Chapter 3
Luisa was a proud maid who served the youngest lady of the Duke of Ardena’s household.
Seriel especially hated her older sister.
‘That ugly girl. She’s nothing but skin and bones! Isn’t it because of her that Father controls me even more? I really can’t stand looking at her.’
After listening to Seriel complain all day, Luisa had finally received an order and come here.
‘She hates chicken more than anything. What, does she think her taste is so refined? Apparently, she once ate chicken and got seriously sick afterward. Let’s use this chance to teach her a proper lesson.’
So they had boiled chicken without adding any seasoning.
Luisa had even made sure that the unpleasant smell of the chicken would be especially strong.
This would be enough to make Rosana refuse to touch it.
Just like always.
Whenever Rosana was locked in the attic, they had starved her using methods like this.
Expecting praise from Seriel, Luisa opened the attic door.
“Your meal, my lady.”
As she spoke, she looked around the room with a contemptuous expression.
But strangely, she couldn’t see that woman anywhere.
“My lady?”
“Ah, just put it there.”
Hearing a voice coming from below, Luisa lowered her gaze.
Rosana was lying face down on the floor, doing something.
“What are you doing?!”
A noble lady lying on the floor without caring about her dignity!
Luisa stared at her in shock.
Rosana glanced at Luisa, sighed, and slowly pushed herself to her feet. She stretched lightly and muttered to herself.
“To think I’m trembling from just this much. Where have all my lovely muscles gone?”
“Lady Rosana!”
“I’m busy doing my own thing, so don’t worry about me. Just leave.”
Rosana waved her hand as if she were annoyed.
Luisa’s lips stuck out in displeasure.
Rosana had never treated her like this before.
But the moment Rosana noticed the food on the table, Luisa lifted her chin as if she had been waiting for this.
“I prepared this especially for you, my lady, so make sure you don’t leave any behind. Lady Seriel told me to make sure you were properly taken care of.”
“Thank you so much! I was just wondering how I was going to get enough protein!”
“…Excuse me?”
Luisa stared blankly at Rosana.
Rosana immediately began tearing into the chicken like a starving beast.
She skillfully pulled the meat apart with both hands without hesitation.
Was that woman really Rosana?
“Wow. You really boiled this chicken perfectly. The meat practically falls right off the bone. Keep cooking it like this from now on. And don’t add any seasoning, just like today.”
“…Y-You’re really going to eat that?”
“Why?”
Rosana pointed a chicken leg bone at Luisa.
Rosana’s sharp eyes flashed.
For some reason, that chicken bone looked like a sword.
Even though that was impossible.
Luisa unconsciously stepped backward.
“You want some too? You should’ve just said so. Want me to save you some?”
Luisa’s mouth fell open at the completely unexpected, innocent question.
She swallowed hard.
Watching Rosana return to devouring her food with wild enthusiasm, Luisa decided to change her plans.
Apparently, Rosana had changed her plans too.
“Hmm.”
I looked at the plate and tilted my head.
I lightly moved around the large pile of chicken.
“It’s all chicken breast?”
The maid who had brought the food arrogantly raised her chin.
Twisting one corner of her mouth upward, she said,
“You should think about your health. Gaining too much weight wouldn’t be good for you, my lady. This is all for your health, so please understand—”
“That’s perfect. Keep preparing it exactly like this from now on. Don’t season it, cook it just this much, and bring me plenty of chicken breast.”
The maid’s expression turned strange at my words.
“L-Like this? Every time?”
“Yep. Keep doing it exactly like this.”
Honestly, I could understand why the maid was reacting that way.
The original Rosana had once gotten seriously sick after eating dry chicken breast and had suffered for two days.
After that, she absolutely hated chicken.
Sometimes, when she was locked up and forced to eat chicken, she would even complain that she couldn’t breathe properly.
It seemed they were bringing me nothing but chicken to torment me.
But for someone like me, who needed to build up her leg muscles right now, it was the perfect food.
And chicken breast?
It was practically a lump of pure protein.
When I had been seriously building muscle in my previous life, I practically lived on the stuff.
So I was already used to it.
Besides…
This was a workout meal prepared by someone else.
I didn’t even have to pay for it.
Was this place actually a fitness paradise?
Of course, it was a little disappointing that I didn’t have any exercise equipment.
