Chapter 50
The chef currently employed by our household was so talented that his reputation was known even in foreign countries.
Having grown up eating food made by such a chef, my taste naturally became quite refined, and I had absolute pride that our estate’s chef was the best.
So, whenever I ate outside, it was only to fill my stomach because I was hungry — not because the food was delicious enough to impress me.
But today, I realized just how much of a frog in a well I had been. Dish after dish of heavenly flavors was being served before my eyes.
The head chef of House Luhanes might well be the most skilled chef not just in the Empire, but on the entire continent.
After moving to the dining room with Rixion Luhanes and sitting at an unnecessarily long table, I couldn’t think straight as dish after dish was lined up on the table.
Still, I didn’t want to devour everything like a starving beast in front of that man, so I clung desperately to my self-control.
Maybe at our first blind date it would’ve been whatever, but now, there was no need to ruin Elizabeth Christener’s image in such a disgraceful way.
So I ate as politely and gracefully as possible… while my hands and mouth worked busily.
Considering he said I had been asleep for five days, maybe it wasn’t a lie — no matter how much I ate, my stomach kept feeling empty, like a bottomless pit.
With this much delicious food in front of me, I just wanted to focus on eating.
But the gaze I kept feeling on my face was so irritating I could hardly endure it.
“Aren’t you eating?”
Hurry up and eat. Why are you staring at me like I’m some zoo monkey?
I shot him a complaining tone. Though quite some time had passed since the food arrived, none of the dishes in front of him had even a single fork mark.
Letting those amazing dishes just sit there and grow cold— tsk tsk. I clicked my tongue inwardly.
“Ah… I don’t really have an appetite.”
Rixion Luhanes finally touched the fork before him and answered with indifferent eyes.
The way he listlessly picked up the fork only to set it back down reminded me of my brother, Michael.
The atmosphere he gave off was also similar to when my brother sat at the table — the type who obviously wasn’t interested in eating at all.
“If you’re not going to eat it, give it to me.”
While I was busily spooning soup into my mouth, I extended my left hand toward him and beckoned.
As soon as I did it, I thought, Huh? Isn’t this a bit too rude? But Rixion Luhanes merely smiled without any displeasure and ordered the maids standing behind him.
“Clear everything in front of me and bring fresh dishes to the lady.”
I had only asked for what he wasn’t eating — so I could take it as-is. But his unexpected response made me frown.
“Why are you throwing it away? That’s wasteful.”
“Even so, I don’t want to give Liz something that’s already gone cold.”
He answered calmly with a faint smile.
Thinking of the picky eater we had at home, I took a big bite of bread.
“Anyway—”
Once my stomach was somewhat filled, I remembered the conversation I hadn’t finished earlier.
I quickly chewed and swallowed the bread before speaking.
“I thought about it, and I don’t think we’re close enough to use nicknames yet.”
Sure, we agreed to get along better, but no matter what, I absolutely could not accept “Liz” coming from his mouth.
I wrapped that meaning tightly into my words, and he replied with zero change in expression.
“Rixion is fine for me. And if Liz doesn’t mind, you can choose a nickname for me too.”
“No! I literally just said we’re not that close!”
He didn’t even blink, just calmly said what he wanted. My frustration flared.
Just then, the maids walked in carrying fresh dishes.
While I was picking my next words, he casually spoke again.
“Liz, try that one too. I remember it being quite good.”
Now he was pretending the previous topic never existed.
The menu had completely changed again. Even with my annoyed expression, I cut off a big piece of the meat pie he pointed to and took a bite.
Mmm. It was so good that even that picky eater would recommend it — incredibly delicious.
While I became completely absorbed in the meat pie, Rixion let out a short laugh.
“Should I have them bring more food?”
“I wouldn’t refuse.”
After answering without hesitation, I suddenly realized Wait, no, this isn’t why I’m here.
I hurriedly set down my fork and knife. Before resuming our earlier discussion, I took a long drink of the red beverage in my glass. It was fragrant grape juice.
Even the grape juice seemed like the best I had ever tasted.
I opened my mouth—
“…Hic!”
A hiccup burst out instead of words. Why now, of all times — how unsightly!
I cleared my throat and tried again.
“So… hIc!”
Ugh, I couldn’t get a sentence out.
I irritably furrowed my brows and reached for the grape juice again, hoping a sip would settle the hiccups.
But strangely, my hand felt slow… and a wave of sleepiness hit me. My head felt heavy.
The moment I realized something was wrong, my body slumped forward.
Before my hand even reached the glass, the side of my head hit the table with a thud.
Huh? My body wasn’t responding. I blinked in panic.
“Liz.”
I heard Rixion’s footsteps as he stood and approached from the far end of the long table.
I couldn’t even think to lift my head — I just sat there dazed, blinking. My body wasn’t the only thing unresponsive; my thoughts weren’t moving either.
“What the— why won’t my body lis—”
“Liz, are you okay?”
Rixion appeared in my field of vision, kneeling beside me with one knee on the floor. His eyes were mixed with surprise and worry.
I stared blankly at his absurdly beautiful face.
Maybe because we were in his estate, his silver hair fell naturally over his forehead in a relaxed style. The sea-blue eyes under those long lashes looked like sapphires.
He was so beautiful that just having the desire to possess him felt like a sin.
‘He’s too pretty.’
I slowly reached out toward his jewel-like face.
“…This is uncomfortable.”
“…….”
And then I firmly pressed his cheek and turned his face away.
His head tilted sharply to the side — he was obviously startled.
Still dazed, he glanced sideways at me without moving his head back.
Normally, I would’ve been terrified by such a reaction, but for some reason, I wasn’t scared at all.
I felt like I had enough courage to punch a dragon to death with my bare hands if one appeared right now.
So I decided to say something I’d always wanted to try.
“What are you staring at.”
“…….”
He didn’t answer.
After a brief staring contest, I braced myself against the table and tried to lift my heavy head.
Then I heard a strange sound beside me.
What? When I turned my head, Rixion had buried his face in his hand, shoulders shaking.
“What’s so funny.”
I muttered quietly to myself.
Rixion finally stopped laughing and lifted his head.
As soon as I met those curved blue eyes, anger suddenly surged in my chest.
“Hey, you— you can’t do that.”
I pointed at him accusingly with the hand not supporting me on the table.
My sense of distance was so off that I nearly poked him in the eye, but Rixion just dodged my finger leisurely, still smiling.
What was so funny that he kept laughing? The more I saw his annoyingly perfect face, the worse my mood became.
“You can’t treat people like toys.”
Grumbling with annoyance, I grabbed my grape juice glass and gulped it down.
“Liz, you shouldn’t drink that.”
Before I could finish half, he snatched the glass away.
Placing it far from my reach, he muttered softly,
“I didn’t know you were this weak to alcohol.”
I watched him order the maids to bring water and send everyone else away.
Then hic, the hiccups started again.
I thought to myself:
‘What was I talking about? Ah, right. Telling him not to treat people like toys. Of course. He can’t treat people like that just because I look easy. I’ll tell Ji Eun-ha everything when she gets here. And then he’ll be…’
My thoughts trailed off, and I blinked sleepily.
‘Right. I have our Ji Eun-ha on my side.’
