Chapter Text
It was another one of those ball things.
Not the fun ones tossed about at the beach, but the boring type. The type where he had to dressed up in tight clothes and even tighter neckcloths to be barely passable in social functions. He had no idea how Javier was able to wear all those tight, constricting clothes day in, day out, all day long.
Aside from the times he’s shirtless.
It would be a lie to say that he was not envious of those shoulder muscles.
Ahhh, but construction muscles are the best! Who needs overly huge workout muscles or swordsmen muscles? Even Queen Alicia have a really broad back compared to most women. Must be all that sword swinging they do. Swimmers have similar physique, don’t they?
Back to the topic at hand.
Why was he an aristocrat again? He could have been a worker bee, like Mister Dwarf over there, chugging at his beer in celebration of a completed damned project, excuse me, dam project in this far out, godforsaken place in the hills with a dinky drink in hand and a stylish noose around his neck.
Ah, well, it’s not like he’s bored or anything, but…
“Lord Frontera, you are so… unique…”
“Lord Lloyd, I heard so much about you from father…”
“My lord, would you care for a stroll…”
It would have been nice, if their faces don’t have that geez-I-stepped-on-shit expression.
Their dads would be so happy to put a noose around his neck, yeah? These women are all stylish nooses, is that the correct term? Nooses? These bunch of nooses!! You want to lasso me into your territory and work me to death, don’t you? Don’t you!!?
“Uh huh,” said Lord Lloyd Frontera as he swirled the drink in his hand. He was not worried about being poison. Psh, poison? He could eat poison for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, this particular drink has this weird, sweet taste that clogs the throat as it went down. Not. A. Fan.
The food was passable at least. There’s plenty of meat and pastry, and he was impressed to note that kimchi was also available.
He was in the middle of making himself another meat wrap with ham, cheese and plenty of kimchi when a voice said, “You like the fermented cabbage?”
“Hm?” his mouth was stuffed full of meat and kimchi goodness, but his one of his hands was free now that one of the wraps had ended up in his mouth. Thus, he generously spared the handsome MC of Knight of Blood & Iron a thumbs up.
“It is originally a poor man’s food,” said Javier Asrahan evenly.
Lloyd snorted, bah, so what? Food is food. He signed indignantly at the other man. How dare you disparage the kimchi?
“It only started making its appearance on aristocratic tables because rumour has it that Master Lloyd favours it.”
Woah, he has that much influence? Wow. Lloyd stuffed the second meat wrap into his mouth and gave Javier Asrahan two thumbs up in reply.
As usual, Javier was trying to get a rise out of him. It was starting to become a kind of game by now. At every social function, Javier would hover nearby to attract all the female (and some male) gazes to himself and smirk at the poor ignored Lloyd. Well, the joke’s on him! It’s all part of Lloyd’s cunning plan!
With all the women’s eyes on Javier, Lloyd was free to eat and drink as he like. It was a win-win. For Lloyd.
“My lord, you are enjoying the banquet?”
Ah, an annoyance just spoke to me.
Lloyd fixed his iron plated smile and beam at their host, a Lord Something or Other, anyway, he’s not the one paying for the project, just the one hosting the party. So, not important. However, since he provided kimchi on the table, Lloyd decided to bestow some attention to this man of good taste.
He swallowed his mouthful and cleared his throat, “Yes, very. The food is good.” Maybe, he could get this guy to cough up his source of kimchi…
“You enjoy the fermented cabbage? We received it from a neighbouring barony. They claim they had gotten the recipe from the dragon’s wife…”
“Uh huh, that’s… interesting.” Even for a promotional spiel, it was pretty out there. However, he cannot deny that this was some of the best kimchi he ever had. “You got any more of these?”
“If my lord wishes it, we do have a few crates in reserve.” Lord Something beamed. “It is a poor gift, but if Lord Lloyd likes them, we can spare a crate or three. It is the least we could do.”
“Eh, I’ll take it,” he said carelessly. He had done this county a great favour, what’s a few crates of fermented cabbages in the long run? He deserves nice things now and then.
“I’ll see to it that it’s done.”
The rest of the party was pretty much a bust. The only fun thing to do was seeing Javier facing all those women with a stoic expression. Javier’s downturned lips was especially funny as Lloyd maintained his iron plated service industry face before uncomfortable females doing their best to muster enthusiasm to be in his presence. Really, they should step up their game if they want to survive in high society.
It was almost funny how navigating high society was like working as a cashier.
Lying and maintaining a pleasant expression was one of the first important service industry skill he had ever learned. Working at a convenience store was one of those rite of passage jobs that all dirt spoon students go through. That was when he learned that an impenetrable iron plated smile goes a long way to prevent people from looking down at you or scamming you in return. Perhaps that was why he had tried his best to apply these skills during his time as a construction worker.
Except, a smile is nothing compared to carefully applied violence. When all smile fails, that’s when violence begins. For now though, the smile was enough.
