Yuto had already entered the kitchen.
In the front hall, everyone had gathered into their own little groups.
Only Esdeath sat alone, supporting her head with one hand as her gaze naturally followed the young man's busy figure inside the kitchen.
The queen, who was usually proud and cold, now carried a shallow smile on her face, like ice and snow slowly softening beneath the warm sun.
Her slender, fair fingers lightly played with her long hair, gathering those ice-blue strands around them again and again, only to let them scatter before catching them once more.
Her eyes carried an undisguised desire.
It was obsession, ambition, and the fierce urge to hold someone firmly in the palm of her hand.
The dragon girl standing nearby gritted her teeth as she watched Esdeath.
Tohru felt extremely angry and aggrieved inside.
She really wanted to tear the woman in front of her to pieces!
But inside the restaurant, she could not.
Because she had promised Yuto.
Glug, glug...
Bright golden liquor was poured into a cup.
Hiss—
Fine bubbles spread through the glass.
A large, rough hand grasped the cup, and with a slight push, the bottom of the glass scraped against the counter with a strange sound before sliding to a stop in front of Esdeath.
Esdeath's attention was interrupted by the cup of liquor.
Her ice-blue eyes turned toward it, then toward the person who had pushed it over.
Sitting there was a rugged red-haired man.
His seemingly rough and unrestrained appearance carried an indescribable sense of trustworthiness, the kind that made it easy to think of legendary heroes and great men.
"Hahaha, have a drink. The alcohol here is brewed by dwarves from another world. It tastes quite good."
Iskandar laughed boldly and freely as he spoke to Esdeath, his sharp eyes carrying a somewhat meaningful look.
Esdeath frowned slightly.
Although she did not understand what this red-haired man in front of her was trying to do, she still lowered her head and looked at the liquor before her.
A faint fragrance of alcohol drifted from the cup, and Esdeath's eyes shifted slightly.
Just the aroma alone was enough to move her.
As the Empire's female general, drinking was naturally nothing difficult for her.
Moreover, she was the type who enjoyed tasting fine wine.
Esdeath particularly liked enjoying a mellow glass of red wine after killing, savoring the agitation of slaughter together with the stirring effect of alcohol.
The stimulation of those two sensations blending together was something she enjoyed very much.
She looked at the glass of liquor in front of her, thought for a brief moment, and then took hold of the cup.
First, she had indeed been drawn in by the scent of the alcohol.
Second, although she did not know why this red-haired man had acted this way, no matter what he was thinking, Esdeath did not care.
She had already experienced countless life-and-death dangers.
She was confident that she could face any situation.
It was only a cup of alcohol. It was not worth making her hesitate or act timid.
Her fingers wrapped around the handle of the cup, and she lifted her head slightly.
Soon, the cup of mead was drained in one go.
Clink.
With a crisp sound, she placed the cup back on the counter.
It was already completely empty.
Watching from the side, Iskandar's eyes lit up.
The fact that she could drink made him even more satisfied with her.
"Looks like you're quite the straightforward person too!" Iskandar spoke to Esdeath with faint admiration.
Esdeath gently wiped away the moisture at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes fixed on Iskandar, filled with questioning and doubt.
"Who are you? And what are you trying to do?"
Her voice was cold and proud, like that of a queen standing at the very top.
Iskandar laughed boldly and heartily.
His rough, large hand thumped against his own chest, producing a sound like muffled drums.
"I am Iskandar, the King of Conquerors who walks the path of domination! Esdeath, I have taken an interest in you. Come! Become my subject, and conquer everything alongside me!"
Iskandar's words carried his usual wild and domineering spirit.
His entire body seemed to radiate the overwhelming aura of an unrivaled king.
At this moment, he truly was the King of Conquerors!
He was very satisfied with Esdeath's performance from the moment she entered the restaurant until now.
Whether it was her actions or her words, both gave off an invisible sense of dominance, and that dominance suited Iskandar's taste perfectly.
Since she was someone who also walked the path of domination, she ought to stand beneath his banner.
That was the conclusion of a king.
That was why he had taken the initiative to offer Esdeath wine.
