Chapter 39: Lamia’s Culinary Mission and an Unexpected Encounter

The story rewinds to roughly an hour before.

While Wade was still zoning out in the council hall, Lamia listened intently to the old maid’s words.

Her mind was occupied with the intricate question of how to become an excellent wife.

Becoming a wife wasn’t difficult; the true challenge lay in becoming an *excellent* one.

For humans, the concept of a wife remained rather traditional, revolving simply around supporting her husband and raising their children.

Unlike demons, who might compete in strength, humans expected tenderness towards both their offspring and their spouse.

This, however, led to a new, pressing question.

—What about children? 🤔

Lamia had two primary objectives in coming here: first, to slowly wear down White Knight, exhausting his time and transforming him into a useless old man.

Her second goal was to bear children imbued with White Knight’s magic. The more, the better—ideally, eighty-one in a single birth—to replenish the demon race’s power.

The process of wearing him down had already begun, though it required time and could not be rushed.

Lilith, however, had mentioned a method to directly drain all of White Knight’s magic.

Yet, her mysterious pronouncement, “You must have deep feelings for him to do such a thing,” confirmed that cultivating affection was the prerequisite.

Therefore, the immediate priority was bearing children.

Compared to humans, the demon race’s method of procreation differed significantly.

Humans endured ten months of pregnancy, allowing an embryo to gradually develop into a human form within the womb.

Demons, on the other hand, conceived through a fusion of magical energies. This was precisely why Lamia believed that “having a child was equivalent to possessing White Knight’s magic,” as it was, in essence, a merger of magical power.

Demonic gestation could even occur outside the mother’s body, with many demons opting for external incubation, much like hatching eggs, for convenience.

Lamia, too, found this method more practical. However, she was currently disguised as a human, and to avoid detection, every inch of her skin and every organ was a perfect, one hundred percent replication of a normal, healthy human female.

Consequently, she had to conceive offspring in the human manner, within her body. Yet, powerful magic still coursed through her veins, ensuring she wouldn’t weaken during pregnancy.

Nor would the “child” within her be harmed by her movements.

Such was the way of demons: if a child’s own power wasn’t formidable enough, it would inevitably be culled by nature.

The moment a magical entity, designated as “offspring,” formed, it had to possess sufficient self-preservation capabilities.

The demonic ecosystem was far more brutal than that of humans.

Nevertheless, the matter of children would undoubtedly require Wade’s involvement.

Lamia had already discerned where Wade’s magic resided. His reactions had more than confirmed that his self-proclaimed “weakness” was indeed the location of his stored magic.

Though its rather low position might present some inconvenience in ordinary circumstances, she might have an opportunity to investigate it once he was asleep.

“Madam, are you quite ready? Your carriage has been prepared.”

“—Yes, I’ll be right there.”

Her thoughts had largely concluded, conveniently interrupted at that very moment.

Lamia secured the lids on several lunchboxes, then carried the metal containers out of the kitchen.

Human food wasn’t particularly delicious, yet humans enjoyed their own cuisine.

She was incapable of discerning the taste of her own cooking, a fact that applied even to the blueberry cakes she’d made previously.

Typically, she would first offer a small portion to the maids assisting her, allowing them to sample the flavor before she adjusted her ingredients.

The Demon Lord excelled at everything, including cooking.

Cooking was never a lowly task. Among demons, she would readily praise delicious meals.

For her, food served as vital sustenance, especially given her almost constant wakefulness. She held her chefs in high regard.

Should any human observe the Demon Lord’s cuisine, they would surely marvel, for those chefs possessed the remarkable skill to transform minerals and spirit herbs into such visually appealing dishes.

The old maid had previously expressed her wish for Wade to return home more often, to prevent the grand manor from feeling so desolate.

Regarding methods, the adage “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” was, of course, inescapable.

‘—Remove his heart and stomach and keep them at home?’

Upon hearing this, Lamia actually paused, momentarily stunned. Had humans evolved to a point where their organs could be casually detached?

It was only after the old maid’s subsequent explanation that she understood: it simply meant preparing exceptionally delicious food to entice one’s husband to return home for meals.

Lamia was a woman of swift action and practical execution; once something was decided, it had to be done.

As a ruler, she could hardly afford to procrastinate.

Lunch counted as a meal, and the timing was impeccable.

Lamia knew that places like the Knight Order had cafeterias, but compared to the rigid, standard fare offered there, her own cooking would likely be superior.

During her last visit, when she brought blueberry cakes, she’d heard many young knights remark, “It’s been so long since we’ve had something like this,” implying that desserts were a rarity for them.

Wade himself had devoured two in one sitting. ‘Hmph, he definitely liked them, didn’t he? I’ll grudgingly make them for you then.’ 😤

And she mustn’t forget to bring two portions for the Captain and Vice-Captain, who hadn’t gotten any last time.

Wade had been the greedy villain then, so she would play the generous hero. Building good relations with the Knight Order was always a sound strategy. 😋

With these intentions, Lamia carried her parcel and boarded the carriage.

For ease of movement, she chose to go alone, without any attendants.

While the carriage’s speed couldn’t compare to her directly leaping and flying, it wasn’t particularly slow either.

