“Is this the singing tavern, Nobu, that Krowinkel talks about?”
The one peering in through the half-open door was a handsome man with the air of an actor.
He was dressed in flashy clothes, but his expression, with a gentle smile at the corners of his mouth, showed a simple kindness.
“Yes, Izakaya Nobu is our establishment.”
Shinobu’s response seemed to reassure the man, and he patted his chest in relief. Every movement was exaggerated and theatrical, proving that, as initially suspected, he was likely an actor or someone involved in similar work.
“Ah, that’s good. In Krowinkel’s song, it only says ‘go down Coachman’s Lodge street and walk a bit.’ It has such a charming appearance that I knew it immediately, but I was worried about what I would do if I was wrong.”
The customer tried to squeeze through the doorway while scratching his head, but although Shinobu meant to tell him that they weren’t open for lunch, she somehow felt pressured and guided him to the counter.
The smile he wiped with the hand towel seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.
If he had been a customer before, Shinobu would have remembered not only his face but also his voice, height, and the atmosphere he carried. So, the fact that she couldn’t remember meant he must have resembled someone else.
She went to take his order but the customer cheerfully began to talk.
“I’d really like to enjoy some wine even though it’s daytime, but I have to perform a play in the square in front of the cathedral later. It’s quite a strange coincidence, but it’s a play called ‘August’, and my name, the lead actor, is also August. It’s not a good rumor if the main character is drunk before a show.”
This is what they mean by “smooth-talking.” If left unchecked, he would likely keep talking forever, so she asked, “What would you like to order?” He coughed lightly, as if suddenly returning to his senses.
“Something filling, please.”
“Something filling, you say.”
She accepted the order, but it put them in a bit of a bind. Shinobu glanced at Nobuyuki, and he furrowed his brow in a similar manner. It was now after lunchtime, and unfortunately, there were no dishes readily available.
For some reason, there was a rush of regulars, and all the tempura, grilled rice balls, and grilled fish prepared for lunch had been completely sold out.
There were rice balls made with yesterday’s takikomi gohan, but they were intended for Eva to take home tonight. As she was thinking, her eyes fell on Gernot, who was face down, turned toward the wall.
Nobuyuki also noticed, and started to boil water in a pot.
“But the Old Capital is a nice place. My brother should like it, too.”
August, having quickly devoured the braised pork that was served as an appetizer, looked around the shop and muttered.
“Oh, you have a brother?”
When Leontaine asked, August nodded with a full smile.
“Yes, he’s my pride and joy. He’s working as a vassal for some noble family near the Old Capital, or so I hear.”
“You ‘hear’?”
“I haven’t seen him in a long time. We exchange letters every month, though. I don’t think my brother is wealthy, but he sends me a considerable amount of money every month…”
“That’s quite a brother you have.”
“He is. He opposed me becoming an actor, and we even fought about it…”
“…You respect him, don’t you?”
“Yes, I think he’s a truly wonderful brother.”
The noble families nearby were Arnoux’s Sachsenburg family and Branton’s. Vassals from both families sometimes showed their faces, but she didn’t recall seeing anyone who resembled August. “My wife is in poor health, so it’s very helpful to be able to buy medicine with the money my brother sends. I’d like to meet him in person and thank him after all this time.”
Nobuyuki tossed pasta into the pot of boiling water. It was the pasta for Napolitan that Gernot had prepared so that it could be served immediately whenever he came. The noodles danced in the rapidly boiling water. With this, they could serve August without making him wait too long.
“If you’re looking for someone, you should consult with the staff at this restaurant. I’ll have you know that I was able to reunite with someone I’d been searching for a long time thanks to this place.”
“Is that so? Then maybe I’ll ask for your help…”
“What’s your brother’s name, the one who’s so considerate of his younger sibling? It might be difficult to find him if it’s a common name like Josef.”
“I think it’s a rare name around here. It’s Gernot.”
At that moment, Nobuyuki coughed as if choking.
“Ah, ah, sorry. I think it is because it’s so dry.”
Shinobu was grateful to Nobuyuki in her heart. Without that cough, she would have definitely turned her gaze toward Gernot.
Gernot was drunk, but not asleep. He must have had a reason for not revealing himself.
“G, Gernot, you say. That’s a rare name indeed.”
Leontaine’s voice also seemed to falter slightly. She must have instantly judged that she couldn’t say that the person in question was right next to them.
“Do you have any leads…?”
“We don’t go around asking for the names of every customer who comes to the restaurant.”
