novelraw Chapter 177: Childhood Friends - Cooking
Chapter 177: Childhood Friends - Cooking
177: Childhood Friends - Cooking
*[Achievement: Gangster '273' - You become stronger when dealing with gangsters. min(10)]*
Rev, covered in blood, sheathed his sword. Leaving the bodies of the gangsters they couldn’t escape among the fallen leaves on the mountainside, he went to find Leo.
“How did it go on your side?”
“Sorry, a few got away.”
Rev nodded. With four hundred gangsters to deal with, it was impossible for just the two of them to kill them all in one go. He didn’t blame Leo for this.
But while it was challenging to kill them all at once, it wasn’t impossible. Retracing their steps over the corpse-laden mountain path, the two young men mounted their horses to chase down the gangsters who had fled.
Using {Tracking}, they pursued and eventually killed every last one of them.
“Phew.”
After three days of fighting, it was finally over. Rev and Leo had ambushed the Teovic Family’s weapon caravan, and their spoils lay before them.Dozens of carriages loaded with weapons and armor. The two young men had had an exhausting few days and were slightly injured, but there was no time to rest. They began to gather the scattered carriages.
The horses tied to the carriages had wandered, unable to withstand hunger, pulling the carriages haphazardly.
There was no way the two of them could move all the carriages at once. Rev and Leo fed the horses and drove the carriages two at a time to the nearest village.
Showing the village chief the emblem of the royal guard, they asked him to watch over the carriages for a few days.
They left a few swords as payment, knowing the villagers would likely help themselves to a few more weapons, but that didn’t matter.
The world worked that way—corruption and makeshift solutions were par for the course, so such minor losses were acceptable.
Soon, Marquis Harvey Guidan would arrive. With the weapons needed to arm the barbarians secured, Rev and Leo turned their horses toward the Guidan estate.
If necessary, they planned to use the last bead on the {Barbatos Bracelet}. Hopefully, the Marquis would help them just for awakening his wife.
“Rev, are you alright?”
“Yeah. I got hit a few times, but the wounds aren’t serious.”
“Let me see.”
They paused to eat, and while Rev cooked, Leo inspected his wounds.
Rev had a severe wound on his back. Despite tightly bandaging it to stop the bleeding, blood still seeped from the thumb-width gash.
They would go to the church for treatment as soon as they arrived at the estate, but Leo applied crushed herbs to his back. Though Rev had displayed remarkable martial prowess, facing four hundred gangsters was still a significant strain.
If they hadn’t fled and fought to the last, things would have been much more difficult. Without the boosted swordsmanship skills from the scenario reward, {Swordsmanship 5v: Forte Style}, to dominate the fight, it would have been a dire situation.
“OuChapter That hurts.”
“Bear with it.”
Leo soothed him maturely, but Rev looked back with an incredulous expression.
“No, I mean, I can bear it, but you’re shoving herbs into the wound.”
That lack of skill.
Leo apologized, “Sorry, I’ll be more gentle,” and tried to apply the herbs more carefully. When he offered to re-bandage the wound, Rev refused, saying, “I’ll do it myself.” Leo awkwardly handed him the bowl.
Better just eat.
But when he looked up, Rev was staring blankly southward instead of eating.
“What’s wrong?”
“...Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. I’ll find out in the next round anyway.”
“...”
Rev stayed silent for a while, still gazing south before finally speaking.
“Lena is nearby.”
“...”
I shouldn’t have asked. Using {Tracking}, Leo sensed that Lena was moving rapidly, quite close, probably in a carriage.
Leo debated what to say but decided against it. Even if they shared memories, it wasn’t his place to interfere, and this round’s protagonist was Rev, not him.
Whether to rush to Lena, likely heading toward the capital’s church, was Rev’s choice. I’m just a helper...
Leo waited for Rev to gather his thoughts. After a long wait by the fire in the cold weather, Rev sighed and turned his head.
“...Let’s go.”
*
“Who are you?”
As soon as they returned to the Guidan estate, Leo and Rev were confronted by the Marchioness. Her abrupt question made Leo glance around before answering.
