Chapter 07: Spicy Tomato Stew
“Ugh, so noisy.”
From early dawn, the sound of clinking dishes and people bustling around traveled down the hallway and into my room.
Listening to the guests arguing about departure times as they passed by, I sat up in bed.
When I went downstairs to the dining room, the knights were already eating breakfast. The first knight I made eye contact with awkwardly stood up and bowed.
“Greetings to the Grand Duchess.”
At his words, all the knights rose from their seats and greeted me in unison.
“Greetings to the Grand Duchess!”
Please! It’s embarrassing. Just sit down and eat!
Even for the one receiving such formalities, it was incredibly uncomfortable. However, stopping them would go against etiquette, so I simply accepted their greetings with a kind smile.
“Good morning. Did everyone rest well?”
The senior knight, looking slightly flustered, responded, perhaps not expecting me to engage in conversation.
“Thanks to your concern, we rested well.”
His demeanor was noticeably different from yesterday. Though his expression remained stern, his tone was significantly softer.
Did sharing a meal together make him a bit more relaxed?
“I’m glad to hear that,” I said, turning my gaze to the knights’ table.
“It smells good. What’s on the menu?”
“Tomato stew,” one of the knights replied.
The spicy and slightly sweet aroma wafting through the air made my mouth water.
“If you’d like, we can have your meal brought to your room,” the senior knight offered, noticing my interest.
Actually, I was about to go for a morning walk… But on second thought, wasn’t this an opportunity to break the ice with the knights?
“Can I eat here?” I asked.
“Pardon?”
“I think it’d be nice to join you all for a meal.”
The senior knight, who I thought might politely refuse, nodded without hesitation.
“Please let us know your preferred menu, and we’ll have it prepared for you.”
“I’ll have the tomato stew as well.”
At that, the knights exchanged subtle glances.
“The stew may not be suitable for someone of your status,” one of them hesitantly said.
“It’s fine. I want to try it.”
Though surprised by my decision to eat with them, the knights quickly made space for me at their table.
While waiting for my portion of the stew, an awkward silence hung over the table. Even though I told the knights to continue eating, they all set their spoons down, seemingly unsure if it was proper to eat while I waited.
Looks like it’s up to me to break the ice…
“By the way, I don’t even know your names yet. What’s yours?” I asked the stiff-looking senior knight next to me.
“J-Johas, Your Grace.”
“Nice to meet you, Sir Johas. And you?”
Bit by bit, I introduced myself and learned the names of the knights, who hesitantly but clearly stated their names.
“And you must be Sir Leon, right?”
“Y-Yes! That’s correct!”
When I called Leon by name, his ears turned bright red.
“It’s an honor that you remember my name!”
“I remembered because you enjoyed the meal so much yesterday,” I said, trying to make an excuse for knowing his name.
“Pfft.”
My comment must have sounded like teasing, as some of the knights let out stifled laughs. Leon’s face turned as red as a tomato.
“I mean it in a good way,” I added quickly.
“…It’s still an honor, Your Grace!”
Leon was embarrassed, but his reaction helped lighten the mood considerably.
Soon, a steaming bowl of tomato stew was placed in front of me.
“It’s made in the Blenheim style, so it might be a bit strong. If it’s too much, let us know, and we’ll prepare something else,” said the innkeeper with a friendly smile before leaving.
Blenheim style?
Noticing my curiosity, Johas explained further.
“In Blenheim, it’s common to make spicy tomato stew the day after a feast. When the innkeeper said they could prepare any dish we wanted, we requested it.”
Ah, so it’s like a hangover remedy.
The stew had a thick, red broth with chunks of meat and tomato, but not much else. A familiar spicy aroma wafted up, making me eager to try it.
“It might be much spicier than what you’re used to,” Johas said nervously, clearly worried I might not handle it well.
“I actually like spicy food, so it’s fine. Everyone, feel free to eat.”
Despite my reassurance, the knights kept sneaking glances at me as I took a spoonful of the stew. They seemed curious about my reaction.
I feel like a foreigner trying kimchi for the first time.
I scooped up a generous spoonful and took a bite.
Wow!
It had been so long since I’d tasted such a bold and spicy flavor. I immediately took another bite.
“Hmm,” I hummed in satisfaction, unable to hold back my delight. The stew was a welcome change from the bland soups I’d been eating at the Marquis’ house.
