* * *
Lowell crushed the garlic and added it to the dish, prompting the head chef to grimace in dismay.
But nothing could stop Lowell.
Finally, he added a small amount of honey instead of oligosaccharide, and his mouth watered instantly.
Nothing else crossed his mind except the overwhelming desire to devour the meat dish sizzling in the pan.
“It’s an unusual dish, but you’re quite skilled at cooking.”
Felix muttered, still looking surprised as he observed the dish, which resembled a meat stew with little broth.
“Would you like to try some as well, Sir Felix?”
Though Felix was curious to taste it since Lowell had made it, he wasn’t sure if his unsettled stomach would handle it.
“I suppose I can take a bite.”
That was the only compromise Felix could make.
Satisfied, Lowell hummed as he plated the meat, ordered some rice, and left the kitchen.
The exotic aroma of Lowell’s cooking lingered heavily in the air like the aftermath of a storm.
“Bon appétit.”
Lowell placed the meat on top of freshly cooked rice.
Just seeing the red sauce seep between the grains was satisfying.
‘The rice is a bit firmer than I’d prefer, but at least it’s not bread for once.’
Luckily, there was leftover rice from making pilaf. Lowell took a large bite.
‘Delicious.’
He held back the tears threatening to form.
If he were to evaluate it strictly, it wasn’t a perfect rendition of the stir-fried pork dish he had in mind.
The absence of soy sauce was a bigger issue than expected, making the flavor only about 70% similar.
Still, compared to what he had been eating lately, this was as good as it could get.
It wasn’t until he had devoured nearly half of his meal that he realized Felix had been watching him closely the entire time.
“Uh… You said you wanted to try some, right?”
Feeling embarrassed, Lowell cleared his throat and offered some of the stir-fried pork to Felix.
Felix hadn’t been particularly eager to try it, but he figured it would be good to know what it tasted like, so he calmly accepted the portion Lowell handed him.
“Is it good?”
The moment Felix put the food in his mouth, he saw Lowell’s expectant gaze gleaming at him.
There was no way he could say, ‘It’s too spicy.’
“Ahem… It’s palatable.”
“Would you like some more?”
“No. You should eat plenty, Lowell.”
Lowell didn’t press the matter further and refocused on his meal.
“Ahh, I’m stuffed.”
He had eaten nearly twice his usual portion before finally putting his spoon down.
“It’s good to see you eating well.”
“Yes.”
With that, Lowell’s craving for Korean food had been somewhat appeased.
That afternoon, Felix, who rarely left Lowell’s side, suddenly rose from his seat in the study.
“Where are you going?”
“I just remembered something I need to take care of. Stay here.”
When Lowell attempted to get up from the sofa, Felix gently stopped him and ruffled his hair.
‘He usually handles everything from the study. Is it urgent?’
If it was something important, Lowell figured it would be good to know.
He sat up straight, regaining some tension, but Felix dismissed his concern again.
“It’s nothing you need to worry about.”
Yet, for something supposedly trivial, Felix’s expression was oddly stiff, as if he were heading off to carry out a major mission.
Seeing Lowell hesitate, Felix reassured him, “We’ll have dinner together later.”
“Alright. Take care.”
Lowell convinced himself that if it was something significant but unrelated to the imperial family, there was no need to be overly wary.
Even so, he decided to check with Robin, who had just returned from training with the knights.
“Was there anything unusual today?”
“Huh? Other than training, nothing much.”
“What about any messages from the capital?”
Robin, noticing Lowell’s concern, touched his chin and furrowed his brows.
“When I last spoke with that person yesterday, nothing seemed amiss.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
Lowell sighed in relief.
‘Then it must not be about the imperial family. I should stop overthinking.’
However, as dinner time approached, Felix still hadn’t returned.
Thinking that perhaps his task was taking longer than expected, Lowell got up and wandered toward the study.
“Uh, my lord…”
But it wasn’t Felix who came looking for him—it was Tony.
He was sweating slightly, looking somewhat uneasy.
“Did something happen to His Grace…?”
Lowell’s expression darkened, making Tony jump in place and hastily explain that it wasn’t anything like that.
“Rather, I thought it’d be better if you saw it yourself, so I snuck out. If you’re willing, would you come with me to the kitchen?”
At Tony’s words, Lowell wasn’t the only one who looked puzzled—Tia, Karis, and Phil also seemed confused.
It hadn’t even been a full day since Lowell had last been in the kitchen.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Instead of sitting around waiting for Felix, Lowell figured following Tony would both satisfy his curiosity and ease his unease.
He made his way back to the kitchen he had visited that morning.
And just before opening the door, he finally understood why Tony had brought him there.
“This isn’t the right taste. It was definitely spicier.”
Felix’s voice came from beyond the door. Without hesitation, Lowell pushed it open.
“Sir Felix?”
Felix turned around, visibly flustered.
He was holding a kitchen knife, and given the size of his hands, it looked almost like a cleaver.
Lowell couldn’t help but laugh, realizing exactly what was happening.
“Why are you laughing?”
Felix, though already knowing the answer, asked anyway, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Lowell wiped at the tears welling in his eyes.
“Why are you doing it yourself? If you liked the taste, I could’ve made it for you again.”
Of course, Lowell knew this wasn’t about Felix craving stir-fried pork.
Felix had barely taken a bite earlier and had gulped down a ridiculous amount of water afterward—anyone could tell it wasn’t to his taste.
“I wanted to make it for you since you seemed to enjoy it. I watched you cook from start to finish today, so I figured I could replicate it best.”
“If you want it, I can make it anytime.”
“A man who cannot procure what his pregnant partner craves and instead forces them to cook it themselves… What could be more powerless than that?”
Lowell had no idea what book Felix had been reading, but he suspected it contained stern guidelines on how to treat a pregnant spouse.
Instead of telling Felix he didn’t need to go this far, Lowell decided to taste the fruit of his efforts.
‘I can’t make it seem like I’m nitpicking.’
He glanced at the somewhat reddish stir-fried meat before speaking.
“Is that… finished?”
“It seems complete, but it doesn’t taste like what I had earlier.”
Felix scowled at his dish as if he were facing an old enemy.
Lowell suspected the issue was that Felix had used fewer seasonings out of concern for spiciness, but he didn’t point it out.
“It looks delicious enough. I can’t wait to try it.”
Though it was clear the seasoning was off, Lowell wanted to experience the dish exactly as Felix had prepared it.
If he adjusted the flavors, it wouldn’t feel like Felix’s creation anymore.
“Really?”
Felix raised an eyebrow skeptically.
But the moment he saw Lowell’s genuinely eager expression, his doubt melted away.
“We had something strong-flavored for lunch, so a milder dinner sounds like a good idea.”
* * *
