"Alright, my lovely princess, you are the first in the world to treat me like a cook. Now, the breakfast you requested is ready. You and your beloved may come out to eat? By the way, what reward will you give me? If it's to surrender yourself to me, then it couldn't be better."

  Holding a plate with six slightly burnt fried eggs at the door of the girls' room, Klein walked out of the kitchen still maintaining an elegant smile, but it seemed he harbored a bit of resentment regarding his first experience as a cook.

  No need to even think: the kitchen smoke and the uncooperative eggs certainly weren't pleasant, much less expecting a grand duke accustomed to luxury to have any reliable culinary skills. It was imagined that, for him, the simple fact of managing, with much effort, to prepare something "edible" must have required a huge effort.

  "Klein, I'm warning you, I'm not one of your maids. And you are nothing more than a defenseless fugitive. If you dare to flirt with me and my friend one more time..."

  "You'll send your 'companion' to tear my head off, right? I apologize for my words and swear I won't speak nonsense anymore... So now, respectable 'Queen,' can you tell me what my subjects left for me? If I'm not mistaken, you must have gotten something from Théodric, right?"

  After provocatively changing the address to "Queen," he did not continue advancing.

  As a young grand duke, it was hard to say whether Klein had that typical aristocratic pride, but at least, in front of a little girl who controlled his life and did not have a very good temper, he was being quite rational.

  Would negotiating be "cowardice"? No, just prudence; that is what it means to be "wise"!

  Moreover, as they say, "one does not hit someone who is smiling."

  Even for Alice, since Klein had prepared the coffee and sincerely apologized... she seemed to have little reason to keep arguing out of unnecessary anger, right?

  So, with a sigh, she patted Thalia's shoulder, the "magical girl" with a sparkling gaze, who calmly got off the bed, put on her coat, and upon opening the door, said:

  "Your loyal subject left you this letter. It seems he kept some important treasures for you. And... why are your fried eggs that color? You didn't overdo the poison while cooking, did you?"

  While handing over the crumpled paper she had received from Théodric to Klein, Alice looked with a certain suspicion at the porcelain plate in the young nobleman's hands.

  Suddenly, she began to question whether it had really been a good idea to force a "grand duke" to cook. After all, the eggs he made looked like they had been bombed, with black and white stains. If they were to be evaluated as food... probably the only quality would be that they could kill whoever ate them...

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  "A letter? The Nalon family has always had unwavering loyalty to Nomeka. Although Théodric, that chubby guy, was a bit irresponsible, in critical moments he was still one of my few confidants... He is probably already dead, right? I really didn't want to see him captured by the Empire and tortured until he wished he were dead..."

  Ignoring the "color of the eggs," Klein took the girl's letter with a still very downcast and resigned expression.

  It was obvious that, from the start, he knew what the fate of his faithful subordinate in the campaign for the throne of Astralis would be. If nothing had gone off plan, probably the entire Nalon family had already been completely exterminated the previous night.

  "Don't want Théodric to be captured? Are you worried about your subordinate... or are you just fearing for your own secrets? I ordered Nisha to kill that officer, I didn't allow him to be caught by the Empire. But... if one day you end up in the same fate, would you like me to do the same with you?"

  Questioning seriously and leaving Klein speechless, Alice's doubt, though somewhat immature, could not be ignored.

  In the world, almost nothing is guaranteed. Before thinking about success, perhaps it's better to consider failure. After a hasty escape, even Alice had already understood this truth.

  So, in the face of a life-or-death question... what kind of "failure" would Klein choose?

  "Regarding Théodric's death, I must admit my heart is full of sadness and relief. I am sad that such a loyal officer did not survive... but also relieved that he was not forced to betray his loyalty. If one day I am about to fall into the hands of the Empire, I would definitely want someone to kill me, destroy my brain. Because the technology controlled by the Astralis court can not only read a person's mind but also manipulate their emotions at will. Believe me: compared to losing oneself under the control and torture of machines, death is undoubtedly a precious liberation."

  Responding with extreme seriousness, Klein seemed very resolute.

  As a great noble, he knew well the methods of Astralis, and perhaps had even used them against his own enemies. Therefore, upon hearing such a question, the Duke of Nomeka's response was so resolute and without hesitation.

  Of course, this answer did not surprise Alice.

  "Alright, since you're prepared, then let's leave soon. First, tell me: where do you plan to steal an airship from? How many enemies will we have to face? And... I've decided I'm not having coffee anymore, so you'd better leave that... 'thing' aside."

  "These are perfectly normal fried eggs! It's not that nameless 'thing'! It's the first food I've made with my own hands! You are... ah, forget it. Compared to breakfast, before we discuss serious matters, Your Majesty should really put on suitable clothes. Maintaining composure in front of a man is the behavior expected of a lady!"

  Although frustrated that his "masterpiece" was not recognized, Klein did not forget, with as much courtesy as possible, to remind Alice that she was still only in pajamas and a thin coat moreover, an adorable little girl matching with a white dress would be a perfect sight.

  If he could, Klein wouldn't mind continuing to appreciate that pure and innocent image that did not provoke any indecent thoughts.

  But... just thinking that, at any moment, Alice could notice something strange and explode in fury... the rational Duke Klein did not dare continue risking it.

  After all, taking advantage of an Entropist is not a very smart decision, just one slip and one's own life could be lost!