TCP 10

Chapter 10

Chloe had barely managed to appease the Empress and finally stepped out of the reception room.

‘At last, freedom.’

Just as she was about to walk away—

Someone called out to stop her.

“Lady Chloe Garnet?”

“Y-Yes?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Chloe turned around with a blank expression.

The foreign merchant and the noble acting as his interpreter—both of whom had been in the Empress’s reception room—were standing behind her.

Pretending not to notice her surprise, the noble smiled warmly.

“It’s nothing serious. The young lady’s cooking left quite an impression, and this merchant lord wishes to invite you to dinner.”

“Me?”

“He says he feels there are many things he’d like to discuss with you. What do you think?”

“…I’ll go!”

Chloe was stunned.

She had spent the entire time in the Empress’s reception room wondering how she could start a conversation with that merchant leader, and now he had approached her first.

Judging by how quickly they had come after her, it seemed he had ended his conversation with the Empress early and hurried after her.

Not wanting to miss such a golden opportunity, Chloe accepted immediately.

The conversation with the merchant was arranged for dinner that very evening.

Chloe needed to return to the ducal estate, and the merchant was also busy every day because of his diplomatic schedule.

“This is Maier from the Kingdom of Konpa on the Southern Continent. He is the head of the Panna Trading Company, the largest merchant guild in Konpa.”

The noble serving as interpreter was Count Blair. Although still young, he treated Chloe—heir to a ducal family—with great respect.

From an early age he had shown extraordinary talent for languages and could speak several foreign tongues fluently. Because of that, he was always assigned as interpreter whenever imperial members traveled abroad or foreign delegations visited.

Yet despite that, he had volunteered to interpret for a merchant from the Southern Continent—someone of lower rank—and for Chloe, who did not even possess a title yet.

She didn’t know why he was being this accommodating without the Empress present, but she was grateful. Of course, since this was the Imperial Palace, perhaps they were simply taking care of a visiting delegation.

‘If I’m going to import ingredients from overseas in the future, I’ll need someone like this too.’

Once again, Chloe realized how important learning foreign languages was.

“Please tell him thank you.”

As greetings were exchanged, the meal prepared by the merchant arrived.

The dishes placed before Chloe looked quite different from Imperial cuisine.

“It may seem unfamiliar… Though after interpreting for them several times, I’ve gotten used to it. The taste is excellent.”

But to Chloe, it didn’t seem all that unfamiliar.

‘…That’s rice!’

It wasn’t the sticky rice she used to eat in Korea—more like long-grain rice—but it was rice all the same.

The very thing she had longed for was now sitting in front of her.

With widened eyes, Chloe examined the table.

Beside steaming rice was a brown sauce with an unmistakably familiar appearance.

‘This is definitely… curry.’

For a moment she wondered whether her craving for food had become so desperate she was hallucinating.

But she could clearly see chunks of meat and carrots.

It looked like a strange mix between Indian curry from her previous life and Korean-style curry rice.

‘As expected, another continent means completely different food culture! Curry…!’

Chloe immediately scooped up a spoonful.

Then she fell silent.

‘The spices…’

The spices were overwhelmingly strong!

‘People would definitely have mixed opinions about this.’

Still, objectively speaking, it was far better than the disastrously awful cuisine of the Rougier Empire.

Unlike the Empire, which only knew how to roast things, these people apparently knew how to make sauces.

She took another bite, mixing rice with a large piece of meat and curry.

Honestly, the meat quality wasn’t much different from Imperial meat. Dry, tough, and with a strong gamey smell.

But the spices covered all of that.

‘At least using spices makes it better.’

Chloe looked over the other dishes.

Next to the curry sat a warm bean soup.

It wasn’t made with the peas or kidney beans common in the Empire. These beans were smaller and flatter.

‘Lentil soup?’

The reddish soup carried a familiar aroma.

Chloe filled a spoon and tasted it.

And as soon as she recognized the flavor, she secretly clenched her fist.

‘That’s definitely tomato! It tastes almost identical!’

The lentil soup even had the scent of cilantro—apparently used as garnish.

After piecing everything together and feeling overwhelmed with emotion, Chloe exclaimed to Count Blair:

“This is really, really delicious!”

Seeing Chloe brighten with delight, the merchant smiled warmly and said something to her.

“He says he’s happy that the young lady enjoys the food.”

Count Blair remained busy translating between them.

As the conversation continued, Chloe gradually learned more about Southern Continent food culture.

“This sauce called curry is eaten with rice like this, but although it isn’t on today’s table, they also eat it with thin bread.”

“What is that bread called?”

“It’s called ‘naan.’”

It seemed Indian-inspired but not completely Indian—perhaps influenced by broader South Asian cultures.

“May I ask what this red ingredient in the soup is? Also, besides that, I’d like recommendations for Southern Continent spices.”

Cilantro. Cinnamon. Cloves. Lentils. Tomatoes.

Based on the clues, the Southern Continent appeared to produce many spices and unusual ingredients unavailable in the Rougier Empire.

Since it would seem strange for a child her age to know such ingredients already, Chloe carefully disguised her excitement and waited for Count Blair to translate.

After hearing the translation, the merchant’s expression changed.

His face softened as he explained something to Count Blair.

“He says you’re the first person from the Rougier Empire to show interest in spices, and he hopes to have a deeper discussion.”

At those words, Chloe’s expression brightened immediately.

Count Blair continued translating.

“And regarding the red ingredient you asked about—it’s called tomato. Apparently tomatoes are a precious ingredient imported from the Eastern Continent. The merchant seems impressed that you recognized such a rare ingredient instantly.”

At that, Chloe beamed.

‘Then maybe I can use this opportunity to get spices and rice from the Southern Continent—and perhaps even build connections with the Eastern Continent too!’

She wasn’t certain, but the merchant also seemed thoroughly tired of the Empire’s tasteless food.

After traveling all the way abroad, most people would try local cuisine. Yet he had brought countless ingredients and spices with him just to cook food from home.

‘Like Koreans bringing instant noodles and gochujang overseas.’

Food from the Konpa Kingdom relied heavily on spices, so it was understandable that first-time eaters might dislike it.

Because of that, people in the Rougier Empire showed little interest in Konpa cuisine, and even less in spices themselves.

‘Still, it’s way better than a country that only has salted grilled food.’

Ever since remembering her previous life and its flavors, Chloe no longer wanted to eat dry roasted meat, fish, and potatoes without sauces.

She desperately wanted flavorful sauces and fresh vegetables.

Roasted potatoes did not count as vegetables.

So she asked directly:

“Would you perhaps be interested in maintaining a personal connection with me? Not trade between families or nations—just small, informal dealings with me personally.”

After speaking, Chloe took a deep breath.

This was the important part.

It had to appear as nothing more than a young noble girl’s hobby.

Official foreign trade was monopolized by the Imperial family, and even noble houses required imperial permission to conduct it.

If her actions looked like formal trade, it could be interpreted as overstepping authority—or even challenging imperial power.