon hearing the man’s voice, hastily ran to the kitchen at the encouragement of the etiquette officers.
Fisher recognized the man, or rather, nearly every Nali person would.
He was Prince Dexter, the Crown Prince, soon to inherit the great rule from Gedelin IX, and as renowned as Princess Elizabeth.
Fisher put down his knife and fork, stood up, and bowed to the man before him, greeting,
"Good morning, Prince Dexter."
"It’s all right, I came to have breakfast with you, and since you’ve already chosen the spot, I may as well give it a try. Sit down, don’t stand."
Prince Dexter smiled slightly; the Prince, who was approaching thirty-four, already possessed a distinguished air. He sat down directly in front of Fisher and instructed the etiquette officer beside him to tell the chef to prepare an additional breakfast.
At the same time, the cup of warm milk he had added for Fisher had been served in front of him.
Prince Dexter was known to enjoy discussing matters over a meal; Fisher had often heard about how he had invited this or that former minister to share breakfast with him at the Golden Palace.
Even the matter of Schwali’s visit to Nali had been arranged this way; he had hosted the leader of the New Party at dinner and finalized their full responsibility for decision-making.
Likely, this was to show his high regard for his subordinates and a desire for closeness with the ministers, a trait reminiscent of Gedelin II’s legacy.
Gedelin II, who had inherited his father Gedelin I’s intelligence, not only possessed his father’s decisive methods but also carried a heart of compassion throughout his reign.
The most classic anecdote about this King from the old times was that during a hunting trip, he shot a pregnant doe with a bow and arrow. It wasn’t until he brought her back that he discovered the doe was pregnant, and his unintended arrow had resulted in two deaths, with the fawn dead in the womb.
Gedelin II, upon seeing the dead mother deer, felt deeply remorseful and even shed tears in front of her body, uttering what is now a classic line in Nali’s textbooks, touching the ministers who accompanied him.
"I could never presume to call myself a king after killing a mother bearing a child,"
Hmm, Fisher had read this story as a child, and he believed Dexter had read it too.
"Your Highness, please enjoy your meal,"
When a breakfast identical to Fisher’s was served, Dexter eagerly cut open the fried egg with his knife and fork, revealing the still runny yolk. While cutting his breakfast, he looked at Fisher and praised,
"Mmm, a fine fried egg, tastes very good..."
Fisher glanced at the soggy fried egg in his bowl, and then at the perfectly cooked egg in the other bowl, nearly laughing out loud.
His breakfast was clearly made by the royal etiquette officer who had used the kitchen of a local establishment, making it seem as if Fisher had discovered some precious hidden gem of a restaurant.
But since the Prince had spoken, Fisher was still going to respond with a proper remark,
"Indeed, that is true, I often come here for breakfast."
"Speaking of which, how are things progressing with my sister? Any developments?"
As soon as Dexter asked, Fisher glanced at him, with various speculations about his purpose for coming flooding into his mind, but the other simply kept eating his egg without revealing any extra expressions, casually adding,
"Don’t be so surprised, although I rarely communicate with my sister, the rumors about you both are well known to the citizens of Saint Nali, the nobles, and the merchants. Wouldn’t the Golden Palace be aware too?"
Dexter took a sip of milk and raised his head to address Fisher,
"Find some time and settle the matter promptly. Being decisive is never a mistake for a gentleman. Furthermore, if a lady is interested, a gentleman reaching out is as simple as plucking a flower by the roadside, isn’t it?"
Fisher eyed the man in front of him and after a second, said with a sigh,
"I thought your relationship with Princess Elizabeth wasn’t very good..."
"That’s correct, it’s not very good, but of course it’s not so bad either."
Dexter could down his milk in one gulp, showing his fondness for drinking milk, sighing contentedly after taking a sip,
"However, we are siblings after all, we’re family. I won’t meddle in her affairs, nor will I feel any estrangement towards her. But in my estimation, she will inevitably choose you as a husband in the end, otherwise, she would not have waited until twenty-eight."
"Before this, she had numerous opportunities to marry, and she rejected how many marriage proposals arranged by our father and me... This is something you should understand, Mr. Fisher."
Fisher fell silent for a moment, then nodded, replying,
"Haha, that’s good, I just wanted to give you a friendly reminder. I won’t interfere with the matter between you and my sister from now on; after all, the most important thing in this era is free love, don’t you agree?"
As he spoke, Dexter winked at Fisher, and after watching him wolf down the rest of his breakfast, Fisher knew that the real discussion was only just beginning.
Fisher had nearly finished his breakfast too, and by this time, more residents were starting to come out, with quite a few noticing that their regular breakfast spot had been cordoned off by the Royal Etiquette Officer, leading them to believe that perhaps the owner of the establishment had committed some act of treason.
"Well then, Mr. Fisher, I have a small question I’d like to ask you."
"At the time when Prince Luosang of Schwali was attacked, you were present the entire time, is that correct?"
"It has been a few weeks since the incident, and we take the purge of the Witch Research Association within Nali very seriously, but the more we investigate, the more I doubt the outcome. As far as I know, Elizabeth recently inquired about the incident with the Hidden Affairs Bureau..."
Dexter’s gaze shifted to Fisher, and he spoke deliberately,
"Mr. Fisher, the mastermind behind the attack is not the Witch Research Association, is it?"