The Guardian Chef

Hi guys! Emperor93 here!
I thank YXXREM for the illustration he has drawn for this chapter. To see more of his works click on his name.
Also, I thank Element1990 and Paolo V. for helping me to commission this wonderful illustration!!!

Enjoy the chapter!

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***(Graeval's POV)***

After lunch, we served everyone present a cup of bay leaf infusion which thanks to its properties can favor the digestive process. It's not quite the same as coffee, but it's still useful.

"Delicious." said the queen as she sipped the tea "Our daughter's compliments were not an exaggeration."

"True?" Cordelia asked proudly "In comparison, the dishes of our chefs seem monotonous."

"You're exaggerating your highness." I humbly stated, "After all, mine is a simple cuisine, designed for ordinary people."

"You are too humble." Cordelia said turning to me. “As simple as it may be, the taste of your dishes has always been... a surprise. A harmony of flavors."

I gave a simple smile.

Being nobles, they most likely ate particular or complex dishes whose flavors were sought after. Unfortunately, the ideology of many nobles has always been “The more expensive the better”, failing to understand that in reality, the opposite may well be.

Moreover, while I think of my customers when I prepare my dishes, the chefs of the nobles are required to follow a menu with recipes that must be followed to the letter and consequently, do not take into account the possible intolerances of those who are served the flat, or what effect it may have on their stomach.

I never had the opportunity to eat dishes prepared for nobles, but once I tasted some dishes prepared by my supplier Bearnárd's cook and although good, it remained heavy on the stomach due to condiments (such as animal and vegetable fats) that could be safely avoided or in some cases, which had gone to ruin the original flavor.

"Lor- I mean, Graeval."

"Hm? Tell me Lady Bassilla "

“What will you do now? Will you stay in Cuding?"

The question left me slightly baffled as I didn't understand why she should have asked me such a question.

"Right now..." I began and then took the hand of Lilith who was by my side "My wife and I were planning on having the honeymoon that we couldn’t afford when we got married. So once I get you back to the palace, we will continue to our original destination." I finished looking at Lilith softly and kissing the back of her hand, making her smile and blush slightly.

How cute! Like me, everyone present had that statement written on their faces. My wife is the best!

"I-I understand..." Bassilla replied disappointed

It seemed that the matter was closed there, so I waited a little longer so that they could finish the drink, and then, once everyone was ready to go back to the palace, I opened a portal to the throne room. After the greetings of convenience, slowly everyone began to cross it when

"Graeval!"

"Huh? What do you want, Lady Bassilla?"

"Co-could you come to the banquet that will take place in 3 weeks?"

Her question left me a little stunned, while her family was very surprised by that statement. I didn't know they were having a banquet... or rather, now that I think about it, why should I care?

"No."

"Why?!" Bassilla immediately reacted

"How why? I don't see any reason why I should participate."

"W-well..."

Was she speechless... or was she looking for them? In any case, that was the end of the matter for me.

"I figured." the King began, approaching

"That I would have refused the invitation?"

“At first I intended to invite you to the banquet I had planned to celebrate my daughter’s speedy recovery. But since you don't want to deal with the royal court, I immediately gave up on the idea."

"You're a good judge of character, your majesty."

"But it is also true that it is only thanks to you that my daughter is now safe." he began putting his hand in his pocket. “Please accept at least the invitation. Even only as a symbolic gesture."

He handed me a sealed envelope with a wax seal representing the royal crest.

“*Sigh* Okay. I accept the invitation, but don't expect my presence."

“Just accepting the invitation is more than enough. Thank you for indulging our selfishness."

"No problem."

After that quick exchange, I closed the portal. I looked at the letter for a few more seconds and then decided to burn it.

"And now what do we do~?" Aphy asked, holding on to my arm

"How about you go back to your original job while Lilith and I go on our honeymoon?"

"I don't wanna~"

"Aphy~" I called her

"Yes-"

I saw her freeze. The pink, happy face she usually has was pale and she was shaking with fear, for obvious reasons... I remembered unpleasant things and now I'm pissed off. I was releasing my bloodlust... and all turned towards her.

"For your good, I advise you to leave immediately... am I clear?"