It was precisely because he admired her.
Beside Iskandar, Gilgamesh watched the scene with a smile that clearly showed he was enjoying the show.
The King of Hero was very much looking forward to what would happen next.
His golden eyes turned toward Esdeath, his posture displaying endless arrogance.
'Let me see just how much that pride of yours is worth.'
Gilgamesh gave a faint snort, secretly pleased in his heart.
After hearing Iskandar's words, Esdeath was briefly stunned.
Then the corner of her mouth faintly curved upward.
Her eyes carried provocation and arrogance as she looked at Iskandar.
Like a male lion stretching its body, her entire aura became extremely dangerous.
"Interesting. You actually want to recruit me! Hmph... hehehe... interesting!"
In the next instant, an intensely cold aura burst out from Esdeath's body.
The temperature inside the restaurant suddenly dropped by several degrees.
Asuna and the others all felt the chill.
They had only been caught in the aftereffect. The true target of that freezing aura was Iskandar.
At this moment, a layer of ice crystals covered Iskandar's red hair and beard.
However, his body did not move in the slightest.
Those ice crystals seemed completely unable to affect him.
"Cough. Please be mindful."
The voice from the kitchen suddenly caused the cold aura inside the restaurant to dissolve.
Esdeath restrained her presence and looked at Iskandar with interest.
Although she was the youngest and strongest general of the Empire, talking to her about loyalty was meaningless.
She was simply someone who pursued her own desires.
Her desire was very simple.
Battle was enough.
But now, another desire had been added.
"You are not qualified."
Esdeath smiled with a rather wild arrogance.
Iskandar froze slightly, then scratched his head with some helplessness.
"Ah, looks like I was rejected. Ahahahaha!"
Iskandar laughed loudly, showing no sign of loss or sadness after being refused.
Gilgamesh, beside him, smiled.
"Fuhahahaha! Hmph! Just as i expected. King of Conquerors, you have lost this wager."
The kings had made a bet beforehand.
And the King of Conquerors had lost to the Hero King once again.
"Ahahahaha! It doesn't matter. Frankly admitting defeat is also a quality a king should possess! It is only a few cups of wine. That hardly counts as a loss!"
Iskandar began drinking on his own.
The wager between him and Gilgamesh had been alcohol. Since he had lost, he naturally had to fulfill it.
At the same time, Yuto walked out carrying a plate of food.
He smiled at Esdeath with some helplessness.
Although Esdeath's earlier behavior had made the atmosphere somewhat tense, right now, she was still a customer.
That meant she should be treated equally.
"Sorry. Iskandar simply has a habit of trying to recruit people. Please don't take it too seriously."
Esdeath looked at Yuto and laughed softly.
Her posture was completely different from the cold, dangerous woman she had been just a moment ago.
"Hehe... If Yuto wants to recruit me, I agree. But I have to be on top."
Esdeath spoke to Yuto in a tone that mixed seriousness and teasing.
If an ordinary person heard that, they might easily agree.
For many people, her posture and aura were truly like poison.
"Sorry. I'm just an ordinary restaurant owner and i only hire waitresses. I have no interest in recruiting generals."
Yuto smiled as he spoke to Esdeath.
"Then let me recruit Yuto!"
"Rejected."
Esdeath never gave up on prey she had taken a liking to.
She would definitely hunt him down!
The only difference was how much time it would take.
When it came to Yuto, she was even more determined to win.
"Damn it! You really do need to be taught a lesson!"
The dragon girl, who had already been holding back a great deal of anger, could no longer endure it after hearing Esdeath's words.
Her little hand transformed into a green dragon claw, but Yuto held her back.
"Uwaa! Boss, just let me teach this woman a lesson!"
The dragon girl tried to act spoiled.
Thump—
But she received a forehead flick instead!
"No."
The dragon girl instantly became depressed and went off to the side to draw circles.
Esdeath began tasting the dish.
What Yuto had made for her was an iced fruit milkshake.
With one spoonful, Esdeath liked Yuto even more!
She wanted to tie him to her side even more now...
Esdeath ate while fantasizing.