“Still, considering the effort they put into bringing it, it might be nice to eat and go.”
It was a moment when Icarus was turning slightly towards the smaller table.
Beyond the open window, the sound of hoofbeats could be heard. Icarus quickly turned his head towards the window.
“……!”
Three horses running towards the entrance of the mansion came into view.
“Haah… so, you finally found this place.”
It took longer than Icarus had anticipated to reach this place.
Icarus reluctantly took his gaze away from the extravagant dessert that looked incredibly tempting.
And then, he crossed the window.
“I wonder what it tastes like.”
I’m also curious about the secret of the girl who promised to tell me as soon as I opened my eyes.
As time passed, the first thing Icarus did after becoming the emperor was to arrange the personnel in the imperial palace. Among them, he hurriedly selected the chef for the imperial kitchen.
After the rise of the new emperor, skilled chefs from various parts of Vashkur gathered.
Having received the announcement that they would now cook only for the emperor.
Icarus walked around dozens of chefs and said only one thing.
“Is there anyone who can make Gugelhupf?”
As the chefs gathered for the preparations to showcase traditional Vashkuran cuisine, they were taken aback by the unexpectedly unfamiliar dish that appeared.
“… Gugelhupf?”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing…”
But soon, they began to make guesses about Gugelhupf calmly.
‘The hearty man knows how to enjoy alcohol!’
So, some guessed that Gugelhupf was a dish to accompany alcohol, while others speculated that it was a dish enjoyed by the Vashkur imperial family.
While everyone was wracking their brains to guess what the new emperor, casually throwing a dish, might be, a moment came.
“Um…”
Amidst the silence, a chef raised his hand. Naturally, all eyes turned to him.
Icarus looked at the person with courage raising his hand.
“What is it?”
Upon which, the chef stammered.
“Y-Your Majesty! I can make Gugelhupf.”
“Where is your hometown?”
“… It’s a small village in the eastern part of Vashkur.”
In response to his answer, the chefs gathered inwardly chuckled.
Most of the chefs who rushed to the imperial palace in response to the announcement of recruiting the emperor’s personal chef were experienced individuals who had worked in the kitchens of noble families or high-ranking aristocratic houses in that region.
It seemed absurd that the emperor, the sun of Vashkur and a person of noble status, would call such a youngster to the imperial palace.
‘Well, this isn’t a place to look for the kitchen of a lower noble in the outskirts. It seems he came here with the wrong address.’
‘Just a kid from a remote rural village. How shameless. Aspiring for a position in the imperial palace kitchen…’
However, contrary to the expectations of the chefs, the emperor asked with great interest.
“How did you come to know about Gugelhupf?”
“The area where I lived is close to the western border area of Paradivum. So…”
In an unfavorable atmosphere, the man cautiously glanced at the emperor and trailed off at the end of his words.
People secretly felt relieved at his lack of confidence.
‘Even if he managed to capture the emperor’s attention for a moment, that’s about it.’
However, the chefs were surprised by the emperor’s following statement.
“I will hire you as my exclusive chef.”
Everyone had prepared to showcase the best dishes they could make for today.
The gathered chefs had varying experiences, ranging from 5 to 30 years in the culinary field.
However, the youngster who answered that he could make Gugelhupf seemed to have just crossed the age of twenty.
But high salary, chef lineage, or competition background didn’t matter to Icarus.
Only whether or not they could make Gugelhupf was important.
“Your Majesty, is it alright for you to make such a quick decision?”
Duhani whispered into Icarus’s ear.
It was the first time after ascending to the throne that they were hiring new personnel, and the significance was not small.
Previous emperors, right after their coronation, changed personnel from ministers and deputies to new people in the temples.
As much as possible, they chose individuals who suited their taste.
And this indirectly showed what the emperor valued the most—whether it was the flow of money, politics, religion, or defense. The kitchen did not belong to any of these categories.
Such a rapid decision was very unusual.
“I also agree, Your Majesty. As it is the first selection of personnel after ascending to the throne, wouldn’t it be better to handle it more carefully…”
“I want to eat Gugelhupf.”
Ignoring Vane’s advice, Icarus nonchalantly said with an indifferent face.
“Then, I will make it right now.”
“Looking forward to it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty…”
In a situation where everyone’s attention was focused, the newly appointed chef calmly began to cook.
And it was only when he completed the dish that others realized that Gugelhupf was a dessert.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
