BA Chapter 6: To Tame

“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!”

“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.

Chapter 5: Rice Balls

The Duke opened his mouth seeing Luana become restless.

“Before the Emperor sent me here, he promised me one thing.”

“What..what could it be?”

“He said after destroying the kingdom, if there is anything I want, I can take it.”

“Well, I see. That’s great! Even though the kingdom is small, there are some good treasures here.”

Hey, don’t think ill of me for being servile! No one will be like me in this situation. Luana was confident of giving information of whatever Alluin kingdom’s treasure that the Duke desired. 

“Yes, originally, I didn’t really want anything.”

“Really? Nothing?”

“It looks like it just happened.”

The Duke, who said so, looked at Luana. Looking around, Luana pointed at herself with her fingers, sweating profusely.

“Well, you don’t mean me right?”

The Duke was still looking at Luana.

“I’m not a thing.”

“It’s not different.”

“It is very different.”

“So are you saying you hate it?”

The Duke’s hand headed for his sword. It seemed that if she said no, her head would be cut off immediately. Luana was scared by his sudden aura of menace.

“No! No! It’s great! I love it!”

What a load of bullshit! Luana sobbed inside.

“Hey, by the way.”

“What is it?”

“Is there anyone else you want besides me? A pretty princess with blond hair and blue eyes!”

First, she mentioned Ingrid, who was considered as the most beautiful among all the princesses. Even in the original novel, the Duke had a crush on her. It was quite sad that he couldn’t act on it because of his loyalty to the Emperor.

“Not really?”

“Or a charming princess with red hair?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“No, think again. There must be someone who makes your heart beat just by looking at her!”

So take someone like that with you! Luana looked at the Duke with an expectant look. One should believe in a man’s heart rather than his appetite!

The Duke gave a troubled look and answered.

“Well, there is one person who makes my heart pound. Looking at her makes me want to torment her.”

Then he looked straight at Luana.

‘Why are you looking at me?’

I’ll probably go crazy. The Duke was rumored to be a great sadist. She felt a bad premonition about this.

When she looked up, his eyes were fierce. Long eyelashes.. bright red eyes.. a straight elegant nose and red lips. Legion was an unusually beautiful man. He would have been very popular with young children if he could fix his poor temper.

Luana raised her hand unknowingly. But before her fingers touched the white, smooth looking skin, she hit the back of her head against the wall.

Bang!

The Duke looked bewildered at the sudden sound. But Luana had no time to care about it. It was because the back of her head was so painful that she wrapped both her arms around it and rolled around in agony. 

“Ahhhh!”

She had actually hit her head to get it together, but it turned out to be a little too much. As she rolled around trying to get rid of the pain, she felt the pathetic gazes from Rugard and the Duke.

“I can’t understand what she’s doing.”

“I think she’s crazy. Why don’t you reconsider?”

The sound of clicking tongues from above made her anger increase. Who’s crazy! You’re the crazy one! But Luana, an absolute underdog, only thought about it and did not dare to say it out loud. Because she didn’t want to face a terrible end.

Only after some pain had passed, did she get up and brushed off her clothes. As expected of the king’s office, it was very clean, so there was hardly any dust in it.

If she had been rolling around in her deserted palace, she would have to change her clothes. Luana cleared the desk in admiration. When she put the empty bowl on the tray, Rugard opened the door for her. Even though he saw Luana as a madwoman,his manners as a Knight were excellent. At that moment, a thunderous sound echoed inside the room.

Rumble!

Although she was an abandoned princess, she regularly ate three meals a day without ever missing a meal. She looked back in the hopes that no one else might have heard it, but she was soon disappointed. Both Duke and Rugard were already looking at her. 

“Why, why! If one’s hungry, one might make some noise!”

“Yes, it can happen.”

For some reason, the Duke defended Luana. Why is this madman defending me? Luana looked at him suspiciously. Oh, is that it? Since he said he didn’t enjoy eating, maybe he must have starved once because he couldn’t sense the taste. Is that why you empathize with me?

“Yes it can happen.”

Rugard, who at first looked at her with a strange look, nodded at the Duke’s words. You’re strong against the weak and weak against the strong! Luana whined and pushed the tray. It hadn’t even been a day yet, but it seemed like a lot of time had passed.

After returning to the kitchen, Luana arranged the bowls in the wooden barrel and took out a new pot.

“What are you doing?”

When Rugard looked at her with a suspicious expression, she said proudly.

“I’m going to eat, too!”

“I see.”

He was quickly convinced, which was quite unexpected. Luana first put the rice in a pot and poured water. If you soak the rice first, it turns out more delicious, but since she was very hungry right now, she skipped it. Oh, I’m glad I was born in a country with rice. Luana nodded, took out the vegetables and chopped them into small pieces. Orange carrots, yellow potatoes, and white onions were chopped finely and fried in a pan with oil. She then sprinkled some salt on it. 

After all the preparations were made, she waited for it to finish cooking.. When the rice was ready, she gently scooped and chewed the flavourful rice. The unique taste lingered in her mouth.

“Hmmm!”

Luana exclaimed by covering one cheek with her hand. She then put the vegetables she had prepared in advance into the rice. She cooled it down by mixing it hard and made it into small round balls.

“Be delicious! Be delicious!”

Please make sure you are exciting and delicious, it would be better if you turn out more delicious! As she shouted, Rugard asked with a curious look.

“Is that a spell? Does it taste better if you keep on saying like that?”

What did he say? This idiot.

“Of course. Saying spells like this before eating works.”

Naturally, Luana lied. 

“Do you want to try making one too?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Come on, try it. Men who cook well are quite popular among women!”

What Luana said to Rugard was actually not a lie. Maybe it wasn’t true in her present life, but it was in her previous life. Luana told Rugard to wash his hands and then put a bowl of rice in his hand. He shaped his rice balls in a very awkward manner.

“Spells! Say the spells!”

