Side Story 1 Chapter 10

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“.....Are you really going to keep doing that?”

“Yeah.”

Dietrich nodded, the rattling sound of stones reverberated through the kitchen.

It didn’t roll around because it was wrapped in cloth, but Dietrich looked very uncomfortable eating while carrying three large stones that should be aptly called rocks rather than stones. 

“I told you it’s fine.” 

Everytime he raised his arm to pick up food from a distance, the stone hit the table and made a heavy thudding sound.  

At first, the servants widened their eyes wondering what kind of monstrous thing His Grace was doing, but now they got used to it and just moved the plate closer to him. 

“It’s fine. I don’t want to make you feel lonely.”

“....How stubborn.”

When I first heard the news of my pregnancy, I was afraid of giving birth to a child vaguely and expressed my resentment towards Dietrich. 

After that, he started carrying around rocks the size of his body saying he can’t let me suffer alone. 

‘Actually, our baby isn’t as heavy as that rock.’

I sighed while caressing my already swollen stomach. 

‘To think he wants to carry a rock as heavy as a baby. One would think he’s making the baby out to be a pig.’

Even if Dietrich couldn’t carry the rock he was carrying, it was after all weighing over twenty kilograms.

I shrugged as I stared down at the cloth that was drooping down his shoulder.

As I put down my fork to signify that I won’t eat anymore, Dietrich cautiously reached out and caressed my cheek. 

“Is the food not to your liking?”

His voice was gentle but his eyes were sharp.

I hurriedly opened my mouth, realizing that there was a very nervous cook in the direction of his ferocious gaze.

“It’s not that. I like it.  I just don’t feel too good.” 

Considering Vanessa’s case, I wasn’t prone to morning sickness, but even so, the thought of food made me nauseous like I suffer from terrible motion sickness. 

Chef Garton was often called to his office because of my morning sickness symptoms which were growing worse as days went by.

“You can’t eat one full meal these days.”

Dietrich groaned lightly as he glanced at my place which was barely touched with the fork digging through the meat.  

I carefully opened my mouth, placing my hand on the back of his hand in case there was any unnecessary spark on the servants. 

“Don’t say anything to the chef. There’s nothing wrong with the food.”

“....Very well.”

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‘Didn’t you agree not to say anything!’

Chef Garton wanted to cry in front of the liar Grand Duke but held himself back. 

To receive Dietrich’s bloody gaze with his entire body made him feel as if he was going to die of injustice 

No, he didn’t want to die, he really wanted to live.

‘Fortunately, the madam had told him not to say anything to me. ‘

The chef, who explained today’s dish in front of Dietrich in a dead voice, secretly bit his nails. 

‘If she hadn’t, I’d have my funeral today.’

The Grand Duke, who listened to a terrifying degree to his wife, did not raise his voice to the chef or cut his salary as she had requested. 

He just called the chef in charge of Anissa’s meals and silently glared at him. However, he was able to reach the highest level of intimidation just by wielding a sword with just his right hand. 

The chef, who was an ordinary human being, felt his knees go numb just by looking at the bright glare from his dark red eyes. 

“What was dinner?”

“Today’s main dish was a young rabbit grilled with salt cut in thin slices using a method that removes the smell while not using as much spices as possible.” 

With a trembling voice, the chef insisted that it was not his fault that Anissa didn’t finish her meal properly.

Dietrich silently stroked his chin when the chef said that in case she didn’t like the rabbit, he prepared all kinds of meat and seafood but she couldn’t finish one meal. 

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

The chef, who had been constantly watching him, quickly bent his waist.

“It’s because of my poor skills. Please kill me!” 

It meant to plead not to kill him.

“...Skills, you say.” 

He made an excuse because he thought he would kill the cook as he lacked skills, but fortunately, he seemed to have persuasive skills. 

“Is it because your skills are not good enough?”

The chef hurriedly answered Dietrich’s question with a brief nod. 

“Yes! I tried my best but it seems that I am not able to satisfy the taste of the madam.”

“Then, doesn’t that mean we just have to find a better chef?”

“Should we call for Jerry Mont?”

“Is he the only cook who's better than you?” 

