CH 25

Let’s pack a lunch. It should be something the duke can easily eat. A simple meat dish in a sandwich, and a few slices of fruit for dessert. Luana had that thought in her mind and started cooking, but why is the completed dish looked different from what she imagined?

Luana lowered her head as she pushed the completed dish into the lunch box that the butler had prepared.

‘It can’t fit in the box!’

Neither the sandwiches nor the meatballs and hamburg steak can fit in the lunch box. She didn’t even put in dessert yet! As she was idly cooking, the amount of dish she cooked became too much.

‘Hmm, I’ll prepare a new lunch box.’

“Can it be prepared on time?”

“Of course. The duke’s mansion has everything.”

The butler came with a large basket and several lunch boxes with those words. Only then could Luana breathe out a sigh of relief. It seemed like this one was better.

Luana wondered if it would be too much, but she was sure he’d eat all of them. She finished preparing the lunch box after filling the huge lunch box and basket.

“It’s done!”

As a result of moving as fast as possible, the duke made it in time to enter the palace. At the same time, the duke was about to get on his horse in his uniform.

“Wait a minute!”

Luana ran past the servants and stopped the duke. Then she put her hands on her knees for a moment, gasping and holding her breath.

“What’s going on?”

“Take your lunch box!”

“Lunch box?”

Then a servant came with two large baskets.

“You can’t starve at the imperial palace. I can’t allow you to lose more weight!”

‘You’ve been gaining weight like a human now!’

Luana said firmly with blazing eyes.

“The Imperial Palace also serves food.”

“It doesn’t taste good!”

“It’s eatable.”

“You’re lying! Just take your lunch box.”

The food at the Imperial Palace must have been tasteless, but the duke’s expression was the same as usual. But when she looked closely into his eyes, she knew he was shaking.

“Take it with you.”

Luana stopped panting and stood up.

“Do you know who makes the most delicious lunch box in the world?”

Then she put her hands on her chest and said,

“It’s me!”

It was an overly confident attitude. But when Luana said so, it seemed right. The duke raised the corners of his mouth unconsciously. He noticed it too late and covered his mouth with his hand, but Luana had already seen it.

“Here’s your lunch box.”

“It’s too big. I can’t carry the lunch box.”

“You can take the carriage!”

“It’s cumbersome.”

“Just bring it!”

Luana took the basket from the servant and forced it on him. Her arms were shaking because it was heavy, but she didn’t seem to want to put it down until the duke received it.

“I’ll take it.”

In the end, the duke decided to take Luana’s lunch box. A small carriage was prepared, and a packed lunch box was neatly loaded.

“Bon appétit!”

With Luana waving her hand, the duke entered the palace with a lunch box. And the figure rode through the mouths of many people to the ears of the emperor.

***

“Did he enter the palace with a carriage?”

“Yes, he did.”

“Who’s in the carriage?”

The emperor at first thought of Luana. The Duke cared about her, so it was not unreasonable to think of that. But the answer that came back was unexpected.

“There was no one else.”

“Then?”

The duke is not a man who would ride a carriage. When the emperor asked back in wonder, the servant replied with an embarrassed look.

“There were two big baskets.”

“Two big baskets? What’s inside?”

“We don’t know that yet.”

“Hmm.”

The emperor brushed his chin for a moment, then nodded his head.

“As it is the duke’s business, I’ll just ask him later.”

The emperor believed that the duke could not hide anything from him. That’s why such a confident attitude of his came out. There was nothing he couldn’t have if he wanted, and there was nothing he did not know.

He is the emperor of the Empire. There’s been one thing that hasn’t moved the way he wants it to lately, but basically, he’s always got everything. So he believed it would happen again this time.

***

The duke was soon summoned and stood before the emperor.

“I greet The Empire’s Great Sun.”

“How are you doing these days?”

“I’m doing well.”

“I see.”

Legion looked better now than when he had just returned from the kingdom as he gained much weight.

“If that is the case, then great.”

He knew about the duke’s hardships. He is an excellent swordsman, but he suffered because of his small weight compared to the others. In the midst of that, it’s great not to give up the position of the first knight of the Imperial Palace.

“I’m glad my knight is getting stronger.”

“We will do our best to meet your expectations.”

