Bon Appétit

“Can’t I go in?”

Luana felt comfortable being next to her nanny. But why were all the princesses who grew up without having to fetch even a drop of water with their hands, gathered in this room right now? And there is no one to serve them too? Seeing this she could already picture her future.

“No, look! There are only princesses in there right now, right?”

“Right.”

“But what would happen if I, an abandoned princess, goes in there?”

“I don’t know.”

“I would obviously become a doormat!”

“No you won’t.”

“How about I give you another rice ball.”

“No.”

“How about two? I’m sure my rice balls are much more delicious than what you made.”

“No.”

Rugard didn’t even budge. Eventually, Luana, with the remaining rice balls in her arms, had to enter the room where the princesses were gathered.

God help me!

Before entering the room, Luana placed her ear to the door and overheard the princesses talking.

“I’m hungry! Are you not even going to feed me?”

“Maybe they’re starving us to death!”

“No way”

“I don’t want to die! And I want to wash up. Why aren’t there any maids? How am I supposed to wash myself?”

The inside was a commotion in itself. I have to go in there. Luana had a dark look on her face. She gave a deep sigh and then strongly turned the door knob.

~Click

As Luana opened the door and entered, the princess’ gazes, full of complaints, turned to her side.

It’s time!

“I’ve brought some rice! It will be given on first-come first-served basis!”

As soon as Luana shouted, half of the princesses bolted towards her. The other half who missed their opportunity, started shouting, “How do you dare raise your volume against me?” And among them was Ingrid, who didn’t seem to be quite stuck up like the other princesses. After all, this princess was famous for being an angel!

“Me! No, I’m first!”

It was the princess who had the courage to even think of seducing Legion. Unfortunately he wasn’t the type to be so easily seduced. The princess now looked very shabby so Luana felt a little pity for her. ‘But what the hell did I do to end up like this? I was just kneeling in the square for a while, enjoying my jerky. Now I’ve been suddenly thrown into a dungeon!’ Suddenly she felt wronged.

“Here you go.”

She still came first, so Luana put the rice ball in the hands of the princess, standing in front of her.

“Eh? What is this?”

The princess squinted her eyes and stared at the rice ball. It was not that there weren’t dishes here that used rice, but this one was very unfamiliar to her because it resembled a risotto. Yeah, how would the princess know how the shape of a grain of rice looks? 

Luana explained with a benevolent look.

“It’s rice mixed with stir-fried vegetables.”

“This, is it edible?”

“Hmm, you can eat it.

“Um.”

“Give me back if you don’t want to. This may be the last supper.”

“The last supper? What? Is the Duke going to kill us?”

“Wouldn’t it be more likely for him to kill us? So you’re not going to eat?”

“No! I want to eat!”

The princess cherished the rice ball and went back to the place where she sat. It seemed she was stimulated by the words ‘the last supper’. Still, she sat on one of the sofas, on which another princess was already sitting. Who came up with this stupid idea to put all the princesses in one room? Luana distributed the rice ball to the second princess in line. She had made four of them. She gave them out to three people, and after that only one was left.

“That’s it! They have finished!”

When Luana shouted, the princesses who were about to stand up, started complaining.

“I haven’t eaten yet!”

“Yes, give me more!”

“How can I give you what I don’t have?”

Luana quickly moved and took refuge next to Ingrid. The princesses, who looked at her with bloodthirsty eyes, as if they were going to eat her right away, hesitated and stepped back. Even though the princesses hated Ingrid, it was hard to reveal that hatred openly. It was because Ingrid was always kind and was deeply trusted by the King. She had a very favourable reputation among the kingdom’s religious and social circles, so if anyone messed with her for no reason, their reputation would only deteriorate.

Luana breathed a sigh of relief and took out one last piece of rice ball. How can a person live only on one meal? Even though she had just eaten in the evening, it was night now, so it could not be helped in the current situation. When she took out the last rice ball, everyone looked her way.

“You said they had finished!”

Someone protested, but Luana pretended to not hear her.

“Because this is my night meal!”

When she looked back, she saw Ingrid’s gaze at the rice ball. ‘I guess you’re also hungry.’ Luana never made any concessions regarding food, but seeing Ingrid look so human, Luana split the rice ball into two halves and gave one to Ingrid.

“Please eat.”

The rice ball split in half was passed over to Ingrid. ‘Come to think of it, she’s also a poor person. She was wronged by a mad emperor, and lost her country. Her life from now on would be like a lamp in front of wind and she would have a hard time in the future.’ 

“Oh my goodness.”

The clear blue eyes resembling a lake widened into big circles.

“Are you giving me that?”

“Yes!”

“Thank you.”