“I told you before, I am Leo de Yeriel.”
“I’m not asking for your name. I want to know if you’re truly a prince. Answer honestly. I won’t cast you out even if you aren’t.”
“I have never lied to you. However, I don’t have many ways to prove it.”
Leo took off his necklace. It was the only possession identifying him as Prince Leo—a white pendant with three raised water droplets and engraved letters.
The Marchioness examined the necklace but didn’t recognize the symbol.
“I’m sorry, but this doesn’t tell me anything. Do you have anything else?”
“That’s the only proof of my identity I have.”
The Marchioness frowned, and Leo continued.
“I understand your concern. You’re worried we might be frauds. But my sister and I were expelled from the palace when we were barely five or six years old. If we had more evidence, it would be more suspicious.”
“I don’t think you’re frauds.”
The Marchioness thought of the innocent girl who knew nothing of etiquette. It would be difficult for someone to deceive her with such an ignorant girl in tow. Moreover, with looks like theirs, they could find many easier ways to get by than pretending to be royalty.
“I just don’t understand why your manners are so excellent while the princess is so clumsy.”
“...Rev, give me the badge.”
Leo handed over the royal guard’s badge with the name “Noel” from the Kingdom of Bellita.
“I was reluctant to reveal this shameful past. I served as a royal guard in the Kingdom of Bellita. That’s why my manners are decent. And there, some... incidents occurred.”
Leo recounted a moderately altered version of the truth.
He explained that he worked as a royal guard while his sister stayed in the theater, and Princess Chloe de Tatian suddenly kissed him, forcing him to flee in fear of his identity being discovered.
Apart from the purpose and duration, it was almost entirely true.
*[Achievement: Met Athon de Lognum - Gained slight favor from all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Gained slight favor from Athon de Lognum.]*
*[Achievement: Met Elzeor de Lognum - Gained slight favor from all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Gained slight favor from Elzeor de Lognum.]*
The Marchioness listened to Leo’s story.
It was somewhat believable and could be verified, so she let the two young men go for now.
Then she called for the steward.
“I need you to look into something. Contact the Marchioness of Tatian in the Kingdom of Bellita.”
“I’m sorry, but the Marchioness of Tatian passed away three years ago.”
“Oh? What happened?”
The steward shrugged politely.
“I don’t know the details. I only heard she died from physical and mental exhaustion.”
“...I see. Then,”
Who else could she ask?
Sierra Guidan recalled the ladies she had met during her travels to the Kingdom of Bellita in the past.
Soon, she remembered the countess with curly black hair and striking black eyes.
"Please contact the Countess Peter. Send her my regards and inquire about Princess Chloe de Tatian. Ah, could you also escort the prince and his knight? They seem to be injured."
"Understood. I will head to the church right away."
*
"Ahh! Brother, why is there blood...!"
Lena ran over quickly. She had intended to change her clothes before going to find them, but her younger sister, who was in the yard with a maid, had spotted her.
"It's nothing. Just a bit of blood..."
"Not you, brother. You’re fine. Rev, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"Huh? No, it's just some blood splatter. I'm not hurt."
"..."
Unkindly, Lena passed by Leo. She clung to Rev, leaving Leo with a strange sense of loss.
'They say raising a daughter is pointless.'
"Lena. We need to change our clothes, so please step aside."
"No. You won’t even tell me where you’ve been. You always treat me like a child. Do you think I'm a kid?"
But you are a kid...
That was the common thought of both Rev and Leo.
In their eyes, Lena was still a child. She hadn't yet come of age and was someone they had to protect.
In fact, Rev was also not yet of age, but for some reason, their younger sister Lena always seemed even younger to him.
"So, are you going to follow us while we change? Go on, shoo. Want some candy?"
"Who do you think you are?!"
Lena’s cheeks puffed up in anger as she glared at him... but despite her words, she accepted the candy. She had always had a weakness for sweets.
Munch, munch.
Rolling the sweet candy in her mouth, Lena followed her brothers, determined to find out where they had been and why they were covered in blood.
