The attendant must have sensed that I was still not following him, so he explained softly.
“It’s quite large, isn’t it? There are a total of 230 cooking stations, and the upper floor is used as a living space for the chefs.”
I gaped. I wondered if even if all the nobles of the main office were gathered together, they would be able to fill a palace as big as that.
“How many people are working in total?”
“There must be about seven hundred now.”
Chi, chi, chi, seven hundred people. That's almost like everyone living in one district of the capital was working here.
“Are there really that many?”
“It is said that during His Majesty the Emperor’s time, there were over a thousand people. However, since His Majesty has not held a banquet in the past ten years, the number has gradually decreased.”
I stuck out my tongue and entered the door that the attendant had opened for me.
As splendid as it looked from the outside, the hallway to the kitchen—if this palace could be called a kitchen—was identical to the other palaces in its marble floors and rich tapestries. The only difference was that the people passing by were servants and maids.
I stood there with my shoulders drooping in bewilderment in front of the numerous doors.
“Shall I call the chef?”
“No... Do you have a small kitchen that I can just use?”
The attendant gave me his usual incomprehensible look, but without saying a word, he guided me along the way.
As I opened the large wooden door, a blast of hot air rushed in. The kitchen maids and servants hurriedly bowed their heads as they saw me coming in in a dress that didn't suit me.
"Your Highness."
“Hello, Your Highness the Princess.”
“Look at the things.”
It felt like an intruder had suddenly barged into their busy workplace. And that was exactly what happened.
What I wanted was a small kitchen, but the place the attendant led me to seemed to be the largest and most luxurious in this kitchen. The white marble kitchen, floor, and even the ceiling with frescoes... At this rate, gold might come out as an ingredient.
I clicked my tongue and picked up a random glass bottle from the shelf, then put it back down quietly. Seriously, there was gold in it.
I stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do in this splendid place, and then I made up my mind. That is, to ask a trustworthy maid to do it.
"Lisa."
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I’m going to make chicken soup. Can you help me prepare the ingredients?”
“...Chicken soup?”
Lisa asked back as if she had misheard. Yes, the subject matter of the dish was rather simple. It was quite difficult to make in a kitchen that was gilded from start to finish.
As I approached the fire, Lisa spoke urgently.
“Your Highness. If you tell me how to make it, I will make it for you. Take care of yourself.”
“No. I have to do it.”
I'm going to give it to the Emperor. I swallowed my words and picked out some cooking utensils that looked familiar.
Lisa came in with ingredients and spices in a flash. Some of the spices I knew—the ones I used were dried, of course. These tasted fresh, as if they had just been picked from the garden—but some were completely new to me.
“Hands, be careful. Let me handle the fire.”
As I continued to prepare stubbornly, Lisa couldn't stop me and whispered timidly.
I know you're worried that I might get hurt, but it was meaningful for me to do this from start to finish. That way, the story would spread as loudly as possible.
It's not a big enough mistake to make people say that you don't know manners, but it's enough to express your feelings for your grandfather that you got back, and it's innocent enough to seem cute.
That's why I chose chicken soup. It was a dish that the common people could easily relate to when reading an article in the newspaper.
Damn, when this all ends, I wonder if I'll end up immigrating to a neighboring country and become an actor.
I shook my head to chase away the pointless thoughts and focused on making the soup.
All the ingredients Lisa brought were washed clean and peeled. Carrots, onions, parsley, cream, flour...
There are many. The chicken soup I used to make with Olga only had potatoes and chicken. If I was lucky, sometimes a handful of parsley.
After much thought, I decided to leave out the cream. It was an ingredient I had never used before and I was afraid I could ruin it if I made a mistake.
Instead, I put a lot of potatoes, carrots, onions, and chicken in the pot. I also used some of the broth that the chef had made.
The chief chamberlain, who had noticed my plan to present it to the Emperor, stood guard from behind from beginning to end. It seemed as if he was watching me to see if I would put any poison in it.
At first, the smell was good. I took a spoonful of the soup that was already cooked and tasted it. It had been quite some time since it was last made, and it tasted like that. Of course, it was thicker and had a more luxurious taste because more ingredients were used.
“..Are you going out like that?”