She didn't answer. Her sole action of detaching herself from me and disappearing into a beam of light spoke for herself. Now that she was gone, I turned to the sky and screamed, causing my anger to explode as well

"FUCK YOU ALL, BASTARDS!"

***(Lilith's POV)***

His murderous intent was suffocating and terrible. That scream in the sky was scarier than the macabre roll of war drums.

Ever since he had agreed to go back to the palace, I felt something... breaking in my husband and every time it seemed to grow. This is the first time I've seen him bursting with anger and... hatred.

“A PEACEFUL LIFE! I JUST WANTED A FUCKING PEACEFUL LIFE!!!" he screamed furiously "NOW FOR THE FAULT OF AN OVERGROWN BRAT I FIND MYSELF IN ALL THIS SHIT?!!! DON'T FUCK WITH ME!!!"

His curses continued and when it seemed that words weren't enough, he used his powers by hurling them towards the sky or to a deserted spot, making earth and skies tremble. His anger was as palpable as his thirst for blood. And I'm scared... really scared...

“...CURSE YOU APHY!!! NOT ONLY DID YOU DEPRIVE MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND OF HER ADOLESCENCE! BUT YOU ALSO TRIED TO KILL MY WIFE TWICE!!
YOU ARE A BITCH! A SELFISH PIECE OF SHIT THAT DESTROYED THE HAPPINESS OF ENTIRE FAMILIES JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN’T TAKE ON THE FUCKING RESPONSIBILITIES THAT COME FROM YOUR FUCKING JOB!! AND AS IF THAT’S NOT ENOUGH, YOU COME AND CAUSE TROUBLE IN MY DAILY LIFE?!! GO AND GET FUCKED!!
WHAT ABOUT THE HERO YOU SUMMONED?! WHAT THE FUCK OF A HERO IS THAT!!! HE’S JUST A GULLIBLE PRICK WITH A DICK FOR A BRAIN!!!
IF YOU HAD STOPPED THAT FUCKING WAR FROM THE BEGINNING, SARITY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SUFFER LIKE THIS WHILE MY WIFE SHOULDN'T HAD TO GO THROUGH HELL! SHIT! SHIT!! SHIT!!!"

When he made that claim, a space of several hectares was leveled. The flowers, the grass, the trees, and the possible animals that lived there... swept away in an instant.

However, I can't say I don't understand it. All the events that have brought us to this day were caused by Aphy's indifference, who was unable to keep his faithful at bay and limited herself to following the course of events. Now, I don’t know what she thought of that war, but allowing it to continue, the Saint could not have a normal life and now because of her strong feelings for my husband, she's got a lot of fight in her. Not that I'm not guilty. By offering the Goddess that clue to make Sarity believe that her feelings were a copy of Aphy's, I did nothing but prolong the girl's doubt. Maybe it was my way of getting revenge on her. Graeval understood this... yet he said nothing. Why? To him, Sarity is a sister-

"BECAUSE SARITY IS AS MUCH A MORON  AS THAT BITCH OF APHY!" he screamed at me, frightening me “SHE CAN NOT YET UNDERSTAND THE DARKNESS THAT IS HIDING IN PEOPLE'S HEARTS! SHE STILL CANNOT UNDERSTAND THAT SHE HAS BEEN MANIPULATED ALL THE TIME! *** FUCKING DAMN IT, SHE STILL CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT FUCKING CONSEQUENCES CAN BRING HER DECISIONS!!!"

"G-Graeval, now cal-"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!"

*SCIAF*

Along with this dull sound, I felt severe pain and fell to the ground a few meters back.

He had never done that. Graeval had never hit me like this... not even when he asked me to help him train.

Sitting back up and rubbing my cheek, I looked at him. His golden eyes were injected with blood, anger, frustration...

"IF I KNEW ALL THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, I WOULD HAVE VANISHED FROM THE FACE OF THE UNIVERSE!"...and self-hatred “I HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO DESTROY THE ENTIRE CONTINENT AND I CANNOT- NO!! AND I DIDN’T DEIGN TO SAVE MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND FROM THIS SHITTY LIFE?! ******* BITCH BUTT-FUCKED BY A WHALE!!"

