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Chapter 8
Shin Yi, puffing with indignation, questioned the Master Chef Gojangnam as if scolding him.
“Master Chef, didn’t you clearly instruct us to prepare food for twenty people?”
“Ah, yes… I did. And…?”
“How are we supposed to make enough for twenty people in such a short time?”
“That’s something you should have asked before starting to cook. Just like that examinee over there.”
“!!”
All the examinees’ gazes immediately shifted toward the place Gojangnam was pointing.
There stood Oh Seorin, who had already finished cooking all the dishes and cleaned up afterwards.
“Except for that one examinee, not a single person asked me when the meal should be ready. Not only that, they didn’t ask who would be eating the meal! Isn’t that basic knowledge that anyone preparing food should know?”
No one among the other examinees could argue or reply. Gojangnam’s words were entirely correct.
He glanced at them with a look of disdain before turning toward the examiners.
“Now, examiners, please come down and taste the dishes yourselves to evaluate them.”
“Y-yes.”
Following Gojangnam’s words, the examiners came down from the waiting room.
It didn’t take long for them to make their judgments.
Few had completed their dishes on time, and even among those who had, most of the dishes fell short in taste.
“Ugh! How can anyone eat this when it isn’t even cooked properly!”
“The meat is still bleeding inside. Tch! And why is the seasoning so bland!”
Finally, it was Seorin’s turn.
The examiners’ faces showed little expectation after repeated disappointments.
In contrast, Gojangnam’s face was full of anticipation as he asked Seorin,
“Will you explain what you’ve prepared?”
“Ah, what I prepared is—”
“First, tell us about the whisper you shared earlier.”
At that moment, Jeong Jun-kyung suddenly jumped in front of Seorin, cutting her off.
“Ah, um, that… is—”
“And also why all the dishes look like a pile of weeds!”
Jun-kyung stepped even closer to her.
‘Why is he getting closer?’
Caught up in the barrage of questions he had been curious about, Jun-kyung didn’t realize his face was almost touching Seorin’s.
‘Ahhh—!’
Seorin froze as the predator-like man came dangerously close.
At that moment, someone grabbed Jun-kyung’s shoulder.
“Jeong Jun-kyung.”
“……Huh? Euncheon?”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Eh? Me? What…?”
It was only then that Jun-kyung noticed Seorin’s face had turned pale.
“Ah! S-sorry! I got a little excited!”
Seorin looked at the man who had just flustered her, recognizing the unfamiliar name.
“Jeong, Jun-kyung? The famous general?”
Jun-kyung found Seorin’s astonished, almost rabbit-like expression cute as she murmured his name.
“…Yes, I am indeed the hero of the Yeo Jin campaign, Jeong Jun-kyung.”
At that moment, Wang An-hyeok quickly came forward and pulled Jun-kyung back, interrupting his sudden self-introduction.
“You shouldn’t interrupt an examinee during the exam.”
“Ah, right! My apologies.”
As Jun-kyung stepped back, Seorin finally explained her conversation with the Master Chef.
After hearing her explanation, the examiners nodded in agreement.
“Oh, so the Master Chef was right! These are things one must know before cooking!”
However, Shin Yi, irritated at all the attention Seorin was getting, spoke up.
“Why did you only tell that examinee what must be known? If you wanted to evaluate abilities, shouldn’t you have shared the basics with everyone?!”
Hearing this, Jun-kyung slowly turned toward her.
“What did you say?”
Shin Yi flinched at his gaze. Unlike when he looked at Seorin, his eyes were cold, freezing her in place.
“I-I mean—”
Jun-kyung glanced at her and snorted.
“Ah! So it’s you. The one who copied number 11 during the interview.”
“Of course, it completely failed,” he added.
“…What?”
Shocked by his blunt words, Shin Yi couldn’t respond, and Jun-kyung sneered.
“So, who said you shouldn’t ask about the basics?”
At his piercing remark, Shin Yi remained silent, and Wang An-hyeok intervened.
“Hey, the food is going to get cold. Let’s taste it first, and restrain yourselves a little.”
Only then did Jun-kyung relax and turn his attention to Seorin.
“Right! You haven’t explained why you only prepared greens yet. Answer that first!”
Gojangnam spoke on Seorin’s behalf.
“Once Hye-eumwon is established, we cannot know who will visit. Therefore, those preparing the food must first be curious about who will be eating it.”
He looked at Seorin as if to say, “Explain the rest yourself.”
“Yes. So I asked the Master Chef who would be eating the food, and he replied that it would be monks. Since monks cannot consume meat or pungent vegetables, there were restrictions on choosing ingredients.”
Seorin opened the lids of five pots placed on the counter.
Inside were neatly arranged vegetables, submerged in a flavorful broth.
What Seorin had prepared was a mushroom vegetable hot pot.
“There wasn’t enough time to prepare food for twenty people, and I wanted to serve a warm soup to those who had crossed Hye-eum Pass on a chilly day. That’s why I prepared hot pot.”
“But why only five pots when there are twenty people?”
‘Pots… oh?! Cooking vessels!’
Her love of historical dramas suddenly came in handy.
“One pot is for every five people. Earlier, during a free moment, I observed where the guests would eat, and placing all the pots would make the table cramped. I placed them in the center and provided individual bowls so everyone could serve themselves.”
“Oh!”
“I see!”
“You even scoped out the dining area beforehand?”
The examiners were impressed by every word Seorin said, and the Master Chef beamed as if boasting about her.
“That’s not all. He also asked how much budget was allocated for the food!”
Hye-eumwon’s monk in charge of budgeting, Hye-gwang, beamed.
“Oh, really! She’s so thoughtful!”
While everyone admired Seorin’s preparation, one examiner raised an objection.
“Finishing in time doesn’t necessarily mean it tastes good.”
It was Senior Assistant Chef Doksu, Shin Yi’s maternal uncle, who spoke in a gruff voice.
True to his name, Doksu had a fierce appearance. Other examiners frowned at his words.
Doksu had been unfairly evaluating the examinees since the interviews. He openly favored Shin Yi, penalizing those who did well. It was no wonder the examiners felt annoyed.
However, Doksu was related to the emperor’s father-in-law and a powerful figure in Goryeo, so the examiners could only express mild displeasure through clearing their throats.
“Haha! Well, he’s not wrong. Let’s taste it then.”
Breaking the tense atmosphere, Hye-gwang stepped forward, and Seorin quickly scooped the hot pot and presented it.
The brown broth steamed appetizingly, giving off a delicious aroma.
Gulp—
Hye-gwang couldn’t help but swallow in anticipation.
“It looks truly delicious. And the aroma is wonderful.”
He carefully lifted a spoon and took a sip of the broth.