Lisa asked me with a look of 'no way'. When I nodded, she bit her lip slightly and asked me again.
“Is that something you wish to present to His Majesty...”
"That's right."
Lisa took a deep breath as she gave a short affirmation. I saw her nod urgently to the chamberlain. And the chamberlain nods again to the chef.
You probably didn't see it, but I used to be the type of person who would grab someone's pocket like a ghost.
“I, Your Highness the Princess...”
The chef carefully called me over, clutching his hat.
“Oh, oh, this may be presumptuous of me to ask, but I think you should add some, some salt and some, some, some pepper.”
He was shaking so much that I was starting to get nervous. Come to think of it, I forgot to check his liver.
The chef wiggled his hands as if he wanted to do it himself, but this was something that really had to be done from start to finish.
I added salt and pepper and let the soup simmer a little longer. While I was looking back, I noticed that they had added a few spices, but I pretended not to notice.
“It’s all done.”
As I stepped aside, the chef timidly scooped up a ladleful. If Olga had seen it, she would have snorted, saying that it wouldn't even reach the chick's stomach.
After all, whether in the palace or the Duke's mansion, food is served in small portions like this. It seems like wasting plates is an elegant custom among them.
Finally, I put the parsley on top, covered it with a silver lid, and placed it on the trolley.
“Then I will serve this soup to you on the breakfast table.”
As I shook the water off my hands, the attendant spoke quickly. His expression seemed to be urging me to step aside.
“I want to clarify the truth myself.”
I answered shamelessly, pretending not to know. If I had just finished presenting it to the Emperor, I would have asked the chef to make it from the beginning.
After all this, you can't send me back in just five minutes. I smiled triumphantly.
“Please guide me to His Majesty.”
The people of the palace were somewhat bewildered by the unprecedented situation, but they could not stop me until the end.
It was a granddaughter who had been missing for a long time, looking for her grandfather. I even cooked for him .yself. There couldn't be a more sentimental reason to meet the Emperor.
Even if the gossip and speculation among the courtiers were uncomfortable, the Emperor would have no choice but to face me at least while he finished eating the soup. That's why I turned the entire palace and kitchen upside down.
That damn excuse, excuse. It used to be so annoying, but it was really useful and good when I used it.
Since everyone was terrified at the idea of pushing the trolley myself and tried to stop me, I waited quietly in the lunch room of the villa with a few maids and servants.
Soon, the kitchen servant came pushing a trolley and began setting the table.
It is said that the Emperor's life remained constant even while he was living in seclusion in the villa. He would cough at nine o'clock, have his first meal at ten o'clock, and then from twelve o'clock onwards, he would receive reports on the morning meeting from the Duke of Kairak.
In other words, I had exactly two hours left.
“Your Majesty the Emperor.”
At the words of the chief chamberlain, I stood up from my chair. As usual, he was dressed simply but neatly. If I had seen him on the street instead of in this palace, I would have been hard-pressed to think of him as an Emperor.
“I don’t know what the Duke taught the Princess.”
As soon as he sat down in the chair opposite, the Emperor spoke, his discomfort clearly evident.
“Who taught you to come and wait without permission from your master?”
I asked back, pretending to be innocent.
“Is it against the law to ask after your well-being every day as a granddaughter? I don’t know.”
“...How reckless. Just look at the way you’re responding back.”
Although he immediately criticized me, the Emperor's mood did not seem to be as bad as he said. In fact, his attitude seemed to have softened somewhat compared to when I first froze.
I sat back down in the chair opposite him because he motioned for me to sit down.
“You cooked it yourself.”
“Chicken soup, Your Majesty. It’s what I do best.”
“I’ve never heard of or seen food like this.”
It was a remark that seemed dismissive, but I nodded. How many people would be able to cook a soup that didn't contain any precious ingredients and present it to the Emperor?
Besides, the chicken soup was Olga's recipe. Something only back-alley pickpockets would eat.
“This is the soup I ate the most as a child.”
“...”
The Emperor looked at me for a long time, then waved his hand and sent the servants out. Then the door closed, and we were left alone in the lunchroom.
It was a bit strange to put the Emperor and me in the category of 'we', but anyway, it was the same situation as a few days ago. The difference was that I didn't choose it then, and now I came on my own feet.
