55. The Truth Revealed
Reina first used all her culinary knowledge to prepare several dishes that Calysia absolutely wouldn’t refuse and placed them on the dining table. Calysia hadn’t yet shown any intention of coming to the dining room to eat.
As time passed, Reina’s restlessness gradually subsided. She had been feeling quite open-minded, but when she turned around and saw the food carts being brought in and placed downstairs, her face darkened.
That damned Calysia!
Just then, Calysia entered the dining room, stretching languidly. Seeing Reina, her fatigue instantly vanished.
“Little Vassal, sorry to keep you waiting~”
“…Oh.”
Reina’s expression was cold.
Calysia noticed Reina’s mood, sat down at the dining table, and asked with a puzzled expression:
“Little Vassal, what happened?”
“…”
“Nothing.”
Calysia’s eyes greedily scanned the table, filled with the delicacies she loved: sandwiches and cakes made with her favorite ingredients, as well as some stews and hot dishes. Just as she was about to indulge in the feast, Reina asked:
“Master Calysia, can you finish all of this?”
“I can eat everything Little Vassal makes~”
Reina felt a pang of guilt, but suppressed it: “I heard that the Dragon King hasn’t been feeling well lately and wanted to try delicacies from all over the world to stimulate her appetite. Is that true?”
This was Reina’s punishment.
You like eating food made by others, right? Then don’t eat mine!
Why?
Before Calysia could react, Reina was already fuming.
Why, after she had done so much for Calysia, even taking over all the work in the main building of the Dragon Palace, did Calysia show no gratitude and even have others cook for her?!
Was it to lighten her burden? Then why not hire other maids?
The more Reina thought about it, the angrier she became. She pouted, her resentment threatening to spill over and consume Calysia whole.
“Hmm?”
Calysia was taken aback, but her reaction wasn’t as intense as Reina had imagined. She casually popped a piece of meat into her mouth.
It only took her five seconds to guess what Reina was thinking.
“Why is Reina so angry?” Calysia feigned confusion.
“I’m not angry,” Reina turned her head away, not even wanting to look at Calysia, cursing her inwardly for being so insensitive.
“Is Reina talking about the things Shining Scale sent? Hee hee~”
“…”
Reina was surprised. Had Calysia actually guessed correctly?!
But she just shook her head:
“I just heard others say so. I didn’t mean to question Your Majesty.”
“Those aren’t food.”
Calysia took another elegant bite and said with a smile:
“Those are treasures sent in the name of [Shining Scale], disguised as food. I just sent them to the treasury.”
Reina finally realized that the food carts hadn’t actually carried any aroma of food.
It was just a “food delivery” in name, a way to send money.
“Why?”
Knowing the truth, Reina was both embarrassed and annoyed, remembering what she had just done. She wanted to knock herself unconscious and forget everything.
—But she didn’t think she had done anything wrong. Appeasing the Dragon King in the Dragon Palace was also part of her strategy to conquer this world!
“Reina, those treasures weren’t for me. Most of them were from Shining Scale, for you,” Calysia said with a playful smile. “It seems she wants to bribe you.”
Reina fell into thought.
She suddenly recalled Calysia’s declaration of sovereignty, and then she remembered that Shining Scale was someone who desperately needed to expand her influence. With the position of [Demon Moon] being highly contested, she had decisively chosen to offer treasures to Reina.
She was smart and quick-witted.
If Reina were Shining Scale, she would have made the same choice.
Understanding the cause and effect, Reina’s mood returned to normal.
At the same time, she thought of a good way to further solidify her position in the Dragon Realm… and it didn’t involve Calysia.
While she was thinking, Calysia ate all the dishes, including the sandwiches and cake, and repeatedly praised them. A few minutes later, lunchtime was over, and Reina escorted the Dragon King to the bedchamber for a nap.
The bedchamber was much larger than a typical villa bedroom.
It was resplendent, filled with several times more precious treasures than the other areas. Even on a dark, moonless night, the gems and gold coins on the ceiling and walls would shimmer and sparkle.
It was like a treasury built for sleeping.
Reina’s original plan was to attend to Calysia as usual, so that regardless of the quality of her sleep, she could still get some rest.
But because cooking had taken too long, she had to do some cleaning in advance.
Thinking about the letter she had instructed Ann to deliver to the Church of Light, which had already been handed to the so-called Pope, Reina felt a sense of joy. The progress in both her work and main quest filled her with hope for the future.
Coupled with the gift from Shining Scale—Reina was already quite happy.
“Soon, it won’t be long now.”
She muttered to herself as she mopped the dining room floor.
While working, she happened to see “Dragon-class chef” Mr. Pizza standing outside the Dragon King’s Palace. So she left the Throne Room, crossed the Milky Way Bridge, and wanted to take this opportunity to inquire about something.
Seeing Reina, Pizza repeatedly bowed and apologized: “I’m sorry, Lord Azure Scale!”
“It’s okay, it was a misunderstanding on my part.”
Reina smiled gracefully, indicating that she didn’t mind.
“I’ll be more careful next time. It was my lack of propriety,” Pizza looked up, wiped his sweat, and said with a respectful smile: “Thank you for your understanding, Lord Azure Scale!”
Reina shook her head again, indicating that it was no big deal.
Suddenly, Reina seemed to remember something and called out to Pizza before he left.
“Is it true that the Dragon King doesn’t have a good appetite?”
“It’s true.”
Pizza’s face was covered in sweat as he gestured with his hands and explained earnestly.
“Despite my appearance, I’m also a head chef appointed by Lord Crimson Scale. As far as I know, the Dragon King is particularly picky about food, saying that the meat we cook has no flavor. Everyone says the same… She only eats once a week, and not much at that.”
Saying that, he looked up and bowed again, saying respectfully:
“Thanks to you, Lord Azure Scale, I heard that you’ve opened the Dragon King’s appetite. You truly are the most outstanding chef in the history of the dragon race!”
“Then what does the Dragon King eat for that one meal a week?”
Reina continued to ask.
Pizza scratched his head, recalling the days when he could still cook for the Dragon King:
“I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Usually, it’s just some sandwiches, occasionally some cake or something.”
Reina’s heart sank.
She returned to her work, her mind elsewhere for the rest of the afternoon.
