The Cooking Princess - Chapter 35

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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 35

 

If I consistently attend the volunteer service and maintain amicable relationships, the children of these noblewomen will gradually change their attitude toward me.

 

But what Chloe was aiming for wasn’t simply peers her own age.

 

‘Since I’m here today anyway, it would be great if I could meet Shurya too.’

 

I needed to find Shurya quickly and connect her with Shuel.

 

Since they loved each other so passionately in the original story, if I help them meet earlier than in the original, they’ll fall in love sooner.

 

With that thought, Chloe finally finished that day’s volunteer service.

 

And as the last task of the day, she prayed in front of the fountain where holy water flowed.

 

‘Please let me meet the female lead. Please let Claude fall into water. Please let Shuel be crowned as Crown Prince.’

 

As Chloe was making extremely selfish and self-centered wishes, she was startled by a rustling sound from behind and opened her eyes, turning around.

 

“Hello, Duchess Chloe Garnet.”

 

Chloe was first surprised by the unexpected presence, and second surprised by the identity of the girl who spoke to her.

 

“It’s nothing major, but I heard that thanks to you, Duchess, the free meal volunteer service was completed successfully. I came to express my gratitude.”

 

The girl smiled brightly, saying she too was surprised by how delicious the food Chloe made was when she tried it. It was none other than Shurya, the female lead from the original story.

 

“If I disturbed your prayer, I’m truly sorry.”

 

Shurya, who said this, seemed to be somehow observing Chloe’s behavior.

 

‘Has Shurya regressed, or hasn’t she yet?’

 

I couldn’t make a hasty judgment.

 

Since she basically held the position of ‘fake saint,’ she was inclined to be wary of others even before regression.

 

Chloe observed Shurya for a moment, then concluded that she couldn’t accurately determine whether she had regressed right now. In that case, let’s just focus on today’s matters.

 

‘Anyway, the nobles in the volunteer service think my rumors are completely false.’

 

Not only that, but my crisis management was so successful that even Shurya came to express her gratitude. It was worth working hard.

 

Chloe almost teared up but held back and responded to Shurya’s gratitude.

 

“Thank you so much, Priest. For giving me such… acknowledgment. Um, well. It’s been really long since I’ve had a conversation with a peer like you, Priest… Please be sure to tell me if I make any mistakes.”

 

When she dropped hints about being ostracized, Shurya’s pretty violet eyes hardened firmly.

 

“Are your friends ostracizing you, Duchess? That’s not right.”

 

At those words, Chloe hesitated a little before adding.

 

“But I don’t think my friends did anything wrong. The rumors about me are a bit… unfavorable.”

 

Surprised that a girl who appeared to be her peer was suffering from rumors, Shurya asked back.

 

“Rumors?”

 

“Just various unfavorable false rumors about me, so it’s a bit difficult to explain in a few words.”

 

Having said that much, Chloe paused as if hesitating a little.

 

“Since you seem like someone who would keep secrets, Priest, I’ll confide in you… I think it’s probably because I’ve fallen out of favor with Her Majesty the Empress and His Grace Duke Claude.”

 

When the names of the Empress and Claude came up, Shurya fell silent for a moment.

 

She seemed to feel much from the fact that instead of Shuel, who was the result of a faithful marriage, the illegitimate Claude and his mother the Empress were stirring up the Luzhiere Empire.

 

‘But the Shurya I know is defensive. She doesn’t step forward directly.’

 

She was a woman with burning sense of justice, but she rarely created situations where she had to step forward herself.

 

The reason was simple.

 

It was because she wasn’t a ‘real’ saint who could use divine power, but a ‘fake’ saint set up by papal officials who were concerned that no saint had been produced for a long time.

 

In fact, Chloe, the villainess from the original story, also discovered this fact and tormented Shurya terribly.

 

But now it’s different.

 

Chloe was willing and had the power to help Shurya escape from the corrupt Papacy of Luzhiere.

 

It might have been different if it were a time when religious power was mighty.

 

But now it was clearly a period of decline, saint Shurya was also fake,

 

and since no ‘real’ saint appeared until the end of the original story, she could handle that much.

