The Cooking Princess - Chapter 3

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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 3

It was a letter that began with an ordinary opening sentence and greeting.

[…I heard news that you had collapsed, and I send my sincere condolences.

His Majesty also expressed regret over the misfortune that befell such a precious talent of the Garnet Family…(omitted)

I earnestly hope for your swift recovery, and would be delighted if we could meet again soon in good health.]

“…It really is just a get-well letter?”

Considering he was the same age as Chloe, the tone and handwriting were awkwardly mature, but given the education received at the Imperial Court, it wasn’t particularly strange.

It truly was an ordinary get-well letter. Upon hearing news that the noble daughter of an influential aristocratic family had fallen ill, a member of the Imperial Court was simply sending regards as a representative.

Since Shuel was the same age as Chloe, it wouldn’t be awkward for them to exchange greetings.

When she thought about it that way, it was an ordinary situation, but Chloe couldn’t help feeling inwardly shaken.

‘I wanted to stay as inconspicuous as possible.’

Receiving a personally written letter from someone she hoped wouldn’t even know of her existence made her break out in a cold sweat.

And there was something that bothered her.

‘Usually they just send it under the Imperial Court’s name, so why did he send it directly under his own name?’

Even recalling the original story and looking back at Chloe’s life so far, there had been no connection with Shuel whatsoever.

Chloe gripped the letter paper and repeatedly read it over and over again, filled with inexplicable anxiety.

“Sigh…”

It wasn’t a problem that would be solved by worrying about it. It was more comfortable to just think positively that it was simply the prince’s social obligations.

‘The prince isn’t what’s important right now.’

Whether he was a prince or male lead, Chloe first had to make food that would surprise her parents within a week.

Her mind was full of countless golden recipes, but there weren’t many she could actually use in this place.

‘My specialty was Korean food to begin with.’

Since she couldn’t use soy sauce or gochujang, her hands and feet were essentially tied. She couldn’t exactly start fermenting meju right now either.

Of course, it wasn’t that she didn’t know Western recipes. Working at a home-style restaurant, she actually often cooked Western food in her daily life.

‘Pasta, hamburgers, pizza, curry…’

As she was recalling foods she used to enjoy, one menu item suddenly flashed through Chloe’s mind.

‘Wait, hamburgers? …Hamburg steak!’

It was a dish that could greatly improve the tough and dry texture of meat.

If she made finely minced hamburg steak, drizzled it with homemade sauce, and topped it with cheese and fried eggs.

‘This will work!’

As soon as she thought of the menu, Chloe immediately rushed into the kitchen to start cooking, leaving behind the head chef’s anxious worries about the princess getting hurt.

“Princess, please! Let me do it. Please let me handle it!”

“Wait, Russo. I’ll let you help after I finish this.”

Seeing the princess gripping a knife with her delicate hands and mercilessly pounding the meat, head chef Russo was going crazy with anxiety.

‘Why on earth is she butchering the meat like that!’

Chloe literally minced the meat like crazy. That wasn’t the end of it. She ruthlessly tore apart perfectly good bread and crumbled it into powder, and chopped onions finely while shedding tears.

After butchering everything, she swept it all into a large bowl.

The final ingredient was cracking eggs to add in.

But it wasn’t exactly eggs.

This place had neither chickens nor chicken eggs.

What Chloe added were the eggs of large lizards.

The lizards in this place were larger compared to Earth, but had almost no attack power, so they had been somewhat domesticated.

Their hide was used to make clothes and daily necessities, their meat appeared on commoners’ tables, and their eggs were also common ingredients.

Though slightly different from Earth’s chicken eggs, they were much larger and didn’t taste bad either. Though regrettable, they were adequate substitutes for eggs.

Chloe added lizard eggs to the meat patty and mixed vigorously.

Just as Russo’s vision was getting dizzy from this combination that had no foundation, Chloe looked at the mixed meat mass with a satisfied smile and divided it into several portions, shaping them into rounds.

Then she heated oil in a pan and began grilling the minced meat.

