CH 43

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Early in the morning, the duke woke up and looked at Luana in his arms. Her hair was messy, and her eyes closed tightly. Luana slightly opened her mouth. She hasn’t been able to sleep well these days, but she seems to be getting used to it.

“Hiiik!”

Legion was watching Luana, who suddenly mumbled, made a strange noise, and snuggled closer to the duke. She then opened her arms and hugged him. She stays still and smiles in her sleep. It was a scene far from elegant, but somehow it made his heart race.

Her eyelashes which resemble the color of her hair, blinked, and soon she opened her eyes. Her eyes reflected are color sky-blue, resembling a lake. She smiled and curved her eyes, and finally, Luana woke up.

She smiled blankly for a moment and then began to recognize the duke. Her defenseless expression began to show her vigilance, and she quickly figured out where her hand was.

“Aaah!”

Luana was frightened and tried to jump out of bed, but she tripped over the blanket and fell.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I slept well. No, that’s not what I meant! I apologize!”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“For anything!”

The corners of his mouth went up as she clasped her hand together and apologized in embarrassment. Luana made a desperate excuse that she didn’t mean it, and the duke accepted her apology and smiled faintly.

It was the same morning as usual.

***

‘Hic… Hic…’

Luana wept inside and looked at the chocolate in the double boiler. What she was going to do today was chocolate tempering. Fresh chocolate is not perfect even if she pours it on a plate and shapes it; that’s why she has to make some tweaks. This makes the chocolate taste softer and makes it easier to maintain shape. Normally, the temperature had to be carefully adjusted, but it was not difficult because she used magic to fill in this part.

The power of magic!

‘No, this isn’t what’s important.’

Luana woke up in the morning and freaked out because she was hugging the duke. This man has done a terrible thing, whether she can protect herself. The duke didn’t say anything specific, but she ran out of embarrassment.

She needed at least some time away to take control of her mind, but that was impossible. Since she returned to the duke’s mansion, the duke has accompanied her whenever she is cooking, and he was watching Luana cook all the time.

She tried to pretend to be as calm as possible, but sometimes her body stiffened over that indifferent gaze. Suddenly she remembered the duke’s broad chest that she saw in the morning.

‘No, let’s not think of that.’

It was good to be careful as she didn’t know what the emotions were in those indifferent gazes. 

‘How do I know if I’ll be going to die of early death with that excuse? What if he said, ‘How dare you stare at my chest!’’

However, even if she makes such a resolution, his skin color keeps growing in her mind.

‘No, no.’

Luana mumbled, shook her head, and grabbed a large hot chocolate cup to prevent the duke from getting angry. Still, the anxiety did not go away. She’d rather be with someone else, like Way the chef.

She didn’t feel awkward cooking with Way, but she couldn’t call him here because she didn’t tell him she was a witch. After learning magic, she now uses magic even if she cooks a little, but it is too much to hide everything.

However, Luana hesitated if she should reveal my identity. Until now, she didn’t think much of it because the duke and the people around him had been casually dealing with the witch. But after looking at her mother’s diary, she becomes acquainted with Gerald.

The general public’s awareness of witches has long since ceased. A witch who puts something weird in a pot and puts a curse on it while boiling it. That’s how they see a witch. So she couldn’t hastily tell Way that she was a witch.

‘It’s okay if you accept it, but what if you’re not?’

That part seemed to need further thought.

As she looked at the chocolate with an awkward atmosphere with the duke, she suddenly heard a knock.

“Who is it?”

When he asked, there was immediately an answer.

“It’s Kane.”

It was the butler. He opened the door and bowed politely.

“I received a call from the Imperial Palace.”

“What’s the message?”

There was some hot chocolate on the corner of the duke’s mouth as he answered Kane. Luana approached him as if possessed and wiped his lips with her thumb. His soft, warm lips seemed to leave a feeling on her finger. It was only later that she realized what she had done.

“Ah!”

