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Chapter 05
“Is this what someone brings when they say they’re sorry? Just vegetable soup? How am I supposed to train after eating this?”
Alina, wearing the expression of a criminal on trial, murmured a small excuse.
“I thought you should settle your stomach with cabbage soup first, instead of eating something too heavy.”
At her words, Klaus lifted the lid of the pot. Inside was a clear, clean broth filled with cabbage and various vegetables.
But no meat.
His silver eyes, tinged with gray, narrowed.
The lid clattered shut, and his neat mouth twisted as a sarcastic laugh escaped.
“This is the perfect menu for fainting during training.”
“I didn’t think that far, I’m sorry. If you want, I’ll remake something else right away.”
“It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t planning to eat it anyway.”
While giving Alina a cold scolding, Klaus removed the armor from his shoulders and said curtly,
“I’d prefer to decline whatever the kitchen sends for a while. Who knows what might happen next time?”
He was about to wave her away, but Alina abruptly lifted her head and looked at him.
“You’re right.”
“…What?”
“It’s only natural you’d feel displeased. The kitchen’s mistake affected the entire knights’ performance. You must’ve been so upset. Even the head chef said he would personally take responsibility. Everyone in the kitchen feels deeply sorry.”
Even with a towering knight looming over her, her clear green eyes did not waver.
Instead, she looked as if she fully sympathized with the knight commander’s feelings—her expression even earnest.
Klaus forgot the sarcastic remark he was about to make and ended up explaining himself.
“No, it’s not like I’m angry, exactly. Just a bit…”
“Yes. It must’ve been difficult. And upsetting.”
Alina pulled a tablecloth from the basket and spread it neatly on the table, then quickly set out the pot and bowls.
In an instant, the military tent had transformed into a tiny dining area.
“I know someone like me—just a kitchen assistant—being here probably worsens your mood. But I made this thinking about the knights who must have suffered. I really, truly worked hard. Please, just one bite.”
“Didn’t you say you brought pancakes?”
Klaus eyed the thick cake sitting on the plate with suspicion.
He fully expected another stiff, paper-like pancake, but it looked completely different from the ones he’d seen before.
He hadn’t even eaten anything like this at imperial banquets. It was almost like a chiffon cake, which piqued his curiosity.
“This doesn’t look like a pancake.”
Seeing his reaction, Alina brightened as if she’d been waiting.
“Yes! Please try it. This time nothing will go wrong—I made sure not to undercook anything.”
“…Fine. Out of respect for the effort, I’ll take one bite.”
Klaus reluctantly sat down.
It didn’t take long for the cold-faced beauty to break into a gentle smile.
“Ugh… my stomach’s still churning.”
“You too? Mine burns so badly. I should’ve taken the day off.”
Not long after Klaus began eating, several other knights entered the tent from the training grounds.
Judging by their pale faces, they were still suffering from the food poisoning caused by the egg sandwiches.
“Commander, what are you doing?”
A knight with light green hair spotted Klaus eating pancake and looked utterly betrayed.
“You leave us to train while you eat alone? We should eat together!”
Klaus flinched and froze mid-bite, fork hanging in the air.
“No, I was just tasting it. Of course we’ll eat lunch together.”
“For a ‘taste,’ you’ve eaten quite a bit.”
Indeed, Klaus was already down to the last bite. Realizing this, he stared at his plate and started coughing as if startled.
“Hmm, hm! Huh… when did it all disappear?”
“Let’s be honest. You ate it. It didn’t disappear.”
The knight strode forward, snatched the final piece from Klaus’s hand, and popped it into his own mouth.
“That was the last—!”
Before Klaus’s tragic cry could echo, the knight had swallowed it all.
“…It was the last bite.”
When Klaus spoke wistfully, the knight glared at him while chewing.
“Why are you making such a fuss ov—oh?”
Every bite made the knight’s pea-green eyes widen.
“Wow!”
The lightly browned edges and fluffy, springy center melted sweetly in his mouth. To think that had been the final piece—it really was tragic.
After devouring the last crumbs, the knight walked up to Alina standing beside the table and abruptly asked,
“Did you make this?”
Alina nodded modestly at the knight’s sparkling eyes.
“Yes.”
“Incredible! I’ve never tasted anything like this in my life!”
“You like it?”
“Of course! Nice to meet you. I am Marquis of Schneertz, Cayden Schlemmer.”
