Chapter 29

The official trembled as if seized by a fit, but Adrian paid him no mind and marched straight to the butcher shop. Wanting to feed Ramona and Raon until they were full with money he had earned himself, he spent his entire day’s wages on meat.

“I gave you a whole day’s pay, and this is all I get?”

“Meat prices have skyrocketed lately. Besides, I heard you’re Raon’s real father? That’s why I added a little extra. For anyone else, it wouldn’t even be this much. Truly!”

Adrian looked at the slab of beef—barely larger than a child’s fist, let alone his own—and let out a heavy internal sigh. It was disheartening that a full day of grueling labor could only afford this much. He couldn’t take back meat that had already been cut, yet it felt pitiful to return home with such a small portion.

“Ms. Ramona will surely turn it into something delicious, so go on home with a light heart.”

What kind of dish could one possibly make with such a tiny lump of meat? Adrian merely nodded at the butcher’s words and headed home, his shoulders slumped.

“Dad! You’re back!”

Raon, who had been pacing outside the gate, burst into a bright smile the moment he saw Adrian and ran toward him with open arms.

“I’m home, Raon. Have you been good?”

Covered in dust, Adrian couldn’t bring himself to hug the boy, so he settled for stroking his small head. Seeing the child waiting for him after work made his dampened spirits slowly rise again.

“I waited so long my neck almost stretched out! Mom, Dad is here!”

Before they even cleared the gate, Raon’s loud shout brought Toto’s head peeking out from the door. Upon seeing Adrian, Toto immediately turned away.

“Toto! That’s no way to behave when Raon’s father is home! At least say welcome back.”

At Ramona’s scolding, Toto turned around, twitched his nose at Adrian in clear disapproval, but—since his master ordered it—gave a half-hearted, perfunctory nod before snorting and heading inside.

“I figured you’d be arriving around now, so I’ve prepared bathwater. Please wash up and change your clothes first.”

“Th-thank you.”

Flushing slightly, Adrian took a long stride to stand before Ramona and held out the small bundle of beef.

“Ahem. I bought this with today’s wages. Since hauling stones is heavy labor, I thought the pay would be enough for a large roast, but…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence out of sheer embarrassment. Ramona took the meat and let out a soft chuckle.

“You worked hard today. Go wash up. I’ll have dinner ready soon. Raon, go help your father with his bath.”

“Yes!”

Raon answered energetically and led Adrian to the bathroom. Soon, the sound of splashing water was joined by the melting laughter of father and son.

The peak of this particularly vibrant day was the meal Ramona prepared. Though the meat was small enough to barely count as a snack, Ramona managed to produce a large, steaming pot of food.

“This is a Southern-style soup made with the meat your father bought. Raon, tell your father ‘thank you’ for the meal.”

In the clear broth were small, delicate pieces of beef. Packed with onions, radish, mushrooms, and various vegetables, the soup paired perfectly with white rice. Salivating at the delicious aroma, Raon quickly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and beamed at Adrian.

“Dad, Mom! Thank you for the food!”

“It’s Beef Radish Soup. It’s made from the meat Adrian bought today, so eat your fill. I hope it’s to your liking.”

“Even if there were poison in a meal you made, it would be so delicious I’d eat every drop,” Adrian replied.

He blew on a spoonful to cool it and took a sip, only to freeze in place. The rich beef broth combined with the sweetness of the vegetables created an explosion of savory flavor. He had never tasted such a clear yet deep broth; a gasp of admiration escaped him. If Ramona hadn’t been sitting right there, he might have instinctively reached out to hug her in pure culinary bliss.

“The meat I bought was so small… how did you get this much flavor out of it? It’s truly incredible.”

“Well, I made a base broth with dried kelp and anchovies. Then I added a Southern-style soy sauce made by fermenting boiled beans in salt water, and a bit of fish sauce—liquid filtered from fish fermented with salt over a long period. And finally, some sun-dried salt that had the bitterness drained…”

To the untrained eye, it looked simple—just meat and vegetables in water. But Adrian was deeply moved as she explained that the components of the flavor couldn’t be made on the spot. They required months, if not years, of patience.

“This dish contains the essence of several years of time. No wonder it has such a profound depth. Thank you, Ramona, for allowing me to eat such a meal.”

“Don’t mention it. I wouldn’t have thought to make it if you hadn’t brought the meat home. I feel like the one being pampered thanks to you.”

Warm words, much like the soup, flowed across the table, and soon the room was filled with laughter. After the clean, hearty meal, Raon patted his stomach in satisfaction.

“Toto, did you eat a lot too?”

Toto, who had been munching on high-quality hay in the corner, also had a bulging belly. He gave his heavy stomach a satisfied pat and flopped down onto his designated cushion.

After helping with the dishes and returning to the table, Adrian tilted his head in confusion when he saw more food being set out.

“Are we inviting the neighbors?”

“Not the neighbors today. I’m going to bring in someone who’s been working all alone. Toto! Where are they?”

At Ramona’s call, Toto’s ears perked up. As Raon opened the door, Toto slipped through the gap and performed a sharp “back-kick” against a large tree near the house. Ramona walked over to the tree and tapped the trunk.

“You, up there working! My neck isn’t in great shape so I can’t keep looking up. Why don’t you come down and have a chat?”

Adrian, following behind, shook his head. He had never dreamed that a knight of the elite Secret Order would be so easily exposed by a rabbit.

“Ramona, this is their job. Just let them do their work.”

“Job or not, they need to eat. It’s been weighing on my mind the whole time we were eating.”

“Secret knights are trained to go all day without—”

“Nonsense. Your body breaks down if you don’t eat properly. They’re guarding us all night on an empty stomach; it’s better if they have something. They’ll work themselves into an early grave at this rate.”

It was true; the average lifespan of a Secret Knight was significantly lower than others. They were men who traded their longevity for gold and duty.

“Sigh… fine. Let’s do this: one at a time, in shifts!” Adrian conceded.

“Great! You knights hear that? The Young Duke gave his permission, so come in one by one.”

At Ramona’s meddling—which was particularly persistent when it came to food—a figure wrapped in black cloth descended from the tree. The knight bowed deeply to Adrian and Ramona, his head tucked low.

“Come and eat quickly.”

Ramona, finding the knight’s youthful frame even more pitiable, led him inside and sat him down. “Eat while it’s hot. Don’t mind Raon’s dad.”

She pressed a spoon into the knight’s rough, calloused hand as he stared hesitantly at the unfamiliar food. Feeling the warmth through his cold fingers, the knight closed his eyes tight and took a sip of the broth.

“Whoa!”

Secret Knights were strictly forbidden from speaking during duty unless it was mission-related. However, an exclamation escaped him involuntarily. He quickly covered his mouth and shot a nervous glance at Adrian.

“It’s alright. Eat comfortably so you can rotate with the others,” Adrian said.

At those words, the knight began to eat in earnest, mixing the rice into the soup and taking huge spoonfuls. After polishing off the bowl, he bowed deeply to Ramona and exited quickly and silently. Soon, another knight appeared sheepishly at the door.

Only after both Secret Knights—the ones responsible for protecting the Cassius heir and acting as messengers—had finished their meals did Ramona finally clear the table.

“Are you going to keep doing this?” Adrian asked.

“Yes. We all work so we can eat, after all. I suppose I’ll keep doing it until you go back home.”

She hinted that he should return to the estate if he didn’t want to see this, but Adrian still showed no intention of leaving for the Duke’s mansion.