CH 23

There were three judges. Lugard, Henry, and the butler that they brought in. The butler rushed to the chefs saying how dare they touch the precious princess, but the knights managed to calm him down.

And the cooking showdown started.

“Please cook the dish you’re the best at.”

“Of course.”

Luana answered and took out the chicken. And Way took out the beef. The two decided to have one chef each to help.

“What are you going to cook?” asked Garth, who was assigned to help Luana.

“Fried chicken!”

It was a dish that she had already cooked once, and she was most confident in cooking. To be honest, Luana was not a professional cook. She was just cooking because she wanted to eat, and she found it fun.

“I decided to compete with something unique!”

It was not particularly unique in the modern era, but it was different here. It was a luxurious dish using a large amount of oil, so no one seemed to have tried it yet. She thought of the duke who ate it for the first time! So she decided to go with fried chicken confidently.

“First, fill the pot with oil!”

Garth, who was watching her from the side, looked surprised.

“What do you make out of this?”

“I’m going to fry the chicken. But that’s not all for today!”

Luana also took out other vegetables that she had prepared in advance.

‘Anything fried is delicious!’

Didn’t people say even leather shoes will be good if fried? Luana put some batter into the oil to make sure it was ready.

“Perfect!”

Garth only helped to chop the ingredients with a knife, so he just watched Luana because he didn’t know what else to do.

Tsss-

The chopped ingredients went into the hot oil, and Luana took the fried vegetables after it’s fried and placed them on expensive paper on the plate.

“Why are you using paper?”

“The paper will absorb the oil.”

It was indeed a dish using lots of money. On the other hand, Way was making steak according to the norm. The aged meat was properly grilled and served with various grilled vegetables. He also made the sauce himself.

Way finished his cooking first, then Luana. Seeing the dishes, Lugard, who at first complained, now his eyes began to shine.

‘That chicken looks fantastic!’

It wasn’t just that. Way, the duke’s chef, also had excellent skills. He is a person who has been chosen and chosen from among the many chefs. His skills are not to be underestimated.

Indeed, the steak he made melted in his mouth. He could feel the rich gravy and the grilled vegetables were just right; the sauce stimulated the palate.

‘As expected of the best chef in the empire!’

However, the moment he tasted chicken, Lugard’s thoughts changed.

‘What is this taste?!’

He was amazed by the food he had never tasted before in his life.

“Wow!”

It wasn’t just Lugard. Henry and the butler were the same. The judges’ faces were in full bloom. Watching their expression change, Way reached out to the fried chicken, then carefully picked it up and put it in his mouth.

Crunch

As soon as he bit the chicken, a crunchy sound came out. The juice trapped inside the thin batter burst out. It was salty, savory, and had a deep flavor.

‘It has pepper in it.’

It was his first time tasting a dish like this.

‘Is it possible to cook chicken like this?!’

This cooking ability is undoubtedly something he had never known. Way couldn’t make this dish. He thought he was lacking research, and he had been too arrogant.

Way bowed his head down.

“I lost.”

He thought Luana would not be serious about cooking because she was a royal. But all of that was just an illusion. This woman must have had a deep heart for cooking, just like him.

“I forgot that there’s no difference in status in the world of cooking.”

Luana was a little taken aback by the sincere apology. The chicken was not a creative dish. In the world where she lived, there were numerous cooking recipes. With a little effort, it wasn’t hard to figure it out.

“It’s okay. I just cook to enjoy myself. It’s not that serious.”

“That’s the key to making this kind of dish.”

This man was as severe and complex as his first impression. Luana thought he would react like this no matter what she said.

“I will do my best to learn from you. And since I lost, I’ll take whatever punishment.”

“I have no intention to punish you.”

She thought this person misunderstood something. Luana sighed and slapped Way on the back.

“Straighten your back first! And there are no punishment!”

“But to a royal,”

“Stop! If there’s something that bothers you, teach me.”

“You mean cooking?”

“Yes, I actually don’t know what Imperial cuisine is like.”

Except for the dishes made by her nanny, Luana didn’t know anything about the cuisine of this world. So she thought it would be good to learn more from this opportunity.

“I’d be happy to teach you. And if possible, can I learn how to cook from the princess?”