“Does it suit your taste?” Johas asked.
“It’s delicious! It’s so refreshing and invigorating!”
The knights’ faces lit up at my enthusiastic response, as if they were personally responsible for the stew.
“Everyone in Blenheim loves this stew,” one of them chimed in.
“It’s amazing that Your Grace enjoys it so much!” another added.
“Most outsiders find it too spicy to handle,” a third remarked.
From that point, the atmosphere became much livelier.
It felt like I had passed some sort of unspoken test by enjoying the stew. Even the quieter knights started offering tips, like dipping bread into the stew or trying it cold for a unique flavor.
I eagerly scraped the bottom of my bowl with my wooden spoon.
“Can I… have another bowl?”
“Keeper! Another bowl of tomato stew here!”
“And for me, too!”
In the end, the cook had to make an entire extra pot of stew.
Over time, the knights began to change, little by little.
Even after passing through the gate, we still had five more days of travel by carriage. During that time, I always ate with the knights, whether at an inn or in the forest.
With no other attendants or servants from the Marquis’ household, it was only natural.
This arrangement seemed to break down the knights’ initial wariness.
At first, they only responded when I spoke to them. But before long, they began initiating conversations with me.
I seized every opportunity to learn about the Grand Duke.
Despite being nearly as powerful as the Emperor, the Grand Duke had never set foot outside Blenheim.
This had led to all sorts of wild rumors in the capital—that he was a terrifying demon who hunted monsters for fun, an ugly recluse, or a sinister, brooding monster.
While those rumors were likely exaggerated, the truth was that I knew almost nothing about him.
“What’s the Grand Duke’s favorite food?” I asked.
“Hard to say. He eats everything,” one knight replied.
“What about his hobbies?”
“Slaying monsters?”
Even the knights’ answers weren’t very helpful.
“And his personality?”
Hoping for something more concrete, I tossed out the question again.
Johas scratched his head before replying.
“If I had to describe him… I’d say he’s a bit reserved.”
“A bit? He can go an entire day without saying a word,” Leon chimed in.
“I’ve never seen him smile,” another knight added.
“That’s probably a good thing,” another interjected, shaking his head. “If the Grand Duke smiles, it’s probably the day of your funeral.”
“Last winter, right? I thought my heart was going to freeze solid,” one knight said.
“People even joke that if you could turn the ice cliffs of Blenheim into a person, they’d look just like the Grand duke,” another added, laughing while chewing on some lamb jerky.
The knights were happily chatting and laughing, but they quickly quieted down when Perel shot them a warning glance.
“Your Grace,” Perel began, trying to smooth things over, “the Grand Duke may not be as charming or gentle as the nobles in the capital, but he’s a good man in his own way.”
Perel then glanced at Johas, clearly signaling for him to back him up. Johas hesitated, rolling his eyes as if searching for the right words, and then cleared his throat dramatically.
“Of course. His Grace, I mean the Commander, is… well, he’s nothing short of remarkable,” Johas began with an air of determination. “At just fifteen, he became the youngest Swordmaster in history. He leads every monster-hunting expedition himself, protecting the northern territories.”
Perel frowned slightly, as if that wasn’t quite the angle he wanted, but the other knights were nodding enthusiastically. They all started chiming in with their own additions.
“Sure, Duke Kyle is also a Swordmaster, but there’s no comparison to someone like the Commander, who’s in the field battling monsters daily.”
“There’s probably no one else in the Empire who can cut down monsters with pure sword aura like the Commander can.”
Okay, I get it. That’s enough, I thought.
“He’s not one to care much for himself, but he’s incredibly attentive to his subordinates. Everyone in the territory worships him.”
“Truly, he’s the perfect leader—brave, wise, and disciplined.”
The knights were getting so carried away with praising the Grand Duke that I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt.
Alright, let’s sum this up:
The Grand Duke eats whatever’s given, excels at combat, is reserved, and has a terrifying smile.
Oh, and he probably despises me because I’m a Freis family member.
Not exactly an easy person to win over.
But who am I to back down?
I’m the person who once charmed even the most unyielding clients into signing ad deals through sheer persistence. The same person who managed to survive under a boss who couldn’t stand me.
I’ll figure out how to get close to the Grand Duke, no matter what.
Chewing on a piece of lamb jerky that had been given to me by the knights, I silently strengthened my resolve.
