“Yeah. How about it? Doesn’t it look delicious?”

“It seems a bit small?”

When it came to cooking, Cuckus had been a chef on a ship and had brought food to the point of being tired. Anyone could tell that the spinach in the bag was unusually small, even if it wasn’t him.

“Try eating it.”

Stella took out a spinach leaf from the bag.

“Like this?”

Of course, when hungry, anything could be eaten raw, but that wasn’t the case now. Moreover, to eat spinach raw. Cuckus didn’t have a hobby of eating vegetables raw, even if he was familiar with cooking meat on a ship.

He only used vegetables as a side dish when boiling meat or frying it. Occasionally, when making vegetable soup, he used them, assuming that other ingredients were also included.
Stella, who had spent the past month together, couldn’t possibly be unaware of his eating habits. Nevertheless, insisting on it must mean that, like the carrots last time, there was something special about this spinach.

After organizing his thoughts, Cuckus chewed the spinach leaves with an expression that didn’t seem very appetizing.

After a few bites, Cuckus’s expression changed from reluctance to confusion, as if saying, “What is this?” He didn’t look like someone who had forced himself to eat spinach against his will.

Stella confidently smiled as if to say, “See, I told you so.” Cuckus, admiringly, continued to pluck and eat the spinach leaves.

“Does spinach normally taste like this?”

“No. Don’t you know the taste of spinach?”

Watching Cuckus smartly pluck and eat the spinach leaves as if he was popping grape seeds, Stella couldn’t help but laugh.

Cuckus thought spinach tasted the same regardless. However, the spinach he just ate from the bag was different.

“Do you think it will sell well?”

When Cuckus spoke with confidence, Jack, who was standing by, approached and sneakily took a spinach leaf, chewing it thoughtfully.

“Huh? Why is it delicious?”

Even young Jack was amazed. After several expressions of admiration, Cuckus, as if making a decision, looked at Stella and said,

“I’ll give you not just a peddler’s permit but a whole store.”

“A store?”
“Yes. There’s been an empty space among the stores operated by Moonlight Guild since last month. Although it’s small in scale, the location is quite good. Instead of struggling on the street, do business comfortably there.”

The idea of telling a princess to do business comfortably itself sounded strange, but nevertheless, seeing her uncomfortable on the street, Cuckus thought it would be much more comfortable for her there.

“Thanks. In return, I’ll pay the rent for the store.”

Stella never had the intention of receiving something for free from Cuckus.

“Oh no! Absolutely not. How can I take money from the princess? Just let me eat those delicious vegetables to my heart’s content. How could I ever have known the taste of vegetables in my entire life?”

“I think it might be better to pay the rent instead? Cuckus, you eat a lot.”

Stella jokingly suggested, and Cuckus, feeling unjust, whined like a child, making a sound of laughter.

Upon hearing it, it seemed to be a valid point. If he deliberately sat down and ate, he might be able to eat half a field from the comfort of his seat.

“All right! But I’ll give it to you extremely cheap. I can’t compromise on that.”

When Cuckus firmly stated, Stella insisted that he should still charge the regular price.

“Hey, by the way, why does the captain keep calling Sister Rudina ‘Princess’? Oh, I see! Is it because she’s as pretty as a princess?”
People who had been sitting quietly, including Jack, finally realized that Cuckus had been calling Stella “Princess.”

“It seems so. Cuckus is naturally mischievous. Is Sister really as pretty as a princess?”

Stella quickly intervened to prevent Jack from making a potentially awkward mistake, considering his young age.

“No.”

Stella’s answer was firm and Jack’s declaration of Stella being more beautiful than a princess made her awkwardly pat his head.

“Really?”

“Even more, more, more beautiful than a princess.”

Jack widened his arms and exclaimed.

“Little rascal! You’ve got a good eye!”

When Cuckus pretended to lightly slap his forehead, Jack quickly blocked it with his hand.

Inside the store, the largest and smallest figures, Cuckus and Jack, playfully interacting, looked like a father and son joking around.

“Now, shall we go see the store?”

In the end, Cuckus, who Jack hadn’t even touched, clapped his hands and suggested they go see the store.

As Cuckus said, although the size of the store was small, the location was quite good, being at the center of the fruit street, attracting many customers.

Although Darun could have brought it alone, Cuckus intentionally accompanied them, revealing his friendliness towards them.
Knowing that Cuckus was watching over them, people refrained from picking a fight or bothering them. Every time Cuckus made eye contact with someone, he intentionally nudged Darun’s shoulder and behaved friendly.

“In the future, my younger brother will run a business here. Don’t cause any trouble and take care.”

Entering the empty store, Cuckus shouted loudly enough for nearby store owners to hear.

“That young man is the guild master’s brother? No way! They don’t look alike at all.”

“Right. Cuckus-daejang looks like he can take down monsters barehanded, but this young man is refined and seems well-mannered.”

The owners of the adjacent fruit store looked at Cuckus and Darun suspiciously, exchanging glances.

Cuckus firmly pulled Darun, who was standing somewhat awkwardly, to his side and loudly declared.

“Take a good look! These eyes! So squinty, just the same! And these ears! Cute and round, exactly the same! Also, I haven’t shown it, but even that thing looks the same.”

“Oh my! Shameless! There’s a lovely young lady right here, and you have nothing else to say!”

As the fruit store lady waved her hand in disapproval, Cuckus, feigning innocence, replied.

“I was talking about the belly button, but where on earth did you get your thoughts, madam?”