~Chapter 9~
But even that had its limits. Since she had fallen ill in her heart, Aris had begun refusing food as well.
“It’s a life that will end anyway, I don’t want to go out in such a pitiful way.”
Aris’s right hand trembled intermittently. The monster poison had paralyzed her right hand, and she could no longer move it properly.
“Mother, you must eat something.”
Aris’s face was resolute.
“Didn’t I say I have no appetite?”
Not eating was likely due to her illness, but more than that, Aris had no will to live.
Elkaian’s chest tightened.
She must have lost all will to live after losing her comrades and her swordsmanship, the very things that defined her.
Aris acted as though she had given up on everything. Elkaian’s heart ached at the sight.
In the end, once again, the Grand Duchess ate nothing. The physician spoke seriously to Elkaian.
“If she continues to refuse food, there will be serious consequences. Her health is deteriorating rapidly.”
Elkaian’s face darkened.
He nodded and replied.
“We need to find something my mother can eat. If she can regain her strength, she can hold on until we find an antidote.”
When Delfina saw Elkaian come to visit her, she looked surprised.
‘He’s here to eat with me.’
Elkaian looked exhausted. It seemed like he had a lot on his mind.
In that state, he had come to visit her.
‘We moved to a different place while we were talking earlier.’
The maids from House Lycaeon mocked Delfina for being ignored by Elkaian on their first day of engagement.
Perhaps that was why.
Even the servants of the Grand Duke’s castle were looking at Elkaian with wide, astonished eyes.
Delfina was also a little surprised.
She had expected him to come, but she didn’t expect him to come during mealtime.
Delfina noticed a familiar knight and smiled for a moment. The knight standing behind Elkaian was Alex.
Alex was one of the knights who had enjoyed her cooking. He looked at Delfina with a warm gaze.
However, he was too cautious of Elkaian to greet her.
“Bring out the food.”
As soon as Elkaian’s words ended, the maids busily moved around.
One by one, the maids started to bring the dishes. Delfina stared blankly at the banquet laid before her.
“Let’s eat first, and then talk.”
Delfina nodded.
She had heard that Northerners took their mealtime very seriously.
In the heavy silence, the meal was finished. Contrary to her initial thought that she might not be able to eat much, Delfina finished her meal very satisfyingly. The food was absolutely delicious.
The meal had been mostly meat, so Elkaian must have been a fan of meat.
Every dish was filled with care. It felt as if the chef had thought about the person eating it.
Delfina thought back to the steak she had eaten, which was the most delicious part of the meal.
<Walton’s Steak>
The Grand Duke’s head chef Walton’s ambitious creation! You can feel his heart for the Duke in this dish.
Grade: B
B-grade…!
This was a grade that was difficult for her to achieve with her cooking skills.
‘That means the chef is truly excellent.’
Delfina blushed as she looked at the empty dish before her.
‘I ate it all without thinking.’
Losing herself in delicious food was an inevitable thing.
Only then did she snap out of it and glance at Elkaian.
Elkaian had finished his meal before her and was waiting for her to finish.
Elkaian watched as Delfina put down her fork and spoke.
“As I said earlier, I’m curious about your thoughts, my lady.”
“……”
“What is it that you think you can do for me?”
Delfina quickly answered.
“May I try making something for the Grand Duchess?”
“……What?”
“I heard that the Grand Duchess has been refusing food. I want to cook something for her.”
“Meaning what, my lady? How do you know that my mother has been refusing food? Who told you?”
Elkaian’s eyes were filled with suspicion. Delfina could immediately sense that he was wary of her.
‘I would have been suspicious too if I were him.’
Delfina calmly explained how she had come to know of the situation.
“The atmosphere in the manor was quite chaotic, and after you left in a hurry, I saw the maids bringing out nearly untouched food.”
Elkaian looked at Delfina in surprise. He was shocked at how she had deduced the situation from simple clues.
Delfina continued.
“I have a suggestion I want to make to the Duke. But before that, I need to build trust first.”
“So you’re saying you want to show me your skills by cooking, in order to gain that trust?”
“Yes, I want to show you what I’m capable of.”
Elkaian’s expression hardened.
“As you tasted earlier, the Grand Duke’s chefs are very skilled.”
“I’m not underestimating them. The meal was truly excellent.”
“……”
“I heard that the Grand Duchess is from the East. I know how to make Eastern dishes. There was once a chef from the East in the Duke’s household when I was a child.”
Delfina’s words were true.
The cuisine of the East was similar to the food Delfina knew from her previous life, which was inspired by Asian dishes. In fact, she had often made Eastern dishes at House Lycaeon, thanks to a chef from the East.
The chef had shared his Eastern recipes with her and even taught her how to prepare them when he had the time.
‘That was the only kindness I received after my parents passed away at House Lycaeon.’
Delfina thought that Elkaian might dismiss her because he hadn’t tasted her cooking yet.
‘Of course, he hasn’t tasted my cooking yet. He might be upset about it.’
But she couldn’t think of any other way to meet the Grand Duchess.
Delfina bit her lower lip.
Then, at that moment, Alex, who was standing behind the Duke, spoke up. He deeply bowed to Elkaian and said.
“Your Grace, I apologize for the intrusion, but may I speak?”
“Alex?”
“Please, give Lady Delfina a chance.”
“……?”
“Lady Delfina is an excellent cook. If anyone can restore the Grand Duchess’s appetite, it’s her.”
Alex’s statement didn’t seem to faze Elkaian, but it certainly caught the attention of the Grand Duke’s Captain of the Gunner Corps, who was standing beside them.
The Captain, Karen, looked at Alex with disbelief.
‘What happened here?’
He had clearly sent Alex to keep an eye on Delfina. Yet Alex and the knights who had accompanied him had been treating Delfina with extreme kindness.
The way Alex looked at Delfina was almost as if he were looking at the Grand Duke – with loyal admiration.
Karen shouted loudly.
“Alex, what insolence is this!”
Elkaian stopped Karen.
“It’s fine, Karen.”
“Your Grace…”
Elkaian’s gaze shifted to Delfina.
Delfina shut her eyes tightly, waiting for his response.
She had to be rejected.
As someone from House Lycaeon, he didn’t know what Delfina might do to the already weakened Grand Duchess.
And Delfina seemed to have forgotten, but Elkaian knew well the taste of the dreadful food she had once prepared.
But…
‘It’s hard to gain the trust of the knights. They would die for the North and the Grand Duke.’
The knights didn’t easily open their hearts to strangers. Their suspicion towards outsiders was something Elkaian himself acknowledged.