“Yes, good effort. But how is the youngest princess doing?”

“She is doing well.”

Luana was running around the duke’s mansion like it was her own house. Other workers like her, and the atmosphere at the duke’s mansion was quite bright these days.

“I’m glad she’s doing well, unlike a certain someone.”

With those words, the duke immediately thought of a person.

Ingrid.

The last time he saw her, she glared at him with spiteful eyes. She couldn’t have laughed because everything she had was taken away and brought into the empire. Her situation is the opposite of Luana’s.

“Ingrid… it seems she doesn’t fit in with the Imperial’s life. She’s not doing well. So, can you bring the youngest princess to the Imperial Palace for a while?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Still, the youngest princess might calm her heart a little since she shared blood.”

“When can I bring her?”

“As soon as possible.”

As he said so, the emperor smiled bitterly. Ingrid hasn’t eaten since she came to the empire. He tried calming her down and intimidating her, but she didn’t budge. It was not easy to force-feed her either.

The princess, brought because the emperor wanted her, but she did not move as he wanted, set fire to the emperor’s heart. It might be easier to kill her, but the problem was that the emperor didn’t want to.

‘How can I kill her with my own hands?’

So, for now, he thought he’d try all the ways he could. One of them was bringing Luana.

“Then I’ll enter the palace with her tomorrow.”

“Yes, and I have one more question.”

“What is it?”

“What basket did you bring in your carriage?”

The duke whispered at the emperor’s words.

“It’s not Your Majesty’s concern.”

“But I’m still curious.”

The emperor showed no sign of backing down easily. He seemed to be very curious about what was in the basket. Only then did the duke reply in a low voice.

“It’s a lunch box.”

“Lunch box?”

“Yes.”

When he heard the answer, the emperor questioned him again.

“I heard there are two large baskets, are they all lunch boxes?”

“Your Majesty heard it right.”

“You haven’t opened it yet.”

“It’s not lunch time.”

“Then let’s open it together.”

“I’ll open it.”

The duke answered softly, but somehow his chest became stuffy. But the unknown feeling soon disappeared, soo he didn’t think about her anymore. He called the attendant and told him to bring the basket.

“Hahaha!”

The emperor laughed when he saw the large basket.

“Isn’t that too big?!”

The basket was too big for a lunch box. He didn’t bring a carriage for no reason. When he ordered the servant to open the lid and take out the food, the food came out endlessly.

A variety of simple sandwiches, simple dishes in a bowl, deliciously sliced fruits, and bread. It was too much for one person to eat for lunch. The duke who saw it became a little embarrassed. Luana usually said she would make him gain weight, but it didn’t seem like she was saying empty words.

“Are you going to eat it all by yourself?”

“I didn’t know there were so many.”

The duke said as if he was making excuses.

“Hmm?”

The emperor picked up a small, rolled sandwich from the basket and put it in his mouth.

“It’s delicious.”

Seeing that scene, the unknown feeling he had felt a while ago pressed down on his chest again.

“You can’t just eat it.”

“It can’t be poisoned, right?”

The emperor picked up the sandwich again and ate it again.

“This is a real meal. You’re going to eat it too, right?

“Then, excuse me.”

A rather bizarre meal began.

“This is chicken breast with cranberries. It’s different.”

When the emperor ate one by one curiously, the duke ate two or three times as much. The lunch box, which he thought he wouldn’t be unable to finish due to the large amount, quickly decreased instantly.

The emperor knew the duke was eating better than he thought from the last meal, but was this enough? The emperor looked at the duke and admired him.

‘No, no.’

The duke did not seem to be eating simply because he was hungry. It seemed like there was something. Why is that?

The emperor suddenly remembered the youngest princess, who had a vague impression; he faintly smiled. It was said that beasts were tamed as prey, and the princess seemed to be taming the duke.

‘That won’t do.’

The duke had to be his good sword forever. The youngest princess only had to do her best to restore the duke’s condition.

‘Then what now?’

He already promised and gave the princess, so it’s hard to take it back. However, the duke would give the other owner a leash if left as it is. The emperor narrowed his eyes and fell into agony.

“I know the food is delicious, but,”

“Your Majesty?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

The emperor waved and reached for the next sandwich.