“That’s true, too. And you can’t possibly remember everyone.”
The truth was that not a single regular at Izakaya Nobu was unfamiliar with Gernot’s name, but unable to say that, Shinobu returned to wiping the rice bowls that were to be used starting today.
“Do you have any other clues?”
“Well… My brother once climbed a tree to help a cat and fell. Now his vision in one eye isn’t very good, so he wears a monocle, and he went to university in the Imperial Capital to study law…”
“…These are all things I’m hearing for the first time.”
“Huh? But you said you didn’t know my brother?”
“Ah, yes. It’s the first time I’ve heard that there’s someone like that. Yes.”
While nervously glancing over the rice bowls, Shinobu watched Leontaine’s not-so-skillful excuse, and she saw Gernot’s back trembling slightly.
It might have been a past he didn’t want to be known. Certainly, the image of a strict tax collector climbing a tree to save a cat didn’t quite fit the image.
Leontaine, who was trying to keep the conversation going while pretending to help with the search, seemed to have reached her limit, and a strange silence filled the restaurant.
Then, Nobuyuki lifted the pasta from the pot into a colander and drained the water.
“It’ll be ready soon.”
He quickly heated the ingredients in a frying pan and then added the pasta. He then added the prepared ketchup-based sauce and stir-fried it quickly.
“Thick-cut bacon Neapolitan, sorry for the wait!”
When he placed the plated dish in front of August, he let out a sigh.
“I never thought I’d be able to eat pasta in the Old Capital… But it’s a strange pasta. I’ve never seen pasta this red before.”
August smiled, saying that his brother also loved pasta, and she almost nodded in agreement. He still loves it, but she couldn’t say that.
“Well, shall I try the Old Capital-style pasta?”
She glanced at Gernot, who was still slumped over, and he was sneaking peeks at August, who was holding his fork. He must have been curious to see how his brother would react to his favorite dish.
The eyes of everyone in the restaurant were on August as he brought the fork to his mouth.
“…What is this?”
August’s face, which had been plastered with a smile until then, twisted in surprise.
This must be his genuine reaction. His eyes widened in astonishment, and he brought a second bite to his mouth.
“What is this…?”
August muttered in a daze as he moved the fork, no longer caring that his mouth was getting dirty.
He greedily shoveled the sweet and sticky Neapolitan into his mouth.
At that moment, Gernot, still facing the wall, skillfully pushed out the powdered cheese and Tabasco.
“Hm? Thank you.”
He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but August quickly understood the intention, sprinkled the powdered cheese and Tabasco on the Neapolitan, took a bite, and fell silent.
“…A miracle.”
He muttered in a daze and started eating the rest furiously, as if in gratitude.
It was the same, if not better, than the way Gernot had eaten when he first visited the restaurant. When someone eats like this, it makes the restaurant, and the chef, feel that it was worth making.
“…It was delicious. Really, really delicious.”
His mouth stained red, August smiled. His smile, as he rubbed his full stomach, was not the forced smile from before, but a very pleasant one.
This appetite was undoubtedly that of Gernot’s brother.
A moment before Shinobu could offer it, Gernot handed August a pure white handkerchief.
“Ah, thank you, big bro… I mean, kind customer.”
Gernot coughed violently, and August stood up in a panic.
“Thank you. It was very delicious. Krowinkel’s song was true. I’ll come back to eat again if I have the chance. I’d like to enjoy some alcohol next time, too. With my brother, if possible.”
Rattling off his words, August left the restaurant in a hurry, leaving behind a slightly larger amount of silver coins.
Only the empty air of the afternoon remained.
“That’s what he said. Gernot-san.”
When Leontaine called out to him, Gernot raised his head with an indescribable expression.
“I wonder where he figured it out.”
As Gernot muttered in wonder, Nobuyuki handed him a glass of water and smiled mischievously.
“I think it was from the beginning. He probably heard about it from someone and came here.”
“But he didn’t show any sign of it when he came to the restaurant…”
“Of course he didn’t, sir. Consider your brother’s profession.”
An actor, huh. He’s good at acting.
Muttering only that, Gernot downed the water in his glass and stood up.
“Gernot-san, are you done for today?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, Shinobu-san, but I suddenly remembered something I have to do.”
Gernot, taking out his wallet, seemed unusually restless.
“It’s in the square in front of the cathedral, you know.”
“Wh-who said I was going to see the play…? Well, I am going.”
Shinobu, for the sake of Gernot, who spoke in a fading voice, reserved two seats for tonight.