The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]-Chapter 830: Two Bites to Heaven

Pushed to the point of no return.

Scandalized beyond reproach.

Dead only to be revived.

Owen Mylor could see all of that written plainly on the faces of his friends.

Not that he looked any better.

In fact, he was fairly certain he had worn the exact same expression just moments ago, at least until he managed to collect himself.

Their reaction was admittedly late. They had entered the Activity Center, and could barely even remember their names after being rightfully distracted. So unfortunately, only now had they finally gotten around to actually eating something.

And it was really something, alright.

In fact, as someone fortunate enough to receive the occasional windfall of grace from his brother, his parents, and then from his job, he was probably qualified to say that the thing called mango float was really good.

But he didn’t just earn the qualification to give a critical opinion. With a palete that had forever been altered, he was starting to appreciate things way better now.

The sample was rightfully small. It could have been gobbled in a single bite, but as a man of culture, Owen could now pride himself on being a teen with self-restraint

So he took two.

And in those two glorious chomps, he felt it. Cool. Creamy. Sweet in a way that did not overwhelm but settled gently on the tongue. The texture was surprisingly smooth, while the fruit itself burst softly with juice. It was rich, yet refreshing. Indulgent, yet light.

He was just about to properly contemplate the balance of sweetness and tenderness when a sound cut through his thoughts.

"Heuk... Heuk...!"

Owen stiffened.

He turned slowly, alarm prickling up his spine especially when the sound didn’t stop.

In fact, it echoed.

But surprisingly, it wasn’t because the acoustics of the kitchen weren’t well adapted to its supposed use, but because multiple people were making the same sound.

"?!"

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized his friends were staring at him with glossy, tear-filled eyes. Their cheeks were bulging. Their mouths were full. And judging by the way their hands were clutching at the table, they had absolutely inhaled their samples in one bite.

One of them tried to speak.

Nothing came out.

Another one swallowed hard, eyes trembling, and then promptly started hiccuping again.

"Heuk...!"

Owen stared in horror.

"...You didn’t," he said slowly. "You didn’t chew enough."

They shook their heads.

One of them wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, still chewing furiously as if afraid the flavor might escape.

Then realization struck all of them at once.

If the sample was this good.

Then what about everything Lord Kyle Nox had mentioned so casually before?

The possibilities seemed endless.

Thankfully, before they could throttle each other for good measure, the golden-eyed cadet spoke up, practically dragging everyone’s soul back into their bodies.

"Alright, everyone," Luca smiled as if he had not just permanently altered several lives. "If you’ve finished tasting, please set the plates aside."

__

"What does everyone think?" Luca asked brightly. "Are you all okay with learning how to prepare your own mango float?"

As expected, heads began nodding at a speed that was frankly unrealistic.

Some people nodded so hard they nearly lost balance.

Xavier watched the scene with calm amusement. As expected, there wouldn’t be a single soul present who would dare say otherwise. Back when they were first asked to give input on which recipes Luca should teach, the mango float alone had caused such an intense reaction that they could barely pry Kyle’s mop off the ground.

So there was no doubt the dessert would taste good.

But if they knew how much thought Luca put into even the smallest details, they probably would have been vibrating in place from the start.

After all, who in their right mind would think about maximizing learning time when everyone else would much rather gatekeep such knowledge?

His Luca. That’s who.

The Crown Prince glanced at his wife as Luca smoothly transitioned into the explanation for the choice of dish.

"To decide on what dish to make, it would be best to make advance preparations so you don’t waste both time and resources. Check for both the tools and ingredients needed. If you don’t have them, then ask if you can obtain them or whether you can substitute."

"But while those are normally the most important parts, it’s still crucial to think about the expected serving size as well as the order of when you’ll prepare a dish."

"If you don’t consider the amount of food you’re preparing then imagine hoping to cook a batch for your family only to end up with enough ingredients for a sample."

Gasps could be heard as something akin to a horrifying threat came out of Luca’s mouth.

Xavier’s mouth twitched because his little sister looked aghast, probably imagining the worst-case scenario happening to her.

"As for the order of preparation, we’re starting with this even though it’s a dessert," Luca said, voice clear and enthusiastic, "because there are dishes that need time for certain steps. For the mango float, it’s very important that it’s chilled or frozen properly so you can enjoy it better."

The prince could very well see people’s hands itching to note things down but couldn’t dare break concentration in fear of missing out on something.

"What you just tasted was the chilled version," Luca continued. "That’s why it felt cool and creamy, but still light. If it hadn’t been chilled enough, the texture would have been runny and unstable. And if you had eaten it right after preparing it, the crackers, or that brown layer, wouldn’t have had time to soak, so it would have felt hard and crunchy."

"!!!"

Surprise sparked across faces.

"But interestingly enough," Luca added, eyes lighting up, "this dessert also gives a completely different experience if you freeze it instead. It becomes more like ice cream. I personally really enjoy that version too."

Xavier noted that particular sparkle in his wife’s eyes and immediately committed it to memory.

So that was a favorite.

Offering to assist with the lessons despite his own shift was clearly the right decision. He was already learning things that mattered.

"Now, ideally," Luca went on, "it’s best to let it rest overnight. But since we don’t have that much time today, we’ll add an optional step that you can skip next time if needed."

He looked around the room, smile warm and inviting.

"So," he asked, "is everyone ready?"

"Yes, sir!"

The response came out sharp and unified, like a trained unit responding to a command.

Luca froze.

He blinked once.

Then twice.

And then he laughed, bright and genuine, the sound ringing warmly through the kitchen.

Xavier felt his breath hitch for just a moment.

Radiant.

That was the only word for it.

He sighed inwardly, torn between pride and a faint, irrational urge to hide his wife from the world.

But really, what could he do?

He would never forgive himself if he ever made Luca dim that light.

It would be better to gouge out everyone’s eyes.

But unfortunately, he was the Imperial Crown Prince. Then again, fortunately, he himself owned several mines that would always welcome more helping hands.