The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]-Chapter 507: Lettuce Begin

But the clatter of utensils was easily drowned out by that unique, crunchy sound.

Whenever someone bit into that rich, golden-brown, crispy skin, diners got even more excited.

Luca wasn’t sure why everyone started acting like this, but maybe it was because this was a first for them.

Although if he were being honest, it would be difficult to ignore something with that aroma of char and spices. And whenever the juices pooled under the cuts of meat, the delighted cook reaffirmed that it was the right decision to roast it like that, even if it took ages.

It was the oddest experience, because who would have expected it would take this long for him to appreciate a dish like this with other people?

And speaking of appreciation, it was the best time to focus on the fruits of their hard work: their first lettuce harvest.

After everything they’d been through and all those failed experiments his father had conducted, they were finally able to reap what they’d sown. And today, Luca wanted it to shine.

So, instead of preparing their usual salad, he thought of sharing a concept he’d learned from Tesseris.

The moment Luca reached for a lettuce leaf, all heads swiveled toward him.

And the chaotic hall—filled with growls of satisfaction, muffled groans, and the occasional smack—suddenly quieted, causing him to smile at everyone awkwardly when he realized what was happening.

Perhaps he ought to teach them now.

So Luca held up a single lettuce leaf and displayed it for everyone to see before saying, "This is another way to appreciate our staple, lettuce."

He set the leaf on his palm, added a small mound of rice, a slice of roasted pork with crispy skin, a dollop of sauce, and several pieces of sliced garlic before folding it into a neat little bundle.

Ideally, he would have also used fermented vegetables, but he hadn’t had time to prepare them. However, this was really better than nothing.

"You wrap it," he explained simply, "like this. And eat it in one bite."

And with no further ceremony, he popped it into his mouth, chewing contentedly.

For a moment, it was like everyone was on pause.

Then, as if hit by lightning, the people started moving.

Fast.

Ollie practically trembled once before attempting to imitate his brother’s efforts, only to find Kyle handing over a finished wrap.

"Wha—?"

Ollie froze mid-reach, eyes going wide as his fingers closed around the lettuce wrap already waiting in front of him.

For a moment, he looked confused—then, as if by instinct, he brought it to his mouth and bit down.

And immediately regretted nothing.

His whole body stiffened.

Then that hair antenna of his wiggled.

Yes, wiggled.

From head to toe, the blonde cadet trembled as if electrocuted. His shoulders shook, his knees buckled, and his foot even thumped the floor once in uncontainable joy as the explosion of flavors hit him all at once.

When his soul finally returned to his body, he blinked, dazed, and then looked down at the unfinished wrap in his hand in horror.

"!"

That...wasn’t his.

He’d eaten someone else’s wrap!

"!!!"

Slowly, he turned to Kyle.

"I—I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to eat—!"

But Kyle just gave him an amused smile.

"No need to apologize. It was made for you," he shrugged. "I had a feeling you’d want it right away."

The blonde stopped.

Stared.

And then his hair antenna swayed side to side, betraying his sudden silence by showing just how touched he felt.

He leaned closer and muttered, voice unusually soft, "Thanks...you’re the best."

Kyle just smiled faintly, enjoying the view.

Luca watched all this from his seat, quietly relieved to see how much better Ollie’s mood seemed now.

His brother’s spirits had visibly lifted, and that was enough to make Luca smile faintly.

Until he noticed something strange.

Huh?

What happened to my plate?

Specifically...

Why was there a sudden influx of crispy skin on it?

He blinked, then glanced around, confused—until his eyes landed on Xavier’s plate.

Or rather, his completely skinless one.

Luca raised his brows and leaned over.

"Xavier, do you not like the skin?" the surprised little wife asked, just to be sure what not to prepare next time.

But instead of the answer he was expecting, Xavier—who had been calmly sipping his water—said something else entirely.

"It’s not that," he said easily. "It’s really good. But I noticed how you kept saving the skin for last. So..."

He gestured slightly at Luca’s plate.

"I figured you liked it a lot."

The little chipmunk poofed.

Heat bloomed across his cheeks, and he looked down at his food quickly to hide it.

Blushing furiously, he fumbled with the lettuce and meat and hastily assembled a wrap before pushing it toward Xavier in silent thanks.

A faintly pink atmosphere settled over the two of them as Xavier accepted it with a slight, knowing smile.

At his seat at the table, King Garick—who had only just recovered from what might have been another near-death experience from the sheer deliciousness of this thing called pork—watched all of this unfold with a sharp, calculating gaze.

He noticed how close these cadets seemed to be.

But more importantly, he watched Duke Leander’s reactions.

Or better yet... the lack of them.

The man sat there, his face showing only the perfect appreciation for the delightful meal, as though nothing unusual was happening at all.

For some reason, he just looked like he was thoroughly enjoying his food.

Garick couldn’t help but study him.

After all, earlier...he and the Duke had shared many of the same opinions.

And yet, here was the same man. No violent reactions. And no signs of even the smallest twitch.

Was this what the Duchess had meant when she said the Duke had learned to make concessions?

That level of self-control.

King Garick, as if compelled by this sudden comparison, had no choice but to think about this despite his stomach’s protests to focus on that glorious food.

Was he...really doing the right thing by clinging to his old ways when even a man as unhinged as Duke Leander was capable of acting like this? 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Especially when it was clear his daughter had built a strong, trusting relationship with the Kyros family.

So that must mean she was fine with that kind of role model.

But to endure such torture...

Just how in the stars did the Duke reach that level of calm?