The Cooking Princess - Chapter 88

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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 88

The Empress’s ‘tantrum’ soon spread widely throughout the nobility.

“My goodness, no matter how humiliated she felt, to torment her own maid like that.”

“She may be of humble birth, but she’s still a young lady from a noble family, isn’t she? How could she pour hot tea water on a young lady’s face in her prime… tsk tsk.”

People had never looked favorably upon the Empress who acted arrogantly, flaunting the Emperor’s favor.

In the midst of this, when bad rumors spread and the Empress actually behaved in ways that seemed to confirm those rumors, they seized the opportunity and began to tear her apart.

“After all, there must be a reason why she’s merely Your Highness the Empress and not Her Majesty the Empress.”

It was shocking that not a single person came to the party the Empress held at the Imperial Palace.

Imperial parties were privileges that only high-ranking nobles could attend.

The high-ranking nobles who should have graced the occasion all refused in unison, claiming they had business or were busy, and locked their doors.

When people act alone, they fear potential backlash, but when they act as a group, they become brave.

“But it’s true that she’s frightening, isn’t it? Everyone knows Her Highness the Empress has a fiery temper.”

The nobles avoided all places where the Empress might set foot, busy whispering among themselves and giggling.

Not only were the rumors bad, but she had actually tried to poison the legitimate Prince (and the Empress wasn’t even punished), and whenever someone displeased her, she would invariably try to poison them.

No matter how important Imperial connections were to high-ranking nobles, they couldn’t risk their lives just to maintain relationships, so they naturally distanced themselves from the Empress…

And chose to befriend Chloe instead.

“Oh my, Miss Garnet. It’s been so long.”

This outcome wasn’t created solely by the rumors Chloe spread and the Empress’s misdeeds.

“I heard His Highness the Prince gave those western pirates a good beating.”

Most importantly, Shuel’s position was rising significantly at this time.

Chloe, who had been quietly drinking tea at the party, answered bashfully.

“His Highness the Prince would think it an honor to be able to protect the Empire.”

Seeing Chloe’s pure joy and flustered appearance, no one could even imagine that she was the one who had spread the rumors about the Empress.

“The Emperor’s blood doesn’t go anywhere.”

It was the moment when Shuel, who had been overshadowed by Claude in military achievements, was newly receiving attention as the Emperor’s successor.

At an Imperial luncheon where she was invited even without Shuel present, the Empress couldn’t hide her irritable mood and picked a fight with Chloe.

“You’re unusually quiet today, Duchess. Do you think I’m easy to handle now?”

Normally she wouldn’t act so openly irritable, but apparently being cornered was causing her quite a bit of stress.

“Pardon? Oh. I’m sorry.”

Chloe deliberately showed signs of confusion and answered in such a bewildered manner,

And immediately the Emperor caught the Empress like catching a mouse.

The Emperor seemed to prefer his women broken and submissive.

“You should stop picking strange fights with the Duchess and just eat your meal.”

“But!”

The Empress tried to say something angrily, but the Emperor cut her off decisively.

“Enough. Unless you’re planning to spread poison again.”

He didn’t just cut her off, but even gave her a cold warning.

After being openly humiliated by the Emperor, the Empress searched even more desperately for the source of the rumors, but…

‘As if she could find it.’

These were rumors spread from bottom to top through a collaboration between merchants and the Temple.

If she had the ability to dig through countless rumors one by one to find the culprit, she would have been a detective rather than an Empress.

***

After parting with Chloe, Shuel boarded the ship with the soldiers provided by the Emperor and immediately did as Chloe had instructed.

“Is there anyone here whose gums are bleeding?”

At the Prince’s calm question, the sailors were startled and looked around nervously before answering in subdued voices.

“Yes, most of the sailors are currently suffering from an unknown disease.”

“I see.”

Nodding in understanding, Shuel calmly showed them the marmalade and lemon preserves and said.

“One is to be spread on bread and eaten, the other is a drink to be mixed with water. If you eat these, your condition will improve, so everyone should eat them regularly.”

However, even at the Prince’s words, the sailors only showed expressions of distrust.

“We’re supposed to get better by eating these sweet children’s snacks?”

Those suffering from the mysterious disease showed doubt and distrust at the fact that this unknown illness could be cured with such childish sweet foods.

Being rough sailors, they were trapped in the prejudice that sweet and soft foods were only for children and weaklings. Because of this, despite the Prince’s recommendation, most sailors didn’t consume the marmalade and lemon preserves.

Only the sailors whose scurvy had progressed very severely listened to the Prince’s words.

Even they didn’t eat it because they particularly trusted the Prince’s words. They only tried it with the mindset of grasping at straws.

But contrary to their cynical thoughts, the marmalade and lemon preserves had excellent effects on their disease.

“The disease is really cured! The bleeding has stopped!”

“My body feels much lighter too. I feel like I’ll live now!”

When the situation turned out this way, the other sailors seemed to want to eat the marmalade and lemon preserves too, but perhaps feeling guilty about having so obviously ignored them at first, they only watched for cues.

The fact that they could still maintain their pride also meant their conditions were less severe, but Shuel kindly created justification for them to eat the marmalade and lemon preserves.

“It’s not a matter of how manly you are. It’s medicine.”

Speaking in a calm tone, Shuel then looked around at the surrounding sailors, frowned, and added.

“Surely you wouldn’t do something so foolish as to stubbornly refuse to eat it even after learning of a cure?”

The ‘medicine’ they ate this way was…

Incredibly delicious!

The sailors’ eyes widened.

Though they seemed too proud to speak up first, the amounts they took kept increasing.

But again, due to that damned pride, they couldn’t seem to take as much as they wanted.

‘If the amount is insufficient, they might get sick again.’

After checking the remaining amounts of lemon preserves and marmalade, Shuel instructed the distributors to give generous portions within the daily recommended amount Chloe had told him about.

Then he casually mentioned to the sailors again.

“This was made by Chloe, my fiancée. Of course it would be delicious. I think it’s amazing food since it both heals and tastes good.”

At the Prince’s acknowledgment that it was a supreme masterpiece that was both medicine and delicious, the sailors’ faces brightened.

“No wonder it was so delicious!”

Shuel felt slightly doubtful about whether he needed to guide them this much, but the Chloe he had observed all this time got along well with subordinates too.

‘Especially since these people were sent by Chloe herself, saying she could handle ships well, for my sake.’

Thinking it would be better to maintain amicable relationships, Shuel observed the sailors’ tendencies.

‘These people are relatively simple.’

Though they were macho and tough, sometimes stubbornly insisting on strange things, compared to Imperial people, they were innocent folks.

Around the time Shuel was gradually building human connections with the Imperial knights and the sailors.

They arrived at the Chato Domain, located at the westernmost part of the Luzhiere Empire.

Even during the journey, Shuel had many thoughts.

Land battles and naval battles differed in scale from the start.

First, if the ship sinks, everyone dies.

In that case, rather than bringing ships close together when discovering pirate ships, it might be better to deal with pirates from a distance with artillery.

If things had been that easy, Viscount of Chato, who had been guarding the domain, wouldn’t have died in battle, and there would have been no reason for Shuel to come this far.

‘If I had the blueprints of the pirate ships, I could reach a perfect conclusion.’

With such thoughts, Shuel disembarked from the ship.

The knights belonging to the Chato Domain didn’t seem particularly welcoming of Shuel.

‘Of course.’

From their perspective, they would be worried that this inexperienced young Prince might give reckless orders.

Upon arrival, Shuel quickly reviewed the maps and situation, then came to this conclusion.

“Let’s cut off their supplies first.”

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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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