Elizabeth gracefully sliced a piece of the perfectly roasted venison with a small knife and placed it in her mouth to savor.

The meat was crisp on the outside and tender within. The spice blend was layered and distinct—first came the faint notes of rosemary and thyme, followed by a perfectly judged hint of spice, and finally, a sweet aftertaste reminiscent of a fruitwood she had never encountered before.

A look of genuine surprise flashed in her bright, dark eyes.

Putting down her knife, Elizabeth looked at Murphy, who was cutting meat for Eleanor. Her voice was filled with undisguised admiration. "Lord Melfield, this flavor... it’s simply astounding. The Royal Family has many chefs who are masters of the roast, but none can concoct such a unique and exquisite blend of spices, let alone demonstrate such precise control over the heat."

She paused, as if savoring the memory, then shook her head lightly. "To be honest, this is better than any roasted meat I’ve ever had at a palace banquet."

Upon hearing this, Kaiden puffed out his chest with pride. "Father’s cooking has been acclaimed by every soldier in Blackstone Fortress! Whenever he goes for an inspection and starts to roast meat, the aroma fills the entire camp."

Aurora smiled and refilled Elizabeth’s wooden cup with fresh wild berry juice, her tone gentle with a hint of pride. "He really does have many unique insights when it comes to spice blends and cooking methods."

She looked at her husband, her azure eyes filled with tenderness.

Murphy placed the sliced pheasant on Eleanor’s plate before looking up at Elizabeth, his tone calm. "Just a few tricks I figured out on the march. You flatter me, Your Highness."

"No, it’s not flattery at all." Elizabeth shook her head earnestly, her gaze falling on the slices of meat still sizzling on the stone slab. She watched Murphy skillfully turn them with a pair of homemade wooden tongs. "This method for even heating, this stone-slab grilling technique... I’ve never seen anything like it in the royal kitchens. And the spices... I’ve never tasted anything like them."

She paused, her voice softening. "I had thought that the distinguished Lord Melfield, with all his military achievements, would have his mind entirely on military affairs and Cultivation. I never expected..."

"It’s because I’ve spent so many years on campaign that I understand the importance of a delicious meal for morale and for the spirit of the men," Murphy replied calmly, handing a freshly roasted skewer of sparrow to Elizabeth. "Try this. It’s cooked perfectly."

He naturally wouldn’t mention that this skill owed more to a fixation on gourmet food from his past life’s memories.

Elizabeth accepted the skewer and took a careful bite.

The crispy skin shattered between her teeth, yet the meat inside was still tender and juicy, infused with a faint, fragrant spice.

Her eyes widened slightly, and a genuine smile spread across her face. "Incredible... Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. To think you can roast even a tiny sparrow this perfectly."

She set down the bamboo skewer and looked at Murphy. "Lord Melfield, if you were so inclined, your skill with roasted meats alone would be enough to open a restaurant in the Royal Capital that every noble would flock to."

Kaiden couldn’t help but laugh at that. "Then Father would probably have no time to govern his territory!"

Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere around the campfire grew even more relaxed and congenial.

Aurora passed around roasted wild fruits, saying gently, "Murphy’s cooking is for our family to enjoy; that’s enough. If you like it, Your Highness, you could stay in the Monte Territory a while longer. You’d be welcome to have it anytime."

Elizabeth’s smile didn’t falter, but a faint, unnoticeable shadow flickered in her eyes. She lifted her cup of wild berry juice for a delicate sip, her voice as elegant as ever. "I appreciate the kind offer, Madam Monte. But... there is a great deal of business in the Royal Capital lately, and I’m afraid I don’t have much free time."

Aurora nodded knowingly, her smile remaining gentle. "Your Highness has important duties; matters of state must come first. The Monte Territory will always welcome you."

The afternoon sun filtered through the forest canopy, dappling everyone in light and shadow.

The campfire crackled, the aroma of food mingling with the sounds of laughter and cheerful conversation.

However, as Kaiden and Annie began to argue over which game tasted best, Aurora gently quieted them, offering wild fruits to cleanse their palates. At that moment, Elizabeth quietly rose. "I’m just going for a walk," she murmured to Aurora, her gaze sweeping almost imperceptibly over Murphy before she moved away from the campfire’s light.

She didn’t go far, stopping under a gnarled old oak tree nearby to wait in silence.

A moment later, Murphy also rose, gave Aurora a slight nod, and slowly walked over to join her.

The shadow of the oak enveloped them, muffling the cheerful noise from the campfire.

"You have something to say, Your Highness?" Murphy got straight to the point.

Elizabeth turned to face Murphy.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, illuminating her youthful face.

She took a deep breath:

"Lord Melfield, I presume you’ve heard? About the trouble in the Castile Kingdom."

Murphy’s gaze shifted slightly, but he didn’t interrupt her.

"The monsters that the Tower of Secret Silver brought through the Plane Passage were not completely eliminated. On the contrary, they have formed several massive nests deep in Castile’s heartland, which are proving difficult to destroy."

"Using the pretext of ’eliminating border threats and aiding a neighboring kingdom,’ the Rotalia Empire has moved its grand army to the border. They’ve clashed multiple times with the Tower of Secret Silver and its allied Castilian factions. It’s rumored that more than one Extraordinary has already fallen... The situation is utter chaos."

She paused to observe Murphy’s expression before continuing, "The repercussions of this turmoil run deep. Within the Rotalia Empire, factions already resentful of the Church Court’s interference in Imperial authority have seized this opportunity to attack. They’re accusing the Church Court of incompetence in handling the Deep Red Tide, which they claim led to this entire situation."