“There’s no way out.”

After checking the wall a few times, Lesche said so.

“Chloe said it wouldn’t go down for a week.”

“Do you have anything important to do for the week?”

“I don’t…you?”

“Neither do I. It’s good that I did everything before coming here.”

I turned around and looked around the mansion. Lesche asked as I frowned.

“Why?”

“Is there anything to eat in the mansion?”

He smiled.

“There must be enough. Because Martha and Joanna had stayed here. Ben stocked up food every time he came.”

“Go and check it out.”

I took Lesche’s hand and went inside. He meekly followed me. As I entered the kitchen across the hall on the first floor, I saw well-organized cooking utensils and dishes. When I entered the food pantry inside, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“We won’t starve.”

Lesche, who was standing behind me, burst into laughter.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Now I understand. Food comes first, wherever you go.”

“Then when you’re locked up, you don’t worry about food…”

“Every time you see me, there’s a reason you ask me if I’ve eaten. Why are you so cute?”

“If you’re going to make fun of me, just don’t say anything.”

I turned my head away. I heard laughter from behind, but I didn’t look back.

Leaving Lesche behind, I took a good look at the kitchen.

The various seasonings in eight bottles were well maintained, and there were plenty of olives and pickles in vinegar.

A large sack was filled with potatoes and flour, and the refrigerated cupboard was opened.

Turns out, there were plenty of vegetables that had been cleaned. Carrots, pumpkins, celery, onions…

Dried mushrooms, pre-baked and cooled bread, and cheese slices to be grated.

There was also a large chunk of smoked ham, so I thought I could eat it right away if I cut it up.

The problem was that these were all cooking ingredients.

‘I’m glad we have bread.’

I glanced at the cupboard and scratched my chin.

“Do you know how to cook?”

“Well. I haven’t done it recently.”

“Then your wife is going to make trash food, would you like to try it?”

“Trash food?”

“Because I’m a precious Stern, I’ve never cooked before.”

Lesche laughed.

“Sit down. I’ll do better than you.”

“I want to help.”

“It’s okay, sit down.”

I ended up being half kicked out of the kitchen. Perhaps because of the small number of people staying, this green manor, where the dining room and kitchen were originally strictly separated, was much thinner. So there was a small dining table right next to the kitchen.

I sat on a high chair and looked around, dangling my feet. Dried colorful flowers tied with ribbons were hung all over the place. It felt strange. Because there was never a time when no one was around the table.

Even when I was in the Stern townhouse, the apprentice priests were always by my side. After becoming the Grand Duchess, there was no need to say how many people were around me.

But there was no one here now, so it was strangely unfamiliar.

‘Can we really get out of here after a week?’

Lesche and I were imprisoned in this mansion. It didn’t seem real.

…. Watching the sunlight pouring through the window made me feel drowsy.

It was after some time. I glanced over the table and blinked.

“Is the stew in there too?”

“I cooked it.”

“You?”

Lesche frowned slightly.

“I don’t know if it will suit your taste.”

“Even if it doesn’t taste good, I’ll tell you it’s delicious.”

He chuckled.

“It’s an honor. Eat slowly. It will cool off soon.”

I scooped out a spoonful of the stew and put it in my mouth. Soon my eyes went round.

“It’s delicious. Did you learn to cook?”

“I learned a little bit at the academy.”

“Really?”

“Why should I be lying about this?”

“No…. What academy teaches high-ranking nobles to cook?”

Lesche said, cutting the bread.

“Because as a knight, we need to know how to cook in case of emergency.”

‘Ah.’

“Thank you.”

I took the bread and smiled.

The bread freshly baked by the chefs of Berg was excellent, but this fluffy bread baked by Martha and Joanna also had its own flavor and it was my favorite staple food.

‘So do they bake a lot every day?’

“Eat more.”

I asked while eating the bread that Lesche had cut.

“Is there any jam?”

“It’s inside.”

“I didn’t see…”

“There’s a food pantry inside too. You just left without looking earlier.”

“Oh?”

I smiled.

“You must have rummaged through the kitchen as a child.”

Lesche tilted his chin.

“Do you think I am you?”

“When you were young, you could have. And you were docile when you were young, right?”

“You?”

“You.”

As I raised my eyebrows, Lesche burst out laughing as if having fun.

“Eat, Seria.”

It was absurd, but I ate first because I was hungry. Although there were no employees who always served the meal, it was not very inconvenient. I stopped Lesche, who kept spreading jam on the bread.