“Do I have to? I don’t think it’ll work since it’s a witch’s spell.”

“Of course! If you don’t, it won’t taste good! All magic begins with faith. If you think strongly that it will be delicious, the ideology will permeate the food and the food will taste better! This is the magic of life! Not only witches, but humans too can use them if they have a strong will. So it’s a prejudice to think that it only belongs to a witch!”

In a word, it was all just nonsense. However, the Knight who slaughtered the soldiers of the kingdom today seemeds to be more naive than expected. Rugard followed Luana’s words in a small voice.

“Be delicious.”

Although overshadowed by the Duke’s beauty, Rugard was also a handsome man with reddish brown hair. When such a handsome man muttered something like that while making rice balls embarrassingly, the appearance was cute. It was the kind of cuteness that made you satisfied with just rice and no side dishes.  

Luana stood there dazed and took a bite of a finished rice ball.

Although it was seasoned with salt, it tasted sweet because of the nicely done stir-fried vegetables. Salty yet sweet vegetables and rice combined created an indescribable harmony of taste. Luana took one more bite happily. The seasoning was so perfect that whenever she took a bite, exclamations came out of her mouth without her knowledge. 

Shortly after finishing a rice ball, she said, “Rugard is amazing.”

Looking at her, eating continuously, Rugard asked with a mysterious expression.

“Aren’t you eating too much?”

“What?”

What bullshit are you talking about? When Luana asked back with her second rice ball, Rugard replied.

“Ordinary ladies eat much less.”

“No, they all go back home and eat a lot.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Yes. When I go to an event or something, I eat as much as a rat’s tail and come home to hold the rice cooker.”

[as much as a rat’s tail: korean slang to express something very less in quantity]

“Why hold the rice cooker?”

“I know, right?. Why hold onto it?”

Luana answered vaguely and swallowed the second rice ball. The rice was sweet! She chewed it with her teeth a few times and passed it through her throat. It went over smoothly. While she was stamping her feet and lifting the third rice ball, Rugard also seemed to have finished his rice ball.

“But this is a little weird.”

“It’s because you gave it so much strength. But try it. It’s going to be delicious.”

On Luana’s assurance, Rugard took an awkward bite of the rice ball. He did not believe in Luana yet, but he believed in himself. Since he was resistant to poison, he wasn’t scared to take a bite of her food. 

As he slowly chewed the rice and the stir-fried vegetables, the taste lingered in his mouth.

He who had claimed to have eaten most of the known food was absolutely dumbstruck. This was the first time he had tasted something like this.

“It has an interesting taste.”

“What?”

“It’s a taste that’s difficult to describe. But it feels very cozy.”

How can a rice ball feel cozy? You’ve been looking at me like I’m the crazy one, but aren’t you the crazy one here? While Luana was contemplating, Rugard finished off all the rice balls.

“Can I make some more?”

“There’s nothing that you can’t do.”

Rugard made two more large rice balls and wrapped them in well-dried leaves. It seemed he was going to eat that later. In the meantime, Luana swallowed a fourth rice ball, and rolled the leftovers together. She was thinking of giving it to her nanny. But unfortunately it might be difficult to get the rice ball into the nanny’s mouth. This was because the royal family and servants were locked up separately. 

Chapter 4: Mille-Feuille Nabe

Mille-Feuille Nabe is a simple Japanese hot pot that is made with napa cabbage and pork belly slices cooked in a savory dashi broth. 

---

To live, Luana lied.

“You just said you are not. How do I believe you’re a witch?”

‘You didn’t believe me when I said no earlier, and now you still don’t believe me when I say yes. You don’t have any friends, do you? How can you act so superior with such a character!’ Luana cried inwardly and lifted her left forearm. When she rolled up her sleeves, there was a pattern that looked like a dark red snake. It seemed so believable on the surface, that Luana had no doubt that the Duke would doubt it. 

But the truth was, she got it when she was trying to cook with a metal pot that looked like the most expensive one in the abandoned palace. The nanny was frightened when she had a scar on her only merit, her fine skin. But Luana excitedly clapped her hands seeing the pretty looking pattern and then played by pretending to be a Black Dragon for a while. She said with a regretful expression while thinking about memories of the past.

“It’s actually a witch’s mark.”

“Then did you use magic to make the jerky?”

“No, it’s just my skills… No, you’re right! It was a magic jerky!”

“Isn’t it harmful for the body?”

“No, it’s not harmful at all!”

‘It’s just a normal dish, so how the hell can it be harmful!’ After working a few nights to try something delicious, she bought expensive meat with the money she received and dried it carefully. If that didn’t taste good, it’s just too unfair! Then no one can keep her from saying her piece of mind.

“It is rather actually good for the body. Because I used pure beef from the Kingdom and then aged it in a clean environment with a refreshing breeze!”

As she talked about the food, the Duke who was caressing the tongs with a boring expression, stopped moving.

“It’s really tasty! Besides, what went into the beef jerky is my secret seasoning! It’s a special seasoning that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. It was what added so much flavor to the jerky!”

“That’s not an insect by-product, is it?”

“No. Why would I put that in food?”

“Witches are good at putting such things in.”

‘Yeah, maybe I should feed you something like that.’ Concealing her wicked heart, Luana smiled furtively.

“I didn’t put in anything like that. I wouldn’t put something like that in my own food.”

“Then do you put it in other people’s food?”

She must say, he was really a good talker, but as an underdog in this game, Luana just answered calmly.

“No, I don’t. I’m too lazy to cook twice.”

“Okay, then.”

Luana looked nervously at Legion’s face

“Cook for me. I’ll let you live if I like it.”

“Really? Really?”

“I don’t lie.”

“Then swear on your family!”

“I swear.”

But she was nervous because it was too easy.

“Oh, really?”

Come to think of it, this madman could destroy his family if he needed to.

“Let’s do a pinky promise!”

