Chapter 91.1

Chapter 91.1

“Is the food not to your taste?”

That couldn’t be the case. Sir Mont, the chef directly under the Grand Duke, was a master chef who had previously served the royal family. The Grand Duke had personally scouted him to serve his picky mother, bringing him into the mansion.

Because of this, guests at the Grand Duke’s dinner invitations had never failed to be impressed. Jasmine, who took pride in her home’s cooking, looked back and forth between Richard’s plate, which was not getting any emptier, and Richard himself with uncertain eyes.

Could it be that his taste, cultivated between the royal family and the ducal house, was extraordinarily picky?

“No. It’s delicious.”

“Then why are you picking at it?”

Jasmine didn’t think highly of a few nobles who, under the guise of maintaining their dignity, ate and drank like birds. To be precise, she didn’t want to dine with them. When eating, one should eat well and enjoy the food, not waste it.

If one’s sense of humor and taste in food matched, they could be friends. Fortunately, there were no such people around her. Because of this philosophy, Jasmine liked Richard, who ate well like a soldier, wasn’t picky, and always cleaned his plate.

Every time she dined with him, her internal sense of closeness and affection for him grew. Seeing the usually hearty eater picking at his food made Jasmine genuinely concerned. She wondered if he was feeling unwell. Just as the Duke of Aion’s family was sincere about their drinks, Jasmine, a member of the Grand Duke’s family, was sincere about food.

Richard, who could easily guess her thoughts, inwardly chuckled and responded kindly.

“No, it’s delicious.”

“Really?”

That’s a relief. As Jasmine, reassured, focused back on her meal, Richard rested his chin on his hand and watched her intently. Her cheeks puffed out as she chewed, resembling a squirrel or a rabbit nibbling on grass. She ate so prettily. He found the person in front of him inexplicably adorable.

As Jasmine cut a sausage and put it in her mouth, she met Richard’s gaze, who was resting his chin on his hand with a fork. She closed her mouth, which had been open to swallow the sausage, and frowned, feeling burdened.

“Why?”

“No, just watching you eat makes me feel full.”

Richard chuckled as he spoke. Jasmine felt a tickle in her throat, thinking that his shiny eyes looked somewhat similar to the way her father looked at her. Clearing her throat, Jasmine muttered.

“I’ve often been told I eat well.”

“That’s really true.”

Richard agreed. This situation and his kind gaze felt familiar. Even last summer, Richard liked watching her eat.

Everyone eats the same way, so what’s so special about it? Jasmine found it hard to endure the tickling sensation on her cheeks and gulped down some orange juice. Then she brought up the main topic.

Usually, it was customary to talk during tea time after a meal, but she found it difficult to endure his gaze until then.

“So, what’s the matter? Is it urgent?”

Seeing that he came in the morning. Richard responded a beat later to her words.

“Have you finished your meal?”

“Go ahead. I’ll listen while I eat.”

“Food comes first. It’s your first meal of the day, so make sure to eat well.”

Shaking his head, he pushed the basket of bread towards her with a somewhat firm attitude. With her mouth firmly shut, it seemed he had no intention of speaking until she finished her meal, so she had no choice but to resume eating slowly.

In truth, she was still somewhat hungry, so it wasn’t a bad thing.

Having quickly finished her plate while maintaining proper etiquette, Jasmine, now fully curious, urged Richard, who was picking up a teacup brought out after the meal. The strawberry cream cake served as dessert was already half-destroyed and inside her stomach.

“What is it? Is it about… that matter?”

“Yes. First, I came to inform you of the current findings.”

“Huh? You’ve already found something out?”

Jasmine was astonished that he had already discovered something, considering she had witnessed the suspicious scene just yesterday. Richard, as if it were no big deal, explained that after dropping her off yesterday, he immediately took the knights and thoroughly investigated the place.

He said they even went through the bartender’s transaction records and were in the process of apprehending all the customers. Listening to his calm report, as if he were merely talking about having a post-meal snack, Jasmine’s mouth fell open. Wow. He certainly handles things decisively.

“First of all, the types of illegal drugs brought into that shop were not many. They included hallucinogens, aphrodisiacs, addictive anesthetics, and sedatives. The clientele was diverse, ranging from addicts to doctors performing illegal medical practices, and even illegal immigrants.”

“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor specifically cracked down on such issues ten years ago, but it seems they’ve resurfaced…”

“These issues are like poisonous mushrooms that don’t disappear easily.”

It was about time to clean them up. Richard said calmly.

“The drug purchased by Sir Salinger is called Pilacer. It’s effective but addictive, and thus banned by imperial law.”

“What effects does it have?”

Jasmine asked, her expression serious.

“It has various uses, such as treating insomnia, acting as a nerve stabilizer, a relaxant, and treating dermatitis. It’s so useful that it’s often used as a medical drug in other countries. However, due to its side effects, its import is banned in the empire. The side effects include depression, anger management issues, impulse control disorders, violence, and decreased libido, among others. The primary reason it’s banned is because of its hallucinogenic addiction potential. With slight modification, this drug can become a potent narcotic.”