Entering her room and collapsing onto her bed, Sylvia began to ponder seriously.
She couldn’t understand why the Duke was being so friendly towards her. While she was indeed cooking as he desired, it didn’t seem reasonable for him to go to the lengths of giving her such a kitchen just to have her at the Duke’s mansion, merely for her cooking.
No, setting everything else aside, she herself disliked the idea. The thought of entering the Duke’s mansion, becoming part of it, and spending her life doing the same work was unappealing.
She understood well enough how great an opportunity and honor this would be in the eyes of others, but Sylvia, even in her previous life as a tattoo artist, disliked it and chose her own path. There were times when she went hungry for a month without a single customer, but she never felt suffocated.
She just kept pushing forward.
Eventually, she gained regular customers and word of mouth spread. Her shop may not have been famous, but it became known as a trustworthy one.
Having lived such a life and then suddenly being thrust into this place, she didn’t really understand nobility or royalty.
Even if she had memorized history books in the name of studying, she hadn’t truly felt it in her skin. People around her said to avoid nobles at all costs, but that was it; she didn’t regard nobility as something grand or feel oppressed by their status.
There was only one reason she was cautious.
She didn’t want her life to be disrupted.
She was just getting used to life here, earning her keep, and enjoying small joys…
The conclusion was this:
“I dislike it, I really do. Why would I go there; am I mad?”
Burying her head in the pillow, Sylvia shook her head vigorously.
She had a habit when stress reached its peak, a habit unchanged since her days as Seo Yoo-jung.
“Let’s eat first. It’s all for survival, so why should I starve and stress?”
Grumbling to herself, Sylvia sprang up.
As she strode out of her room, the mercenaries turned their heads like meerkats to watch her, but Sylvia ignored their gazes and went straight to the kitchen.
Upon entering the kitchen, Sylvia channeled magic into the magic circles. Wind, water, and fire magic flowed in succession.
“Spicy food is the best for stress.”
She took out pork from the interdimensional cypress wood container. She cut it into bite-sized pieces, seasoned it with green chili powder, Galbus oil, and pureed apples and pears, then added sugar, salt, and pepper.
She stirred the seasoning evenly with wind magic, then added finely chopped onions, green onions, carrots, and mushrooms to the mix. The seasoned meat was placed in a large bowl and set aside as she prepared rice.
She prepared wrap vegetables like lettuce, dandelion leaves, and boiled cabbage, along with spring onion slices and spicy seasoned bean sprouts, and took out previously pickled wraps.
She made a steamed egg full of paprika, onions, and green onions, and a large rolled omelette.
She stir-fried the seasoned meat in a large pan. Tasting a piece, Sylvia nodded.
“Ah, it’s like fire in my mouth.”
Homemade chili paste would have been better, but she settled for what she had, resolving to make chili paste later.
The mercenaries were puzzled by the excessive amount of meat, rice, and side dishes on the dining table, given Sylvia’s apparent bad mood. They couldn’t understand why there was more food than usual.
Felix also noticed her unusual demeanor but was constantly distracted by the abundant strawberries, pears, carrots, hallabongs, green grapes, and cucumbers in front of him.
With a dull expression, Sylvia muttered quietly.
“Enjoy your meal…”
Though she was usually lively, her current state was concerning, but they began to eat the meat voraciously, watching her chew thoughtfully.
Felix watched Sylvia out of the corner of his eye as he chewed on a strawberry.
Suddenly, the mercenaries screamed.
“Woahhh!”
“It’s, it’s spicy!”
Sylvia, finding the green chili powder insufficient, had added a bit more habanero powder. Though it felt like flames were leaping in their mouths, Sylvia was satisfied.
Despite the sharp, sizzling sound from her mouth, she kept eating. Sweat poured down, seemingly washing away the stress with it.
However, the mercenaries were in a different predicament.
“Water, Hubert… Please shoot some water into my mouth!”
Red-haired Bernard hopped about in distress. Hubert was in no better shape. With a flushed face, he conjured water magic, but his usually precise control faltered, and the stream hit Bernard’s face directly.
Yet, Bernard laughed as if delighted, and Hubert chuckled while drinking barley tea filled with ice. Amid the chaos, only Felix calmly observed Sylvia, who was diligently wrapping her food and eating with a serene expression, as if her dining was a spectacle in itself, crunching on cucumbers.
