Chapter 39 - I Have Cheese, Pizza Time

  "Alright everyone, that's enough for today! Finish up and catch your breath!"

  I called out to the girls as they finished their twentieth lap around the obstacle course. A week of daily training had done wonders for their stamina and coordination. Even the twins, who started with practically no foundation in mana circulation, were now managing basic reinforcement techniques.

  They gathered in front of me, falling into the cool-down stretches and controlled breathing I'd drilled into them.

  But something felt off today.

  My eyes immediately home in on Isabella as she staggered past the finish line, dead last. That alone was unusual. The princess was highly competitive. She had been neck and neck with Celestine every single day and their rivalry drove both of them to push harder. Today though, she'd been falling behind since the fifteenth lap.

  "Princess, are you okay?"

  Isabella looked up at me, her face unusually pale. The usual spark of defiance in her eyes was dulled, replaced by a glassy exhaustion.

  "I'm... I'm fine. Just… need a moment," she said, as she breathed heavily for more oxygen.

  "Just a bit under the weather."

  Yeah, right. I crossed my arms and gave her my best 'I'm not buying it' look. The one that usually worked on Leon when he tried to hide injuries.

  "Under the weather? Isabella, your face is as pale as a sheet. When's the last time you ate a proper meal?"

  "Of course I had breakfast this morning," she protested weakly. "The royal chef prepared it, as usual"

  She did eat but, why did she look so pale. Is she really sick? Or… wait… why did I feel that something is wrong?

  “Can you say it again?”

  “What?”

  "The last part."

  "The royal chef... prepared my meal as usual?" she repeated, confused.

  I feel something weird stuck in her words there. What is it… Oh, as usual… As USUAL!?

  A cold realization dawned on me.

  "Isabella, could you tell me how much you eat?" My voice dropped low as I asked her.

  She hesitated. "...Just a normal one person portion of a meal, why?“

  I felt my eyes twitch. "And yesterday? How much did you eat for lunch and dinner?"

  "The same, of course. A single portion."

  "The day before?"

  “Of course the same, why do you keep asking?”

  I let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose. This girl... no, wait. She's not being stubborn or difficult. She seems to genuinely not understand her situation.

  "Isabella, do you know why we need to eat food?"

  She blinked at me like I'd just asked her the obvious. "Of course I do. Food is necessary for sustenance."

  "That's the courtly answer. But do you actually understand what that means? Look at the course behind you." I gestured at the obstacle course behind us.

  "You've been training harder than you ever have in your entire life. Your body is burning through energy like a furnace. If you don't feed that furnace, the flame will die out. And so does your body"

  "But surely the royal chef knows the appropriate portions-"

  "Does your royal chef know that you’ve been doing heavy combat training every single day?" I interrupted.

  "Does he know you're reinforcing your body with mana for hours at a time? Did you tell anyone that you are now also walking the knight path?"

  Isabella opened her mouth, then closed it again. Behind her, I could see Katherine and Kimberly exchange guilty looks.

  The twins looked like they wanted to sink into the ground. They should feel guilty, it is supposed to be their responsibility to be watching over Isabella's wellbeing.

  But then again, they ate separately from the princess. Hard to notice someone's not eating enough when you're not at the same table.

  "Listen," I said, softening my tone a bit.

  “A knight's steed gets extra oats after a long ride. A blacksmith's furnace needs more coal to melt steel. You are similar to both the steed and the furnace now.”

  "Hunger isn't a weakness, it's your body's demand for fuel. Ignoring it will end up badly for you. I might even argue that it is unethical"

  "But a lady of noble birth shouldn't-"

  "A lady of noble birth who wants to become powerful needs to eat," I cut her off.

  "You know what else? Diligently walking on the mage path or the knight path will not only give you strength, it will also perfect your vessel as a bonus. With adequate nutrition, your blood and mana will turn more vigorous which in turn will refine everything. Your will have smoother skin, stronger posture, and all over better figure-"

  My gaze, traitorously, drifted to Celestine as she stretched. The soft rabbit-leather training gear did nothing to hide her form, a testament to the very principles I was describing...

  Stop that. Focus.

  But it was too late. The damage was done. My traitorous mouth kept going while my brain caught up.

  "-and, most importantly, things that should... develop... will develop into their ideal... proportions..."

  Celestine's head snapped toward me, her face flushing a brilliant crimson.

  "Are you... did you just… stop looking!" she sputtered.

  I felt heat rising to my own face. Smooth, Milo. Real smooth.

  "I, uh..." I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Look, I'm also a man, alright? I apologize for being impolite. That was inappropriate of me."

