“Order whatever you want to eat, Egru!” Mayfield exclaimed, wiping away her tears.

“Why starve for ten days? From now on, you’ll be full every single day. I’ve decided that. The royal head chef will prepare you dishes unlike anything else in this world. What food do you want to eat the most?”

“I, I…”

Just as Egru opened his mouth, Mayfield let out an “Ah!”

“Wait, sorry, Egru. Could you wait a moment? Let’s start with the appetizer. I forgot to mention that the chef has prepared a special soup just for you. It seems he’s still putting the finishing touches on it.”

“My lady, I…”

Egru slowly lowered his head. His tearful face reflected clearly in the silver plate before him.

Mayfield looked down at Egru with worried eyes. Could he be so hungry that he couldn’t wait even a moment? Given how withered he looked, like a dried autumn leaf, it seemed entirely possible.

“Thank you, thank you so much, my lady…”

“Hm?”

“This, this is too generous for someone like me… I don’t know how I could ever repay…”

Touched by his genuine heart, Mayfield pressed the bridge of her nose as it started to sting with emotion.

“Don’t say such things, Egru. Just having you here makes me the happiest person in the Western Continent.”

At the phrase ‘happiest person in the Western Continent,’ Röwugor’s shoulders twitched.

Was bringing the elf child a mistake?

For a moment, that thought crossed Röwugor’s mind before he shook his head side to side.

What nonsense. He’s my wife’s precious friend and a hero who saved the demon race.

Still, the feeling of being relegated to stale bread in his beloved wife’s eyes wasn’t easy to bear.

Whether aware or not of the king’s internal struggle, Mayfield stroked Egru’s head and took her seat opposite him.

Gulp…

For a while, Egru could only look around and swallow his saliva. He seemed unsure of what to reach for first. Beyond just the cheese, he had never experienced being able to eat his fill of anything before.

“If there’s any dish you desire, please let me know. I’ll bring it right away.”

“Ah! Yes!”

Egru’s shoulders jumped in surprise at the servant’s words from right behind him. Being waited upon was a first for him, and his chest felt tight with nervousness.

“Ahem, pardon me.”

It was then that the door connecting to the royal kitchen opened. The head chef strode in confidently, carrying a gleaming silver tray on his shoulder. He was a man with an impressive 2:8 ratio parted hair, immaculately groomed.

The head chef crossed the dining hall with dignity and began setting down soup bowls. The order was Röwugor, Mayfield, and then Egru.

For some reason, the chef glanced sideways at Egru. Then, as he had done for the others, he placed a soup bowl before him. A fragrant aroma of skillfully blended spices rose from the rippling scarlet soup.

“Wow…”

After marveling at it, Egru picked up one of the three spoons before him, choosing the same type that Röwugor and Mayfield were using. Meanwhile, the chef standing beside him was openly looking Egru up and down. His slightly furrowed expression suggested something wasn’t quite right to him.

“Eat as much as you want, Egru. Understood?”

“Yes, my lady…!”

Mayfield slowly tasted the soup with her spoon. Röwugor followed suit.

Egru hesitated for a moment.

Can I really eat as much as I want?

Yes, it should be fine. My lady gave permission.

Swallowing the saliva that kept pooling in his mouth, he carefully moved his spoon. However, the moment the gleaming spoon tip touched the soup, the chef swiftly whisked away Egru’s bowl.

Ah…

Egru’s hand holding the spoon dropped limply to the table. It seemed this wasn’t food meant for someone like him after all.

Though he couldn’t help feeling a little dejected, it was alright. Just being here together made him happy enough. Egru contentedly put the spoon with traces of soup into his mouth and sucked on it.

Mayfield also seemed surprised by this turn of events. Egru was her guest. She called the chef aside to hear his explanation for this discourteous behavior. However, after a brief whispered exchange, Mayfield nodded in understanding and sent the chef back to the kitchen.

Clank.

“?”

Not long after, a bowl that looked more like a meat stew than soup returned before Egru. One of the chunks of meat piled high in the bowl rolled off to the side.

