CH 13

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“Today’s breakfast is french toast with ham and cheese. Served with salad, crispy bacon and fried egg. The drink is prepared with fresh vegetable juice.”

Luana seemed to have gotten used to preparing meals to some extent. The Duke sat quietly in his chair as Luana spoke fluently and put the food down from the tray.

Crunch

The Duke first bit the bacon. First of all, he was relieved by the smell of grilled meat that came out of his nose. Then, the corners of his mouth went up without realizing it due to the rich juice felt along with the crunchy sound.

The egg is gently cut with a knife. The yolk popped out wet the surroundings, adding to the savory taste. The french toast was also well cooked. Legion didn’t like food that was too sweet, but it was right up to his taste. It was because the salty ham and rich cheese flavour held the sweetness of french toast.

Luana didn’t have the skills of a royal chef. However, each carefully made dish has stimulated the Duke’s palate more intensely than anything else.

“It’s delicious.”

“Do you want more?”

“Little bit more.”

Is that why? After Luana took charge of the meal, the Duke ate more and more. It’s only been a few days, but his weight has gradually gone up. At this rate, Luana thought she could solve the weight problem that the Duke had as Luana felt sorry because he is someone who wields a sword.

“Hmm~ Hmmmm~.”

Luana, who was serving more food, was humming softly. She seemed to be in a good mood, but everything was so messed up that she didn’t even know its song. It was hard to listen to.

But the Duke decided to pass on generously because the meal was delicious.

‘How long has it been since I felt peace? If I had known the witch would be so helpful, I would have searched more thoroughly. This is how much an apprentice witch can do, but a true witch might be able to release the curse.’

Scratch

The Duke was lost in thought and scratched the plate with a knife. He has already sent his crows here and there to find another witch since she found Luana. It seemed that the number had to be increased.

“Here!”

Meanwhile, Luana cleared the Duke’s empty plate and placed the new one. The Duke gladly raised his knife and fork at the new plate.

The long-forgotten feast of taste was shaking him, who was like a solid iron wall.

Then Luana, who shook the iron wall, hummed again and headed to the kitchen. It was a little cumbersome to prepare a new meal every time, but it wasn’t bad.

‘And…’

Somehow, the corners of Luana’s mouth twitched without realizing it, as if she was just taming a scary animal with food. Of course, she couldn’t smile openly because her opponent was a Duke, but the sense of exaltation remained intact.

‘This is why you cook!’

The nanny also ate Luana’s dish well but feeding a knight who wields a sword and doesn’t have great eating habits differs in the amount of food they eat.

She often told me that it was delicious, but she always nagged me before. Now that Luana thinks about it, she understands her feelings for worrying about the abandoned princess, but it was a little painful at the time. On the other hand, what about the Duke?

‘Whatever you eat, you eat well.’ Although it was rare to speak openly, Luana could tell by the amount he ate. Because when some can’t taste anything, they can’t eat much!

‘You’re eating really well!’

My heart tickled when the food on the plate disappeared so quickly.

“I guess it’s my calling to be a chef!”

As the Duke’s exclusive cook, it might not be bad. While in a safe place, Luana can watch the love triangle between Ingrid, the Emperor, and the Duke! It’s a bit dubious to see what the Duke is doing to Ingrid these days, but he’ll fall in love anyway because they are fated.

‘I think it’s not bad?’

Luana’s steps became lighter. The moment she turned the corner, she bumped into a maid who suddenly came out of nowhere.

“Ouch!”

The tray rolled on the floor, and the bewildered maid quickly picked up the fallen plate. Luana, who was absent-minded for a moment, also belatedly apologized.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”

Luana thought she should have paid more attention and walked slowly as she put the tray straight up. But then, there was a maid’s voice that sounded familiar.

“Miss Luana, it’s me.”

‘It’s me who?’

Luana was about to ask back, but she suddenly remembered. It was the maid’s voice who came to her when she was alone in the kitchen! Luana thought it was all over, but she was mistaken. The maid looked for her again.

Luana immediately crossed her arms in an X and blocked her chest, then she shouted,

“No, I don’t want. Please don’t!”

When she shouted, the maid seemed very perplexed. She waved her hands as she looked at Luana with her face turned red.

“N-no, that’s not it.”

While she was making excuses, the knight, Lugard, who had been following Luana a little distance, started running fast.

“I’m sorry!”

