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Chapter 15
The ducal family of Recongias had wielded magical power for generations.
The color of their magic was black.
His magic resembled something akin to Nox.
On the other hand, Marquis Esteban, Dantalion, wielded sacred energy.
Unlike the sinister magic of others, sacred energy shone with a pure, white light.
In a world dominated by Nox, a user of sacred energy would be seen as a savior.
“As long as one has proper power, they should be treated accordingly.”
The might of a savior might even surpass that of the royal family.
Dantalion clenched his fist tightly.
No matter how much he focused, the most he could do was gather his sacred energy into his hand.
The Esteban family had intermarried among themselves to maintain their power.
It was meant to preserve their strength, but paradoxically, their sacred energy weakened over time, and the only ability Dantalion inherited was the power to recognize and absorb sacred energy.
“I need to find all remaining sacred relics as soon as possible.”
In the past, people with strong sacred energy sometimes created relics and sold them.
Difficult-to-make relics could ward off nightmares, heal diseased bodies, and were sold at high prices or passed down as heirlooms.
He absorbed the sacred energy contained within such relics to make it his own.
However, there was a complication.
Relics were rare, but recently they had become even harder to find.
Rumors had spread that the black mist avoided the relics, so more people were buying them secretly and hiding them.
As a result, counterfeit relics had started to circulate.
Only Dantalion could distinguish genuine relics by sight, so he had to act personally.
“I hope there’s a relic at this auction.”
After organizing his thoughts, he crossed his long legs and looked toward the stage.
At that moment, he was at an antique art auction.
If fortune smiled upon him, he might discover an unexpected relic.
The attendant announced loudly:
“This auction item is a painting obtained by a traveling merchant who has journeyed across the Empire from south to north!”
Alongside the merchant, a fairly large painting appeared, carried on a handcart.
It was covered in a white cloth, so the painting itself was not yet visible, but it was about to be unveiled.
Clearing his throat, the traveling merchant began to speak.
“From the North, I acquired a religious painting by Biard. As you know, Biard is famous for landscapes, but records indicate he painted only one religious work in his lifetime.”
The merchant pulled back the white cloth.
Shwaaak—!
Gasps of admiration erupted from the audience as the painting was revealed.
“Oh, this is a remarkably finished piece!”
“A goddess with wings of black and white… The theme must be the Creator deity.”
Magic and sacred energy.
The Creator deity, embodying both powers, stood proudly with wings fully spread in black and white.
“The feathers are depicted so delicately! It’s as if they’re alive and moving.”
“The bold brushstrokes, without hesitation, are truly captivating.”
Indeed, it was a masterpiece. Yet Dantalion’s gaze was not on the painting itself.
“Sacred energy?”
He narrowed his eyes to examine more closely.
“Not an illusion.”
The merchant revealing Biard’s painting glowed faintly.
It was a very subtle energy that would disappear in a few days, but it was undeniably sacred energy.
“Why does the author possess sacred energy?”
Even priests who prayed daily did not have sacred energy.
Sacred energy was solely the power of the Esteban family.
“I need to investigate.”
The merchant radiated enough sacred energy to envelop his body.
It must be far stronger than any relic Dantalion had obtained so far.
The thought of acquiring such immense power made Dantalion’s heart pound fiercely.
To finish cooking in time for dinner, some preparation had to be done in advance.
I decided to start with the dough, which takes the longest. I mixed flour with plenty of milk and butter to make croissant dough.
“His Highness has come to the dining room!”
Huh, already?
Reflexively, I looked outside, but the sun was still high in the sky.
There was plenty of time before dinner.
Had he misjudged the time for the meeting?
“Does His Highness have dinner at this hour?”
The attendant announcing Rafael’s arrival shook his head lightly.
“No. It’s too early for His Highness to seek dinner.”
“Then why did he come to the dining room? Is he perhaps feeling peckish?”
“I’ll go check.”
“No, I’ll go myself.”
I had finished most of the prep work anyway, so I decided to go to the dining room to check on Rafael.
Ah, I also remembered to bring a bunch of gladiolus I had picked outside.
Rafael sat at the head of the long table, which could also be used for banquets.
When I arrived, he didn’t look up from the documents in front of him, his glasses perched on his nose.
I couldn’t speak first, so I stood awkwardly.
Minutes passed.
“……”
At this point, it was clear he was ignoring me.
“Ahem, Your Highness.”
Finally, I spoke.
He lifted his chin slightly and kept his gaze on me, silently telling me to speak.
“There’s still plenty of time before dinner. Why have you come to the dining room?”
“Should I ask permission from someone else to move about in my own house?”
“……Whatever you decide is fine, of course.”
When the homeowner spoke like that, there was nothing more I could say.
I awkwardly placed the gladiolus I was holding into an empty vase on the table.
The luscious crimson flowers contrasted beautifully against the white tablecloth.
Rafael set his glasses on the table and asked,
“What are you doing?”
“You entrusted me with dinner. I wanted to make it a pleasant experience, so I brought some flowers. Don’t they smell nice?”
He glanced briefly at the gladiolus and returned to his documents.
‘He’s not even responding.’
It seemed Rafael wasn’t in the mood for conversation.
I couldn’t force someone to talk, so I decided to begin preparing the meal.
“Then I’ll go start preparing Your Highness’s dinner.”
I gave one last look at the gladiolus.
‘He didn’t contradict me.’
Gladiolus are scentless flowers.
Normally, he should have found it strange when I said they smelled nice, but he had no reaction.
It was clear: Rafael’s sense of smell was impaired.
I picked up a blueberry I had lightly rinsed under running water.
“Beautiful.”
The water-drenched blueberry sparkled like a sapphire.
It wasn’t just the blueberries.
Green grapes from the orchard and strawberries grown in the greenhouse were all equally luscious.
They were sweet enough to eat as-is, but adding my touch would make them even better.
‘Hehe, prepare yourself, Rafael.’
I would make him say, “Make me another dish!”
After washing all the fruit, I checked the sugar, which would be the main ingredient for today’s dish.
Meanwhile, the chef approached and glared at me.
“From the way you’re inspecting every corner, it seems you need something, Lady.”
His voice was sharp, but I didn’t mind.
If the kitchen were a battlefield, the chef was the commander.
An outsider taking control of the kitchen would be akin to mutiny.
‘It makes sense he’d be annoyed.’
Having managed a hotel kitchen myself, I understood exactly how he felt.
“I’m sorry. I began without your permission.”
“Uh……”
The chef looked surprised by my approach.
He was only upset that a stranger was meddling in the kitchen, not a bad person.
‘An opening!’
It wouldn’t hurt to get along with him.
I decided to use this opportunity.
“By the way, this is the first kitchen I’ve seen this perfect. Spotless, well-organized!”
The chef’s tight lips twitched slightly.
“And you seem to have a good eye for ingredients. Everything in storage looks fresh and perfectly prepared. It’s a pleasure to cook in a kitchen like this!”
“Ahem… It seems you have some culinary experience. I was worried an inexperienced novice might make a mess, but now I see I can trust you.”
“Don’t worry. Since you lent me this wonderful kitchen, I’ll use it carefully.”
“Hmph, yes. Just clean up afterward. Of course, it’s natural that some ingredients will splash around while cooking.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Judging by his words, his suspicion had relaxed.
With the chef’s approval, I could now freely show my skills!
