Chapter 34
“Alright, shall we head back now?”
Axiom’s palms were completely covered in dirt after playing to his heart’s content with carefully chosen soil. I lightly dusted off his tiny hands and lifted him into my arms.
“Did you have fun today, Axiom?”
“Uaah! Uaah!”
He looked thrilled. His slightly flushed cheeks resembled ripe peaches. Worried he might be cold, I put the baby coat I’d taken off earlier back on him and left the fields.
“Mom had fun playing in the dirt with you too. Shall we go back and take a nap together?”
“Must be nice. Taking naps and all.”
…Oh my. Is Axiom already speaking in full sentences?
…Yeah, no. Obviously not.
“What’s with that rotten look on your face? You don’t even welcome your lifesaver.”
“Lifesaver? Sounds like some stray dog barking.”
“Ha.”
Dazar, who had appeared out of nowhere to pick a fight, let out a crooked breath.
I adjusted Axiom in my arms and walked straight past him.
“Shall we head back now, Axiom?”
“Wait, wait. Where do you think you’re going?”
“Where else? Back to the room. It’s cold. Axiom shouldn’t be outside for long on days like this.”
After my rapid-fire explanation, Dazar shut his mouth.
He looked at Axiom once, then at me, then crossed his arms and jerked his chin.
Toward the direction of the estate.
“Then drop him off and come to my room.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think? Did you forget something?”
“I don’t think so?”
“……”
Dazar’s face crumpled.
Ah. Maybe I did inherit the original owner’s sadistic tendencies after all.
Why does that crumpled expression feel so satisfying?
“You look pleased.”
“Not at all.”
“Ha. You’ve gotten even stranger since the Day of the Rift.”
“You were strange to begin with. Let’s call it even.”
“What? ‘Even’…?”
Dazar made a bizarre face, clearly not understanding the expression, but I breezed past him without a care.
I could hear his footsteps following behind.
“You promised me something.”
Persistent. Incredibly persistent.
“A promise? What promise—ah.”
I’d been about to brush it off irritably when it suddenly came back to me.
The conversation we’d had on the day he officially became a dog in my heart.
‘You said you’d make me that soy sauce egg rice.’
‘Fine, fine.’
Right. I did say that.
Not that I’d formally called it a “promise,” but still.
“What, you mean soy sauce egg rice? You could’ve just asked. No need to make it sound so grand.”
“Do you think nobles say things like, ‘Hey, we’re making a promise now, okay? Pinky swear’?”
“What are you even talking about?”
Dazar rattled off his words with a sulky expression.
“Even casual conversations can become binding promises between noble houses, my lady. Though you wouldn’t know, being the Evanroir young lady who cut herself off from high society.”
What does soy sauce egg rice have to do with high society?
With a bored expression, I picked at my ear and ignored him completely.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure you’re very noble. Just wait a bit, okay? I’ll be right back.”
I ditched him and hurried to my room, handing Axiom over to Carl.
“Huh? You’re leaving again as soon as you get back?”
Judging by the dark stain around his mouth, he’d definitely been drinking crucian carp extract. Carl hastily wiped his lips, eyes widening.
“Lord Cedric should be returning soon.”
“Hmm. If he gets back and I’m not here, just tell him I said thanks and see him off properly. I’ve got something to take care of.”
“Yes, understood.”
Carl carefully took Axiom, who had fallen asleep again on the way back.
After confirming Axiom was sleeping soundly, I quickly headed—not to Dazar’s office—but to the kitchen.
The kitchen servants I recognized greeted me.
“May I borrow the kitchen for a moment?”
“Y-Yes!”
The man who looked like the head chef answered nervously.
As I started cooking rice with the leftover grains, whispers came from behind me.
“Is that the legendary chef everyone’s talking about?”
“That’s her! Ever since she visited the kitchen, the lord has changed!”
“Yeah. I heard he’s been asking for food a lot more lately.”