Despite the spiciness, the mercenaries somehow finished their meal, and Sylvia brought out dessert. The quality of dairy products here was exceptional, and among them, she chose milk to crush strawberries into, freezing it with ice magic to make strawberry milk ice cream.
She lavished it with caramel syrup before serving it to the mercenaries. They hesitantly tasted this unfamiliar dish, their lips swollen red.
“Wow…”
Dennis exclaimed in amazement. The burning sensation in their mouths, as if attacked by a beast’s tongue, quickly subsided. It was sweet, refreshing, and indescribably delicious.
“Sylvia, what is this exactly?”
Hubert asked, eyes wide in wonder. Sylvia, who was busily scooping up ice cream with a large spoon, licked the cream from her lips and looked up.
“Mm, it’s called ice cream. Made with milk.”
Hubert’s eyes widened even more in surprise at her answer.
“…That’s amazing.”
He was impressed by her ability to create such a dish with just milk.
Meanwhile, Felix couldn’t stay still. Like a puppy desperate for a pee, he couldn’t take his eyes off the wooden bowl she was holding. Although he had been hesitant about the food until now, merely observing, the ice cream seemed too tempting to resist.
Its beautiful color looked too appetizing, and something brown sprinkled on top seemed extraordinary.
Unable to even imagine what it might taste like, Felix showed an intense curiosity beyond fruits and vegetables. Watching Sylvia take another big scoop of ice cream into her mouth, Felix finally blurted out desperately,
“Just a bite.”
That single phrase from Felix brought a moment of silence. Sylvia, who had been frowning slightly with unresolved concerns, raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Huh?”
Questioning if she had heard wrong, she met his gaze, his eyes flickering uncertainly, as if even he was surprised by his request.
“Just give me a bite.”
Barely managing to articulate his request, Felix rationalized to himself,
‘It’s safe if she’s eating it. It’ll be okay, it has to be.’
Felix had remembered all the dishes Sylvia had prepared for him, even though he hadn’t eaten any of them himself. It wasn’t just his own food he was skeptical about. Unbeknownst to his subordinates, he had employed fairies to inspect the food they consumed.
Yet, everything Sylvia made had always been safe.
Was it just safe, or perhaps the taste was so good that his subordinates always ate with satisfaction? Their reactions and her actions towards him, all outcomes whispered to Felix that it was okay.
What she made was safe.
He felt sorry, in fact.
She didn’t give up on him, despite the circumstances.
A single spoken word changed much.
Sylvia, as if enchanted, pushed the spoon she was about to eat from towards Felix’s reddened lips. Despite rationalizing his decision, his dark eyes trembled with unease as he looked directly at her and said,
“Ah.”
Such a simple word.
Without realizing it, Felix opened his mouth wide.
And upon feeling the coolness fill his mouth, he closed his eyes momentarily before opening them again.
His eyelids fluttered slowly.
As the spoon scraped his upper teeth and withdrew, Felix, unable to properly close his lips, stared at Sylvia, who naturally took the spoon from his mouth and sucked on it.
All her worries and stress seemed to fade away. He had been indifferent when she was trying to feed him before, but now, he unexpectedly showed interest in the food. Felix’s curiosity was deeply appreciated by her.
With a joyful heart, she scooped more ice cream and presented it in front of his lips.
“Here, have another bite.”
The ice cream slowly descended down his esophagus, sweetly. Although Felix hadn’t fully grasped the entire flavor, he tasted its sweetness.
It was sweet, truly so.
Especially seeing her genuinely happy face…
This time, there was no hesitation.
Felix opened his mouth wide to receive another bite of ice cream.
As he again sucked on the remaining ice cream, the mercenaries looked at him as if they were facing a strange beast.
Among them, Hubert and Dennis gaped, their minds seemingly snatched away, not even noticing the melting ice cream dripping from their spoons onto their trousers, their gaze fixed on Sylvia and Felix.
After dinner, Sylvia headed to the garden.
Still feeling dazed, she intended to clear her mind. The sweet scents of acacia and wisteria filled the garden, numbing her nose. Sniffing, she walked towards where her steps naturally led her.
Gently caressing the top of a flower that occupied a spot in the garden, Sylvia looked up at the moon dominating the dark night sky. The stars surrounding the moon twinkled brightly. Despite knowing she couldn’t reach them, she felt an urge to stretch her hand towards them.
As she extended her hand, moving it to cover and uncover the moon, a fluttering Eryngium landed on her hand.
