“What are you doing?”
Rensley, who came to the kitchen to get a snack after training today, blinked his eyes and asked. The kitchen staff and chefs were doing something unusual.
Instead of carrying ingredients or standing in front of pots, people were busy setting up traps, nets, and small metal cages. Looking around, Rensley inquired.
“Do mice even come to the kitchen these days? I haven’t seen any; maybe it’s because it’s cold in the north.”
“It doesn’t seem like mice; it looks more like cats or wild dogs.”
One of the workers replied.
“Or maybe thieves.”
Another person chimed in. Meanwhile, Rensley picked up a ripe apple, wiped it on his sleeve, and, with a crunching sound, took a bite. It was a delicious apple, with a strong sour taste. Maybe he could sneak away with a few later and make a pie for the Duke? Come to think of it, he had never made any sweet desserts for him.
In the midst of contemplating, Rayna burst out.
“Lately, the ingredients keep disappearing! It’s unbelievable that we’re experiencing theft in the royal kitchen. Initially, I thought it might be due to mood swings, but it’s clear that there’s a thief. Whether it’s an animal or a person, if we catch them, I’ll ruin their front and hind legs!”
Rensley fell silent with an apple pressed to his lips. It’s not like much was taken, but the commotion was blowing it out of proportion. There was nothing to say even if he had ten mouths. If she, his kitchen friend, could say such things, she might indeed be the most frightening person in Aldrant. The scariest person might not be the Duke or the Knight Commander, but the Head Chef. Tia, the kind girl who always cooked for him, approached Rensley and whispered.
“Not much disappeared. Don’t worry about it. It’s probably just some mischief by a cat or a mouse. Ren, did you come because you were hungry? We have boiled eggs and vegetable fries. Do you want some?”
“Yeah, thanks, Tia. Friends are the best, after all.”
Her always mild cooking suited Rensley’s taste, as it wasn’t too strong. If only the Duke could have such a simple meal… he pondered the fate of the King, who, aside from the dishes Rensley cooked, had to endure tasteless food every time. Seated across from each other, both holding a glass of cheap wine on top of a wooden box, Rensley and Tia enjoyed a simple meal.
“How’s life in the Order? Have your visits to the tavern decreased lately? If so, that’s good–going to the tavern often is not a good habit.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“No. Not once since I became a knight.”
“Since the wedding ceremony, there’s been no sight of her. It’s a worry since we haven’t seen her even from a distance. I really wanted to see her unveiled appearance. Moreover, there are ominous rumors…”
“If it’s rumors, are they saying that their relationship isn’t good?”
“You heard that? That rumor has been around for a long time. Recently, another rumor has been added.”
Rensley frowned at the unfamiliar story. Tia, guessing his reaction without asking, provided an answer.
“It’s been a while since they said the two weren’t getting along and weren’t even sharing a bed, you know?”
“That’s right.”
“Now it seems like the relationship between the Duke and the Duchess has improved. The maids say that lately, the Duke has come out of the Duchess’s room in the morning several times.”
Rensley nodded his head. It was a very, very true eyewitness account. Even this morning, the Duke had breakfast in Rensley’s bed. The fact that he, who had no experience, was offering to teach night duties to a king of a country felt incredibly surreal. The person who couldn’t pull himself together each time in bed seemed to be leaning more towards Rensley’s side.
If that’s the case, the rumor should have been corrected smoothly… but another rumor?
“Isn’t everything resolved then?”
There was absolutely no problem with the Duke’s sexual functions; he had personally confirmed it more than once. If he succeeded in remarrying at the right time, Aldrant’s future would be expected to ascend smoothly.
“If there’s no problem in the bedroom, the successor will be produced soon, and then there won’t be anything to worry about.”
“It’s a different story. It seems like there’s another lover besides the Duke and Duchess!”
Rensley nearly spat out the wine he was drinking. Tia frowned deeply and rolled her eyes.
