I Didn’t Lull You to Sleep Only for You to Be Obsessed With Me - Chapter 101

RP: Haebaragi_syk

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Chapter 51.2

“Did he just call the cake trash?”

“Is it really that bad?”

“Should we order something else instead?”

“No, let’s just go somewhere else. Let’s go back to the cafe we usually go to.”

As some customers began to walk out after overhearing the exchange, the head chef grinned smugly.

“So this cafe was funded by the Duke of Winterville, huh? How did someone as incompetent as you land a job as a pastry chef here?”

“That’s…”

Sophia pressed her lips tightly together. Although she wanted to speak about April, who had recognized her worth, she hesitated, worried that doing so would only lead the head chef to insult her as well.

‘April doesn’t deserve to be treated that way…’

She remained silent, and the head chef looked triumphant. He opened his mouth to deliver another jab, but a calm voice interrupted.

“Is there a problem with the menu?”

April, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward with a polite bow.

The head chef frowned.

“And who are you?”

“I’m April, the owner of this cafe. I came out personally because it seemed like you were dissatisfied with the menu.”

April smiled warmly, meeting his gaze.

“But it looks like you haven’t even taken a single bite yet.”

“Ha, of course not. Do you think I’d eat something made by someone like her? You’ve clearly misjudged her as well. It seems you naively hired her just because she’s from the imperial kitchen. Let me give you some advice: fire her immediately and find another pastry chef.”

“Madam…”

“Sophia, go back inside for now.”

She gave Sophia, who stood frozen in place, an encouraging smile and subtly signaled to Ethan, who was standing nearby. Picking up on her gesture, he stepped forward and gently escorted Sophia back to the kitchen.

Once Sophia was out of sight, April turned back to the head chef.

“Miss Sophia’s cake is better than any cake I’ve ever had. While customers are free to express their opinions about the food, I kindly ask that you refrain from disparaging it without even tasting it first.”

“What? Disparaging? Since when is calling trash ‘trash’ considered disparaging?”

“If you continue to cause a commotion without tasting the food, we’ll have no choice but to take action.”

“What, are you going to kick a customer out?”

“If necessary, that’s exactly what we’ll do.”

The head chef crossed his arms and gave April a scrutinizing look.

“Well, now it all makes sense. I was wondering how someone like you managed to secure the Duke of Winterville’s investment. With a face like that, are you his… mistress?”

“Stop spouting nonsense.”

Conscious of the growing number of onlookers, she barely managed to suppress the urge to raise her voice. Instead, she uttered in a low, warning tone.

“You can insult me all you want. But do you honestly think you’ll walk away after insulting the Duke of Winterville?”

The head chef fell silent, seemingly realizing that provoking Claude Winterville would indeed be dangerous.

April continued again in a low voice.

“In any case, I suggest you leave on your own before I call the authorities.”

At that moment, the murmuring in the cafe shifted suddenly, replaced by an eerie silence as a cold, commanding voice cut through the tension.

“What’s going on here?”

The voice, unmistakable in its authority, belonged to none other than Claude Winterville.

“Y-Your Excellency, the Duke.”

Claude looked down at the head chef with an expressionless face.

“Is this cake the problem?”

Without waiting for a response, he picked up a fork, sliced into the untouched cake, and took a generous bite. After savoring it for a moment, he turned to the wide-eyed head chef and asked.

“If this cake is trash, then what does that make me for eating it?”

The head chef’s face drained of color, and beads of sweat formed on his brow.

“N-No, Your Grace. That’s not what I meant at all…”

“If that’s not the case, then are you saying I’ve lost my sense of taste for thinking this is delicious? Fascinating. The imperial head chef can diagnose an issue that even my personal physician couldn’t.”

“Well, that…”

“Should I consider rewarding you for this remarkable discovery?”

The head chef’s face turned pale as he dropped into a deep bow before Claude.

“I-I spoke out of turn.”

“Out of turn?”

Claude’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“I thought you were someone who took responsibility for your actions.”

“…Pardon?”

He then gestured toward April with his eyes.

“What’s this? You still haven’t apologized?”

“But…”

The head chef bit his lip, seemingly unable to bring himself to speak. Meanwhile, the young chefs who had accompanied him kept their heads bowed, their trembling visible as the oppressive presence radiating from Claude intensified.

“Keuup…”

The head chef gasped for air as though an invisible force were strangling him. His body trembled violently before he bowed deeply to April.

“I-I apologize.”

Claude questioned him.

“For what?”

“I apologize for daring to judge this cafe’s cake without even trying it.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Claude leaned down, his hand gripping the head chef’s face firmly.

“For the crime of disrespecting the owner of this place.”