Bon Appétit

“Another plate.”

“What? Yes!”

As soon as Luana put another plate, he pushed the plate to Luana. Then, she sliced the meatloaf with a knife and fork and put it on the plate. ‘You want me to check if it’s poisonous, right? But why did you eat the rice balls last night?’ Luana looked at the Duke with a questioning look.

“Eat.”

“Yes.”

It was a very uncomfortable situation, but she was hungry, so she picked up a fork. She cut the meat into bite-size pieces and ate it. The juice leaked and flowed into her mouth when she chewed the meat. It tasted mild yet rich.

“Umm!”

Luana unknowingly trembled in happiness. Meat is never wrong! Besides, she used quality meat usually used to serve to the King. It was different from the meat she usually ate. Soaked in bliss, she put the second slice of meat into her mouth.

“Oh my, oh my!”

She opened her mouth because the meat was still hot and huffed.

‘As expected, I’m a genius!’

After devouring the meat diligently while praising herself, she ate the potato salad. She believed that she had to eat only enough meat to convey the taste properly when eating meat dishes. Handmade mayonnaise went very well with quality potatoes. If needed, adding some sugar would be perfect.

The Duke showed his strong appetite again today and finished the breakfast rapidly. It was astonishing how fast he ate while maintaining his elegant attitude. The meatloaf, deliberately baked in a large mold, disappeared instantly. The same was true for the potato salad, which was made in a bowl to pass the time.

Finally, she ate bread. Although it was cold, she tore the white and soft bread like chicken breast. As soon as she put it in her mouth, it melted down, leaving a savory taste at the end. One loaf of bread disappeared in an instant. Then she picked up another bread and ate it slowly this time. Every time the teeth bit the bread, it left a tooth mark intact.

She immediately felt better. So when she met the Duke’s eyes after she finished eating, She smiled all the time. After a while, she remembered what kind of notoriety the other person had and quickly erased her smile. Seeing her do so, The Duke had a strange look.

“You smiled.”

“You just imagined it!”

“No, you smiled.”

‘Am I going to die if I smiled? You’re not going to stab me with a knife, are you?’ She was very nervous, but nothing happened.

“I need to wash.”

After saying those words, the Duke got up and went straight to the bathroom. She was worried that she might be asked to attend to him, but that didn’t happen.

‘Yeah, I thought it wouldn’t happen either.’

The Duke soon came back from the bathroom not long after. He washed up, but water dripped to the floor because he didn’t dry his hair properly. And yet didn’t mind and hung a towel over his hair. Then he stared at Luana.

“You are shabby.”

‘I’m sorry for being shabby! But I didn’t have time to wash up or change my clothes!’ The duke summoned a knight as she pouted.

“Bring some maids.”

As soon as the words fell, the knight dragged some maids from somewhere. They were all trembling in fear. They seemed to be afraid that they would be faced with something difficult at any moment. However, the order the Duke gave them was surprisingly simple.

“Wash up.”

The maids approached the Duke with a distressing look on their faces.

“Not me. Her.”

Then the maids approached Luana with a relieved look. Then they pushed her straight into the bathroom. Before she could say anything, Luana was dragged into the bathroom, where Luana was stripped and bathed.

‘What’s this?! The atmosphere is insanely weird!’

The maids bathed her without saying a word, but they looked at each other strangely.

‘Do they want to say something?’

“It’ll be all right.”

One of the maids whispered.

“Of course, I don’t think he would kill someone who had spent the night with him.”

“It’s a misunderstanding!”

Luana opened her mouth in a hurry, but the maids closed their mouths again.

“It’s a misunderstanding!”

While the maids washed her body, they washed Luana’s hair and did pedicures and manicures. Luana insisted it was all a misunderstanding, but the maids already had their thoughts solid. Of course, she knows it was a situation that was easy to misunderstand, but she felt it was still unfair. After bathing, they bought a new dress, undoubtedly not Luana’s. Because she never had expensive and pretty dresses. Luana thought it might be another princess’ dress.

After she dressed up and decorated with the help of the maids, she looked pretty good. Luana turned around in front of the mirror. She approached the Duke, who was sitting on the sofa, felt Luana’s presence and raised his head. The Duke’s gaze felt hot.

The Duke seemed a little surprised. Suddenly she felt embarrassed, and she raised her hand to cover her face. The Duke got up Luana and approached her. His gaze was hot, looking down.

