Putting Aside Nationalistic Bias, It’s Really Delicious

36 – Tasteless

Andrea.

The long-living elves, who were said to live for hundreds of years.

The original race, and the noble race that received the most love from the gods.

Guardians of the World Tree.

An outstanding hunter and pioneer, who left the elf forest in search of meat.

Hunter of the Nella Forest.

Orc slayer.

As one who has lived a life of over 100 years, there were plenty of words to describe her.

But now, she was a waitress at a knight’s cafeteria.

“Welcome… Ha… ha… ha.”

Andrea, awkwardly smiling while greeting her guests.

She still felt uncomfortable lifting the corners of her mouth.

“An elf…”

“Was there originally an elf at this restaurant?”

“I heard that elf came as a customer during the day?”

She sighed inwardly as she watched the humans murmuring and looking at her.

The human gazes that blatantly stared at her like an exotic animal.

It wasn’t the first or second time she had felt this, but it was inevitable that she felt uncomfortable every time she met those stares.

‘I have to bear with it.’

If she had encountered such stares outside.

-Have you never seen an elf before? Such ignorant and foolish human reactions. Why don’t you stop admiring useless things and just go do your own business?

That’s probably what she would have retorted.

And if they had crossed the line one more time?

She would have shown them an appropriate lesson using the knife at her waist.

However, it wasn’t that time now.

She focused on the feeling of the gaze from behind.

Starting today, Lucas, who had become her boss.

The employer who lent her as much as 200 gold.

And the chef who, among all the humans she had seen, cooked the most delicious food.

The sense of satisfaction she felt every time she ate his meal was never ordinary.

As she thought of the meat dishes containing mana, saliva already gathered in her mouth.

‘Since I can eat dinner when the work is over.’

She held her anger inwardly.

“I’ll show you to your seat… ha. ha. ha.”

With an awkward laugh that seemed to crumple her mask, Andrea led the newly arrived guests to their seats.

“What would you like to eat…?”

Although it was an awkward smile and a stiff tone, the guests who saw the beauty of the elf Andrea smiled with delight as they looked at her.

The Britten Territory was the countryside of the Empire.

In a place where almost no foreigners visited, it was difficult even to see an orc, let alone an elf.

To the young men from the countryside who had only ever lived in such a rural place, Andrea the Elf’s beauty felt like that of an angel from another world.

“Wow…”

“…”

The farmer, who couldn’t even answer her question, just stared at her blankly.

And the other customer, who seemed too shy to even meet her gaze, kept stealing glances at her.

“Sir, what would you like to eat?”

Only after Andrea’s prompt did the farmer finally come to his senses and place an order.

“I’ll have the tofu kimchi and two bottles of soju, please.”

“Understood. So, tofu kimchi and soju…”

“Ahem!”

It was at that moment that Andrea’s sensitive ears caught the sound of Lucas’s fake cough.

Lucas, who was working, was definitely looking at her.

‘Ah.’

Suddenly, she remembered the employee training she had received from Lucas before starting her shift.

– On days when there’s a new menu, always recommend it at least once. There are a lot of people who don’t order it because they don’t know about it. Talk about it once to make them think more about our menu.

It meant that she should put into practice what she had learned.

“There’s a new menu featuring kimchi stir-fried pork and tofu that you could try. What do you think…?”

At her words, the two male customers’ eyes were drawn to her.

“Kimchi stir-fried pork, you say?”

“What is that?”

“It’s… a dish made by stir-frying the pork front leg with the kimchi that goes on top of tofu kimchi. The price increases by 5 silvers, but the taste is guaranteed.”

“Then please serve that.”

“Thank you.”

Andrea had no idea.

The two people would have asked her to add any menu item.

Elf, and a beauty.

Where was a man who would decline something recommended by a captivating beauty?

They would’ve ordered even if it meant getting into debt.

That was the effect of having a beautiful staff member in the store.

It significantly boosted sales.

