It was Erick's first time tasting something called pizza. The sweet and slightly salty bread blended perfectly with the melted cheese, and the creamy, savory cheese sauce added a rich, smooth flavor that left him amazed.

  "Young Master, this pizza is absolutely delicious. I had no idea you were so talented in the kitchen," Erick praised.

  "Thanks for the compliment. I'm heading back inside. If you can’t finish it, give the rest to someone else. Just don’t waste it," Kieran ordered. The pizza he had made was massive, and he wasn’t sure if Erick could eat it all by himself.

  "Of course, Young Master. You don’t need to worry about that," Erick replied promptly.

  "Good. I’ll leave it to you then," said Kieran, turning and walking back into the mansion.

  "May your day be full of happiness, Young Master," Erick said respectfully as Kieran disappeared inside.

  Erick looked down at the pizza with excitement. There was nothing like this in the Empire. The Young Master had invented a dish that was unbelievably tasty. Who knew when Erick would get the chance to eat something like this again?

  He carried the pizza to the Lavoisier Family knights’ training grounds. He planned to share it with his friend Yustaf, a fellow knight. Both of them came from the same village and had traveled to the capital together to find work. They were lucky enough to be accepted into service at the Grand Duke’s estate.

  By the time Erick arrived, the knights were resting after their training. He spotted Yustaf sitting alone under a tree. As Erick walked past the resting knights, the delicious aroma of the pizza caught their attention. What kind of food smells *that* good? Curious, some of them got up and followed Erick to Yustaf’s resting spot.

  "Hey Yustaf, I brought something special I want to share with you," Erick greeted as he approached.

  Yustaf looked up. The smell hit him immediately—it was intoxicating. Whatever Erick had brought, it smelled amazing.

  "What is it?" Yustaf asked, intrigued.

  Erick sat beside him and set the pizza container on his lap. Yustaf stared at the strange-looking food, but for some reason, he really wanted to try it.

  "What’s the matter? Can’t wait to taste it?" Erick chuckled at Yustaf’s curiosity.

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  "What *is* this food?" Yustaf asked, ignoring the tease.

  "This is pizza. The Third Young Master made it just for me. He’s incredibly skilled at cooking," Erick said proudly.

  "What?! The Third Young Master made this himself?" Yustaf was stunned. An eight-year-old cooking on his own? It was hard to believe.

  Not much was known about Kieran. Most people only knew he was kept isolated because his powers were considered dangerous. Nobody really knew what his life was like or how his powers had developed. The household only learned about him from his requests—books, bugs, and plants. And now, it seemed, he could cook too.

  "You heard me right. He made this with his own hands," Erick said, a bit annoyed at Yustaf's skepticism.

  "Okay, okay. Sorry for doubting. Mind if I try a piece?" Yustaf could barely hold back his curiosity.

  "Of cour—" Erick’s sentence was cut off as four other knights approached.

  "Yo, Erick! What’s that you’ve got? Smells amazing," said one of them—let’s call him Al.

  They saw the strange but mouthwatering food and couldn’t look away.

  "This was given to me by the Third Young Master himself. He’s the only one who can make this, and there’s nothing else like it in the world. That makes this very precious," Erick replied seriously.

  "What?!" the four of them exclaimed. They couldn’t believe Kieran could cook something that smelled this good.

  "Are you serious?" said another knight—let’s call him El—his eyes filled with doubt.

  Erick didn’t like how they were doubting the Young Master again.

  "If you don’t believe me, taste it for yourselves. Let’s see what you think *after* trying it," Erick challenged.

  He showed all five of them how to eat the pizza. Then he waited smugly for their reaction.

  They each took a bite—and instantly froze.

  "This... this..."

  "...is amazing."

  "...so delicious..."

  Exactly the kind of praise Erick had been waiting for. Now no one could deny the Third Young Master’s brilliance.

  "Well?" Erick asked, his tone laced with smug satisfaction.

  The five of them looked at each other, guilt flashing in their eyes. How could they have doubted a kid who could cook like this?

  "Um... sorry for doubting the Third Young Master," Yustaf apologized first, followed by the others.

  "We’re all sorry too," said El on behalf of the rest.

  "Glad you finally understand how amazing he is," Erick replied, satisfied.

  Then came a moment of silence. The five of them exchanged looks. Without saying a word, they all turned their eyes toward the remaining pizza.

  "Erick, can I have another piece?" Yustaf asked hopefully.

  "Me too."

  "Just one more slice."

  "One slice isn’t enough."

  "I second that."

  Erick sensed danger. He knew exactly what they were thinking. One slice was never enough—it only made you want more.

  "No. This was a gift from the Third Young Master. I’m going to eat the rest myself," Erick said firmly. His original plan was to let Yustaf have a taste, then eat the rest alone. The other knights had only gotten a piece because they doubted Kieran—and Erick needed to prove them wrong. Now he regretted it, seeing how desperate they looked.

  "Come on, Erick. There's still plenty left. You probably can’t finish it all," Al coaxed.

  "I *can* finish it. This food isn’t sold anywhere. If I want more, I’d have to beg the Young Master again. So no—I’m eating it all," Erick replied.

  His answer only made the others want it more. He was right. One bite was enough to get them hooked. If it was gone, they had no way of getting more.

  "Erick, for the good of the group, we should all share," El said with noble determination.

  "What? No way! What kind of logic is that? I’m finding a quiet place to enjoy this in peace," Erick snapped. He stood up and started to walk away, but the five knights weren’t about to let him go that easily.

  They surrounded him.

  Erick tensed up. Their determined expressions put him on edge. Other knights started watching.

  "What are you doing?!" Erick asked warily.

  "Erick, why are you being so cold-hearted? We could all enjoy this together," El pleaded.

  "Of course I’m cold-hearted! This is a rare and special dish made by the Third Young Master himself!" Erick shot back.

  Their argument started to draw attention, but no one stepped in to stop them.

  Things began to heat up. No one wanted to back down. At one point, Al and El even lunged at Erick to grab the pizza container. Erick resisted, and they ended up in a tug-of-war over it.

  Then a voice suddenly shouted—

  "WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?!"

  --