“Pinky promise?” 

“It’s making a promise by interlocking fingers.”

“Your fingers?”

“No! I mean the Duke’s fingers.”

“My finger?”

The tongs in the peacock’s hand moved and made a whistling noise. She felt as if it would take her fingers away. 

“No, it’d be me who would rather bet on my family.”

Luana quickly changed her posture.

So the Duke and Luana came to an agreement. He picked up Luana who was sitting on the floor, clutching his feet and then threw her over his shoulder like a sack.

“Ugh! Ugh! Eck!”

As she groaned because it was very uncomfortable to climb the stairs like this, the Duke rolled the tongs in his hands and said.

“Noisy.”

“Oh, I’ll be quiet. Shh!”

‘But why are you still holding the tongs?’ Luana was very curious, but she kept her mouth shut in fear he would use it on her.

* * *

Luana was forcibly dragged into the kitchen. The Palace Kitchen was originally used to make the meals for the king, so it was much different from the kitchen of her abandoned palace. It was much cleaner and had more tools and materials.

“But what should I make?”

‘If I can’t make something delicious, he wouldn’t let me go. No, wait! Why do I have to even worry about this? Luana who was pulling her hair out in stress, straightened herself as she felt a gaze from behind. She had forgotten about the guards who came in with her.

‘Let’s just make what I want to eat now! The food is best made when you make something you want to eat!’

Luana randomly searched for the ingredients.

Hmm.. Fresh beef… And Napa cabbage. The freshness here was different from that of her abandoned  palace! First, she brewed the broth by using anchovies, mushrooms, and green onions. 

The experts may put some kind of secret ingredient here, but she wasn’t exactly a cook in her previous life! She was just a single woman who liked to eat alone, so she did it in her own way. 

With a serious expression, Luana layered the Napa cabbage and sliced the beef. Meanwhile, the broth was boiling . The savory smell of the anchovy broth spread through the kitchen.

It would have been better with some perilla leaves. With a bit of regret, she put the cabbage and beef carefully in the pot. Seeing the layered cabbage and meat made her feel better.

In the middle of the empty space, the sliced mushrooms were placed and hot broth was poured in and made to boil again. The white cabbage turned translucent and the red meat into a brownish gray color. It looked very appetizing.

“It’s done!”

Luana put the pot on the tray with a satisfied smile. She put on a large metal lid and pushed the tray herself just in case it cooled down. “Oh shit! I made a mistake. I made what I wanted to eat, but I can’t eat it now!” Her words were followed by a growling sound coming from her stomach.

‘It’s so distressing. I have something to eat right in front of me, but I can’t. It is such a shame.’ Luana dragged the tray with a half-dead look to the king’s office. 

When she arrived there, she saw the splendid office that the king used. Seeing this, anger soared in her heart towards the king, who gave her as little as he could. If he had given a little more, she could have at least fooled around a little and bought all good ingredients without working separately. She was very angry!

Knock, knock

“The meal is here!”

As she cried out with heartache, the voice of the Duke came from inside.

“Come in.”

Since it was an office, there was no table. Instead, there was a desk, so the food was laid out on top of it. There was only one plate and sauce enough for one person beside the pot. The Duke stared at the pot that Luana had placed on the desk. When she opened the lid, the hot white steam rose up and saw the Mille-Feuille Nabe blooming like a flower.

“What kind of food is this?”

“This is the dish I created.”

Yes, it’s the creation of Luana here, since she was an abandoned princess. But it was kind of special for her. She remembered her previous life! She made this then when she thought she couldn’t do it.

“That looks weird.”

This guy! She had put her life at stake to prepare this dish. In others’ eyes, she was nothing more than a crazy Princess. But Luana was confident! It’s a combination of meat, cabbage, and broth! It can’t be bad!

“Eat.”

“You try it first.”

‘What? Do you think you’re a court lady now?’ Luana grumbled and smiled brightly on the outside and picked up a portion of the nabe with chopsticks. The broth dripped from the broad-ripe cabbage stuffed with the meat. She picked it up, then dipped it in the sauce and pushed it all into her mouth in one big bite. The cabbage crumbled and the broth leaked out.

“Oh, it’s hot!”

‘I should have cooled it down first!’ Because of the heat, she jumped from her seat, but chewed it again when it had somewhat cooled down in her mouth. The taste of the sweet cabbage and the delicious broth filled her mouth. A savory taste came from the high quality beef that was cooked so well that it could be easily chewed. It was a fantastic combination when she dipped it in the sauce that she had prepared in advance. Since there was no soy sauce here, she had prepared a peanut sauce that was easier to make and it went well with the broth. 

‘Whenever I have time, I should try making some sauce.’ Luana took a pledge while swallowing what was in her mouth. Earlier, because of the lack of money, she couldn’t make sauces fearing to make a mistake. 

“It’s delicious!”

Luana was more elated.

“So eat it before it gets cold!”

“It may not be an immediate poison, so we’ll have to wait a little longer.”

“Then if it’s cold, it’ll be tasteless! Any food tastes the best when it’s freshly made! I ate it too!”

‘It’s quite common for an abandoned Princess to abandon her words.”

“That may be the case. But do I look like someone who would sacrifice for the royal family?”

Luana held out her chest proudly.

“That’s… no.”

The Duke used a knife and fork to take a portion and placed it on the plate. He also wanted to eat something hot, but seeing Luana jump, he cooled it down properly and put it in his mouth. 

Unfortunately…

‘What does this taste like?’

The Duke unwittingly touched his forehead by the sudden surge of sensations. He hadn’t had a proper meal for a long time, but suddenly he found it hard to handle. But that didn’t mean he wanted to give up eating because it was delicious.

“Is it delicious?”

Until now, she lived only with her nanny, so she didn’t feel much, but food was not the only thing she enjoyed eating. It was also fun when other people ate together and said it was delicious. Happiness is doubled when shared! In addition, the Duke was very thin compared to his size, so it was worth feeding.