“Call me Luana. I’ll teach you if you don’t mind.”

“Thank you, Miss Luana.”

When it ended so peacefully, the chefs applauded. The butler who was sitting on the judging panel also joined the celebration. So the sudden cooking contest ended in a friendly way.

“No, I didn’t even tell you the results of the contest.”

Later, Lugard complained, but Henry shrugged and replied.

“But they already understood each other. It ended peacefully.”

“That’s true.”

“And we even ate delicious dishes, right?”

Henry picked up his fork and put it in the chicken as he smiled with satisfaction.

***

After everything was over, the butler headed to the duke’s office. Due to the duke’s long absence from the mansion, his work was pushed back. Because of that, the duke was working nonstop.

Even after the butler entered, the Duke’s hand holding the pen did not stop.

“It ended well.”

“I see.”

“Oh, how wonderful the princess is.”

“She is no longer a princess.”

“That’s right, Miss Luana has won the chef’s heart brilliantly.”

“Is she?”

The duke stopped moving his pen for a moment. Some people welcomed Luana into the mansion, while others did not. Not everyone thought about her like the butler. So he thought something would happen at least once, so he asked the butler in advance.

But today happened, and it ended better than he thought.

‘Way’s temperament is hard to deal with.’

It seemed that she could not beat Luana. Although she did not grow up in a perfect environment, her character was not ambivalent. She wasn’t afraid to get along with those around her, and she was very friendly. It was the same when Luana was friendly to the duke, whom people are usually afraid of.

‘But on the other way,’

Luana also looked like a rabbit who was filled with fear. It would be better if she knew what was dangerous. How can she be so wild? Even if a wolf bit her, Luana was unlikely to change.

The corners of the duke’s mouth moved upward without him realizing. Under the sunlight pouring from the window, his cold eyes soften.

What an afternoon.

* * *

“Hooooohh-“

In front of a large jar, Luana smiled grimly and shook her shoulders.

“Finally, finally!”

Her arms outstretched toward the sky were shaking. Her slender fingers gripped the air.

“It’s a success!”

She jumped from her seat and ran across the garden like a rabbit. Way, who was watching the scene right next to her, looked pleased.

“Hah, hah, hah-“

Luana, who went around the garden, gasped and returned to her original position.

“Are you happy?”

“Of course I’m happy!”

Luana clasped her hands together, and her eyes twinkled. It’s been several days since she tried making soy sauce with fermented soybean lump. Finally, a significant result came out! Of course, there are still many days more to go before it becomes proper soy sauce, but she could wait.

‘I haven’t tried it in over 20 years!’

Money was the enemy. Because she was an abandoned princess, she was too busy eating and living, so she couldn’t even think of making soy sauce. But now that all those restrictions have been lifted, she is ready to do whatever she wants.

‘I should make kimchi, too!’

Why does she always make kimchi when we move on to this world? I used to wonder, but now she knows. For Koreans, kimchi was indispensable.

‘Kimchi pancake, kimchi fried rice, fried kimchi. Kimchi is also delicious to eat as is.’

Just thinking about it made her mouth water.

“Luana, you’re drooling.”

Way spoke quietly to Luana. Only then did she come to her senses and wipe her mouth.

As their time together grew longer, Way was getting some sense of Luana. She likes cooking more than he thought, she makes a lot of food in bulk, knows a lot of strange knowledge, and is not as close to the Duke as he thought.

Way remembered the day when he first asked Luana about something the duke’s related. It wasn’t precisely Way who asked. It was Garth.

“Are you thinking of marrying the duke?”

Luana laughed as Garth asked her the question. She was a princess in the past, but she laughed out loud. They thought a princess would act more dignified and elegant, but she acted more comfortably than the noblewomen they had ever seen.

“No, my relationship with Sir Legion is not like that!”

“But aren’t you two close?”

“Do we look like we’re close?”

Luana tilted her head.

“Yeah. No one else has ever been this close to the duke.”

“We’re not like that anyway. It’s just a relationship between the chef and the lord.”

I don’t think so. From the look on Garth’s face, he seemed to think so, but Luana didn’t change her mind. She only giggled like it was a joke the whole time she was cooking.