✧ Chapter 9 ✧
“Luna…”
“Shh.”
Luna hid behind the corner of a building, peeking at something. She put a finger over Luka’s mouth.
Her eyes were fixed on the delivery wagon parked in front of the storage building.
It looked like an ordinary cargo wagon.
The mule tied to it was peacefully eating grass, and the driver was nowhere to be seen.
Every day at five in the afternoon, a delivery wagon brought groceries to the Grand Duke’s mansion.
It took about twenty minutes to unload everything.
During that time, the driver always chatted with the workers.
Even now, loud laughter from the adults could be heard through the wide-open warehouse door.
“Now.”
Luna whispered softly and grabbed Luka’s hand.
Luka carefully followed his sister as they quietly ran toward the wagon.
The rabbit doll in his arms swung its long legs back and forth.
“Ow…”
As Luka climbed into the wagon, he bumped his forehead against a wine barrel.
“Shh.”
Luna nervously glanced toward the warehouse before helping him climb the rest of the way.
Just like last time, they successfully hid inside the wagon.
The two children curled up between empty wooden barrels covered with old rags and waited for the driver to return.
Before long, the laughter stopped.
Soon, footsteps approached the wagon.
What if they get caught?
The children hugged each other and held their breath.
Then…
The wagon suddenly started moving.
Only then did they finally breathe again in relief.
The wagon rattled along the road covered with smooth gravel.
Everything was exactly the same as before.
Luna finally relaxed and straightened her shoulders.
Not long afterward, the wagon came to a stop.
They could hear people talking outside.
It seemed they had reached the back gate of the mansion.
If they got through this…
They would finally be outside.
They would finally be free.
Luka gently whispered into Lulu’s long ear.
“Lulu, we’re going to see Hazel now.”
“No.”
“You’re not.”
The old rag covering them was suddenly pulled away.
The orange light of the setting sun poured inside.
As the children slowly opened their eyes after squinting against the bright sunlight…
Their faces immediately turned pale.
Elliot looked down at his younger brother and sister, who had been trying to run away again.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
No matter how smart they are… they’re still children.
They had stolen clothes from the servants’ children.
They had hidden in the delivery wagon that arrived every day at five.
They actually thought they could fool him again using the exact same method.
In truth…
They hadn’t fooled him the first time either.
Their previous “escape” had happened while Elliot was away on a military campaign.
When he brought the two troublemakers back inside, the maids waiting nervously in the hallway hurried over.
“Change their clothes immediately.”
“Then bring them to the dining room.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
Elliot pushed the pouting Luna and the sniffling Luka toward their rooms as he gave the maids their orders.
“Your Grace… we sincerely apologize.”
After the children disappeared, the head maid and the butler stepped forward and bowed deeply.
They looked ashamed.
It was only natural.
Since the children had returned from the witch’s cottage, it had been the servants’ responsibility to watch them.
Yet they had still tried to run away again.
“Besides banning the tuxedo cat from entering the mansion…”
“From now on, inspect everyone—and everything—that leaves the estate.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Everything entering the mansion was already searched thoroughly.
No one knew what danger from the outside world might target his younger siblings.
He only wanted to protect them.
Yet all he received in return was misunderstanding.
Still…
Perhaps seven and five years old were simply too young to understand that.
Elliot sat at the head of the dining table and looked at the two children seated beside him.
“Tonight’s dinner is exactly what you asked for.”
The dining table was far too large for just three people.
Only one dish had been prepared.
“So please stop your hunger strike…”
“And eat everything.”
Even after he spared Hazel’s life just as they had wished…
The children continued protesting by refusing to eat.
Children their age needed proper meals.
He couldn’t allow them to skip even one.
Of course…
Their “hunger strike” usually ended after one piece of chocolate.
The real problem was…
They had started relying on chocolate too much.
How many times have I already given them chocolate this week…?
The two children had always been picky eaters.
Now they had even begun pretending to starve themselves because they expected chocolate afterward.
Even Elliot found himself at a loss.
Why is dealing with my younger siblings’ simple tricks harder than dealing with the Imperial Family’s careful schemes?
After quietly watching their unhappy faces, Elliot gave a small nod to the chef standing nearby.
Receiving the signal, the middle-aged chef lifted the lid from the large soup tureen in the center of the table.
Steam slowly drifted into the air.
Inside was a rich brown stew.
The beef stew the children had been asking for over the past several days.
The servants quickly filled three bowls and placed them in front of Elliot, Luna, and Luka.