‘Don’t get the wrong idea! Don’t get the wrong idea!’

Luana muttered in her mind several times. His long finger touched her face. There was a small plume ornament. It seemed to have been attached when the maids decorated her.

Soon the Duke opened his mouth. ‘What are you trying to say?’ Luana looked at his mouth nervously.

Then, suddenly, they heard a knocking sound.

Knock knock

The subtle tension disappeared in an instant. The Duke glanced at Luana and looked at the door, then spoke,

“What do you want?”

“The princess imprisoned in the dungeon wants to see you, Your Grace.”

“All right. I’ll be going.”

“Yes!”

At the end of his word, the Duke glanced at Luana and turned away. Luana sat down and rubbed her chest.

‘What just happened?’

Something strange seemed to have happened. Luana didn’t think the heat on her face would go down. She needed time to calm her mind,

She needed time, but the Duke spared nothing.

“You have to come along.”

Luana accompanied the Duke to the dungeon. ‘Hey! I don’t want to go. Do I have to go there again?’ She shook her head, but she couldn’t say no. Because of Ingrid, who was taken to the dungeon instead of her, came to mind.

Luana headed to the dungeon like a dog being dragged on a leash.

‘I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go!’

‘He’s the kind of guy who might lock me up again if I made a mistake!’ She dragged her heavy steps down the cold stone stair. Every time she saw a bug crawling on the wall, she got goosebumps all over her body. ‘What about Ingrid, who grew up without seeing a single bug locked up here?’ Luana decided to muster up her courage.

After she passed through the two floors and went deeper, she saw a cell dedicated to felonies in the deepest part of the dungeon. It was where Luana was imprisoned. There were a lot of bugs with many legs there. It was a new experience for her.

When she went down the last flight of stairs, she saw Ingrid’s angelic looks and blonde hair. She never forgot her elegance and sternness as she sat on an old bed. She’s a born princess. ‘I’ll never be able to do that.’ Luana was impressed.

“You said you wanted to meet.”

Due to the echo, his dreary voice turns even creepier. Despite his voice, Ingrid’s expression did not change.

“What’s your intention?”

The Duke tilted his head slightly.

“What intention?”

“It’s not going to work out for you if you lock me up in a dungeon!”

Luana couldn’t believe she could stand up to the Duke like that. It wasn’t an act that Luana could do even if she were dead or awake.

“But I did what you wanted.”

“I won’t stay still!”

“In a dungeon?”

At that word, Ingrid bit her lip and trembled.

‘Sis, how can you be so beautiful even when you’re angry?’ Luana was impressed again.

“Even though my body is imprisoned, my will can’t be broken!”

Ingrid, who shouted so, put on a confident look. She was a picture-perfect heroine.

“I see. Don’t break it then.”

“Of course! I won’t keep… What?

“You don’t want to break your will. So, don’t break it. Stay strong.”

Luana, who was watching from behind, blinked her eyes. She suddenly met Ingrid’s eyes, seeing what she thought now. ‘What did I just hear now? No, he was a notorious person. He might be thinking,’

「Oh-ho, really? Then let’s try to see if your will would be broken or not.」

After all, he was someone who would call for the knight to bring out some torture tools! Most of all, he threatened Luana with it before. She felt a strange feeling.

“S-stay strong?”

“That’s right. Then I’ll give you a chance to stay strong.”

“W-what? Yes.”

Ingrid answered with a blank expression. ‘This isn’t it!’ Luana glanced at Legion.

“Are you sure you’re just going to leave?”

“Then what should I do?”

“Hmm, maybe let Ingrid go?”

“Why?”

“Because she is pretty?”

“There are many beautiful women in the Empire.”

‘But didn’t the Emperor reach all the way here because he wasn’t satisfied with them?’ Luana racked her brain.

“But isn’t Ingrid prettier?”

Ingrid’s eyes, who looked at the Duke as a madman, turned to Luana this time. Her blue eyes glistened like a lake in the sunlight.

“My sister…”

But she didn’t seem to know her name yet. Come to think of it, they didn’t introduce their names even though they’ve shared rice balls!

‘Should I introduce my name now?’

As she pondered, the Duke began to climb up the stairs again. As she stood hesitantly, the Duke called for Luana.