“I don’t know.”

Is it delicious or not.

“But it’s not a bad taste.”

“You have a lot of praise.”

She pouted and tried to protest sarcastically, but she couldn’t do any more. She knew very well how scary the Duke was. Luana decided to restrain herself.

“It’s still delicious even if you boil the noodles in it after you finish it all!”

“Noodles? Are you talking about pasta?”

“No! Other than that, there are thicker noodles, but if you put it in the leftover soup and boil it, it tastes like heaven!” 

Luana gathered her hands together and as she talked about it, her eyes glistened.

The Duke slowly ate all the leftovers. Then gracefully put down the knife and fork and stood up from his seat. He came closer to Luana. Even though he was a little short, he was still taller than her and she could feel the pressure as he approached. Luana slipped back unknowingly, but was blocked by the wall.

‘No way, Is he not going to let me go because it was bad! But how’s that possible? The nanny said it was delicious!’

Hah! No way! Did the nanny lie to me?

Chapter 3: Dungeon

“With the addition of savory and salty cheese, the flavour enhances without adding any other seasoning! I know it’s delicious to eat freshly grilled meat, but sometimes I want to eat beef jerky. I just followed that instinct.”

The words were long, but they were still bullishit. Even Ingrid, who had now defended her, was looking away.

“How can you eat in this situation?”

The Duke, who never lost his composure anytime or anywhere, seemed to be in a state of wonder this time.

“Of course! As I said before, if you die after eating, you’ll feel good and satisfied. You can have a peaceful death without any regrets. So, would you like one?”

Luana approached and offered a piece of jerky.

If it were the usual situation, the Duke would have slit her throat right away without any hesitation.  But it was also weird. His body was craving the food. The abandoned Princess did not know that the Duke had a curse that had been passed down in his family from generation to generation. The curse grew stronger year after year, and now the Duke had almost lost his sense of taste.

‘Would it be fun to eat food even if I can’t taste it?’ The Duke only ate enough to spare his life. So, wanting food was something that the Duke was not familiar with.

The Duke accepted the jerky from the princess. On the surface, it was not different from any other jerky. However, a new world unfolded with just a bite of it.

Originally, he didn’t like beef jerky. If he couldn’t feel the taste, he wanted it to be at least chewy. So, he had no choice but to hate tough beef jerky. He ate reluctantly during the war, but did not even speak of it in his mansion. But this jerky felt different.

The jerky that the abandoned princess handed over was soft and could be chewed much easier than the others. The teeth could easily dig into the dry surface and cut it off. The meat was chewed and crushed between the teeth, and the taste of the condensed meat filled his mouth. It was exactly how she said. He could taste the savory and salty taste of the meat, and at the end, a strange sweetness remained on the tip of his tongue.

He wanted to eat more. He remembered the desire that he had forgotten‌ for a while.

The Duke, Legion, unknowingly took another bite of the jerky. 

It was… delicious.

“Isn’t it delicious?”

When the princess saw him, she asked triumphantly. Even though he didn’t answer, Legion’s actions had told her everything. The knights’ eyes widened in surprise.  

‘Our Duke is really eating! Is it really that delicious?’

The knight, who was interrogating Luana while holding the jerky, looked down at his palm with a hesitant look. Yes, he was holding a jerky now. Even though rationally he knew he shouldn’t eat, his instinct urged him.

The jerky seemed to whisper, Take a bite and then you’ll know. It’s going to be really delicious. It was the devil’s whisper.

“No!”

The knight barely managed to endure the temptation. If he had been a little more shallow, he surely would have eaten it. But he endured it. As a member of the proud Leviathan Knights, he endured it!

A strange peace came to the space where just before blood was flowing. Luana was puzzled by the changed atmosphere. She had no choice but to. Because they were the people who were threatening to kill her just now.

All this was peace made by a cheese jerky.

She thought peace would come, but she was mistaken.

“Get in.”

“Wait a minute! Why are you taking me into a dungeon?”

When Luana desperately held onto the door and asked, the Knight looked at her with a blank look on his face.

‘Huh? What? Why? The Duke also enjoyed the beef jerky!’ And as soon as she was about to say more, the knight pushed her forward and she rolled into the dungeon.

She quickly got up again, but the knight had already closed the door and was turning around.

“Wait a minute! Stop right there! Hey! Stop!”

She shouted frantically, but the knight disappeared without looking back. Drops of water dripped from the damp ceiling in a dreary atmosphere. The floor was cracked and dirty and there were some creepy dark red traces left on it. ‘Why should I be here? It’s so unfair.’

Luana stood beside the bed fixed to the wall with a sour look on her face. It was embarrassing to call it a bed, but still it was better to sleep on it than on the floor. However, it didn’t take much long for her to realise that the idea was just an illusion. Actually there were other bugs living together in the bed.

“It’s not fair!”

She tried to move her feet, but to no avail.

“This is not it.”

Luana sat down looking for a place to sit and stay as clean as possible. As she sat still and pondered, she felt goosebumps on her back. She had an ominous feeling. ‘No, no way! Are they going to torment an abandoned princess? What sort of pleasure would they get from it?’

‘I hate being sick and painful!’

Luana jumped up, grabbed the bars and shook them.

“Excuse me! Please release me! It’s not me! I think you have mistaken me!”

“Noisy.”

As she screamed loudly with whatever stamina she had acquired from all that eating, she heard another person’s voice. It was a raspy voice which echoed in the empty dungeon making it more creepy. Luana scratched her forearm without realizing it.

The Duke looked at her with contempt. ‘But why is your face like that?’ Luana, who was struggling, inwardly shouted while scratching her forearm. 

“No!”

She tried to explain it in a hurry, but it didn’t seem to make sense.

“Really, well..want… wash myself.. really!”

“Shut up!”

