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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 24
Merian did not respond.
But her face said it all. She was too shocked to say anything.
There was no need for words—it was an undeniable pass.
‘Good.’
Chris cheered inwardly as he returned to his room.
Not only had he won over Melin, but he had also unexpectedly left a strong impression on Merian, the true power of the main family.
More importantly, this event would be relayed to the family head, leaving him with a favorable impression—making this an incredibly significant achievement.
‘But this isn’t enough.’
A mere impression?
That wasn’t nearly enough.
‘I need to use this opportunity to bring Merian to my side.’
Merian was the power among powers in the main family.
She was the commander of the Black Shadow Knights, one of the most elite knight orders under the Dark Demonic House.
Most crucially, she was the beloved daughter of the family head.
If he could bring her to his side, the benefits would be immeasurable.
‘It’s more than possible.’
Chris's face twisted into a sly grin.
Without delay, he sought out Count Khazar and asked him a question.
“Why are you asking about your sister?”
“I need the information for something.”
“Is that so?”
Count Khazar tilted his head but still answered Chris’s question.
“As for my sister’s tastes…”
Upon hearing the response, Chris immediately set to work preparing.
* * *
“Screech, y-young master, why are you in the kitchen? Screech.”
“Oh, there’s something I want to try. I can use the kitchen for a bit, right?”
“Screech, o-of course! As long as you don’t burn down the mansion, screech!”
The head chef hurriedly stepped aside.
Chris silently stared at him for a moment.
‘…So the head chef is an orc. And not just any orc—a high orc, known for their ferocity. To think the whipped cream strawberry cake I’ve been eating was made by an orc.’
If banshees could work as maids, it made sense that an orc could be a head chef.
But an orc specializing in desserts?
That was beyond imagination.
Especially considering how often Chris had been impressed by the mansion’s desserts—it made the revelation even more surreal.
‘…He wouldn’t have mixed blood into the strawberry juice, would he? No, assuming orcs are inherently barbaric is just prejudice… right?’
“Screech, what would you like me to help with?”
“I’m going to bake cookies. Bring me the ingredients.”
“Screech, cookies?”
“…I need them for something. Just bring the ingredients.”
“Screech, screech. Here you go. But I must say, my cookies are exceptional, screech, screech.”
“……”
Hearing the chef constantly screech made Chris already lose his appetite for future desserts.
Chris shook his head, vowing not to imagine it.
“No, the sincerity of making it myself is what matters.”
“Screech?”
“And also—”
Chris grinned and rolled up his sleeves.
“I happen to be quite good at making cookies.”
It had been a while since he put his cooking skills to use.
* * *
Chris was once part of the Hero’s Party.
However, he was a non-combatant.
Though he had managed to reach the 4-star level in combat skills through observation, he had virtually no combat ability when he first joined.
So, what role did he play while traveling with them?
‘Everything except fighting.’
Like all heroes before them, the Hero’s Party consisted of the finest combat specialists.
And, like all past heroes, they were complete idiots when it came to anything other than battle.
Chris used his versatile and flawless skills to support the foolish Hero’s Party.
He treated the wounded with medical expertise, guided them on the right path with his navigation skills, ensured they weren’t swindled with his eloquence, picked locks and avoided traps with his thief skills, deciphered encrypted texts, and even formulated strategies as their tactician.
The Hero’s Party was able to rack up countless achievements against the Magus Empire, thanks to Chris’s hidden efforts behind the scenes.
If not for Chris, they would have stumbled over countless obstacles.
‘And I had one more critical role.’
Cooking.
‘The entire Hero’s Party had disastrously bad cooking skills.’
Of course, it was only natural that Chris excelled at cooking. Why? Because Chris was good at everything.
Every time the Hero’s Party ate his food, they were overwhelmed with gratitude.
— "Chris, you are the guiding light of our party."
— "Thanks to you, we can endure this filthy hero’s journey."
…Honestly, there was a chance they only liked Chris because of his cooking.
That was how exceptional his culinary skills were.
And that was exactly why—
Chris was confident that his plan to win over Merian had a high chance of success.
‘This should be enough.’
With a satisfied expression, Chris gazed at the cookies he had made.
Beside him, the high orc head chef was staring at him in a trance.
“Screech, screech… Young Master. H-how could you make cookies like this…? Screech, this… it tastes like… a mother’s soul…?”
“…Who said you could steal a bite?!”
“Screech, well, stealing food is the real perk of being a head chef, screech.”
“……”
Did that mean all the desserts he had eaten so far had been taste-tested behind his back?
Chris was bewildered, but arguing with an orc seemed pointless. He packed the cookies and left the kitchen.
He silently vowed that when he rose to power, he would replace every servant—including the head chef—with humans.
“Brother?”
Right then, he ran into Teren in the hallway.
“Title.”
“…Honorable King Emperor Majesty, Brother.”
“What about Lady Merian?”
“She is leaving the estate. Something urgent came up at her family’s main house, so she’s returning immediately.”
Already?
That was unexpected.
He needed to stop Merian before she departed.
But just then, Teren frowned and spoke in a determined voice.
“Brother.”
“Title.”
