The Possession-Spoon Chef Feeds the Empire - Chapter 87

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 87
“I deserve a taste too. I helped make the foam, after all.”
Edwin opened his mouth wide in protest.
Well past twenty, yet his face had changed little since his teens—soft, boyish, gazing down at her with unmistakable longing.
She could see saliva pooling at the corner of his mouth.
“I’ve been waiting for this. It’s been almost a year since I last had Souffle Pancake.”
“You ate it a year ago? Why wasn’t I there?”
Selina’s sharp retort made Edwin cross his arms with a smug expression.
“That’s exactly why you should have helped with the cooking instead of just asking for a bite.”
“Luciel, ignore this fool. Shall we talk about reallocating Maestel’s profit margins instead? Which would be more helpful? Which deserves a taste more?”
“Both of you will have some.”
Luciel pulled the silver tray toward her from the corner of the cooking counter and lifted the cloth that had covered it.
“I made extra portions for situations exactly like this.”
A delicate Souffle Pancake emerged into view, its fluffy texture adorned with fruit and edible flowers.
“Oh!”
“This looks delicious…”
“That’s all there is, though. I can’t touch the Duke’s portion or my own.”
Luciel fixed both of them with a stern gaze as they’d already begun moving their forks.
“There really isn’t any more…”
“Um, Luciel?”
While she was still mid-warning, a faint voice came from beside the doorway.
“Could I possibly have just one bite too?”
“…Isolde.”
Luciel looked at the small girl before her.
Beneath platinum blonde hair lay eyes of pale sky-blue.
Clear and gentle, yet holding the innocent gaze of a child.
She looked as though she might shatter if not given something to eat.
Without thinking, Luciel smiled and extended a small piece of pancake—the portion she’d set aside for herself.
Isolde’s face lit up as though she’d been given the whole world.
“Thank you! Every time I eat something you’ve made, I feel like I gain strength.”
That was the point, after all.
Luciel murmured to herself.
Isolde had come by frequently before, requesting food.
Each time, Luciel had cooked something for her while weaving in small buffs.
Without those meals, she seemed on the verge of breaking—but it was also a form of practice.
Something the Head Butler had ordered: part of her training to boost magical power and physical stamina.
The fact that she no longer collapsed even after applying buffs was thanks to that regimen.
“Well, if you’ve all finished, shall we wrap this up?”
Luciel gestured with her hand, herding them out of the kitchen.
After seeing them off, Luciel checked the calendar hanging in the corridor once more.
Finally.
Bael was coming at last.
That boy who’d left the Mansion at fourteen, so frail he’d needed an age to learn to stand on his own feet.
He had conquered countless battles and was finally returning to her side.
After five long years.
Surviving danger at every turn.
He—who had lived to reach adulthood—was finally coming back.
“…Hm?”
Luciel stopped still as she returned to the kitchen.
The air current felt subtly different from moments before.
As though someone had just entered.
“Who’s there?”
She set the precious Souffle Pancake aside and picked up the frying pan.
“Fair warning—I don’t tolerate anyone tampering with food…”
Thunk.
A sound from the Pantry made her spin around in an instant.
Thud.
Something broad and solid blocked her field of vision.
A wall…no. The living chest of someone, which meant…
“Bael?”
Her eyes widened as she looked up.
Luciel doubted her own sight for a moment.
He’d grown so much taller than she remembered.
His frame was broad and solid, shoulders wide and defined.
A face both strange and familiar that now required her to look up to meet—features sharp and clean-lined in a way she hadn’t remembered.
“…Yes, it’s you.”
It was definitely him.
Silver hair with a fine texture, eyes as blue as ice, and features more refined than she’d recalled.
It was unmistakably Bael.
“…”
Those cold eyes softened the moment they met hers, crinkling at the corners.
“It’s been a long time, Luciel.”
An unfamiliar deep voice whispered low.
“You… you’re back already?”
Click.
Luciel set the frying pan on the counter and reached up to frame his face in her hands.
Just as she had the last time she’d seen him here.
“Your face has changed somehow.”
She murmured.
The delicate quality remained, but his features had grown bolder, more angular.
His eyes were sharper, his cheeks had lost their softness, his nose seemed longer and more defined, and his jawline had sharpened into clean, hard angles.
‘You’ve grown up completely.’
She was overwhelmed, studying him in silence for a long moment.
So this was what a fully grown Bael looked like.
An adult form no User had ever seen before.
‘…He’s become beautiful.’
Taken as a whole, Bael was nothing short of dazzling.
“Have you seen enough?”
After waiting patiently, he finally spoke.
“Or would you like to look more?”
He leaned forward slightly as if to help her out, closing the distance between them.
Until his face was dangerously near hers.
“I’ve seen enough. You’ve grown up beautifully and well.”
She took a step back, releasing his face.
“You’re healthy, aren’t you? Nothing hurts? Why are you back so early? Weren’t you supposed to arrive tomorrow?”
“Estel’s fast.”
He answered with a slight smile.
“I’m in excellent health. I didn’t even get wounded in the final battle.”
It didn’t seem to be a lie—his porcelain-like face bore not a single scratch.
Yet something seemed to be missing.
“You’re thirsty.”
“…Yes.”
“You didn’t drink anything during the entire journey?”
“I wanted to get here quickly.”
“And you’re craving something sweet. Did you finish everything I sent?”
“…”
Luciel let out a hollow laugh.
It had only been a few days since she’d sent that large box.
Unlike with anything else, he never tired of the chocolate she sent—he was steadfastly devoted to it.
“How did you manage to eat it all?”
Bael seemed to consider hiding something before giving up and asking instead.
“I’ve been practicing a lot on my own.”
Thanks to years of rigorous training with the Head Butler, she could now read things without needing to check her Status Window.
Reading Bael was even easier.
“I know what you’ll want.”
“I came to see you.”
He answered with a quiet chuckle.
His steady gaze seemed to say he needed nothing else at that moment.
“Not that you can’t endure thirst right now…?”
His eyes widened as he was speaking.
The moment he saw what Luciel pulled from beneath the cooking counter.
“…”
It was a beverage of sorts.
A dark chocolate base layered with hazelnut-infused syrup, topped with freshly whipped cream like a cloud, creating a Hot Chocolate that promised sweetness at first glance.
Roasted cashew and hazelnut fragments scattered across the cream like pollen, making the sight even more enticing.
Gulp.
Bael’s throat moved visibly as he stared at the steaming cup.
“You… kept it warm?”
“The drink itself, yes. Not the cream. I’ve set barriers on each ingredient now to regulate temperature—I’m quite good at it.”
“…”
“Would you like to try it?”
Bael slowly reached out, accepting the cup she offered, and brought it to his lips.
“…!”
His usually composed eyes wavered for an instant, struck by something profound.

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