The knight next to him made Luana shut up instead of the Duke. It was the Knight named Rugard who first brought Luana. She was a little relieved that she at least knew him a little.

“You’re mistaken! This is not my place!”

“Yes, you’re at the right place.”

“That’s not true!”

“Yes it is.”

“No!”

“Yes, it is!”

As Rugard and Luana were fighting on who was right or wrong, the Duke became annoyed and intervened.

“What are you doing now?”

Rugard, who had come to his senses too late, quickly shut his mouth. But Luana kept on talking.

“You’re not right at all. Why should I be stuck here?”

“That’s because you’re a witch.”

The answer was given by the Duke instead of Rugard.

“What?”

Luana looked at the Duke with a sympathetic look on her face. No, there were no witches in the world these days. It had been a while since their families had been wiped out. 

[T/N: In the raws, the korean idiom dry off seeds was used. It means to remove all of something leaving nothing. It just sounded weird here, that’s why we edited it out.]

“You look upset.”

The Duke expressed his displeasure.

“No, well, do you still have witches these days?”

“Here you are.”

“Not me. I don’t have a broom and I can’t fly.”

“Why does a witch need to fly?”

“Oh, don’t they fly?”

“No matter how much power they get from the devil’s contract, their essence is still human. They can’t fly.”

How do you know so much about them in such details? Luana endured what she wanted to shout out and swallowed up her grievances.

“I have been searching for a witch for a very long time, but this is the first time I have found one. There are so many things I want to ask you.”

As he said so, the corners of his mouth rose up but the appearance was a bit scary. ‘This is it! This is the expression of intention to harass someone. You look like you’re trying to bully me!’ Luana took a step back from the bars that were glued together.

“Well, I am not a witch!”

“There’s no way a witch would confess she’s a witch.”

“Why on earth do you think I’m a witch!”

“You know curses come down from generation to generation, don’t you?”

I know, I know! Because I read the novel! But she didn’t want him to know. So she decided to go with the setting that she is an abandoned princess and doesn’t know anything about the outside world.

“The curse slowed my senses and I have almost lost my sense of taste. As a result, I can hardly eat food. I never felt the taste so I didn’t want to eat it. But the jerky you made tasted good. It’s a curse that can’t be solved by any means. It can’t be possible without a witch.”

When the Duke beckoned, Rugard brought a bag and opened it. Inside, there were various tools that she didn’t know what they were used for. ‘Wait, I know that.’ Luana broke out in a cold sweat. ‘It’s a torture tool! You crazy bastard!’

“That’s not true. I’m really not a witch.”

“I’ll judge that.”

‘Who are you to judge when I said that I’m not?’ The door of the prison opened and the Duke entered. Luana quickly ran to the other side and stood opposite to the Duke.

“No, absolutely not!”

“Then how would you describe the jerky? I can’t really taste the food.”

The Duke’s face briefly turned ecstatic. He seemed to be thinking about the taste of the beef jerky.

“The beef jerky you gave me was delicious. Is there any more solid evidence than this?”

Luana shook her arms helplessly.

“Well, that’s just because I made a good jerky!”

“Even the imperial cook couldn’t satisfy my tongue.”

“I guess I’m better off!”

“An abandoned princess of a little kingdom?”

“I’m prejudiced! I could do better!”

“Okay, come here quietly.”

The Duke strode forward. As he approached her, Luana stuck close to the wall to avoid him. However, there weren’t many things that could be done as long as the entrance was blocked.

“Come here.”

The Duke called out to Luana. ‘Would you like to go?’ Luana shook her head in fear.

“If you behave nicely, I’ll go easy on you.”

‘I’m not saying I will!’ She shook her head like a crazed person and tried to run away from him. ‘How long has it been?’ Her legs trembled because she was so nervous. Still, she moved with the will to not get painful and sick, but eventually she was caught by the Duke.

“Oh huh..huh..huh!”

Luana, while crying, held the Duke’s feet and said.

“Ah..I’ll tell you the truth!”

The Duke, who was just taking out some strange-looking tongs from his bag, stopped what he was doing and looked at Luana. Now that it had come to this, there was only one way before her.

“Yes, I am actually a witch! But it’s like an apprentice witch, so there’s very little I can do! I can’t get you rid of your curse!”

That is, to admit to being a witch.

Chapter 2: Cheese Jerky

The king, who was rumored to be the epitome of incompetence, trembled in fear and bowed his head and his queen was also no different. Ingrid was the only one who raised her head and stared firmly at the Duke. Everyone else was quivering in fear.

Luana thought their reactions weren’t too much. After all, the Emperor’s Dog, Duke Legion was quite famous and had gained some notoriety as the Emperor’s Sword.

“I.. I don’t want to die.”

Luana heard the murmur of her sister sitting next to her. She saw her trying to pull down her dress covering her ample breasts, and make her look as seductive as possible. The alluring beauty showed her willingness to survive by capturing the Duke. 

‘But that will not work, Evy. If you try to seduce the Duke, you’ll only die faster.’

She had read that the Duke was not interested in women. It was because he was almost a dead man. He would never touch the princess because of lust.

Luana muttered to herself and glanced at her sister who was struggling to make a sexy pose.  

“What are you going to do with us?”

When Ingrid asked boldly, the Duke’s eyes turned to her. 

‘But is it just me? Even though he is  looking at Ingrid, why do I feel like he’s looking here. Ah, no way! Why would he look this way?’ Still just in case, she covered her mouth with her hands.

“Can’t you imagine what will happen to the royal family of a fallen kingdom?”

Hearing this, the king begged for his life. 

“Save me! Please! I’ll give you anything!”

As soon as he heard the king beg, the Duke laughed with a cold expression. 

‘They already have your everything over there. What else could they want from you?’ 

Whether or not he knew Luana’s thoughts, the king desperately begged for his life. It seemed he really wanted to live, but the more he pleaded, the more likely he would die miserably.

