Chapter 12 – The Food Is Delicious Today Too
“Thank you for the meal—it was delicious again today!”
“Sibel, thanks for always cooking such great food.”
“Yeah, your meals are always so good! I don’t know why, but eating your food always gives me energy.”
“Hehe, I’m so glad! Hearing that makes me really happy.”
It’s already been a month since I came to Tori and started working at the knights’ dormitory.
The cooking skills I’d practiced for five years were finally paying off—
the knights always ate what I made with such enthusiasm, and just watching them enjoy it made me feel so happy.
When I used to eat with Prince Marx, the atmosphere was always quiet, overly refined… and honestly, just boring.
The royal family and high-ranking nobles would leave expensive meals half-eaten,
even though they were already served only the best cuts and ingredients.
But here—every single one of the knights finished their plates clean.
That made me feel that my hard work was worth it.
It was refreshing, satisfying, and honestly, I much preferred this kind of dining.
They’d smile at me, call my name in their deep, manly voices,
and every time that happened, I couldn’t help but feel happy to be here.
Coming to this place was definitely the right choice.
Prince Marx and my stepsister Annika probably thought throwing me into a dorm full of men would be some kind of punishment,
that I’d have a terrible time.
But the knights of the First Order were nothing but gentlemen—kind, respectful, and friendly.
The senior dorm mothers also welcomed me warmly,
and despite being in such a dangerous frontier land, nothing bad had happened so far.
I was sure it was because the knights were protecting us.
***
“Sibel, we’ll take care of clearing the dishes!”
“Oh my, really!?”
Dinner had just ended, and I was about to start cleaning up.
The knights, with their strong arms, stacked the heavy plates that I usually struggled to lift—and carried them away with ease.
Ah… those rolled-up sleeves, those beautiful muscles showing from beneath them…
Thank you, rolled-up sleeves… thank you so much.
“Thank you very much…”
“Hm? Did you say something, Sibel?”
“Ah! Um—thank you so much for helping!”
Oops. My inner thoughts slipped out loud again.
Still, surrounded by handsome, hardworking knights, I continued my chores with a blissful heart.
*
“Alright, now it’s my turn to eat!”
After seeing the real knights up close—the most wonderful sight in the world—
my next favorite part of the day was mealtime.
Once the knights finished eating and we cleaned up,
the dorm mothers took turns having dinner.
Sometimes we all ate together, but tonight had been busy, so we were eating in shifts.
Tonight’s meal was rabbit stew—slowly simmered in red wine until tender and rich—
served with round, soft, fluffy bread.
“Ahh, it smells amazing.”
The moment I tore the bread apart, the aroma of warm wheat filled the air,
and my stomach growled in response.
Dipping it into the thick stew… perfection.
We even had plenty of fresh vegetables for salad—
crisp lettuce tossed with salt, olive oil, and grated cheese.
“Mm~! So good!”
The flavor was so wonderful, I felt like my cheeks might fall right off.
I pressed my hands to my warm face as I chewed, savoring every bit of happiness.
Life here was truly a blessing.
Was it really okay for me to be this happy…?
After Father passed away, I spent five lonely years in that house—ignored by the servants,
forced to endure princess lessons and housework every day.
My only joy back then was reading romance novels about gallant knights before bed,
and hoping—just hoping—that I might catch a glimpse of real knights at the palace.
Now, it was like living in a dream.
“The knights here are so kind and handsome, and the food is so delicious… Ahh, I’m so happy!”
“What’s making you so happy?”
“…Ah—Leo-san!”
Oh no!
I’d been so absorbed in my thoughts that I’d accidentally said the last part out loud.
And of course, the moment I did, Leo-san’s voice came from behind me.
I quickly turned around, startled—only to find him smiling a little,
looking just as surprised as I was.
His deep blue eyes, like the clear sky, met mine from beneath his dark hair.
Thank goodness—it didn’t seem like he heard everything I’d said earlier!
“I’m sorry for shouting like that. Did you need something, Leo-san?”
“Oh, I just came to get something to drink.”
He had already eaten, so I wasn’t expecting him to be here at this hour.
Still, I stood up right away. “I’ll prepare something for you!”
“No, it’s fine. You can finish your meal.”
“But—”
“It’s alright, really.”
He waved me back down with a smile, then went to pour himself a cup of milk.
The warmth in his tone made my heart flutter all over again.
