Chapter 381

The head chef of the Gye-rim Sword Faction protested.

“Can you either cut down on the number of dishes or have fewer inspections? Can’t you do one of those? What is all this fuss about?”

“Chef Kang, do you think I want to do this? If the higher-ups say to do it, what can I do?”

To that, the disciples, who were peeling mountains of onions in one corner, nodded along.

Yeah. If we have to peel, then we peel. It’s only natural.

Peeling onions for a year and garlic for a year is the law of the grand kitchen before you can even touch a ladle.

Of course, just because two years have passed doesn’t mean we’re free from onions and garlic; no, they’ll always be the eternal friends of the little apprentices.

The sight of the chef inserting sticks into every dish made the head chef’s eyes blaze.

My precious dish, crafted like a child, should be enjoyed, not plagued by fears of poison. What’s with all this fuss?

The Gye-rim disciple inspecting for poison wasn’t happy either.

Just in case, the task of moving the dishes had been shifted from the servants to the Gye-rim disciple.

All of this was due to a mysterious letter that had blown into the Gye-rim Sword Faction.

“Beware, the crafty poisonous snake has burrowed in with fangs. Please be cautious.”

It was no surprise that the heart of Sect Leader Kang Su-yang sank when he read it.

I’m already hosting a precious guest, and I’ve been far too complacent!

And so, the emergency.

The Poisonous Snake Watch operation was in full swing.

But the letter had arrived ten days ago.

There wasn’t even a hint of a suspicious snake.

I mean, the servants of Gye-rim are loyal ones, sticking around even when the Sapa guys are trying to bust in and when the sword faction is in danger.

Kang Su-yang thought.

But when is this snake coming, exactly?

Does the poisonous snake even exist?

That snake is just gobbling up the Gye-rim’s meals.

And it’s a parasite that costs three times as much to feed— a royal parasite, the king of all parasites.

Sure, if Qing’s acquaintances heard that it’s only three times the meal cost, they might scoff and say I’m undervaluing it.

But when quantities increase, prices drop.

So now, this royal parasite finds itself surrounded by fanatic followers.

“Oh my Young Lady! Did you enjoy the thousand rivers after your appearance? I heard the news! If it weren’t for you, we would have been in deep trouble! If Wang Ya returned, this Old Dog would willingly be buried alongside him. Wang Ya’s benefactor, and my benefactor, I, Old Dog, will repay this debt for a lifetime, or rather, how long do I even have left? This Old Dog promises to repay you for my share for as long as I live!”

“Me…?”

The courtesan Chang, suddenly a debtor, wears a puzzled expression.

“Hehe, do you remember me? I’m Chang Nan-geum-ho. I might be a mere trickster, but didn’t I receive a huge favor? But since my body must care for Wang Ya, you will repay my favor!”

“Why me again…?”

And a slouchy man nearby chimes in.

“Oh, that sounds good! Courtesan Chang, repay my share too! Ouch, that hurts! What kind of girl are you to be this strong!”

“Don’t get cocky.”

“Cough, last night, I dreamt that a beautiful ruby-red jewel glowed and transformed into a vermilion bird and flew away.”

“Does this guy really not know any beast other than the vermilion bird, and hey, I wasn’t asleep last night. I was half-awake!”

“Uh, excuse me, but…”

A scruffy man with hair down to his chin quietly pulls out a dagger.

A gift Qing would enjoy.

Just so you know, the top gift is something delicious.

“Oh, thanks! I’ll use it well.”

“It was something I picked up while walking, so you don’t have to thank me…”

“No, this looks brand new, with no scratches on the blade. Where could this have possibly fallen? I need to know! Go and pick it up, alright? What’s going on? This feels familiar.”

“Gakdawi is bribing again!”

“When did that sneaky guy prepare all this alone? He’s always carrying around bribes!”

“Cough, it can’t be helped. Mama, I didn’t have time to prepare proper gifts, but if you enjoy calligraphy and paintings…”

“Wait, Mama?”

At that, the retainers of Deokhyeon Royal Family all fall silent.

And they glare at the man in scholarly attire who slipped up.

“Well, Yeon Pa has come to see His Highness.”

The scholarly-resembling man, not caring at all, smashes his head against the ground, and the other retainers bow as they fall like dominoes.

“Don’t make it obvious that you have no interest in becoming a princess! And Yeon Pa, you’re quite chatty. I wouldn’t have expected that.”

“It’s because Yeon Pa feels that the world’s most terrifying thing is His Highness.”

“Not quite what I meant.”

On the 21st day of the month, precisely at midnight, the retainers of Deokhyeon Royal Family arrived.

Even amidst their ruckus, they were still respectful, and although last time there seemed to be around a dozen of them, this time, there were only eleven, and the number had decreased significantly.

“What are they, so free that they have nothing to do? If they’re idle, they should find work! How can they invade a lady’s room from the morning?! Get out of here! Oh, Courtesan Chang, stay there.”

Yikes, the retainers of the royal family shrank back in unison.

Yeon Pa seems scary enough that the royal retainers bow and scamper away quickly.

“But isn’t announcing that she has no intention of becoming a princess a bit too dramatic?”

“I was worried that those lowly ones might offend the mama. They look frivolous and foolish, but they’ve learned how terrifying words can be in this world, so I assure you, you don’t need to worry about them.”

“Hmm.”

Is that sincerity speaking, rather than an excuse? Something close to an emotion genuinely caring for me?