Even though she didn’t have any affection for him as a parent, she still felt sorry for him. Luana lowered her head and moved her sleeve, pretending to wipe her mouth. It didn’t seem anyone had noticed what she was doing.  Satisfied with the fact, she looked up only to see the Duke looking at her. 

‘No way, is he looking at me?

‘He can’t see me.’ Thinking so, Luana looked around covertly, but unfortunately there was nothing around that could save her from being seen. In the first place, this seat was reserved for the royal family, so there couldn’t be anyone else sitting here. This was not a good thing! Luana rubbed her hands in nervousness.

“You.”

A rough grating sound came out, just like the sound of fingernails scratching the blackboard. Because of the curse, his voice was a mess, so it was a little painful to hear. 

“He’s talking to you.”

Luana, with her eyes urged her older sister, who was busy pulling out her collar. The belief that he would never call her out made such an action possible. The sister got up with a big smile, wondering if there was finally a way to live, but her expectations were quickly squashed.

“Not you.”

A finger wrapped in a gauntlet pointed at Luana. Then the knights, who were standing still, moved quickly and picked up Luana. In no time, she found herself standing in front of him. 

‘Me? Is it really me?’ 

Luana was restless. She didn’t know what to do. Seeing this, Ingrid stepped out.

“She is also a member of the royal family! What are you going to do with her? Leave her alone!”

It’s good to be bold. But sister, do you even know my name? Luana looked at Ingrid with a salty look.

With a small smile, the Duke slowly walked over to Ingrid. Then as he grabbed her hair and pulled it back, her pretty face contorted in pain.

“What does it matter what I do?”

“She’s still young! I’d rather it be me!”

Seeing Ingrid’s mournful cry the Duke’s eyes trembled a little. It must be quite astonishing for him to see self-sacrificing people after dealing with selfish people every time. Yes, this was what made Legion fall for her. How fun it would be to see a cold person like him to fall in love!

‘After all, it is the second male leads that can give off such a feeling.’  

Luana watched the two with a throbbing heart. She regretted that there was no popcorn to eat while enjoying this drama.

“That’s unusual.”

The Duke who said so, let go of his hand grabbing Ingrid’s hair. If it were someone else, the hair would have been pulled out of its roots. After all, this was the Immense Beauty Power of the female lead!  A great power that can make even the villains soft! 

Luana excitedly gave them a thumbs up. But at that moment, the Duke turned around unknowingly.

Then he glared at her upright thumb. Luana smiled awkwardly and folded her thumb back slowly.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that the Duke is the best!”

After saying so,Luana ducked down but unfortunately she fell flat on her face. She didn’t want to die first, so she quickly sat up on her own.

“The Best?”

The Duke laughed eerily. Then he said to Luana.

“Wrist.”

“What?”

“You’ve been doing something, so show me your wrist.”

When the Duke said so, Luana’s complexion quickly turned white. She almost looked like a dead body.

“Come on, it’s no big deal. A bug just bit my wrist. So I was scratching it because it was so itchy. Oh it’s still so itchy!” 

“Stand up!”

“I don’t know what you’re saying.”

With the Duke’s one glance, the surrounding knights grabbed Luana’s arm and dragged her to the Duke. ‘No, this can’t happen. I could never show you.’

‘Let go, let go!’

Luana struggled as hard as she could, but her strength was quite incomparable to that of the knights.    Eventually, she was forced by the knights to put both of her wrists forward.

The knight, who was still looking at the loose ends of her sleeves, put his hand between them.

“Hehehehe!”

As she was ticklish, she burst into laughter but a cold gaze fell on her. Luana quickly became still and decided to keep her mouth shut. The knight who was rummaging inside her sleeves, suddenly pulled out something. It was a dark red square stick with a little yellow in the middle. It seemed to be about one span long.  

“What is this?”

The knight held it in front of his nose and questioned Luana.

“What, what could it be?”

She could not confess with her own mouth and her eyes were twitching nervously, making her attitude seem worse.

“Is it a weapon? Is it poison! Tell me right now!”

When the knight holding her hand gave strength to it, her arms hurted so badly that she thought they were going to fall off.  

“Oh, ow! Wait, wait! It’s not a weapon!”

Luana cried desperately.

“Then is it poison?”

“No, it’s not poison.”

The knight picked up the unknown item and smelled it carefully. There was a sweet and savory scent coming out of it. When he pressed the yellow part, it didn’t seem to be hard. It was quite strange, but he felt like he had seen it somewhere. Where was it? The knight stood still and handed it over to the Duke.

“If you tell the truth, I won’t kill you.”

It’s the same thing to die one way or another. The only difference is whether it’s more painful or less painful. Others might confess if the Duke said so, but Luana didn’t believe him. It is said that suspicious people live a longer life.

“Would you swear on your family?”

“You don’t believe me?”

“We’ve both met for the first time. How can I believe you just like that?”

Her words stirred up the people around her.

“Okay, I’ll keep my word.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

The Duke’s hand reached his sword. Only then did Luana tell him what he was holding.

“It’s a Po.”

(T/N: Po (포) is thin strips or sheets of dried meat or fish used in Korean cuisine. It is generally made from meats like beef, pork, venison and poultry or seafoods like eel, squid, octopus, shrimp and crab. It is eaten as a snack or as an accompaniment) 

“What?”

“…Po!”

“What?”

‘For god’s sake! Ahh!’ Luana groaned in irritation. She closed her eyes tightly and shouted in a loud voice.

“It’s Cheese Jerky!”

The knights holding Luana lost their strength. Luana who was finally free, quickly stepped back.

The Duke tapped his forehead with his finger. It seemed he was seriously thinking about something. ‘Do you have something to worry about Iike that?’ Luana tilted her head.

‘Did he hear me wrong?’

Then, as she looked at the stick-like object, she again confessed.

“It’s called a cheese jerky.”

