Episode 24

Merian didn’t answer.

But just by looking at her face, it was clear—she was too shocked to say a word.

No doubt about it: he had passed.

“Good.”

Chris returned to his room, quietly cheering to himself.

Not only had he won Melin’s heart, but unexpectedly, he’d also made a strong impression on Merian—the true power of the main family.

What made this even more significant was that the news would reach the Lord of Noga, leaving a favorable impression there as well.

“But I can’t be satisfied with just this.”

Yeah, an impression?

That alone wasn’t enough.

“This is my chance to bring Merian over to my side.”

Merian was the main family’s powerhouse.

She was the captain of the Black Shadow Knights, one of the most elite orders in the Dark Mage Clan.

Most importantly, she was the favored daughter of the Lord of Noga.

If he could win her loyalty, the benefits would be enormous.

“That’s definitely possible.”

Chris wore a sly grin.

He immediately sought out Count Kazar and asked a single question.

“Why are you asking about my sister like that?”

“I have my reasons.”

“Oh?”

Count Kazar tilted his head, then answered Chris’s question.

“If it’s about her tastes…”

After hearing the answer, Chris busied himself with preparations.

“Uh, um, young master, why are you in the kitchen? Uh…”

“Oh, I want to try something. Mind if I use the kitchen for a bit?”

“Of course! Just don’t cause any trouble in the mansion!”

The head chef hurriedly made way.

Chris stared silently at the chef’s face for a moment.

‘…The head chef is an orc. A high orc, no less, known for being fierce. So the whipped cream strawberry cake I’ve been eating was made by an orc.’

Given that Banshee worked as a maid, it wasn’t too surprising that an orc could be the head chef—but an orc who made desserts? That was hard to imagine.

Especially since Chris had been admiring the mansion’s kitchen for its excellent desserts.

‘…Please tell me they weren’t mixing blood into the strawberry juice. No, thinking orcs are all barbaric is just prejudice.’

“Uh, how can I help you?”

“I want to bake cookies. Could you bring me the ingredients?”

“Cookies?”

“…I have my reasons. Just bring the ingredients.”

“Right, right. Here you go. But my cookies are really something special, you know.”

“……”

Hearing the chef’s constant “right, right” made Chris lose his appetite for the desserts to come.

He shook his head, telling himself not to imagine things.

“No, it’s important that I make them myself.”

“Right?”

“And…”

Chris smiled slyly and rolled up his sleeves.

“I’m quite the cookie maker myself.”

It was time to show off his cooking skills after a long while.

---

Chris had once been part of a hero’s party.

But he wasn’t a fighter.

Though he had managed to reach a four-star level by some fluke, when he first joined, he had no combat ability at all.

So what role did he play?

“Everything except fighting.”

Like all heroes before him, the party was made up of the best combat experts.

But, like all other heroes before them, they were idiots in everything but fighting.

Chris used his versatile talents to support the foolish heroes perfectly.

He treated the wounded with medicine, guided them on the right path, used his words to keep them from being scammed, picked locks, avoided traps, decoded secret messages, and devised strategies as their tactician.

The party’s many victories against the Mage Empire were thanks in no small part to Chris’s hidden efforts.

Without him, they would have stumbled over countless obstacles.

“But there was one more important role I had.”

Cooking.

“The heroes all had terrible cooking skills, as if on purpose.”

So it was only natural that Chris was a great cook. Why? Because he was good at everything.

Every time the heroes ate his food, they were moved to tears.

• “Chris, you’re the light our party can’t do without.”

• “Thanks to you, Chris, we can keep up this dirty hero business.”

…Maybe the heroes liked Chris mostly because of his cooking.

His skills were that good.

That’s why Chris was confident his plan to win over Merian had a good chance of success.

“This should be enough.”

Chris looked proudly at the cookies he’d made.

The high orc chef watched Chris as if spellbound.

“Uh, young master, how did you make cookies like these? This… tastes like it has a mother’s soul baked in…”

“Hey, who said you could steal bites?”

“Well, I’m the chef because I like stealing tastes, you know?”

“……”

So the desserts he’d been eating all along were stolen bites from the chef’s own creations?

Chris was confused, but since the orc probably wouldn’t listen anyway, he packed the cookies and left the kitchen.

He vowed that once he rose to a high position, he’d replace everyone—from maids to the head chef—with humans.

“Brother?”

He ran into Tern in the hallway.

“Address me.”

“…Your Majesty, the King Emperor, my respected brother.”

“And Merian?”

“She’s leaving the mansion. Something urgent came up at the main family, so she’s heading back in a hurry.”

Already?

