Episode 20

“Oh my, we’re not quite ready yet…”

Emma, who was receiving the dishes from the kitchen staff, looked at me as I entered the dining room and spoke.

“Should I go upstairs then?”

“Wouldn’t it be a hassle for you to go up? You’ll have to come back down for the meal anyway.”

“Then I’ll wait here.”

“Sure. It should be ready in about ten minutes.”

Emma cheerfully carried the tableware.

Although I had spoken with Apollion before, we had never talked face-to-face in such a bright place like this.

Moreover, the purpose of this conversation was to clear up a misunderstanding with him, so I couldn’t help but feel tense.

“Where’s Apollion?”

“I’ve sent word, so he should be here soon. Your legs must be tired, please have a seat.”

At Emma’s signal, a maid approached and pulled out a chair for me.

I sat down at the table, sniffing the air. The savory smell of oil filled the dining room.

As the table setting was completed, Apollion entered the dining room with perfect timing.

“Apollion.”

He stopped abruptly when he saw me.

He started to backstep out of the dining room but was caught by Wilson standing behind him.

“Your Grace, food is best enjoyed warm. You must be hungry, so please, take a seat.”

“…I’m not particularly hungry right now.”

“I heard you say you were famished just on the way to the bath after practicing with your sword in the training yard a little while ago…”

“…”

“My apologies, Your Grace. It seems my old ears have deceived me. Perhaps it’s time for me to retire…”

“…It That sounds wonderful.”

Apollion walked over and took his seat. His hair was still damp, indicating he had come straight from his shower.

Wilson’s skill in handling him was top-notch. It was clear that this level of control wasn’t achieved overnight.

At this rate, he could probably appear on a pet behavior correction program.

I looked up and stared at Wilson. He met my gaze with a kind smile, like a friendly neighborhood grandfather.

If the fairy tale “Pinocchio” were made into a live-action movie, Wilson would undoubtedly be cast as Geppetto, I thought.

While I was lost in these idle thoughts, the maids diligently set up the food.

Only Apollion, seated opposite me, seemed nervous, staring down at the tableware in front of him.

When Emma removed the food covers, a roast beef dish with plenty of roasted garlic was revealed. Just looking at it made my mouth water.

A fresh salad drizzled with a raspberry sauce sat nearby, and a small clam soup emanated a savory aroma. Soon, the head chef brought out a plate of perfectly grilled oysters.

“Wow, this looks delicious.”

“Do you like oysters?”

“Of course.”

At my response, the chef placed the plate down with a confident expression. The well-cooked oysters were garnished with aromatic herbs.

With graceful movements, the chef sprinkled olive oil, salt, and pepper over the dish. His actions were more like performance art than cooking.

Despite his impressive cooking skills, his accuracy seemed lacking as some seasoning missed the mark and fell under the table. The waiting maids’ expressions darkened considerably.

Usually, I would have just quietly eaten my food, but seeing the chef so delighted made it hard to interrupt.

I glanced at Emma and Wilson. From their expressions, it seemed this was a common occurrence.

I looked at Apollion, silently asking him to intervene, but he was completely absorbed in the chef’s flamboyant performance.

No wonder. With the head of the household so engrossed, it was no surprise that no one else was stepping in.

If the chef enjoyed performing so much, he should pursue a different career. With his experience working for the Theabrite family, he could easily find another job.

Then again, would his culinary experience be recognized in a different field? Probably not.

Thinking about this, I applauded the chef as he finished his performance by squeezing lemon juice over the dish. His smile grew even wider.

Nothing had splashed onto Apollion or me, but the maids’ aprons were now covered in yellow olive oil and lemon juice.

Oil stains are tough to clean, poor things.

I resolved to suggest the chef consider a career change soon and took a spoonful of soup.

“Wow!”

As soon as I tasted the soup, my eyes widened. It was incredibly delicious.

Fortunately, the chef was very dedicated to his primary job. Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be here.

I savored the properly heated soup, chewing the small chunks of clams in it. The small pieces I thought were clams were actually finely chopped oysters.

“Do you like the food?”

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear that the food from the Theabrite family suits your taste.”

It was the first proper meal I’d had since coming to the Theabrite estate.

Yesterday had been chaotic due to the wedding, and today I had filled up on croissants because I overslept.