  A deafening silence fell. Moon's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. Night's stoic mask was impeccable, but I caught the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth. Katherine looked scandalized; Kimberly, however, offered a small, knowing smile that sent a chill down my spine.

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  "Anyway!" I said loudly, desperate to move past my embarrassment. "Since you've all finished training for the morning, how about we head to the orphanage canteen? I have something new I want you all to try. Consider it a practical lesson in proper nutrition. And also, a form of apology for my inappropriate action"

  Isabella still looked uncertain, but her stomach chose that moment to growl. Loudly.

  "I suppose... a small meal wouldn't hurt," she admitted reluctantly.

  "Not a small meal," I corrected gently. "A proper one. You're eating until you're satisfied. That's an order. But," I added, "stop at eight-tenths full. We don't want to shock your system or risk indigestion."

  A little while later, in the orphanage canteen.

  The orphanage canteen was already bustling with activity when we arrived. The familiar scent of cooking filled the air, but today there was something different mixed in. A rich, savory aroma that made my mouth water.

  They'd done it. The chefs had actually pulled it off.

  "What is that smell?" Celestine asked, her nose twitching like a rabbit scenting food. "It's… wonderful."

  I couldn’t suppress a grin. “That, my dear saintess-in-training, is the smell of success. And cheese.”

  “Cheese?” Isabella echoed, her curiosity cutting through her fatigue.

  “You’ll see.” I led them to a table where several large, circular flatbreads sat on wooden boards. They were slathered in a reddish-purple berry sauce and heaped with toppings, all blanketed under a glorious, bubbling layer of golden-brown cheese.

  Kimberly leaned in, analytical as ever. “It looks like a deconstructed meat pie. But… open-faced.”

  “It’s called pizza,” I announced. “A dish from a land far, far away. The base is a simple flatbread. The magic happens on top. We use a berry sauce for acidity, our newly produced cheese for richness, and whatever meat and foraged vegetables we have on hand.”

  I gestured to the two varieties. “We have two kinds today. This one has raw, thinly-sliced toppings: mushrooms, turnips, vegetables, and meat. The other has the same ingredients, but I had the cooks stew them in milk first until it thickened. It’s a different approach to the same idea.”

  “How do we eat it?” Katherine asked, eyeing the large, unwieldy disc.

  In answer, I picked up a knife and fork. With the flawless etiquette of a highborn noble, I carved a perfect slice. And then, with that same impeccable poise, I proceeded to devour it in four efficient bites before immediately reaching for another. Ten years of drilled-in manners never specified a minimum eating speed.

  I savor every second of it. Finally after over a decade, I can eat it again.

  A stunned silence fell over the table.

  “Is… is he alright?” Isabella whispered to Celestine.

  Celestine, bless her, had already grabbed her own slice and was munching away happily. "Completely normal," she said between bites. "He practices what he preaches. If you're hungry, eat. If you're still hungry, keep eating. Your body knows what it needs."

  The spell broken, the others tentatively followed suit. The moment the cheese touched their tongues, a new wave of reactions erupted.

  “It’s… stretchy!” Katherine exclaimed, pulling a string of mozzarella-like cheese from her slice.

  “And salty, but in a creamy way,” Kimberly observed, her analytical gaze now fixed on the melted strands.

  Isabella, who had chosen the plain pizza, took a delicate bite. Her eyes, still shadowed with exhaustion, widened in genuine surprise. “The cheese… it binds everything together. It’s rich.” She took another, less delicate bite. “And the meat is perfectly seasoned.”

  Celestine, championing the stewed version, made a small, happy sound. “This is so much better! It’s all so soft and warm. The flavors feel like they’re hugging each other.”

  “That’s exactly why the plain is superior,” Isabella countered, already reaching for a second slice. “You can actually taste the individual ingredients. The mushrooms are earthy, the vegetables are sharp…”

  “But the stewed one is more comforting!”

  “The plain one has more texture!”

  I smiled to myself, listening to them bicker. You could learn everything about a person from their pizza. Isabella needed clarity and distinction while Celestine craved harmony and comfort.

  Moon and Night were engaged in their own silent, efficient competition, a whole pizza disappearing between them at an alarming rate. Katherine was secretly sneaking bites of Celestine’s stewed pizza between bites of her own, while Kimberly meticulously dissected one of each.

  By the end, every crumb was gone. Isabella looked down at the empty board in front of her, a faint blush on her cheeks. “I believe I just ate… two wheels of pizza.”

  “You ate what your body demanded, Princess,” I said gently. “How do you feel?”