What are they even saying?
They were whispering, but they were close enough that I couldn’t help overhearing.
“She must be the one who restored our lord’s appetite!”
Legendary chef? Me?
I scowled and glanced down at myself.
Hidden beneath my dress were legs hardened by farm work—iron legs—and arms strong enough to hold Axiom for hours without tiring.
On the outside, they looked delicate. Inside, they were packed with muscle.
‘Yes. Extremely frail.’
Shimmering blonde hair. A fairly beautiful face.
No matter how kindly one looked at me, I didn’t exactly resemble a “legendary chef.”
Still, the fact that Dazar had started eating properly again must have outweighed appearances.
“It’s ready.”
Now officially the legendary chef, I timed the fried egg perfectly so it would still be hot.
An egg fried too early always turns cold and rubbery.
I placed it atop freshly cooked rice and drizzled a soy-sauce-based seasoning over it.
In moments, a mouthwatering bowl of soy sauce egg rice was complete.
“Well, I did say I’d make it.”
I placed the bowl on a tray and walked with confident strides toward my officially designated puppy—Dazar’s office.
“…You’re here?”
For once, Dazar was sitting at his desk instead of the windowsill.
His glossy desk looked expensive at a glance, making even Dazar look more refined sitting behind it.
But I could tell.
He was pretending to be composed, but he was actually full of anticipation.
“Have you started reading books upside down lately?”
“…!”
The book he was holding was upside down.
The moment he realized it, Dazar flung it aside and sprang to his feet.
In one stride, he was in front of me, reaching for the tray.
“Oh no, you don’t.”
“…What?”
“You can’t eat sacred soy sauce egg rice with those filthy hands. Go wash them.”
“Ha. Seriously.”
Though he looked incredulous, Dazar obediently followed my instructions.
He grabbed a damp towel from the side room and wiped his hands thoroughly in front of me.
Then he sat neatly on the sofa and stared at me intently.
“Ahem.”
Seeing someone normally so arrogantly confident act like this was oddly awkward.
I placed the tray on the table in front of him and turned the spoon toward him.
“Here’s the soy sauce egg rice you wanted so badly. About what you did back then—”
Ahem!
Even saying this was embarrassing.
I scratched my cheek lightly with my index finger and continued.
“Th-thank you. I mean it. I lived because of you.”
Of course, the reason I nearly died was also partly his fault.
‘I didn’t know I was immune to barriers.’
But it wasn’t like he’d intentionally put me in danger.
At my words, his expression shifted subtly.
His brows lowered slightly, lips twisted, nose wrinkling as he stared at me.
Carefully, he spoke.
“What’s wrong with you? Did you put something weird in this?”
“……”
This jerk.
The tiny flicker of gratitude I’d felt vanished instantly.
“I take it back. I’m not grateful at all. Just eat already.”
“A noble lady shouldn’t use language like that.”
“Maybe you should try speaking more politely yourself?”
“Hmph.”
We both snorted at the same time.
“Just eat before it gets cold.”
At that, Dazar snapped back to his senses and quickly picked up the spoon.
“Try it like that first. Then mix it next time.”
He nodded solemnly.
The spoon moved slowly, then slipped into his mouth.
“…!”
His face lit up with an unmistakable This is delicious! expression.
So satisfying.
His expression was so full of joy that becoming his legendary chef didn’t sound half bad.
While I rubbed my nose smugly to myself, he devoured the rice at lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, the bowl was completely empty.
“Phew.”
Setting down the spoon with satisfaction, he dabbed at his mouth with a napkin.
Even such a small gesture radiated the elegance of a high noble—annoyingly so.
“Thanks for the meal.”
Well, he ate it so enthusiastically I could let the irritation slide.
As I picked up the tray to clear it away, he spoke casually.
“Now, come with me to the temple.”
…Excuse me?
That temple where they punish anyone—demon or human—they dislike by branding them heretics?