She shouted towards Lucas, who took their order.

“One tofu kimchi pork!”

The beautiful voice of the enchanting elf resonated throughout the store.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward her.

“Okay!”

Sizzling!

Hearing her words, Lucas began stir-frying the meat in a frying pan.

Whoosh!

As he slightly coated it with oil and quickly stir-fried it, flames shot up from the frying pan.

“Wow!”

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“What, what was that just now?”

People’s attention was immediately drawn to the flames rising from the kitchen.

While the elf’s appearance while taking orders and serving was one thing, the spectacle Lucas provided by stir-frying with flames was enough to steal the eyes of the people in this rural area.

Even those who had come to drown their day’s fatigue with alcohol.

And those who were already tipsy after a glass.

Everyone watched Lucas’s fire show with an astonished look on their faces.

It was like magic.

“Wasn’t the boss here a knight before?”

“He even casts magic….”

“Wow.”

It was a show that Lucas could never pull off alone.

No matter how skilled Lucas was, it was almost impossible for him to cook and entertain guests at the same time.

Lucas served the tantalizingly flavored kimchi pork and tofu on a white plate and handed it to Andrea.

“Give this to the guest. Make sure you don’t eat it.”

“What do you think I am, a food thief? I would never do that!”

Andrea yelled, feeling secretly stung.

The guests were not the only ones mesmerized by Lucas’ display of fire.

It was the first time Andrea had ever witnessed someone’s cooking process firsthand.

Although she had seen it at lunch earlier, it wasn’t as exciting as now.

Back then, it was just about quickly running around and getting things done.

She had never seen the flames leap from the frying pan, perfectly forming a ring, and then disappearing back inside the pan.

She never realized that cooking could be this spectacular.

Andrea felt the same excitement as when her mother had first shown her magic.

It was reminiscent of the feeling she had when she tasted meat for the first time.

The thrill of discovering the unknown lightly tapped on her heart.

On top of that, the mouthwatering smell of kimchi pork filled the air.

Even though she had smelled it once before, the aroma still stimulated her senses.

No, it was because she had tasted it once before that she couldn’t help but salivate even more.

It was a familiar taste.

A taste she knew so well from lunch earlier.

‘It must be delicious.’

Having satisfied her sense of sight and smell, she now wanted to taste it with her mouth.

It was in that moment that Lucas had pointed it out, making her feel unnecessarily stung.

“It must be delicious.”

Andrea swallowed her saliva forcibly and offered the kimchi and pork tofu to the customer.

“Here’s your side dish.”

That was the beginning.

“Me, me too!”

“I’ll have one tofu kimchi pork too!”

“Please take our order as well!”

The flood of orders began from the customers who had just witnessed the show.

***

“Goodbye!”

When the last customer left,

Lucas looked at Andrea, who was doing the dishes with him.

“Is everything done over there?”

“This is the last dish.”

Andrea, who was still not used to speaking politely, wiped the last dish clean while still wearing her rubber gloves.

An innovative invention of the Empire, rubber gloves!

It was one of the inventions that had already been invented before I began to recall my memories from the original world.

Thanks to these gloves, I hadn’t developed any housewife-like habits while working in the kitchen for seven years.

It was one of the few things for which I felt grateful to the original author.

Andrea removed the rubber gloves, soaked in water, after rinsing off the foam from the last dish.

Having finished all her tasks, she asked me.

“Do we have to work like this every day……?”

“No, not every day.”

“I’m relieved.”

“You’ll get two days off a month.”

Andrea’s relieved expression froze instantly.

“Really, is that so?”

“If we take a day off, it’s a loss. We should work quickly and think about attracting more customers.”

That’s how elves are.

Maybe it’s because they live too long, they’re all so laid-back.

Should I teach them the Korean K-quickly?

“But don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get your meals and salary as much as you work.”

Her disappointed face brightened up a bit.

“Then, what’s for dinner?”

