In front of a well-prepared table, everyone’s expressions melted with satisfaction.
“We’ll enjoy the meal!”
“For Elizabeth Kitten Duchess!”
“For our protector god, Lord Zero!”
Those with congratulatory cups in hand stepped forward, indulging in the delicious food and getting into the celebratory atmosphere.
Alcohol was replaced with non-alcoholic sparkling champagne.
This was due to Mihael’s strong request.
Despite thinking that Mihael, who seemed to have melted into secular waves after being abandoned at the temple, had become more strict and naive as a holy knight with the appearance of God and the Lady.
Fortunately, Damon Duchy’s siblings and Celeste Marquis’s family unanimously agreed with his claim, and the servants did not object to the owner’s intention.
Thus, the modest party became filled with the chatter of people enjoying delicious food.
“This isn’t bad either.”
I said while savoring my share of turkey.
“Nyum nyum nyum. Am I the best?”
Zero, who no longer hid his identity, plunged his head into the soufflé pancake made by the head chef and showed a happy smile.
“See, I knew you’d like it.”
“…It feels like you’re treating me too much like a pig.”
“A full pig is better than a hungry hamster.”
“Don’t tease me!”
“But you need some amusement to endure this annoying zombie apocalypse world while pushing delicious food into your mouth without saying a word.”
As I continued to enjoy the delicious food under the guise of a mask, my party members approached the place where I was sitting.
“Hmm? What’s going on?”
Since my seat was still designed for me to sit alone, I could comfortably have a meal with Zero.
However, four large men approached me at the same time, and it was a bit scary, regardless of the fact that they were on my side.
‘Wait, what… are they coming to kill me, or are they coming to have a meal together?’
With a threatening expression like the Four Heavenly Kings, I couldn’t tell if they were coming to kill me or if they were coming to have a meal together.
Given the large plates filled with food they brought, it seemed to be the latter.
I stood up and said to them, “Um, excuse me, but this place is for me to sit alone…?”
“I know.”
Ashton, as the representative, replied to my ambiguous question.
Then they brought over a dining table and chairs from nearby and placed them next to me.
Since the table was square and not round, it was possible to attach them.
They aligned the table next to me and sat around it, starting to have a meal.
“Hey, gentlemen? Why do you want to have a meal with me?”
Wasn’t it only when we were pretending to be close while killing zombies?
When I earnestly asked, starting with Luce, then Mihael, Benedict, and Aston in order, they blurted out their reasons.
“In this crowd, the only place I can comfortably eat is next to the Duchess.”
“Me too.”
“…I also prefer to be quiet by the Duchess’s side with the spirits.”
“Marquis Celeste was too considerate of me, making me uncomfortable. But here is comfortable. From now on, I should have meals next to the Duchess.”
“Huh?”
Each of them gave their reasons for wanting to eat next to me, and it was a bit annoying.
‘Kids… Were they embarrassed to eat alone…’
Well, it’s enough to feel a sense of belonging as humans who hunt zombies.
When I looked at them with a faint and warm gaze, Zero finished eating the soufflé pancake and looked at me with his bulging belly, as if he was puzzled.
“Hey, it seems like you’re misunderstanding something weird. They came up with poor excuses just because they really wanted to eat with you. This is a kind of green light.”
“Zero, are you still in the middle of making nonsense? Did you hear about a ghost who went crazy because he couldn’t eat romance? Regular people call that ax mania.”
“No, I didn’t!”
“That’s right.”
Chew, chew, chew. This pasta is delicious. I hope the chef serves it as a meal again later.
Being tired, I wanted to relieve stress by chewing, tearing, tasting, and enjoying my food.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
While I was obliviously eating, the four men were stealing glances at me.
“Yeah. Just stay single for the rest of your life. A shining solo is better.”
Zero’s whimsical banter didn’t even reach my ears.
Throughout the delicious meal, I was lost in deep thought.
‘…Where did the souls of the Waray Viscount’s people go?’
The souls that left without leaving a single piece of stardust behind.
Human souls were the highest-quality sacrifices that dark magic could achieve.
Why did the culprit attack them for some reason?
Oh, could it be that the Waray Viscount voluntarily cooperated with the culprit? In that case, after the downfall of the royal family, what did he want to achieve that he chose the path of no return, sacrificing his soul?
‘Ah, my head hurts. Let’s think about it after eating something delicious.’
In my opinion, eating well helps clear the mind.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