A good smell gradually emerged from the meat browning nicely. Russo’s eyes widened, having thought the meat mashed beyond recognition would surely taste and smell terrible.

Chloe paid no attention to the head chef’s gaze and stroked her chin, falling into brief contemplation.

“The sauce is really the big problem.”

This place had no proper sauces to speak of. With only salt seasoning, the food was overall bland but with only the salty taste standing out.

Seasoning was truly important in cooking, but there were no necessary sauces available.

Since people here didn’t season their food and just roughly grilled their meat, this would probably taste good to them, but it was still bland.

‘Can’t be helped.’

The answer was wine.

Chloe poured wine into the pan where traces of grilled meat still stuck.

Sizzle-

As the cold wine touched the heated pan, smoke billowed up.

“Gasp!”

Russo was startled, thinking Chloe was playing with fire, but her expression was so serious that he couldn’t bring himself to stop her and could only pace anxiously.

As the wine boiled, Chloe vigorously scraped the bottom of the pan with a spatula. The fond that gives deep umami flavor dissolved into the wine and began reducing into a thick consistency.

She added sliced onions for freshness and seasoned with salt and sugar.

Finally, she added a piece of butter and let it simmer, completing a sauce where meat juices, wine, and butter harmonized perfectly.

‘It’s incredibly disappointing not to have ketchup, but this level is a success.’

Chloe drizzled the sauce over the hamburg steak, topped it with cheese and fried lizard egg to finish, then took a bite to taste.

‘It’s definitely good. The problem is I’m not sure how it’ll suit the tastes of people here.’

Having thought that far, Chloe called over the head chef who was still fidgeting anxiously.

“Russo. I’ll cut you a small piece, would you like to try a bite?”

Upon hearing those words, Russo made what seemed like some kind of resolution, put on a determined expression, and barely managed to take one bite.

“!”

As soon as it entered his mouth, Russo’s eyes flew wide open at the taste that made them sparkle, and his mouth fell agape.

“Wh-what is this taste?! What kind of magic did you cast, Princess?”

Chloe smiled broadly. If the head chef praised it so highly, anyone would be able to eat it deliciously. Gaining confidence from Russo’s reaction, she made another plate of hamburg steak.

She planned to present her ambitious creation at the Garnet Estate’s dinner tonight.

It had only been two days since she collapsed, but that actually made it more appropriate timing.

She had to show that Chloe’s talk about delicious food wasn’t just a joke.

Dinner time arrived before she knew it.

Chloe brought her cooking before her parents with a slightly nervous expression.

Hamburg steak made from finely minced beef and onions.

It was her ambitious creation, complete with sauce made using wine instead of ketchup.

Chloe set down the plate containing the food and declared confidently.

“This is ‘hamburg steak’ that I made! Please try it.”

Her parents seemed slightly surprised when Chloe appeared with a dish of completely unfamiliar appearance, but tried their best to praise her.

“Ho ho, the… appearance is a bit unique.”

“You have an adventurous spirit.”

Even as they said this, seeing her parents’ behavior as they seemed to hesitate slightly about eating, Chloe spoke confidently.

“Cut it with a knife and top it with sauce, fried lizard egg, and cheese to your liking.”

Not stopping at advice, she demonstratively cut her own portion of hamburg steak into small pieces and put them in her mouth.

“Mm~ It’s delicious!”

Seeing Chloe energetically cutting and eating her own food, the ducal couple reluctantly cut very small pieces and brought them to their mouths.

And the very next moment, the Duke’s eyes opened wide.

“Th-this taste is…”

He closed his eyes tightly and exclaimed.

“Mincing and grilling the meat like this makes it really tender and delicious. Moreover, with the sauce that cleverly masks what could be bland minced meat, plus the cheese and lizard eggs that add flavor… It’s perfect.”

The Duke emptied his food in an instant and gave a somewhat overwhelming food critique, while the Duchess’s reaction was simple but filled with sincere admiration.

“Oh my. This is really delicious.”

Chloe looked at both their reactions and asked triumphantly.

“How is it? It’s delicious, right!”

At that triumphant attitude, the Duke thought with a dazed expression.

This… works.

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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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