Bon Appétit

In a garden covered with red roses, a person was standing. He lowered his head and did pruning with a scissor, and he felt a sign of someone and raised his head.

“Did you bring the news?”

“Yes, I have received the news about Sir Legion.”

The huge knight knelt and said. Then the man playing with the scissor slowly raised his head. Long eyelashes glistened under the pouring sunlight. The eyes reflected under it were brilliant gold, and the appearance was believed to be a statue. No, it wasn’t exactly that much.

It was a violent appearance that beat the heart. Countless people praised the look, but no one was satisfied. That is why he had an incredible beauty.

“What’s the news?”

“He’s returning to the Empire.”

“What about what I asked?”

“They say he accompanying her.”

“Well, that’s good news. By the way, this time, I’m sure he had found what he wants.”

Even if he gave him what he wanted each time, Legion didn’t choose anything. When he was being asked why he said he didn’t want anything. His best knight living under a curse was not overly greedy. So he used to give more and more.

“I don’t know.”

The knight replied in a solemn tone. His name is Albert, the commander of the Gryphon of the Imperial Order. His ability was inferior to that of Legion, who led the Knights of Leviathan, but he was faithful.

“I guess so. Shall we go now?”

The man got up from his seat and handed the pruning shears to the servant standing next to him.

“Your Majesty, I’ll show you the way.”

“Please do.”

Saying that he could feel an unknown elegance in the figure of the man walking in front of him.

His name is Raytheon El La Dietrion. He was called the Emperor who ruled the Empire of Dietrion.

***

“Ah-choo!”

Luana covered her mouth and sneezed.

“Are you having a cold?”

Lugard, watching her cook next to him, makes a distance. She pouted her lips and looked at him.

“No, I sneezed because of the pepper.”

Luana raised her ladle again and stirred the pot, recalling her past.

After the secret medicine bottle incident, Luana ran away from the Duke for several days. It was a perfect escape because she slept in the kitchen under the pretext of cooking. Although there was one thing, she hadn’t thought of.

‘I can’t avoid the Duke if he calls for me!’

She could not disobey the Duke’s orders to the subject being a prisoner, so she had no choice but to go to him.

‘What should I say? Shall we talk about that night? Or about cooking? Are you going to punish me now? No, it’s already been several days, so it won’t be.’

After so much anguish, all her expectations went awry.

“We will return to the empire.”

‘Right! It was so natural that I forgot, but the knights, including the Duke, were people of the Empire.’

“You’re coming with us, so if you have anything to prepare, do it in advance.”

As soon as the words fell, the Meju came to mind.

“Yes!”

There were many things to take care of because Luana might not be able to return to the kingdom. Like a large amount of beef jerky that she had made in advance, something like jam made with fruit. Luana shuddered at the thought of such things.

The Duke, who was staring at Luana, asked.

“What have you been making lately?”

“It’s Meju!”

Luana replied as if she had forgotten to avoid the Duke.

“What’s that?”

“It’s an ingredient to make soy sauce and red pepper paste! If I can make two of them, the dishes that I’m good at making will be possible!”

The range of dishes is getting wider!

“Like seasoned sweet and spicy chicken?”

“Yes, that too!”

Luana chatted excitedly and explained the dishes that could be made with soy sauce and red pepper paste. It may be dull or annoying to hear, but the Duke listened quietly. Initially, it was an area that he was not intended to pay attention to, but now it was because things have changed from the past.

‘I can feel the taste.’ That alone has raised his interest in cooking a lot.

“I’ll do everything one by one!”

Luana clenched her fists as if to tell him to trust her.

The time has reached the present. She spent the whole day in a carriage heading for the Empire and only came out during her meal prep time.

Although there were several attacks in the middle, the Imperial Army quickly overcame them. The quality and quantity of troops were poor in the first place. For them, it was just beating rocks with eggs.

All Luana could do was work hard to make a meal in such a situation.

“At first, I was surprised that it was the same carriage as the Duke.”

Luana is used to it now. It was the Duke’s fault for being nonchalant, as if nothing had happened that day.

‘How many times have you treated a woman?’

Luana doesn’t know that Duke can behave so well. She still can’t see the Duke’s face in front of her. Luana’s hand, stirring with a ladle, became rough.

