The Cooking Princess - Chapter 71

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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 71

Chloe sat side by side with Shuel, receiving catalogs from the fashion designer residing in the Imperial Palace.

Chloe and Shuel fixed the color chips for their outfits to navy blue and white, then chose clothes together.

After flipping through the catalog together for quite a while.

Chloe discovered one of the dresses and was amazed.

“Wow, it’s like an elegant swan and so beautiful.”

A bright and elegantly flowing mermaid dress in deep navy blue.

And the shawl wrapping around the dress was white.

If the design came out just like this, it would really suit Chloe’s taste, so her eyes sparkled brightly.

Shuel, who briefly examined the dress, asked in a gentle tone.

“It seems the Duchess likes mermaid dresses. You chose something really beautiful.”

Shuel, who carefully examined the dress, spoke in an affectionate tone.

“How about adding design details here? We could embed small gems throughout the navy dress to express the night sky.”

Saying this, Shuel picked up a pencil, drew a small picture in his notebook, then showed Chloe the design details he had added.

According to Shuel’s design, the dress would sparkle like the night sky, and the white would also become a definite accent point.

As the dress she already loved became even more beautiful, Chloe thought admiringly to herself.

‘Wow, Shuel is good at design too.’

Thinking this, Chloe looked at Shuel’s small sketch with eyes that showed she really liked it and answered.

“It’s really beautiful. Thank you, Your Highness! Your Highness is very good at designing too.”

When Chloe’s reaction was positive, Shuel also nodded and added.

“Yes, I think adding long gloves to this dress would be nice too. But this is my preference, and if the Duchess doesn’t like it, you don’t have to wear gloves.”

Indeed, he deserved to be called the versatile male protagonist from the original story. Chloe smiled happily while imagining the completed dress.

At Chloe’s lively smile, Shuel also smiled back at her.

And he added.

“To fit the dress perfectly, you’ll have to come to the Imperial Palace often for size measurements. You’ll have to come more frequently, Duchess.”

At Shuel’s playful words, Chloe answered with an extremely bright smile.

“That’s right!”

Conversations with Shuel were always enjoyable, even when they were about trivial things.

“Now let’s choose Your Highness’s outfit.”

She was curious about how Shuel, who had such good sense, would choose his own outfit.

However, Shuel’s eyes looking at the men’s clothing catalog were utterly dry.

Seeing Shuel looking clearly uninterested in the clothes he would wear, Chloe tilted her head.

‘He has no particular interest in his own clothes.’

Perhaps noticing that Chloe was watching him intently, Shuel met her eyes and smiled affectionately.

She quickly averted her eyes and thought.

‘That’s understandable. Unlike women’s clothing, men’s clothing has limited designs.’

Then she met eyes with Shuel again.

After their eyes met about three times, he asked Chloe in a gentle tone.

“I don’t have any particular preferences for my own clothes.”

It was an unexpected statement from someone who had just been drawing pictures for Chloe’s outfit design.

“Since we’re having outfits made at the Imperial Palace anyway, I’d like the Duchess to choose my outfit.”

Wondering if it might be an unreasonable request, there was carefulness in Shuel’s voice as he asked.

“It’s not an unreasonable request. But I feel like I lack sense compared to Your Highness, so I’m worried whether I can recommend properly.”

“Do I have good sense?”

“Yes, when I chose the dress, you complemented the design so stylishly.”

Finally understanding Chloe’s words, Shuel paused to choose his words.

“That’s not because I have good sense.”

Contemplating his next words, he pressed his forehead as if he couldn’t help himself and laughed, “Haha.”

“It’s not because you have good sense?”

“It’s because I have tremendous interest in the Duchess.”

Chloe, who couldn’t understand Shuel’s words for a moment, comprehended his meaning a beat late and turned completely red.

Chloe stammered, not knowing how to respond, and Shuel quickly added.

“I’m sorry if I startled you. I didn’t mean to burden the Duchess.”