Luana flinched and stepped back. But suddenly, the duke gently grabbed her hand and licked her thumb. He licked the leftover hot chocolate, making her even more freaked out.

Luana sat down on her seat, looking like her sould just drained out. She understood, but it was hard to hold out.

‘W-why did you lick my finger?!’

While Luana was so confused, the duke hurried the butler’s following words with a calm look. The butler continued, looking puzzled.

“His Majesty is asking you to bring Luana to the Imperial Palace.”

“Again?”

The duke frowned. He was displeased with the emperor seeing Luana. He knew he was someone who would not take away the award given to his people, but he was strangely anxious.

It was because he knew the emperor was someone who cared more about unusual things. He also wanted to have Ingrid around him, even though she rejected him because she was a kingdom princess. But that didn’t mean Legion could reject the emperor’s order. He had sworn allegiance to the emperor.

“He told you to come as soon as possible.”

“I will.”

The duke looked down at Luana, who sat on the floor. At that gaze, Luana’s face turned red like an apple. She then got up and approached the chocolate.

“Did you finish it?”

As the duke approached behind, it felt like her heart was about to jump out of her throat.

“Yes.”

She carefully took the chocolate from the plate, and out of habit, she gave the duke chocolate, but he didn’t take it. He just came close and opened his mouth.

‘C-cute!’

How could this huge guy be cute?! Luana looked at the duke and put a piece of chocolate in his mouth. Then, his eyes sparkled when he savored the taste.

The hot chocolate was delicious, but he also liked this one. What seemed like a hard plate melted in his mouth, and it tasted sweet.

“What is this called?”

“Chocolate. It’s chocolate.”

“I like it.”

“Do you want more?”

The duke silently nodded, pushed his head next to Luana, and ate like a baby bird being fed.

“Now I’m going to make muffins and bake cookies with this.”

“Bake a lot.”

“I will. I want to take some to the Imperial Palace.”

“Why bring it to the Imperial Palace?”

“I want to give it to my sister.”

If the emperor calls her, it would certainly be related to Ingrid. Since she is going to the Imperial Palace, she wants to feed her something delicious. Delicious food gives strength to depressed people, even for a moment.

“Aren’t you two not close?”

It was not wrong to say that the first time they met was on the day the kingdom was destroyed. Until then, they had not seen each other before. They shared blood, but they were not relatable. Even so, she wanted to be a little help as she knew how hard it must be for Ingrid.

“But still, I can do this much for her.”

“I don’t know.”

Luana smiled at the duke, who said so.

“Don’t worry. I will make a lot for Sir Legion, too.”

He didn’t ask why Luana said that, and he remained silent. It was a benefit, and she didn’t have to point it out. In his dull world, Luana’s food was the light. That alone gave him a variety of flavors and continued his will to live.

Luana started to get busy again, leaving behind the duke who was looking at her from behind. Watching the cooking process, the duke sat quietly.

***

The night has passed, and the morning has come again. Luana filled the basket with what she had made all night. Chocolate cookies, chocolate scones, chocolate muffins, and some pieces of chocolate.

“Didn’t you say you would take just a little to the Imperial Palace?”

“But, this is not much, though?”

There were more desserts left in the kitchen. But in the eyes of the duke, this seemed to be a lot.

“We don’t usually call that a little.”

When Luana put a chocolate cookie on the grumbling duke’s mouth, he became quiet.

“It’s because I have big hands.”

“Your hands are not that big.”

“It means I make a lot of things.”

She first loaded the basket into the carriage and took the duke’s hand to get into the carriage. She was a little embarrassed because she could get up and down the carriage easily on her own, but she didn’t show it. The duke helped Luana and got into the carriage himself.

Shortly after, the carriage began to roll toward the Imperial Palace.

TL’s Announcement: Hi! Bon Appétit will have a manhwa adaptation that will be released on July 8th on Ridibooks! Super excited to see Luana and Legion!!! Below is the announcement on Ridibooks!