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Chapter 90
Sizzle—
As the butter melted and seeped into the dense fibers of the meat, the muscle tissue that had been as rigid as steel began trembling ever so slightly before slowly relaxing.
Luciela took the black truffle she had prepared, sliced it into thin pieces, and laid them over the meat.
The rich earthy aroma of the black truffle gently covered the powerful magical scent unique to Kragon meat, bringing the flavors into perfect balance.
Next, she arranged the root vegetables that had endured the harsh winters of the North around the empty spaces in the pan.
As the moisture released from the vegetables turned to steam and enveloped the meat, an aroma incomparably softer and more refined than that of any ordinary steak rose into the air.
“Gaaah! It exploded again!”
At the scream from the neighboring workstation, Luciela turned her head slightly.
It belonged to one of the chefs who had earned great fame in the South.
Although he had managed to finish butchering the meat and begun cooking, it seemed he had failed to remove all the poisonous blood vessels, as bluish smoke poured out from his pan.
“D-Damn it… I’ve grilled steak a million times, so why is this…?!”
The chefs beside him stared blankly at what now resembled a lump of black charcoal.
Luciela only glanced at them before increasing the pace of her cooking once more.
With a spoon, she continuously basted the meat with the melted butter, pouring it over again and again without interrupting her elegant rhythm.
The once dark crimson surface of the Kragon meat gradually became coated in a deliciously rich brown glaze.
Watching the entire process from his seat of honor, Serion twisted his lips into a crooked smile.
His mouth curled with displeasure, yet his eyes sparkled with excitement.
That girl is shining all by herself again.
She always looked capable of finishing any challenge without breaking a sweat.
That was why he had deliberately chosen the absurd ingredient known as Kragon meat.
Yet she hadn’t been flustered in the slightest.
No…
Her face had actually brightened.
As though she had finally been given the opportunity she had been waiting for all this time.
Serion looked around at the other chefs.
Even the renowned masters, celebrated for their skill, were sweating nervously in confusion.
The imperial chef known as the Golden Blade, Melik, appeared to be handling himself reasonably well.
That was only because Serion had secretly informed him of the challenge beforehand and even allowed him time to practice.
Will that be enough to break her?
For years, Serion had tried to crush Luciela in every possible way.
And every single attempt had failed.
After hearing from Melina Bellaon that Luciela was in charge of the dessert café’s menu, he had lavishly funded competing cafés.
He had interfered with her ingredient suppliers.
He had even searched the continent for talented chefs and had Osborne place them inside the ducal estate.
His plan had been simple.
If he succeeded in breaking Luciela, even the ducal household would judge that her objective value had declined.
Then he would simply take her as though claiming the spoils of war.
But the outcome he had anticipated never came.
Every challenge had ended in failure.
Luciela had never lost to any obstacle.
On the contrary, whenever a rival appeared, she came alive, pushing her own abilities another step higher.
Whether she knew Serion’s intentions or not, she never showed even the slightest sign of wavering.
Instead, she continued creating astonishing dishes and presenting them to the world.
Until Serion found himself growing increasingly furious that every masterpiece she created belonged to someone else.
Even monster meat wasn’t an exception…?
Watching Luciela dart effortlessly between the workstation and the pantry, Serion’s expression darkened even further.
Nothing ever goes the way I want.
No matter how hard he tried to drag her into the mud, she always slipped from his grasp and shone even more brilliantly.
Serion’s gaze shifted for a moment before settling upon Bael, who was seated among the other nobles.
That bastard is the same.
Murderous intent filled Serion’s eyes.
Five years ago, after meeting both Bael and Luciela and being deeply impressed by them, he had already decided what to do with the pair.
The decision had practically been made while watching them cook.
But the moment he realized that Luciela possessed the key to entering that mysterious place, the answer had become absolute.
Kill Bael.
Take Luciela for himself.
Both sounded equally enjoyable to Serion.
The only problem was that, even now that they were nearly adults, he had succeeded in accomplishing neither.
The final touch… salt.
Standing before her workstation, Luciela picked up the sea salt.
