The Cooking Princess - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Princess Who Cooks

Episode 13

It was certainly true that it wouldn’t be good to antagonize Duke Claude, who was the sub-male lead.

But Chloe had her own temperament too.

She wasn’t the type to just let it slide after nearly having her mother insulted out of nowhere.

“At least mine seems like it’ll last longer than yours?”

“What, what?”

This was Chloe, who had ultimately failed to hold back her words even in front of the Empress and caused a huge scene.

There was no way she could restrain herself just because her opponent was the sub-male lead from the original story.

“Well, my attitude stems from respecting Her Majesty the Empress’s authority, so naturally wouldn’t Her Majesty’s authority last longer than Your Grace the Duke’s?”

“What are you saying right now…!”

“I’ve heard Your Grace the Duke’s words doubting Her Majesty the Empress’s authority loud and clear.”

Chloe twisted Claude’s attitude into a challenge against the Empress’s authority and pressed him hard.

At her boldness, Claude spoke with an incredulous, hollow laugh.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

“You have exactly the same sentiment as me.”

“What?”

Just as the two continued growling at each other, the Empress entered the garden.

“Were you having fun?”

Chloe reflexively bowed her head in greeting while feeling incredulous.

‘As if we were having fun.’

It was just a gathering of kids with terrible personalities.

Perhaps because she herself was the villainess from the original story, she didn’t want to lose in the battle of wills against Claude.

Why should she, who had done nothing wrong, have to bow down?

Moreover, Claude, the sub-male lead from the original story, also had a considerably bad personality.

Not seeing the faces of the Duke and Princess who looked like they’d eaten shit, the Empress contentedly looked back and forth between their faces.

“I only knew the Princess was smart, but she’s bold too.”

‘Gasp.’

Did she see and hear everything about the argument with Claude?

In front of Claude, she could nitpick about ignoring the Empress and whatnot, but there was no way she could verbally beat down the Empress’s son with the Empress herself present.

Just as Chloe wore an expression of dismay and Claude wore a triumphant expression.

“Indeed, she would be perfect as our son’s wife.”

Having said that much, a proud smile appeared on the Empress’s pretty face.

At those sudden and blatant words, Chloe froze solid.

‘So the reason she specifically invited Claude as a guide to play in the garden at this time was…’

It meant the Empress had set her sights on Chloe as Claude’s fiancée.

At that true intention, Chloe was busy trying to control her mouth that was about to gape open.

Claude incredulously protested to the Empress.

“I have to get engaged to this thing? Are you serious?”

‘Well done!’

Claude had a very bad temper, but just this once she wanted to cheer for his rudeness.

“Yes. You must have seen the Princess’s wisdom as well.”

“Wisdom my ass. She’s just rude.”

Seeing Claude argue back to the Empress with a sullen face, Chloe briefly felt relieved and let out a sigh.

“You need a wise wife with good bloodline, and there’s currently no better bride material than her in the Luzhiere Empire.”

It was Chloe who was flustered by those words.

“Pardon?”

But I’m not particularly wise?

She barely held back from immediately protesting like that and answered.

“Engagement is a major family matter. Since it’s a union between families, it’s also a matter that I, a mere young lady, cannot rashly decide.”

Chloe’s point was this.

It wasn’t something she could decide, so let’s not make the engagement a foregone conclusion.

“Also, whether I’m as wise as Your Majesty the Empress says, I still don’t really know.”

She didn’t want to get involved with Shuel, but even Shuel would be better than this.

A meeting between the original villainess and the original villainous sub-character?

Chloe desperately tried to avoid this combination that was close to destruction.

“Why, was my son very lacking?”

“Duke Claude is far more remarkable than I am.”

At her evasion, Claude grumpily retorted.

“You were doing just fine ignoring me earlier?”

Chloe glared once at Claude who was annoyingly adding to her words, then continued speaking as if nothing happened.

“In any case, regarding the engagement, I think you should discuss it with my father, not me.”

At Chloe’s textbook response, the beautiful-faced Empress clicked her tongue regretfully but said this.

“The Princess’s words also make sense. You may withdraw now.”

At the clear dismissal, Chloe tried her best not to show her relief as she answered.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Chloe immediately turned around and quickly escaped from the garden as soon as she answered, not even glancing at the sullen-faced Claude.

‘Finally, a real escape!’

It had been a long, long day. After finishing even the unwelcome encounter in the garden, it was already the dark of night outside.

“Chloe, are you alright? To be this late.”

The Duchess, who had been anxiously waiting for her daughter who hadn’t come out until this late hour, rushed over as soon as she saw Chloe.

Chloe was embraced in her warm mother’s arms and finally let out a long sigh as her tension was released.

“So many things happened…”

***

After returning home from the Imperial Palace, very fortunately, there was no movement from the Empress.

Relieved by this, Chloe decided to focus on what she needed to do first.

‘There’s no point in racking my brains over the engagement issue since it’s not something I can do anything about.’

She pushed away such distracting thoughts and moved on to important matters.

The first condition Chloe thought of for making delicious food.

‘Ingredients.’

Of course, there were many important things like food recipes and the chef’s skills.

But thinking of the foods she had eaten so far in her memory…

‘Ingredients come first.’

Fortunately, she had fertile territory to inherit. So she had already overcome one big mountain.

Now it was time to overcome the next mountain. Chloe pondered.

‘This time, it’s really time to… improve potatoes…!’

Potatoes were as important a basic ingredient as wheat and rice, so improvement was essential.

Of course, it was by no means an easy task.

There was no way this world would have tools that could accurately measure and quantify plant genetics.

So the only way was primitive methods like planting potatoes by variety, selecting decent seeds from among them to plant again, and making the growing environments different for each.

‘But that would take at least several decades.’

Didn’t that mean she’d have to endlessly cultivate and taste potatoes until decent-tasting ones emerged?

Though the environment was harsh, very fortunately, this world had magic.

She needed to cast magic to make plants grow as quickly as possible to maximize efficiency.

Just as Chloe was absorbed in potato improvement, there was a commotion outside.

Wondering what was happening, she went out to the corridor and encountered the Duke who was just coming to her room.

The Duke cleared his throat with a slightly awkward face and spoke to Chloe.

“A branch family of ours thinks very highly of your abilities, Chloe, and wants to learn from you. The way they pleaded was something else.”

The Duke’s face was full of pride as he said this.

“House of Count Blair sent their heir, and they say he’s a smart child who can help you well with your work. What do you think?”

This was something that hadn’t happened in the original story.

The fact that a branch family of Count Blair’s house highly valued Chloe’s abilities and wanted to learn her know-how meant that the current Chloe was taking a different path from the original ‘foolish’ villainess, didn’t it?

She felt joy at this realization, and coincidentally, Chloe had been just about to start improving potatoes.

‘I need every extra pair of hands I can get!’

With free labor dropping from the sky during such a busy time, Chloe decided to readily accept House of Count Blair’s request.

“By helping out, will the bond with the branch family become stronger? That sounds wonderful!”

The Duke felt proud seeing Chloe’s happiness, and pushed forward the young heir who had been hiding behind him until then, saying:

“Let’s introduce each other.”

“Ah, hello… Your Highness. I’m Pi, Pierre Letter. I’m ten years old.”

The small boy who was pushed forward introduced himself with a trembling voice.

Wheat-colored hair and pale green eyes. Gently drooping eye corners.

His delicate face trembling nervously reminded her of a young lamb.

‘Everyone in our family has such strong features, but this one has a gentle feel to him.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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