Chris hadn’t expected that.

He needed to catch her before she left.

But Tern frowned and spoke with determination.

“Brother.”

“Address me.”

“…Your Majesty, the King Emperor, I have something to tell you. Until now, I have…”

“Sorry, I’m busy.”

“Huh, brother?”

It sounded like Tern had something important to say, but Chris had no time to listen.

He completely ignored Tern and headed for the mansion’s front gate.

“Merian!”

She was just mounting her horse.

Her long black hair fluttered in the wind, perfectly matching the majestic black steed. Count Kazar was by her side.

“Chris?”

Merian’s eyes widened slightly.

“What’s the matter?”

“I came to see you off since you’re leaving.”

“I was trying to leave quietly since it’s late.”

Merian smiled.

“But I’m glad you came out. You must be tired from the duel earlier.”

Her tone was much friendlier than before.

Of course—it was because she’d witnessed something amazing.

She’d even asked around the mansion and confirmed that Chris had truly changed.

“Good, the mood’s right.”

Chris thought to himself, then spoke.

“I have something prepared for you.”

“Prepared?”

“Yes.”

Chris handed her something carefully wrapped in his pocket.

It was the cookies he’d baked earlier.

“What’s this?”

“I heard from Father that you like cookies, so I tried baking some, though I’m not very skilled.”

Merian looked surprised.

It was true—she loved cookies.

She was obsessed with them, a taste she’d had since childhood. Even her taciturn younger brother, Count Kazar, knew this.

But she hadn’t expected a gift like this.

“This is… nice.”

“No, it’s just that I was happy to see my aunt after a long time, so please accept it.”

Those words stirred something in Merian’s heart.

Come to think of it, they were family.

Aunt and nephew.

Thinking that way, she felt a pang of guilt.

“I was pretty cold at first.”

She had judged Chris strictly as a subordinate of the main family.

She’d thought of him as a reckless troublemaker and looked down on him.

But this boy had given her a heartfelt gift as his aunt.

“…Thank you.”

Short words, but full of meaning.

Chris noticed Merian’s heart wavering and smiled faintly inside.

Just as planned.

“But you made these yourself?”

“Yes. Though they’re not perfect, I put my heart into making them for you. Please try one.”

Merian absentmindedly took a cookie and bit into it, then flinched.

It was delicious.

No, it was beyond that.

‘Is there really such a cookie in the world?’

As a cookie connoisseur who’d tasted every kind, especially the famous southern mage kingdom varieties, Merian was picky about cookies.

But these were nothing short of fantastic.

Without realizing it, she ate two, then three, before stopping herself, feeling it was unseemly.

“You can have more.”

“Ahem. No, since you gave me such a wonderful gift, I should return the favor. Is there anything you wish for?”

Merian spoke softly.

“I’ll give you a gift, too.”

Chris clenched his fist at those words.

He was almost swayed.

‘What should I ask for?’

There were many things he could wish for.

He could ask to be taught the main family’s unique swordsmanship or spells, or request rare treasures or weapons.

Or, since she was the captain of the Black Shadow Knights and the Lord of Noga’s most favored daughter, he could demand a say in the succession struggle.

But Chris made an unexpected request.

“Please become my real aunt from now on.”

“Hmm?”

Merian frowned, clearly confused.

“You’re already my nephew. I’m your aunt.”

“No, what I mean is for you to become my true aunt.”

Chris spoke slowly.

“Like real family.”

Merian’s expression stiffened.

She understood what he meant.

They were related by blood.

But were they really family? Not at all.

They were bound by the dark mage’s yoke—an utterly formal relationship, perhaps even worse than strangers.

That was just how it was in any noble family tied by blood.

But now Chris was asking her to become his true family.

“No, it’s not some naive sentiment like that,” Merian shook her head.

More precisely, he was asking her to take his side.

Because in a noble mage family, that was what family meant: the only people you could rely on, the only allies in a house full of enemies.

“Do you even understand what you’re asking? It’s impossible. I can’t agree to that.”

Merian continued, her voice steady.

“The elders of the main house have to be fair to the young heirs. That’s the rule.”

A rule no one actually followed.

She swallowed the words that followed.

Here, ‘elders’ meant the senior blood relatives of the main house who held influence over the next heir’s selection.

The heirs had to prove their worth solely through their own abilities to earn the elders’ approval.

But that was just for show. Each heir had their own elders who openly favored them.

Especially well-known was the fact that the acting head of the family, Marquis Langham, openly favored Ashid.

But that was against the rules.

“I’m sorry, but I have a different request…”

“You must be mistaken.”

“Hm?”

Chris smiled faintly.