I Became The Extra King With Seven Wives

A short while later, the waitress returned, carefully balancing two large wooden plates in her hands while another serving girl followed behind her with a tray laden with bowls, bread, and steaming mugs.

The rich scent of roasted meat and herbs reached us before she did.

"My lord, my ladies," she said with a bright smile as she carefully lowered the first plate onto the table. "Our tavern’s special, as requested."

She placed the dishes down one after the other with visible pride.

On one broad platter lay thick slices of roasted wild boar, glazed in a dark honey and berry reduction, the meat still glistening with its juices. Around it were laid roasted onions and small golden root vegetables, seasoned with herbs and butter.

The second plate held river trout, its skin crisped over the fire and dusted with fragrant green herbs, served with soft white beans cooked in cream and garlic. Beside it sat a round loaf of brown bread, still warm enough for steam to rise when she tore a piece to show its softness.

Then came a deep clay bowl filled with a rich stew of venison, mushrooms, and leeks in a thick brown broth.

"Our cook’s pride," the waitress said happily. "Simmered for hours since early morning with red herbs and black pepper from the southern caravans."

Behind her, the young serving girl set down smaller dishes as well, soft cheese wrapped in leaves, a little bowl of berry preserve, and thin apple tarts glazed with honey.

"And for drink," the waitress continued, setting down sturdy mugs, "mulled ale with cinnamon bark and cloves, and watered sweet wine for the ladies."

She straightened proudly.

"It is simple fare, my lord, but the best our house can offer."

"It looks excellent," I said.

At my words, her smile widened.

"Thank you, my lord. I pray it pleases you."

She gave a respectful bow before stepping away, though not too far, no doubt curious whether nobles such as us would approve of common tavern food.

For a brief moment, all of us simply looked at the table.

Even Oliver, who had earlier claimed not to be hungry, stared a second too long at the venison stew.

I almost smiled at that.

"It seems this humble establishment has wounded your discipline, Oliver," I said.

"My lord, I was merely ensuring the food was suitable," he replied at once.

"By glaring at it like a starving wolf?"

Mia looked away, hiding a smile.

Across from me, Eleanor sat stiffly upon my lap, doing her very best not to move too much despite the awkwardness of her position. The scent of the warm food seemed to distract her a little, but not enough to make her forget where she was seated.

Her back remained straight, almost painfully so.

"You may relax, Eleanor," I said quietly near her ear. "You are not sitting upon a bed of nails."

Her shoulders tensed even more at my whisper.

"Y—Yes, Your Majesty."

I looked down at the dishes before us.

The tavern had done better than expected. This was no crude roadside meal thrown together for passing merchants. There was care in it, and pride too. The sort of food made by people who did not have great wealth, but who still wished to offer warmth and comfort to weary travelers.

Rather fitting for Helianth.

I tore a piece of bread and dipped it lightly into the venison stew before bringing it to Eleanor’s lips.

"Open."

Her whole body gave the faintest jolt.

"Y—Your Majesty...?"

"You wished to see what I had in mind for our honeymoon," I said. "Surely being fed by your husband is not beyond expectation."

Leilah was staring at us and I was really curious about what expression she was making under that mask.

Mia looked down at her lap at once.

Oliver very wisely chose silence.

Eleanor’s face turned so red I was almost impressed, yet after a second of hesitation, she slowly parted her lips and accepted the bite.

She chewed quietly, her gaze fixed downward.

"Well?" I asked.

"It is... very good," she whispered.

"Then have some more."

"I—I can feed myself—"

"I know."

That only made her blush harder.

Still, she said nothing else, and I fed her another small bite, this time a piece of trout. She accepted it with visible embarrassment while trying not to meet anyone’s eyes.

Honestly, her reactions were far too amusing.

Besides us, Mia finally reached for the stew, perhaps deciding that if Eleanor could endure sitting on my lap in public, then she herself could survive eating in silence.

Oliver remained composed for a while longer before at last taking hold of his mug of mulled ale and a piece of roasted boar.

I glanced at Leilah however who wasn’t even touching anything. She was wearing a mask and it seemed she wasn’t going to eat anything if she had to remove her mask. Regardless none of us forced or said anything.

It was up to her. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

As we began to eat, I let my gaze drift idly over the tavern.