Alina shook hands politely.
“I’m Lise Kruger, kitchen assistant. Please call me Lise.”
“Then please call me Cayden!”
“How could I call a marquis so casually?”
Flustered by his friendliness, Alina stepped back, and Cayden looked genuinely hurt.
“Why not? I want to be friends with someone as talented as you. You’d like being friends with me too, Lise. I’m on a completely different level from a commander who sneaks off to eat pancakes without his men.”
Cayden continued bragging about himself.
“Of course, my swordsmanship and riding aren’t quite as good as the commander’s. But character! Wealth! I’m far superior.”
“Quiet. Your academy diploma ink isn’t even dry yet.”
Before he realized it, Klaus—now apparently someone with poor character and wealth—flicked Cayden on the forehead.
Tearing up, Cayden rubbed his head.
“It’s been four months since I graduated! How is the ink not dry? Does it take a year for yours to dry, commander?”
He pouted and tattled to Alina.
“Did you know? Even at the academy, I was far more popular. Malerhark may value ability, but what’s the point of rising quickly? One must win both work and love!”
“I said quiet.”
Klaus ground his teeth, and Cayden blinked rapidly.
“You’re not actually mad, are you?”
“If I dealt with you seriously, I’d die early. So no.”
Klaus shook his head and motioned for the others to sit.
All the knights who had been watching their bickering sat and stared at Alina—like baby birds watching their mother bring food.
Clearing her throat, Alina turned to Cayden.
“Cayden, would you place the pot on the stove?”
“Of course!”
He didn’t even let her finish before he hung the pot of cabbage soup over the fire.
While the soup heated, Alina plated pancakes one by one.
“Eat together once the soup boils. Your stomachs aren’t ready for pancake alone.”
The knights, stomachs rumbling, stared longingly at the pancakes while the gentle vegetable aroma filled the air.
Alina hesitated, then asked carefully,
“You all got sick from the egg sandwiches… maybe it’s better not to eat pancakes today?”
“Lillith treated us, so we’re almost fine. It’s okay.”
Perhaps afraid Alina would take the pancakes away, Cayden answered quickly.
“Is this Lillith person an imperial mage?”
At her innocent question, Klaus blinked in surprise, then gave a faint smile.
“You’re not from Malerhark, are you, Miss Lise?”
“…What?”
His sharp observation made Alina’s face go stiff.
“Anyone from Malerhark would know the princess’s name.”
“Oh, you meant that. I didn’t realize she was Her Highness the Princess—you all call her by name.”
At her response, Klaus pointed at Cayden.
“He and I attended the academy with Lillith. Most of this year’s knight order are our classmates.”
“I didn’t know.”
Alina smiled awkwardly.
“I’m from Zenotat.”
At the word Zenotat, Klaus’s expression turned solemn.
“The conquest of Zenotat was regrettable. But it was unavoidable. His Majesty couldn’t ignore the problems caused by King Ranshel’s tyranny.”
“…King Ranshel was a tyrant.”
Alina forced calm into her voice. Klaus nodded and continued.
“The empire gave refuge to those fleeing Ranshel, but there were limits. Some refugees even turned to banditry near the border, then fled across it when imperial troops arrived. When His Majesty demanded the return of illegal migrants and criminals, Ranshel refused—and killed the envoy. That was the spark.”
“I heard there were attempts inside Zenotat to overthrow the royal family, but they failed every time. So they sought help from the empire.”
Alina’s cautious words made Klaus smile.
“Exactly. That’s why Malerhark drew its sword.”
“I thought the empire wanted to annex Zenotat. But you withdrew right after taking down the royal family. Why?”
“The empire wanted only that. Lillith said it too—better to grant freedom than leave people to suffer. That’s why the empire declared the people of Zenotat free to choose their nationality. What needed erasing was the Ranshel royal line, not the freedom of its people.”
“The king did many wrongs. But what about the princes and princesses? Why kill the entire royal family?”
“They’re anti-imperial.”
Klaus answered cleanly.
“And even if they don’t want to be, they could be enthroned again just for having Ranshel’s blood. There are still rotten remnants of loyalists. Especially that crown prince—he’s incredibly calculating. They say he acts exactly like his father.”
“If he vanished with the youngest princess, they’re probably working together.”
Cayden added, and Alina stopped asking questions. Defending the youngest princess now would only raise suspicion.
She naturally shifted the topic.
