***

The next day.

There was not much Edmund could do that day.

Sera had returned to the Aschwin Mansion yesterday and informed Edmund about their registration.

They successfully registered as lowborn students. As for the entrance exam itself, Livden Academy would hold it one week after the registration period began.

Today, Leonor was still staying at the Aschwin Mansion.

After all, she would only move into the academy dormitory once the acceptance announcement had been released.

Since she and the others had trained together so well, Edmund felt fairly confident they would pass with ease.

The office door opened, and Leonor stepped inside alone without anyone accompanying her. Sera was still at her home in Ulrich City.

The moment the door opened, Edmund immediately shifted his attention forward and saw Leonor entering his office.

The girl smiled and greeted Edmund, asking about his work.

Edmund explained that there was not much work to handle at the moment. The city was prosperous and had very few problems.

"I’m not too busy right now, Leonor," Edmund said.

"Really? I thought maybe I could invite you out to eat. We’ve never gone to a restaurant together before," Leonor replied.

"You don’t want to eat at home?" Edmund asked.

"No. I want to eat outside."

Edmund stayed silent for a moment before smiling brightly at Leonor.

"Alright. If that’s what you want, we’ll eat outside today," Edmund answered.

The man could see the excitement on Leonor’s face.

She invited Edmund out today because she had a favorite restaurant she wanted to show him.

Edmund nodded with a faint smile and walked together with Leonor, leaving the room.

Just as they were about to leave the Aschwin Mansion, Edmund was surprised by Sebastian’s arrival.

Sebastian came and saw Edmund walking out of his office. He stopped when he reached them.

"Are you heading out, Lord Edmund?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes. I’m planning to have lunch outside with Leonor," Edmund answered.

"Understood."

Edmund and Leonor walked side by side, leaving the room and heading toward the mansion gates.

Leonor told Edmund that the restaurant they were heading to was somewhat far away, though still close to the city’s main road.

To her, she had already tasted every kind of food in the city’s restaurants. There were many restaurants throughout Archester City.

However, Edmund still did not know which restaurant Leonor meant.

They walked together along the city’s main road before turning at one of the intersections.

Edmund recognized the area as Leonor continued guiding him toward the destination.

Not long after, Edmund stopped when he saw Leonor halt in front of a two-story restaurant.

"This is my favorite restaurant."

It’s been a long time since I last ate here.

Several people noticed Edmund’s arrival and greeted him warmly. Edmund greeted them back with a smile on his face.

Together with Leonor, he entered the restaurant.

It clearly had two floors, the first floor and the second floor.

The first floor was usually filled with people who wanted to save money by not paying for table service and only ordering food.

The second floor was different, occupied by wealthy people willing to pay extra for peace and quiet.

Edmund decided to go up to the second floor together with Leonor and ordered the best meals available for them.

Leonor ordered seasoned meat dishes while Edmund simply ordered beef ribs.

There were ten tables on the second floor, and seven of them were already occupied.

Leonor looked relaxed as she observed the surroundings, watching the interactions between the customers there.

Some of them realized the man sitting beside Leonor was Edmund, a Viscount and the ruler of Archester City.

They rarely crossed paths with Edmund or interacted with him directly.

Yet when they saw him in person, they never expected Viscount Edmund to look so handsome and wise.

"Who did you usually come here with?" Leonor asked.

"Master Sera. She also likes the food here."

She has the same taste as Sera.

"I don’t hate this food, but I don’t particularly love it either," Edmund replied.

"I’m sure you’ll like the food here once you try it."

"I hope so."

Not long after, their meals arrived. Edmund looked surprised.

It had been a long time since he last ate there, so he never expected the food to look this appealing now.

Edmund smelled the aroma of the grilled ribs, rich and comforting to his senses. Across from him, he could already see Leonor enjoying her meal.

She did not eat like a wild beast. Both her hands properly held a fork and knife as she ate slowly with the refined manners of a noble.

Edmund watched Leonor’s behavior and a faint smile appeared on his face.

The noble etiquette he had taught Leonor had been applied perfectly by her. That brought peace of mind to Edmund.

Leonor slowly finished her meal until all the meat on her plate was gone. She elegantly wiped the sauce from her lips before taking a drink.

"The meat is delicious and tender. The seasoning is really good too."

Edmund nodded. What Leonor said was true. The food in this restaurant was quite impressive for a roadside city restaurant.

There was nothing bad about the meal Edmund ate. Everything felt perfectly balanced, both the meat and the seasoning.

They finished their lunch. Edmund’s impression of the restaurant was not bad at all. He clearly enjoyed the food served there.

After paying, they walked back toward the Aschwin Mansion.

Occasionally, Leonor turned toward him and talked about everything that happened yesterday.

She met many friends besides Denise and the others. Not only that, she had already found her first enemy, a new student from the highborn class.

They constantly mocked Leonor, saying she was a commoner and did not deserve to study at Livden Academy.

Edmund realized Leonor would face her first problems at Livden Academy. However, he believed Leonor would be alright.

"It would be much better if you could control your emotions. Your power is far stronger than theirs, even if their status is highborn." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"You don’t need to worry, Sir Edmund. I’ll be fine," Leonor replied.

Edmund smiled and nodded. He felt reassured seeing the changes in Leonor’s attitude. It was something good for her.

"Of course. I hope so."