The Cooking Princess - Chapter 7

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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 7

While Chloe would have liked to lower the price of refrigerators as much as possible to spread them to commoners’ homes and even slums, she proposed what seemed realistically feasible.

The Duke was surprised that Chloe had such admirable thoughts and readily agreed.

“To already know how to consider the circumstances of our territory’s people. You’re my daughter, but you’re truly brilliant!”

The Duke led the mass production and sales of refrigerators on behalf of young Chloe.

Chloe watched the business that started with something she developed from the sidelines, personally experiencing what impact that business had on her family, the territory, and the people.

“Thanks to the refrigerators, we can keep ingredients fresh, so there’s no more food spoiling and being thrown away.”

“As Your Grace ordered, we placed refrigerators in the orphanage and clinic, and they say children and patients getting sick has greatly decreased!”

Chloe had only done this because she didn’t want to eat tasteless food, but she was surprised that her actions were having such a significant impact.

And one thought took firm root in her mind.

‘There are really so many people living in worse conditions than my previous life.’

Even the Garnet Estate’s territory was in better condition due to its fertile land.

The foods that Chloe avoided because they tasted bad were foods that countless people couldn’t eat because they didn’t have them.

While she had started this because she wanted to eat delicious food, she realized it could also help other people.

‘Let’s continue like this. I eat delicious food, my parents are happy, the territory develops, and I can help people too.’

Even without magical items like refrigerators, improving crops and developing recipes would be sufficient for commercialization.

Then the territory would become wealthier, and Chloe could put more effort into researching ingredients and recipes.

It was the moment when Chloe’s goal evolved from ‘making and eating delicious food’ to ‘developing the territory using memories from my previous life.’

***

“What? From the Imperial Palace?”

During dinner time, the Duke delivered shocking news to Chloe as she sat at the dining table.

Out of nowhere, a letter had come from the Imperial Court to the Garnet Manor, and it was addressed to Chloe.

“Yes. It’s a personal letter sent directly by Her Imperial Majesty the Empress herself.”

It was even a letter sealed with the Empress’s personal seal rather than the Imperial seal.

With Shuel’s mother the Empress having died and the Empress position vacant, the Imperial Consort was currently the highest-ranking person in the Imperial Court aside from the Emperor.

Chloe took a deep breath and then opened the letter with a paper knife.

To summarize, it said ‘I heard that a young lady created something called a refrigerator. I’m impressed by such remarkable insight and would like to invite you to the Imperial Palace once.’

At this, Chloe couldn’t hide her dismayed expression and said blankly.

“But why would Her Imperial Majesty the Empress want me…?”

“Since Prince Shuel Siclamene came to that banquet, he probably spoke well of you to the Imperial Court.”

No, Shuel Siclamene! Why did you do something I didn’t ask for!

Chloe cried out silently.

She had definitely thought they parted appropriately, indifferently, and cleanly back then.

‘To go all the way to the Imperial Palace and talk about me?’

Chloe felt like her vision was going dark.

If she went to the Imperial Palace, there would be the original male lead, the Empress, and countless other original characters…

“I can’t go, can I…?”

“Hoho, what kind of talk is that? You need to prepare quickly.”

The Duchess laughed, taking Chloe’s words about wanting to refuse the Empress’s invitation as a joke, but Chloe couldn’t laugh along.

Since only Chloe was invited to the Imperial Palace, even if the Duke and Duchess followed, they wouldn’t be able to enter the palace together.

Of course, being a Duke, he could request an audience and meet the Empress, but since no date was set in advance, he would have to wait quite a while. Chloe’s audience would be long over while they waited outside the Imperial Palace.

So while the Duchess would accompany her on the journey, Chloe would have to enter the palace alone.

‘Having to enter the Imperial Palace alone.’

Chloe remembered that many episodes from the original story took place in the Imperial Palace. There were that many characters in the Imperial Palace.

What she most wanted to avoid was Shuel and Shurya, but she equally didn’t want to meet the other characters either.