[Sylvia.]
“Eryngium.”
[Can you make more ice cream?]
“Did you like it that much?”
The fairy nodded vigorously in response to her question.
[Yes, yes! It was incredibly delicious! The others said they’ve never tasted anything like it before!]
Amused by the fairy’s enthusiasm, Sylvia chuckled and said,
“Alright. I’ll make more.”
[Really? You promise!]
Elated, Eryngium flew around in circles before settling on Sylvia’s head.
Then, as if remembering something important, it spoke,
[Ah! But the others are leaving tomorrow. It seems Felix plans to depart.]
“What?”
The news of their departure tomorrow jolted Sylvia from her contemplative state.
“They’re leaving tomorrow?”
[Yes.]
The realization that the Croban Mercenaries were leaving sparked a thought in Sylvia.
‘Why didn’t I think of this before?’
From the beginning, she intended to actively help change the future within this novel.
Simply put, she wanted to assist Felix.
Whatever it took.
Then, rather than only meeting the Croban Mercenaries when they came to her, Sylvia could just accompany them.
‘Why didn’t I consider this simple solution instead of worrying needlessly?’
Having finally found a solution, Sylvia stretched her arms up in a triumphant gesture and exclaimed,
“What does it matter! Just not returning here will do!”
She couldn’t care less about the aftermath.
Just run away.
Though she would miss the familiar faces around her, there was no way she could live in this castle, at odds with the Duke’s household. Besides, she had initially promised Eryngium to assist Felix.
Therefore, Felix was the person she needed to prioritize now, not the Duke.
With a brightened face, Sylvia hopped around joyfully, and Eryngium, perched atop her head, laughed along without fully understanding the reason.
[Sylvia is happy, so I am happy too.]
Touched by the fairy’s innocent and adorable words, Sylvia playfully rubbed Eryngium against her cheek.
“My cute Eryngium, let’s also set off.”
[Set off?]
“Yes! Didn’t I promise?”
The fairy, knowing well what she meant by the promise, took hold of Sylvia’s cheeks with its tiny hands and gave her a peck on the lips.
[Really… Thank you so much, Sylvia.]
Sylvia smiled brightly, pressing her lavender-colored hair against her nose.
Entering her room and collapsing onto her bed, Sylvia began to ponder seriously.
She couldn’t understand why the Duke was being so friendly towards her. While she was indeed cooking as he desired, it didn’t seem reasonable for him to go to the lengths of giving her such a kitchen just to have her at the Duke’s mansion, merely for her cooking.
No, setting everything else aside, she herself disliked the idea. The thought of entering the Duke’s mansion, becoming part of it, and spending her life doing the same work was unappealing.
She understood well enough how great an opportunity and honor this would be in the eyes of others, but Sylvia, even in her previous life as a tattoo artist, disliked it and chose her own path. There were times when she went hungry for a month without a single customer, but she never felt suffocated.
She just kept pushing forward.
Eventually, she gained regular customers and word of mouth spread. Her shop may not have been famous, but it became known as a trustworthy one.
Having lived such a life and then suddenly being thrust into this place, she didn’t really understand nobility or royalty.
Even if she had memorized history books in the name of studying, she hadn’t truly felt it in her skin. People around her said to avoid nobles at all costs, but that was it; she didn’t regard nobility as something grand or feel oppressed by their status.
There was only one reason she was cautious.
She didn’t want her life to be disrupted.
She was just getting used to life here, earning her keep, and enjoying small joys…
The conclusion was this:
“I dislike it, I really do. Why would I go there; am I mad?”
Burying her head in the pillow, Sylvia shook her head vigorously.
She had a habit when stress reached its peak, a habit unchanged since her days as Seo Yoo-jung.
“Let’s eat first. It’s all for survival, so why should I starve and stress?”
Grumbling to herself, Sylvia sprang up.
As she strode out of her room, the mercenaries turned their heads like meerkats to watch her, but Sylvia ignored their gazes and went straight to the kitchen.
Upon entering the kitchen, Sylvia channeled magic into the magic circles. Wind, water, and fire magic flowed in succession.
“Spicy food is the best for stress.”
She took out pork from the interdimensional cypress wood container. She cut it into bite-sized pieces, seasoned it with green chili powder, Galbus oil, and pureed apples and pears, then added sugar, salt, and pepper.
