Chapter 42: A Demon King’s Culinary Ambition

Nestled within the velvet cloth, the food remained pleasantly warm, despite having been prepared some time ago.

Lamia had presented blueberry pastries to both the captain and vice-captain, as well as to Wade’s grandfather. These particular treats had already been taste-tested and proven agreeable to human palates, making them the default choice for those who hadn’t tried them before.

Lamia had initially planned to distribute another box of blueberry pastries at the Knights’ headquarters. However, her urgent visit to Wade prevented her from doing so. Moreover, having encountered Wade’s family, she found no reason not to offer them a gift, thus leaving the entire box of blueberry treats behind.

After all, Lamia’s ultimate goal was to curry favor with Wade. Gaining his family’s approval was certainly one way to achieve this, so naturally, she offered Wade’s grandfather a small ‘bribe.’

The grandfather, of course, was thoroughly pleased. The legendary Demon King herself had brought him pastries and addressed him as ‘Grandfather’ repeatedly. In a sense, wasn’t this a delightful perk of his age and status?

“Is this… a bento box?”

“Hmm… I suppose so. I wanted to make so many things, so I put them all together.”

What did Wade like to eat?

Truth be told, Lamia genuinely had no idea.

Her understanding of Wade was still quite limited. Indeed, few people seemed to grasp Wade’s everyday habits and preferences.

While the household chefs always prepared delectable meals for Wade, they truly had no specific knowledge of his individual tastes.

To the maids, Wade likely appeared to be an encouraging sort. No matter what others did, he would generally offer cooperative words of praise. For instance, whenever the chefs asked if the day’s meal was to his liking, Wade would invariably declare it delicious. Regardless of the cuisine, he would meticulously finish every dish the chefs prepared, never deliberately leaving behind exotic delicacies to waste food.

Consequently, when Lamia inquired with the household staff about Wade’s preferred foods, the head chefs were largely at a loss for a suitable answer. Wade would eat anything presented to him, and he would praise every dish, making it impossible to discern his true favorites.

It was precisely for this reason that Lamia decided to prepare small portions of every dish she deemed palatable and tuck them all into the box. Her own demon race ate in a similar fashion, piling various minerals, spirit herbs, or spirit beast meats together. If they desired a more appealing presentation, they would simply arrange it artfully. While this wouldn’t alter the taste, it certainly improved the dining experience.

Lamia’s bento box contained both meat and vegetables, apparently comprising all the visually appealing dishes from a cookbook. However, likely due to her haste—after all, she had woken up quite close to noon—there were no dishes requiring lengthy stewing or marinating.

“I thought you were bringing pastries or something.”

Wade cradled the overflowing box of warm dishes, a hint of surprise on his face.

After all, her previous offering had been a blueberry cake, leading him to expect a similar treat this time.

“Of course there are. The box underneath is for them.”

Unlike the others, the velvet-wrapped package Lamia handed to Wade contained two iron boxes. The upper one held the hot dishes he had just opened, while the lower one was reserved for dessert.

Naturally, for her own husband, even the dessert had to be extraordinary.

Wade curiously opened the bottom box, discovering not only fluffy cake but also sliced fruit, a salad, and an assortment of cookies and candies.

“…!”

The sheer variety of the main course had already delighted Wade, but the dessert in the lower box made his eyes truly sparkle.

‘[This… this was made by the Demon King? Truly handmade? Not some “instant food” magic? If such magic existed, I would genuinely want to learn it…!]’

As mentioned before, having grown up in the alleys, young Wade had fought desperately just to secure enough food to fill his stomach. Consequently, he held a particular fondness for the satisfying fullness that came with a delicious meal, and he cherished all kinds of food.

He wasn’t the encouraging personality the maids believed him to be; he simply held a profound respect for every type of food and genuinely savored each meal.

He also respected the labor of every chef. If they had prepared a meal with sincere effort, then it was only natural to offer them genuine praise, especially since they not only treated the ingredients with care…

“You actually prepared so much…”

“Of course! How is it? Doesn’t it look appetizing?”

‘[Hmph, with me taking action, it’s bound to be perfect. I’m going to be the perfect wife, after all. A mere lunch is nothing to me!]’

‘Ha… what a confident Demon King.’