“Stop it.”

“Why? It doesn’t suit your taste?”

“No… I’m full.”

“Why don’t you eat a lot when you like to talk about food?”

“I ate enough.”

“Eat one more.”

“Whoever sees it would think we are in distress in the winter mountains.”

I was hungry but I didn’t want him to cut more bread. I took another slice after saying a few more times that it was my last.

Boiled stew emptied. I was worried about eating more because why if we couldn’t get out after a week? But it seemed that I ate more than I did in the castle…. Lesche cut the bread again and gave it to me.

“I’m full.”

I got up to wash the dishes. Lesche raised his eyebrows as I picked up the bowls on the tray that he had brought.

“What are you doing?”

“I have to wash the dishes. We’re the only ones here.”

“You’re a precious Stern.”

“I can do the dishes.”

Lesche made a look of exasperation.

“What kind of crazy Berg would make Stern do this?”

In an instant, Lesche, who took my tray, strode away.

“Lesche!”

I hurriedly followed Lesche. This place was different from the castle or the imperial mansion, which had all kinds of expensive magic drainage works.

So there was no sink right in the kitchen, but a separate place to wash the dishes on the other side. I just found out that Lesche was strangely aware of this trivial structure for someone who was not interested in the green manor.

‘It’s true that he went looking around when he was young.’

In retrospect, I had never personally asked about Lesche’s childhood. I knew he had a bad childhood like me.

It wouldn’t have been bad the whole time though. Like any other children, he normally wandered around the mansion, discovered trivial places, and saw where the jam was hidden.

I had that thought again.

I was glad this pretty manor didn’t disappear.

In the meantime, it was fascinating to see Lesche working in the kitchen. No, what kind of Grand Duke Berg would wash the dishes?

“Lesche.”

“Yes?”

“Are the Grand Dukes of Berg being brainwashed about Stern from generation to generation?”

Lesche looked at me.

“Seria.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you so restless? Are you uncomfortable?”

“That….”

His arrow hit the target. I rolled my eyes slightly.

“You’re the only one who keeps doing something.”

“Nothing much.”

Lesche, who smiled, gestured with his chin.

“You’ll be uncomfortable for a week, so go sit down.”

“Can’t I stay here?”

“Do what you like.”

I grinned and hugged Lesche’s waist. When I buried my face on his wide back, Lesche, who had paused for a moment, laughed.

He squeezed the back of my hand tightly with a hand that had not yet been submerged in water. Soon I heard the sound of water running again.

***

That night.

With trembling hands, I grabbed Lesche’s wrist, which was holding my face by the side. To no avail. Every time Lesche moved, it seemed as if my lower side was melting tightly. He swept aside my sweaty hair on my forehead.

This man didn’t even bother to hide the naked desire in his eyes. He bent over and kissed me. His tongue, which had dug into my mouth, ran through everywhere so harshly that it hurt. I felt the heat on his hot body.

“…just watching you sleep for a week made me thirsty.”

“Ha….”

“Call my name, Seria.”

“Lesche….”

My legs trembled. My scream broke out. It felt like I was about to pass out whenever Lesche pushed harder. I couldn’t think of anything. I didn’t understand Lesche’s statement that he had been abstinent for nearly a week.

For a moment, the thought of what kind of week he had to push me like this filled my head. Our bodies convulsed.

How many hours has passed? From the moment Leschet put me on the bed, I turned the clock on the side table but couldn’t tell.

As I tried to catch my breath in Lesche’s arms, he clasped my fingers and said,

“It’s a pity that there are no doctors here.”

“…why?”

“You don’t have enough strength.”

“You…. didn’t have enough?”

“No, Seria. Like my heart.”

“….”

“You know, don’t you?”

“I know… I know you’re the standard of no conscience.”

Lesche, who smiled faintly, hugged me tightly and I fell into dark oblivion.

The next day. When I woke up, Lesche was not there, and after a week, the pain from below the waist, which had been overworked, came out of nowhere.

“Ugh.”

It was fortunate that the bathroom plumbing was done in the summer. After a rough wash, I sat down in the bathtub. As I watched the hot water being filled with sleepy eyes, I heard a chuckle.

Of course it was Lesche.

He poured hot water from the canteen into the bathtub. I looked up at him and thought how he had been working as if he were my servant.

After I approached Lesche and unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing, I took off the gown I was wearing. Lesche’s eyes fluttered.