“Choose whatever you want to eat. Should I make bibimbap?”

The first reason I mentioned bibimbap was that it was the easiest to make.

Just stir-frying some meat, mixing it with leftovers, rice, and gochujang would do.

“Uh… I want to eat kimchi pork.”

“But we don’t have tofu.”

“It’s okay. I don’t want to eat that anyway.”

“Alright. Is plain rice okay?”

Andrea nodded her head.

Since the first time we met, she had been talking about bullfighting, so I had been thinking of beef-related dishes.

I was going to grill some leftover ribs in the backyard and eat them.

‘Well, it’s what she wants.’

It should be fine to put in a generous amount of pork.

“Since we’re going to eat in the backyard, set the table while I cook.”

“Huh? The backyard, you say?”

“Yeah. The view is nice there.”

At my words, Andrea hesitated.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can I set the table after watching you cook?”

Watching me cook?

“It doesn’t really matter, but why? Didn’t you watch enough earlier?”

“I couldn’t because I was working.”

“Fine. Take a break for a moment. Let’s set the table together when I’m done.”

I sprayed oil on the heated pan. As soon as I put the sliced kimchi of appropriate size on it, the mixture of kimchi juice and oil sizzled.

Sizzle!

Feeling like spreading oil on the surface of the kimchi, I briefly stir-fried it and then placed the meat on the boiling kimchi.

A pleasant sound rang out.

It felt like passing through pouring rain amidst the gurgling sound.

“Hey, human, no, boss.”

“What now?”

“Are you not going to do it like you did earlier?”

I met Andrea’s eyes, which seemed regretful.

“Oh, you wanted to watch because of that?”

“……”

Andrea didn’t open her mouth.

Well, I’m sure silence is an answer too.

Nothing’s better than a restful respite.

“Right. Because the meat tastes better with a smoky flavor.”

With my left hand holding the frying pan and my right hand holding a spatula for stir-frying, I vigorously shook the frying pan.

Gently stirring the ingredients with the spatula so that they would shake easily, I shook the frying pan back and forth.

The key to stir-frying is not only how well you can create a smoky flavor but also making sure that the contents inside the pan never splash outside.

If it splatters even a little, cleaning up becomes a headache.

And if the kimchi soup splatters…

“It won’t do.”

It was crucial to control the heat so that the ingredients could move freely within the pan.

That’s why he hadn’t stir-fried on purpose, but he took the risk and started stir-frying at Andrea’s request.

“I worked hard for you.”

It would be fine to give a free service just once.

Flames engulfed the pork fat and lit up the pan with fire.

“Wow…”

An exclamation was heard from the side.

Every time that happened, the tip of her nose wriggled.

“Her reaction is amusing.”

It was like the reaction of a child at an amusement park.

As soon as the stir-frying was done, Andrea looked at the frying pan with a disappointed expression.

“Is it over now?”

“If I cook it more, it’ll burn.”

“Ahh… that’s a shame.”

“Now let’s set it up.”

“Yes, I got it.”

She moved quickly.

Elves were undeniably elves.

Even though she’d only worked once, she moved so quickly.

Aside from being awkward when dealing with people, she was a fairly competent employee.

“If I teach her well, she’ll be useful.”

She was only a short-term employee for 10 months, but it seemed like it would be comfortable for a while.

With the completed kimchi stir-fried pork, side dishes, and rice on a tray, I opened the door leading to the backyard.

“Is that the backyard?”

“Wow, the scenery here is breathtaking.”

The picturesque spot that even Lancelot was captivated by!

Opening up a great view!

Andrea, who followed me to the backyard, opened his mouth in awe.

Even in the middle of the night, the backyard was sparkling with the light from nightlights.

We crossed the small vegetable garden in the backyard and approached a table with a distant view of the scenery.

“Whoa…”

The panoramic view of the natural landscape of the self-writing area was among the best of the best.

Even at night, the plain emitted a soft light.

The light came from the fireflies glowing on their tails.

