The Seven-Year-Old Village Chief in Exile - Chapter 89

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 89
* * *
When the sweltering summer arrived, Tuuri, Duchess of Stria, would always retreat to her summer villa in the north to recuperate.
For the elderly woman, weakened by the loss of her daughter, even that much had become a burden.
Yet staying in the Capital or her territory was far worse.
In the Capital lived the man she despised most; in her lands, the memories of her dead daughter haunted her relentlessly.
“Is it because of the rumors that an Angel has descended?”
Tuuri, Duchess of Stria, turned from her contemplation of the landscape rushing past the train window.
The Crown Prince met her gaze with an angelic smile.
“Since it has been recognized as a holy site, I hope you might find solace for your heart there, Grandmother.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
The Duchess of Stria nodded slightly, a faint smile playing at her lips.
‘The blood my daughter left behind…….’
It should be more precious, more beloved than her own life.
‘I am the one at fault. Even in old age, I should have grown graceful…….’
The Duchess of Stria found herself unable to love the being before her as freely as she wished.
Her entire body cried out against it.
To keep him at a distance.
Whether this came from the selfish maternal resentment that he was the root cause who consumed her daughter before being born, she could not say.
Or from his appearance, so strikingly like his biological father that not a trace of her daughter could be found in him.
Or perhaps both.
And so the Duchess of Stria was seized by ambivalent emotions whenever she saw Crown Prince Pereus.
He made her deeply uncomfortable.
And for that, she felt sorry.
So when Pereus insisted on accompanying her on this recuperative journey, she could not bring herself to turn him away.
She could not ignore the young boy, who clung to her so tenderly, as if desperately searching for traces of his dead mother.
“The Deste Estate is famous as the birthplace of Magical Engineering, is it not?”
The Duchess of Stria spoke first, as if to wash away her guilt.
“The Duke of Stria once wished to study Magical Engineering in his youth, did he not?”
“Uncle did?”
Pereus widened his eyes in surprise, his innocence that of a nine-year-old child.
The Duchess felt her heart relax slightly.
“And your late mother, the former Empress, was fond of it as well.”
“Mother was also…….”
“Would Your Highness not care to visit the place once?”
“Yes, I shall do exactly that.”
The Duchess nodded.
‘Yes, it is indeed my heart that is lacking.’
No matter how little he resembled that child, how could she not find it endearing when his eyes sparkled at the mention of his mother’s interests?
“By the way, I hear the headmaster of the Magic Engineering Academy is quite an eccentric character?”
“So I have heard. Genius scholars devoted to their studies tend to have peculiar aspects, after all.”
“That is what concerns me somewhat.”
Pereus heaved a heavy sigh, affecting an air of world-weary maturity.
The Duchess of Stria found the sight rather endearing and covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a soft laugh.
“I worry he might be as discourteous as Clavis.”
……
“Since it is a place that contributes greatly to the nation’s development, I do hope we can maintain good relations with the Imperial Court.”
……
“Truthfully, I think Father was hasty in exterminating Clavis’s entire line. Because of that…….”
The Crown Prince paused, his expression growing sorrowful as he glanced at the Duchess of Stria from the corner of his eye.
“……you had to suffer the grief of losing a friend, Grandmother.”
……
“I apologize for speaking carelessly.”
“No, it is not so.”
The Duchess of Stria shook her head, though it took visible effort.
Her hand still covered her mouth, though she had no attention to spare for that now.
‘Yes.’
The negative emotions she had barely managed to suppress came creeping back.
‘That point of his is intolerable.’
Concern masquerading as mockery, apologies without sincerity.
That callous, selfish mind of hers—forever calculating favor for the person who stands to gain her something.
‘My daughter, Lena…….’
She was never like this.
The train car fell silent again. The ornate private cabin, commandeered entirely, was thick with an awkward, oppressive air.
The Duchess of Stria finally shut her eyes tight.
The old woman was truly afraid of her grandson sitting before her—this creature who hid a dark nature beneath his affectionate manner.
The trace of her only daughter was being erased by him.
* * *
“Miss…….”
“…….”
“Have you finally decided?”
“Yes.”
I sat across from Verity at the table, nodding with a solemn expression.
I had deliberated on this for days.
Before my resolve wavered again, I decided to settle it quickly.
“For compensation from Antemma Research Institute’s betrayal, I’ll take my Korean items—!”
“Really, your vocabulary is so Clavis-like.”
“Spare me the lectures and start drumming on the table!”
“Thump-thump-thump…….”
As Verity produced that perfunctory rhythm, I declared loudly.
“Ramen and a cookbook, please! And I’m keeping one wish.”
“Pardon?”
Verity squinted one eye in disbelief.
She had every right to.
‘Even I struggled with this right until the end, you know……!’
I could have taken the Tablet PC modified for theater operations for three wishes.
Or I could satisfy my desires with just a three-million-won Magic Staff, ramen, and an unmodified Tablet PC.
‘But I’m the Village Chief.’
The village’s prosperity is my honor.
The happiness of my villagers is my driving force.