The room was lively but not disorderly. Merchants sat in small groups near the center, speaking in low voices over their cups. Two older men near the hearth were arguing over grain prices. In another corner, a pair of travelers in dusty cloaks shared a meat pie while watching the room without seeming to do so.

My gaze lingered on them for only a second before moving away.

There.

One of them had entered after us.

The other had the look of someone pretending to be tired while remaining far too aware of every door and window.

Interesting.

I lifted my mug and took a slow drink as though nothing at all had caught my notice.

"They followed us in after all," I said casually.

Leilah straightened her back.

Mia’s expression sharpened at once.

Oliver did not move, but his eyes darkened slightly.

"Left corner, near the hearth?" He asked.

"And another by the rear wall," I replied.

Eleanor went very still on my lap.

I rested one hand lightly against her waist.

"Eat," I said calmly. "There is no need to look frightened. If they meant to strike, they would not choose a crowded tavern in broad daylight."

That was only partly true, of course.

Fools might.

But the ones following us until now did not feel like fools.

They felt patient.

Which only made them more troublesome.

Still, for the moment, I had no intention of ruining a decent meal.

I cut another piece of boar, rich with the scent of honey and herbs, and brought it to Eleanor’s lips once more.

"Come now," I said. "You should at least enjoy the tavern’s special before the day turns troublesome."

Slowly, very slowly, she obeyed.

This woman was simply too cute.

I had been in relationships with a few women in my past life on Earth, but they had all possessed at least some degree of romantic experience. This was my very first time being with a woman who had absolutely zero experience in matters of the heart. More importantly, she was a ’sheltered’ noble lady whose only real, meaningful contact with men had been with her father.

Women with such pure, unfeigned innocence were exceedingly rare pearls back on Earth.

After a short while of enjoying the meal, I gently tapped Eleanor’s waist.

"I need some air," I said, preparing to rise. "The rest of you just continue to eat."

Mia shifted to let Eleanor slide out so I could leave the alcove. However, Eleanor froze, turning her gaze toward me with concern etching her delicate features.

Her worry was entirely justified. If there were two suspicious men tracking us, this was certainly not the time for the King to take a solitary break, let alone split himself from the safety of his royal guards.

But before she could voice a single word of protest, I leaned in and kissed her.

It was a small, rapid kiss, but it effectively silenced her completely. As I pulled back, her lips remained slightly parted in shock, a crimson hue instantly taking over her cheeks.

"I just need a brief moment, Eleanor," I reassured her softly.

Thoroughly flustered, she nodded her head meekly. Looking down at the wooden floorboards in deep embarrassment, she stood up and slid out of the way to let me pass.

"Your Majesty—" Mia began, immediately stepping forward to follow me.

Before she could take another step, however, Oliver reached out and grasped her arm. Mia glanced back in surprise at her brother, who merely stared at her with a serious, knowing look in his eyes. He understood my intent perfectly.

Leaving them at the table, I smiled pleasantly and walked over to the waitress.

"I require some water to wash my hands," I said politely.

"Out the back door, my lord. There is a basin there," she replied, pointing toward a sturdy wooden door at the rear of the tavern.

I gave her a brief nod and walked toward it, stepping out into the back alley.

There was indeed a small iron pipe and a stone basin, likely fed by a wooden rain cistern on the roof. It was a basic but necessary luxury; it would be difficult to run a bustling tavern without a reliable water source for the kitchens.

I turned the small rusted valve, letting the cool water run over my hands. Gathering the water in my palms, I splashed it generously over my face. The slight chill of the water was a nice contrast to the stifling heat of the sun, and I let out a quiet sigh.

Damn, that certainly felt good.

Once I was done, I drank a few refreshing handfuls of water. However, instead of immediately turning back toward the safety of the tavern, I began to walk in the opposite direction.

I heard the distinct, stealthy crunch of footsteps against the pebbled dirt behind me, but I completely ignored them, continuing my slow, leisurely stroll deeper into the isolated alleyway.

I walked until I reached a narrow bottleneck between two tall stone buildings. Here, the loud, cheerful chatter of the main streets could still be heard echoing off the walls, perfectly masking any sounds of a struggle, yet the alley itself was entirely empty and hidden from public view.

It was the perfect spot for a murder.

I stopped abruptly. Turning around, I let out a disappointed sigh.

"Gentlemen... are you even trying?" I asked lazily, looking straight at the two cloaked men who now stood a few paces away, sharp daggers already drawn and glinting in the shadows.