She stirred the seasoning evenly with wind magic, then added finely chopped onions, green onions, carrots, and mushrooms to the mix. The seasoned meat was placed in a large bowl and set aside as she prepared rice.
She prepared wrap vegetables like lettuce, dandelion leaves, and boiled cabbage, along with spring onion slices and spicy seasoned bean sprouts, and took out previously pickled wraps.
She made a steamed egg full of paprika, onions, and green onions, and a large rolled omelette.
She stir-fried the seasoned meat in a large pan. Tasting a piece, Sylvia nodded.
“Ah, it’s like fire in my mouth.”
Homemade chili paste would have been better, but she settled for what she had, resolving to make chili paste later.
The mercenaries were puzzled by the excessive amount of meat, rice, and side dishes on the dining table, given Sylvia’s apparent bad mood. They couldn’t understand why there was more food than usual.
Felix also noticed her unusual demeanor but was constantly distracted by the abundant strawberries, pears, carrots, hallabongs, green grapes, and cucumbers in front of him.
With a dull expression, Sylvia muttered quietly.
“Enjoy your meal…”
Though she was usually lively, her current state was concerning, but they began to eat the meat voraciously, watching her chew thoughtfully.
Felix watched Sylvia out of the corner of his eye as he chewed on a strawberry.
Suddenly, the mercenaries screamed.
“Woahhh!”
“It’s, it’s spicy!”
Sylvia, finding the green chili powder insufficient, had added a bit more habanero powder. Though it felt like flames were leaping in their mouths, Sylvia was satisfied.
Despite the sharp, sizzling sound from her mouth, she kept eating. Sweat poured down, seemingly washing away the stress with it.
However, the mercenaries were in a different predicament.
“Water, Hubert… Please shoot some water into my mouth!”
Red-haired Bernard hopped about in distress. Hubert was in no better shape. With a flushed face, he conjured water magic, but his usually precise control faltered, and the stream hit Bernard’s face directly.
Yet, Bernard laughed as if delighted, and Hubert chuckled while drinking barley tea filled with ice. Amid the chaos, only Felix calmly observed Sylvia, who was diligently wrapping her food and eating with a serene expression, as if her dining was a spectacle in itself, crunching on cucumbers.
Despite the spiciness, the mercenaries somehow finished their meal, and Sylvia brought out dessert. The quality of dairy products here was exceptional, and among them, she chose milk to crush strawberries into, freezing it with ice magic to make strawberry milk ice cream.
She lavished it with caramel syrup before serving it to the mercenaries. They hesitantly tasted this unfamiliar dish, their lips swollen red.
“Wow…”
Dennis exclaimed in amazement. The burning sensation in their mouths, as if attacked by a beast’s tongue, quickly subsided. It was sweet, refreshing, and indescribably delicious.
“Sylvia, what is this exactly?”
Hubert asked, eyes wide in wonder. Sylvia, who was busily scooping up ice cream with a large spoon, licked the cream from her lips and looked up.
“Mm, it’s called ice cream. Made with milk.”
Hubert’s eyes widened even more in surprise at her answer.
“…That’s amazing.”
He was impressed by her ability to create such a dish with just milk.
Meanwhile, Felix couldn’t stay still. Like a puppy desperate for a pee, he couldn’t take his eyes off the wooden bowl she was holding. Although he had been hesitant about the food until now, merely observing, the ice cream seemed too tempting to resist.
Its beautiful color looked too appetizing, and something brown sprinkled on top seemed extraordinary.
Unable to even imagine what it might taste like, Felix showed an intense curiosity beyond fruits and vegetables. Watching Sylvia take another big scoop of ice cream into her mouth, Felix finally blurted out desperately,
“Just a bite.”
That single phrase from Felix brought a moment of silence. Sylvia, who had been frowning slightly with unresolved concerns, raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Huh?”
Questioning if she had heard wrong, she met his gaze, his eyes flickering uncertainly, as if even he was surprised by his request.
“Just give me a bite.”
Barely managing to articulate his request, Felix rationalized to himself,
‘It’s safe if she’s eating it. It’ll be okay, it has to be.’
Felix had remembered all the dishes Sylvia had prepared for him, even though he hadn’t eaten any of them himself. It wasn’t just his own food he was skeptical about. Unbeknownst to his subordinates, he had employed fairies to inspect the food they consumed.
Yet, everything Sylvia made had always been safe.
Was it just safe, or perhaps the taste was so good that his subordinates always ate with satisfaction? Their reactions and her actions towards him, all outcomes whispered to Felix that it was okay.