He still spoke in a calm and affectionate tone.

“I won’t force you. I already know well that the Duchess wants to continue the family line.”

Since she couldn’t ignore the Prince’s words, Chloe barely managed to answer in a shrinking voice.

“…Yes.”

She avoided Shuel’s gaze and just diligently searched through the catalog.

And finally she found it.

A beautiful suit based on navy blue with white accents on part of the jacket’s chest!

“And since it’s from the same designer, we need to match the colors! Instead of buttons, it would be nice to add cufflinks with large silver complementary colors.”

Chloe rattled off her ideas and, like Shuel, picked up a pencil to draw a picture in the notebook.

But the result was somewhat… no, very different.

Chloe fell silent at the distorted drawing, and Shuel also rolled his beautiful golden eyes while examining the design, then asked.

“What did you draw? Is it a cherry tomato?”

“It’s a jacket.”

At Chloe’s blunt answer, Shuel’s bewilderment was palpable.

“Ah… Huh?”

Since his answer clearly revealed his thought of ‘How is this a jacket?’, Chloe glared at Shuel with triangular eyes.

“Um… it’s an avant-garde drawing. The Duchess always takes new paths that others don’t take.”

That was the best he could do for forced praise. When Chloe glared at Shuel again, he laughed “haha” and said.

“I’m always grateful to the Duchess. I’m looking forward to the dress fitting.”

***

Finally, it was the day of the debutante ball.

Chloe met Shuel in advance and headed together to the Grand Banquet Hall of the Imperial Palace. It was where all the young ladies and gentlemen having their debutante this year would gather.

“His Highness Prince Shuel Siclamene and Young Lady Chloe Garnet of Count Garnet enter!”

Chloe wore a navy blue mermaid dress and let her abundant red hair flow down, with part of it tied up in a half-up style.

She wore long gloves that perfectly matched the dress and even draped a white shawl over them.

Every time she moved, the small silver gems delicately embedded in the dress sparkled brilliantly.

Shuel, like her, wore a neat suit based on navy blue with white accents.

The silver gems on the clothes reflected the lighting and shone elegantly.

The two appeared in the Debut Hall with utmost solemnity and elegance, and the people seated for the debutante forgot to even speak and stared at them blankly.

The Emperor, who had been quietly watching Shuel and Chloe’s entrance from the beginning, wore a pleased expression,

While the Empress, seemingly displeased, clenched her teeth tightly.

Shuel and Chloe first paid their respects to the Emperor.

“We greet Father.”

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

At their brief greeting, the Emperor also laughed heartily and welcomed them both.

“It’s wonderful to see you two vigorous ones so close together. Continue to maintain a good relationship.”

The Emperor offered appropriate well-wishes, and now it was the Empress’s turn to offer her blessings.

The Empress’s expression openly showed her displeasure, but she seemed to think she shouldn’t ruin the atmosphere of the banquet held at the Imperial Palace, so she replied briefly.

“May both the Prince and the Duchess have a good day.”

The two people also politely greeted the Empress and withdrew from their position.

‘The Empress is here but I don’t see Claude.’

It would be good if he wasn’t visible, but somehow she felt uneasy.

To change her mood, Chloe briefly separated from Shuel to exchange greetings with the young ladies she was close to.

“Chloe! I was really surprised that you appeared together with His Highness the Prince.”

Rodessa and Latiere seemed very surprised that the person who appeared arm-in-arm with Chloe was Prince Shuel.

“Well, the Duchess has been close with His Highness the Prince from before.”

After being momentarily surprised, they busied themselves praising Chloe’s reputation and Shuel’s character, saying there was no one better than Prince Shuel as a match for Chloe, the precious jewel of the Garnet Family.

Just as everyone’s attention was focused entirely on Shuel and Chloe, an attendant announced in a tense voice that new arrivals had reached the Debut Hall.

“The Merchant Prince and the Saint are entering!”

At those words, Chloe’s green eyes widened greatly.

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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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