Nora didn't know much about food.
She had wandered the streets with her mother since childhood, and even getting to eat bread every day was something to be thankful for.
Later, after her mother rescued her from human traffickers, she began living on her own. Just filling her stomach was a struggle—what kind of food it was didn't matter at all.
She would rummage through trash bins, and anything that looked edible had to be stuffed into her mouth immediately, or else someone else might snatch it away.
So Nora didn't really care what Ron had cooked—as long as it was edible, how it looked didn't matter.
Besides, it smelled amazing, so it probably tasted good too, right?
As soon as she tasted a bite of fish-fragrant shredded pork, her eyes squinted in contentment.
Then she had a bite of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, pairing it with a spoonful of rice, thinking to herself how amazing the store manager's cooking skills were.
"This tastes better than the food at those fancy restaurants."
Nora muttered in her heart.
If Ron knew what she was thinking, he would definitely laugh and shake his head.
His cooking was, at best, average. Nora found it delicious purely because of the seasonings.
Once the sauces from Lyle's Barbecue Shop became widely used—not just for grilled meats—his dishes wouldn't seem all that special.
"Store Manager, what's that thing in your hand?" Nora asked after taking a few bites. She noticed that Ron wasn't holding a knife and fork, but rather two long, slender sticks. She couldn't help but ask curiously.
"These are called chopsticks. When eating this kind of food, using these is more convenient." Ron explained as he picked up a bunch of fish-fragrant shredded pork with the chopsticks. "See? If you used a knife and fork, it'd be hard to pick up this much food."
Nora watched as he skillfully used the chopsticks and found it fascinating. "Store Manager, do you have more of these… chopsticks? I want to try them too."
"Hmm... I think I do." Ron got up and walked toward the kitchen. "Wait a bit, I'll get them for you."
Since chopsticks didn't exist in this world, he had made them himself from scratch.
Back then, he had only made two pairs—one for personal use, and one as a spare. He hadn't really thought about offering them to others.
After all, most people here were used to using knives and forks, and those at the bottom of society even ate with their hands. Chopsticks were an oddity.
But since Nora had asked, Ron didn't mind letting her try them.
Still, chopsticks weren't exactly beginner-friendly.
He found the spare pair in the cabinet, washed them clean, and then handed them to Nora at the dining table.
Nora accepted them with curiosity. After inspecting them closely, she tried to mimic Ron's movements to pick up some fish-fragrant shredded pork.
But the two chopsticks crossed mid-air, and the food she tried to pick up fell right back onto the plate.
Across from her, Ron chuckled. "Don't rush. Take it slow at first. Don't grip too tightly. Just keep practicing—you'll get the hang of it."
Nora blushed slightly, her dark cat ears twitching.
Following Ron's advice, she tried several more times but still kept failing. Eventually, she had to lean down to catch the food with her mouth before it fell back onto the plate.
Maybe because she rarely used knives and forks, or maybe due to her feline agility, Nora picked up the skill pretty quickly.
Ron found it amusing watching her go from clumsy to proficient. Her movements became more and more skilled.
Having lived alone for over half a month, even with his homebody tendencies, Ron occasionally felt a little lonely.
But now, having a cute employee to eat three meals a day with wasn't a bad feeling at all.
"Store Manager…" Halfway through the meal, Nora suddenly spoke up cautiously, thinking back to yesterday. "Yesterday, Mr. Jasper came to the shop. When he addressed you, did he say… 'Your Highness Ron'?"
Ron looked at her with a half-smile. "Didn't I already say? My father is Emperor André III. Of course, Jasper would address me that way."
"So you really are the Seventh Prince?" Nora asked hesitantly, still finding it hard to believe. "But… didn't your mother…"
"It was probably just… a one-time mistake." Ron shrugged. "Why do you think I didn't stay in the imperial capital and came to the City of Chaos instead? I wasn't exactly welcome, so I was sent away."
Nora didn't know how to respond and just lowered her head silently.
"It's not as bad as you think. Even though I don't have any real power as the Seventh Prince, the title alone is enough to guarantee I'll never have to worry about food or clothing. So you don't need to feel bad for me."
Nora looked at him with chopsticks still in her mouth. "So that means… the Store Manager is technically a noble?"
"Of course I am." Ron chuckled. "In terms of status, I'm way above your average noble."
"Noble, huh…" Nora turned her eyes away and didn't press further. Instead, she asked, "Then what about this flower shop? You said before that it was the will of a goddess. That wasn't… true, right?"
"Oh, that? It's actually true." Ron's eyes gleamed as he chose his words carefully. "The seeds of the Nether Orchid and Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum were gifts from the Goddess of Harvest herself. She tasked me with spreading these plants across the world—that's why I opened this flower shop."
Nora stared blankly at her store manager, unsure whether to believe him or not.
Ron didn't mind whether she believed it or not. After finishing his meal, he stood up and headed back to his study.
At the study's doorway, he paused and looked back toward the living room. With a smile, he said, "Thanks for cleaning up and doing the laundry last night."
Nora snapped out of her daze, stiffening slightly. She responded in a flustered whisper, "Store Manager… y-you're welcome…"
Ron didn't say anything more. He settled into the usual routine of midday reading in his study.
After finishing her meal, Nora got up and began cleaning the table, moving back and forth between the kitchen and dining area with practiced ease.
Half an hour later, the dishes were washed, the table wiped clean, and the uniforms that had been left to dry on the balcony were taken down and folded neatly.
Finally, Nora stood by the balcony, looking at Ron's clothes. After hesitating for a moment, she decided not to bring them in.
Instead of placing them on the sofa, it was better to leave them hanging outside. The Store Manager could take them when he needed them.
She didn't want to go into the Store Manager's bedroom without permission.
After tidying the living room, Nora headed downstairs to reopen the shop.
Ron stayed in the study until around 1 p.m. He stretched, then grabbed the elemental plates he had crafted last night from the bookshelf, stuffed them into his backpack, and left the shop, strolling toward the Magic Academy.
Professor Hicks was probably still out with the headmaster, but Ron could continue learning magic from Edith.
Since he was only a Tier-1 Mage, whether he learned from Professor Hicks or Edith didn't make much difference.
And honestly, compared to learning magic from Professor Hicks, being with a beautiful elven lady was definitely more enjoyable.