Ingrid hesitated for a moment and then accepted the rice balls. As she took the rice balls, Luana saw the tip of her ears turn red. Ingrid chewed the rice balls slowly.

She was so lost in the rice balls that she didn’t realise that there was rice grain stuck near her mouth. Luana unwittingly reached out and removed the rice from her mouth. As her hand approached, Ingrid was surprised and her body stiffened. But seeing the hand retrieve after removing the rice, her eyes followed the hand and her cheeks flushed red. To cover up her embarrassment, Ingrid then rubbed her mouth with her hands for no reason.

This is why the Emperor fell in love with you! It was this loveliness that makes people want to hug and pinch her cheeks!

The night grew deeper and deeper as Luana continued to admire Ingrid’s beauty.

* * *

Rugard was patrolling outside the King’s Palace. Next to him, Henry, a Knight from the same division, was monitoring the area. The relationship between the two was quite good because they were both young and belonged to the same division in the Order of Knights.

He looked around carefully, but since most of the enemy troops were already dead or imprisoned, he couldn’t see anyone who posed a threat.

“By the way, I can’t understand which way the wind is blowing with the current situation. Do you know?”

“Huh? About what?”

“The royals. They’re still alive.”

“Yes they are”

If it had been the Legion they knew, the heads of all the members of the royal family would have been already hung in front of the palace gates. The rest of their body would have been thrown away in some field to become food for the wild animals. But this time, they were surprisingly spared.

“Are they going to be executed publicly?”

“I don’t know.

Suddenly, Rugard thought of the foolish-looking abandoned princess. Her act of being bold was as daring as leaving one’s liver out. She was confident and fearless because she did not know the outside world properly. So her boldness was quite memorable.

Most of all, she helped him make this. Rugard touched the rice balls he had put in his arms. He took it with him on his patrol duty and was going to eat it during his break.

The knights who were to switch with them, came. Rugard and Henry thanked them, before leaving for their break.

“No problem!”

“Yes, now get some rest.”

Henry drank water immediately after switching with other knights. Then he squeezed the beef jerky that he took out from his pocket. If I could, I wish i could eat the dishes made by the royal chef. But, even a chef couldn’t be trusted in the enemy’s country. If he fainted after eating food with poison, he would never be able to face Legion.

“Haah! This jerky is said to be the finest, but it’s not at all delicious. It’s so tough and hard.”

“Well, that’s all we can get in a battlefield.”

Rugard said so and bit the rice ball he had taken out of his arms.

“Oh, wait! That’s not jerky! It’s not even bread. What are you eating?”

“Well.”

Rugard took a big bite and explained everything to Henry.

“What?! Can you eat something like that?”

“There is nothing wrong with it.”

“Still..”

While Henry was looking at him with a worried look, Rugard ate his rice balls eagerly.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. Give me some, too.

“Weren’t you worried about it?”

“Is there anything wrong to worry about a friend’s well-being!”

Rugard handed the leftover rice ball to Henry, who hesitated and made excuses. Henry closed his eyes tightly and pushed the rice ball into his mouth. After that, he focused on eating the rice ball without saying anything. The rice balls, which were the size of a fist, quickly disappeared like magic.

“What is this!”

“Hmm?”

“It’s delicious!”

Henry smacked his lips in admiration.

“Is there any more?”

“No.”

“It’s interesting. It seems very simple, but it suits my taste well. I want to eat more. I feel like my appetite has rejuvenated.”

Henry grumbled and licked his fingers.

“Is it that delicious?”

“Of course! Were you trying to eat this alone?”

Rugard shut his mouth and shook his head as he watched Henry excitedly chatter. He pointed behind him with his eyes, but Henry was so excited that he didn’t notice it. Behind Henry was a tall shadow looking down at him. It was Legion.

“It looks delicious.”

It was only after hearing another voice speak did Henry realise the situation. Rugard’s mouth had been shut all this time, then who was he talking to? He turned around in fright and immediately bowed and sat down on his knee.

“Ah Your Grace, you’re here! “

But Legion ignored Henry and asked Rugard.

“From where did you get that?”

“The princess gave it to me earlier.”

Rugard confessed frankly.

“Do you think you can just eat any outside food carelessly?”

“I’m sorry! I will accept any punishment!”

Legion’s eyebrows rose up on hearing that.

“Then start by wearing your armor. Then go and take rounds around the training camp.”

“Yes!”

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“Yes!”

The two quickly got up and went to wear their armors. From then on, they would have to take rounds around the camp until Legion told them to stop.

Legion’s gaze looking into the darkness was very cold.

“This little princess.”

Legion moved slowly, as if to seep into the darkness. The place where his steps were headed to, was the room where the princesses were held.