HRNGDS 96

~Chapter 96~

Delphina said to Elcayan,

“Actually, it’s not that I want to open a restaurant myself.”

At that moment, Elcayan let out a sigh of relief.

“I heard many nobles were asking about the food I served at the succession ceremony. So, I thought it would be good to sell my dishes in the capital with a restaurant.”

“You once said you wanted to run a restaurant and serve food directly. May I ask why you’ve changed your mind?”

“I want to open a restaurant to help the finances of the North.”

Delphina’s eyes sparkled brightly. Elcayan could see just how serious she was about the North.

Of course, he knew she was happy about people eating her food. But the fact that she also wanted to help the North through it made Elcayan deeply grateful.

He wanted to help her with anything.

“Running a restaurant means you’ll need a manager.”

“Yes, and I also want to try other ideas. I’ll need people. I want to connect tourism with restaurant business.”

Elcayan looked at her with surprise. Mixing food business with tourism—it was an interesting idea.

“When I first came North, I was amazed by the unique scenery.”

“Yes, the North is beautiful. People say the snowy plains are unforgettable.”

“I didn’t want to be the only one to see it. If people come here, they’ll love the North.”

“……”

“And the best reason for people to visit would be the local food.”

Her ideas came from her past life in Korea. In Korea too, many people traveled just to try famous restaurants. Delphina planned to sell food in the capital, then tell people the original was from the North.

‘The North will be the first place to launch new menus.’

She thought of making dishes available only in the North too.

The more popular her food became in the capital, the more people would want to come North.

‘In Korea, one famous restaurant once boosted the whole local economy.’

That was how powerful good food could be. The nobles’ reactions at the succession ceremony had shown her the possibility.

“If the North stabilizes, it will also help tourism. I want people to come here to eat the food.”

Elcayan tapped the desk. He had tasted her fried chicken himself. He understood her idea very well.

He too had been shocked by her food the first time.

‘At the ceremony, the nobles were just as shocked by the new taste. They looked as dazed as I was when I first ate chicken.’

That was how powerful her food was.

“There was a scholar my father valued most. After Father’s death, he left to form a merchant group.”

“Do you think he is right for this job?”

“Not exactly him. His son, Issian, has great talent in trade.”

Elcayan hesitated.

“He is capable. But I cannot recommend him easily.”

Delphina tilted her head in curiosity.

‘If Elcayan himself brings it up, the man must be skilled. Then why hesitate?’

She asked,

“You have concerns, don’t you?”

“I trust you, Delphina. But Sir Joseph, my father’s scholar, always speaks his mind. If he thinks something won’t work, he won’t follow it, no matter the rank.”

“……”

“He even argued with my father many times for that reason. His son Issian is the same. Convincing them will be very difficult.”

Delphina smiled softly. That only made her trust them more.

“That’s good. It means I’ll have someone honest enough to tell me the truth. People like that are best for business.”

She added,

“All I need is to show Sir Joseph that this can succeed.”

Delphina had no doubts.

‘The Empire’s taste is like Korea’s. This will definitely succeed.’

She herself was proof.

“My recipes will succeed. If Joseph has a good eye, once he tastes my food, he’ll want to join right away.”

Her confidence made Elcayan stare at her as if spellbound.

“It won’t take much effort. We just need cooks. If there’s a recipe, cooking it won’t be hard.”

“……”

“The chicken and tteokbokki are unusual, but not luxury food. That’s why they’re easy to try and easy to love.”

“Food business with tourism… Yes, the timing is perfect. We can build a foundation now. But both require the monster forest to be cleared.”

“Do you mean it’s possible?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, it is possible.”

The North’s biggest problem was the monster waves that came every winter.

The Rohaim family always fought to suppress them, but never fully succeeded.

‘To clear the monster forest completely, knights must be stronger, and at least one Swordmaster is needed.’

Quality mattered more than numbers. The Grand Madam once had a plan to clear the forest before Delphina’s uncle’s rebellion. But in stopping the coup, she was badly injured.

‘So the plan was postponed without limit.’

But now, with her body healed, they could try again.

‘All this is thanks to Delphina. Without her, Mother’s recovery would have been impossible.’

Elcayan looked at Delphina. Her very existence was a miracle for the North.

Meanwhile, Fiaje ground his teeth.

Lately, nothing was going his way.

Kassen had failed to become Duke of Fuat. Now he was in rivalry with his brother Jerian. And to Fiaje, Kassen could never win.

‘In the end, both House Rikeion and House Fuat are slipping from my hands.’

At the same time, the First Prince Johannes’s influence was growing stronger. If the North also survived this winter, that would be another problem.

Frustrated, his chest burned with anger. He remembered the spicy flavor from the succession ceremony.

Not a painful spice, but one that made you happy as you ate it.

‘If I could eat that again, maybe this frustration would lessen…’

But lately, nothing suited his taste.

‘Damn it. Why can’t any chef make that food again!’

No matter how much he pressured the palace chefs, none could recreate it.

Even bringing in chefs from the Eastern Continent didn’t work.

“Forgive us, but we’ve never heard of such food before.”
“We don’t know the ingredients, so we cannot cook it.”

Fiaje’s doubts grew.

‘Does that mean Lady Delphina really was the one who made it?’

If so, then only she could serve that dish again.

And it wasn’t just him. Many nobles from the ceremony who liked spicy food were suffering the same craving.

‘Some nobles are even saying they’ll go North just to taste it again.’

Fiaje ground his teeth harder.

The worst part was—he agreed with them.