The Cooking Princess - Chapter 46

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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 46

Listening to Claude’s words, it sounded as if he had truly succeeded in organizing the frontline in that short amount of time.

“Really, so, fast. Haha. Ha.”

Chloe didn’t bother hiding her displeased feelings as she spoke, and Claude responded just as indifferently to her words.

“Unlike that slow Prince, I’m quite fast at everything, it’s true.”

Both the Empress and Claude still openly dissed Shuel in front of Chloe.

‘You’re coming back this quickly when I was doing fine without you?’

She hadn’t even managed to spread the highland farming method widely yet, and there were countless plants that still needed improvement!

In this situation, Claude, who would surely obstruct Chloe’s path, had already finished organizing the frontline and returned, so there was no way a favorable reaction could come from Chloe.

“Ah yes. I’ve been doing well, but have you been doing well, Your Grace…?”

Before Chloe could even finish her words, Claude answered her question quickly with blazing eyes.

“Really? I’m glad you’ve been doing well. I haven’t been doing well because I couldn’t see the Duchess.”

At that flirtatious remark, Chloe momentarily buffered and couldn’t respond properly.

“Since we’ve run into each other like this by fate, shall we go together?”

Along with his words, Claude extended his right hand toward Chloe. He was suggesting they hold hands and go together.

It was a series of words and actions that looked like flirting to anyone, but Chloe couldn’t help but make a displeased face.

Because Claude’s eyes were blazing as if he would devour Chloe right then and there.

‘He’s really hostile.’

But since she couldn’t openly treat Claude coldly when he had returned with victory, Chloe forced a smiling face and responded to his words.

“If we have the same destination, shall we do that? It’s an honor.”

When Chloe took Claude’s hand and said that, he chuckled and replied like this.

“Saying things you don’t mean.”

Even as he said that, he seemed somewhat pleased, making Chloe think she couldn’t understand Claude’s inner thoughts at all.

“I was thinking of going to see Prince Shuel,”

“I have no business with His Highness the Prince. I’m just going to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”

Despite it being revealed that their destinations were different, Claude didn’t seem to have any intention of letting go of Chloe’s hand.

To coldly shake off his hand here…

‘There are eyes watching.’

Whether the conflict between Chloe and Claude, who had an awkward relationship, was interesting, the nobles and commoners working in the Imperial Palace were pretending not to while paying attention to this side.

In this situation, further provoking Claude, the original villain, didn’t seem like a very good choice, so Chloe quietly shrunk down and followed behind Claude toward the Emperor.

‘Since Shuel and I weren’t present, the Emperor might say things that are only favorable to Claude while we couldn’t hear.’

Thus Chloe worked hard at mental victory as she was forced to walk to the Audience Chamber, led by Claude’s hand.

The sharp-featured Emperor was about to welcome Claude, but seeing Chloe together beside him, he asked in a questioning voice.

“Hmm? What brings you two together?”

To the Emperor’s question, Claude answered concisely.

“We met by chance on the way. I greet the Sun of the Empire.”

“I greet the Sun of the Empire.”

After Chloe and Claude greeted according to protocol, the Emperor brought up the main topic.

“You succeeded in somehow suppressing the roughest and most desolate Northern Frontline through your merit, Claude.”

People were amazed that Claude had quelled the war at the Northern Frontline in just a few months.

The Emperor, also excited by Claude’s achievement, spoke to Claude with a beaming smile.

“Tell me what you desire. Ah, appointing the Crown Prince is my authority, so excluding that, I’ll grant whatever you say.”

So except for requesting to be made Crown Prince in this place, he would grant almost anything.

Claude dropped a bombshell with a consistently calm face.

“Then I desire an engagement with Duchess Chloe.”

Chloe was so shocked in that moment that even knowing it was serious discourtesy, she asked back.

“What?”

The Duke who had received harsh punishment wanted to get engaged to the Duchess who had caused him to receive that punishment.

As soon as Chloe heard that ridiculous demand, her expression soured.

Even knowing she was before the Emperor, she absolutely couldn’t manage her expression.

The Emperor, who had been silently staring intently at Chloe’s sour expression, asked for Chloe’s opinion with a smiling face.

“The Duchess seems to think differently.”

The gazes of the high-ranking nobles in the Emperor’s Audience Chamber all focused on Chloe at once.

“Well, uh. I… I, since there was conflict between Duke Claude and myself.”

People understood that the Duchess, still young and having difficulty controlling emotions, didn’t welcome an engagement with Claude with whom she’d had previous conflicts.

But the Emperor was curious about Chloe’s thoughts, not her answer.

“Then does the young lady have Shuel in her heart?”

At the question of whether she supported the Prince if she disliked Claude, Chloe’s smile froze in place.

“I want a peaceful life. I don’t want to be swept up in political strife.”

At those words, the Emperor looked at Chloe in silence for a moment, then turned his gaze toward his son and said this.

“Since the Duchess dislikes it, I cannot force something as big as an engagement.”

Clearly the Emperor had the power to force Chloe’s engagement, but he stepped back pretending he couldn’t force it and told Claude to state another wish.

“Then I would like to be her swordsmanship instructor.”

As soon as she heard those words, Chloe ended up grabbing the back of her neck.

Just from the words, it was as if Claude loved Chloe very deeply – acting to cause such a misunderstanding!

Why on earth was he showing such pointless obsession?

‘Was he that angry about how I screwed him over back then?’

However, Claude’s expression as he said he wanted to be a swordsmanship instructor was utterly calm and didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking Chloe.

The Emperor, who had been staring intently at Claude’s face, asked.

“Are you saying this while anticipating what kind of impact the previous engagement talk and this current request will have?”

“Yes. I still haven’t properly apologized to the Duchess. I want to compensate through actions.”

Compensation my ass.

Even a passing dog wouldn’t believe such words.

In the current situation where Claude appeared to be appealing as if he was interested in Chloe no matter how you looked at it, she ended up squeezing her eyes shut.

‘Life is tough…’

“So please allow it. Your Majesty the Emperor.”

At Claude’s sophistry, the Emperor made a sound as if weighing something.

“Hmm.”

From a one-dimensional view, it would look like a Duke who felt guilty for not properly apologizing to the Duchess he had a ‘crush on’ who fell into water because of his excessive interest and mistakes, anxiously craving forgiveness.

But to Chloe, Claude’s attitude felt very unsettling.

‘To say he’s purely trying to apologize and compensate by acting like that, he’s already faced me several times.’

When they met privately, he would spout cunning nonsense, but now suddenly using an apology as an excuse to volunteer as a swordsmanship instructor was quite suspicious.

No matter how she thought about it, it could only feel unsettling.

“I don’t think my son would thoughtlessly do anything problematic. What do you think, Duchess?”

Though he only put a question mark at the end, it was close to a kind of pressure to accept Claude’s words.

But even knowing that fact, she couldn’t dare ignore the Emperor’s command, so she quietly bowed her head and obeyed the Emperor’s words.

“I understand. Your Majesty the Emperor.”

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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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