Chapter 14
Soon, vegetables and fruits were neatly placed on the table.
Kyria pointed at the purple bruises on the vegetables.
“Are these purple spots signs of magic contamination?”
“Yes. These were rare ingredients brought from the South for the young master….”
Rohannen cut in with a curious look.
“Kyria, what do you plan to do with them?”
Instead of answering, Kyria just smiled.
In the North, the book From Cradle to Grave was not sold. Which meant nobody knew the name “Medeia.”
‘Perfect. Then I don’t need to hold back!’
For once, she could openly use poisonous herbs without fear. That thought made her excited.
She said brightly:
“First, please boil some water.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
A servant quickly set a big pot over the fire.
Kyria took out dried Pagail berries and a bundle of Horsetail weed from her bag and chopped them. Horsetail weed caused decay, and Pagail berries pushed away other poisons.
‘Poison fights poison,’ she thought.
She boiled them until the water turned yellow, then poured the hot liquid into cold water holding the ingredients.
Something amazing happened—
The purple stains on the vegetables began to fade out!
“Woooah!” the servants gasped.
“The magic is disappearing!”
Even Rohannen’s eyes widened.
Head cook Alma quickly pulled out an onion, rinsed it, and cut it open. Inside, it was white and fresh.
“Looks like it was just harvested!” she said.
She tasted it—crispy and clean. Soon, everyone rushed to taste the other vegetables and fruits. Their eyes popped wide open in surprise.
“It really works! Incredible!”
“With this, the lord can finally eat good food again!”
Alma nodded firmly.
“Then we’ll make better food. Throw away that chicken from before.”
“What?!”
The servants were shocked—Alma hated wasting food. Even Kyria panicked.
“W-wait! You’re going to throw all that away?”
There were six untouched fried chickens still on the table. What a waste!
Alma sighed.
“I don’t want to, but they can’t be reused.”
‘Wait… sauce!’ Kyria suddenly had an idea.
“If it’s okay, can I use the kitchen for a moment?”
“…You have more to try? Well, fine.”
“It’s nothing big. Just a snack I used to make for my brother.”
She pulled out Reberry fruits—spicy berries with mild poison. She had once discovered they worked like chili peppers.
‘If I mix them with carrots, I can make a sauce like chili paste. Add sesame oil, syrup, tomato, and garlic… simmer it down….’
It was a shortcut version, but the key flavor was there. Soon, a shiny red sauce coated the fried chicken.
Everyone stared at it, confused.
“Try it. It’s not bad,” Kyria encouraged.
The servants hesitated, then took a bite. Chew, chew…
Their eyes flew wide open.
“Mmm!!”
Alma froze for a moment, then quickly took another bite. She gasped.
“It’s delicious! Sweet, spicy, so different but so good! Did you invent this sauce, Kyria?”
Kyria scratched her cheek.
“Um… the source is a secret.”
“Ah, I see!” Alma’s eyes sparkled with respect, as if Kyria were some hidden master.
Rohannen burst out:
“With this flavor, the duke will definitely eat! To think that dull food could transform like this… oh—sorry, Alma.”
“Hmph,” Alma muttered, but she didn’t look angry.
“I saw your skill with my own eyes. I can’t brag now. I’d love to see you make the sauce again.”
“Of course,” Kyria nodded. “Then our deal is set, right?”
“Deal…” Alma agreed, though her eyes narrowed.
“But wait… the herbs you used… weren’t they poisonous?”
“…You noticed?”
“So the water that cleansed the food, and the sauce—you made them both with poisonous herbs?”
“…Yes.”
Kyria braced herself, expecting anger or accusations of being a witch.
But instead—
“Amazing!!”
“Unbelievable!”
“Truly wonderful!”
Everyone shouted in excitement.
“…Huh?” Kyria blinked.
They crowded together, whispering in awe.
“Those useless weeds were actually the key to purifying food!”
“Reberry fruit turned into something so tasty!”
Kyria stammered.
“W-wait… aren’t you worried? These are poisonous herbs!”
Alma shrugged.
“They’re fine now, aren’t they?”
“That’s exactly why it’s so amazing,” Rohannen said seriously, pushing his glasses up. His eyes gleamed.
“In the North, poisonous herbs are everywhere, and removing them is such a pain. But now, you’ve shown we can use poison to fight poison! This is priceless.”
“Yes, but to make it safe for everyone, I’d need to test doses and do more research…”
“That’s no problem,” Rohannen interrupted. “I believe you can handle it.”
“…Why do you trust me so much?” Kyria muttered, puzzled.
But he only smiled faintly.
“No issue. Let’s finish this deal. Right, Alma?”
“Of course,” Alma agreed.
Rohannen turned back to Kyria.
“Then tell us—what is your price? I will swear on the god’s name to make it happen.”
Finally!
This was the moment Kyria had aimed for. That was why she’d shown them the detox method and the sauce.
Her eyes shone as she declared:
“What I want… is this place.”
“WHAT?!” Alma jumped up.
“You mean… the whole castle?! What a bold demand!”
“N-no!!” Kyria waved her hands.
“I just want to borrow the kitchen.”
“…What?”
She quickly explained how demons had wrecked her room’s furniture, leaving her with no safe place to work.
“So please let me use this kitchen for one week, freely.”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
“…Not money?”
“Of course I need money too, but I won’t make it like this.”
Kyria smirked inwardly. Better to raise them first, then catch them later.
But the others misunderstood completely.
‘Such kindness! She only asks for the kitchen instead of riches!’
Rohannen prayed, moved to tears.
‘Pretty, talented, and pure-hearted. What an angel.’
Alma’s eyes glittered with admiration.
‘Such a rare gem of a girl.’
The servants sniffled.
‘She’s too precious!’
From that moment, Kyria was no longer seen as just a guest who would soon leave—
She became a talent they must never let go of.
