Bon Appétit

Legion pushed her back, and Luana walked a few steps and turned her head. An indescribable expression was on Legion’s face, who stayed and saw Luana off. When she saw his expression, Luana ran back and hugged Legion tightly. He smelled her familiar cool, and refreshing scent in his arms. As she hugged him, she heard Legion’s startled voice, which sounded charming and beautiful.

“Luana?”

She was going to tell him after the situation got better, but it felt like her heart won’t be able to stand it until then. His heart kept racing, and there was no way to hide it. What should she do? All she could do was confess her feelings.

“I like you.”

Luana said, looking up at Legion.

“No, I love you.”

Legion’s eyes, looking down at Luana, were filled with surprise. Those words he could never imagine came from Luana’s lips. He had wanted to hear those words all this time; it was sweet and ecstatic as he thought. However, the situation had already gone sour.

If only the situation they were in right now were better, he would have accepted her feeling with joy, but now he has to put Luana’s safety first. He also had a lot to say, but he couldn’t. His heart was jumping in joy, and he couldn’t keep his composure.

“I will definitely come back to save you.”

Luana said that bravely, knowing what Legion felt. So far, he has protected others but has never been protected. But now, someone smaller and weaker than him was saying she would protect him. Originally, he would sneer, but now he heard those words, his heart was full.

“So, wait.”

Luana’s appearance was shining as she said that. Legion clenched his fists. A familiar voice came from behind as he was about to confess his feeling.

“Sir Legion.”

Hearing that voice, Legion’s expression turned cold and hardened. As he turned around, a familiar face stood with several knights.

“Sir Albert.”

Albert, the deputy commander, stood by the emperor whenever Legion went to the battlefield. He shouldn’t be here right now; why was he here? There was only one answer.

‘You’re doubting me.’

The emperor thought of the possibility that Legion would not be able to bring Luana. So, just in case, he would have sent him an albatross that Legion could match. It was a small faith compared to the loyalty he had offered up until now.

“You found the princess. I’ll take her. Come here.”

Albert said that, and reached out to Luana. Even though Luana hugged Legion, she didn’t show the slightest bit of agitation. Everyone knew that even if she was friendly, she wasn’t really that stupid. Now he was reaching out even though he knew what Legion thought of Luana. For a moment, his gaze went down to the sword.

There were some more knights behind Albert, but considering the difference in skills, he thought he could defeat them all, but that would make things more complicated afterward. And yet, strangely, he has no fear. Maybe he had to throw away everything, but he felt like he was doing what he was supposed to do.

Legion put his hand on his sword. He could sense Albert visibly nervous. But he couldn’t pull out the sword in the end because Luana interrupted in the middle. She put her hand on his hand, which was about to reach out to his sword.

Luana, who made him not draw his sword, smiled gently and whispered.

“Close your eyes and cover your nose and mouth.”

Before he could comprehend what she said, Luana, who lifted her leg, kicked Legion’s leg.

“Argh!”

It didn’t hurt, but Luana flinched when he made a noise in surprise. But for a moment, she pulled out one of her pouches and sprinkled black and red powder into the air.

“It’s poison!”

Albert and the knights tried to cover their mouths and noses at the words, but they couldn’t because of a crazy cough.

“Cough, cough.”

Some covered their eyes, held their noses, and twisted their bodies in frantic agony. Fortunately, Legion could listen to Luana in advance and defend him, but those who failed to do so constantly let out their coughs.

“It’s not poison. Cough.”

Albert raised his head belatedly, trying to calm his knights, but it was hard for him to do so. Legion guessed what Luana had sprinkled by looking at the powder that fell on his clothes.

‘Perhaps this is black pepper and red pepper powder.’

How many of the knights have ever cooked with their own hands? Even so, spices do not go into the dish on the battlefield. Therefore, it was no wonder that they noticed the spices late. Meanwhile, Luana has already disappeared without a trace. Legion suppressed a burst of laughter.

“Sir Legion!”

