Chapter 17
“In the Kitchen at Night”
‘It’s raining.’
There was no window in the narrow storage room, so she hadn’t noticed it was raining outside.
When did it start?
Vivian, who was about to follow Leon without thinking, suddenly stopped and looked up at him.
A sudden uneasiness came over her.
At this late hour, appearing so quietly… where was he taking her?
Vivian stepped back and asked,
“Where are we going right now?”
“I told you to come out.”
“Y-You should at least tell me where. How can I just follow you without knowing—ah!”
Before she could finish, Leon grabbed her hand and pulled her.
She stumbled out of the storage.
She almost fell into his solid chest but managed to steady herself and step away.
“That hurts! What is wrong with you?”
“I’m not very patient.”
“Is it that hard to explain? Ah… that hurts…”
“I’m not here to answer your questions. Just do as I say.”
Is he going to drag me away and kill me?
Would the male lead really commit murder so easily?
She tried to think that way, but fear made her whole body tremble.
Things already felt different from the original story… had even the way she dies changed?
An uncontrollable fear swallowed her instantly.
Creak… thud.
The storage door shut behind them.
Leon looked down at Vivian, who lowered her head.
Through her loose hair, her thin white neck looked especially fragile.
‘In the end… I came here.’
He was wary of her, but at the same time, he couldn’t resist the desire for taste.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.
He needed to confirm something.
He had to know if she was using some kind of magic.
Vivian leaned against the door and glared at him.
Her gentle eyes were moist.
“At least I should know why I’m dying.”
“…Dying?”
“Yes. Why? You already didn’t want this marriage and found me annoying. Are you trying to kill me by framing me like this?”
“Hah?”
“Why are you laughing? Is this funny to you?”
The man who harmed others as he pleased was no longer the Leon she knew.
A novel was just a novel.
Leon Lohberger Ester… was a ruthless man.
As Vivian thought that—
“I can do that if you want.”
“What?”
“Should I kill you?”
Leon brushed back his wet hair and asked calmly.
“I didn’t plan to, but if you want, I can.”
Should I kill you?
His cold voice and eyes froze her body.
Vivian quickly shook her head.
“N-No.”
“Then be quiet and follow me.”
After saying that, he handed her the lantern.
“To the first floor.”
With that, Vivian held the lantern and walked through the basement corridor.
The dark kitchen was lit again by a faint orange light.
“What… do you want me to do?”
Vivian asked with wide eyes.
“Cook.”
“Cook? All of a sudden…?”
“Do it. Make anything.”
At Leon’s sudden demand, Vivian looked blank.
He suddenly appeared in the middle of the night, brought her to the kitchen, and told her to cook.
The kitchen was silent.
Outside the large window, heavy rain and wind were raging.
“Why suddenly make me cook…”
Vivian slowly looked around the kitchen.
It was so clean that it looked unused.
Make anything?
Normally, she would have been excited.
But now, everything felt suspicious.
Come to think of it, weren’t nobles not supposed to enter the kitchen?
Yet here he was again, acting like it was his own place.
She glanced at Leon—and their eyes met.
She quickly looked away.
“You should at least explain why—”
“Just do as I say.”
It seemed like he was testing something.
Calling her out suddenly and telling her to cook.
It felt exactly like that.
Suddenly, old memories came back.
In her previous life, this kind of thing happened often.
Superiors would suddenly bring food and tell her to recreate it.
Back then, they criticized her for doing things wrong.
Now… what would happen?
Is my life depending on this dish?
Thinking that made her determination rise.
“Fine. Anything is okay, right?”
“Yes. But explain every ingredient and every step to me.”
This isn’t a cooking show…
Why is he so obsessed with the process?
He even told Marian to cook in front of him before.
Does he think someone is putting something in his food?
He called me delusional…
Vivian glared at him.
Fortunately, he didn’t notice.
What should I make?
On a rainy night like this…
“Grand Duke, do you like pancakes?”
“No questions.”
“Then I’ll get ingredients from the storage. That’s okay, right?”
As she walked toward the stacked barrels—
“Do everything where I can see you.”
Leon walked toward her.
His large shadow covered her.
“Huh?”
“I’m going with you.”
“Ah…”
This is a problem.
If he goes with her, the cold storage room wouldn’t appear.
Still, she had no choice.
She entered the storage with him.
As expected, the special cold storage did not appear.
Unlike the bright, modern storage, this one was dark.
As Vivian searched for ingredients using faint light from a small window—
Suddenly, the space brightened.
“What are you trying to find in the dark?”
Leon stood there, holding the lantern.
“…Thank you.”
There were more ingredients than expected.
Flour, vegetables, dried meat—all neatly stored.
Vivian picked a few and walked toward him.
“Should I explain here?”
Leon nodded slightly.
“This… where I’m from, we call it green onion…”
“Green onion? That’s not it.”
It looked like a mix of bok choy and green onion.
She had used it before.
“What’s it called here?”
“You’re cooking with something you don’t even know?”
“I know the taste. Just tell me the name.”
“Leek.”
“Ah, leek. Okay—leek, flour, carrots. That’s enough.”
They returned to the kitchen.
Vivian placed the ingredients on the counter and went to wash them.
Leon silently followed her.
The kitchen felt smaller with him there.
Wherever she moved, he followed.
Vivian looked at him while washing vegetables.
“This leek has a lot of dirt between layers, so it needs to be washed carefully.”
“You don’t need to explain that much. Just tell me the ingredients and steps.”
“You told me to explain everything.”
“I’ll correct that. Only explain what I ask.”
“…Seriously.”
After washing, she returned to the counter.
“Grand Duke.”
“What?”
“I noticed something.”
She looked at him.
“You’re taking up more space than the person cooking.”
She lightly pushed him with her elbow.
“Please move a little. I can’t cook.”
“Ah.”
Leon stepped aside.
He seemed calmer now.
Still rough in speech, but softer somehow.
Good. She couldn’t mess up cooking.
“The pancake I’m making today will be different from what you usually eat.”
“Different?”
“Yes. The main ingredient is this—leek.”
“Just make it.”
“It’s called pajeon. Or… leek pancake.”
“Pajeon?”
“Yes. Where I’m from, we eat this on rainy days.”
Fresh vegetables with sweet leek.
It would be perfect with squid—but that wasn’t available here.
In the northern land, seafood was hard to find.
There were many missing ingredients.
Normally, green onions would be better.
Special flour would be better too.
But if there are no teeth, you use the gums.
Vivian placed the cleaned vegetables on the board and looked at Leon.
“Watch carefully.”
“I’ll show you how a delicious dish is made.”
