The Possession-Spoon Chef Feeds the Empire - Chapter 25

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 25
* * *
Crisp.
The Duke plucked one of the Croissants piled like a mountain on the breakfast table and popped it into his mouth.
“……!”
His eyes widened at the sensation spreading across his tongue.
The outer layers shattered delicately with each flake, while the interior, saturated with butter, dissolved soft and moist against his palate.
The rich, toasted aroma of butter bloomed through his mouth.
Chocolate, no—strawberry jam.
Yes, he had to take another bite with strawberry jam spread across it.
The Duke hurried to scoop a knife-full of jam and spread it generously over the remaining half of the Croissant.
The moment he bit into it, the sweet-tart brightness of strawberry jam rolled in like a wave over the rich butter.
The jam seeping between the crisp layers created a texture that was sweet yet light, the kind that made your hand reach for more with every bite.
“Grandfather, please try this as well.”
Bael slid another plate toward him.
At the same moment, the Duke’s eyes sparkled.
Indeed, a very good idea.
If the Croissant was delicious, everything else surely would be better.
He gazed at the mountain of food before him and smiled with relief.
He’d nearly filled his stomach with just one dish.
Whoosh.
The Duke’s hand drew the remaining plates toward him one by one.
Toast dipped in egg and fried in butter, Pancakes stacked high and soaked in syrup, Poached Eggs and Mashed Potato as well.
For such a small child, his hands were remarkably large—the white tablecloth disappeared entirely beneath the plates of food.
The moment the Duke touched the yolk of the Poached Egg with his spoon, it burst with a soft pop, releasing a stream of golden liquid.
“Mmm.”
Mixing it with the Mashed Potato and taking a bite, the earthy sweetness of potato danced in harmony with the soft, deep richness of the yolk.
The Duke closed his eyes tightly, savoring the taste and texture slowly.
It had been so long since he felt such happiness.
The fact that he was sharing this morning with his beloved grandson was moving enough, but the cooking exceeded anything he’d tasted in his life.
It wasn’t merely a matter of skill. Personal taste played an enormous role.
Every time he was invited somewhere, delicacies appeared on the table—goose liver, shark roe, mushrooms from exclusive mountains—but to the Duke’s palate, they were all merely fishy and unpleasant.
Other nobles boasted of dining as an experience, taking pride in their refined tastes, but the Duke preferred simple dishes—the kind you could identify by name alone.
Like strawberry pie.
Or chocolate banana crêpes.
Luciel seemed to have grasped his preferences perfectly, curating a table that struck his taste with remarkable precision.
“Impressive.”
The Duke spoke in an authoritative voice to Luciel, who waited attentively at his side.
“Wow, you really are extraordinary, Duke.”
When Luciel spoke with genuine admiration at his appetite, a faint smile crossed the Duke’s face.
“At first, Bael refused to eat the Pumpkin Soup I made and actually threw his spoon down.”
“Pumpkin Soup? Oh, what does it taste like…….”
The Duke began to ask but stopped abruptly, clearing his throat.
“……Or rather, this boy’s manners have gone bad.”
Bael bowed his head.
“Now he eats everything without leaving any for anyone else. Thanks to your kindness, his health has recovered.”
Cain, who had been observing, picked up the thread. There was an undercurrent of resentment in his tone.
“I thought you would enjoy it as well, Duke.”
“When did I ever?”
The Duke took a large bite of a buttered Scone as he spoke.
“The boy was so eager to serve me food that I decided to indulge him specially.”
His casual tone and the rapid fork moving through his food seemed to convey contradictory messages.
“He saved my life, after all. This way, I can also assess his skills.
“As you say. Then the results are…….”
The gazes of Cain, Bael, and Luciel converged on the Duke at once. He cleared his throat and wiped his mouth.
“Not finished.”
“Pardon? You’ve just eaten enough food for four grown men all by yourself…….”
“That’s not the point. The dessert hasn’t arrived yet.”
The Duke insisted stubbornly.
“Bring out the Fondant Chocolat I was promised. Only then will I decide whether to keep or dismiss her.”
“…….”
“Hurry.”
Ten more minutes passed, and the Duke finally set down his spoon, trembling with emotion.
The Fondant Chocolat was extraordinary. By this point, it was only natural.
Despite its plain appearance, when split in two, a thick, molten chocolate flowed out like lava.
In childhood, whenever his mother baked cakes, he always wanted to taste the thick batter before baking.
Now, at his age, that long-cherished wish had finally come true.
After the meal ended, the Duke wiped away bread crumbs and chocolate from his mouth with meticulous care, his expression grave.
“Your name is Luciel, correct?”
“Yes.”
“……I will not renew your employment contract as it stands.”
“I beg your pardon?”
All three exclaimed at once.
“Grandfather, what do you mean…….”
“The previous contract is void. We shall draw up a new Employment Contract.”
Luciel’s eyes widened in astonishment.
The Duke spoke.
“It can only be changed by my direct decision. My children won’t be able to alter this contract arbitrarily.”
“Yes?”
All three exclaimed once more.
This time, their shock had transformed into hope.
“100 Gold. How does that sound?”
He spoke with complete seriousness.
“One hundred Gold per year?”
Luciel’s eyes threatened to pop out of her head.
100 Gold annually.
This was the amount she had dreamed of earning since childhood.
In the village where she grew up, only three people earned that much, and they all strutted around insufferably.
Luciel had always wanted to strut the same way.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
The Duke let out a scoff.
“If I offered you merely 100 Gold per year, House Erban, Marquess Seladin, or even the Imperial Palace would snatch you away in a heartbeat. And you’d follow them with a stupid grin on your face.”
“Then…….”
“100 Gold per month. I’ll pay it in advance.”
Luciel was struck speechless.
She couldn’t even comprehend what 100 Gold per month meant.
She had anticipated receiving recognition from the Duke, but this outcome exceeded her wildest imagination.
The Duke took her silence as assent and summoned his steward to draw up the contract.
After signing the thick document roughly ten times, Luciel stared at the contract in a daze for a long moment.
[Employment Contract for Exclusive Chef to House Belleon.
– Monthly Salary: 100 Gold, paid in advance on the first of each month.
– Minimum 8 days of leave guaranteed each month.
– Year-end Bonus to be negotiated separately, but disbursement shall be decided only with the signature of the Thirteenth Duke of House Belleon (if special meals are prepared exclusively for the Duke once per month, this shall be viewed most favorably).
– Termination of employment is possible only via document bearing the Duke’s seal. No third party, including members of the direct and collateral lines of House Belleon, may arbitrarily alter or void this contract.
– Term of validity: 50 years henceforth]
‘Mother.’
She murmured quietly in her mind.
I think I’ve done it.
‘I’ve secured both things Mother emphasized so many times—high pay and job stability—at once.’
Just as Mother advised, I even negotiated for work-life balance.
Aren’t I clever?
That night, Luciel fell asleep clutching the advance payment of Gold tightly in both hands.
It was only many years later that she realized the cunning Duke had woven a trap into the contract, ensuring she could never leave even if she wanted to.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————