The maid who shouted quickly grabbed something in Luana’s hand and disappeared. She doesn’t know what kind of maid she is for moving so fast.

“What’s going on?”

Lugard approached and asked. Luana tried to tell the truth, but she suddenly thought and decided to shut up. The maid gave the bottle unilaterally. Will Lugard believe it?

The answer is no.

Luana decided to keep her mouth shut.

“It’s nothing. I bumped into someone on my way.”

“But, why are you reacting like that?”

Lugard looked at Luana suspiciously, but she laughed it off. Then she entered the kitchen and opened her fist carefully.

“What’s this?”

Inside the palm was a small purple bottle and a note. When she opened the note, there was the text written on it.

「Mix it into his meal.」

The first thing that came to mind as soon as she saw it was poison.

“Gasp!”

Luana has been out of breath for a while. She accidentally took poison and hid it, but she couldn’t keep it.

‘If I get caught on this, I won’t just end up in a dungeon like last time. The Duke might even use the torture tools he showed me back then!’

“Argh!”

‘What a useless man! You can’t do this if you have a conscience! You’ve abandoned your daughter and now you’re trying to get over the crisis with your daughter’s help! In other words, I’m not a filial daughter in a fairy tale book.’

Then there’s only one best way.

‘I’m going to throw it away secretly!’

Luana clenched her fists. However, one thing she hadn’t thought of was that she had very little free time. Most of the time, the knights watched her, and at night she had to sleep together in the Duke’s room.

Of course, the Duke is on the bed, and Luana is on underneath. She wondered if she would leave it in the kitchen for a while, but it didn’t happen!

Eventually, Luana had no choice but to keep the poison bottle.

‘Should I just throw it somewhere?’

And if they ask her what it is, She would say stoning is her hobby.

‘That can’t be possible!’

Luana pulled the blanket and gritted her teeth.

‘You’re a King who didn’t change even a bit!’

However, no matter how much she cursed, the situation had already happened, and it was important to get out of this right away.

It was important.

Luana overlooked her instincts.

“How come you’re on the Duke’s bed?”

Below her, the Duke was looking up with a suspicious look.

“Again?”

‘No, I’m really innocent!’ Luana wanted to shout, but she had nothing to say even if she had ten mouths.

“T-that’s not it.”

The Duke seemed to have decided that Luana was shameless while she was stunned. His expression became grimmer.

“So, what’s your excuse this time?”

“W-well…”

Now, whatever excuse she made, the Duke was unlikely to believe. Luana swallowed her tears and tried to come down from the bed, but suddenly she fell and faced the Duke’s stomach. 

‘Really?!’

If there was a problem, the maid’s uniform was cumbersome, which caused her to stumble and trip over her duvet. Was it a problem to be in a hurry in that state? When she came to her senses, she neatly placed her hands on the Duke’s hard chest.

As expected of the well-trained knight!

‘Your chest is hard, too.’

Luana, who had been absent-minded for a while, belatedly came to her senses. As she was going to get up again,

‘Oh, no!’

Luana’s hand slipped. Following his chest, she began to feel the Duke’s abs. Now she has nothing to say even if she was called a pervert.

“This is a real mistake,” said Luana sullenly and grinned.

“A mistake, it’s a mistake.”

It was not a believable face at all.

“It really is a mistake.”

Luana wanted to hit her chest with resentment.

Of course, the Duke is handsome. He is a handsome man who is a little thin with a lot of sadness.

‘Is it just the face?’

The Duke’s body was also in a great balance. He is thin, but the abs are very nice.

“Although the Duke’s abs are nice and look like chocolate.”

“Chocolate? Isn’t that food?”

Even if it is a metaphor, how can it be compared to chocolate? The Duke seemed to take it as Luana described the Duke’s abs as delicious.

The Duke placed his hand on the sword he had on his side.

“It’s really, really a mistake!”

“Then prove it.”

‘How do I prove it?’

Luana wept her bloody tears and slowly pulled her hands away from his abs. And it was a moment when she tried to move his body twisted against the Duke.

‘Was it because I was too nervous?’

This time her hands fell on the Duke’s thighs. The thighs were also hard and well-shaped, and the feeling of touching was very good.

It was good.

“I-it’s a mistake.”

Luana felt like crying now. 

‘Heaven is being indifferent; why do you give me this ordeal?’

She was about to cry with sorrow. But then, the Duke frowned and asked,

“I can feel something hard at my thighs. What’s that?”