Yet, it was undeniable; the dishes she had prepared were indeed incredibly appetizing.

“I wasn’t sure what you specifically liked, so I picked a little of everything. Quick, try it and tell me how it is. Is there anything you particularly enjoy?”

Lamia then handed over the utensils, which had been wrapped in the velvet cloth, eagerly awaiting Wade’s assessment.

‘[I made so many delicious things, surely you’ll find something you like? I’m going to figure out your tastes right away, and I’ll make every meal super delicious. That way, you’ll definitely become more and more reluctant to leave me~😋❤️]’

“…”

Whatever Lamia’s thoughts, or rather, her ‘schemes,’ Wade found himself able to accept them—or perhaps it was more accurate to say he simply wasn’t surprised. After all, from the very beginning, Lamia’s approach to him had been purposeful.

But…

‘What kind of purpose was this, anyway?’

Wade grumbled inwardly, yet politely accepted the utensils Lamia offered.

He had previously worried that Lamia might poison his food, but after just a single day, he had completely abandoned that notion.

Though he believed he ought to remain cautious, he couldn’t shake the feeling that eating it as it was wouldn’t cause any harm.

“And—making every meal super delicious…?”

‘Was this a Demon King’s sinister objective, or simply a wife’s dedication to self-improvement?’

‘Surely a Demon King’s true intentions couldn’t be this straightforward. There had to be some vast conspiracy lurking beneath the surface—!’

“How is it? Is it delicious?”

‘[Hmph… tell me quickly what you like to eat? I can’t wait to make tomorrow’s meal!😋]’

‘[A con… conspiracy? There should be one, right? Is there?]’

“Ah, it’s all delicious.”

Setting everything else aside, Lamia’s culinary skills were undeniably excellent. For a demon who ordinarily lacked a normal sense of taste for human food, managing to create such delicious dishes was truly remarkable.

“All of it?”

“Yes, it is.”

Uttering these honest words, Wade turned to Lamia, his face breaking into the same appreciative smile he typically reserved for praising a chef.

“I like any food my wife makes, no matter what.”

“…”

Wade’s smile caused the excited Lamia to freeze for a moment.

The sheer amount of affirmation and kindness, so different from the constant ‘You could still refine this’ she typically heard from her Grand General, stirred a novel sensation within Lamia.

Before the Grand General, she was perpetually driven to achieve perfection. Her subordinates followed his directives, and her people awaited her policies.

Her deputy, the General—a seasoned veteran and an elder in her eyes—would always gravely inquire if she could improve further, if she could achieve even greater excellence.

As their King, even a minor oversight or a single flaw could disrupt the entire functioning of the demon race.

But… as Wade’s wife, he actually offered her such abundant affirmation.

‘[…So happy…]’

“…!”

Lamia paused for a fleeting moment, and her voice carried into Wade’s ears.

‘[He actually said he liked it no matter what! ‘]’

Such a heartfelt thought startled Wade. He found it difficult to comprehend how the formidable Demon King could be so delighted by such a commonplace compliment. Could it be that, despite her royal status, she typically led an oppressed existence? Impossible.

Whenever she personally came out to battle him, she always exuded a magnificent and awe-inspiring demeanor.

“However… it did seem true… he had hardly ever encountered other demons. It was always just him, a demon, guarding the city gates… almost as if he were a piece to be moved wherever needed—”

“…Ah, yes, that’s right.”

As this thought crossed his mind, Wade unexpectedly felt a flicker of pity for Lamia. Thus, he reiterated the words he believed she would appreciate.

“I like all the food you make.”

“—”

It was merely the most ordinary of compliments, one that Wade frequently bestowed upon his own kitchen staff. Yet, such simple praise caused Lamia to freeze in place, her pair of crimson eyes blinking before she finally responded with a radiant smile.

‘[Hmph… being acknowledged feels so good…]’

‘[But this also proves—I succeeded in making food the White Knight likes! This is the first step to success! You’ll come to like me even more in the future! Hehe… like me a little more, won’t you~☺️]’

“…”

Listening to the jumbled thoughts in her mind, Wade had to commend her for truly being the Demon King—so ambitious. One moment she was rejoicing, and the next, she was already contemplating ‘work’-related matters.

“But… never mind.”

As long as you’re happy.