Return of the Female Knight

Sometimes Kuhn felt like he was talking to a wall. Mirabelle was the first person to attach herself to Kuhn’s life, despite his outward signs of dislike. It wasn’t intentional, but no one got close to Kuhn because of his blank face and cold atmosphere. He thought it was more comfortable that way, but now Mirabelle seemed to constantly be knocking at his door. Kuhn replied, his voice colder than usual.

”I must decline. It is not polite for me to call a young lady by her first name. ”

”Alright. Just think about it later.”

Despite his flat refusal, Mirabelle didn’t seem to be willing to give way, and was gently trying to encourage him. Kuhn didn’t say anything more, as he felt it futile to answer. Mirabelle continued, pulling at his sleeve.

”Let’s have lunch together.”

”Then I’ll make the preparations.”

”I’ve already prepared something for you, so please come along. First you said you couldn’t call me by my first name because I’m your master, and now you’re trying to ignore me?”

No matter how gentle Mirabelle appeared, she was endlessly persistent. Kuhn was quietly forced to answer.

”…I understand.”

***

Mirabelle and Kuhn arrived in the dining room where the family ate. Fortunately, no one was inside, but Kuhn’s expression remained rigid. It was strange to think of a servant eating with their master here. Even more so, Kuhn did not want to draw any more attention, as already more and more people were aware of him because of Mirabelle’s favoritism.

”Have a seat.”

Mirabelle seated herself first and pointed to the opposite chair. However, Kuhn remained standing.

”Young Lady, it is not a good idea to treat a servant like this.”

”I decide what is right or wrong. Kuhn will sit there and eat the food I have prepared.”

He had never served anyone so stubborn. He held back a sigh and took a seat. Kuhn could not reject her request, no matter how absurd it was.

Soon after they both sat down, bowls of stew made of chicken, ginseng, jujube, and other nutritious ingredients were placed in front of them. The other servants carrying the food stared suspiciously at Kuhn, but no one dared to open their mouths in front of Mirabelle.

”Please eat. I had it specially prepared for you because I was worried about your injury.”

Kuhn stared at the bowl place before him. He had never eaten a luxurious meal like this before. Even when Carlisle gave him some medicinal ingredients to take care of himself, Kuhn had only ingested them raw and never had cooked it like this.

”It’s one of my favorite dishes. I’ve had a weak body since I was born, so I eat a lot of healthy food. This one’s my favorite out of all of them.”

Kuhn simply nodded as he watched Mirabelle shyly speak. The difference in their status was clear. He had never even tasted the food that she enjoyed. Although his status was not so low now that he worked for Carlisle, it did not change Kuhn’s humble origin.

Kuhn wordlessly ate a spoonful of the stew. The fragrant smell of herbs and tender chicken caused his senses to salivate. Kuhn shifted uncomfortably as he noticed Mirabelle watching him with sparkling eyes.

”How do you like it? Does it suit your taste?”

”Anything tastes good to me.”

He just answered unwittingly ”yes”, and he secretly grimaced because he felt childish. Mirabelle replied with an innocent look.

”That’s a relief. I told the chef to prepare a lot of it, so please help yourself.”

Mirabelle accepted his answer without hesitation. She was the daughter of a count who had grown up in a loving environment, and Kuhn was sometimes puzzled on how to treat her, as she was so different from him.

’…But these days won’t last long.’

He was only here to capture the mysterious intruder. He only need be patient before he would finally go back to his normal routine. There was no reason to be wary. That was what Kuhn thought comfortably to himself.