So with firm resolve, I had just declared—ramen and a cookbook.
“You understand, Verity, but our Izelium Village needs to grow by actively trading with the outside world now.”
“Of course.”
The Izel Company has begun to gain recognition in Deste Territory thanks to the First Aid Kit. Other territories are showing interest too.”
“That’s good.”
“But it’s hard to make real money with just the First Aid Kit.”
“Sigh, I was deliberately avoiding that subject…….”
“That’s fine. Because it’s true.”
After all, the First Aid Kit existed in every household—we merely packaged it and brought it to market.
In other words, it simply lacked the staying power to push as a flagship product.
“Now that we’ve made our mark with the First Aid Kit, we need to find a real flagship product.”
“And that’s ramen?”
“Interesting—the way you speak, it’s as if you already know what ramen is.”
“I’ve tasted it before.”
“But Earth hasn’t even joined the Multidimensional Alliance yet…….”
How could she know so much?
When I gave her a suspicious look, Verity raised both hands apologetically.
“A lord gave it to me as a gift once.”
“A lord…….”
“Not anyone I’ve mentioned so far.”
Verity was about to briefly explain what a lord of the Demon Realm was when I cut her off.
“My things first!”
“Quite resourceful, aren’t you.”
“Hand over the ramen! It’s mine!”
“Understood, understood.”
Pat, pat.
And so I obtained three packets of ramen and one cookbook.
Village management and my ramen took priority now. Information about a lord-class Demon could wait.
“Wow, ramen!”
I grabbed one and hastily tore open the packet.
But with the strength of a seven-year-old, it was hopeless, so I thrust it toward Verity.
“Open it for me, please.”
“Sigh, it’ll be dinner time soon.”
“It’s been so long! I’ll just eat a tiny bit as a snack, okay?”
“Miss, you’re bound to regret this.”
“I know you worry about me getting fatty liver disease, but a demon ought to show some flexibility. Hehe, I need to pour all the broth in!”
I crushed the raw ramen into pieces and poured the seasoning packet over it, shaking the whole thing vigorously.
At the pungent chemical seasoning that stung my nose, my bottom wriggled involuntarily.
“Ahhh…….”
And so I tasted ultra-processed food for the first time in ages.
“Ptui!”
I spat it right back out.
“Spicy, spicy! It’s so spicy!”
I stomped my feet in distress. My tongue burned and stung under the assault of tears and that overwhelming heat, raw and searing.
“Well, I did warn you you’d regret it.”
Verity thrust a glass of cold water at me.
I rinsed my mouth quickly with the cold water, and when that wasn’t enough, I dunked my tongue directly into the glass.
“Ughhhh, aahhh…….”
“Of course it’s spicy.”
Verity exhaled a sigh deeper than all the others before it.
“In that other place you were a grown woman who could eat spicy food without blinking, but this body of yours is a seven-year-old who’s never tasted such a thing once.”
There’s no way your palate would be accustomed to spice.
And besides, in this world, spicy flavors aren’t nearly as commonplace.
“I didn’t know, I didn’t know…….”
“Don’t cry. Was it really that spicy?”
“Wahhhhh…….”
“Here, go on, blow your nose. And this is going to sound awful, but would it be alright if I took a picture? The Long-haired Lord’s secretary has been asking for photos of your growth.”
And so, click — the photo was taken.
“Ah…….”
Overwhelmed with frustration, I sank to the floor.
“There’s ramen, but I can’t eat it……!”
“Such is the way of the world.”
Verity crunched on the raw ramen in front of me.
“Mmm, it’s delicious, actually. Nice and spicy — perfect with a drink.”
“So that’s why you picked ramen…….”
I gathered saliva on my still-tingling tongue.
“Ramen broth has multiple uses.”
When a dish lacks something in flavor, ramen broth alone solves everything.
“I was planning to create seasoning based on the ramen broth ingredient list.”
“Ah, you mean chemical seasoning.”
“Yeah…….”
I answered in a nasal whine. I still hadn’t recovered from the shock of the spice.
“Oh, you look just like a crying child — so adorable like that.”
Verity let out a soft laugh and wiped my nose once more.
“Watching Popina and Libi cook, I can see spices are well-developed here, so the seasoning should sell well too.”
“Magical powder that makes food delicious.”
“That’s why I brought a cookbook as well.”
Selling seasoning alone won’t do.
People who buy seasoning ultimately want to complete delicious food quickly and easily.
‘I certainly did.’
So I plan to use this beginner-level cookbook, “50 Dishes You Can Make Successfully Even While Asleep.”
“……Making food while asleep would be a disaster, though.”
Verity sidled up and caught a glimpse of the book’s title, offering that one remark.
I neatly ignored her and opened the book.
Chae Ha-bin’s traces were scattered throughout the cookbook.
The pages of her favorite recipes were worn and creased, while the back sections were stiff and pristine. Stains from cooking accidents remained untouched.
Watching the soft memories emerge, I turned the pages while sniffling.
What I opened was the back section — pages barely touched before.
[Cooking Tools That Look Impressive Just by Having Them]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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