He is discharging all the frustration he has accumulated. What he says is true but then...

"... And what am I supposed to say?"

"HUH?!"

"AND WHAT SHOULD I SAY GRAEVAL?!" I began to scream too “MY RACE HAS BEEN DECIMATED BY YOURS! AND TODAY YOU MADE ME SERVE SOME OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MASSACRE OF MY PEOPLE!!!"

When I finished that sentence, I was already standing in front of him, with my fist in his stomach

"Gaha!"

“I FEEL HUMILIATED! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I WANT TO KILL THEM! KILL THE HERO, HIS WIVES, AND YOUR OH-SO-IMPORTANT CHILDHOOD FRIEND!" tears streamed violently down my cheeks with every word I uttered, “THEY TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! THEY TOOK AWAY MY LIFE! MY FAMILY!! MY SUBJECTS!!! AND YOU ASK ME TO SERVE YOUR DISGUSTING DISHES?!! DON’T FUCK WITH ME!!"

I was beating him...

“I CANNOT AND DO NOT WANT TO FORGIVE ANYONE! IF I COULD INFLICT ON THEM THE WORST OF THE DEAD I WOULD HAVE ALREADY DONE IT! BUT I CANNOT DO IT!!!
I CANNOT DO IT BECAUSE EVEN THE FEW SURVIVORS OF MY RACE COULD END IN TROUBLE BECAUSE OF ME!"

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR FUCKING SUBJECTS!" countered Graeval too, his face streaked with tears. “DO YOU KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS FOR ME TO TRY TO KEEP OUR MARRIED LIFE AS HAPPY AS POSSIBLE? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH BLOOD I HAD TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY?! I GOT TIRED OF FIGHTING!!"

"SO OUR MARRIAGE IS JUST A BURDEN TO YOU?!"

“IT’S THE ONLY THING THAT PUSHES ME TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS SHITTY LIFE! IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT ALLOWS ME TO ENDURE THE DECISIONS DICTATED BY LOGIC!! YOU ARE THE ONLY THING I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE!! YOU ARE MY ONLY LIFELINE!!!" he said hugging me strongly

"Graeval..." I called him surprised

There was a moment of pause. A moment that felt like an eternity in which I could hear my husband sobbing and crying

"I love you. I love you! I LOVE YOU!! I LOVE YOU TO THE POINT THAT I AM WILLING TO DESTROY THE UNIVERSE IF THAT MEANS STAYING WITH YOU FOR ETERNITY!" he stated firmly "The very thought of losing you is worse than death... *hic* and the very idea of ​​separating myself from you is the worst of torture *sob*" he continued

What I had told him earlier in anger was true. I couldn't bear the idea of ​​serving the Hero and his wives. Serving human customers at tables every day caused me a slight sense of disgust and humiliation. My husband... Graeval was the only one who allowed me to endure all those feelings. But now I understand that I'm not the only one.

Despite being so powerful, he puts aside his pride and lowers his head to the very people I would like to kill, just to be able to live peacefully with me... to be able to be with me. If I hadn't stopped him when he had fought with the Hero while he was driven by his feelings, we would have to flee. He doesn’t want a life for me like a fugitive... and neither do I for him.

You are humiliating yourself only for me. I held onto him even more to myself and plunged my face into his shoulder. And I’m enduring this humiliation just to be with you. We’re causing each other pain just so we can be together. We’re deranged... crazy...... and I don’t regret it.

We hugged each other and sat on the floor giving vent to those hot tears, full of anger and frustration.

Since we met, we’ve never fought like this. We had some arguments, but we never really had a fight... well, we had to expect it.

Graeval was forced to make decisions he would never make and even before, he realized the state in which his childhood friend had shrunk without being able to handle it in the best way... I, on the other hand, witnessed the massacre of my subjects and realized my powerlessness in the face of that scene... all this has accumulated within us and today, we have both bursts.

The moment we calmed down was also the moment we fell asleep, staying there until it was practically late afternoon. I only know that I was the first to wake up and seeing my husband beside me asleep and with his face still streaked with tears, I instinctively smiled. As slowly as I could, I put his head on my lap and began to caress it. But it wasn’t long before he woke up too

"Good morning." I greeted him with a smile

He did not answer. He simply carried his hand on the cheek that he had hit. Despite his light touch, I felt a little pain. Noticing it, his expression darkened

"Forgive me, Lilith."