What she made was safe.
He felt sorry, in fact.
She didn’t give up on him, despite the circumstances.
A single spoken word changed much.
Sylvia, as if enchanted, pushed the spoon she was about to eat from towards Felix’s reddened lips. Despite rationalizing his decision, his dark eyes trembled with unease as he looked directly at her and said,
“Ah.”
Such a simple word.
Without realizing it, Felix opened his mouth wide.
And upon feeling the coolness fill his mouth, he closed his eyes momentarily before opening them again.
His eyelids fluttered slowly.
As the spoon scraped his upper teeth and withdrew, Felix, unable to properly close his lips, stared at Sylvia, who naturally took the spoon from his mouth and sucked on it.
All her worries and stress seemed to fade away. He had been indifferent when she was trying to feed him before, but now, he unexpectedly showed interest in the food. Felix’s curiosity was deeply appreciated by her.
With a joyful heart, she scooped more ice cream and presented it in front of his lips.
“Here, have another bite.”
The ice cream slowly descended down his esophagus, sweetly. Although Felix hadn’t fully grasped the entire flavor, he tasted its sweetness.
It was sweet, truly so.
Especially seeing her genuinely happy face…
This time, there was no hesitation.
Felix opened his mouth wide to receive another bite of ice cream.
As he again sucked on the remaining ice cream, the mercenaries looked at him as if they were facing a strange beast.
Among them, Hubert and Dennis gaped, their minds seemingly snatched away, not even noticing the melting ice cream dripping from their spoons onto their trousers, their gaze fixed on Sylvia and Felix.
After dinner, Sylvia headed to the garden.
Still feeling dazed, she intended to clear her mind. The sweet scents of acacia and wisteria filled the garden, numbing her nose. Sniffing, she walked towards where her steps naturally led her.
Gently caressing the top of a flower that occupied a spot in the garden, Sylvia looked up at the moon dominating the dark night sky. The stars surrounding the moon twinkled brightly. Despite knowing she couldn’t reach them, she felt an urge to stretch her hand towards them.
As she extended her hand, moving it to cover and uncover the moon, a fluttering Eryngium landed on her hand.
[Sylvia.]
“Eryngium.”
[Can you make more ice cream?]
“Did you like it that much?”
The fairy nodded vigorously in response to her question.
[Yes, yes! It was incredibly delicious! The others said they’ve never tasted anything like it before!]
Amused by the fairy’s enthusiasm, Sylvia chuckled and said,
“Alright. I’ll make more.”
[Really? You promise!]
Elated, Eryngium flew around in circles before settling on Sylvia’s head.
Then, as if remembering something important, it spoke,
[Ah! But the others are leaving tomorrow. It seems Felix plans to depart.]
“What?”
The news of their departure tomorrow jolted Sylvia from her contemplative state.
“They’re leaving tomorrow?”
[Yes.]
The realization that the Croban Mercenaries were leaving sparked a thought in Sylvia.
‘Why didn’t I think of this before?’
From the beginning, she intended to actively help change the future within this novel.
Simply put, she wanted to assist Felix.
Whatever it took.
Then, rather than only meeting the Croban Mercenaries when they came to her, Sylvia could just accompany them.
‘Why didn’t I consider this simple solution instead of worrying needlessly?’
Having finally found a solution, Sylvia stretched her arms up in a triumphant gesture and exclaimed,
“What does it matter! Just not returning here will do!”
She couldn’t care less about the aftermath.
Just run away.
Though she would miss the familiar faces around her, there was no way she could live in this castle, at odds with the Duke’s household. Besides, she had initially promised Eryngium to assist Felix.
Therefore, Felix was the person she needed to prioritize now, not the Duke.
With a brightened face, Sylvia hopped around joyfully, and Eryngium, perched atop her head, laughed along without fully understanding the reason.
[Sylvia is happy, so I am happy too.]
Touched by the fairy’s innocent and adorable words, Sylvia playfully rubbed Eryngium against her cheek.
“My cute Eryngium, let’s also set off.”
[Set off?]
“Yes! Didn’t I promise?”
The fairy, knowing well what she meant by the promise, took hold of Sylvia’s cheeks with its tiny hands and gave her a peck on the lips.
[Really… Thank you so much, Sylvia.]
Sylvia smiled brightly, pressing her lavender-colored hair against her nose.
