Chapter 41

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 41

Chapter Title: Dubious Duck Legs

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The first floor appeared to double as a restaurant and tavern, with several round wooden tables and chairs arranged inside the moderately sized hall.

Following Bonita's lead, I sat down at a table and looked around with wide-eyed curiosity.

A worn wooden counter, a massive pile of oak barrels stacked in one corner...

This might not look like much, but I'd mainly eaten my meals in the Salt Kingdom's palace or the duke's manor dining room.

So it was only natural that this authentic fantasy-world inn felt utterly alien to me, a first-timer.

"Here are your orders."

"Wow!"

Having grown utterly sick of jerky, I let out a little gasp at the sight of the steaming hot food.

How long had it been since I'd eaten properly cooked food from a kitchen?

Brimming with happiness, I picked up the utensils, ready to stuff my belly full.

But. But then...

Something odd caught my eye.

'Huh...?'

There was some unidentified smudge on the fork, made of some nameless metal.

And it looked not just a bit worn—no, extremely so...

What could I say? It didn't feel like the natural wear from daily use. More like it hadn't been properly maintained.

Swipe.

I quietly grabbed a napkin from the table and wiped the fork's tines.

Sure enough, out came not just rust, but black gunk too.

Ugh, gross.

'No, it's probably just a slip-up because things are hectic. Yeah, think positive!'

I discreetly but thoroughly scrubbed the utensils clean.

'Eh, it's fine, no big deal. Haha...'

It made sense—no guests for ages, and now suddenly swarmed with travelers. Bound to happen.

Plus, thanks to the guidelines warning me first, what might've horrified me elsewhere didn't seem so bad.

Guess prevention shots really are key.

Anyway, let's just gloss over it.

"Not long now till the capital. Enjoy your meal!"

With Bonita's hearty greeting as the cue, the murmur of conversation rose around us.

"Ahh, finally sitting in a proper chair to rest!"

"Rough night sleeping out in the dew, huh."

The place grew lively, and the other knights started digging into their dinners.

In the relaxed atmosphere, I tasted my food with a lighter heart.

But.

But then... I spotted yet another issue, right after the utensils.

"Ah..."

This time, the problem was the menu itself.

'This is supposed to be roast duck leg?'

I poked it just to check, and the mushy flesh bounced the fork right off.

This texture was worlds apart from any duck or chicken I'd seen.

'Something's off.'

One thing was clear: whatever "roast duck leg" meant on the menu, it wasn't this.

Sure, I hadn't spent my life scrutinizing duck legs, but this meat was suspiciously small.

It'd make more sense as pigeon, quail... or some mystery bird caught wild.

The menu clearly said "House Special Butter Roast Duck Leg."

But no matter how I squinted, this wasn't roast duck leg—let alone buttered.

No trace of butter scent, just overpowering pepper.

'What the heck?'

It was too bizarre.

No foreign objects in the food, but the dish was obviously swapped, and yet no one else batted an eye—except me.

Not even the seemingly picky Duke of Brail!

I stared blankly at him calmly slicing and eating his portion, then clenched my teeth.

My puffed-up excitement for a real meal deflated pathetically.

As a Korean for whom food is life, eating right really matters to me.

Floundering in disappointment, a line from the duke's safety guidelines suddenly flashed in my mind.

1. If you find foreign matter in your food, pretend not to notice.

Small inns in remote villages often skimp on hygiene due to circumstances.

Pointing out unavoidable issues might deeply hurt the hardworking kitchen staff who prepared the meal.

...Right.

Don't make a fuss.

The guidelines said no fussing, so duck or goose or whatever—keep my mouth shut.

But back-to-back sketchiness killed my appetite completely.

Did it show?

I'd been poking at my meat with the fork forever when a passing server approached.

"Everything all right with your meal?"

At that moment, I glanced down at my untouched plate.

Obviously, the server noticed and came to check.

Lying in such an obvious mess—wouldn't that be weird? I hesitated, then shook my head inwardly.

'No. Stick to the rules, stick to the rules.'

Rules exist for good reasons.

The moment I parted my lips with a smile—

A violent sneeze exploded from the heavy spice.

"I-it's f-f... achoo!"

Heads turned my way from the surrounding seats.

"Everything okay, miss?"

The server, meeting my eyes, asked again with a kind smile.

"Looks like something's off with the menu, huh."

"Y-yeah... the problem is..."

So it was the untouched food that bugged them?

Pondering my response amid the focused stares—

'What's going on?'

Why's everyone staring at me with those panicked, frozen faces...?

Then Liam swooped in like a relief pitcher.

"...You ate a lot of jerky on the road, right."

"Huh? Yeah?"

He hurriedly stepped between me and the server, speaking awkwardly—rare for him.

"Jerky's tough and takes forever to digest, so no appetite yet makes sense."

Listening quietly, I finally got it.

'He's covering for me.'

The head chef here must be super sensitive. Even meticulous Liam was tiptoeing.

I nodded quickly to play along.

"Right. Kept chewing jerky 'cause my mouth was bored, so yeah, no appetite. Haha!"

"Still, I recommend at least trying our roast duck leg. The chef poured his heart into it."

"Thanks for checking."

The server glanced at the table one last time, bowed, and left.

The stares scattered.

All but one—from the duke.

'Why's he staring holes through me!'

Avoiding his gaze, I whipped my head away.

Ah, no. I didn't mean to step up!

But technically, no guideline broken, right?

Wasn't duck leg, but I didn't complain—just fumbled through.

"Ahem."

"Everything okay, miss?"

"Huh?"

I shook my head at Bonita's worried question.

"Oh, yeah, fine."

"Eat up before it gets cold."

"O-okay. Thanks."

In the end, I nibbled some cooling soup and mystery leg meat, but couldn't place the taste.

The jerky might've been better...

At least, as the guidelines warned, the hygiene was iffy but no gunk in my food proper.

After that dubious dinner, back in my room, the first thing I did was soak my weary body in hot water and relax.

As I finished washing and stepped out, a knock sounded right on cue.