The Puppet Villainess’s Splendid Rebellion - Chapter 9

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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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Chapter 9

I blinked my eyes in surprise.

“…Huh?”

“Cooking may look easy on the surface, but when you actually try it, it’s quite difficult for someone who isn’t used to it. Looking at the ingredients, it seems like a dish that requires fire, so it would be hard for you to do alone.”

Wait….

“You really want to help?”

“Of course, it’ll be much better if we do it together.”

I was a bit flustered by the unexpected reaction.

I thought I’d at least get suspicious looks, if not outright interrogation.

However, Mia shrugged with a light tone as if she understood even that expression.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you worried I might suspect you, Princess?”

“Well….”

Of course.

I am Lorea Pryce.

Mia smiled gently.

“If you had intended to do something to my master, you would have used more secretive and certain means rather than such a troublesome method.”

Mia added that she could at least make that much of a judgment.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Well, I guess.”

I mumbled my response and trailed off.

‘What? I didn’t even try to explain myself.’

Is it okay to trust people so easily like that?

Is she missing a screw or something?

I am ‘that’ Lorea Pryce.

Feeling my cheeks grow warm somehow, I unconsciously fidgeted with my apron.

Being the Emperor’s illegitimate child was a position where I had to prove my usefulness every moment. I lived like that for 20 years.

And after my regression, from the moment I fled the Imperial Palace and set foot in the Duke’s Mansion, I had to prove my harmlessness.

So Mia’s attitude of not asking anything or being suspicious felt strange to me.

While I fidgeted with my hands in this awkward and unfamiliar feeling, Mia cleaned the messy counter and cutting board and brought fresh tomatoes.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say this myself, but this Mia’s cooking skills are quite excellent. I also manage the meals for my master and the young master. Whatever you need, I’ll help you wholeheartedly.”

“Uh, I’m going to make eggplant rollatini.”

“Rollatini! That’s great. So that’s why you were trying to cut the tomatoes small?”

“…Yeah, it was harder than I thought.”

“It’s naturally difficult at first. Watch what I do.”

Mia stepped slightly to the side so I could see the cutting board, then began cutting with spectacular skill.

Making my long struggle seem pointless, the fresh tomato was quickly cut into small cube shapes with swift chopping sounds.

“Wow….”

She’s like some kind of master.

I guess it wasn’t easy, it just looked easy.

“Hoho, Princess. A bug might fly into your mouth.”

Suddenly, a small piece of tomato slipped into my mouth.

When I reflexively closed my mouth, the sweet and sour tomato juice filled my mouth.

“How is it? Delicious, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“The ingredients at the Duke’s Mansion are always kept fresh. Would you like one more?”

Mia naturally brought another tomato piece to my mouth.

After hesitating for a moment, I gently took it.

Mia smiled brightly as she watched me chew.

“Princess, you have more varied expressions than you appear to.”

“…Me?”

“Yes, you looked very cute just now.”

“Cu, cute….”

What on earth is this head maid saying?

In the world, only the Emperor had ever called me cute. Even that was just to flatter me to keep me in line.

And objectively, isn’t my face not the cute type? It would be more on the fierce side.

“You should choose your words more carefully.”

“Oh my! Did I say something wrong? Thirteen years old is naturally a cute age.”

“What I mean is, that’s not…!”

I was about to say something but shut my mouth tight.

It didn’t seem like she’d understand even if I explained.

Mia chuckled at my deflated reaction and offered me the cut tomatoes.

“Will this be enough?”

“Yeah, I think that’ll be sufficient.”

“Then what should we do now? Should we grill the eggplant?”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

I hurried over and picked up a few leaves I had washed and set aside on one side of the counter.

“Before grilling the eggplant, we need to cut this up and coat it first.”

“Blue primrose?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

It was edible grass I had picked from behind the Duke’s Mansion before coming to the kitchen.

Blue primrose was a plant so common that it could be easily found anywhere in the Empire, but when cooked with eggplant, it served to detoxify any remaining magical energy in the body.

Naturally, this was a method that had been researched and used only within the Imperial Family, never revealed to the public.

“Since the Grand Duke’s body is already weakened due to magic energy, this should be effective. I know many other foods that work too.”

“You know quite a variety of things, Your Highness.”

“When it comes to magic energy and refined stones, I know them best after His Majesty the Emperor.”

I answered while subtly avoiding her gaze.

Somehow I felt my conscience pricking at me.

My past self who knew these methods but kept silent in order to sell off the refined stones.

Whether she knew my thoughts or not, Mia examined it from various angles before asking cheerfully.

“Should I chop the blue primrose and apply it on the outside?”

“Yes, and then you can roast it right away. After that we’ll make a sauce, but I don’t know the exact proportions.”

“Oh my, don’t worry about that.”

Mia skillfully made the sauce and completed the dish using the ingredients I had haphazardly prepared.

At some point, the kitchen was filled with delicious aromas.

“There, it’s done.”

Mia took the plate out of the oven with a proud smile.

I couldn’t help but admire the dish completed in less than thirty minutes.

‘I came here thinking I’d be struggling for two hours.’

Meanwhile, after washing the dishes and neatly arranging the food on a tray, Mia suddenly held out a piece of herb to me.

“Hm?”

“Since this is Your Highness’s dish, you should do the final decoration.”

She pointed to the center of the plate.

“…But Mia did all the cooking?”

“Oh my, I only lent my hands as Your Highness instructed. Originally, cooking is about heart and sincerity.”

Then she gently shook the herb as if urging me.

‘Isn’t that too much of a nice-sounding excuse?’

That thought suddenly occurred to me, but contrary to my mind, my hand moved first.

I hesitantly placed the herb on top of the food.

“Now it’s truly complete!”

Mia smiled brightly.

“…Yeah, it’s done.”

In reality, all I had done for thirty minutes was watch from beside Mia, but somehow I felt proud.

“Master usually has lunch in his study, but today he skipped it saying he had no appetite. So if you take it to him now, it’ll be perfect timing.”

Huh?

“I’m going?”

Not Mia?

I looked at Mia with bewildered eyes.

Then Mia tilted her head as if wondering what the problem was.

“Since it’s Your Highness’s handiwork, you should deliver it personally.”

No, but I didn’t do anything.

“No, still.”

“Hurry, he’ll be hungry.”

However, Mia was adamant.

Without giving me a chance to refuse, she pushed me out of the kitchen.

When I came to my senses belatedly, I was already standing in the corridor in front of the kitchen with the tray in hand, even my apron removed.

“I have to prepare dinner from now on. Well then, have a safe trip, Your Highness.”

Mia even waved at me with a bright smile.

“Wait, Mia.”

“I’ll be cheering for you.”

Before I could finish speaking, Mia disappeared into the kitchen.

‘She’s sending me off like this?’

Left alone, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment.

What was even stranger was myself getting swept along by Mia’s behavior every time.

After staring down at the tray for a moment, I let out a deep sigh and started walking.

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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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