 

Chloe and Shurya had various conversations.

 

But Shurya still hadn’t revealed the fact that she was a saint.

 

‘Does she want me not to know?’

 

Since she was wearing regular priest robes instead of saint’s vestments, Shurya seemed to think that Chloe didn’t know she was a saint.

 

“If it’s alright with you, Priest, could you meet with me when I come to the Temple?”

 

“Ah…”

 

Shurya looked troubled for a moment. No matter how fake, she probably couldn’t readily meet with outsiders in her position as a saint.

 

Chloe quickly added before Shurya could refuse.

 

“Of course, not every time! I just want to become friends with you, Priest…”

 

At the dejected yet earnest voice, Shurya unconsciously nodded.

 

“Well, yes… if it’s occasionally.”

 

***

 

After that, Chloe met with the female lead Shurya several more times, building intimacy, and also participated enthusiastically in volunteer service.

 

Meanwhile, Chloe’s reputation also gradually recovered, but there still wasn’t a decisive breakthrough.

 

“I really need to attend parties now.”

 

And then, a letter came from the House of the Duke.

 

To summarize the content, it was a letter saying he wanted to see Chloe one-on-one.

 

My parents were naturally furious.

 

“What kind of behavior is this, being so persistently tireless since the trial? The Duke really has no sense of propriety!”

 

“He’ll probably keep sending letters until we accept. Just ignore it completely!”

 

Since Chloe also had no intention of accepting Duke Claude’s letter, she only sent a brief rejection reply.

 

Just then, several families finally sent invitations, and she attended one of those parties, enthusiastically appealing that she was doing well.

 

She was enjoying the party for quite a while when…

 

A servant with a pale face came running and spoke to the party host.

 

“D-Duke Claude says he wants to enter the party. He’s at the door right now.”

 

It was a sudden announcement.

 

Claude wasn’t among the existing party attendees. If he had been, Chloe wouldn’t have come to this party.

 

But in the middle of the party, Duke Claude suddenly expressed his intention to participate.

 

And he was at the door.

 

Given the Duke’s status, they couldn’t just rudely turn him away at the door.

 

Faced with a situation where the perpetrator and victim would meet at the same party, the party host looked troubled.

 

The other nobles attending the party pretended not to notice but glanced toward Chloe with intrigued expressions.

 

I was already feeling tired.

 

‘This is really driving me crazy. If he was punished for being involved with me, wouldn’t the wise thing be for us to avoid each other?’

 

Chloe tried hard to calm her boiling insides by drinking her beverage earnestly.

 

‘More importantly, isn’t he supposed to be at war on the front lines right now?’

 

From what the whispering crowd was saying, Claude’s war-fighting ability was so remarkable that he could spare time to come here during wartime.

 

‘That’s possible at just twelve years old? Right. That’s why it’s fantasy.’

 

Thinking that, Chloe spaced out for just a brief moment, but before she knew it, the Duke had approached right in front of her. The Duke spoke in a dry, rough tone.

 

“Let’s talk.”

 

Claude, whom she met after a long time, looked like a ghost.

 

He had severe dark circles and a pale face.

 

Before, he was rude but didn’t have such a lifeless feeling.

 

Despite being only twelve years old, he was starting to give off a strangely decadent feeling, so I could tell how much Claude had suffered.

 

‘Even though his swordsmanship is excellent, his mind is still that of a child, so he must have suffered a lot? I only heard news that he was winning victory after victory.’

 

Since he spoke so openly, I couldn’t avoid it, so Chloe asked the Duke in a reluctant tone.

 

“Is there really… anything for us to talk about?”

 

“Your body…”

 

After briefly moving his lips to check on Chloe’s condition, he pressed his eyelids firmly before continuing.

 

“Right. You must be fine.”

 

“Yes, well.”

 

And then another long silence followed. The party hall was also generally quiet. It seemed people were focusing on Chloe and Claude’s conversation.

 

‘Why is he acting like that?’

 

Chloe’s brow furrowed at his behavior of acting like he had something to say but never actually saying it.

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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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