Chapter 06
I was so surprised by the unexpected apology that I almost messed up while preparing the chicken.
“Is it really that surprising?”
Kailos looked slightly flustered.
“It’s not common for His Highness the Prince to apologize to a mere cook.”
“I’m not an ordinary prince.”
I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the self-awareness in his words.
“Yes, of course. You’re a very great Highness.”
It was just flattery to match his mood, but his reaction was unexpected.
Kailos shook his head.
“You seem to have misunderstood me.”
I blinked.
His voice had a strangely heavy tone.
“I also… don’t have any friends. Chef Heidi.”
It wasn’t particularly surprising.
In the novel, I had never seen any mention of Kailos having friends.
He was often described as a gloomy prince, overshadowed by the shining Crown Prince and living in isolation.
“So that means I—because of my father…”
Kailos seemed to think he had said too much and stopped speaking.
But it was already too late.
I had already realized what he meant.
‘He’s not just saying he has no friends in the sense of not having companions.’
What Kailos meant was that, within this entire imperial palace, there was no one who could be considered on his side.
Not a single person.
Except the Emperor.
Even the Emperor likely didn’t favor Kailos over the Crown Prince or intend to make him heir.
At most, it was the affection a normal parent might have for a second son.
But for Kailos, it was a matter tied directly to his life and survival.
“……”
I moistened my dry lips. Knowing the future felt more complicated than I expected.
The Emperor would die, and Kailos would fall into darkness, plunging the entire empire into civil war.
Even if he had no allies now, it would be easy for him to gather forces who resented the Crown Prince.
Honestly, when I only read spoilers, I couldn’t understand why Kailos would go that far.
Even if he was falsely accused and expelled from the empire, he was still a prince.
He had enough secret funds to live quietly under a false identity.
But seeing Kailos now…
‘I understand why.’
I spoke impulsively.
“I will do my best to help His Majesty recover.”
In any case, it was also in my interest for the Emperor to live longer.
If the Emperor died, I would lose my position as his personal chef.
Moreover, I had already fallen out of favor with the Crown Prince, the male lead.
If he became Emperor, I would likely not be allowed anywhere near the palace.
Of course, I planned to step down if the Emperor’s condition worsened—but it was best if it didn’t worsen in the first place.
Kailos scoffed.
“You, who aren’t even a doctor, what can you possibly do?”
But his gaze toward the boiling pot looked far more desperate than his words suggested.
Noticing that it was time, I checked the broth.
‘Perfect.’
The stock made by boiling chicken feet with various vegetables released a rich, appetizing aroma.
I had been careful not to overboil it, so it wasn’t too thick.
Now I just needed to place the pre-prepared young chicken stuffed with soaked glutinous rice and chestnuts into the broth, then simmer it once more.
Of course, another method would be to make the broth directly with the whole young chicken.
But making a separate chicken-feet stock gave a much deeper flavor. That was simply a fact.
Since I was focused on cooking, Kailos no longer spoke to me.
I quietly appreciated that and stuffed the soaked rice into the young chicken.
Contrary to my worry that rice would be hard to find, some regions of the empire actually cultivated it.
While people didn’t eat rice as a staple, rice pudding similar to tarakjuk was quite popular throughout the empire, so production was not low.
Now it only needed one final boil to be complete.
I smiled brightly and turned to Kailos.
But instead of returning the smile, he looked away, startled.
Feeling awkward, I turned my attention back to the pot.
‘Ah… right. I was the villainess.’
I could understand why Kailos reacted that way.
Even I had been surprised when I first saw Adelaide’s appearance.
I had not looked in a mirror for so long that I had forgotten what she looked like.
Adelaide was a classic villainess with water-blue hair and golden eyes, giving off a cold, sharp beauty.
I had never once smiled in front of a mirror, so I couldn’t know exactly what she looked like, but she must have been cold and cruel.
Enough to make even the future mastermind flinch and look away.
In the end, I said nothing.
Kailos didn’t speak either, and only the pot continued to simmer in silence.
After a while, the time finally came to break the silence.
“It’s done.”
I lifted the lid.
At last, the completed samgyetang revealed its milky, rich appearance.
All my restless feelings vanished in an instant.
I transferred the Emperor’s samgyetang into an expensive bowl and prepared salt and pepper for dipping the meat.
Then someone knocked on the door three times.
It was the signal that the food taster had arrived.
I sighed.
It felt unpleasant that a stranger had to taste this dish first.
Kailos looked at me.
“If you don’t want to, I can do the inspection instead.”
I shook my head.
“I’ll do it.”
I had already been tasting it while cooking to ensure there was no poison, and I was also curious about how good it had turned out.
Cooking samgyetang in a kitchen without modern conveniences like gas or electricity had been a challenge for me.
I quietly tore off a thick piece from the side.
‘…!’
The fatigue vanished instantly.
Tender, soft chicken.
Deep, rich broth full of umami.
And a subtle hint of ginseng that was not overpowering.
I wanted to keep eating, but my role was only to taste it.
Besides, there was still a bowl prepared just for me.
Well… maybe I could at least give a chicken leg to the handsome prince who kidnapped me out of supposed filial devotion.
Swallowing my regret, I finished plating and placed the bowl on the tray brought in by the servant and food taster.
It was time to see whether the Emperor, who had barely eaten anything for a month except one dalgona, would accept this meal.
* * *
“…A new dish.”
The Emperor of the Empire, Jabez Obern, sat up without any expectation.
This strange illness he had suffered for a year had drained all desire for life from him.
Appetite was one of the things he had lost.
He thought he might be able to eat that candy that looked like the one Selene used to make, but even that was limited to one piece a day.
Soon, a servant skillfully placed the dish before him.
At that moment.
The Emperor instinctively knew.
Today was different.
‘What… is this?’
He stared at the bowl as if momentarily dazed.
A thick soup giving off steam revealed a pale chicken inside.
The explanation Heidi had given—how the meat could be torn with a fork and the rice eaten with a spoon—only brushed past his ears.
He wanted to eat it.
For the first time in a long while, he felt that desire.
He picked up the fork, tore the meat apart, and dipped it into the seasoning of salt and pepper.
‘How can it be this tender?’
The moist chicken, soaked in broth, melted the moment it entered his mouth, leaving only a soft aftertaste.
He lifted the spoon and tried the rich soup surrounding the chicken.
‘…!’
A subtle medicinal aroma lingered, yet it was not unpleasant.
Rather, the mild ginseng scent seemed to balance the richness of the chicken broth.
‘Was there such food?’
And that wasn’t all.
Inside the soft chicken, he discovered something unexpected.
Rice cooked together with chestnuts.
