The Cooking Princess - Chapter 75

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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 75

Chloe was slightly moved by Shuel’s words.

And she thought.

‘Oh right. This isn’t the time for this – I should show my appreciation to Shurya and Eshir who helped me when Shuel wasn’t around earlier.’

Thinking that if she might get entangled with Claude in the future, she should stay close to Eshir and Shurya, Chloe first offered her thanks to Shurya.

“Thank you so much, Shurya. Thanks to you, I avoided a crisis earlier.”

Then Shurya smiled gently and responded to Chloe’s words.

“Friends don’t need to thank each other, Chloe.”

“Still, please accept my gesture of appreciation.”

Though Shurya waved her hands dismissively, Chloe wanted to show her appreciation and spoke seriously.

“I’ll bring you some food ingredients and other things later. Especially the soybean paste soup you like.”

As she spoke, Chloe somehow felt like an aunt who diligently makes food during holidays to bring to her niece.

That sentiment was brief.

“Really?”

Chloe felt an optical illusion as if a halo was shining behind Shurya’s face.

At Chloe’s words about bringing soybean paste soup ingredients, Shurya smiled very brightly and added:

“I think there were delicious fermented foods at Chloe’s mansion. If it’s okay, I’d like to try some of those.”

They weren’t finished products yet, so she had just been letting various things ferment, but Shurya had noticed them like a ghost.

“Uh, yes. I’ll definitely give you something delicious.”

“I’m really happy. Even when I had things imported from other continents, they didn’t taste like Chloe’s cooking.”

Chloe was surprised that Shurya had searched foreign countries trying to find the taste of Chloe’s cooking.

‘Well, that’s because it’s the savory taste of 21st century Korean food.’

Thinking it would be hard to find Korean foods starting with kimchi in other countries, Chloe just laughed it off.

And when she turned to look at Eshir, he was already sparkling with anticipation for a reward and asked:

“What do I get?”

At that question, Chloe pondered for a moment.

After all, Eshir was one of the first people to eat Chloe’s delicious food when she first developed it.

‘Then the answer is this.’

“Tell me what you want to eat.”

Perhaps surprised by that unexpected statement, Eshir blinked his pink eyes and asked back:

“What?”

“What I’m good at is cooking, right?”

To Eshir who agreed saying “That’s right,” Chloe quickly conveyed what she wanted to say.

“And you’ve only eaten the dishes I newly invented so far.”

Chloe paused briefly then added rapidly:

“If you tell me the taste and texture you want, and various elements you’d like in the dish, I’ll make it as close to your request as possible. How about it?”

At that proposal, Eshir’s pink eyes sparkled.

“Good. No take-backs.”

Saying that, Eshir immediately accepted Chloe’s reward.

After that, Chloe mingled with many young ladies and danced with Shuel.

Even after that incident, Claude still tried to approach Chloe again, but Eshir and Shurya subtly blocked him with their bodies so he couldn’t get close to Chloe.

‘The Merchant Prince and Saint shields are the best.’

If Shuel had been alone, Claude would have kept trying to approach, but this was very comfortable.

At the end of the pleasant debutante ball, the Emperor left congratulatory remarks.

“Though war continues and these are not good times, I hope that young people will still pursue their aspirations.”

And at the end of his congratulatory speech, he openly called for Chloe.

“I wish for the success of those who made their debut here today, and lastly… Yes. Duchess Chloe Garnet.”

‘This must be the bad news Shuel was talking about.’

Even so, to bring up something unfavorable to her so publicly – thinking the Emperor’s character wasn’t very good either, Chloe calmly responded to the Emperor’s words.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Duchess, you must be aware that your influence is growing excessively.”

Though she was sincere about spreading cuisine, Chloe wasn’t unaware of what the Emperor was pointing out. She had acted cautiously in her own way, but even so, from others’ perspectives, her growing power was at a threatening level.

“So choose.”

The Emperor got straight to the point without giving Chloe time to think.

“Whether you will become engaged to my son, or whether you will cut off all the business activities of the Garnet family that you have led.”

From the comfortable and pleasant congratulatory remarks of the debutante ball, to suddenly jump to talk of engagement between a prince and duchess. All the nobles were surprised and glanced at each other.

‘This is really unfair.’

Chloe had simply wanted to make tasteless food delicious.

But at the same time, she acknowledged in her heart.

‘This is a monarchical society now, and no matter how much I tried to be mindful of the Imperial family, there were limits.’

Just now, hadn’t the Saint and Merchant Prince defended Chloe against the Grand Duke’s provocation?

Just looking at how Claude, who couldn’t properly respond to Chloe’s words when they were young, had grown up and humiliated Chloe several times.

She acknowledged that focusing only on maintaining friendships through moderate social activities and devoting herself only to cooking might have dulled her sense of reality.

“When you say son…?”

Recalling Shuel’s meaningful words, it was most likely Shuel, but she had to confirm just in case.

“Who else but Shuel Siclamene, who held the Duchess’s hand and participated in today’s debutante ball.”

At the Emperor’s words, Chloe felt deeply relieved.

“I only have one son to begin with, so watch your words.”

“…I will be more careful in the future, Your Majesty.”

Since the Emperor had essentially declared in front of her that he didn’t recognize Claude as his son, the Empress’s face turned bright red.

‘From the Empress’s perspective, she’s even losing the person she had marked as her daughter-in-law right before her eyes.’

Still, it seemed the Emperor was trying harder than expected to protect Shuel, who had no maternal family’s power.

Chloe briefly considered – no, she didn’t consider at all and answered immediately.

“Yes. I will obey Your Majesty’s command.”

“Well, I didn’t expect the Duchess to agree immediately, so I’ll give you time to think… Huh?”

Perhaps thinking Chloe would naturally refuse, the Emperor looked dumbfounded.

‘I thought in the worst case, he’d tell me to get engaged to Claude.’

Thinking it was fortunate that wasn’t the case, Chloe sighed inwardly with relief.

“The Imperial Palace will soon send the engagement documents, and there will be a grand engagement ceremony between the Duchess and my son Shuel.”

After announcing that he would invite the nobles once the date was set, the Emperor looked at the Empress’s bright red face and added:

“Why do you look so grim? My son has finally found a young lady to be engaged to.”

It was a demand to celebrate her son’s engagement.

Even knowing that son Shuel was taking away Chloe, whom the Empress had been eyeing as daughter-in-law material until just moments before, the Emperor brazenly demanded celebration.

To this, the Empress desperately managed her expression and responded to the Emperor’s demand:

“That is… truly joyous news.”

Even after all that commotion, Shuel remained silent with a deathly pale face.

To others, Shuel would look like he had his usual expression, but Chloe, who had been close friends with Shuel for a long time, knew.

‘His expression looks really bad.’

When the debutante ball was somewhat over and the young ladies and gentlemen were gradually returning home, Chloe silently took Shuel’s hand and led him toward the Imperial Garden.

Only after confirming no one was around did Chloe open her mouth and ask Shuel:

“Why have you looked so upset since earlier?”

At that, Shuel’s face grew pale as he only moved his lips, pondering for a long time before saying:

“It’s not, coercion.”

“What?”

“…I didn’t want to coerce you, Duchess. Really, it’s not.”

Only then did Chloe realize this was about the engagement.

“But, I think my attitude might have influenced Father.”

Shuel seemed unsure how to organize his words, barely finishing before lowering his head and moving only his lips for a long time again.

So Chloe sighed.

“What are you talking about? It’s fine.”

“Even though you, who were once free, have been forced to live a life of being tied down?”

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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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