And once again, this wasn’t something Chloe could refuse just because she wanted to.

“Be careful and come back safely, Chloe. You be careful too.”

“I’ll be back, Dad.”

“Don’t worry, dear.”

The Duke seemed regretful that he couldn’t accompany them due to being busy with official duties.

Chloe headed to the Imperial Palace with her mother, leaving her father behind as he saw them off from outside the carriage.

***

“Your Imperial Majesty the Empress, Lady Chloe Garnet requests an audience.”

“Let her enter.”

Chloe parted with the Duchess at the Imperial Palace gates and entered the palace alone.

A servant who had been notified in advance came out to meet Chloe, and following the servant’s guidance, Chloe arrived at the audience chamber.

When the doors opened and Chloe entered, there were already two people inside the audience chamber.

‘Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and… Shuel?!’

Chloe almost hesitated for a moment but barely managed to control her expression. She immediately lifted her dress hem and bowed toward the Empress.

“The daughter of Duke Garnet, Chloe Garnet, greets Your Imperial Majesty the Empress for the first time.”

“Yes, sit down. You’re already acquainted with Prince Shuel here, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I’m pleased to see you again, Your Highness.”

“Mm.”

Shuel, who looked strangely more sullen than when they had met before, nodded back. Chloe carefully sat in the chair the Empress had indicated.

The Empress sat at the head of the long table, with Shuel seated to her right. Chloe’s seat was across from Shuel.

Chloe swallowed nervously and watched the Empress’s mood.

“So, I heard that the Garnet Family developed and is selling something called a refrigerator, and that you created it.”

“I just thought it would be nice if such a thing existed, and there was a mage who helped me.”

“Someone who can think of what others cannot think of is a wise person. You’re truly brilliant for such a young age.”

Chloe couldn’t understand why the Empress had suddenly called her to give praise.

Just as she was watching for cues, not knowing what was going on, the Empress suddenly changed targets.

“The Prince is the Emperor’s son, yet he cannot even come up with the thoughts this young lady has.”

…Suddenly?

Chloe was flustered that the praise directed at her was becoming a pretext to put down Shuel.

The Empress glared at Shuel and berated him, while Shuel hung his head low under the Empress’s cold gaze.

“Excluding status, is there even a single thing the Prince is better at than this Duke’s daughter?”

Chloe’s mouth fell open.

She knew it was against etiquette, but this… wasn’t this too harsh?

‘It’s nice that she’s praising me, but what if she puts down the male lead!’

Cold sweat ran down Chloe’s back at such direct and blatant comparison.

Wasn’t this going to plant hostility toward the future Crown Prince regardless of Chloe’s intentions!

‘I tried to avoid the original villainess route, but now I’m becoming a villainess against my will? Is this right?’

Moreover, this harsh denouncement didn’t even follow proper etiquette.

No matter that she held the position of Empress and was older, in terms of Imperial hierarchy, she was by no means above the Prince.

She was respected because she was the Emperor’s woman, but she could never be in an equal position with the Emperor, Empress, and their children.

The Empress’s son was also treated as quasi-royalty since he inherited the Emperor’s blood, but he was unconditionally ranked lower than the Empress’s son in the Imperial succession order.

Moreover, the Empress wasn’t even royalty with the Emperor’s bloodline, nor did she have the authority of an Empress, so she was actually lower in rank than Shuel, who was a Prince.

Yet she had such an arrogant attitude.

With the Empress dead and the Prince unable to maintain his position, the Imperial Consort’s power seemed to have risen endlessly.

Whether Chloe was bewildered by the chaotic hierarchy situation in the Imperial Court or not, the Empress’s denouncement continued.

“I really cannot understand it. How can someone inferior to a mere lady be this country’s one and only legitimate Prince? Really.”

After clicking her tongue like that, the Empress smiled like a snake and added:

“Since the Prince is so incompetent, isn’t that why His Imperial Majesty the Emperor always hesitates about appointing a Crown Prince?”

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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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