“His Grace had no interest in women or socializing before the marriage. So when I heard that he doesn’t spend the night with Her Grace, I thought he might just be like that, but a lover? Everyone in the upper class is like that, but I thought His Grace was different, especially since he married the beautiful Duchess. I hope it’s just a groundless rumor.”
“Um, who is this ‘lover?”
“No one knows. It’s still just a rumor. But some people find it quite suspicious. Although it’s natural for His Grace’s bedroom, there have been strange sounds in the study and even in the office… No one has seen Her Grace going in or out.”
“Isn’t that almost like an urban legend?”
“I still want to believe in His Grace. He can’t be that kind of person. Don’t you think so too?”
Rensley vigorously nodded.
“Of course! Even though I’m still an apprentice and can’t serve His Grace up close, he’s not like that. Who do you think I am? I’m a steward who came all the way from Cornia to serve the Duchess. I heard that she’s very happy.”
“You haven’t seen her since you joined the Order.”
“But there’s a way to hear everything.”
“Are you secretly exchanging letters with the Duchess? Well, considering that in Roudken and all of Aldrant, there might not be anyone else from Cornia besides you and the Duchess, it must be lonely.” She sighed, “I want to work as a maid in the palace, not in the kitchen. If I could become a lady-in-waiting like Lady Samlet, I would try to soothe the loneliness of Her Grace…”
Rensley interjected, feeling awkward, and stood up from his seat. Tossing the newly acquired apple like a ball and changing the subject.
“The apple is really fresh. I’ve never seen such freshly picked apples in winter.”
“It’s all thanks to His Grace. Farming and storing crops have become very convenient thanks to the magic he distributes. Just a few years ago, it was always difficult due to monsters, not to mention always struggling with food shortages. Nowadays, when you look at the dining table, it doesn’t seem like the old Aldrant.”
“Was it that bad? Why didn’t you use magic for something else before?”
“Before His Grace succeeded to the throne, we were too busy using magic just to fend off monsters. Besides, the previous Duke couldn’t even use summoning magic. You may not realize it since you’re relatively new, but thanks to His Grace being an excellent magician, life has become so much better.”
After finishing her words, she sighed as if she had grown tired of her own thoughts.
“Phew… I should stop unnecessary thoughts. As long as people like us live peacefully, what does it matter if there is another lover or not? I’ll get up first. If we keep chatting, I’ll get scolded by Reyna.”
It would be nice to give some response even at the dining table of His Grace the Grand Duke. Although the chef was still grumbling, Rensley confidently shouted.
“Rayna! Can I take a few apples?”
“This guy is a highway robber, isn’t he?”
Rensley quickly approached her. Smiling, he patted her stiff shoulders, which were tense from cooking every day. Reyna’s once fierce gaze softened.
“I’ll change into clean clothes and come to help with the dishes. Okay?”
“Alright, so go upstairs, eat heartily, and take a good rest! What kind of knight is busy with dishwashing, dishwashing!”
“Thank you, Reyna. But there’s still much to do in the kitchen. Please understand.” Rensley bowed his head, patted her shoulder, and, before changing the subject, grabbed a ripe apple.
There were several places outside the kitchen with communal ovens, so Rensley planned to bake pies there to save time. Time was of the essence when dealing with a bustling crowd. If he baked a pie filled with well-ripened apples, sugar, and butter, people would be drawn to the smell as soon as it came out of the oven, and he risked losing it all to those captivated by the aroma.
In the room prepared on the second floor, various ingredients such as flour, butter, sugar, and salt had already been stealthily gathered for a long time. He could manage a decent meal, as long as it wasn’t something that required long baking or frying. If Reyna found out, he might have to leave the Order–with all his limbs broken–for sneaking ingredients from the kitchen.
Rumors really be getting wilder and wilder qwq
If only they knew the thief was their dear Rensley, hahahaThanks for the chapter:3
3 chapters !!???
What a surprise 😯😆
After 6.4 I read 7.3 full and was like wait why is Rensley going to wash dishes ? 😂
Opened TOC to see 3 updates!!?
( ꈍᴗꈍ)