Egru looked up at the chef with a bewildered expression. The chef spoke gruffly:

“I want you to eat without holding back.”

The chef gave a quiet bow before turning away.

“Th-thank you…!”

Egru called out his thanks to the retreating figure. Looking down at the generous portion of soup, he couldn’t help but let out an exclamation of wonder.

Gulp, saliva moistened his throat as it went down. This time he picked up a medium-sized fork. He pierced one of the chunks of meat. The well-cooked piece, about the size of a walnut, revealed the chef’s generous spirit. The savory aroma was so delectable it made his head spin.

Egru carefully tasted the tender meat.

“?”

Though it was surely solid when it entered his mouth, it melted away to nothing in an instant. Next, he tried the meat together with the soup, which had a slightly tangy yet umami flavor.

Egru closed his eyes tight at the overwhelming sensation. Such harmony seemed impossible.

How much time had passed since he’d cleaned his bowl so thoroughly it didn’t need washing?

“Try some of this too, Egru.”

Mayfield rose from her seat and began personally serving food onto Egru’s plate.

“These are some of my favorites. I’m sure you’ll love them too once you taste them.”

The full banquet had begun in earnest. Mayfield even commanded the servants as she piled various dishes onto Egru’s plate.

Roast goose, seafood stew, thick steaks…

A parade of foods he’d never eaten before. Each was an incredible concentration of flavors.

Sweet, salty, sour, spicy. Some dishes combined three or four flavors at once. Tasting each one felt like dancing in heaven.

His amber eyes kept lighting up brilliantly. His cream-colored pointed ears likewise perked up repeatedly. He worried his sense of taste might break from receiving too many new flavors in one day.

Munch, munch, munch.

When slowly chewing, he focused with all his taste buds. Reluctant to let the food disappear as it melted in his mouth, he savored it as slowly as possible.

Tears welled up in his amber eyes. His gaze somehow became moist and distant.

Two hours passed like this. It was enough time to finish a meal so abundant his belly button might pop out.

“Now it’s time for dessert, right?”

But Mayfield’s eyes still sparkled with clear radiance. Fortunately, Egru also didn’t know how to refuse food.

“There, could you bring that?”

Egru dropped his fork when he saw Mayfield commanding the servants.

“Ah, my lady…”

“Are you surprised?”

He couldn’t help but be. Amazingly, the next course was…

Thud―

Four servants together set down a heavy table in front of Egru.

It was a square dining table from near the window, piled high like a tower with various cheeses.

“Ah, aah…”

Egru’s heart began to race breathlessly. His amber gaze swept over the alluring display.

Round ones, triangular ones, square ones.

Some looked hard as rubber, others soft as cream. The common thread was that they all showed off shades of yellow.

“Ah, my lady…”

Egru looked up at Mayfield standing beside him. At his seeking gaze, Mayfield smiled and nodded.

Egru reached out with trembling hands. A smooth chunk of cheese filled his entire hand.

His lips quivered and parted. His empty mouth was soon filled completely.

With nothing but cheese.

Egru stayed frozen for a moment before applying pressure with his molars to chew the cheese. Munch, honey-clear tears welled up in his amber eyes. Munch, munch. Never in his life had he experienced such diverse flavors.

Could this be what it felt like to see a colorful rainbow appear before your eyes? The richness spreading through his mouth made him feel dizzy.

Egru ate the cheese, vigorously working his stuffed cheeks. It was just the act of eating something, yet he didn’t know why tears were falling.

If only D-D’Élysée could eat this together…

Before the habitual thought could fully form—

“Egru, after you finish eating everything at your pace, let’s go to the bedroom.”

Mayfield kissed Egru’s forehead.

“Though I’d love to have an all-night party after so long, I just want you to rest comfortably today. But we’ll still sleep together, okay?”

Egru smiled brightly with moist eyes. Though he didn’t open his mouth, it was an answer overflowing with fullness.

Mayfield gently stroked his brown hair.