Chapter 92

After receiving a diagnosis from the physician that she required absolute stability, Flora let out a deep sigh. Although Ramona made her delicious food, her heart yearned for her homeland.

“At this rate, I don’t think we’ll be able to return within the year.”

Benjamin carefully patted the hand of the worried Flora. The negotiations were already over, but they couldn’t move easily because they didn’t know how the “Imperial Seed” (the fetus) would fare.

“What should we do? I feel so sorry toward Duke Cassius.”

“I plan to compensate him generously. So don’t think about anything else today and just rest.”

A few days prior, when Ramona had a sudden cough, Adolf and Adrian had practically confined her to her room, refusing to let her out. The sight of the Leander knights lining up with health foods from their homeland and all sorts of folk remedies was so absurd it left observers speechless.

When Ramona emerged two days later, fully recovered, Flora—who hadn’t been able to ask for anything specific out of politeness—suffered through another bout of morning sickness.

“Ah, the autumn radishes must be so delicious this year.”

Regardless of her guilt, a craving surfaced. Flora instinctively swallowed hard, missing the radish dishes her mother used to make at her family home around this time of year.

“I will speak to the chef. So, just rest…”

Before he could finish, Chief Lady-in-Waiting Elizabeth opened the door with a joyful heart, announcing Ramona’s arrival.

“Ramona, are you feeling alright?”

“It was just a cough, but Lord Adolf and Mr. Adrian overreacted… I feel like I worried everyone for nothing. Sister Flora.”

The two had grown so close they now addressed each other as sisters. Seeing Ramona carry in a silver basin, Flora’s stomach began to churn with a desperate demand the moment she caught the scent of perilla oil.

“What is that?”

“It’s bibimbap with fresh radish salad made from autumn radishes. Do you think you can eat it?”

“I was just thinking about autumn radishes! I guess you and I really are a perfect match, Ramona.”

Remembering how she used to mix rice in the leftover seasoning after taking the radish salad out of the container, Flora smiled broadly with delight.

“Perhaps the Chief Lady-in-Waiting should taste it first?”

“If this is the ‘tasting’ duty, I’d like to do it for the rest of my life,” Elizabeth replied. Taking the chance to try Ramona’s food under the guise of checking for poison, Elizabeth took a huge bite of the perilla oil radish bibimbap topped with a piece of fried egg.

After savoring the flavor for a moment, Elizabeth wore a look of pure bliss.

“I-It is delicious.”

She was supposed to be checking for poison, but she couldn’t help but exclaim at the taste. Once it passed Elizabeth’s test, Flora began to eat ravenously.

“Sister Flora, no one is going to steal it, so please eat slowly.”

“Ramona, you don’t understand. My husband is standing behind me with his eyes practically glowing with greed. Oh, wait… what did you put in this? This tastes exactly like my mother’s signature radish salad.”

“Hmm, I added some raw fermented anchovy sauce. Is it too fishy? The idea just popped into my head while I was making it.”

“No, not at all! It’s amazing. I love this. It’s a million times better than the salad the chef made.”

Praising perilla oil over sesame oil for radish salad, Flora polished off the entire bowl.

“Um, Sister-in-law Ramona… what about me?”

Since Ramona and Flora were now “sisters,” Benjamin had started calling her “sister-in-law”. Not hating the title, Ramona silently pointed behind her. Brown came in with a grin, carrying a silver basin.

The large basin was filled to the brim with the same perilla oil radish bibimbap.

“I can’t possibly eat all of this alone.”

“Who said it was just for Your Majesty? I brought enough for everyone here to share. I hope it suits your palates, even if it’s simple…”

“We will eat well!”

“If it doesn’t suit anyone else’s palate, feel free to throw it my way. I’m very good at picking up leftovers!”

The knights guarding the room looked ready to wag their tails in front of Ramona, swallowing hard. As the bibimbap was ladled out from the large basin, everyone was busy stuffing their faces as if their lives depended on it.

“It’s almost the season for winter kimchi making back home. Ramona, do you make winter kimchi making?”

“Oh, yes. That braised aged kimchi with pork ribs you had the other day? That was the winter kimchi I made with Lord Adrian last year. I’m thinking of making even more this year.”

Though one shouldn’t feed an expectant mother too much stimulating food, what else could be done? It was what she wanted. Feeding her was better than letting her starve.