Albert looked at Legion angrily and shouted, but he wasn’t worried in the slightest. If she were Luana, she would have run away properly. And after she found a safe place and rearranged everything for her, she must have calmly appeared to rescue Legion. As always.

“Didn’t she run away?”

Albert asked with a contorted face. Seeing his face, which had always been calm has distorted, was quite a sight. It was like seeing a side of him that had been hidden until now. And to his question, Legion calmly answered.

“I’m innocent.”

Legion showed his leg that Luana kicked. Of course, his leg was fine, with only a little crease on the clothes. It would be better to quit from the knighthood if he was enough to be defeated by a kick from an untrained woman, and on top of that, Legion was one of the best knights in the Empire!

“If you have any doubts about me, feel free to take me.”

Legion, who raised both hands lightly with an expression as if they were going on a picnic, looked at Albert. Albert’s brow furrowed at sight. He was upset and angry, but there was a limit to what he could do against the only Duke of the Empire, and he was being cooperative now.

“I have some doubts, so I’ll take you away.”

“Please do.”

Legion entered between the knights without a hitch. It was like a giant beast walking through a flock of sheep. Then the knights who were supposed to accompany him retreated with fear on their faces.

“Don’t step back.”

Only after Albert said that with an angry face did two of the knights come and besiege Legion. And after hesitating for a while, he filled his wrist with the restraint ball he had prepared in advance.

Legion closed and opened his eyes slowly, still feeling his chest pounding. Ah, how can it be so much fun?

‘The curse doesn’t have to be lifted.’

He is okay being hungry for the rest of his life.

He is okay if his curse isn’t lifted.

He felt he could bear anything if Luana returned and stayed with him.

“Luana.”

Legion raised the corners of his lips as he called out Luana’s name with a low voice.

***

Legion was taken somewhere, and the remaining knights began to search around at Albert’s orders. He speculated Luana might not have run far, but they could not find her in the end.

“Argh, I think I kicked his leg too hard!”

She had already run far. Her hair was messed up and wet. In the end, Luana kicked Legion’s leg to make things less suspicious, but she thought she did it too far. Her heart aches with the thought she might bruise his leg, knowing he would be taken by Albert anyway.

‘You’re so pretty that I’m afraid to touch you, so why did I do that?’

‘No, not yet.’

She confessed, but she didn’t hear his answer. Come to think of it, that seemed to be more of a problem for her than kicking his leg. She was scared to think she would hear the answer the next time she met him.

“What if he rejects?”

Luana sighed deeply. Then she squatted under the tree and thought about it.

The story has gone awry.

The world was not returning to the way it was supposed to be. Legion does not love Ingrid, and Ingrid dreams of becoming a queen. Several episodes in the middle disappeared, and a new story took place.

“It’s already a long way off.”

But who cares? Isn’t it okay if it’s already out of line? Then let’s get a little wilder.

Luana grinned and made plans for the future.

***

Albert, who escaped from the pepper attacks, regained his composure. Except for the ball that restrained his wrist, the duke was nothing different from usual. No, riding on a carriage rather than a horse is a little different.

Legion patted his own feet in the carriage.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen that face.’

He was still thinking of Luana.

Her sassy and confident expression.

Her expression kept lingering in his mind.

‘It was cute.’

Luana was the only one who always looked lovely in Legion’s eyes. While thinking about it, the carriage stopped, and a familiar scene appeared. They stopped near the forest where he went to search for the death squad last time.

“We’ve arrived.”

The carriage door opened, and Albert’s polite voice was heard. Legion stopped his thoughts and jumped out of the carriage. He could sense the heavy air with the familiar smell of blood. Apparently, they brought the surviving death squad members with them and disposed of them here. It was nothing special.

Legion followed the knight’s lead and headed to the emperor. The emperor was sitting on a rock, lost in thought, but he looked tired.

“I’m back.”

When Albert said that, the emperor rose from his seat.

“What about the princess?”

“She ran away.”

“I see.”

The emperor looked up and stared at Legion.