“Please, help yourself and eat to your heart’s content. The cuisine might not compare to what the royalty enjoys, but there’s certainly plenty of it.”
As soon as they sat down, the lady of the house cheerfully made this announcement.
Leo’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the array of dishes being brought out one after another.
(This is incredible! Gold flakes everywhere! Wow, caviar and foie gras! It’s like a showcase of luxury foods!)
High-ranking aristocrats and royalty, who tried to emulate the refined culinary culture of the Elrand, often made only the main course extravagant and kept everything else simple.
However, at Oscar’s house, every dish was presented decoratively, as if to say, “Everyone is the star here!”
Despite the strong flavors of each dish, they somehow harmonized perfectly, creating a unified dining experience. This was undoubtedly due to the skills of the head chef and Mrs. Juana.
Leo developed a strong liking for the Bernsteins, who adhered to such an opulent approach to the very limit.
“Thank you for the meal.”
He reached for a particularly delicious-looking dish nearby—a steak of beef filet topped with foie gras, adorned with colorful vegetables and caviar—and took a bite.
“…………!”
Leo felt as if bells were ringing throughout his body, and an intense burst of light flooded him with a blessing.
(This is amazing! The luxuriously rich foie gras is so sensual, and the elegant beef filet harmonizes in my mouth with the playful texture of high-quality caviar and the subtle acidity of exquisite oranges, making it overwhelmingly luxurious!)
However, he simply said out loud, “It’s wonderful.”
The meal was truly an all-encompassing luxury that stimulated all his senses, even his acquired sixth sense, the “gold sense.”
Leo thought he might never have been this moved by a meal before.
Watching the girl, who seemed accustomed to fine dining due to her frequent meals with royalty, enjoy the dishes with delight, the Bernstein family couldn’t help but smile.
Despite their wealth, they were essentially nouveau riche, and trying to emulate aristocratic dining would only reveal their limitations.
In a self-deprecating way, they had deliberately prepared an excessively lavish menu.
However, seeing the girl enjoy the food without any hint of stimulating their unique insecurities—it was clear she understood this well—they couldn’t help but feel affection for her.
At that moment,
“Ah, bring some wine for Leonora,” Oscar, who was eating beside her, noticed the strong flavors of the dish she was having and signaled the servant.
(Wow, that’s cool!)
But as Leo looked up, something strange happened. The servant brought two bottles of wine.
Oscar furrowed his brows in irritation and sharply instructed the servant, “—This one, the one with the black label.”
He glanced lightly at Hagel and said, “Father, Leonora is a benefactor to our family. Could you refrain from this sort of thing today?”
“Well, Oscar. I see you’ve learned to tell without tasting. This time, I made it a difficult one with similar vintages and origins.”
“The color of the bottle, the color of the liquid, and the scent are similar, but the label’s paper quality is different. In Lofelt, they use paper mixed with cork residue.”
Hagel raised his eyebrows in amusement, but Leo had no idea what was going on. Tilting her head in confusion, Mrs. Juana gently offered a water decanter.
“Oh, Oscar. Don’t use such a harsh voice in front of our guest. Here, have some water.”
“…Mother, could you also stop discreetly placing two decanters? The Bellevue one is on the left.”
When Oscar pointed this out, Mrs. Juana put a hand to her cheek and said, “Oh dear, I did it unconsciously…”
As Leo blinked in bewilderment, Oscar apologized with an unusually sheepish expression.
“I’m sorry, Leonora. My family has some rather strange habits—”
“Strange, you say? Oscar, the ability to always discern authenticity is the most crucial skill for us merchants.”
Hagel’s slightly annoyed retort made Leo finally understand.
“…So, you’re always training to distinguish between genuine and fake?”
“—Yes. Embarrassingly, that’s correct.”
No wonder there were two of everything—paintings, vases, everywhere.
While Leo was nodding in understanding, Oscar looked uncomfortable, probably feeling quite embarrassed.
“As merchants, we lead the way in acquiring new and unknown items. To assess their true value accurately, we must constantly touch both genuine and fake items,” Oscar explained.
“That’s my father’s policy. Hence, in our house, all decorations, meals, clothes, even trivial everyday items, come in both authentic and imitation versions… I believe it’s enough to only handle genuine items.”
“With that mindset, you wouldn’t understand the true excellence of the genuine article. Unless you grasp what makes something authentic or fake, you can’t become a connoisseur.”
“But does it have to be done right now…!” Oscar muttered irritably.
The tension in the air suddenly heightened but was quickly dispelled by Oscar himself.
“—Sorry. It’s pointless to continue such a trivial conversation in front of you.”
“N-no! Not at all!”
Feeling unable to watch Oscar suddenly turn self-deprecating, Leo jumped in to offer more reassurance than necessary.
“Um, I think distinguishing between real and fake is a wonderful skill. I would like to learn it too!”
“Oh, Miss Leonora! You understand!”
However, her heartfelt reassurance seemed to warm Hagel’s heart more than Oscar’s. He stood up briskly and grasped both of Leo’s hands.
