The Cooking Princess - Chapter 40

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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 40

 

Even if it wasn’t peppers, she wanted to check the taste right away. She wanted to escape from this greasy feeling as soon as possible, even if it was just one day sooner.

 

“Yes, I understand your feelings well. But do you remember? I said I would reward you if you discovered something unusual that caught my interest.”

 

It was famous that Chloe had spread word that she would pay handsomely if someone brought her unusual crops that pleased her.

 

“I think the crop you harvested today might qualify for that?”

 

At those words, the maid’s eyes widened.

 

“But what we grew is just a weed that’s only useful for repelling insects. It would only waste your precious time, Duchess…”

 

“Where is it? Let’s go!”

 

Saying that she had no scheduled appointments today anyway since it was set aside for rest, Chloe smiled refreshingly and waited for the maid’s guidance.

 

The maid hesitated, then led Chloe to her humble house, which was a little distance from the Garnet Estate.

 

Inside the house, the maid’s siblings had been fighting for quite a while.

 

One of the siblings looked unwell but was still fighting enthusiastically.

 

“It’s green!”

 

“No, it’s red!”

 

“No, it’s green that turns red, you dummy!”

 

Watching the siblings argue about some incomprehensible topic, Chloe tilted her head curiously.

 

The maid raised her voice at her siblings who were chattering away without even knowing that the Duchess had personally come to visit.

 

“What do you think you’re doing in front of the young lady!”

 

Chloe giggled watching the children fight spiritedly and comforted the maid.

 

“I think fighting can happen. I used to fight with His Grace the Grand Duke all the time too.”

 

Then she asked what the siblings were fighting about.

 

“But may I ask what’s so green and red that you’re arguing about?”

 

“Oh, that. Well. They fight endlessly about whether that insect-repelling plant is red or green.”

 

The maid seemed fed up with her siblings who fought endlessly over inconclusive matters. But upon hearing those words, Chloe’s cat-like eyes sparkled brightly.

 

A plant that was both green and red – didn’t that sound exactly like peppers?

 

Chloe was genuinely excited.

 

“Sara, you’re sick right now. No matter how much the young lady says it’s okay, it’s not proper etiquette, and you shouldn’t waste your energy fighting!”

 

Scolding them like that, the maid led Chloe to the storehouse, and she was finally able to see the crop she had been longing for!

 

‘Wow. Wait a minute. I’m finding peppers like this? These are really peppers.’

 

To think that asking her direct maid if she was okay because she thought she was crying would lead to such a harvest.

 

This is why they say people should live kindly, Chloe realized, nodding her head before asking the maid and her siblings.

 

“Aren’t all three of you hungry?”

 

“Duchess, of course we’re fine…”

 

“I’m hungry!”

 

“I’m hungry.”

 

The maid tried to politely decline Chloe’s kindness, but when her siblings honestly answered that they were hungry, she looked flustered.

 

“Really? Then may I make a snack with that insect-repelling plant you have?”

 

“Yes!”

 

The siblings answered spiritedly, and as soon as Chloe received their consent, she ordered those waiting in the carriage to go to the manor and bring flour, eggs, and a small amount of pork.

 

‘I’m truly grateful for your kindness, but… to feed us something that repels insects.’

 

Mixed with gratitude, disappointment, and worry, the maid’s face grew increasingly dark.

 

Before long, the servants brought eggs, flour, and pork as Chloe had ordered, and Chloe entered the shabby kitchen in the maid’s house and began cooking.

 

Chloe cut the peppers, removed the seeds, sprinkled flour inside, then minced the pork and stuffed it inside.

 

Then she coated them with beaten egg and put them in a pan, cooking until they turned golden brown.

 

Chloe quickly made pepper pancakes and served them to the children.

 

‘I did choose peppers that looked less spicy, but I wonder if they’ll be okay?’

 

With such light thoughts, she served them.

 

The children took a bite of that mysterious dish made from the insect-repelling plant.

 

And they were amazed.

 

“Sp-spicy…!”

 

It was spicy, but it was delicious!

 

“Sorry. I guess some spicy ones got mixed in by mistake.”

 

Startled by the mention of spiciness, the maid quickly took a bite of the pepper pancake.

