Inside the box were colorful cakes.
A shortcake with strawberries on top, a smooth glazed chocolate cake, a tart filled to the brim with jewel-like fruits, a layer upon layer of mille crepe and many more.
"But don't be amazed just yet!"
Saying this, Allen opened the boxes and bags one after another and popped out a variety of snacks and bottles of juice. It wasn't only sweet treats that were bought, he even got salty treats like popcorn.
In a blink of an eye, the table was covered with all sorts of treats akin to the ones seen at parties.
Charlotte's eyes widened in astonishment.
"What's this...?"
Charlotte's head tilted in confusion.
Allen paid no attention to Charlotte and reached for a bottle of Cider. A nice fizz sound could be heard when he opened the lid before he took a gulp of the drink.
"This feast is our dinner for today! Let's eat and drink our fill with high-spirits!
"Whatttt!?" Charlotte finally screamed.
"No, you can't Allen! You have to eat a proper dinner! Eating treats alone will not give you sufficient nutrients!
"Yes, that's an expected and excellent response. It is for that very reason, that's why it is all worth it!"
Allen laughed with satisfaction.
"It doesn't matter. The duke had only given you the bare minimum to survive anyway."
"Well, that's..."
"It looks like I have hit the bull's mark. I've got a feeling that the duke could not starve you but he also did not have the slightest intention to indulge you."
It seemed that only the family members knew that she was an illegitimate daughter.
Therefore, even though they treated her as family on the surface, she was no different than a servant in the house.
A rare treat like a piece of cake was something she could hardly get the chance to taste.
Allen took one of the cakes and placed it on a plate.
It was a shortcake with beautiful, glossy strawberries on it. It wasn't the strawberry season. The strawberries were grown in a greenhouse, so the price was a little high.
Allen put a fork beside the cake and held the plate out to Charlotte.
"Here's a sweet cake for you," he said, "I hear it's the most popular cake in the store."
"Er..."
Charlotte's eyes were glued to the cake.
The only thing he had for lunch was the light soup made from vegetable scraps that Allen had specifically stewed for her, some bread, and a fried egg. Naturally, she would be hungry by now.
Out of nowhere, a small growl could be heard from Charlotte's stomach.
Even so, Charlotte shook her head persistently.
"But this isn't right. It must be bad for your health to have cake for dinner..."
She glanced at Allen with regret and said apologetically.
"And ... I can't accept more from Allen than I already have."
"But it's such a beautiful cake. Don't you feel bad for the pastry chef who made it if we didn't eat it?"
"Urm..."
"Oh, it's working, it's working." Grinning at her response, Allen pressed for an answer.
"Plus, who is your employer right now?"
"Ah, that would be Allen."
"Exactly!"
And with that, he made her grab the fork.
Charlotte was bewildered, but Allen simply told her, "The employer's orders are absolute. So eat as much of this as you want today. That's your job!"
"This is crazy..."
"If you resist any longer, I'll cast another curse. On me, of course."
"Please don't take your life so lightly!"
Charlotte screamed, interrupting Allen as he tried to recite the spell.
Finally, she resigned to her fate and gave up. She lifted her fork and nodded.
"I understand... thank you very much."
"Good. You should have been honest about it from the beginning."
It was such a mean remark, but Allen just wanted her to enjoy the cake.
"I'm just asking, just to be safe, do you have any food-related allergies? Any chronic medical conditions?"
"No... but you sound like a doctor."
"You can say so, I do have a medical license."
"There you go again."
Charlotte giggled. What Allen mentioned was actually the truth, but she took it as a joke and it seemed to relieve some of the tension.