There was a mysterious charm to the path of the self-writing area, seen between the sporadically blooming torches that lined the path.

The subtle cries of insects and frogs filled the air.

The reason for opening a restaurant with the spot here.

Andrea’s admiration for the backyard’s landscape made my shoulders shrug with pride.

‘That’s right, this is it.’

I placed the side dishes on the table and sat down where the scenery could be seen well.

“How is it?”

“It’s nice. It looks beautiful…”

Forgetting to use honorifics to me, Andrea was lost in the scenery while blankly staring at the landscape.

“Let’s eat. It’s getting cold.”

“Oh, thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”

The smoky flavored kimchi pork was even more delicious than I had expected.

Maybe it was thanks to the beautiful scenery?

***

The Imperial City’s Princess Knights’ residence was, as always, filled with the smell of sweat from the knights who had finished their morning training.

“Phew, I’m beat. Hey, Ethan, what’s on the menu today?”

“Let me tell you today’s menu! The menu includes fried fish, cream risotto, and soybean paste soup, that’s all!”

“Soybean paste soup again?”

“That’s right!”

“Geez… Why does it keep coming up these days?”

As soon as the senior knight Depo heard today’s menu, his energy waned.

Soybean paste soup.

It was a menu item no different from hell for the knights.

It wasn’t because it didn’t taste good.

No, the current soybean paste soup doesn’t taste good.

It was delicious when Lucas, the original cook, was around.

Despite differences in preferences, a significantly larger portion of the knights liked it.

Lucas’s culinary skills were truly unparalleled.

The same answer would have come out if everyone in the Princess Knight’s Squad was asked.

Lucas was considered a greater cooking master than a sword master.

Of course, they didn’t know it when he was there.

They didn’t realize how big the difference would be without him.

Many knights who served for seven years as cooking soldiers felt that Lucas’s cooking was natural and expected.

If you’re too close and take something for granted, you’ll never know its true value.

The knights were no exception.

“When Lucas was around, even the soybean paste soup was delicious.”

Depo sighed, recalling the time when he had met Lucas in the kitchen.

– Soybean paste soup? Are you kidding me now?

– Just try it. Everyone teased it as a ‘crap soup,’ but they loved it.

Just a few months ago, he had been immersed in its unique and deep taste.

Although it didn’t become popular among the nobles due to its appearance, unlike kimchi stew, there were quite a few knights who enjoyed it.

– Didn’t Sir Golden Wagon also enjoy a much richer soybean paste stew?

The vivid image of Lucas, who used to laugh and enjoy it, still remained.

“Recently, even the royal knights don’t come.”

“That’s right. Those guys used to barge into our kitchen, abusing their power.”

“Rather, it’s for the better. Our mealtime was always delayed because of them. Lucas even had to take the trainee knights to eat multiple times because of that.”

There were many complaints about him among the knights.

Why should we be the ones to suffer because of the royal knights?

But what could be done?

They were the Emperor’s knights, after all.

“By the way, wasn’t the new cook a cooking contest winner?”

“Yes, that’s right. They said he was the best cook in the empire?”

“But why….”

“Don’t know.”

Before leaving, Lucas had recorded and left behind the recipes of dishes that the knights enjoyed, starting with kimchi stew.

– The made kimchi is here, and you can use the remaining soybean paste. The other ingredients are all here, so I’ll leave you with the recipe and you can make it if you want.

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So one dish was added to the menu every day.

But it didn’t taste the same.

It didn’t have the taste that came from Lucas’ cooking.

At least the kimchi stew felt similar, but it had been a long time since that dish was removed from the menu.

“I really miss Lucas.”

“Why did Captain Luke send Senior Lucas away?”

“No idea. He said he wanted to go.”

“Did the princess also agree?”

“Don’t know about that. It was like he left while she was away.”

Discontent about the menu was growing among the knights.

And even,

“It doesn’t taste good.”

Princess Diana felt the same.