For some reason, Dietrich hated Jerry Mont. Thankfully, Lancel stepped forward instead of the chef who was flustered and hesitated to answer. 

“However, Your Grace, our Chef Garton is the only chef in the North with skills comparable to Jerry Mont’s.”

“Then there’s someone else from another place.”

At Dietrich’s careless words that scratched the chef’s pride, Lancel stood up and defended the chef. 

“There is only one chef who is Garton’s master, and he is currently in charge of the imperial palace’s kitchen.  

We’ll just have to bring that person, then. 

The chef’s eyes widened as he seemed to have heard Dietrich muttering such words.

‘I must have heard it wrong.’

How could he bring in His Majesty’s chef?

Garton forgot for a moment that his master had an extraordinary talent for making the impossible possible. 

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Early in the morning, a large burlap sack was pushed into the kitchen of the Grand Duke, where Garton was the chef.

“What in the world is this?”

“I also don’t know. His Grace told me to deliver it to the kitchen.”

The knight who handed the sack to Garton, who didn’t understand, shrugged his shoulders. 

“Hm? Is it potatoes?”

“Uwack!”

“Hic.”

But wasn’t that object inside the bag letting out a scream?

Garton stepped back, startled by the red blood slightly smeared on the tip of the kitchen knife.

“Is-isn’t this a person!”

At Garton’s words, the knight lifted the sack and turned it upside down.

“Urk!”

The man that was stabbed in the thigh with a knife collapsed on the floor crying. 

“Master!”

When Garton checked the man’s face, he was frightened and lowered his body.

‘Oh my goodness, why is the master in a sack like this!’

The man in the sack was Chef Poro, who was responsible for bringing Garton into the world of cooking and was in charge of the cuisine of the imperial family for generations. 

“Garton….?”

“Yes, it’s me!”

“Then, is this place Lagrange? Ah, this is not the time for this!” 

Poro was taken aback by Garton’s answer and stood up, then he picked up the cabbage Garton was slicing, ignoring his thigh which was bleeding from a knife. 

“I need to make food that even pregnant women with severe morning sickness can eat.”

“Pardon?”

“If I don’t, the man said he would destroy the imperial family!”

Garton, who was about to ask who said such, had no choice but to keep his mouth shut. 

It was obvious who the person was. 

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Anissa seemed to want to eat a few spoonfuls of Poro’s soup, but then bowed her head with a sigh.

In the end, even Poro had failed.

“You can’t eat this, too?”

“The soup tastes a little strange today, Garton.”

‘It’s because I’m not the one who made it, madam.’

Garton, who couldn’t honestly answer Anissa, opened his mouth restlessly, only watching Dietrich’s eyes.

“Madam, is there anything else you’d like to eat?”

“I want to eat something sour.”

“Should I bring you some fruit? What kind of fruit would you like to eat?”

“I want to eat a peach.”

“Peaches are not in season now so they aren’t out….”

Flash. 

Dietrich’s eyes, which had been slightly relaxed, shone brightly again.

He had to somehow get it. 

Returning to the kitchen, Garton and Poro started to stare at each other in cold sweat.

“Is there a country where peaches are in season right now, Master?”

“There is an island called Hirrell to the south, and peaches might still be out from that area.” 

“If it’s Hirrell, isn’t it a country that doesn’t interact with other countries at all?”

Hirrel was a closed country that shut its borders and did not even receive visitors, let alone trade. 

Dietrich, who had been silently listening to their conversation, left the kitchen without a word. 

“Did His Grace just leave with a kitchen knife?”

“You must have seen it wrongly.”

Poro nodded at Garton’s answer and soon heard Lancel’s voice echoing through the hallway.

“Your Grace, what do you mean war!”

“Move.”

“Where in the world are you going with your troops when you haven’t reported it to Her Majesty!” 

“Get lost.”

“No! Moreover, I heard that you kidnapped Her Majesty’s chef this morning! A message came down from the palace to send him back immediately!”

“It seems that your neck has doubled recently.” 

“Take care, Your Grace.” 

Lancel was a man who gave up quickly enough to step down from the position of a butler at Anissa’s order without saying anything.

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