Bon Appétit

“Hello! My name is Luana.”

“Yes, Elanya’s child. I didn’t know we’d meet like this. You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

She gently stroked her hair. Even though the age difference doesn’t look that big, the touch was not unpleasant. She felt comforted, and her heart was pounding. Knowing that this was a world in a novel, she was able to live because she remembered her previous life. But that didn’t mean life was smooth.

“You’re a good girl. You must have been strong going through your life.”

My heart was warmed by the words and touch that seemed to read everything. She couldn’t say anything, but Sara didn’t ask for an answer as if she understood everything.

“I can’t wait to see what kind of witch you will be. Now, shall we go?”

Sarah took Luana’s hand. She looked at Gerald, but he just smiled and waved.

“The witch’s ritual is not as grand as I thought.”

Sarah led her to a small lake. The water reflected the full moonlight. Those who stood next to her seemed to be performing witch’s rituals like Luana. Two women who looked like they were just coming of age bowed to her. After a brief greeting, she began the ritual in earnest.

“Now, look.”

Others, including Luana, half-soaked themselves in the lake as Sarah led them.

“If you wish, it will come true. Look at the moon reflected in the lake and wish with all your heart.”

If you wish, it will come true. As she said, Luana prayed to the moon for her earnest wish. She wished she could lift the duke’s curse. She wanted magic to cook many dishes, but now she can’t think more wishes. How long has it been?

The moon reflected on the lake distorted and swayed. Then the moonlight that fell on the water shone brightly. Only then did Luana realize that she had become a witch.

“All right, what witch did you become?”

To Sarah’s question, Luana answered vigorously.

“The Gourmet Witch!”

The power she had longed for came into her hands.

***

Thud-

The wine glass that was hanging between his fingers fell to the floor. At the same time, the duke woke up from his light sleep and sighed. He hasn’t been able to sleep lately, and his health began to deteriorate because he was tired. He was holding it, although he knew it was dangerous for his body.

Even though he knew it, he drank as he could only forget the pain when he was drunk. But he drank way too much this time. The duke got up from his seat and moved to the bed. He couldn’t sleep even though he tried to lie down properly.

The pain became a little bearable only when he reflected on the taste of the food Luana made for him, but he couldn’t eat it in reality, so all that remained was in vain.

He kept raising the prize money at the wanted paper, but Luana was not caught. It was not strange considering that it was difficult to find a witch once she decided to hide. Nevertheless, there was a small expectation in his mind. He was looking forward to seeing Luana come back on her own.

One said a witch would always keep her word.

“Didn’t you say you’d help me gain weight?”

The person who promised that was not here now. No, he didn’t even know where she was in the first place. The duke put his hand on his head and got up from his seat. Before he enters the Imperial Palace, he intends to find Luana.

“Let’s go to the market today.”

His voice melted into the air.

***

“Hehehehehe…”

Luana smiled grimly at the diary on her desk. Finally, she was able to reenact everything in it. Being a witch, she couldn’t figure out how to break the curse, but now that she can use magic, she’ll be able to do anything she wants.

‘I’m glad I became a witch!’

As she thought so, she hugged the diary tightly.

“What should I do first?”

She had a lot of things she wanted to do. But there was one thing she wanted to do the most.

“Chocolate!”

Dark, hard and sweet chocolate that melts in the mouth! She wanted to make that. How long has it been since she didn’t eat that lovely thing! But now she can make it. Just thinking about it made her mouth water.

“Although there is one problem.”

There was no ingredient. Gerald’s house had only the necessary cooking ingredients, and there were no cacao beans.

“I want to make it as soon as possible.”

Luana groaned, then rose from her seat and opened a small box on the desk. There were some items left by Elanya, one of which was a gold coin. It wasn’t huge, but it was enough to buy the ingredients she wanted.

‘Gerald told me not to go out for a while.’

Wouldn’t it be okay to go to the market for a while? She would ask Gerald if he was here, but he had been away for several days at the request of another witch.

‘I think I should go wearing a cloak.’

Luana draped a hooded cloak over her dress and stood in front of the mirror. She lowered the hood so people couldn’t see her face well.

‘No one will recognize me!’

She decided to go out for a while.

“Chocolate, chocolate~.”

Now that she thought about making it, she hummed. With her gold coins in her cloth shopping basket, Luana went out of her house. She moved cautiously just in case, but no one cared. As a result, she started to walk faster and faster.

After reaching the market entrance, Luana immediately went to buy cacao beans. And as soon as she purchased other ingredients needed to make chocolate, her shopping basket became heavy. It was hard to hold it, but that made her proud.

As she stepped forward to go back, she suddenly saw a wanted paper on the wall. But there’s a familiar face stuck in it! It was her face! Luanalooked through the wanted paper in a panic. And when she saw the prize money, her eyes wide opened.

‘What kind of money did you bet on?’

People must have gathered like ants running at candy. That’s why Gerald told her not to go out. Then Luana regretted it, but it was too late. Several people were already following her after seeing her in a hood whenever she stopped by a shop.

Of course, she thought she should return to the duke someday, but she wasn’t happy he did it this way. Even if she came back, she wanted to go on her own, so she decided to run away for now.

Luana pretending nothing happened, ripped off the wanted paper.

“Hmm…the weather is nice. Shall I go home now that I’ve finished shopping?”

As she walked calmly, some men started chasing after her. They seemed to be mercenaries.

“Hey, Miss. Over there.”

A mercenary called Luana from behind. However, she did not intend to respond, so she continued to step forward as if she could not hear.

“Miss! Would you like to stop there?”

Still, Luana did not respond, and one of them came close and suddenly took off her hood.

“Argh!”

She covered his hair with her hands in panic, but the mercenary had already seen everything.

“She is! This is the girl on the wanted paper!”

Soon after, a mercenary caught up and grabbed her hand.

“W-what are you doing?”

She panicked and tried to shake off her hand, but it was not easy because of the difference in strength.

“Now, look at her face. You’re the girl on the wanted paper, right?”

He desperately pulled the hand that covered her face.

“Let me go, let me go!”

While they were arguing like that, more people gathered. Panicked, Luana stomped on the grinning mercenary’s feet and ran away.

“Argh! Catch her!”

And while the mercenary panicked, she escaped and ran to the alley.

‘What should I do?’

As she became a witch, she could use magic, but her magic was useless in these circumstances. She couldn’t even escape straight to Gerald’s house. Otherwise, his house might be found out by outsiders. For now, Luana had to get rid of them.

She wasn’t confident in herself; her hand was trembling.

‘But I have to do it.’

Luana bit her lips and ran out of the alley. She almost fell a few times in the middle because of her wobbly legs, but she managed to get rid of those who were chasing her. But that was only for a moment; they quickly found out where Luana was and started pursuing her.

“Huff, huff… what should I do?”

She was panicked and couldn’t think straight. Someone suddenly appeared, hugged her with one arm, and jumped over the wall. They ran somewhere and stopped only when there were no people.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

She didn’t exercise much, so she was out of breath even if she ran a little. Luana caught her breath and raised her head to look up at him, who had a full hood covering his body. He was someone familiar.

“Are you Gerald? Thank you for your help. I didn’t expect I was on the wanted paper.”

As she stretches her body, somehow, the atmosphere becomes cold.

“Gerald?”

Feeling uneasy, she called his name again, and the man opened his hood. Luana’s eyes grew surprised.

“Sir Legion?”

It was Legion, the duke, who appeared before her. He looked at Luana silently and then stepped forward. Luana became frozen and was watching him.

“Are you going to run away again?”

The raspy voice scratched her eardrums.