=====
The next day, when they set out to leave, he personally inspected the crates of kimchi. Woah, they were really well made and, as he had half expected, packed in precious China containers. Nice, Lord Something is really good at bribing. Since it was a gift, he’ll gladly take it. Just as the servant was about to close the lid of the crate, he said, “Stop.”
Javier and Lord Something looked over curiously, but he was more interested in in the China container. “Take that one out now.”
“My lord?”
“I want to eat some in the carriage, it’s a long ride back home after all.”
“Oh, if Lord Lloyd wishes to eat some on the way, how about-” he nodded at his butler, who signalled to the servants. “-we provide you with an easy to carry container?”
“Well…”
Before he could accept or reject, a packed lunch box wrapped in exquisite cloth was presented before him. Woah, this incredible efficiency! He wondered if he could poach that butler…
The cloth wrapped container was heavy, and a sniff clearly gave away its contents. “My, your people are very competent.”
“We aim to please,” Lord Something beamed.
“Nice, thanks for this. See you again, eh?”
With that final remark, the Frontera party left.
Back in the carriage, Javier glared at the nicely wrapped container. Lloyd had no idea why he was so angry all the time recently. It’s just kimchi, why is he being so sensitive these days?
“Are you that happy to receive fermented cabbage of all things?”
“Why? What’s wrong with fermented cabbage, huh?” Lloyd glared; his face pulled down to show his displeasure.
“No, but-”
“Are you dissing the noble kimchi for being poor man’s food, huuuhhhh?”
“No, never, but-”
“Oh, so you’re looking down at your master for liking this poor man’s food, huuuh? You looking down at me, huuuhh?”
“That isn’t, that is not-”
“Humph, I’m not sharing any of this with you. Wait, are you secretly aiming for my kimchi? Well you can’t have my noble kimchi, it’s all mine!! Mine I say!”
“… …”
Lloyd mentally cackled to himself. It’s so hilarious to gaslight this straight shooting man. His bewildered face is so funny. That pout of dissatisfaction as he transferred his glare out the window was epic.
Hahaha!
===
He shouldn’t.
He really shouldn’t.
But then, when had he ever not done things just because it was something that he shouldn’t do?
It was just too, too hilarious to give it up.
Also, the carriage ride back would take about ten days, with one stop to inspect one of the rural country seat for… something, he couldn’t remember. His job was to survey the area for them and give advice. That was it.
The fact that the kimchi came from this country seat had nothing to do with why they were stopping here at all.
Seriously.
“I don’t believe you,” was Javier’s flat reply to his wonderful rhetoric.
“Whaaat, what is there not to believe?” Lloyd was honestly perplexed by this guy’s behaviour. Why is he being so suspicious lately?
“… you have already eaten two jars of the… kimchi,”
Lloyd swallowed his mouthful of kimchi and burped obnoxiously. Woah, that was too much kimchi even for him. Should he reign in his trolling?
…naahhh!
“No way, this is just my second jar.”
“You already ate an entire box of kimchi earlier…”
“That one was just a snack,” Lloyd waved his hand dismissively. “Hey, we have some potatoes, right? Let’s make some kimchi potato and soup for tonight’s dinner.”
Truly, the wince on Javier’s face was a gift that kept on giving.
“… you’re just boiling potatoes and fermented cabbage together.”
“Hey, there are rules to it, you know? The potatoes should be finely sliced and boiled first and the kimchi goes in later to flavour the soup, but not overly boiled to maintain its nutrition.” He turned to Hamang, Ppodong and Bangul, the parrot bird had already gone to sleep. “You guys like it, right?”
“Hamang!”
“Ppo dong!”
“Bang~!”
“See?”
“You’re starting to smell like fermented cabbage…”
“Hohoho, the smell of home you mean?” Lloyd downed his bowl in one shot and laid back. Ahh, if only he has some tofu… He could make tofu and kimchi soup…
“…you really like this kimchi, don’t you?”
Lloyd snorted, “What gave it away?”
“…if you like it, you should eat more.” Javier actually picked up the kimchi from his own bowl and placed it into Lloyd’s empty bowl.
“Oh, not going to stop me?” Lloyd casually stuffed the offered kimchi into his mouth and sighed as he chewed on the tangy spiciness.
“I scanned your body with mana yesterday, your digestive track is healthier than before and your immune system has somehow improved. So, it’s not a bad addiction to have.”
“…that’s a violation of privacy, you know?”
“I have to be vigilant and ensure that Master Lloyd have not been poisoned or cursed in any way.”
“Woah, you’re really serious.”
Javier said nothing.
“Woah, like, really serious.” There was no way he could tell Javier that he’s immune to poison. Then again, he did see himself ‘die’ from cholera, so it’s probably a good idea to remain vigilant. “Hey, uh, thanks for looking out for me, you know?”
“It is my job.”
“And what an excellent worker you are!” Lloyd slapped his shoulder and sighed. “Should I give you a bonus? Or do you want a day off?”
