Chapter 178

Chapter 178

Average. That was what it was. It wasn’t horrible, nor was it even good. It was not bad. That was the most charitable description Edlyn could provide the shrimp fried rice.

As a high-leveled [Chef]— and the head [Royal Chef] of the Astra Palace— she could clearly see what Amelia was trying to do here. But there were still a lot of issues with how the dish was made.

First of all, the presentation was absolutely horrible. The rice wasn’t uniformly cooked into a glistening golden-brown. There were parts of it that were burnt black, and other parts that were a dirty white due to a lack of the seasoning and sauce. That was ignoring the fact that the entire dish looked like it was just thrown into a large pan and stirred without any delicacy or care.

But that was expected from someone who was clearly not a [Chef], let alone a kind of [Fine Dining Chef]. However, Edlyn had met [Street Cooks] who were able to make some of the most delicious meals she had ever tried, whilst simultaneously looking like some of the worst meals she had ever seen. So she knew better than to be a snobby noble who judged food based purely on its aesthetics.

After all, flavor mattered the most. And... that wasn’t what was going on here either.

Edlyn wrinkled her lips as she took another bite of the shrimp fried rice. It’s just... average.

The thought crossed her mind as she stared at the plate. Whatever spices Amelia added to the shrimp fried rice was too muted, overwhelmed by the sauce she used. It was like there was something missing. And more than that, the proportion of ingredients was off too. Too much shrimp and rice, too little vegetables to balance the flavor.

And yet, despite this...

“This is quite the extraordinary dish,” Baron Lyzon said as he sat back down in his seat. “I must know the recipe.”

He posed the question to Amelia who just shrugged in response. Next to them, a group of other nobles whispered excitedly amongst each other, forgetting their manners as they quickly scarfed down the food.

“The rich taste— the flavor! It feels like it has quenched a thirst I never knew I had my entire life!” a Lady exclaimed.

“I have never been quite the lover of seafood, but I think that has changed...” a Duke murmured as he wiped his mouth.

And that was not all. Edlyn swept her gaze over the rest of the table. She watched as the [Chefs] under her retainer gushed over the unique mix of ingredients Amelia used for the shrimp fried rice. They had never once praised the [Royal Chef]’s cooking, yet here they were, praising Amelia’s cooking as they attempted to deconstruct it.

The [Knights of the Astral Order], too, were impressed. Edlyn looked on as Wyn Stefard nodded approvingly, and even Jordan Cel— the man who tried and failed to apprehend Amelia— gave a begrudging grunt to show his satisfaction with his meal.

“It is as you said, Sir Rowland,” King Jalen said as he leant back in his seat, eyeing the brown-haired woman from afar. “In addition to being a force of nature, she is quite the terrific cook too.”

“Indeed, my liege.” The [Knight]-Captain nodded with a hearty laugh. “Her culinary skills are truly unique in this world.”

King Jalen leant forward, propping up his elbows onto the table and resting his chin on his knuckles. “I wonder, where is she from?”

“I am not sure—”

“Missing something? Do you mean MSG?” she asked casually.

“M... what?” Edlyn blinked a few times.

“It stands for— oh, nevermind.” Amelia shook her head. “Basically, it’s like salt, but better. It adds a lot of flavor, and it’s honestly the most important ingredient when making fried rice. Unfortunately...”

“Unfortunately...?” the [Royal Chef] repeated, still processing what was going on.

Amelia sighed as her shoulders sagged. “Unfortunately, I have no idea how to make MSG. I don’t even know how to get MSG. So I had to do my best without it.”

“R-right.” Edlyn hesitated. Somehow, she was still alive. She thought she’d be dead by now. But Amelia didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the critique. And that emboldened the [Royal Chef] a tiny bit enough for her to sit up and continue. “But that’s not all.”

“It isn’t?” The brown-haired woman blinked.

“You needed to add more vegetables too. More green onions, more carrots, more peas... and I think you need more sesame oil too?” Edlyn frowned, using [Recall Taste] as she licked her lips.

“Wait, you knew all that just from tasting my cooking?” Amelia stared at the [Royal Chef], her previous dull expression gone, replaced by a look of amazement.

“Well...” Edlyn scratched the back of her head, avoiding eye contact for a moment. “I am a Level 47 [Royal Chef], after all.”

Amelia gave Edlyn an approving look. “That’s impressive. Isn’t that pretty close to Xakor’s level?”

The [Royal Chef] flushed from the compliment. “I mean, I don’t think levels mean everything. But I would say that I might catch up to him soon...”

Most of Edlyn's anxiety was gone now. Somehow, Amelia— the monster who was as strong as an Elder Dragon— actually appreciated the [Royal Chef]’s Skills. For the first time since Edlyn had started working here in the Astra Palace, someone had been impressed by her. And that seemed to calm her nerves.

Maybe we’re not all going to die, after all... the thought crossed her mind as she eyed Amelia standing there.

The brown-haired woman almost seemed harmless— like she couldn’t slaughter everyone in the dining hall in an instant— as she nodded to herself. She met Edlyn’s gaze, and for once, the [Royal Chef] didn’t look away. But perhaps she should have.

Because when Amelia opened her mouth again, Edlyn couldn’t come up with a response.

“Do you,” Amelia said, “want to work for me?”

“...what?” And Edlyn’s eyes went wide.