“It’s quite large, isn’t it? There are a total of 230 cooking stations, and the upper floor is used as a living space for the chefs.”
I gaped. I wondered if even if all the nobles of the main office were gathered together, they would be able to fill a palace as big as that.
“How many people are working in total?”
“There must be about seven hundred now.”
Chi, chi, chi, seven hundred people. That's almost like everyone living in one district of the capital was working here.
“Are there really that many?”
“It is said that during His Majesty the Emperor’s time, there were over a thousand people. However, since His Majesty has not held a banquet in the past ten years, the number has gradually decreased.”
I stuck out my tongue and entered the door that the attendant had opened for me.
As splendid as it looked from the outside, the hallway to the kitchen—if this palace could be called a kitchen—was identical to the other palaces in its marble floors and rich tapestries. The only difference was that the people passing by were servants and maids.
I stood there with my shoulders drooping in bewilderment in front of the numerous doors.
“Shall I call the chef?”
“No... Do you have a small kitchen that I can just use?”
The attendant gave me his usual incomprehensible look, but without saying a word, he guided me along the way.
As I opened the large wooden door, a blast of hot air rushed in. The kitchen maids and servants hurriedly bowed their heads as they saw me coming in in a dress that didn't suit me.
"Your Highness."
“Hello, Your Highness the Princess.”
“Look at the things.”
It felt like an intruder had suddenly barged into their busy workplace. And that was exactly what happened.
What I wanted was a small kitchen, but the place the attendant led me to seemed to be the largest and most luxurious in this kitchen. The white marble kitchen, floor, and even the ceiling with frescoes... At this rate, gold might come out as an ingredient.
I clicked my tongue and picked up a random glass bottle from the shelf, then put it back down quietly. Seriously, there was gold in it.
I stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do in this splendid place, and then I made up my mind. That is, to ask a trustworthy maid to do it.
"Lisa."
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I’m going to make chicken soup. Can you help me prepare the ingredients?”
“...Chicken soup?”
Lisa asked back as if she had misheard. Yes, the subject matter of the dish was rather simple. It was quite difficult to make in a kitchen that was gilded from start to finish.
As I approached the fire, Lisa spoke urgently.
“Your Highness. If you tell me how to make it, I will make it for you. Take care of yourself.”
“No. I have to do it.”
I'm going to give it to the Emperor. I swallowed my words and picked out some cooking utensils that looked familiar.
Lisa came in with ingredients and spices in a flash. Some of the spices I knew—the ones I used were dried, of course. These tasted fresh, as if they had just been picked from the garden—but some were completely new to me.
“Hands, be careful. Let me handle the fire.”
As I continued to prepare stubbornly, Lisa couldn't stop me and whispered timidly.
I know you're worried that I might get hurt, but it was meaningful for me to do this from start to finish. That way, the story would spread as loudly as possible.
It's not a big enough mistake to make people say that you don't know manners, but it's enough to express your feelings for your grandfather that you got back, and it's innocent enough to seem cute.
That's why I chose chicken soup. It was a dish that the common people could easily relate to when reading an article in the newspaper.
Damn, when this all ends, I wonder if I'll end up immigrating to a neighboring country and become an actor.
I shook my head to chase away the pointless thoughts and focused on making the soup.
All the ingredients Lisa brought were washed clean and peeled. Carrots, onions, parsley, cream, flour...
There are many. The chicken soup I used to make with Olga only had potatoes and chicken. If I was lucky, sometimes a handful of parsley.
After much thought, I decided to leave out the cream. It was an ingredient I had never used before and I was afraid I could ruin it if I made a mistake.
Instead, I put a lot of potatoes, carrots, onions, and chicken in the pot. I also used some of the broth that the chef had made.
The chief chamberlain, who had noticed my plan to present it to the Emperor, stood guard from behind from beginning to end. It seemed as if he was watching me to see if I would put any poison in it.
At first, the smell was good. I took a spoonful of the soup that was already cooked and tasted it. It had been quite some time since it was last made, and it tasted like that. Of course, it was thicker and had a more luxurious taste because more ingredients were used.
“..Are you going out like that?”
Lisa asked me with a look of 'no way'. When I nodded, she bit her lip slightly and asked me again.
