HRNGDS 41

~Chapter 41~

Delphina reached out her hand to the flustered Ahin.

She knew full well that what she was doing might seem strange. Suddenly inviting someone to eat together was bound to come off as weird.
Still—she really wanted to feed him.

“You look hungry.”

“Uh, I…”

But the answer came from somewhere else.

Growl.

A loud stomach rumble echoed from Ahin’s belly. Delphina gave him a kind smile.

Ahin lowered his head in embarrassment. Delphina noticed Elcayan’s concerned expression.

‘He’s probably worried. After all, we don’t know who this boy is—maybe he’s a thief, maybe worse…’

But Delphina wasn’t acting blindly.

Just then, a new quest appeared in the system window:

<Quest: Save Sestia>
Convince the young boy with delicious food. Guide the boy trying to commit illegal acts for his sister into a better path.

Reward: Ahin and Sestia’s happiness.
Failure: Sestia is sold to a noble 30 years older. Ahin becomes a fallen knight who threatens the North.

<Ahin>
A boy with the potential to become a great knight.

Delphina had already planned to feed him—even without the system.

‘He’s just too thin…’

You can’t save everyone in the world. But when someone starving is right in front of you, offering help is the least you can do.

Just like her grandmother once did.

She remembered her saying:

“There’s nothing more painful than being hungry as a child.”

Delphina stared at Ahin, whose face was now bright red.

“If I… if I go with you…”

“…?”

“You won’t cut off my wrist?”

“Your wrist?”

“If a pickpocket gets caught by a noble, they cut their wrist off…”

“I won’t cut your wrist.”

Still uncertain, Ahin looked toward Elcayan, who was clearly still on guard.

Delphina also looked at him. Under their combined gaze, Elcayan let out a deep sigh.

“No, we won’t cut off your wrist.”

Only then did Ahin finally shuffle over to stand beside Delphina.

✦✦✦

Ahin’s hands trembled slightly.

‘Why did I even think about stealing…?’

If he didn’t run away with Sestia today, he’d lose his last chance.
But now, he had failed—and gotten caught.

Still, the nobles hadn’t hurt him. Normally, a pickpocket would have their wrist cut off. But these nobles had said they wouldn’t.

‘But I still didn’t get any money… If I don’t escape today, Sestia will be forced into that marriage.’

He glanced at the man he thought was a coachman—a huge guy now glaring at him.

“How old are you, kid?”

“F-fifteen…”

“Fifteen? You’re about the size I was at eight.”

Ahin didn’t argue. With that build, it was probably true.

Then Delphina spoke up.

“Alright, I’ll go cook something.”

“Lady Delphina, you should rest. You can ask the inn staff. I could cook, too.”

Delphina was speechless.

The system window popped up in a panic:

<Warning: If Calyx cooks, quest failure rate exceeds 95%.>

Delphina silently agreed.
Calyx was great with swords—but a disaster in the kitchen.

‘Cooking isn’t just about hand skill…’

Both Calyx and Elcayan had tried cooking during the journey.

Every time, the system gave alerts like:

<Warning: 80% chance of food poisoning>
<Warning: This dish tastes terrible.>

Delphina had no intention of wasting good ingredients.

She firmly told Calyx,

“No, I really want to cook this myself.”

Then she left.

✦✦✦

Ahin tried to keep his eyes on the table.
After Delphina left to cook, the two male nobles began chatting.

“Hey, Elcayan.”

Ahin flinched.

He couldn’t believe his ears. That name wasn’t common.

‘Elcayan… the ruthless northern duke with no mercy?’

He’d heard that the Northern Duke always hid his face because he was hideous.

‘But… he’s really handsome…?’

In regions near the North, people avoided using names similar to his—out of respect.
That meant this had to be the real Elcayan.

Elcayan answered the large man—who Ahin now guessed was Calyx.

“What is it, Sir Calyx?”

“Why’s that kid here? What happened while I was getting rooms?”

Ahin realized he was the “kid” they were talking about.

“Delphina brought him. Said she wanted to feed him.”

“Hmm. Yeah, he does look like someone you’d want to feed.”

Ahin was about to pass out.

‘Is this really THE Calyx Arkné?’

Only someone that powerful would talk so casually to the Duke of the North.

‘Why are nobles this high-ranked even here…?’

Both were names any commoner knew—famous and terrifying. Ahin had never expected to meet nobles of this level face-to-face. He could barely breathe.

“Wahaha!” Calyx laughed heartily and slapped Ahin on the shoulder.

“You’re lucky, kid. You get to taste Delphina’s cooking!”

Elcayan then asked,

“Why is the inn so empty?”

“I said I’d be booking rooms, and they cleared out the rest. Inns like this usually only serve nobles.”

“So you bullied them into closing.”

“Hey, if they’re scared of me, that’s their problem. They should live better.”

“Hmm.”

“The guilty always run on their own. If they’d stayed, I’d have beaten them to a pulp.”

Ahin swallowed hard.

These nobles had more power than Baron Orman, the man forcing Sestia into marriage.

‘Maybe they’d help me. Maybe they could save her…’

But even as hope sparked, fear filled his face.

Just then—

“You two! Why are you talking like that in front of a kid?”

Delphina came back from the kitchen, holding a tray.

On it was a fluffy omelette rice dish, decorated with a cute little drawing.