“A bonus would be nice,”
“So, you can buy more of your blue coattails? Speaking of which, why do you have so many? Does our county provide them for you?” He absently rubbed his hands over the blue material. It had a smooth, silk-like feel to it, but still fairly tough. A good material for a knight who had to move quickly but still look good as a prop beside his master.
“Master Lloyd, you… what are you doing?”
“Hmm?” Lloyd looked down at his hands. He was fiddling with the snow-white cravat, leaving red tinted marks on it from the kimchi. “Ah, what the heck? Sorry, sorry, I was just thinking, this is cambric, right? It must be hot wearing all these all the time. I really don’t know how you stand it, Javier. Javier?”
Javier was… looking at him with wide eyes.
A lightbulb crackled in his brain-
A strong hand wrapped itself around his and pulled them firmly away from the cambric cloth.
The lightbulb winked out.
Just what-
“It’s time to rest for the night, we still have a long day tomorrow.”
“Yeah, okay, sure.”
After putting Javier to sleep with some super boring details about 26 different types of concrete, he found himself staring at the sky. Looking at…
-what was that expression just now?
“Ppodong?”
“Hmm? I’m just thinking.”
“Ppo podong?”
“It’s important, I think. Where’s Bangul?”
“Bangul~!”
“Hey, what do you think of Bi Beong?”
“Ban gul~?”
“Yeah, I guess as much. You know, Javier has this expression on his face that kind of remind of Bi Beong…”
“Hamang!”
“Bangul!”
“Podong!”
“Heh, you think so too? Well, we’ll see.”
There’s knowing. And then there’s knowing.
“We’ll see.”
It could be a dud.
Lloyd spent the next few days of travelling thinking.
He had never been in a proper relationship with another person before. In the past, there was no time and hanging out with friends cost money and girlfriends cost a fortune. Only rich people have girlfriends. He had neither time nor money for a girlfriend. Dates, gifts, travel logistics all cost both time and money.
He barely had enough money to keep himself fed on anything more luxurious than premium canned tuna. Who would date him?
But now?
He had money, time and a long line of old man courting him to marry into their family. He had never seriously thought about marrying any of those girls whose starry eyes go ssst at the sight of his face. Should he be grateful for this plain face? He’s not really plain right? He probably looks like a potato next to Javier though.
To be fair, most people probably looked like potatoes next to Javier.
Except… Javier appears to like potatoes?
To make sure that it was not his delusion, Lloyd decided to keep an eye out. There was really no need to do anything extra to ‘test’ the theory. If that’s what the readers expect him to do, they were reading the wrong genre altogether. He was a practical man. A man with a very good understanding of reality. Why do you think he adapted so quickly as Lloyd Frontera?
Sure, he’s jealous of Javier’s good looks, but that’s only because he’s human. It’s human nature to covet what you don’t have. When he did not have money, he wanted money. When he did not have enough to eat, he wanted food. It’s all normal.
What was his line of thought again?
Oh, yes, find out if Javier Likes Potatoes.
Simple observations would be enough. For all that the man liked to think himself stoic and cool or whatever, he scatters his emotions all over the place. Like a dandelion. Look at his fluffy head, isn’t he like a dandelion?
[Javier now loves and respects you beyond just a master-subordinate relationship]
[Congratulations!]
Of course, he has another cheat. The System.
“…ha ha ha… what the heck am I supposed to do with this information?”
He was still thinking about it when they arrived at Baron Keith’s place. The brother and sister Keiths were really fun people. Down to earth and interested in bettering themselves and the people around them through farming and researching food processing techniques.
He especially enjoyed Eva Keith’s various kimchi experimental products.
“Kimchi, yes, it feels fitting somehow,” said Eva Keith as she scribbled notes on a worn-out book. “We have been calling it fermented cabbage, but it’s a specific technique that could be applied onto other vegetable products. It’s also different from sauerkraut, which is also a type of pickled vegetable. Lord Lloyd, if you don’t mind, would you allow me to use this word?”
“We grow the cabbages ourselves,” said Kevin Keith, even as his father cleared his throat pointedly. “This batch is particularly good, we are currently experimented with human faeces as fertiliser…”
In short, it was good fun. The Keith Siblings were really fun people to talk shovel with. Eva Keith was planning to make large vats for more industrialised kimchi making. Maybe he could talk her into experimenting with soybeans too and make miso.
As for Kevin Keith, the man positively shines when talking about shovelling shit, much to dear old dad’s dismay. These were his kind of people, really. The sister smells like garlic and fermentation, the brother smells like good honest shit.
He wonders if he could export sludge to the Keiths or make use of all that shit himself and turn it into fertiliser instead of just incinerating them all the time. The contract with the dragon only lasts 10 years after all.
When it was time for bed and Javier’s lullaby, he found himself in something close to a kabedon. Javier would never have allowed himself to so openly corner his master, so it was more like a menacing stand off, with Javier looming over him and saying something like ‘you must be more self-aware’ and yada yada yada.
He was kind of distracted by how blue Javier’s eyes were…
So, this man ‘loves and respects’ him?
What kind of love?
Should he test it out?