Bon Appétit

“There, there she is!”

“The wanted woman is over there!”

While staying still in one corner, others seemed to have caught her. When Luana looked panicked as she looked at the crowd, Gerald clicked his tongue.

‘All this is because of the duke, so what’s good about following him?’

Unlike Luana, the duke looked at the people running with a calm look. As the person who made the wanted sign, it was easy for him. Still, he hated the sight. For now, he needed a place to talk to avoid this commotion.

“Follow me.”

He then strode ahead. The Duke tried not to budge from the spot, but Luana pulled him.

“Let’s go.”

‘Why are you pulling me?’

The duke questioned, but looking at Luana’s panicked expression, The place Gerald headed to was a house he had prepared for just in case. The small house in the corner of the alley looked shabby on the outside, but the inside was different.

As soon as he entered, Gerald took off his coat and sat on the sofa.

“Sit down.”

The duke sat across from him with an unwilling expression. He is still holding Luana’s wrist, so she sits beside him.

“Umm, would you let go for a moment?”

Luana spoke carefully, but he pretended not to hear.

“I’m going to bring you some tea.”

“We don’t have any ingredients to make tea here, Luana.”

“It’s okay because I’ve bought something.”

Fortunately, she didn’t miss the shopping basket. Luana put down her shopping basket and gently tapped the duke’s arm with her free hand.

“Then let’s go together.”

It doesn’t make any sense. Eventually, Luana and the duke stood in a small kitchen.

“You’re not a kid. What are you doing?”

No, to be precise, there were three of them in the small kitchen. Gerald followed them with eyes full of rage. The duke was not particularly old, but in Gerald’s eyes, Luana seemed to be the only one who was a kid. Luana smiled awkwardly, placed the duke and Gerald behind her, and pulled the ingredients out of her shopping basket.

When Luana took the cacao beans out of her bag, Gerald pretended to know.

“You’re going to make Elanya’s favorite food.”

On the other hand, the duke was still looking at Luana with a sullen face. The face seemed to ask who Elanya was.

“My mother.”

Luana, who explained briefly, took a deep breath with the cacao beans in her hand. She wishes the duke and Gerald were a little far away, but there is no sign of that.

‘So what can I do? I have no choice but to cook like this.’

Usually, witches make their own spells to use magic. However, she decided to copy her mother’s magic, as she wasn’t confident she would create all the magic she needed for her vast culinary skills.

“Be sweet.”

When she whispered a magical word into the cacao beans, it was enveloped in light, and the shape disintegrated and became black powder. She used her pinky to taste a little; it tasted familiar.

Luana was going to exclaim her excitement as she took out three cups and filled them with hot water. Then, she mixes the water with sugar and the cacao powder, and it’s done! A bit of bitterness is left, but it tastes similar to modern cocoa!

“It’s done!”

As she turned around saying that, her eyes met with the duke. He was still staring at Luana. When she realized it, her shoulders shrank. Although she pretended she was an apprentice witch, she had never used her magic in front of the duke because she couldn’t! So, it was the first time she had shown her magic.

She wondered if he would realize that she had not been recognized as a witch until now. It made her uneasy to think so, but the duke said nothing. He just held out his hand in silence.

She held the cup and gave it to him, but he didn’t take the cup.

‘It seems he doesn’t want this. Then what should I give you?’

While she was contemplating, the duke calmly grabbed Luana’s hand. When he grabbed her wrist, she wasn’t very aware of the physical contact, but her face warmed up when he took her hand.

“I-I need to give this to Gerald, too.”

She tried to make excuses, but the duke solved the problem by handing his cup to Gerald. Gerald seemed to want to pour the cup into the duke at any moment. Luana again gave her cup to the duke and held her own cup. She then moved her seat to the table.

It was the first time she had succeeded in magic. Moreover, it was cocoa, which is close to chocolate! Of course, she had to make a fuss full of joy, but she couldn’t.

It was because the duke held her hand tightly.