“Boiled pork slices go so well with fresh winter kimchi. I really want some.”

As soon as those words were uttered, preparations for winter kimchi making began, slightly earlier than last year. The vegetables Cain and Mia had grown for the winter were maturing too quickly; the cabbages were so tightly packed that they needed to be harvested before they became too hard to handle.

Moreover, there was an overabundance of labor now, so Ramona didn’t have to suffer. At her word, even the Leander Imperial Guard rolled up their sleeves and pitched in.

While everyone was fulfilling their assigned duties, someone who had rushed out on horseback returned with a basket.

“I’ve gathered oysters! Isn’t it said that oysters are the best for a man’s stamina and a woman’s skin? Haha!”

The knight, who clearly knew a thing or two about winter kimchi making, rinsed the fresh oysters and poured them into a portion of the seasoning.

“Is this seafood really good for… stamina?”

“Sir Billion, you didn’t know that? Oysters are incredibly healthy. Why just stare at them when they’re right here?”

Judging by the look in Sir Billion’s eyes, the oysters in the Cassius territory were in danger of extinction.

The grand saga of winter kimchi making, which mobilized everyone from knights to servants for several days, concluded with a feast of boiled pork. Adrian, who had personally boiled the pork, seemed more obsessed with the oysters than the meat.

“Can I save these to eat later?”

“No, you can’t. You should eat kimchi with oysters as soon as possible.”

“Why?”

“Because if you save it, it goes to waste. Oysters cause the kimchi to ferment much faster than other ingredients. We make winter kimchi making to last a long time, so we can’t have it fermenting too quickly because of the oysters. Plus, fermented oysters lack this current freshness and crispness.”

Having failed his attempt to save them for later, Adrian began stuffing oysters into his mouth the moment he saw them.

“I never thought I’d be eating winter kimchi in this country. It’s so delicious. I think the little one likes it too.”

Flora, whose morning sickness had vanished since arriving here, wore a happy smile as she ate pork slices topped with bits of kimchi. Beside her, Benjamin, who was busy savoring the food, wiped the sauce from his wife’s lips with a handkerchief.

“This is better than the kimchi made by the Imperial chefs! Hahaha. Truly, my sister-in-law Ramona’s touch is peerless.”

“Even if you flatter me, I’m not letting you off the hook for today’s work. Now! Your stomachs are full, so let’s do some shoveling. You might even find friendship blooming with every scoop of dirt.”

In one corner of the yard, knights and strong laborers were already hard at work digging holes as if it had been hit by an explosion. Benjamin, seeing the holes intended for burying the kimchi crocks, started digging one himself. He even acted like a child, proudly writing his own name on the jar that was to be placed in his hole.

“Anna, please tell the physician we’ll need a large amount of stomach protectors and digestives today. I have a feeling more than one or two people will end up with an upset stomach.”

The Leander people were used to spicy food, so they would be fine. However, some of the Cassius family members, who hadn’t fully adapted to the heat, would likely suffer later even if they enjoyed the meal at the time.

Just as Ramona predicted, people began groaning in pain one by one as time passed. Fortunately, thanks to Anna, who had preemptively secured the medicine, they managed to avoid a mass sick leave.

Having eaten a full meal in the evening, Ramona shook her head as she looked at Adrian. He had overindulged in the oysters and kimchi despite his poor tolerance for spice, and now he was suffering. Cold sweat trickled down his face as he tried to maintain a smile.

It was painful to watch, so she pressed firmly on the spot between his thumb and index finger. A muffled groan escaped his lips.

“Ugh…”

“You’ve really done it this time. You should have eaten in moderation. At this rate, your stamina will be depleted rather than improved.”

“Hmph… I didn’t think it would hit me this hard…”

Though his whole body winced in pain every time Ramona pressed down, he endured it with incredible patience. After he took his medicine, Ramona gently stroked his back to soothe him. He thought the stomach pain would keep him awake, but as Ramona’s hand rubbed his belly, his eyes eventually fluttered shut.

“Honestly, like father, like son. The way he falls asleep when he’s sick is exactly like Raon.”

When Raon occasionally had a stomach ache, he would groan until Ramona rubbed his belly, only then managing to fall asleep. Seeing the resemblance, Ramona watched him with wonder before pressing a soft kiss to Adrian’s forehead.

“Goodnight, Raon’s father.”

‘Let’s stay away from spicy food for a while, you poor thing.’