“…Honorable King Emperor Majesty, Brother, there’s something I need to tell you. Up until now, I’ve—”
“Sorry, I’m busy.”
“B-Brother?”
It sounded like Teren had mustered a lot of courage to say something, but Chris didn’t have time to listen.
He completely ignored Teren and headed straight for the mansion’s main gate.
“Lady Merian!”
Merian was just about to mount her horse.
Her black hair fluttered in the wind, matching beautifully with the massive black steed beneath her. The only one standing beside her was Count Khazar.
“Chris?”
Merian’s eyes widened slightly.
“What is it?”
“I heard you were leaving, so I came to see you off.”
“I was trying to leave quietly since it’s late.”
Merian smiled.
“But I appreciate you coming out. You must be tired after that duel earlier.”
Her tone had grown noticeably warmer compared to before.
Of course—
She had witnessed something extraordinary.
And after asking the estate’s staff, she had confirmed that Chris had genuinely changed.
‘Good, the atmosphere is perfect.’
Chris thought to himself before speaking.
“I have something prepared for you, Lady Merian.”
“Prepared?”
“Yes.”
Chris handed her a small package, carefully wrapped.
It was the cookies he had baked earlier in the kitchen.
“What is this?”
“I heard from my father that you enjoy cookies, so I tried baking some. My skills may be lacking, but I did my best.”
Merian’s expression wavered.
She did like cookies.
No—she was obsessed with them.
It was a preference she had held since childhood, to the point where even her stoic younger brother, Count Khazar, knew about it.
But she had never expected to receive a gift like this.
“This is… actually quite nice.”
“It’s nothing. I was just happy to see my aunt after such a long time, so please accept it gladly.”
At those words, Merian felt a small tremor in her heart.
Now that she thought about it—
They were family.
Aunt and nephew.
Realizing this made her feel a pang of guilt.
‘I was incredibly cold to him at first.’
She had only ever evaluated Chris from the perspective of a superior of the main family.
She had viewed him solely as a disgrace who brought shame to their bloodline.
And yet, despite that, this boy had given her a heartfelt gift as her nephew.
“…I see. Thank you.”
It was a short response, but it carried a great deal of meaning.
Chris noticed the wavering in Merian’s heart and allowed himself a faint smile inwardly.
Just as planned.
“But… you made these yourself?”
“Yes. It may not be much, but I put in my best effort, thinking of you. Please, have a taste.”
Without much thought, Merian took a bite of the cookie—
And immediately flinched.
It was delicious.
No—this wasn’t just good.
‘A cookie like this exists?’
As a devoted cookie lover, Merian had tasted all kinds. She had even sampled the famous cookies from the Southern Magus Kingdom.
Her standards were exceptionally high—and yet, these cookies were nothing short of extraordinary.
Before she realized it, she had already eaten two, then three. It was only when she suddenly caught herself that she stopped, feeling it was improper.
“You may have more.”
“Ahem… No, that’s enough. Since you’ve given me such a fine gift, I should offer something in return. Is there anything you desire?”
Merian spoke in a noticeably gentler tone.
“I will give you a gift as well.”
At those words, Chris clenched his fist.
She was almost there.
‘What should I ask for?’
There were plenty of options.
He could request to be taught the swordsmanship or magic unique to the main family. He could ask for a rare treasure or a powerful weapon.
Or, since she was the leader of the Black Shadow Knights and the most beloved daughter of Lord Nordian, he could demand her political backing in the succession battle.
But Chris made an unexpected request.
“Please become my aunt from now on.”
“Hmm?”
Merian furrowed her brows in confusion.
“You are already my nephew. I am your aunt.”
“No, what I mean is—I want you to be my real aunt, Lady Merian.”
Chris spoke slowly.
“Like a true family member.”
Merian’s expression stiffened slightly.
Chris's words had been understood.
She and Chris were blood relatives.
But were they truly family in the real sense?
Absolutely not.
They were bound by the Dark Demonic House's influence, thoroughly formal, and perhaps even closer to strangers than family.
This was the way it worked in any prestigious bloodline built on lineage.
But now, Chris was asking her to become his real family.
‘No, it’s not just some naive request.’
Merian shook her head.
What he was asking was for her to be on his side.
In the Demonic Houses, that's what family meant: the only ones you could rely on, the ones who would stand by you within a house full of enemies.
“Do you understand what you’re asking for? It’s impossible. I can’t grant that request.”
Merian continued.
“The ‘elders’ of the main family must remain fair to the young heirs. That’s the rule.”
Although it was a rule no one actually followed.
She swallowed those words.
Here, ‘elders’ referred to the senior members of the main family’s bloodline who had the power to influence the decision of the next successor.
‘Noble heirs’ had to earn the recognition of the ‘elders’ purely based on their ability.
But that was only nominal, as the ‘noble heirs’ each had their own ‘patronizing’ elders who favored them.
It was especially well-known that Lord Langham, the acting head of the family, openly favored Ashid.
But that wasn’t something that was supposed to happen according to the rules.
“Sorry, but I must decline your request…”
“You’ve misunderstood something.”
“Hmm?”
Chris smiled faintly.
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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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