When the Duke looked at the unknown article next to him, he opened his mouth in a similar manner.

“I heard you calling it cheese jerky.”

That was the truth of course but it seemed that the Duke didn’t believe her. At that moment, her mind became a little confused. Whether or not he believed her, Luana grumbled, rubbing her sore arms.

“It’s just plain beef jerky. It’s nothing dangerous at all, except for it’s highly particular delicious taste. And it’s been made by my own hands.”

No, even if you say it’s not dangerous then why did you put it in your sleeve? Furthermore, after figuring out the situation, it seems she had been continuously eating little by little. Even the royal family, including the knights, looked at Luana as if she was a madwoman. Although Ingrid, who was like an angel, tried to somehow understand the situation, it was still just too much for her to comprehend.

Only the nanny, who knew Luana very well, was embarrassed and bowed her head in shame. How can you still have an appetite even in this situation? She wanted to shout that out so much but she diligently kept it all in her heart.

“Cheese… what were you going to do with the jerky?”

While questioning her, the knight’s expression was strangely curious as well as skeptical.

“What could I be doing with it? Obviously I was eating it.”

“Now?”

“You didn’t say anything about not eating.”

She answered and then looked at the Duke. There’s nothing wrong with what she said, but who would eat jerky at this time, when your life is at the mercy of your enemy. Only a madwoman would! The knight seemed to have a lot to say.

“Umm.. she was abandoned at a young age, so she grew up in quite difficult circumstances. So she’s a little… dimwitted. But she’s a good kid.”

Ingrid defended her behaviour in a small voice. Of course there was no convincing power in it.

“Hey! I’m not dimwitted!”

Luana cried out in resentment.

“It’s all because of the jerky! I’m innocent. I just wanted to finish the beef jerky that I had worked so hard on this morning. Oh, my! It was so delicious! How could I leave it like that? If I die after eating something good, I would have no regrets. You should at least try if you don’t believe me!”

Luana confidently uttered such words in a very imposing manner.

“I’m telling you, it looks hard on the outside, but if you take a bite, your teeth will easily sink in. Because of it’s soft texture, you can easily tear and chew it well. Though it tastes like savory meat, you can feel a little sweetness at the tip of your tongue. When your saliva mixes into it, it would feel like chewing on a juicy meat. Plus, I have added a lot of cheese to it!”

Suddenly, Luana excitedly began to talk about the jerky to the crowd. 

Chapter 1: Sujebi

[Sujebi or hand-pulled dough soup, or Korean-Style Pasta Soup, is a Korean traditional soup consisting of dough flakes roughly torn by hand, with various vegetables. ]

It was raining outside. Looking at the late spring rain, Luana had an urge to eat something. As she listened to the sounds of raindrops falling, she took out a pot and poured some water in it.

After that, she prepared the fresh anchovies and put it in the pot. It didn’t take much time to boil. 

She then carefully scooped out the foam that rose up, seasoned it with salt, and then added the potatoes. She roughly tore the dough and put it in the boiling soup. If she could, she would have liked the dough to age before putting them in, but it wasn’t easy. The noise of the splattering spring rain was growing.

“If you eat heartily and then die, then it is fine.”

Luana hummed and watched the thin dough swell and turn into a clear milky color. It seemed to be cooked just perfectly. It looked delicious. But the soup would have tasted better if she had more vegetables. She licked her lips in regret.

Bang!

At that moment, the kitchen door opened and a middle-aged woman rushed in.

“Princess, we’re in trouble!”

“Ah, nanny! Are you going to eat too?”

‘I need to take out another bowl.’

Luana took out another bowl with lots of sujebi in it and put it on the table.

“It’s not the time to eat now! The Imperial Army has invaded the palace! We have to run now!”

The nanny shouted in an excited voice.

“No. I know that.”

Luana scooped a spoonful of hot sujebi and blew on it before putting it in her mouth. Though the sujebi had become a little bit soggy, it was just right for her taste. The hot anchovy broth, with softened dough flakes, trickled down her throat. As expected, it was delicious! She only wished there was some ripe kimchi here.

Watching Luana scoop up the second spoon, the nanny looked dejected.

“Why are you so relaxed!” 

Because it was futile to run away. This kingdom was going to perish anyway and all the royals were destined to die. As it was a story like that. All will die except for one royal member. No matter how far you run, you will be caught one by one and brought to an even more miserable death.

‘I want to die as painlessly as I can.’

Luana pouted her lips and scooped a third spoonful.

She didn’t remember the title of the novel, but it was a famous romance fantasy novel. Luana was reading the novel before she died.

In the story there was a beautiful princess named Ingrid, widely known for her beauty. She was the heroine of this story. And there was a warmongering emperor who dreamt of conquering the continent. He was the male lead.

At first he politely invited Ingrid to come and be his concubine, but Ingrid refused to accept it. Yeah, the Emperor was a little crazy for her to accept such a proposal. As soon as he ascended the throne, what he did first was to crush small and weaker countries and conquer them.

The emperor was furious at her refusal. So he sent the Duke and his army to seize Ingrid’s country and forcibly drag her to him.

Luana was born as one of the story’s non-existent princesses. She was a small cannon fodder character who was doomed to die. How desperate she was when she grew up, knowing she had reincarnated in this novel. She tried everything she could, but in the end, she got over it! She decided to just give up and die.

She didn’t want to put much effort in this life. Since she had lived very fiercely in her previous life, this time she just wanted to live a moderate life, eat whatever she wanted, and stay that way.

‘By the way, that Emperor is so cheap!’

However, it can’t be helped because the cheap man was the most powerful man in this world. Luana’s life now was like a lantern in front of the wind.

“What can I do? I should die like this.”

“What?”

After all she has died once already and in this second life, she just wanted to live humbly. 

“Nothing, but are you really not going to eat nanny?”

“You’re bothered about eating now?”

“Yes.”

Luana nodded and ate another spoonful of sujebi. One bowl of sujebi quickly got empty.

