It was only about 300 years ago that the remains of monsters were incorporated into human cuisine.
Monsters, those grotesque beasts, often had hideous appearances and exuded an unbearable stench from their flesh.
Before the advancement of culinary techniques, monster corpses were merely fodder for livestock or compost, and if that failed, they were nothing more than trash.
Then, everything changed 300 years ago.
A great famine struck the continent, leading to a surge in starvation, while the nobles only sought to save themselves. The oppressed population faced such dire circumstances that they might as well resort to eating dirt.
That was the turning point.
The intense survival instinct of humans led them to put monster carcasses on the chopping block.
To survive, they endured their disgust, tolerated the stench, and began serious research into using monster meat as an ingredient.
And at the end of that dark journey, monster remains became a valuable food source.
Of course, for the ruling class that had never experienced famine then or now, it was just a lowly and unpleasant food source needed only by the worthless lower class.
Thus,
“It looks quite appetizing.”
Elden’s appraisal was utterly unbelievable.
Unlike the others, who desperately tried to hide their horror, his gaze seemed genuine.
As he licked his lips while gazing at the grotesque dish made from a pig-like monster’s leg, he appeared honest.
This must be a lie.
He was definitely putting on a show, faking his reaction.
Anyone could say such words; once he tasted it, his true horror would unveil itself, and he would join the others in their sufferings.
He, who had delighted in forcing her to consume spiders, ants, and even caterpillars, must also experience her torment!
With a desperate plea, she said,
“…Then, won’t you take just one bite? I promise there won’t be any misunderstandings.”
It was a truly absurd situation.
So ludicrous.
That the avenger had to beg the target of their vengeance to endure the agony.
But she had no choice.
His declaration of withdrawal was unprecedented in the history of the Betrothal Contest, and there were no rules to deal with it.
There was no way to compel someone who had abstained in the final round to give their all in the evaluation.
Sincerity couldn’t be forced or demanded.
All she could do was delay his decision on withdrawal, keeping him in limbo.
“……”
Fortunately, he finally reached for the dish.
After all her displays of favoritism and affection, he seemed to start acting according to her wishes.
He was an unsolvable riddle.
Wouldn’t there be a clue to unravel the mystery?
With such hope, she observed Elden’s every move.
The revulsion and contempt of tasting this dish could not be masked by a facade.
Deron, Kyle, and Blund.
Their reactions were proof of this; all three couldn’t hide their gag reflex and signs of revulsion as they ate.
Of course, she wasn’t interested in relishing their suffering.
She wasn’t like them.
She wasn’t a villain who found pleasure in other people’s miseries.
She merely hoped.
Indeed, she hoped that by the conclusion of the Contest, they would genuinely repent.
And for those who didn’t repent? They would walk willingly to their doom.
So…
For all her aspirations, even Elden Raphelion had to eat the monster’s dish and gag.
Even if he had somehow overcome his savage nature, he still had to pay for the deeds of his past.
However,
“It was delicious. Your culinary skills are truly remarkable, Your Grace.”
Elden praised her instead.
There was not a hint of falsehood in his eyes.
With a gaze of genuine admiration, he complimented her cooking skills. It was a look that could not be feigned.
Moreover, he licked the grease from his fingers, as if savoring every last taste! The way he looked at the dish resembled a famished gourmet eyeing his favorite meal.
Tap-.
Tap-.
From what she understood about him, she knew he didn’t consider monster meat even remotely “edible,” and he even seemed to despise certain dishes made with lesser-known parts of livestock.
He should have displayed the slightest hint of disgust.
There should have been at least a trace of displeasure, or some harsh words should have escaped his lips.
He was supposed to be her victim, not a connoisseur!
What on earth was happening….?!
In their last argument, she had been thoroughly defeated, igniting her desire to uncover the ‘truth.’
So, she stepped back, sharpened her blade, and prepared for the next battleground.
And this time, she was determined to emerge victorious.
Just as they had once forced her to consume horrible foods, she too would do the same, and she would yank those deceitful masks off their faces.
With such resolve, she had readied her weapon for the next confrontation—the ‘monster dish.’
“Ugh.”
“Hurk.”
“Gulk.”
The symphony of her victory rang through Deron, Blund, and Kyle.
But when it was Elden’s turn, she was met with yet another sound of defeat.
Lumia felt driven mad.
The humiliation of her consecutive failures was sheer absurdity.