By the time she had finished admiring her delicious creations, they had already arrived at the Knight Order headquarters.

She had visited before, using blueberry cakes to establish a friendly face, so the knights naturally recognized her.

They warmly invited her into the headquarters, and Grand Captain Jeffrey himself received her.

Regrettably, by the time she reached the Knight Order, Wade had already departed, having been informed he was at a meeting at the Church.

“However, judging by the time, he might be finishing up and returning soon, wouldn’t he?”

Jeffrey, surprised and pleased, accepted the lunch and snacks Lamia had prepared, glancing at the clock on the wall as he spoke to her.

“Then I shall wait for him at the Church.”

She mused that to do a job properly meant doing it completely. To highlight her image as a thoughtful wife, she naturally had to appear before him after his work concluded and hand him the lunch she had personally prepared.

Simply waiting here would diminish the overall effect.

Thus, Lamia, carrying the parcel containing lunch, set out once more to locate the Church.

Lamia rarely ventured into human society, though she had scouted locations beforehand. She knew the whereabouts of landmark buildings like the Knight Order headquarters, the Church, and the Royal Palace.

However, upon arriving at the Church entrance, Lamia found herself unsure how to gain entry.

“Apologies, Miss, but this area is restricted to outsiders.”

A few knights guarding the entrance blocked her way, seemingly knights she hadn’t encountered at the headquarters.

The Church differed from the Knight Order. At the Knight Order, her status as the Captain’s assistant’s wife served as a pass, but this identity was useless at the Church.

While she could enter through the main open doors and proceed to the grand cathedral with commoners, Jeffrey’s words implied Wade was in the council hall, a place not accessible to just anyone.

‘I should have asked Jeffrey for some form of proof earlier…’

“Ah, young lady, I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time! Come in!”

Just as Lamia was contemplating whether to simply climb over the wall, an elderly man’s voice suddenly echoed from within the gate.

She turned to see a white-bearded old man.

“This is my distinguished guest. When you see her in the future, remember to make way for her.”

As the old man greeted Lamia, he made sure to instruct the guards at the gate to remember her face.

“Yes, sir. We didn’t realize she was your esteemed guest…”

“It’s quite all right, quite all right. It’s your first time seeing her. Now that you know, it’s fine. Come, young lady, come in with me.”

Lamia didn’t know who the old man was, but since he could grant her entry and commanded such respect from the guards, she assumed he was an important figure and followed him inside.

“Young lady, you might not recognize me, but I am Wade’s grandfather.”

“—Hm?”

Once inside the Church, the old man began to introduce himself.

Upon hearing the old man’s introduction, Lamia recalled the photograph she had seen earlier on Wade’s desk. It depicted a young Wade alongside a middle-aged man in his fifties or sixties.

A closer look now confirmed that while the old man had aged considerably, their facial features were indeed similar.

“Oh, that must be a photo from when he was just over ten, eh? Seems he still treasures it.”

Hearing this, the old man was delighted, his small mustache twitching with amusement.

Lamia looked at the elderly man, then envisioned the middle-aged figure from the photograph.

It was a rather stark observation of the passage of time. In his middle age, the old man hadn’t appeared particularly ancient; although he had some white hair, it wasn’t entirely white as it was now.

In the photo, his face and hands were also free of so many wrinkles.

So this was how time affected humans.

Wade had been in his early teens then, meaning only about a decade had passed since that photograph.

A mere ten years… enough to transform a middle-aged man into the elder he was now.

Her plan to consume Wade’s ten years, turning him from a spirited youth into a disheartened middle-aged man, should indeed prove effective for a human.

Or perhaps a few more years, letting him become an old man like this one, with temples streaked grey, a hoarse voice, and a slightly bent back…

Yet, imagining Wade in such a state, Lamia found herself feeling a flicker of pity for this human hero.

But—it couldn’t be helped. She was destined to witness his aging, for human lifespans were inherently brief.

“Though we haven’t met before, Wade has described you to me. The moment I saw you today, I knew it was you. Are you here for Wade?”

“Yes, I’ve come to bring lunch to my husband.”

“Hohoho…”

Upon hearing the words “my husband,” the old man suddenly burst into joyful laughter.

“How wonderful! Bringing that boy food, too. It seems you’re quite satisfied with him, then? How have you found your time with him these past few days?”

“Hmm… acceptable?”

“Hmph… She didn’t even say ‘I’m happy with him.’ It seems Wade is still lacking, ah. That boy is actually quite shy, not very good at expressing his feelings.”

Hearing Lamia’s rather lukewarm assessment of Wade, the old man puffed out his mustache again, attempting to make excuses for his grandson.

“No, it’s not quite like that. He was rather enthusiastic towards me.”

As Lamia said this, she made a gestured with her hand.

“At the Knight Order, he even gave me an over-the-shoulder throw. He was truly very enthusiastic towards me; you needn’t worry.”

“—?!”

Upon hearing her words, the old man’s eyes widened in disbelief.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

We Transmigrated Together, So Why Are YOU The Only Guy Left?

dominant MLFantasy RomanceFriendsToLovers

Read Now →
Not interested