“My sons are obsessed with business know-how and theoretical economics. It’s lamentable. The most essential traits for a merchant are an insatiable drive to acquire good things at a fair price and the eye to discern those good things!”
Leo, being shaken, started to catch on, her eyes sparkling with realization.
“…I understand how you feel.”
“Oh, do you really understand! While a natural inclination towards profit and loss is somewhat innate, the ability to distinguish genuine from fake can be honed through effort and training.My sons—especially Oscar—are unfortunately not very adept at profit and loss calculations. They tend to prioritize emotions over reason. Therefore, it’s my parental duty to at least train their discernment skills.”
Being a natural talent at profit and loss herself, Leo nodded vigorously.
Indeed, to lead a profitable life, an obsession with money is necessary, but having the right mindset alone isn’t enough. Hagel’s assertion of training the “techniques” of making money resonated deeply with Leo.
Somehow, the greasy middle-aged man before her seemed like a great master. She felt like she wanted to become his disciple and looked intently at Hagel.
“It’s a wonderful parental sentiment. I want it too.”
“Miss Leonora…”
Hagel, regaining his senses, looked at the girl who expressed her longing for parental love. He remembered hearing from his son Oscar about her tragic past.
Born from a noblewoman who had been taken by bandits, she likely yearned to know what “parental love” and “affection” were and hoped to obtain them.
“Miss Leonora…”
Camilla and Juana, who had been listening, also looked solemn.
“Well…”
Hagel coughed and cautiously continued.
“If you don’t mind, would you like to try distinguishing between genuine and fake items too, Miss Leonora?”
“Eh?”
Leo blinked rapidly.
“Hey, Dad—!”
“No matter if you make a mistake, we will never laugh at you. Just, if you could enjoy our family’s custom as one of us…”
Leo thought for a moment and then nodded.
“I’ll do it.”
There was no harm in trying, and it seemed simply interesting.
Seeing the girl agree with a lovely smile, Hagel beamed and eagerly began explaining while pointing to two knives.
“Then, let’s start with a beginner’s test… This knife, one is from Tanstedt, and the other is a common one from the lower town, merely silver-plated tin. Which one—”
“This one.”
Leo’s answer was swift. She held up the knife in her hand and explained confidently,
“The expensive knife has a hollow handle. It requires skill. This one is lighter, so it’s the expensive Tanstedt one. The fingerprints on the other are unnatural too.”
Leo wasn’t familiar with the Tanstedt high-end cutlery workshop, but his time polishing silverware had made him familiar with price lists.
“Miss Leonora, impressive…!”
Kai, who had been quietly observing, couldn’t help but exclaim.
Noticing this, Leo smiled and said, “Thanks to you, Kai,” flattering him. He still harbored the ambition of learning silver polishing skills from Kai, whom she praised as a silverware expert.
Meanwhile, Hagel’s eyes gleamed, recognizing that the girl’s perfect response far exceeded expectations. He realized this was no longer just hospitality but a serious competition to uphold his family’s pride as merchants.
“—Juana, bring it.”
“But sir, that’s…”
“No. It would be disrespectful to Miss Leonora to hold back now.”
Juana reluctantly prepared a wide array of items for the test: paintings, antiques, wine, steak, even an orchestra. The sight of a full orchestra emerging from behind a wall startled Leo.
“Now, Miss Leonora, this is the real challenge. I don’t know the answers either. Let’s see who can better discern the genuine articles between us.”
“I accept.”
Thus began the battle of wits and senses between the seasoned veteran merchant Hagel and the shrewd young money-savvy Leo.
***
“The gold paint used on the fairy’s wings contains real gold and bronze. The genuine Ristgal painting is this one.”
“Correct.”
“The wines, both taste similar. But the soil is different. This one’s from the new vineyard, a third vineyard planted to the south. The flavor of the water source is slightly off from the original.”
“Incredible.”
“The touch of real ivory is recognizable. It’s from a royal sturgeon of the Elrand, processed in the Elrandian style.”
“That’s right.”
“Dried salmon roe, it is. It’s rare now. This is more delicious, so it’s the original.”
By the time dessert was served, Hagel and Leo had developed a sense of mutual admiration and respect.
As they were engaged in a discussion about the authenticity of gourmet dishes and paintings, Oscar approached with two cups of tea.
“Here, Miss Leonora.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Leo instinctively took a sip, pondering how to approach the topic. Finally, she spoke in a calm voice.
“Well, Mr. Hagel, I don’t mean to be rude, but…”
“Yes?”
“Shouldn’t we do this again sometime? With more people, including the children of other merchants. It’s educational and fun.”
For a moment, Hagel was speechless, and then his face lit up with a radiant smile.
“Miss Leonora, that’s a brilliant idea! Let’s make it a regular event. A proper educational event, where we can all enjoy learning the art of discernment.”
And so, a new tradition was born in the Bernstein household: the bi-monthly “Discernment Party,” a unique educational event where the art of distinguishing genuine from fake was taught and celebrated, much to the delight of everyone involved.