‘Why, why are you holding my hand?!’

Her hands were sweaty because she was nervous. She’d rather the duke hold her wrist though it was painful. But it was an ambiguous matter to say loud and clear.

“It tastes good. It was great for your first magic.”

Gerald, who tasted cocoa, praised Luana. The duke tilted his cup, he wondered if sweet cocoa would suit his taste, but he guesses he was worried for no reason.

Legion, who opened his eyes wider than usual, was drinking cocoa. It tasted delicious.

“Do you want this, too?”

Luana pushed her cup to him. The duke did not reject her offer. She was proud of how well he drank.

“Did not the duke lose his taste because of the curse?”

“Yeah, but my dish seemed to taste good.”

“Have it always been like this?”

“It’s from the moment we first met, right?”

“That’s strange.”

Gerald sighed and leaned on the sofa.

‘Maybe this is all fate? Elanya’s daughter and the descendant of the cursed duke met. Besides, they seemed to be on the same wavelength.’

It was not unreasonable for him to think so.

“I see. I let you go, Luana.”

“She doesn’t need your permission.”

“It is the duty of the old witch to take care of the little witch. Especially because she’s my close friend’s child.”

At those words, the duke’s expression softened. That meant Luana and Gerald’s relationship was like parent and child, not an equal relationship. Luana once said that no matter how beautiful someone is, for example, Gerald must be not her type. Not knowing why it was so reassuring, the duke was relieved.

“But what can I do? You two liked each other.”

Then, Gerald sighed even deeper. And at that point, Luana answered.

“Wait! We’re not like that.”

“You two aren’t?”

“But as soon as you meet, you stick together?”

When Gerald asked her with a puzzled look, Luana shook her head and waved her hand. She shook her head so violently that Gerald feared she might break her neck.

“Absolutely not! Sir Legion does not like me.”

“But you two are holding hands?”

Gerald pointed out with an expression of ridiculousness.

“That’s because he’s afraid I’ll run away. We are not like that at all.”

Luana denied. So this time, he looked at the duke, and he seemed to agree with that.

‘You two are not dating? Indeed, he might not have put her in the dungeon from the beginning if they were dating. But that dungeon wasn’t a normal prison, was it? There’s no such comfortable dungeon in the world!’

Gerald was thrown into confusion.

“We’re just like boss and employee.”

The duke had a woman he would later love.

‘But me? Dating him? What a horrible thing to say.’

Luana was startled and explained the relationship between the two step by step. Gerald still looked unconvinced, but he seemed to understand to some extent.

“Then let go of her hand first. I’m fine with it, but others may misunderstand.”

“Then you’ll run away.”

“I won’t run away!”

They seemed pretty close to each other, holding hands and bickering.

‘No, the duke has a nickname as a murderer, right?’

After becoming an adult, he left the empire and started wars as the emperor wanted. In the process, he was the one who had a lot of blood on him.

‘But when you’re so close to Luana, you have no feeling for her? Is that how a murderer would act?’

Gerald had many things to point out, but he kept his mouth shut.

‘Ignorance is a blessing.’

Seeing the duke react to Luana’s cooking, he might one day break the curse. When that time comes, Luana will be free. At that time, he was bound by affection and did not want to remain near the duke. Therefore, Gerald decided to shut up on this case.

“The cocoa, do you want me to make more?”

“Do you call this cocoa?”

“Yes, isn’t it delicious?”

“Yes.”

The duke answered honestly, and Luana chattered with excitement.

“I’ll make something even more delicious later. Now there is nothing I can’t cook! Aww, look at you losing weight. You’ll have to eat a lot more to gain weight again.”

“Okay.”

The duke answered and smiled gently. What a smile of a murderer!

Legion, who has not tasted sweetness does not know this new taste, so was about love. There will be no need to be anxious unless the duke is aware. Gerald thought so and struggled to suppress his anxiety.

---

TL’s Note: Thank you, Layla for the ko-fi! Two chapters are updated today! <3