I demand compensation!
I watched as Prince Kaldor and Tika-san silently chewed on the Idika for a moment.
"So, how is it? I thought it would taste good, but..."
"… It's delicious..."
"Yeah, this is really good!"
"Ah, this works!"
Seeing the two of them enjoying it, I felt relieved.
I had been worried. Even though I emphasized that this was different from Lars and required a different cooking method, there was a chance that upon tasting it, they might say, "This isn't as good as Lars! You lied!" and get upset.
What a nerve-wracking experience.
"I'm glad it suited your tastes. Since we've gone this far, would you like to try cooking the Idika yourselves using the ones we washed and soaked earlier?"
While I'd shown them the entire process up to the finished dish, there's a lot you can only learn by doing it yourself.
Prince Kaldor could explain, and if Tika-san could then demonstrate, it would be ideal.
"Indeed, let's give it a try."
"Wait, Prince Kaldor, you?"
I never thought he'd take it this far, even though he said he’d help earlier.
Tika-san, aren't you supposed to step in here and say, "I'll handle this," instead of clapping your hands like an enthusiastic cheerleader behind him?
When I shot Tika-san a sharp look, he stopped clapping and raised his hands in surrender.
"Well, you see, His Highness is better at handling delicate tasks. I'd probably burn it after a few tries, haha..."
Is that really okay? Aren’t you his attendant?
"I won't let him touch it; it'd waste the precious ingredients. He's incredibly careless. Don’t worry, once I master it, I'll drill it into him."
"Ahhh... Miss Cristea, please teach me kindly instead! His Highness is way too strict and overly meticulous!"
"Shut it! For now, just observe carefully."
"Ouch! Ugh... Fine, I got it."
Rubbing the back of his head where Prince Kaldor had smacked him, Tika-san reluctantly complied.
The soaking time for the Idika we prepared earlier was just right, so Prince Kaldor began cooking with it.
Just as Tika-san had said, Prince Kaldor appeared to be the type to handle tasks deftly.
He cooked the Idika so skillfully that my advice was barely needed.
Of course, Tika-san kept chiming in with things like, "Oh, you need to do this now," or "Lower the heat a bit more." The prince countered with, "Quiet! I know what I'm doing!"—to the point that I hardly got a chance to interject.
Tika-san may not be great at hands-on work, but he's definitely observant.
"It's done! … Right?"
Prince Kaldor glanced at me to confirm.
"Yes, I believe it’s ready."
"Not bad for your first attempt, Your Highness!"
"And why do you sound so smug about it?"
Are they always this comedic with their banter?
By the way, the Idika cooked by Prince Kaldor was delicious.
"Now that we’ve mastered the basic cooking method for Idika, eating it like this alone might feel lacking. I’d like to think of some recipes that use it."
"Huh?! Are you sure?"
"Seriously? Just making it edible is more than enough!"
What? Isn't it better to enjoy it in a tastier way?
Oh, you’re hoping I’ll give you the recipes, right?
Actually, I was planning to send you back to your rooms so I could experiment further...
If I just hand over the recipes for free, isn’t that being way too generous?
I can’t backtrack now, but wait—aha, I’ve got it.
"Of course, I’d be happy to share the recipes, but my recipes come at a price."
I flashed them a refined smile, playing the role of a poised lady.
Behind them, the chefs gasped audibly.
Well, of course—they’d be shocked to see me selling recipes to a foreign prince.
Normally, I’d avoid such a hassle, but I’ve worked so hard this time.
Starting with creating a recipe for the state banquet, responding to Prince Kaldor’s impromptu requests, and teaching him how to cook today—I think I’ve earned a little compensation, don’t you?
"… Considering Miss Cristea’s efforts, it’s only fair to pay her. How much do you want?"
"Your Highness, don’t agree so easily!"
"She may be young, but leaving her contributions unrewarded would be unjust. I’ll pay from my own funds, so it won’t burden the kingdom. Don’t worry."
"That’s not the point… Argh, whatever!"
Knowing how stubborn Prince Kaldor is once he’s made up his mind, Tika-san relented.
Their master-servant relationship is entertaining, but I shouldn’t trouble them further.
"Ah, by compensation, I don’t mean money."
"What?"
Both of them froze, looking confused.
"I’d like two things: priority for my—no, the Duke Ellisfeed’s—family in the trade of spices and medicinal herbs, and for you to keep my personal involvement with the recipes as quiet as possible."
"… That’s all?"
"Yes."
Sure, it may not seem like much, but having priority access to rare spices and herbs is a big deal.
It means I can cook freely without worrying about running out of stock—pure bliss!
Plus, I’d rather not have rumors spreading about how I caused another diplomatic incident right after shaking off the “Repulsive food-eating Lady” label.
And I certainly don’t want them demanding more recipes directly from me later.
"… If that’s all, consider it done. I promise to send the best our territory has to offer to the Ellisfeed family. As for the recipes, I won’t inform the royal family directly, but the truth may come out eventually."
"Yeah, I think so too."
Please don’t look at me like I’m being unreasonable.
It’s fine as long as they don’t know I’m the one behind it.
The last thing I need is for word to get out and have demands like, “Bring Lady Cristea of the Ellisfeed family to our country to create more recipes.”
If that happens, Kurogane and Mashiro wouldn’t stay quiet about it.
"As long as my name doesn’t come up, I’m fine with that. I haven’t even made my debut in high society yet, so I’d rather not stand out unnecessarily."
Exactly. If I hadn’t run into Prince Kaldor, none of this would’ve happened.
"If you’re satisfied with that, then so be it. But bringing Idika back to our kingdom is worthy of a reward, you know?"
"No, thank you! I absolutely decline!"
Accepting something like that would force the Doristan Kingdom to act.
I don’t want to draw unnecessary attention!
"… I see."
"Seriously? What a waste."
No, it’s not. It’s perfectly fine.
"… So, now that everything’s settled, is dinner ready yet?"
"Eh...? W-wah?! Leon-sama?!"
I couldn’t help but raise my voice in a most unladylike manner. But who wouldn’t?
Leon-sama had suddenly appeared behind me!
What do you think about this chapter?
