My Lady Chef
Chapter 62: Letters From Me to You

Ezran's POV:

Crimson Fields, near Guthrie Kingdom

3 months have passed.

And yet I do not see an end to this war. My war council had estimated that the greedy king Cherno Gales II will continue to hold on until his very last breath which meant that this siege would last for a year.

Usually, I would relish such a challenge and I still do but my army beat back Cherno's forces back to their walled capital a month ago and initiated a lockdown on the entire city.

I knew what was to come next.

A siege was the only way to go. Starve the inhabitants of the city or look for any cracks in their wall defenses and send a few men in to open the gates and we could storm in.

But that fool Cherno was stubborn and was determined to wait it out. Inept as he was; his capital's infrastructure was solidly built and without cracks compared to the rundown villages and towns we had to subdue to drive his army back.

"Your Grace, let me clean up here." Hughes bowed as I came back from our latest skirmish.

A group of assassins from Guthrie thought to ambush me to end the war during our last march but their efforts were wasted.

My aide helped me take off my bloody chainmail and mithril shirt. My gloves had to be cut off because it was ruined and had to be replaced. He efficiently helped me wash and dress in a simple tunic and pants before taking my soiled clothing out of my tent.

After that, I sat down to relay my report to the Military Office that receives every war report before relaying it to His Highness and the Council of Lords.

I sealed the letter and had my falcon fly with it just in time because my aide came back and he was wearing a smile as he left two letters for me. The script on one of the letters made my heart skip a beat. It was a letter from my wife.

Hughes left me alone as I opened the contents of the letter and smiled when the first words of her elegant script.

I must say that I was impressed with her penmanship. Most noble ladies at the capital do not write as articulately as hers.

As a lady from the North, I half expected her penmanship to be simple when it comes to writing a letter but the elegant curves and loops of her letters were very pleasing to the eye.

{Dear Ez,

The heat here has ended and the weather has now become a bit colder.

Linda has been asking me to do some shopping for fall clothes and gowns which is the last thing on my mind.}

Laughed at the way she wrote this one. Noble ladies usually cannot get enough of purchasing the latest fashions and accessories. That was the very reason my clothing and textile businesses are thriving despite the wars we wage.

Could she get any adorable?

{To calm her down; I promised to set aside a few days of shopping. Ugh.

How are things going with the siege?

I heard that the King of Guthrie has retreated to his capital and has been sending assassin attempts at you and your men. Please take caution and protect yourself well.

I have started making a few new food items for Pierce to approve of before we open up our very first cafe in the third district. I want to make sure that it becomes a success. When you come home, I will cook them for you.

Please take care of yourself okay?

-Your wife, Alaina}

"Ely...Ahhh I want to see her again." I sighed as I held the letter to my lips before placing it inside a box under my desk drawer before opening Pierce's letter to me.

It was a business proposal complete with a draft of the cafe for the third district along with a sample menu and the design for the structure, cooking items, and even optional uniforms.

I know my secretary and as good as he is with negotiations and handling investors and business. This creative and flawless proposal plan is not from him.

I checked the rest of his letter and he predicts that the cafe might be a success due to what the duchess has in mind.

"Interesting..." I grinned at the ambitiousness she proposed but the detailed menu she made will appeal surely appeal to the masses.

Especially for male workers who need a lot of food to eat but little money to spend.

She is showing a knack for business. Surprising but I am excited to know what will happen.

I wrote immediately to Pierce and gave him my approval and stamped it but I also attached a condition for this new venture.

Women who try to run a business in the capital often succumb to the pressures of managing it.

I want to see if she has that golden touch.

I wrote to my wife and took my time answering her concerns about my health. The fall season has indeed started and I aim to finish this war and be back home by the end of winter or at least by spring next year....

Taking out the small portrait of her younger self. I stroked the edges of the curve that envelopes the painting. She looked adorable as a child and it made me wish I had a present portrait of her to keep. I will have to arrange for that someday.

After summoning Hughes to personally deliver the letters to the messenger; I went out to observe the batch of men who were assigned to go back to the front lines and continue the siege.

I noticed that they were gaunt and worn out as they stumbled towards the meal tents where tonight's grub was being cooked.

Normal army food differs depending on the situation. Eating hard bread and dried jerky is common during marches, but when we are able to set up camp, we select squires and trained soldier cooks with limited knowledge in handling a stew pot, and they are tasked with cooking anything that we can get our hands-on.

The usual meal for the soldiers is meat stew or potato soup with bread if we are lucky.

The meat was hunted, skinned, and chopped to be thrown into the stew pot, or during extreme circumstances, we use potatoes and mashed vegetables for sustenance. But a soldier is a soldier and the food is often more for sustenance than enjoyment.

In short, the food tastes bad and as a veteran of war, this often lowers our troop's morale.

The commanders of the army eat better since their aides have basic knowledge of cooking but I really miss Alaina's food.

Even my household's new chef is better than the last one and he is, being trained by my wife.

"My Lord." The twins came to find me and they look dejected and irritable again.

I had sent Jael and Joel on a covert mission to find a crack on Guthrie's wall defenses but so far there are no signs of any secret passageway into the city or even a crumbling section of the wall. "This time was a failure as well?" I could not hide my frown but I sent them to their tents to rest before Hughes fetched me to eat.

I ate the same tough steak and bland vegetables but then I remembered my wife's perfect plans for the cafe and wondered...

Should I ask her for advice?

The moment I finished my food; I wrote another letter to her and asked my aide to deliver it and paid for another messenger to get it to her.

I wonder what will her answer be.

{Try initiating a Supplies Cart Raid and Cutting off their Food Sources}

That was the advice given to me by my wife. She was well informed on the movements of my army and has deduced that the King of Guthrie's supplies may not be enough for a long siege. There might be wagons or carts full of food being transported towards a hidden path as the war progresses and I should cripple their supply lines and wait for a crack in their defense.

This is true. It has only been a month since the siege but I will put the twins on scouting duty for any traveling supply carts that might look suspicious and have them trail it if it heads to Guthrie.

My wife advised me to get rid of all the wheat fields and nearby forests to eliminate any chances of spies gathering extra food to force them to starve from the inside.

A devilish smile graced my lips at that idea. It was not too bad of an idea.

Burning the enemy's food source to force starvation can help shorten the siege.

That night, while my army slept. I left camp and walked toward a cliff overlooking the Guthrie Castle's stronghold. I shrugged off my cloak and crochet down and started running until I felt the surge of mana engulf me as I jumped off the cliff...

and shifted into something else.☐☐☐

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