The Cooking Princess - Chapter 80

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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 80

“Honestly speaking, why would a young duchess who just turned eighteen try to poison His Highness the Prince? Especially when she’s even engaged to him.”

“That’s right. If she had decided to poison him, why would she do it after getting engaged? She would have done it earlier.”

The nobles whispered among themselves that since the Prince had collapsed at a gathering forcibly arranged by the Empress, and had fallen shortly after eating the appetizer, he must have been poisoned somewhere else.

“Tsk tsk. Only the young duchess has become pitiful.”

“They say the engagement was also forced by His Majesty the Emperor? Why is the young duchess being blamed for misconduct right after getting engaged?”

Normally, this would be talk they’d have to hush up while watching the Empress’s mood, but right now Chloe wasn’t alone.

The movements of the Merchant Prince and the Saint, the pinnacles of magic and divine power, subtly trying to protect Chloe were visible to all.

The noblewomen who had always disliked the Empress seized this opportunity to wag their tongues.

“Exactly. She’s had a high reputation since childhood, what a waste of talent. Count Garnet must be heartbroken.”

They attacked the Empress while pretending to worry about Chloe until the very end.

Chloe, confined to a solitary room at Garnet Estate as the prime suspect in Shuel’s attempted poisoning, couldn’t even properly meet her parents.

Though they said visiting hours would be arranged later, even that wasn’t certain.

‘How did this happen?’

In the original story, although Shuel faced various life-threatening situations from the Empress and Claude, he was never poisoned.

But ‘unlike the original,’ the Empress had finally fed poison to Shuel.

No matter how much she wracked her brain, there was no episode in the original where the Empress attacked Shuel with poison.

Thinking this way, Chloe finally realized the terrible fact she had been overlooking.

The fact that the original story had changed because Chloe herself had interfered.

Until now, the original had only changed in ways that were good for Chloe,

but things in the world don’t always flow so conveniently.

‘In the original, the Empress and Claude didn’t even attempt poisoning because Shuel was so guarded.’

Based on that, it meant that while it wasn’t Chloe’s intention, she bore some responsibility for Shuel collapsing unconscious and lying bedridden.

Because Shuel ate the food Chloe gave him without being wary.

‘I was responsible for Shuel’s meals but never even thought about poison.’

She pulled at her hair with a dark expression.

Chloe didn’t know the news from outside, but everyone believed this scheme was the Empress’s plot.

However, not everyone was on Chloe’s side.

“This is the result of a duchess who just turned eighteen running wild everywhere without knowing her place.”

“Haha. Indeed.”

Those who had been jealous and envious of Chloe seized this opportunity to openly badmouth Chloe and the Garnet Family.

They seemed to think that no matter how powerful the Garnet Family was, they couldn’t break through the Empress’s schemes, so they spoke ill of them freely.

Shurya, who was going to visit Chloe, happened to witness this situation and warned them.

“You should be careful with your words.”

At the Saint’s warning, even those who had been excitedly badmouthing Chloe were cowed and shut their mouths.

Shurya met Eshir on her way to Garnet Manor and decided to visit Chloe together.

Chloe was confined alone in one of the rooms at Garnet Manor, with Imperial knights guarding the door. Despite being at Garnet Manor, even the Count and his wife couldn’t enter outside of visiting hours.

After her parents had already cried and left, Chloe greeted the two who came to see her with a bright smile on her slightly gaunt face.

“Are Shurya and Eshir doing well?”

Though they knew that seemingly nonchalant expression was to maintain composure, Eshir felt inexplicably irritated and answered crookedly.

“How could we be doing well? With you in this state.”

Even at Eshir’s grumpy voice, Chloe still answered in an affectionate tone.

“From the way you’re talking, it seems you’re doing well. That’s a relief.”

Shurya had already noticed that Chloe’s voice was trembling as she spoke.

“I think I should help.”

Since they were cooperating for world peace, she would step forward in your crisis too, Shurya said indirectly, but Chloe shook her head.

“I’m truly grateful for the sentiment. But if you get involved in this matter and something goes wrong, I don’t think I could forgive myself.”

Chloe’s complexion as she spoke couldn’t be called good even as empty words.

But Chloe was utterly sincere.

Even though the shallow connections she had built up had turned away from Chloe, Eshir and Shurya had come to this place.

Especially Shurya.

She was the victim who had been consistently bullied by Chloe in the original story.

