The Cooking Princess - Chapter 48

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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 48

 

Claude, who had appointed himself as her swordsmanship instructor, showed no mercy whatsoever.

 

It was obvious he intended to work her to the bone under the pretext of sword training. Chloe panted heavily as she snapped at him.

 

“Huff, just so you know! I’m not trying to learn swordsmanship with the same dedication as Your Grace. You do realize that, right?”

 

After being forced to hold and swing a sword for several hours, Chloe barely managed to finish those words before collapsing face-first onto the lawn, gasping for breath.

 

Though she complained about the harsh schedule and asked him to teach her more gently, Claude paid no heed.

 

“If you’re going to do it anyway, shouldn’t you do it properly?”

 

She was doomed.

 

Claude’s mind contained no concept of casual gaming—only hardcore grinding!

 

‘Well, I suppose that level of obsession is what made him an unrivaled expert in the field of swordsmanship.’

 

But Chloe had neither the intention nor the will for such dedication.

 

When Chloe’s face turned pale, Claude faced her directly and added with a refreshing smile on his handsome face.

 

“You seem to be the one who doesn’t understand something.”

 

“What don’t I understand?”

 

To Chloe’s innocent question, Claude also answered with a smile.

 

“From the Imperial Palace to coming here as a swordsmanship instructor, none of it reflected my will in the slightest.”

 

“…?”

 

He did mention earlier that it wasn’t his idea but the Empress’s will.

 

But it was Claude who had achieved merit on the front lines, and it was also Claude who had volunteered to be her sword instructor.

 

“Her Majesty the Empress wishes for you and me to marry.”

 

At those words, Chloe understood.

 

‘I thought so.’

 

As if Claude would have volunteered to be Chloe’s swordsmanship instructor out of personal interest in her?

 

When Chloe’s expression changed to one of understanding, Claude, who had been silently watching her face, added.

 

“So don’t feel burdened about it.”

 

If he had stopped there, it might have sounded like Claude’s own form of consideration.

 

“I find you annoying too.”

 

But Claude always had to add one more irritating comment just when things were going well.

 

He spoke those words in an almost growling voice, then immediately turned his back.

 

“Excuse me, aren’t you going to teach me more?”

 

“I have no business with someone who’s half-hearted.”

 

After saying that, Claude disappeared while showing his back, and Chloe recovered her stamina and barely managed to return to the manor to wash up.

 

The day right after her swordsmanship training with Claude, Chloe dragged her tired body to the temple to meet Shurya.

 

‘I definitely feel like I can do volunteer work more easily now that my stamina has improved.’

 

Though her muscle pain was more severe than that, she was confident that with a little more adaptation, she could perform volunteer work much more effectively.

 

After somehow finishing her volunteer work, she told Shurya about her recent situation.

 

“We’re forced to encounter each other while talking about swordsmanship, and it’s really awkward.”

 

Though she didn’t mention Claude’s name, Shurya would have understood well enough.

 

There couldn’t be anyone other than Claude capable of achieving such tremendous military merit at such a young age.

 

“He achieved great merit, so I can’t just ignore him even though it’s awkward. Sigh.”

 

Indeed, Shurya nodded and responded cleanly.

 

“Ah.”

 

But perhaps having nothing more to say, she glanced at Chloe for a moment before saying this.

 

“The more I see of you, Duchess, the smarter you truly are.”

 

Though it was a somewhat out-of-the-blue comment, it was praise nonetheless, so Chloe gratefully accepted it.

 

“Thank you for the compliment, Priest.”

 

“Straightforward with those they like and endlessly loathing those they hate… sometimes hating people for no reason, unnecessarily honest and stupid.”

 

Shurya, who had poured out what she wanted to say like a monologue, looked at Chloe intently with those violet eyes.

 

Receiving that gaze directly, Chloe asked Shurya in confusion.

 

“Pardon? Is that perhaps an evaluation of me?”

 

“How could that be? There are few people as smart as you, Duchess.”

 

After saying that, Shurya added this while keeping her gaze on Chloe.

 

“I’m talking about someone else who was very similar to you, Duchess, but endlessly stupid.”

 

From Shurya’s tone and gaze that seemed to be testing something, Chloe intuited.

 

‘This isn’t the pre-regression Shurya, but the regressed Shurya!’

 

Otherwise, there would be no reason to mention stupidity while gauging Chloe’s reaction.

 

Due to the development being so different from ‘before,’ Shurya was now suspecting whether Chloe had also regressed.

 

‘The original me did act quite stupidly.’

 

The ‘original’ Chloe was indeed a stupid villainess who ruined everything, blinded by love for Shuel.

 

But Chloe couldn’t react to anything here.

 

‘If I say I recalled memories of a past life here, I’ll just be treated like a lunatic.’

 

Nor could she lie about having regressed like Shurya.

 

Why?

 

‘Then I’d become a wicked person who pretended not to know while having all the memories of tormenting Shurya.’

 

If that happened, Shurya would be wary of Chloe and keep her in check, which was an option Chloe wanted to avoid since she wanted to become friends with Shurya.

 

So Chloe pretended not to notice anything and responded to Shurya’s words.

 

“It feels like you insulted me to my face somehow, but thank you for listening to everything I had to say. My parents would worry if I told them such things.”

 

While saying that, Chloe suddenly remembered that she hadn’t offered to introduce Shuel to Shurya, so she added.

 

“Now that I think about it, would you like to be introduced to a friend of mine?”

 

“If that friend is Duke Claude, I’ll decline.”

 

At Shurya’s ridiculous words, Chloe looked serious.

 

“Absolutely not.”

 

“Then who is it?”

 

There, Chloe hesitated for a moment.

 

‘Should I arrange a meeting while hiding that he’s a prince, or should I mention it from the start and then arrange the meeting?’

 

Her deliberation was brief.

 

If Shurya hadn’t regressed, she might have kept his identity secret and urged the meeting, worried that Shurya would find Shuel burdensome.

 

‘But Shurya seems to have experienced regression, right?’

 

If so, rather than hiding Shuel’s identity and giving an ambiguous feeling, being honest might be better.

 

“I’m somewhat close with His Highness Prince Shuel. I thought good people should associate with other good people, so I wanted to introduce you to His Highness.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

Shurya stared at Chloe for a long time as if gauging her intentions, then smiled brightly and answered.

 

“No. There’s no need for that. I’m just a priest, after all.”

 

Without taking her gaze off Chloe’s face, she added this.

 

“His Highness the Prince likes those who are useful to him.”

 

Here, Chloe was certain.

 

‘She definitely regressed.’

 

Shurya’s refusal to meet Shuel, who had been favorable toward her, seemed to be an intention to reduce variables.

 

‘Then I have no more reason to push for their meeting either.’

 

A stupid villainess couldn’t force a blind date that both the male and female leads had rejected. Chloe had an enjoyable conversation with Shurya and even managed to elicit a favorable response hoping she would definitely come again next time.

 

‘Ah, how satisfying.’

 

Of course, the female protagonist who had even regressed probably didn’t look favorably upon Chloe and arrange their next meeting purely out of goodwill,

 

but she decided to believe that she had arranged the next meeting because she considered Chloe someone useful to her.

 

Chloe returned to the Garnet Estate with a sense of fulfillment filling her chest.

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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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