Qing immediately softened.

“I am burdened by the thought that this lowly old man doesn’t have a maid to serve the mama; please treat Courtesan Chang as just a useful beast, like a horse or cow. Courtesan Chang will do her utmost as a servant.”

“Wait, are you talking about me…?”

Courtesan Chang was startled, looking all flustered.

Qing shook her head.

“Ah, it’s okay. I don’t want to bother with that. Since you’re a servant anyway, it makes me uncomfortable. I’ll just accept your kindness.”

If the Divine Sect folks heard this, they’d be like, what nonsense is this?

In terms of the hierarchy of serving, this was closer to being the first in the world.

But Qing is confident.

In the case of Grandpa or Uncle, it was Qing who ‘allowed’ them to serve her.

They begged her to let them serve.

Yeah. How could one human employ another?

But it’s been a while since I’ve seen Uncle…

Did he say he was in seclusion to attain enlightenment? I wonder if he’s reached that supreme level of mastery called ‘Supreme Martial Artist.’ It can’t be easy.

If my dear Uncle is anything to be proud of, even a thousand years of isolation wouldn’t be enough.

Oh well.

I should make sure to learn a thing or two when I see him later.

—-

Today’s agenda was hiking Cheongsu Mountain.

Yesterday, they said that important guests had rented the whole place out, so we could’t go.

How dare they monopolize (not really) a public hot spring! I’m furious, but those ‘important guests’ are actually the noblemen— the sons of the prince.

Of course, those lowly noblemen are way below the rank of Are they even the same as the royal family?

It’s a whole level below because if you drop one level, they would need to be a grand lord, and the prince’s first son to have that rank.

But I sure don’t want to deal with that ‘I’m the princess of the nation’ attitude just because they want an extra day of enjoyment.

That’s why Woo Na-ram was singing about Cheongsu Mountain; I was eager to check it out.

But.

The actual experience of reaching Cheongsu Mountain was subtle.

“What is this? They said it’s a mountain?”

“I told you it’s not high! Isn’t it perfect for a nice, light warm-up?”

“Aren’t we supposed to have a proper mountain at Cheongsu Mountain?”

What kind of mountain is this? It’s more like a city!

In fact, it’s treated more like a highland area in Namnyeong, rather than an actual mountain.

But still, the highest peak retained just a bit of trees, and when I climbed up, an oddly nostalgic panorama unfolded.

The trail was lined with all sorts of stalls and shops selling delicacies, dumplings, meals, and crafts.

Seeing big signs with beans and tofu written on them, Qing wondered out loud.

“Is there a temple up there or something?”

“Yes! It’s normal for a mountain to have a temple or Taoist shrine, isn’t it? It’s typical for a temple to be at the summit! Ooh! Isn’t that a meaningful statement?”

“Forget it. I’m done here. Let’s head back.”

As shops selling alcohol, tea, and stewed chicken lined both sides, and with a temple above, it felt like I just stumbled back in time. Is this the Central Plain or the Republic of Korea?

“Oh! Are we not climbing?”

“I can already tell what it’s all about without seeing it. There’s probably just a temple selling roof tiles up there. If we’re just going to eat and drink before heading back anyway, why bother going? It feels like a total scam.”

“That’s true…”

While typically, prices differ between the base and the summit, charging high prices for a relatively short, clear mountain feels a bit cheeky.

“Come on, don’t you know any hidden gems? Like a little mom-and-pop place that locals swear by?”

“Hmm! If that’s the case! Thinking about it, you eat just about anything! Do you like it raw!?”

“Whoa, that sounds weird. Why say it like that?”

“Then! How about the Great White Worms? They’re a delicacy!”

“Great White Worms? Not an actual worm, right?”

“They are indeed worms!”

Qing’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“I’m pretty sure you just asked me if I liked to eat raw things?”

“Right! They’re these fat larvae! They say they taste soft and milky, with a hint of apple flavor!”

Woo Na-ram raises a finger.

Not the pinky, a proper index finger.

“Do you eat stuff like that?”

“What? Me? No way! That’s disgusting, isn’t it? But if you want to, I’ll support you! I, Woo Na-ram, will cheer you on!!”

In other words, he’s saying he won’t eat any himself.

What’s going on? Isn’t it common to say you want to try it together or something?

Just how much does he not want to eat it that he needs to muster the courage to cheer me on?

“Forget it. Let’s go to the dumpling shop and grab some snacks. Do you know any good ones?”

“I’m sorry! I have no knowledge of snacks! It seems too feminine to seek out snacks!”

“No, what are you then?”

“I am a warrior!!”

Qing tilted her head.

He keeps saying he’s my elder, yet why does it feel so odd?

Of course, he continues to be Woo Na-ram.

But before that, the repetitive daily routine consisted of eating, drinking, snacking, soaking in the hot springs, returning for another meal, more tea, more snacks, and sprawling out whenever free.

There was a proud warrior who truly deserved respect rather than the one who made me real tired.

So, as Qing turned the direction to explore local eateries based on recommendations, she wandered through the busy Harajuku-like streets of Namnyeong.

Smash! Crash!

Something broke, and the loud noise rang out, followed by a scream and a hail of curses.

Huh? What’s this? A sign of trouble?

There must be an evil guy, right?

Suddenly, my cravings for snacks, meals, and tea were eclipsed by the aroma of something delicious.

Ah, I realize now I’ve waited too long.

In the bustling kitchen, a bright smile blossoms.

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