  She paused, truly considering it. “…Full. But not heavy. The hollow feeling is gone.”

  “Good. That’s the point. Now, all of you, go clean up and rest. Your bodies need to turn that fuel into strength. We’ll reconvene for mage training this afternoon.”

  The girls filed out, Kimberly and Katherine supporting a slightly food-drunk Isabella between them while Moon and Night guided them to the public bathroom.

  Finally alone, I found Jane in my office, already buried in paperwork.

  "The mission?" I asked, settling into my chair.

  Jane looked up, a rare, satisfied smile on her face. "The candidate is perfect. Do you want me to make the approach, or will you handle it yourself?"

  I leaned back, the weight of the decision settling in. This move will be important to protect my interest.

  "I'll go," I decided. "This will need my personal touch. I need to show proper respect." I allowed myself a small, determined smile. "I need to show that I’m sincere. I need to show that I'm not just asking for a favor, but offering a purpose."

  After all, if the plan worked, things would go smoothly for me and my people.

  And I always take care of my people.

  Bonus: Isabella POV

  "We're bathing... together?"

  The words escaped me, louder and more shrill than I intended. Heat flooded my cheeks, unrelated to our earlier exertion. As a princess, being attended to in my bath is a routine. But sharing the space with others? It was... unthinkable.

  "The orphanage couldn't have private baths for hundreds of children," Moon explained, her tiger ears twitching with amusement at my horror. "It is just more efficient like this."

  I bit my lip, regretting my decision to stay. But after the humiliating revelation about my diet, could I afford to remain ignorant of how normal people lived? This was a necessary, if deeply uncomfortable, lesson.

  "Fine," I muttered, following the group.

  A female soldier stood guard, one of Milo's. At least he took our security seriously. Also, Moon had already noted the increased patrols. As expected from a beast man specialized in sensing. Her existence alone might be more than enough for guarding me.

  The changing room was a refreshing take in itself. There are rows of long wooden benches and simple cubbies filled with weaved baskets. My maids, Katherine and Kimberly, moved with practiced efficiency, undressing me and wrapping a soft towel around my body.

  As I waited, my gaze snagged on Celestine as she removed her outer wear, revealing the very curves that had stolen Milo's composure.

  "Could you stop glaring?" Celestine's voice cut through my thoughts.

  "I'm not glaring," I lied, my eyes still fixed on her. "I'm just observing. Anyway, what kind of secret training gave you... that?"

  Celestine sighed, securing her own towel. "I don’t know. Just daily sword practice and actually eating enough food? Maybe try it."

  The barb struck true. Before I could retort, we moved into the bathing area.

  The room was larger than I expected. On one side, low stools and buckets sat before a wall of full-length mirrors, an astonishing luxury for an orphanage. On the other, steam curled from a vast, rectangular pool.

  "Wash first there," Moon instructed. "Then you may soak."

  Katherine and Kimberly guided me through the process. The intimacy of being naked among others was jarring, but the rhythmic motion of washing began to ease my tension.

  I couldn’t help but notice that each set of stools and buckets are also accompanied by a bottle of soap and shampoo. I knew about shampoo, Emilio had given me a bottle weeks ago, and I couldn't imagine living without one now.

  The only gripe I have with it is that everything is berry scented.

  Also, those mirrors! I'd heard Emilio had developed a method to manufacture mirrors more affordably. Perhaps these were self-made? I should ask him for some for my private bathroom.

  The twins did their work efficiently and I had finished washing so I approached the pool.

  The twins worked efficiently, lathering soap across my back and shoulders while I washed my front. The unfamiliar intimacy of being naked in a room with others made my skin prickle with discomfort. But gradually, as I focused on the simple motions of washing, the tension began to ease.

  Once thoroughly cleaned and rinsed, we approached the soaking pool.

  The moment the hot water enveloped me, all coherent thought vanished. A soft, involuntary sigh escaped my lips as I sank onto a submerged bench. The heat seeped into my bones, melting away the deep ache of training. It was pure, undiluted bliss.

  Nearby, Celestine mirrored my posture, her eyes closed in contentment.

  I watched her through the steam, the outline of her figure visible beneath the water's surface. That... distraction.

  But the hot water seemed to melt my resentment, forging it into something new: resolve.

  I had been ignorant about my body's needs. No more. If proper training and nutrition could forge a form like that, then I would master them both. I would become the kingdom's most powerful mage. My strength would be my defining feature.

  Celestine shifted under my renewed gaze, but this time I didn't look away. My path was clear.

  I won't lose to you, Celestine. In anything.