At that moment, the marchioness approached from across the corridor. Accompanied by her steward, she respectfully greeted Leo.
"I rudely doubted you, Your Highness. Please forgive my discourtesy."
"No."
Leo responded.
"There was no discourtesy, so there is nothing to forgive. I am simply grateful you have received us."
"Your Highness is very gracious. Well... I don’t know what you’ve come to request, but please discuss any external affairs with my husband. I wish you the best outcome."
With a gentle smile, the marchioness curtsied gracefully. Then she extended her hand to the princess.
"Princess, could I have a moment of your time?"
"Oh... but right now..."
"Yes. We need to change our clothes, and it's convenient that someone is here to look after my sister. Thank you for your consideration."
Darn.
Lena couldn’t throw a tantrum amidst such polite exchanges. Unable to protest, she followed the marchioness, thinking they were simply going for tea, but the marchioness led her to the kitchen instead.
In the kitchen, the maids were bustling about, preparing dinner.
"Welcome."
The maids greeted the suddenly appearing marchioness, without a trace of discontent about a high-ranking noble entering their space.
On the contrary, they seemed genuinely delighted, which even puzzled Lena, who wasn’t familiar with the ways of the nobles.
"Princess Lena."
"Yes?"
"Do you like cooking?"
"If you mean eating..."
The marchioness smiled and removed her outer garment. Handing it to a nearby maid, she rolled up her sleeves and spoke.
"I love cooking. Seeing well-prepared ingredients makes me happy, and obtaining unique spices brings me joy."
Why is she telling me this? Lena looked at her with bewilderment.
"Cooking is like politics. The ingredients are the background, and the spices are the cards I play."
- Clang clang.
The marchioness tapped a pot, checking if its thickness was uniform, then instructed a maid to bring a small amount of water.
"No matter how good the ingredients are or how expensive the spices, a bad cook will only ruin them."
Lena nodded, recalling how her brother Leo had ruined the meat Rev had brought home.
Having successfully captured Lena’s interest, the marchioness placed the pot on the fire, adding just enough water to cover the chunks of potatoes she had cut and a pinch of salt to boil them.
While the potatoes were boiling, Lady Guidan ordered parsley roots to be brought. She put a pan on the fire and melted a piece of butter in it.
She took the boiled potatoes and sautéed them with the parsley roots.
"Politics cannot afford laziness. Season the base ingredients adequately,"
A chopping board arrived, and on it were pieces of meat that had been soaked in milk to remove any odor.
The marchioness touched them to check their condition, carefully avoiding dumping them all at once into the pan. Instead, she first added thinly sliced sweet potatoes to bring out the sweetness.
"Be mindful of the order. Sweet potatoes are more fragile than regular potatoes. If you prioritize baronets over counts for any reason, there will be repercussions. Sometimes it’s intentional, but choose wisely."
Then came the highlight: the meat.
The sizzling sound made Lena's mouth water, and the marchioness continued her speech.
"What do you think of the nobles? They are usually greedy. If there are only potatoes and sweet potatoes, they will not even look at them."
The simple dish was nearing completion. The golden-brown meat, well-seasoned potatoes, and delicious-looking sweet potatoes were served hot on a plate.
But it wasn’t over yet.
"Nonetheless, the justification is important."
Fresh vegetables added color to the plate. A spicy sauce to offset the greasy flavor was drizzled, with two more sauces in small bowls placed on the side for preference.
"Only with a pretext will the nobles move. They know it’s greasy, but pretend otherwise, masking it as something refined. That’s how you capture the hearts of nobles. Oh, and royalty too. How does it look? Does it look delicious?"
The marchioness presented the plate to the princess. Lena swallowed her saliva.
‘I need to teach this person a lesson. If she is to live as a princess in the future...’
That was her conclusion.
She wanted to help those who had awakened her, but the prince was already beyond her teaching. It wasn’t that he was particularly skilled, but he had his own way.
That’s why he had come this far.
But this pretty princess-
Was an empty plate, ready to be filled with anything.
Nom nom!
Lena ate the food the marchioness offered with relish. She had simply swallowed the candy her brother had given her.
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