As she sprinkled it over the meat, the salt crystals reacted with the minerals on its surface, instantly amplifying the umami.
At that very moment, crystal-clear juices welled up from the meat.
Done.
Ding—
It was finished.
Luciela rang the bell beside her workstation and set down the pan.
The surroundings instantly fell silent.
Unlike the other contestants, who were drenched in sweat after desperately trying to force the meat to cook over blazing flames, not a single strand of Luciela’s hair had fallen out of place.
The steak continued to emit a soft sizzling sound upon the plate, possessing such supple resilience that it looked as though it would effortlessly separate along its grain with the slightest touch of a knife.
Everyone in the banquet hall found their gaze irresistibly drawn toward her, captivated by the aroma drifting from her workstation.
Ding—
Ding—
With only a few minutes remaining, several more chefs hurriedly rang their bells.
Ding—
The last person to finish was the Golden Blade, Melik.
Wiping the sweat from his soaked face with a towel, he carefully placed down his completed dish.
“Hah.”
The Emperor slowly shook his head.
“Five? Only five.”
Though he looked disappointed, there was unmistakable satisfaction on his face for having chosen such a difficult challenge.
“More than a hundred chefs began this competition, yet only five managed to finish within the allotted time. This will go down in history.”
After gesturing for the servants to carry away the contestants who had collapsed from poisoning, he turned his attention back to the five plates before him.
In reality… there are only two.
Serion let out a dry laugh.
Just as expected, the first three dishes were hardly worth tasting.
One contestant had failed to completely remove the poison, causing blue smoke to rise from the meat, and the dish was immediately rejected.
Another presented a piece of burnt meat, prompting the Empress to spit it out after one bite.
The chef who had attempted to reinterpret the tough texture by deep-frying it received only an indifferent evaluation.
“It is edible… but inferior to fried pork or beef.”
He quietly withdrew.
“The Golden Blade, Melik… stew. As expected of an imperial chef.”
It was a delicious dish.
The first truly good food of the day.
By slowly simmering the meat until its toughness melted away, he had preserved its rich flavor while eliminating its chewiness.
However…
…The gamey odor couldn’t be helped.
Objectively, it was an outstanding dish.
Yet to someone as sensitive as Serion, there remained a faint unpleasant note.
Slowly, he shifted his gaze toward Luciela’s plate.
Picking up his silver knife, he carefully sliced through her steak.
Shhk.
The sensation of the blade passing through the meat was completely unlike cutting ordinary meat.
The steel-like fibers had disappeared entirely.
Instead, the knife met only the smooth resistance of perfectly ripened flesh.
From the freshly cut surface, crystal-clear juices seeped out like precious gems, coating the rosy interior with a brilliant sheen.
He speared a piece of the steak together with one of the roasted root vegetables.
The deep, luxurious aroma of the black truffle reached his nose first.
That scent again.
The enticing fragrance created by butter and meat juices mingling together in a single pan.
Serion slowly placed the fork into his mouth.
Crunch…
Melt.
The surface, basted with butter over gentle heat, shattered into an incredibly thin, crisp crust the instant it touched his tongue.
Then came an overwhelming flood of juices, as though the harsh winter of the North itself had been transformed into flavor.
It was entirely unlike beef or pork.
The concentrated essence of magical power burst across his palate with explosive umami.
Where had the steel-like fibers gone?
With every bite, they gently separated along the grain, creating the illusion that the meat was melting away inside his mouth of its own accord.
The accompanying roasted root vegetables neutralized Kragon’s primal magical energy, leaving behind a finish that was astonishingly clean and delicately sweet.
And then there was one more thing.
Serion stopped chewing.
The odor… it’s gone.
The faint fishy magical scent characteristic of Kragon had been completely refined through the perfect harmony of northern sea salt and black truffle.
This wasn’t merely a dish that was “edible.”
It was a work of art that transformed a monster’s very life force into cuisine.
The silence around them grew even deeper.
Serion slowly swallowed the bite before setting down his fork.
The winner had already been decided.
That girl.
Her again.
Bellaon’s chef, Luciela.
