Chapter 30 - Lunch.

Despite being a bit unprepared, Rei started her first language lesson with the King as her teacher. Uncertain if it was a different person who teach her or what, Rei felt that the lesson taught by the King is more acceptable and easier to understand compared to that single-sided blabbering from Satoshi the day before. And yes, even with that nice-looking face of the King that was enhanced by his glasses, Rei was actually paying attention to the lesson instead of just looking at the King's face for the entire lesson.

The one-to-one language lesson lasted for about one and the half hour when it was halted by the arrival of a messenger who informed the King about some high-ranking official that requested to meet the King in the afternoon time

"I get it. Thanks for your message, please notify him that I will be meeting him after lunchtime," said the King to the messenger.

The messenger bowed to the King and took his leave.

As soon as the messenger left, the King switch his attention to Rei.

"Hah... You heard the messenger. I am sorry about this but I guess that's all for today." said the King with a slightly unhappy tone.

"It's alright, Your Majesty. I have learned a lot today," said Rei with a polite smile, trying her best to hide her disappointment led by that sudden situation.

"Uhm... Well... If you don't mind, you can have your lunch here before you return to your place." said the King who sounds a bit sorry.

Surprised by that sudden lunch invitation from the King, Rei clumsily nodded as her face once again blushed.

"That's great. Uhm... So, do you have any favourite dishes? I can get the kitchen to prepare something for you since my lunches might be a bit too plain for you." said the King who sounds a bit awkward.

"Eh?... Ah!... No, it's alright, you don't need to prepare any extra dishes just for me, I am okay with anything." said Rei, who politely rejected the King's hospitality.

"Are you sure about that? Well, I guess I will just add another two common dishes for you." said the King.

"No... It's ok..."

Before Rei could reject him another time, the King summoned one of the servants who was waiting outside the room and told the servant to get the lunches ready with two extra dishes...

***

Later, Rei followed the King to the dining room in his palace, they seated down at a table face to face with each other. After a while, the servants came in with five different dishes. Starting off with a plate of shredded boiled chicken breast lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, followed by a plate of boiled broccoli with a dash of olive oil, a bowl of spinach egg soup, a plate of braised chicken and a plate of steamed stuffed tofu with gravy.

Well, it's very obvious that the last two out of the five dishes are the two extra dishes the King ordered for Rei.

Looking at all the dishes that had been served, Rei can't help but look at the King with a concerned look, she felt that the three dishes that were originally for the King's lunches are way too plain than how she imagined, even for a regular citizen, it would be considered as too plain, needless to say, for an almighty King like him. Rei can't help but wonder if there are any special reasons behind this plain diet of the King.

"I don't know what will suit your taste, so I picked the two most common dishes of Qin Empire that the kitchen crews know how to make. I hope you are alright with it." said the King.

Rei nodded while still staring at those plain dishes for the King.

"Uhm... But if you want to, you can try some of mine, just don't mind how plain and tasteless they are." said the King after noticing Rei's behaviour.

Rei nodded again and carefully scooped up a few pieces of shredded chicken breast to the King's plate before getting herself some broccoli for her own plate.

Then, Rei carefully peeped at the King who smiled back at her and gave her some hand gestures telling her to eat first. And so, she took a bite of that piece of boiled broccoli. Yes, it's plain, or rather, it's tasteless, even more tasteless than she would expected. If Rei needs to figure out a compliment for that piece of vegetable in her mouth, it would be 'it is keeping its natural vegetables taste well without any additional taste'. Slightly troubled by this overly plain taste of the vegetable, Rei frowned a bit.

"It's too plain for you after all huh?" said the King with a concerned look as he noticed the troubled look of Rei.

"No... No... It's quite acceptable." said Rei as she hastily shook her head denying that statement from the King.

The King chuckled a bit after seeing that reaction from Rei. Then, he picked up a piece of the braised chicken with a separate piece of clean silver fork and put it into Rei's plate...

***

After that slightly awkward lunch, Rei returned to her own room, escorted by one of the palace guards at the King's palace.

Rei sat on the chair of her writing desk and stared blankly at the translation lists written by the King. Recalling his good look that was enhanced by the glasses, she smiled without even realising it, but the smile on her face faded as she started wondering about his special diet, through that lunch, she has a feeling that he doesn't like those tasteless food as well. Rei can't help but flooded her mind with all sorts of wild guesses about the reason behind his special diet.

"Hmm... Is there anything wrong with his health that he needs to have such a plain diet? Or could it be it's a form of self-discipline training or maybe self-cultivation? But he obviously doesn't like that diet, so that point is definitely not valid... Hmm... I guess, it has something to do with his health after all, but what is it?" She thought.

Then, Rei briefly recalled how Ben prohibited the King from having snacks, relating it to the King's special diet, everything starting to make sense now. Thinking of all these matters, Rei got more and more worried about the King's health.

Just as Rei dazing off in her own room, she was once again visited by that unwelcomed guest...