Chapter 9: Sleep Well in the Ducal Residence Dungeon.
The restaurant, swept through like a storm by Betty, was now shrouded in a chill silence. Steam still rose gently from the soup on the table, and the meats dotted with red powder emitted a constant, subtle fragrance.
I shrugged and handed the remaining tub of paprika powder to Hans, the head cook. "Take it all. I saw the knights going crazy for it earlier. If they're doing night training and outdoor sleeping tonight, they need to eat hearty, right?"
"Y-Your Highness! Are you really giving this precious stuff all to us?"
"Of course. Just don't let it leak out beyond the knight order."
I shrugged it off like it was no big deal. "Understood."
Hans's voice trembled. He cradled the white tub in both hands like he'd been handed a dragon's heart.
"And Winterfell has paprika rotting away in excess anyway. You saw how it's made, right? Just follow that exactly. The key is removing the white core inside perfectly. That's what keeps this artistic 'color' intact."
That's when it happened. The main kitchen chefs of the ducal residence, having heard the rumors, rushed into the restaurant. I gladly passed the recipe on to them too. Keeping it exclusive wouldn't make money anyway. My priority was building 'allies' within this massive fortress of Winterfell to protect my life.
After finishing the knight order schedule and recipe training, I returned to my room and flopped spread-eagled on the bed. To check the knight order info I'd gotten as a reward, I murmured into the air.
"Knight order info window."
Knight order key personnel info updated! 💖
A translucent pink window floated into view. I clicked on Captain Wolff's icon first.
"...This guy's the one? I'm losing my mind."
A hollow laugh burst out. Those fantastic visual erotic books I'd luckily found in the library. Who knew they were smuggled in by Sir Wolff, Winterfell's treasure.
'From today, I, Rian, withdraw all support for Wolff. From today, I'm one with Wolff.'
Anyway, that long one. "Gotta sneak extra powder to Sir Wolff."
The shameful memory of hiding it in my bosom and getting caught by Luna made my face burn, but at the same time, it felt like I had a solid friend.
I checked the other knights' info too, but nothing major. If I had to pick? Well, the vice-captain dispatched to the imperial south and his 10 knights.
Unlike the other Winter Guards, the dispatched vice-captain and 10 knights were loyal not to Betty, but to Sir Lucas.
'But hey, they don't have to be loyal to Betty. Sir Lucas is a fine elder from a good family, and he seems to cherish her.'
"And in the Korean military where I lived, we weren't exactly loyal either. Or not? These are knights, so maybe different? Gotta casually drop it to Betty sometime..."
"Your Highness, dinner time. Shall we head out now?"
"Yeah, let's go." I decided to think on Luna's call later.
'Yeah, eat first, think later.'
Dinner time arrived. But the head seat was still empty. The spot of Winterfell's master, Betty, felt hollow.
"Luna, Lady still not here?"
Luna, waiting beside me, shook her head calmly. "Lady has mountains of work piled up today and will skip dinner. She said Your Highness should eat alone."
"Got it. Hey Luna, can you grab some more bread?"
"Yes, one moment please."
Luna went to the kitchen for bread.
'Being family head ain't easy, huh. Skipping meals for work... She won't dump work on me later, right?'
That's when it happened. That guy from earlier showed up again. But this time, blinking excessively unlike usual.
Love is an Open ~ Door!
📍 Content: Right now! Burst into the office and confirm the lady's 'truth'!
🎁 Refusal Penalty: Your death. lol
"...Ah, this crazy System for real."
I swallowed a curse and jumped up urgently. Looking at it, the one killing me in 2 years isn't Betty—it's this guy.
'Refusal penalty is my death? Suddenly full throttle like this?'
To live, I had to go. And rudely at that.
The lady's office door was silent. Right now, survival trumped manners.
Bang—!
"Lady!"
I flung the door open without knocking. The heavy door crashed against the wall with a boom. And an even more shocking sight burned into my retinas.
"......"
"......"
The office reeked deliciously of meat. Gone was the icy image of Winterfell's master, the cold ice lady Beatrice de Winterfell. She wore not her usual black dress, but a negligee for sleeping, legs bare in comfy attire. One hand gathered her hair, exposing the nape and shoul... anyway, and the other forked a piece of steak into her small mouth.
On the desk sat the white tub she'd called meh for me, brazenly open. Her plate was blanketed in paprika powder like red snow had fallen.
In the frozen silence, Betty's fork trembled in mid-air. Her large red eyes wavered in embarrassment.
"Whoa."
I couldn't help but snicker. "Lady. Just eat with me—why sneak like this?"
"Th-this is...! Your Highness, that's!"
"Right? So damn good, huh? Makes you wanna hog it alone, devour it all solo? Hands just go for it~ hands go~"
Betty's face flushed redder than ripe paprika. I got even more excited and teased.
"Know who made that powder? Me, Rian!"
Betty suddenly bowed her head. "Betty, crying? So good tears are—"
"Rian."
She cut me off, calling my name—not Lady, but Betty. No, she called me formally.
'Oh crap. Got too hyped that my paprika powder got recognized and lost it for a sec.'
"Yes. Lady."
"Why'd you suddenly barge into my office? I distinctly said not to come."
I racked my brain to escape. "W-well, hearing you skipped dinner for work worried me so much.. that's why.."
"I see. You came out of worry for me."
Good. Felt like I could slide by. "Yes, exactly. Skipping meals for work is bad for your health. If this happens again, I'll worry just like now."
My expression and words were perfect fiancé material. Nailed it.
"Yes. I understand."
"Thanks for getting it, Lady. Then I'll head ou—"
"No. Now I'm suddenly worried about you."
She looked up, red eyes piercing—not stabbing, shredding—me.
"Seems the quality of Your Highness's bedroom is lacking. So, renovations are needed."
'What? Thanks, so making it better?'
"Thus, until renovations finish, stay in our ducal residence's underground dungeon."
'Dungeon? Ducal residence's underground dungeon?'
"Wait. Be—"
"Butler outside, escort His Highness to the underground dungeon immediately. His bedroom must be so bad he can't sleep, driving him mad."
"Bedroom's totally fine! Sanity.. sorry! Anyway, no need for renovations! Wait, Butler! This ain't right!!"
Slam—!
The door shut like it broke. And I was dragged by attendants to the ducal residence's underground dungeon.
Still, the ducal dungeon seemed livable enough. Though the bed was half the size of mine's half, and instead of warm goose down, just a rag barely warding off colds.
"Huh, even a wooden table and chair to sit and eat comfortably."
Reward: Recall Betty's scene anytime!
'Jeez.'
Your Highness! Did you see? Winterfell's ice flower, dusted with your powder, devouring steak in that shameless yet alluring pose! Now you can relive that scene anytime you want! (😉)
"Fuck off."