Still, being locked up all day in an environment where I could do nothing but exercise?
For cardio, I was doing things like running in place.
This was seriously the best!
My lips twitched upward.
The maid stared at me while trembling with anger, her fists clenched tightly.
Then she practically ran out of the room.
Once she was gone, I stretched comfortably.
“What should I do next? Leg presses? Or stretching? Cardio?”
I had only exercised for one day, but every muscle in my body was already screaming in pain.
Still, that pain was a hopeful sign.
The muscles that had been dead and unused were waking up again.
Besides, the best way to deal with sore muscles was to exercise.
My determination burned even hotter.
Meanwhile, in the Grand Conference Hall of the Imperial Palace of the Gradana Empire…
Kael stared coldly at the Duke of Ardena.
The Duke sat with his pointed chin raised, his eyes filled with a sly and unpleasant light.
Kael disliked Rosana.
But he despised her father, the Duke of Ardena, even more.
“Say that again, Duke of Ardena. Who exactly are you sending to this expedition?”
“I told you, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Rosana volunteered.”
“Ha.”
Kael remembered his sensitive and easily irritated former fiancée.
She was someone who hated even getting a little dirt on herself.
She also hated being crowded together with other people.
She was a woman who cared only about herself.
And that woman had supposedly volunteered for an expedition to save the world?
Even when he thought back to the two months they had spent as engaged, because of the Emperor’s and Duke’s forced decision, she wasn’t the kind of person who would do such a thing.
He’s trying to dump dead weight on me.
Kael coldly looked around the conference hall.
Every one of them avoided his eyes and awkwardly cleared their throats.
They were probably all thinking the same thing.
Even in a crisis like this, they carefully hid their precious heirs.
Instead, they were sending collateral relatives, second daughters, second sons, or people their families considered useless.
‘Noblesse oblige? The spirit of nobility has rotted so badly that it’s already dead.’
Their intentions were obvious.
They wanted to throw salvation and all the difficult work onto others while staying safely behind and enjoying the rewards afterward.
And the Ardena family was standing right at the front of that group.
Could that skinny woman even hold a sword?
More people would probably end up sacrificing themselves just to protect the precious Lady of Ardena.
The only person from the Ardena family remotely useful for an expedition like this was the eldest son, Kirdel.
But they clearly had no intention of sending him.
Kael roughly ran a hand through his hair.
Was there really any hope for this expedition?
Then he turned his gaze toward the Emperor.
That was even more hopeless.
The Emperor’s cloudy eyes were filled with greed.
He had probably taken as much money from the nobles as they were willing to give him.
After the Empire had fallen into this state, the Emperor had been the first to lose his mind.
He had been somewhat useful before.
Now, he was little better than trash.
The Emperor was doing everything he could to escape from reality.
He had thrown himself into a life of pleasure.
There was no hope in the Emperor.
The world was slowly turning into a garbage dump.
And even in this situation, the Empress was pressuring Kael because she was determined to put her eight-year-old son on the throne instead.
Kael let out a bitter laugh.
Even if he sacrificed his noble blood and his life to save the Empire, those people would be the ones enjoying the benefits.
He was sick of it.
Was this world really worth saving?
Perhaps the power he had been given wasn’t meant to save the world after all.
Kael gave a mocking smile.
The truly pathetic part was that, even now, he couldn’t bring himself to turn away from the citizens of the Empire desperately struggling to survive.
‘What an idiot.’
Kael swallowed a curse through his clenched teeth.
“If you’re going to pull a cheap trick like this, you’d better pay the proper price for it. I’ll expect full support when it comes to supplies.”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, ahem. What do you mean, a cheap trick—?”
“My blade doesn’t discriminate.”
Kael spoke in a low, cold voice.
He was only holding himself back to avoid adding even more chaos to the current situation.
“Either give us the money, or send someone useful.”
“Choose one.”
Kael’s warning was sharp.
Once again, disgust filled him.
Just thinking about having to face the noble Lady of Ardena made his stomach turn.
‘I don’t eat dishes made with cheap chicken.’
He remembered the woman wiping at her pale lips.
‘I hate places that are this dirty and enclosed. Let’s go somewhere else.’
He remembered the woman who couldn’t tolerate even the slightest inconvenience.
Kael closed his eyes, swallowing his anger.