I transferred some of the oyster dish, sprinkled with various spices, onto my plate and tilted my head in curiosity.

“This is interesting.”

“What do you find interesting?”

Wilson asked me politely.

“Oysters are a winter food, aren’t they? It’s fascinating to have such fresh oysters in the middle of summer.”

Emma answered with a satisfied smile instead of Wilson.

“The servants went through quite an effort to procure these fresh oysters. They used cooling magic to bring them from the northern continent.”

“Cooling magic? They used such a precious magic to transport the oysters?”

Since wizards are rare, their services are expensive. It must have cost a lot of money to cast a preservation spell that would last from the northern continent to here.

“Yes, we were in such a hurry to serve the two of you that we even used transportation magic,” Emma said with a proud laugh.

I had heard that oysters were considered a delicacy. It seemed Apollion had a particular liking for them.

“Apollion, do you really like oysters?”

“…It’s not my favorite food.”

“Huh? Really? Didn’t you say you wanted to eat them? Who else would want oysters here if not you?”

As Emma’s laughter gradually faded, the dining room fell into silence.

Apollion stared at Emma and spoke.

“…I never said that.”

It was clear that Apollion wasn’t particularly interested in the oysters, as he quietly ate his salad with the roast beef.

What was that strange combination? Maybe it was like a wrap in Korea.

“Emma?”

“…”

Emma, who hadn’t responded to Apollion’s call, cautiously glanced around before looking at Wilson.

At Wilson’s subtle signal, the waiting maids quickly exited the dining room.

I chewed on a well-seasoned oyster and pondered.

Why? Why not just say they wanted to serve something nice? Why were they acting so nervously? It made them seem like they had a hidden agenda.

“Is there a special reason we need to eat oysters?”

“…”

Emma’s body stiffened at my sharp question.

It seemed like the cooling magic was cast on Emma instead of the oysters.

I looked at Wilson instead of Emma, who was frozen like ice. Wilson maintained his steady smile as he adjusted his glasses slightly.

“Oysters are a restorative food, aren’t they? With it being summer, we prepared them specially to boost the vitality of the two of you.”

“In the middle of summer, with oysters?”

Using magic, no less? The estate had plenty of nourishing foods besides oysters.

Even beef was a great restorative food that could be eaten year-round.

I glanced over the food on the table.

Oysters, beef, garlic, salad… The salad dressing was raspberry… Raspberry… Wouldn’t that be bokbunja? <dish>

I furrowed my brows and alternated my gaze between Wilson and Emma.

The two of them flinched slightly. I didn’t miss that moment and figured out their intentions.

“All these foods… they’re all good for stamina, aren’t they?”

At the mention of “stamina,” Apollion dropped his fork. It clattered noisily on the floor.

“Wilson, Emma…”

Apollion looked at the two of them with a gaze full of betrayal.

Emma scratched her cheek in embarrassment, while Wilson maintained his unchanging smile. By now, that smile seemed like an occupational hazard.

I couldn’t tell whether to laugh or cry.

If we were an ‘ordinary’ couple, we might have been embarrassed on the surface but secretly delighted.

Giving restorative food to newlyweds was like plugging a dying phone into a charger.

But for us right now, such restorative food was… completely useless.

‘What good is restorative food! Even if we have strength, we have no use for it…!’

I suddenly felt an urge to pound the table in frustration.

But if I did, Apollion would probably get scared, and that would only push us further apart…

Instead of the trembling Apollion, I ordered the two of them to leave.

After Emma placed a new fork in front of Apollion and left, only the two of us remained in the dining room.

I munched on the salad like a cow chewing cud. Apollion seemed to have lost his appetite, as he didn’t touch his food.

I sighed quietly, so he wouldn’t notice, and gulped down the water. Only after emptying the glass did I realize the familiar taste.

‘How is it even the water has this flavor!’

I trembled at the meticulous planning of the staff. I had hoped to break the awkwardness between us during this meal.

‘It’s ruined…’

I couldn’t have messed this up more spectacularly.

I stared out the window at the setting sun. The summer days were long, so it was still bright despite the late hour.

Today’s sky was unusually red, eerily matching the mood. It was a sunset perfect for the end of the world.

‘I wish this world would just end…’

I wished for the end of this world as I took a bite of meat.