Why does it matter if the Duke meets another woman?

‘After all, he only has eyes for Ingrid, right?’

Since he was always looking at her once a day, he must have been slowly falling for her. Because that’s the way it was initially.

‘He’ll later realize how he feels.’

Legion doesn’t realize his feelings until he sees Ingrid suffering at the hands of the Emperor. And he struggles between loyalty and love and walks the path of a typical second male lead. It is unimaginable to see the current Duke, but that was his destiny.

“Is the meal ready?”

The Duke, who visited Ingrid today, asked Luana.

“Yes! It’s done!”

After stirring the ladle a few more times, Luana shook her hand and found the bowl. And she filled a bowl full of hot stew. Originally, it would have been served with bread, but the food without Luana’s touch tasted terrible to the Duke. For that reason, the only food served to him was a bowl of stew and homemade beef jerky.

As soon as the Duke took the bowl, Luana took her share and sat on the other side of him. The knights, who were initially terrified, are now left alone.

Luana shoved the hot stew into her mouth.

“It’s delicious!”

She then emptied the bowl as she exclaimed. In the meantime, the Duke also emptied the bowl clean, so he added more stew to his bowl.

He stared down at the stew and spoke to Luana as if he had suddenly remembered it.

“When you go to the Empire, be modest.”

“I’m always modest.”

“You must be joking.”

“It’s true.”

No one is as modest as she is. The Duke grinned at Luana’s too dignified attitude.

“And don’t fall for him.”

“What?”

“I mean, don’t fall for His Majesty.”

“I’m not that easy.”

“Easy or difficult, it’s the same for His Majesty. So stay away from him.”

“That is up to me.”

After a long time, the Duke became talkative. The cold-hearted man seemed to have a different attitude toward his master.

‘Surely!’

According to the book, the empire’s Emperor was said to be a great beauty. And he said that he was loved by all and never hated. Therefore, he was arrogant and self-indulgent.

So the Emperor invaded the kingdom because Ingrid defied his words. He was merciful to his people, but even that was nothing more than benevolence to his possessions. He was the so-called tyrant. That’s why he falls for Ingrid because she was the only one who rejected him.

‘Wow, he’s so arrogant.’

He is not a good person to be close to, so it would be better to stay away from the Emperor, as the Duke advised. However, Luana was a little curious about the great appearance. The Duke right in front of her is so beautiful as well.

He was a person who had poor beauty even when he was skinny, but now he is prettier. It wasn’t that Luana didn’t feel like he was a man. He was an outstanding knight, so his broad shoulders and great stature revealed his gender.

Unless she looked like Ingrid, she was afraid to go near him.

‘I can’t believe I’m so close to such a person!’

Somehow Luana got a little scared.

‘What do I think about myself to others? I didn’t pay particular attention to my appearance, but I still couldn’t ignore other people’s eyes.’

“From now on, let’s wash my face every day.”

The water by the river was so cold that Luana skipped washing her face this morning, but she regretted it. Of course, she washed her hands clean because she had to cook.

‘Why don’t I wash my face while I’m at it? I can do it, but that’s how lazy people are by nature.’

‘I’ll wipe off my eye goop properly.’

Thinking of being freaked out when others heard it, Luana hugged a bowl of the new stew.

“If,”

“What?”

“If you don’t fall in love for His Majesty, I’ll give you something good.”

“Really?”

Luana’s eyes twinkled.

“I don’t lie.”

“I won’t fall for him!” I won’t fall for him no matter what!”

Luana swore, placing her hand on her chest. It’s a piece of cake. So, if she can make a profit somehow, she’ll do it.

“Yeah, try to do so.”

Luana’s expression brightened as she opened her stew again. Just imagining what the Duke would give her made her heart race.

‘Money. Is it money?’

There was a lot of money left from the last time the Duke gave to Luana, but the more money, the better. It would be nice if the money could do almost limitless things. Or is it rare ingredients? It could have been a food ingredient available only in the Empire.

Whatever it was, it was sure to be exciting.

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TL Note: Hello! Sorry for taking a quite long break from updating. To make up for it, Bon Appétit will have a daily update for a week, so please wait for the updates and happy reading!