Chapter 41

Delphina reached out her hand to the flustered Ahin.

She knew full well that what she was doing might seem strange. Suddenly inviting someone to eat together was bound to come off as weird.
Still—she really wanted to feed him.

“You look hungry.”

“Uh, I…”

But the answer came from somewhere else.

Growl.

A loud stomach rumble echoed from Ahin’s belly. Delphina gave him a kind smile.

Ahin lowered his head in embarrassment. Delphina noticed Elcayan’s concerned expression.

‘He’s probably worried. After all, we don’t know who this boy is—maybe he’s a thief, maybe worse…’

But Delphina wasn’t acting blindly.

Just then, a new quest appeared in the system window:

<Quest: Save Sestia>
Convince the young boy with delicious food. Guide the boy trying to commit illegal acts for his sister into a better path.

Reward: Ahin and Sestia’s happiness.
Failure: Sestia is sold to a noble 30 years older. Ahin becomes a fallen knight who threatens the North.

<Ahin>
A boy with the potential to become a great knight.

Delphina had already planned to feed him—even without the system.

‘He’s just too thin…’

You can’t save everyone in the world. But when someone starving is right in front of you, offering help is the least you can do.

Just like her grandmother once did.

She remembered her saying:

“There’s nothing more painful than being hungry as a child.”

Delphina stared at Ahin, whose face was now bright red.

“If I… if I go with you…”

“…?”

“You won’t cut off my wrist?”

“Your wrist?”

“If a pickpocket gets caught by a noble, they cut their wrist off…”

“I won’t cut your wrist.”

Still uncertain, Ahin looked toward Elcayan, who was clearly still on guard.

Delphina also looked at him. Under their combined gaze, Elcayan let out a deep sigh.

“No, we won’t cut off your wrist.”

Only then did Ahin finally shuffle over to stand beside Delphina.

✦✦✦

Ahin’s hands trembled slightly.

‘Why did I even think about stealing…?’

If he didn’t run away with Sestia today, he’d lose his last chance.
But now, he had failed—and gotten caught.

Still, the nobles hadn’t hurt him. Normally, a pickpocket would have their wrist cut off. But these nobles had said they wouldn’t.

‘But I still didn’t get any money… If I don’t escape today, Sestia will be forced into that marriage.’

He glanced at the man he thought was a coachman—a huge guy now glaring at him.

“How old are you, kid?”

“F-fifteen…”

“Fifteen? You’re about the size I was at eight.”

Ahin didn’t argue. With that build, it was probably true.

Then Delphina spoke up.

“Alright, I’ll go cook something.”

“Lady Delphina, you should rest. You can ask the inn staff. I could cook, too.”

Delphina was speechless.

The system window popped up in a panic:

<Warning: If Calyx cooks, quest failure rate exceeds 95%.>

Delphina silently agreed.
Calyx was great with swords—but a disaster in the kitchen.

‘Cooking isn’t just about hand skill…’

Both Calyx and Elcayan had tried cooking during the journey.

Every time, the system gave alerts like:

<Warning: 80% chance of food poisoning>
<Warning: This dish tastes terrible.>

Delphina had no intention of wasting good ingredients.

She firmly told Calyx,

“No, I really want to cook this myself.”

Then she left.

✦✦✦

Ahin tried to keep his eyes on the table.
After Delphina left to cook, the two male nobles began chatting.

“Hey, Elcayan.”

Ahin flinched.

He couldn’t believe his ears. That name wasn’t common.

‘Elcayan… the ruthless northern duke with no mercy?’

He’d heard that the Northern Duke always hid his face because he was hideous.

‘But… he’s really handsome…?’

In regions near the North, people avoided using names similar to his—out of respect.
That meant this had to be the real Elcayan.

Elcayan answered the large man—who Ahin now guessed was Calyx.

“What is it, Sir Calyx?”

“Why’s that kid here? What happened while I was getting rooms?”

Ahin realized he was the “kid” they were talking about.

“Delphina brought him. Said she wanted to feed him.”

“Hmm. Yeah, he does look like someone you’d want to feed.”

Ahin was about to pass out.

‘Is this really THE Calyx Arkné?’

Only someone that powerful would talk so casually to the Duke of the North.

‘Why are nobles this high-ranked even here…?’

Both were names any commoner knew—famous and terrifying. Ahin had never expected to meet nobles of this level face-to-face. He could barely breathe.

“Wahaha!” Calyx laughed heartily and slapped Ahin on the shoulder.

“You’re lucky, kid. You get to taste Delphina’s cooking!”

Elcayan then asked,

“Why is the inn so empty?”

“I said I’d be booking rooms, and they cleared out the rest. Inns like this usually only serve nobles.”

“So you bullied them into closing.”

“Hey, if they’re scared of me, that’s their problem. They should live better.”

“Hmm.”

“The guilty always run on their own. If they’d stayed, I’d have beaten them to a pulp.”

Ahin swallowed hard.

These nobles had more power than Baron Orman, the man forcing Sestia into marriage.

‘Maybe they’d help me. Maybe they could save her…’

But even as hope sparked, fear filled his face.

Just then—

“You two! Why are you talking like that in front of a kid?”

Delphina came back from the kitchen, holding a tray.

On it was a fluffy omelette rice dish, decorated with a cute little drawing.