 

And she was amazed once again by the excellent taste.

 

It seemed spicy for the young siblings, but to the maid’s palate, it wasn’t too spicy and was actually very well-balanced.

 

Both the maid and her siblings, who had been starving for a while while trying to raise money for medical expenses, were busy devouring the pepper pancakes.

 

Watching this scene quietly, Chloe spoke in an incredibly gentle tone.

 

“About those peppers you’ve carefully cultivated, I’d like to buy them at a high price. I’m quite pleased with them.”

 

After saying that, Chloe showed a benevolent smile and added.

 

“If possible, I’d also like you to teach Pierre and me your know-how on how you grew these peppers so well. Would that be alright?”

 

When she added that she would naturally provide compensation rather than receiving it for free, the maid bowed her head, not knowing what to do, and spoke with moved emotion.

 

“…Thank you so much, Duchess!”

 

“There’s nothing to be thankful for. I’m actually more grateful! You found what I was looking for.”

 

Staring blankly at Chloe’s face as she smiled spiritedly like the sun, the maid Emily made a resolution.

 

‘If you ever need my humble strength, I will always contribute it to you, Duchess.’

 

After comforting the sick sibling and sending her to the bedroom.

 

Chloe explained the contract conditions in detail for the maid who couldn’t read, and Emily humbly accepted Chloe’s proposal.

 

After making plans to cultivate peppers in the future, she returned to the manor with incredibly light steps.

 

She planned to dry the armful of peppers she brought from Emily’s house and make pepper powder.

 

Chloe even hummed a tune as she began drying the well-ripened red peppers in a sunny spot.

 

The gardener and head chef witnessed this scene and made complicated expressions.

 

On the surface, it certainly looked like she was drying plants, but the Duchess was only interested in cooking and had no interest in horticulture whatsoever.

 

In other words, that strange plant she was currently drying must certainly be an edible plant.

 

Looking at the plant with a completely unfamiliar appearance, the head chef’s expression became strange.

 

He had been deeply troubled lately.

 

Why?

 

He was such an owner of tremendous cooking credentials that he occupied the position of head chef for a ducal family.

 

He had even graduated from the most famous culinary school in the Luzhiere Empire. But!

 

The young lady, who had fainted saying the Duchess’s cooking was tasteless and then woke up, had been strutting around the kitchen ever since.

 

If her cooking had been tasteless, he could have just considered it a young child’s hobby.

 

But her cooking was… unbelievably delicious!

 

It was delicious enough to hurt his pride, and various high-ranking people praised only her cooking.

 

The head chef, who had been unilaterally pushed back in ‘cooking,’ his area of expertise, couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

 

When the head chef made a strange expression looking at the peppers spread out abundantly, the gardener nudged him with his elbow and asked.

 

“So what is the Duchess doing?”

 

“How would I know.”

 

“You’re the head chef. The Duchess is interested in cooking. If you don’t know, who would?”

 

And that indifferent remark from the gardener dealt a critical hit to the head chef’s delicate heart.

 

So he did something he wouldn’t normally do!

 

He secretly ate one of the drying peppers and his eyes widened at the amazing taste.

 

“Why does it taste like this… Why is it so spicy!”

 

Spicy.

 

It was seriously spicy to the point where he wondered what kind of taste this was!

 

Just looking at this, it seemed like she had collected it to make some unusual dish.

 

But the head chef couldn’t let his guard down.

 

Wasn’t this the same young lady who had previously made delicious dishes with strange plants that seemed tasteless?

 

“What on earth is she trying to do…”

 

The head chef shed tears, not knowing what to do with the taste of the pepper that was much spicier than expected, and the maid who served the Duchess most closely seemed to notice something and approached, asking.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“It’s nothing!”

 

“For it to be nothing, you’re crying quite hard though….”

 

But the head chef still left the spot while crying profusely.

 

Emily tried to hide her bewilderment as she stared blankly at where the gardener and head chef had disappeared, thinking to herself.

 

‘Somehow it feels like there’s a familiar scent from our house?’

 

Was it just her imagination? The maid tilted her head in confusion and returned to attend to Chloe.

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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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