"No need..." I replied softly as I wiped away the few tears left "we were both at the limit. Besides, I've already punished you for that slap. Fufufu." I stated pointing to his stomach

"At the limit... eh?" He asked sitting up "If screaming would help us get back to the life we were living until a few months ago, I would have done it a long time ago."

"I know." I said hugging him from behind

"I've caused you a lot of suffering from my decisions... haven't I?"

"...... I can't deny it."

There was a long pause... a thoughtful pause

"*Sigh* I'm tired of all this shit." he sighed and then turned to me "If I told you I wanted to kill anyone who knew about our secret identities and run away with you to the other side of the continent... would you follow me?"

His eyes were serious. That was something he wanted to do following his feelings... his desire to stay by my side no matter what happened. You're testing me... aren't you?

"I will not forgive and above all, I will never forget the massacre of my people..." I began leaning on his shoulder "and although your proposal gives me a bit of happiness, I am afraid of what would happen after that.
I don’t want to spend the rest of my life running from everything and everyone... always on the alert hoping that someone will not discover us. And even if we destroy everything and everyone, what can we do next? Condemn our children to loneliness and the possibility that with them the intelligent life of this world will be extinguished?
I will do as I have done so far: I will remain at your side and suffer with you. If that’s the price I have to pay for being happy together... then I’m willing to do it."

Graeval is willing to do anything for me. If I asked him to massacre the Hero, his wives, his childhood friend, the king, and all the perpetrators of the massacre of my people, he would. Without my consent, what prevents him from starting a genocide is his desire for a peaceful life and above all his conscience.

In his past life, since he was 15, he had to get his hands dirty with the blood of many people. And it continued until he died. He was disgusted by it. He was disgusted by it because he killed not by his will, but by the will of the woman who conceived him and the man who inseminated her. Most of all, he deserves to have a quiet life.

And apparently, I’m the only person in this world who knows and understands that.

"Thanks, Lilith..." he thanked me leaning on me

"No Graeval..." I began by gently looking into his eyes "thanks to you to exist and above all, to be my husband." I concluded by kissing him.

***(?????'s POV)***

"It is all ready?"

"... My lord.... are you sure that’s wise?"

*Thud*

I felt the sore cheek and the iron taste of blood in my mouth. My lord Arzined Voxnar had hit me with the hilt of his whip.

"Just answer my question~"

"......Yes. It is all ready. We also secured the way in thanks to the... 'customer' "

"Strange way to define a flea." chuckled my lord "But for this time I would say to fly over."

Having said that, my lord went to a cage in which were enclosed creatures that looked like dogs the size of a calf, with dark gray fur that seemed to have a life of its own, three golden eyes on each side, and two rows of sharp teeth, The forelegs were longer than the hind legs, but they were both powerful. They were Netherling. There were three of those magical beasts and when they noticed us... or rather noticed me, they began to growl and looked ready to jump on me.

*Fshh*

"Be good~" said my lord, cracking his whip

Obediently, they sat down and waited. With a smile, my lord took a folded piece of cloth and pulled out what looked like a strand of white hair from it. Those are-!

“Exactly~! It is the hair of little Lilith!"

"If I may, my lord-"

"Whaaat?"

"Are you going to find his majesty Stilno?"

"Yes~..." he began with a thoughtful expression "I think so~."

Handing that lock of hair to the Netherlings, the beasts began to smell them. After a while, Lord Voxnar opened the cage

"Good puppies~" he began and then turned to me "I give you the task of following them and recovering little Lilith~"

“With all due respect, shouldn't you be the one to find her? Why don't you entrust the recovery of your new collector's item to us servants?"

"Because it's so much more fun this way~"

I just nodded. After all, his every wish is an order to me. When I was about to leave to follow the Netherlings, my Lord called me one last time

"What do you wish?"

"Make sure you bring her to me~ use any means necessary."

I knew well what he meant by 'use any means necessary. It meant that I was allowed to kill her if necessary.

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