Duke Kleo subconsciously stretched his body, having finished discussing the latest legislation with the king. His feet stepped out of the Starion palace, through an expansive and heavily guarded courtyard, and then headed to the horse carriage so that he could go home now.
It seemed he couldn't wait to meet Lyra soon.
Footsteps sounded faintly behind him, followed by Marquess Finch, the royal secretary. He was a man in his mid-threes, who had almost white-blond hair, and faded blue eyes. His smile was bright even though his skin was pale. "My Lord, why are you rushing to go home? His Highness forgot to invite you to dinner together. You can go back and stay. There's also a banquet tonight."
Duke Kleo turned his head, swinging his broad, muscular shoulders. He smiled kindly as usual, at people who deserved it. "I appreciate it, but I have to go home soon, Lord Finch."
Instead of answering, Marquess Finch chuckled softly, causing Duke Kleo to raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"Is there anything funny, Lord?" the duke asked confusedly, then widened his eyes so he could take a closer look, looking if there was one thing he had missed.
"Today you look very different, My Lord," said Marquess Finch, smiling again. "Even His Highness is aware of it."
"Oh, is it because I look incompetent today?"
"Perhaps." Marquess Finch smiled again as if on his lips was a sea of sweet honey that he spilled through his smile. "Today you do look less focused."
"I'm sorry…" Duke Kleo looked guilty. "Next time I will not repeat the same mistake. I will return to apologize to His Highness. I didn't mean anything." He stopped in his tracks when Marquess Finch stopped him.
"That's not the point, My Lord," he said. "You may look out of focus but that's not what I meant, or what His Highness caught."
"Then what, My Lord?"
"You seem to be in a good mood." Marquess Finch's eyebrows rose together. "There are so many complicated problems today in the city. But you can look so fresh and flowery." He once again chuckled as he saw Duke Kleo clear his throat awkwardly. "Don't you want to share it with anyone?"
"I don't understand what you mean, My Lord," denied Duke Kleo, though he couldn't dodge this very well. His cheeks were flushed, his face was drooping with nervousness.
"Okay," nodded the marquess in understanding. "I'm not going to push you. A Duke Kleo who was usually very workaholic and always by the king's side had suddenly turned down his dinner invitation. Of course, this is very surprising. I'm just at a loss to give His Highness a proper reason."
"Oh, just tell him that I have to go home soon."
Duke Kleo's answer gave Marquess Finch a pink tinge to his cheeks as if the duke was making a funny show with his words, sending him back into a flurry of confusion.
"Okay," nodded the marquess pretending not to know. "I will tell His Highness the reason. Now you can go home, My Lord." His back spun after he had almost left to enter the palace. Now he turned to Duke Kleo again. "And give my regards to someone at Wereal. I hope you two live well together."
In one very short second, Duke Kleo was sure Marquess Finch winked at him, accompanied by a mischievous smile. He tried to explain something to him, but the royal secretary had already left to meet the king.
Finally, he left with an uncertain mind, thinking about what Marquess Finch's wink meant to him, without him knowing he was being the subject of gossip in the king's palace.
At this moment Marquess Finch approached the king's ear and whispered, "It seems that Lord Kleo does have a lover, Your Highness."
The king was happy to hear it. "Is that true? This is good news," he said, before finally settling down to wait for dinner.
…
Lyra finally managed to make a dish, namely roast beef, with a very terrible shape and taste. Her appearance was even worse than a busy maid cleaning a dirty warehouse.
Her blond hair was sticking out and scattering, her clothes were messy and dirty, with stains everywhere, and her hands had several burns and knife wounds.
She is indeed good at riding, good at doing masculine physical activities, but not at cooking.
The royal chef looked worried if the royal kitchen caught fire because of her. Perhaps he would be the one that would be punished by Duke Kleo for not being able to stop her madness. The butlers also thought the same way, but they were helpless when they saw how serious she was.
Ella and Gena both trembled and almost fainted because they were the most influential party that made Lyra finally decide to cook. If they just kept quiet and didn't come up with any ideas, maybe this wouldn't be the case.
"My Lady, we beg you," said Ella pitifully, crying non-stop, when she finally saw Lyra grimacing with a smudged face from the scorched cooking utensil.
"Finally I succeeded in making a dish for Duke Kleo," Lyra exclaimed cheerfully, holding up the plate in her hand which was filled with horribly shaped, semi-scorched beef. "Do you think he will like it?"
"Tell us what you would do if His Grace might want another dish?" Gena plucked up the courage to ask, trying to see all the possibilities, even though she had to get the protesting stares from everyone around.
Lyra contemplated for a moment, looking at her cooking which looked amazing in her eyes. "If he wants another dish, maybe I will cook again."
"Don't!" Everyone in the kitchen shouted at the same time, making Lyra gasp in surprise.
Mr. Bertus approached the royal chef, quietly whispering, "Can't you do something?"
The royal chef looked apologetic. "Making His Grace's favorite dish takes a long time. Besides, he'll be home soon, right?"
Mr. Bertus just remembered about it. So he immediately rushed to leave to greet Duke Kleo, until then his shoulders tensed up, his eyes bulging like they were about to pop out. He saw Duke Kleo in front of him, standing confused looking into the palace kitchen, let alone at Lyra's beggar-like figure.
"What are you all doing here?" Duke Kleo asked, giving everyone a heart attack, except for Lyra, of course.
She sped up very cheerfully, shaking off her skirt which could no longer be worn because it was so dirty. Her lips grimaced, under her eye bags was a line extending from a scorched smudge. "My Lord, are you just home yet?" she asked happily. "I just finished cooking for you."
Instead of being impressed, Duke Kleo gaped, observing her figure from head to toe, then went up again and stopped looking at the horrible dish that she had just finished cooking.
It was not even fit for animal feed.
Everyone gulped, feeling death as it crawled on the nape of their necks.
***