The Cooking Princess - Chapter 8

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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 8

Chloe was so dumbfounded that she barely managed to close her gaping mouth and desperately watched the two of them.

However, the Empress seemed to have already developed a taste for mocking Shuel, paying no attention to Chloe whatsoever.

“Even in swordsmanship, you fall behind our son.”

Having heard that much, Chloe desperately tried to manage her expression.

‘This is frown-worthy. Why invite the young lady of a ducal family only to torment a child? It’s against etiquette too.’

Her lips itched to argue, but Chloe bit her own lips tightly and thought.

‘But I can’t dare step forward in front of the Empress.’

What good would come of a mere young lady interfering in the conflict between the Empress and the Prince?

With that thought, Chloe tried to ignore the Prince’s suffering.

“I don’t understand how you can be so dull in every aspect. It must be due to Her Majesty the Empress’s inadequate education, I suppose?”

However, as the Empress’s unreasonable nitpicking continued, Chloe, who had been trying to stay quiet, suddenly felt a surge of anger.

“His Highness the Prince is not dull.”

“…What?”

The Empress’s sharp gaze, which had been glaring at Shuel, turned toward Chloe.

‘Oh no.’

I shouldn’t have interfered here. Seeing a child being unfairly maligned, a rebuttal slipped out before I knew it.

‘…I should have stayed completely quiet, but since I’ve already stepped forward, there’s nothing I can do.’

Chloe swallowed once and continued speaking.

“His Highness the Prince is a kind person who personally wrote me a letter when I was ill.”

It might have been a ceremonial get-well letter that the Imperial Court obligatorily wrote to a duchess, but sending it under Shuel’s own name rather than the Imperial Court’s name could be considered his personal sincerity.

“And after tasting my food, he carefully told me what aspects were good about it.”

Just saying it’s delicious is easy, but someone who can specifically analyze and express what’s good about it is not dull.

The Empress’s expression was peculiar as she watched Chloe earnestly defending Shuel.

“…Hmm, is that so?”

“…”

Having finished speaking, Chloe kept her mouth tightly shut and observed the Empress’s reaction.

The Empress stared at Chloe for a long while with gleaming eyes, then spoke.

“To think that merely evaluating food taste is enough to judge a prince’s qualifications.”

“…!”

Did I misjudge? Just as Chloe stiffened with tension.

“Then the Princess’s cooking skills should be at that level too.”

“…”

“Try cooking here in this Imperial Palace. I’ll judge for myself.”

***

Shuel stopped Chloe as she was leaving the Audience Chamber.

“Excuse me, Princess.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

“Pardon?”

Chloe’s eyes widened at the sudden apology. Shuel looked strangely dejected.

“It seems like you’re in trouble because of me.”

“Oh, no!”

Chloe waved her hands. Strictly speaking, it was her own fault for arguing with the Empress’s words.

‘But how could I just stay still when a child was being insulted like that…’

If there was any fault, it would be her own meddling, and the more fundamental cause would be the Empress.

“I think Her Majesty the Empress went too far.”

Chloe whispered in Shuel’s ear. It would be troublesome if any servants or other people passing through the corridor overheard.

Shuel flinched upon hearing the whisper, and his ears turned red.

“…Thank you.”

You were the first to stand up for me like that in front of the Empress, Shuel said with a faint smile.

“But I’m worried. Since the Empress went that far, she won’t just let it slide.”

While she had gained an opportunity, it meant that if she couldn’t satisfy the Empress’s standards, Chloe might also face punishment.

“Oh, don’t worry about that.”

Chloe smiled confidently.

“I need to go to the kitchen first.”

Chloe headed to the kitchen with a servant’s guidance. Shuel, who insisted on following despite being told it wasn’t necessary, came along too.

“Be careful since the kitchen is dangerous.”

“…Then isn’t it dangerous for you too?”

“I’m used to it, so I’m fine.”

Chloe positioned Shuel in one corner and, after getting permission from the head chef, examined the ingredients and tools.

Upon hearing that she needed to cook by the Empress’s order, the head chef readily gave up his place.

“Her Majesty has very particular tastes. Lately, she’s been suffering from a mild cold and has no appetite, making it even more so.”

He looked worried that the young Princess might displease the Empress. Chloe smiled cheerfully to reassure him.

The kitchen was filled with various ingredients befitting the Imperial Palace.

‘Of course, there aren’t many I can use.’

Even the highest-grade ingredients didn’t meet Chloe’s standards. It might be the head chef, not Chloe, who could bring out the best recipes with these ingredients.

Chloe recalled the information the head chef mentioned about the Empress having a cold.

‘And there’s still a long time until dinner.’

It was around 2 PM. It hadn’t been long since lunch, and there was plenty of time left until dinner.

‘Let’s avoid anything that could be a meal.’

Something light like a drink or snack, with a taste that would surprise the Empress.

Just then, a basket caught Chloe’s eye as she looked around the kitchen.

“…What’s that?”

At Chloe’s question, the head chef hesitated for a moment before answering.

“It’s a gift brought by the foreign trading company from the Southern Continent that visited recently, but we’ve been leaving it alone because we don’t know how to use it.”

The head chef looked troubled, saying he didn’t know what to do with things that looked like tree branches.

“They said it was for cooking when they gave it to us, so we received it, but how on earth are we supposed to cook with this…”

“Then, can I try using this?”

“Pardon?”

When Chloe asked with sparkling eyes, the head chef asked back in shock. He seemed to suspect whether the Princess was unable to think straight due to the pressure of having to cook for the Empress.

But Chloe was staring intently at the basket and cheering internally, not noticing his worried gaze.

“I think I know how to use this!”

At Chloe’s confident tone, the head chef handed over the basket with mixed feelings.

“We were thinking we couldn’t use it anyway, so please use it as you like.”

But he added that if she wanted to make other food, she should tell him anytime. He probably expected Chloe to give up after a few attempts.

Of course, Chloe had no intention of giving up on this.

‘It’s cinnamon and cloves!’

She didn’t know much about the Southern Continent, but this might be a goldmine.

To think that spices she had half given up on would come in as gifts from an embassy.

“Princess, what are you planning to do with that?”

Shuel, who had come closer, looked at the basket Chloe was holding with curious eyes.

“I’m going to make something that will surprise Her Majesty the Empress!”

***

Chef Vance of the Imperial Kitchen was deeply troubled.

‘To think Her Majesty the Empress is now tormenting even a young Princess.’

He had roughly heard what happened. He also knew that this young Princess was the daughter of the Garnet Family, and had recently developed new cuisine and something called a refrigerator, causing quite a stir.

‘Certainly the refrigerator is an amazing device, but…’

Since refrigerators and freezers were brought to the Imperial Kitchen recently, Vance was well aware of their power.

It was also reasonable that the Empress had called the young lady aside to commend her.

Vance thought that the young lady had playfully picked up some ideas that the Duke had developed well, and the food was likely the result of the Garnet Estate’s chefs working hard to suit the young lady’s tastes.

It was hard to believe that a mere twelve-year-old young lady could develop new dishes and even invent magical items.

‘She looks younger than my daughter, so there was no need to be so harsh with her.’

So Vance speculated that the young lady summoned before the Empress had been exposed and earned her displeasure.

The plan was to humiliate her by making her cook directly.

Seeing the young lady washing tree branches from the basket with water, that speculation became certainty.

“No, my lady. What are you doing?”

Unable to hold back, Vance approached Chloe and asked.

“This has a very nice fragrance, and I think it would be even better if boiled.”

Vance frowned at Chloe’s response.

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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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