The chef watched nervously as the Grand Duke’s two little devils picked up their spoons.
For days now…
They had barely touched their food.
At this rate, I’ll end up getting fired just like the nanny.
The children had always been picky.
There weren’t many dishes he could prepare for them.
On top of that, Elliot had strict rules about what ingredients could enter the mansion.
Still…
Working here was the best job in the Empire.
The salary was excellent.
And so was the reputation of his employer.
Besides…
The Grand Duke had every reason to be cautious.
Anyone would be after what happened a few years ago.
The chef wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
He had barely survived one crisis.
Now another had arrived.
A stew with carrots… the one ingredient His Grace forbade for years…
Am I really going to lose my job this time?
Normally…
The Grand Duke’s household served five courses, from appetizers to dessert.
Serving only one simple dish like commoners ate…
Was completely unprecedented.
The Grand Duke had ordered him to prepare only what the children wanted, saying anything else would simply be wasted.
It sounded easier.
But with fewer dishes…
The chef had fewer chances to win over his young masters’ taste buds.
Will they actually eat it?
Everything depended on the very first spoonful.
So he added only one ingredient they disliked—
Carrots.
Everything else was filled with their favorite foods.
The beef was premium tenderloin that had been carefully aged.
Instead of water, he generously poured in expensive red wine from the southern region.
There’s no way that crafty witch’s cheap stew made from whatever she could find can compare.
Losing to a witch…
His pride simply couldn’t accept it.
After all…
He had graduated first in the Empire’s finest culinary academy before becoming an Imperial chef.
Just being compared to her was humiliating enough.
“Huh!”
The chef forgot his manners and gasped.
Luna and Luka had both taken huge spoonfuls of stew…
And put them into their mouths.
But he wasn’t the only one surprised.
Every servant in the dining room…
Even the always-composed butler…
Stared in disbelief.
Both children’s spoons held a large piece of carrot.
Not the beef…
They chose the carrots first?
There was no way they had mistaken the bright orange vegetable for meat.
The servants exchanged shocked looks.
Only Elliot silently watched his younger siblings.
Then…
The carrots disappeared into their mouths.
Everyone became even more astonished.
They actually ate them!
The chef had just begun feeling relieved.
Then—
“Bleh.”
“The carrot tastes bitter.”
“Lunabel Blaine.”
“A Grand Duchess should behave with dignity.”
“Oh my…”
“This carrot is unbelievably bitter.”
“I wonder if the soil in the garden tastes like this.”
Elliot closed his eyes and held back a sigh at his clever little sister’s performance.
Then—
“Blech…”
His eyes immediately flew open.
Luka had spit out his half-chewed carrot onto his napkin.
At least Luna had swallowed hers while complaining.
“Luka!”
Did living with the witch make him forget noble manners?
Elliot began reminding him that such behavior at the table was improper.
But Luka only looked ready to cry.
“This isn’t it.”
“Harold.”
“You have to cut the carrots this tiny…”
“And cook them for a really long time.”
Luna even started teaching the chef, who had decades of experience, how to cook carrots properly.
“Your Ladyship…”
“I prepared that version as well.”
The chef finally revealed the secret weapon he had prepared just in case.
He nodded toward his assistant.
The assistant quickly returned from the kitchen carrying a whole cake.
A small marzipan carrot decorated the top.
Elliot raised one eyebrow as he looked at it.
Carrot cake.
The chef bowed deeply.
“Your Grace…”
“I apologize for preparing dessert without your permission, but…”
Elliot reluctantly nodded.
The children’s eyes had already grown wide.
They were staring only at the carrot cake.
Despite his cold appearance…
He was soft-hearted when it came to his younger siblings.
They clearly wanted it.
He couldn’t take it away now.
Besides…
If not for the cake…
They might refuse to eat dinner altogether.
“Wow…”
“Carrot cake.”
But after taking only one bite…
Both children quietly put down their forks.
“No!”
“This isn’t it!”
It was unusual for Luka, who was normally timid, to raise his voice.
“Give me carrot cake.”
“Your Ladyship…”
“This really is carrot cake.”
“I mean Hazel’s carrot cake.”
Luna looked straight at Elliot, who was trying to calm Luka down.
“You brought it back.”
“Luna.”
“That was already ten days ago.”
“Do you really think a cake would still be good after ten days?”
As soon as Elliot gently explained that it had spoiled long ago and had been thrown away…
Luna suddenly stood up.
“Luka… let’s go.”