“Is that something you wish to present to His Majesty...”
"That's right."
Lisa took a deep breath as she gave a short affirmation. I saw her nod urgently to the chamberlain. And the chamberlain nods again to the chef.
You probably didn't see it, but I used to be the type of person who would grab someone's pocket like a ghost.
“I, Your Highness the Princess...”
The chef carefully called me over, clutching his hat.
“Oh, oh, this may be presumptuous of me to ask, but I think you should add some, some salt and some, some, some pepper.”
He was shaking so much that I was starting to get nervous. Come to think of it, I forgot to check his liver.
The chef wiggled his hands as if he wanted to do it himself, but this was something that really had to be done from start to finish.
I added salt and pepper and let the soup simmer a little longer. While I was looking back, I noticed that they had added a few spices, but I pretended not to notice.
“It’s all done.”
As I stepped aside, the chef timidly scooped up a ladleful. If Olga had seen it, she would have snorted, saying that it wouldn't even reach the chick's stomach.
After all, whether in the palace or the Duke's mansion, food is served in small portions like this. It seems like wasting plates is an elegant custom among them.
Finally, I put the parsley on top, covered it with a silver lid, and placed it on the trolley.
“Then I will serve this soup to you on the breakfast table.”
As I shook the water off my hands, the attendant spoke quickly. His expression seemed to be urging me to step aside.
“I want to clarify the truth myself.”
I answered shamelessly, pretending not to know. If I had just finished presenting it to the Emperor, I would have asked the chef to make it from the beginning.
After all this, you can't send me back in just five minutes. I smiled triumphantly.
“Please guide me to His Majesty.”
***
The people of the palace were somewhat bewildered by the unprecedented situation, but they could not stop me until the end.
It was a granddaughter who had been missing for a long time, looking for her grandfather. I even cooked for him .yself. There couldn't be a more sentimental reason to meet the Emperor.
Even if the gossip and speculation among the courtiers were uncomfortable, the Emperor would have no choice but to face me at least while he finished eating the soup. That's why I turned the entire palace and kitchen upside down.
That damn excuse, excuse. It used to be so annoying, but it was really useful and good when I used it.
Since everyone was terrified at the idea of pushing the trolley myself and tried to stop me, I waited quietly in the lunch room of the villa with a few maids and servants.
Soon, the kitchen servant came pushing a trolley and began setting the table.
It is said that the Emperor's life remained constant even while he was living in seclusion in the villa. He would cough at nine o'clock, have his first meal at ten o'clock, and then from twelve o'clock onwards, he would receive reports on the morning meeting from the Duke of Kairak.
In other words, I had exactly two hours left.
“Your Majesty the Emperor.”
At the words of the chief chamberlain, I stood up from my chair. As usual, he was dressed simply but neatly. If I had seen him on the street instead of in this palace, I would have been hard-pressed to think of him as an Emperor.
“I don’t know what the Duke taught the Princess.”
As soon as he sat down in the chair opposite, the Emperor spoke, his discomfort clearly evident.
“Who taught you to come and wait without permission from your master?”
I asked back, pretending to be innocent.
“Is it against the law to ask after your well-being every day as a granddaughter? I don’t know.”
“...How reckless. Just look at the way you’re responding back.”
Although he immediately criticized me, the Emperor's mood did not seem to be as bad as he said. In fact, his attitude seemed to have softened somewhat compared to when I first froze.
I sat back down in the chair opposite him because he motioned for me to sit down.
“You cooked it yourself.”
“Chicken soup, Your Majesty. It’s what I do best.”
“I’ve never heard of or seen food like this.”
It was a remark that seemed dismissive, but I nodded. How many people would be able to cook a soup that didn't contain any precious ingredients and present it to the Emperor?
Besides, the chicken soup was Olga's recipe. Something only back-alley pickpockets would eat.
“This is the soup I ate the most as a child.”
“...”
The Emperor looked at me for a long time, then waved his hand and sent the servants out. Then the door closed, and we were left alone in the lunchroom.
It was a bit strange to put the Emperor and me in the category of 'we', but anyway, it was the same situation as a few days ago. The difference was that I didn't choose it then, and now I came on my own feet.
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