After her private meeting with Elden, she spent the entire day thinking about him, neglecting both her research and experiments.
The puzzle he posed was far too fascinating and infuriating to leave unexamined.
So, she rummaged through countless tomes of black magic and forgotten sorcery, formulating theories and testing her hypotheses.
Even her sleep was sacrificed in her quest for clarity.
As a result, her complexion, hidden beneath her mask, had grown haggard.
Shadows lay beneath her eyes while her mind swirled with ridiculous theories.
“……?”
Why does that wild, fierce expression now appear so serene and peaceful?
Why was she experiencing this absurd urge to continue staring into his eyes, when she had previously found him unbearable?
It was irritating.
It was maddening.
It was exceedingly vexing.
Lumia Winterfell ground her teeth in frustration.
There is no puzzle without a solution in this world.
No query without an answer.
They just seemed to have none.
The most important trait for any researcher remains the relentless will to continue seeking those answers.
Bam!
Lumia stormed away from her seat.
This revenge wasn’t meant to be an avenue to revel in their suffering.
Had it not been for those names catching her eye when Gelwood flipped through the finalists, none of this would have transpired.
Her revenge was all about harsh lessons and necessary penance.
With this, she could consider the first day’s lesson imparted.
And most importantly,
“……?”
She simply could not bear to stare at Elden’s innocent face any longer.
That expression seemed to tug at her inquisitive nature, driving Lumia up the wall.
During her time at the Academy, this man constantly disrupted her studies and research pursuits.
How could he evade her revenge with such ease?
Lumia refused to concede.
Elden wouldn’t remain unpunished for long.
With that determination, she cast a final glance at the Trio, who were now gagging, before leaving the Grand Hall.
“Hmph.”
She left nothing but a disdainful snort directed at Elden Raphelion.
And then,
As she exited the Grand Hall, the Regretful Trio, struggling to suppress their nausea, fled out as well.
However, Kyle Beallon, the one with the weakest stomach, could not hold back his rising wave of nausea.
“……”
Suddenly, the Grand Hall lay empty.
Only a solitary gourmet remained, staring at the curious dishes. After a sniff of the untouched food, he dug in.
Munch, Munch-.
Chew, Chew-.
“Hm-. As I thought, it’s all delicious.”
The moist flesh of the Cotvos’ Picnic Roast resembled chicken thighs.
The nutty taste of the Half Worm Stir-Fry reminded him of Beondegi.
The chewy Black Bat wings were almost indistinguishable from delicious chicken wings.
Indeed, this lone gourmet couldn’t comprehend why those three dashed off, leaving such delightful dishes behind.
The gourmet, no.
Elden Raphelion, exited the Grand Hall with Rendler following suit.
Rendler wore a puzzled expression as he accompanied Elden.
“My Lord, where are we headed?”
This route was directly away from Elden’s quarters.
Moreover, it led to a destination Elden would never normally go.
In fact, at the end of this path loomed the largest library in the North.
“To the library.”
“……Pardon?”
Rendler cleaned his ears momentarily, confirming what he just heard.
“The Library…My Lord, are you for real?”
“Yes. I’m looking for something to read.”
With their 15-day stay in the Grand Duchy, they had to find ways to occupy their free time.
It wasn’t like their 15 days were filled with evaluations.
On one day they would meet with the Duchess, and the next, a rest day with no scheduled events.
Naturally, during those rest days, most candidates would use the time for their personal interests.
Yet, someone who announced his withdrawal could simply use that time to relax.
Not all of his waking hours could be spent training with Rachel.
One needed to engage in enjoyable activities during breaks.
In this dull world devoid of gaming consoles, TVs, or internet, books reigned supreme.
Especially for Jun-Woo, an avid web novel reader.
Thus, his destination, the Library, seemed only fitting.
“M-My Lord, you are even seeking to nourish your mind now……This old butler is so moved I could weep……”
“Enough.”
I’m simply looking to read the novels of this world.
I have no intention of reading anything serious.
Before his teary-eyed old butler could break into tears, Elden quickly entered the library.
It was incredibly vast.
The library truly lived up to its reputation as the largest in the North.
Moreover, this library was open not only to nobles but also to servants, making it quite bustling.
“If you find a good book, bring it to me. I’ll be looking for something as well.”
“As you wish, My Lord.”
As they parted ways, Elden wandered through the library, humming a cheerful tune to himself.
He was brimming with anticipation to discover what the novels of this world had to offer.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.