Chapter 02
‘Ah, there is exactly one crazy person who would do something like this.’
A sense of unease slowly crept up on me.
Now that I looked closer, the man—though it was hard to see in the dark—had a very handsome face.
I frowned.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see his features more clearly.
A sharp, straight nose, a well-shaped forehead, slightly messy black hair, and glowing golden eyes…
‘…!’
I let out a small scream.
That was because I finally realized who he was.
The 2nd Prince of the Empire, Kailos Oberon.
The final hidden mastermind of this story!
“Do I look that frightening to you?”
Kailos frowned slightly.
I quickly shook my head.
There was nothing to gain from upsetting this man.
“N-no, not at all! You’re very handsome. I was just surprised, Your Highness, Prince Kailos.”
“…Kailos?”
Oops.
I had bitten my tongue verbally.
“You know who I am? This is the first time I’ve seen you, lady.”
Kailos rarely attended balls because he was often on the battlefield.
Of course, he would have never met Adelaide Sitten before.
“I-I do know you! I saw you on posters…”
Posters of the imperial princes were sold illegally among civilians because of their handsome looks and were very popular.
Technically illegal, but the imperial family mostly ignored it because it helped their image.
Kailos shook his head slightly.
“So you’re one of those foolish young ladies who collects such things… though it seems they were not completely useless.”
“Yes, yes. I was foolish and shallow.”
I swallowed nervously.
How could I not recognize him?
The final mastermind of the story.
I had thought he was just a cold, handsome side character, but readers had been furious when they found out he was the villain behind everything.
There were so many angry reviews that I hadn’t even finished reading the later chapters—and yet I still knew he was the hidden villain.
“Good. Then I don’t need to explain further.”
Kailos, who had dropped formal speech entirely, smiled brightly.
The book described him as a handsome but gloomy man, but in reality, he was a shockingly refreshing type of beauty.
“I will hire you as my chef.”
“I am just a humble street candy seller, Your Highness.”
I politely refused.
Becoming the prince’s chef after being a street vendor? My instincts screamed danger more than opportunity.
There was no mention anywhere that Adelaide Sitten was skilled at cooking.
So Kailos must have kidnapped me just because of my dalgona skills.
Everything about this situation was suspicious.
‘And why would a prince personally look for a chef?’
If he needed one, he could just send aides or servants.
Why come himself?
As I was thinking this, Kailos tilted his head.
“Dalgona?”
One eyebrow slowly rose.
“That’s what it’s called?”
“…?”
I blinked.
Of course it’s called dalgona. What else would it be called?
“So it has a name. That means it already existed.”
His golden eyes narrowed slightly, as if analyzing how much I knew.
That was when I realized I had made a mistake.
“Th-that… I just made up the name! It’s a unique candy in the world—dalgona!”
At this point, I didn’t even know what I was saying.
“….”
I expected sarcasm or ridicule, but instead there was silence.
Kailos frowned slightly, thinking deeply about something.
I carefully observed him.
‘Good thing I read all the spoilers.’
Kailos Oberon was the younger brother of the male lead, the crown prince.
After the emperor, who suffered from an incurable illness, died, Kailos’s life became precarious.
The male lead was not the kind, righteous type.
He was the typical tyrant who was only gentle to the woman he loved and ruthless to everyone else.
Even his own brother, Kailos, was no exception.
As soon as he ascended the throne, he framed Kailos and exiled him outside the empire.
Not killing him was considered mercy for family.
After that, as expected, Kailos was believed to have fallen completely.
But he returned later, fully twisted into darkness.
He began committing atrocities, starting with killing the male lead’s trusted subordinate.
I remembered all the reviews calling him a “madman with no respect for human life.”
‘Stay low. Absolutely stay low.’
Finally, Kailos spoke.
“So you are saying you personally created this… dalgona?”
“Yes.”
I nodded quickly.
“Understood.”
All emotion vanished from Kailos’s face in an instant.
Like he was wearing a mask.
He stepped back and ordered his subordinates:
“Take the Count’s daughter to the kitchen.”
“…?”
Excuse me? Kitchen?
Kailos looked at me coldly.
“If you claim you are so skilled, then show me.”
“D-dalgona, you mean?”
“Yes.”
That was the end of it.
I was escorted down a long hallway.
At least it was a polite escort this time.
Kailos walked a few steps ahead, clearly not intending to leave.
Eventually, we arrived.
A vast kitchen spread before my eyes.
Yes. Vast.
“…!”
My eyes widened.
It had been a long time since I saw a kitchen this large.
If I hadn’t worked in hotels before, I might have been overwhelmed.
And the chefs lined up and greeting me.
I took a deep breath.
‘Does he even know what dalgona is?’
But I couldn’t say that out loud.
I remembered he was the kind of person who might explode someone’s head just because he was bored.
So I spoke carefully.
“Everyone, please leave the kitchen.”
“But—!”
One chef began to protest.
“Do as the lady says.”
Fortunately, Kailos supported me.
The chefs glared at me and left reluctantly.
Now only Kailos and I remained.
I felt nervous sweat forming.
The most dangerous person was still here.
“Your Highness, making dalgona is a trade secret. It’s difficult to make it while being watched.”
“Trade secret?”
Kailos repeated the words with interest.
“Yes. If the method is revealed, anyone could make it, and my business would collapse.”
He didn’t seem displeased.
He nodded slightly, as if accepting it.
Gathering courage, I added:
“If you want the recipe, you will need to pay separately from the dalgona.”
That was my real goal.
I wasn’t planning to make dalgona forever, so I didn’t mind if the recipe spread.
But making profit was basic business sense.
Even if the other party was a ruthless hidden mastermind.
“Pfft!”
Unexpectedly, Kailos laughed.
Not angry. Not serious.
Just amused.
I blinked.
“I’m not interested in your recipe. In fact, I don’t know anything about cooking, so even if I saw it, I wouldn’t be able to leak it. And more importantly…”
His golden eyes sharpened.
“You might poison it, so I need to watch you.”
I was stunned.
Poison? I didn’t even have time to prepare anything like that.
“Why would I poison it?”
“It’s better to be careful.”
He said it as if it were obvious truth.
“I have many enemies. I can’t be fully certain you’re not one of them.”
“…So you’re saying you’ll monitor me?”
“Yes.”
He shrugged.
“But if you insist, I’ll pay for the recipe. How much?”
For a moment, I was irritated—but then my mouth opened.
How much?
As much as possible!
I quickly calculated.
But asking too much might backfire.
So I decided on an amount that would cover about a year of living expenses.
“One million penta…”
Before I could finish, he spoke.
“I’ll give ten times that.”
I froze.
Ten million penta?!
Even if not in the capital, that was enough to open a small shop in a city.
My irritation melted instantly.
“How many batches do you need?”
“Just one.”
I rolled up my sleeves immediately.
It was time to make the best dalgona of my life.