Though that ‘original story’ was nothing more than an illusion from Chloe’s perspective, for Shurya who experienced it directly, it would be a much more vivid past.

She was grateful for the heart that considered her a friend as if she had forgotten everything.

Seeing Chloe’s gentle smile, Shurya’s words became urgently fast, as if she was thinking something.

“No. You have to make soybean paste soup for me and teach me various things. We have to protect peace too. Are you planning to break your promise?”

Shurya’s voice as she spoke incoherently was surprisingly trembling.

Like someone holding back tears.

When Chloe was at a loss at Shurya’s response, Eshir spoke coolly.

“Aren’t you frustrated?”

She grumbled as if it was absurd, saying you’re not someone who would play around with food.

But Chloe was sincere.

‘Since I know I’ll be reincarnated anyway, I’m fine.’

Even if she were executed this time, there would be a next life, so she was really fine, Chloe thought, trying to stay calm while hiding her trembling hands.

And she asked.

“Um… this is really shameless of me, but how is His Highness the Prince?”

At Chloe’s question, Shurya answered calmly.

“His Highness the Prince is safe. That’s why we were able to visit you.”

“Really? Thank goodness.”

No matter how much the original story had gone awry, she thought Shuel, the male protagonist of the original, surely wouldn’t die.

Still, hearing news that he was safe was reassuring.

She had been worried the whole time since she was confined without seeing him awake.

“I tried to have this conversation with my parents too, but they were crying so much I couldn’t ask. Thank you for the news, Shurya. And Eshir.”

When visiting time was over, Shurya and Eshir had no choice but to turn around and leave.

Shurya silently shed tears as she turned to leave. Seeing this, Eshir sighed and took out a handkerchief to offer her,

and as she dabbed at her tears with the handkerchief, she realized.

She had been carrying more burden than she thought from the very fact that she had regressed and learned about the future.

And that she had unknowingly been relying on Chloe, who had come to share that future fragmentarily.

‘So I absolutely can’t let Chloe die.’

Though Chloe herself didn’t intend it, thanks to her existence, the Imperial Court’s power structure had maintained balance without tilting to either side.

If Chloe were executed due to the Empress’s schemes, the precariously maintained balance would be broken.

For the future and for Shurya herself, she thought Chloe absolutely must not die.

Instead of returning to the Temple, she requested an audience with the Prince.

The Prince, who was bedridden, immediately accepted the Saint’s request for an audience.

Shurya quickened her steps toward Shuel’s quarters.

“I greet the Sun of the Empire.”

“I greet the Saint.”

Unable to even rise from his sickbed, he coughed dryly and asked about her business.

“As I’m not in good health, please understand that I cannot greet you properly. May I ask what business the Saint has with me?”

At his calm question, Shurya answered straightforwardly.

“Chloe is confined. On charges of trying to poison Your Highness.”

At those words, Shuel answered Shurya with a still poor complexion.

“That’s why we’re investigating. For what reason does the Saint mention this?”

Shurya was dumbfounded at Shuel, who was subtly wary.

Who was it that got Chloe involved in this, yet he was being wary of her? Shurya spoke without bothering to hide her angry feelings.

“Chloe is my friend.”

Shuel raised one eyebrow. His expression said ‘so what do you want me to do about it?’

At that shameless expression, Shurya got slightly heated.

“You’ve recovered anyway, haven’t you? How about getting up and finding evidence to prove Chloe’s innocence? With me.”

Though it wasn’t something to say to a victim who had nearly been poisoned to death, Shurya’s tone naturally became stern as Chloe’s still-grieving face lingered before her eyes.

“Right now.”

Even as she said this, Shurya didn’t expect Shuel to move immediately.

The Shuel from before her regression had always been someone who moved only for his own benefit.

Even if his beloved Chloe was being wronged, he wouldn’t move right away, thinking of his own body and position.

He would pretend to lie around groaning while persistently searching for evidence that the Empress had done it.

Until then, he would deceive everyone by pretending to be sick and recuperating.

‘And if he concludes that sacrificing Chloe in the process would be more beneficial to him, he’s the type who would just leave her be.’

If he said he couldn’t move right away, she had planned to step forward alone to protect Chloe. That’s why she had shouted with condemnation rather than expectation.

“…I shall do so. Will the Saint also cooperate for Chloe’s innocence?”

Unexpectedly, Shuel nodded readily.

“Yes.”

At Shurya’s immediate answer without further thought, Shuel smiled and said.

“Then this is no time for me to be lying here. I’ll get up right away.”

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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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