Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 301: An acquaintance

The air in the hall was stretched taut, arrogance and excitement tangling together like sparks over dry grass.

Everyone knew one thing very clearly. Fighting was forbidden in the Leafway Restaurant. Even princes had to obey that rule. Which meant that, no matter how fierce the confrontation became, no blades would be drawn here.

In other words, this was the safest place in the entire imperial city to watch a spectacle.

And what a spectacle it was.

Many diners had already forgotten their food, eyes glittering as they leaned back slightly, savoring the scene. Today’s meal was worth every copper coin.

"Really? We’ll have to see whether you are capable of it." Zora replied coolly to the Second Prince’s threat.

However, unlike the Prince, her voice carried no heat, no anger. It was pure indifference as if the other party was nothing.

Ragnor’s fury surged again at her response, but the unbreakable rules of Leafway Restaurant pressed down on him like invisible chains. He could only glare, teeth grinding, helpless rage twisting in his chest.

Zora noticed it, of course. So did everyone else.

The realization crept into their minds. If even the second and third princes dared not violate the rules here, then the background of Leafway Restaurant was far deeper than anyone had imagined.

Just as the tension peaked, a sound cut through the silence.

"Waah—"

A baby’s cry.

Clear. Loud. Completely out of place.

Before anyone could react, a man in black robes walked into the hall, a child cradled casually in his arms. His steps were unhurried and his presence calm.

When his eyes landed on Zora, they curved into a gentle smile.

"Darling," he said naturally, his tone carrying faint reproach, "why haven’t you come back yet? If you’re not around, how am I supposed to take care of our child?"

Silence.

Absolute, suffocating silence.

Reesa and the others froze, eyes wide. Who was this man? They had never seen him before. Not once.

Zora herself nearly choked.

Harold?

What was this man doing here?

And more importantly, what kind of performance was this?

Black stared in disbelief. "This is... incredible."

White clicked its tongue. "Master, this one’s even harder to deal with than you."

He meant it sincerely. The situation was already chaotic enough. And now Harold had jumped straight into the whirlpool, dragging a child along with him.

Raphael and the others exchanged looks, completely lost. They did not recognize this man at all. They didn’t even know such a person existed in the Leon Empire.

Around them, the entire lobby had fallen into stunned silence.

Earlier, many had suspected Zora was lying. That her words about being married with a child were just a way out.

Now?

The ironclad proof had walked in on its own two feet.

If Ragnor still insisted on taking her away now, it would be nothing short of openly stealing a married woman with a child.

The ones most horrified, however, were the waiter and the shopkeeper.

Their minds went blank.

When did their boss suddenly have a biological child?

Why had no one told them?

After seeing Harold, Ragnor and Dravenor’s expressions change at once.

No matter how they twisted their thoughts, they had never imagined that Zora’s "husband" would be Harold.

This... was a completely different situation.

"Lord Harold," Ragnor forced a smile onto his face, though it barely reached his eyes. "Miss Zora... is she your wife?"

Harold smiled and nodded calmly. "From the looks of it, the two princes seem to have had some misunderstandings with my lady."

His tone was polite, almost gentle, but there was an unmistakable pressure beneath it.

"My wife has always been straightforward," he continued mildly. "I hope the Second Prince won’t take offense."

As he spoke, Harold stepped forward and placed the child directly into Zora’s arms.

The movement was smooth. Natural.

As if he had done it a thousand times before.

Aside from Prince Kael... when had Zora ever produced a husband and child out of thin air?

Reesa’s mind filled with question marks. This wasn’t right at all. She had known Zora for so long and had never once heard of such a son existing.

Yet Harold’s tone was calm and certain, as if he were stating an unquestionable fact.

Ragnor’s expression stiffened. Now it finally made sense why Zora had been so fearless from the beginning. With Harold standing behind her, how could she not be confident?

Ragnor and Dravenor exchanged a glance. This round was already lost. There was no way to recover it.

Harold was a special existence in their eyes, just like Leafway Restaurant itself was a special existence within the imperial city.

Back then, they had believed Harold to be nothing more than an ordinary merchant. When the royal family tried to recruit the chef of Leafway Restaurant into the palace, the chef refused outright. Enraged, they had even considered silencing him.

But their father had personally intervened.

Not only had he stopped them, he had also warned them solemnly. No matter what happened, they were never to provoke Harold.

At the time, they had found it unbelievable.

Their father’s methods were iron-handed, feared across the Leon Empire. Yet he treated a mere restaurant owner with such caution. That alone proved Harold was anything but simple.

Ragnor and Dravenor were not fools. From that moment on, they had kept their distance, never daring to truly offend him.

"Since she is Lord Harold’s wife," Ragnor said slowly, forcing composure back into his voice, "then naturally I will not pursue the matter further."

The sudden shift in attitude made Zora and the others glance at one another. This turnaround was far too abrupt.

"What exactly is this guy’s identity?" Raphael murmured, unease flickering in his eyes. "Even the two princes are wary of him."

Was this really leaving a wolf’s den, only to enter a tiger’s mouth?

After all, Harold had no obligation to help them. Such assistance rarely came without a price.

Alaric Von Seraph’s expression was equally grave. Compared to the two princes, Harold was far more difficult to read.

"I don’t know," he said quietly. "Let’s wait and see."

"I accidentally broke the table just now," Ragnor said stiffly. "Have the waiter put it on my account. My brother and I have matters to attend to."

"That table wasn’t very sturdy," Harold replied lightly, a faint smile on his lips, though his eyes remained unfathomable. "Since the Second Prince broke it, naturally, it should be charged to the Second Prince."

Then he added, unhurriedly, "The next time the Second and Third Prince visit Leafway Restaurant, your meals will be on the house. I hope you will come often."

Harold had given them a way down.

Ragnor’s expression eased slightly. "Then many thanks, Lord Harold."

With that, Ragnor and Dravenor left without lingering another heartbeat. Staying any longer would only deepen today’s humiliation.

Once outside Leafway Restaurant, Dravenor’s face darkened completely. "Damn it! I never expected things to turn out like this!"

Regret churned violently in his chest. He had thought today would bring him great fortune. Instead, he had lost face in front of half the imperial city.

Ragnor’s expression was even worse. After a long pause, he asked in a low voice, "Brother... do you think Zora is truly Harold’s wife?"

"I don’t know," Dravenor shook his head slowly. "But if she isn’t... why would Harold go this far to protect her?"

"Don’t know."

Ragnor frowned as well, unable to make sense of it. As far as he knew, Zora should have arrived in the imperial city for the very first time.

If that was the case, then there was no reason for her to have any connection with Harold. Still less a reason for Harold to step forward and shield her so openly.

Ragnor frequented Leafway Restaurant. Although Harold always appeared and disappeared like a shadow, he had seen him more than once. Based on his understanding, Harold was never the type to meddle in other people’s affairs. On the contrary, he detested trouble.

Then... was Zora truly Harold’s wife?

That explanation alone seemed to make everything fall into place. Thinking about it carefully, the two of them really did look strangely well-matched.

After Ragnor and Dravenor left, the waiter cautiously approached Harold.

"Boss, just now..."

Harold lifted a hand, cutting him off. "Go clean this up."

"Yes!" The waiter responded at once and hurried away.

Zora returned the child to Harold and raised a brow. "Is this your child?"