The Cooking Princess - Chapter 43

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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 43

 

At the very moment when Chloe and her followers were harmoniously building their bond together,

 

Gardener John was feeling uncomfortable emotions.

 

He was disappointed that the Duchess only cared about cooking and paid no attention to horticulture, but that wasn’t a big problem.

 

Not everyone could love gardening, after all.

 

The gardener was experiencing a much more practical discomfort than that.

 

He had purchased new seeds because the flowers were supposed to be pretty, but the yellow flowers that actually bloomed weren’t particularly beautiful and withered away before long.

 

Where the flowers had been, fruit formed… and it really, truly, kept growing endlessly.

 

‘Just how big is this thing going to get?’

 

Every time the fruit of this unidentifiable plant grew larger, the gardener became greatly anxious.

 

The reason was simple.

 

Originally, only designated flowers were supposed to be planted in the Garnet Estate’s garden.

 

However, since he could change a few parts at the gardener’s discretion, he had tried a new adventure.

 

But “according to the gardener’s discretion” didn’t mean he wouldn’t be fired when the gardener got scammed by seeds.

 

‘I’m such an idiot! If I knew this would happen, I should have just bought and planted the designated seeds!’

 

To think he was trembling alone in fear of being discovered and fired after doing such a foolish thing.

 

He thought the flowers would be really big and pretty when they bloomed, but he was thoroughly scammed.

 

At this rate, he might get fired. Could another position as good as being the Garnet Estate’s gardener ever come his way again?

 

‘No way. Not a chance.’

 

So the gardener had to somehow hide this strangely growing, oddly shaped fruit, but the fruit just kept growing day by day.

 

It was becoming increasingly difficult to hide!

 

But it was also difficult to just pick this fruit and hide it. Setting aside the hiding, there wasn’t even a suitable space to hide it!

 

“What am I really supposed to do…”

 

The gardener ended up unable to do this or that, and sat dejected while hugging the largest fruit.

 

Just when the gardener was racking his brains about how to deal with this fruit, a bright voice came from behind him.

 

“What’s that?”

 

Startled, he turned around, and oh no!

 

The Duchess he served was looking at the strange fruit in his arms with a curious expression.

 

He hadn’t even noticed when she had come from the kitchen to the garden.

 

‘Of all people to be discovered by, it had to be the young lady!’

 

But contrary to his worries, the young lady’s expression looked very bright, so Gardener John tilted his head in puzzlement,

 

And Chloe, who had no idea what thoughts the gardener was having, fixed her eyes on the large fruit he was hugging and thought.

 

‘Have I been lucky lately? Isn’t that a pumpkin?’

 

It seemed like God was bestowing blessings since she’d been working hard at volunteer service lately.

 

If not, how could she discover a pumpkin right after finding peppers!

 

Chloe resolved to pay a little more attention to the people around her.

 

She couldn’t do everything by herself, and as soon as she started paying attention to her surroundings, she learned about useful ingredients!

 

Chloe looked at the gardener who seemed desperately trying to hide the pumpkin and said.

 

“This was bought with our family’s money, right?”

 

It was simply a question to determine where the ownership of the pumpkin lay.

 

But as soon as Chloe asked that question, the gardener’s face turned deathly pale, and he squeezed his eyes shut and answered like this.

 

“Yes, yes… th-this strange fruit was indeed bought with the Garnet Family’s assets. Sob!”

 

‘I just asked casually, but why is he speaking so sadly and forcefully?’

 

Since Chloe didn’t know that the gardener had been scammed when buying the pumpkin, she just tilted her head and continued what she was going to say.

 

“Really? Then I’d like to try cooking with it, so give me one.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“Why? If it was bought with our family’s money, I can cook with it, can’t I?”

 

At Chloe’s question, the gardener looked puzzled but obediently handed over the pumpkin he was holding to Chloe.

 

Chloe looked at the pumpkin with a calm expression and thought.

 

‘Wow, how many servings is this? This could make pumpkin porridge for 30 people?’

 

Moreover, the gardener wasn’t holding just one pumpkin.

 

This was a complete pumpkin patch!

 

She wasn’t sure when a corner of the Garnet Estate’s garden had become a pumpkin patch, but anyway, her mouth watered at the thought of making delicious pumpkin porridge.

 

Chloe first washed the pumpkin clean, then scraped out all the inside and peeled the skin.

 

She also had Pierre and the chef, her cooking shuttle—no, those who would learn many things—do the same with other pumpkins.

 

Then she soaked the rice she had obtained from the Merchant Guild thoroughly in water and lightly mashed it.

 

And she boiled the prepared pumpkin thoroughly. When the boiled pumpkin was cooked enough to sink in when poked, Chloe turned off the heat and mashed it vigorously.

 

After tasting a spoonful, she added water and finely ground rice, seasoning with salt and sugar.

 

“Mmm~ Sweet.”

 

And she succeeded in completing the pumpkin porridge by stirring it over medium heat.

 

However, there was no one to eat it.

 

Since they had just eaten pasta, Chloe gave small portions to the maid and chef for now.

 

“Mmm, it’s definitely delicious! It’s regrettable that I’m too full to eat more.”

 

It particularly suited the chef’s taste, and he asked for the pumpkin porridge recipe with sparkling eyes, which Chloe answered simply.

 

Pierre, who tasted the pumpkin porridge nearby, asked Chloe.

 

“Though I’m not certain, this also seems to have excellent preservation qualities. Duchess, you really, truly can utilize anything needed for cooking.”

 

Pierre made a happy face while predicting the pumpkin’s shelf life.

 

And Emily the maid made a dubious face watching their reactions, but praised the taste of the pumpkin porridge.

 

“To have such flavor even when I’m full, that’s truly you, young lady. Really amazing.”

 

“Hehe.”

 

Pleased by the maid’s admiration, Chloe stored a considerable amount of the finished pumpkin porridge in the refrigerator and gave one bowl to the gardener.

 

“Try eating this. I made it with the pumpkin you brought!”

 

The gardener stared for a moment at the yellow pumpkin porridge that had the color of the ugly fruit he had grown, then took a bite since he couldn’t dare refuse the young lady’s words.

 

‘Th-this is!’

 

The gardener’s taste buds were attacked by the violent sweetness he was experiencing for the first time in his life.

 

The gardener who took a bite of pumpkin porridge remained silent for quite a long time.

 

“Is it perhaps not tasty…? That could be possible.”

 

Most people like sweetness, but if it’s excessive, they might find it unpleasant. Thinking it might not suit his taste, she watched the gardener’s reaction.

 

“H-how…”

 

“Hm?”

 

“How can it have such flavor!”

 

At this very moment, the gardener understood why the entire Empire praised Chloe as a genius.

 

To make such sweet and delicious food from a strange fruit he’d never seen before in his life.

 

The young lady he served was far more amazing than he had thought!

 

The gardener quickly emptied the pumpkin porridge with a shocked expression.

 

Anyway, at that moment, the gardener realized that plants occupied a large part of the dishes the young lady made.

 

Even when he had been scammed and brought a plant that bore strange fruit, she made no reproach and even made food to treat him!

 

He had to repay this generous master somehow.

 

‘Then, then!’

 

“I’ll help so that plants can also be useful for cooking, young lady!”

 

“Oh? Yes. Then I’d be grateful. John, I’d appreciate it if you could find plants with unusual fruits and bring them to me. I’ll allocate a generous budget for it.”

 

Gardener John answered in a resounding voice, moved by the fact that he could be helpful to Chloe.

 

“Of course!”

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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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