“I’ll have a little more.”

The steaming sujebi was poured into the bowl with a ladle. The nanny, who was looking at the dish, sat across the other side as if exhausted.

“Just give me one bowl too.”

“Okay.”

The nanny was also given a generous share.

“It’s delicious. Who made it?”

“I did.”

“Whenever you cook something I don’t understand where you’ve learned it from. I thought you were a little strange for a princess.”

‘What? Did you really think so? But not now, right?’

“But now I’ve confirmed you’re indeed a very strange person.”

The nanny shook her head and ate the sujebi. As they finished the soup listening to the raindrops coming from outside, they didn’t need any side dishes. The two quickly emptied their bowls. They felt better after a hearty meal.

‘All right. I’ll die today.’ Luana patted her round swollen stomach. At that moment, the kitchen door again opened.

“Here they are!”

A soldier with a bloodstained spear shouted and a knight in full armor came in after him.

“Where’s the princess?”

The soldier shouted at them with a fierce look. Luana and the nanny exchanged glances for a moment, while putting their empty bowls of sujebi down. 

‘You’re here, should we tell them?”

‘Yes, after all I am a princess. But why are they looking for a princess?’

‘I don’t know.’

Luana slowly raised her hand. The intimidating eyes of the knight fell upon her raised hand.

“Excuse me.”

“Where is the princess! If you don’t speak now, I can’t guarantee your life.”

“I am the princess.”

The knight, who was shouting and bellowing, shut his mouth. The eyes of Luana and the Knight met.

“You’re so loyal! Do you want to help the princess escape by pretending to be her? But remember! Your master wouldn’t protect a lowly maid like you!”

“I am the princess!”

“Tell me where the princess is right now!”

“Dear Knight, I understand your unwillingness to believe.”

‘Are you my nanny or my enemy? How could you understand that?’ Luana pouted her mouth.

“But this is the princess.”

For a moment there was silence in the kitchen.

“The sixth princess, Luana?”

“That’s right.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Really? Is it really true? The knight’s eyes glanced over Luana with suspicion. She was wearing an old dress which has been mended several times. Her corset was not tightened properly and her stomach was bulging because of the sujebi she just ate. Her greyish beige hair was unique, but it wasn’t properly trimmed, making it look very unkempt. Looking closely, she had good skin and even looked quite cute, but many maids had such an appearance. He couldn’t believe it.

This was also because princesses of the Alluin kingdom were all famous for their beauty.

“I don’t come from a noble family.”

Luana told the truth to the Knight, who looked very confused. She got her appearance from her mother’s side. Her mother was a maid who worked in the laundry and accidentally spent a night with the king to give birth to Luana, but she was not a beauty. But if you look closely, she was pretty cute!

“Search in case if she’s hiding!”

The Knight gave orders to the soldiers, but the only thing that came out from the search were rotten and dirty possessions. 

‘You shouldn’t have expected too much from this abandoned palace in the first place.’

“We have to take the princess with us, Sir Rugard.”

The knight, who was called Rugard glared at Luana.

“Are you really a princess?”

“That’s right.”

“That’s right.”(this is being said by the nanny just in case you’re wondering who is speaking)

“Drag her and let’s go!”

As soon as Sir Rugard’s terrifying words fell, soldiers rushed in and dragged out Luana.

“Oh, I can walk!”

Luana actively appealed, but the soldiers dragged her quickly to the square. 

‘I guess it’s urgent.’ 

Luana felt funny as she looked at the running Rugard and Nanny.

‘I didn’t know you could run so fast, nanny.’

Many people were kneeled in the square in front of the palace. Among them were Luana’s half sisters. 

“Sit over there.”

“Oh yes… excuse me…excuse me.”

Luana pushed her way through the crowd and sat down where Rugard had pointed. As she sat down, the other princesses next to her looked at her with wide eyes. As if asking who are you and why are you sitting here. 

“It’s me, sister.”

Who is ‘me’? Ingrid, who seemed to be the sweetest in the royal family, looked at her puzzledly. She truly had the dazzling aura of a female lead. She had a beauty that the emperor would like.

“This is the place for the royal family. You might die if you do something wrong, so sit somewhere else.”

No I’ll die if I sit somewhere else. Besides, Luana was also a royal family member.

“I am also a princess.”

Ingrid looked embarrassed when she told the truth.

“Ah! Come to think of it, I heard there’s a kid living in that abandoned palace.”

Fortunately, the sharp-looking second Princess remembered Luana’s existence. As soon as her words fell, their ridicule and affectionate gazes fell on her, but she didn’t care. Anyway they all will die together.

Death was fair!

The rain had stopped and the sun had come out. The floor was wet but a pleasant wind blew. As the warm sunshine touched her face, her head slowly drooped down.

Fortunately if the fifth princess sitting next to her hadn’t poked her in the ribs, she would have really fallen asleep. And then, she surely would’ve been the first to die. She wondered why it suddenly got so quiet. She looked up to see a man walking in front of her with raven black hair. 

Even the clothes worn by him were dark, making him seem like a grim reaper. But in Luana’s eyes, it was chocolate colour. It reminded her of sweet and bitter chocolate… chocolate divided into six pieces. Luana gaped at him unknowingly and a fine trickle of drool leaked from the corner of her mouth.

She could make most things on her own, but chocolate was impossible. What would she do if she could get her hands on some cacao beans? Because of this,her obsession with chocolate only grew.

The closer the man got, the more grim and silent the atmosphere became. Some were trembling thinking about their approaching death. And Luana wasn’t much different either. Even though she was prepared, she was still afraid to die. At times like this, it was necessary to calm the mind. Luana lowered her head and looked through her sleeve.

“Have you got them all?”

“Yes!”

The Knight answered the man. ‘It seems he has the highest position here. Then he should be the Duke Legion, the General of the Imperial Occupation Army.’