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11:56Don't move.
12:56When his cool fingertips brushed across my skin, my back suddenly tent up. I couldn't tell if it was pain
13:00or an itch. Only once the ointment was evenly spread did he pull a soft velvet blanket over me and
13:05gently cover my back.
13:07I turned to thank him, but my gaze collided right into his.
13:12I'm sorry. You were dragged into this because of me.
13:16I was utterly stunned. All those rumors about his ruthlessness and cold heart suddenly blurred in my mind at that
13:22moment.
13:23Yesterday it was still swollen. How did it heal so quickly today?
13:27I grew up hurting myself all the time. I'm tough. I heal fast.
13:32Fortunately, Caspia didn't press further. He turned and went out to call the physician.
13:37A few days later, my injuries were completely healed.
13:40That day, I brought a new dish to the study to find Cassian.
13:44I caught a glimpse of a gilded invitation spread open on his desk.
13:47It read,
13:48City State Culinary Competition The first prize was a century-old purple linen branch plus a boon from the lord
13:53himself.
13:54My breath caught in my throat. I felt my blood begin to boil with excitement.
13:58In the human world, purple linen was worth more than its weight in gold.
14:02In the magic world, it was the ultimate base material for crafting a magic wand.
14:07Impervious to fire, resistant to any blade.
14:10It might even have the power to restore my magic.
14:13Your Grace, may I go participate in the culinary competition?
14:16You want that lindenwood?
14:18I nodded guiltfully and lied, saying I wanted to make a rolling pin.
14:21He let out a low chuckle but didn't expose my lie.
14:24He nodded his approval and gave me leave to enter the competition as the private chef of House Cancaster,
14:29with free reign to choose any ingredients I wanted.
14:32Over the next few days, I polished my competition dishes while constantly thinking about restoring my magic.
14:38I suddenly recalled that Cassia's study housed many rare, ancient manuscripts.
14:42So, while he went out to receive guests, I secretly slipped inside to rummage through them.
14:46On a hidden shelf in the deepest corner, I found an old book out magic.
14:52It mentioned that a witch who had lost her powers could restore them by standing at a high place
14:56and bathing in the light of the full moon.
14:58I clutched the pages tightly, my heart pounding wildly.
15:02That very night was a full moon.
15:04I snuck around to the tall tower at the back of the estate and climbed the stone steps all the
15:09way up to the highest observation platform.
15:12I stood at the edge of the stone platform, closed my eyes, and silently chanted the incantation.
15:18But ten minutes passed, and my magic power still hadn't returned.
15:22Disappointed, I turned to leave, but my foot slipped on a loose piece of stone.
15:25My whole body lurched violently forward.
15:27Half my body pitched over the edge, hanging in midair.
15:30The wind instantly whipped through my skirt.
15:32Below the tower was a dark, murky pool where several crocodiles were gliding through the water.
15:37Weightlessness seized my heart in an instant.
15:39I closed my eyes in instinctive terror, but a hand grabbed my wrist.
15:44In a steel grip and wrenched me violently back.
15:47I slammed into a familiar chest.
15:49Looking up, my geist collated squarely with Cassian's eyes, burning with pure fury.
15:54His grip on my wrist was crushing.
15:55He gritted his teeth, barely holding back his rage.
15:58What are you doing?
16:01Do you have a death wish?
16:02Utterly furious with me.
16:04Cassian turned and started to walk away.
16:06I hurried after him immediately.
16:08I'm sorry.
16:09I just came up here to look at the moon.
16:11Seeing him walk faster and faster, I panicked and grabbed his hand tightly.
16:16Cassian stopped a butly and spun around.
16:18My momentum didn't stop in time and I crashed right into his chest.
16:22His hands caught my waist, instantly pulling us close.
16:25He looked down at me, his gaze slowly trailing from my eyes down to my lips.
16:30My heart raced wildly.
16:31I watched, frozen, as he leaned down inch by inch, closing the distance.
16:36Your grace?
16:37Oh.
16:43For the next two days, I hid from Cassian.
16:49I didn't know how to face him.
16:51Because I had fallen for Cassian.
16:53But he was human, destined never to be with a witch.
16:56On the day of the competition, I finally saw Cassie again.
16:59He knocked on my door and said he would escort me to the venue.
17:02His expression was no different from usual.
17:04I breathed a quiet sigh of relief and said he would escort me to the venue, yet couldn't
17:07help but feel a pang of disappointment.
17:11The cooking competition was held in the front courtyard of the Lord's Castle.
17:15Twelve cooking stations were arranged in two orderly rows, with nobles seated high above
17:20on a viewing platform.
17:21I said goodbye to Cassian and walked to my assigned cooking station.
17:26Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Lydia standing diagonally across from me, sleeves
17:31rolled up, meticulously her to enter, adjusting her knives.
17:34I froze for a moment.
17:35I hadn't expected her to enter the competition, too.
17:38Her brow arched and a malicious smile curled at the corner of her mouth.
17:41A sense of forebeating shot through me.
17:44I looked down and lifted the cloth covering my ingredient basket.
17:47My heart instantly turned to ice.
17:49My core spices, which I had carefully prepared in advance, were crawling with rats and ants.
17:53I lifted my eyes and met Lydia's provocative stare head-on.
17:56The smile on her lips was blatantly smug.
17:59Snicks riffled through the crowd all around me.
18:02This wretch is nothing but a slave-born mongrel, and she dares to compete?
18:06Does she even know what fine cuisine is?
18:08I heard she's Duke Lancaster's slave.
18:10She's truly bringing shame upon the House of Lancaster.
18:13Can't even keep her spices safe.
18:16I say she should just give up right now.
18:19I saw Cassian seated beside the Lord on the high platform,
18:22his gaze fixed on me with deep worry.
18:25And in that gaze, I found the strength to stand my ground.
18:28I gripped my knife tightly, drew a deep breath,
18:31and shoved down the fire rising in my chest.
18:33I dug out the intact beef shank from the bottom of the basket,
18:37along with some small soil-cucked potatoes
18:39and a few limp, bruised sprigs of thyme.
18:41Then, I gathered a faint trace of green light at my fingertips
18:44and let it flow along the blade of my knife.
18:46I began to work.
18:48The dense tuff flew up and down so it was sliced into uniformly thin sheets,
18:52each one with tough beef shank with perfect, intact texture,
18:55and the sinew trimmed away clean.
18:59I tossed the potatoes into the air,
19:01two swift flicks of my cleaver,
19:02and they were perfectly peeled.
19:04The snickling around me instantly faded.
19:07Some people couldn't help but crane their necks
19:08to peer over at my station.
19:10I didn't dare use my familiar magic flame.
19:12I only netted that tiny, meager amount of nature magic
19:15into the very fibers of the ingredients.
19:16My fingertips brushed gently over the beef.
19:18The originally-taught meat slowly relaxed and opened,
19:21the muscle fibers plumping up.
19:22Then I brushed over the wilted, curled thyme sprigs,
19:24the leaves unfurled, becoming lush and bright once more.
19:28When the pan was hot and the butter had melted,
19:30I laid the beef slices in.
19:32In that instant, sizzle.
19:35A crisp, explosive crackle rang out.
19:37A rich, mellow, meaty aroma mingled with a fresh,
19:40clean herbal cement burst forth
19:42and drifted to every corner of the venue.
19:44The previously clamorous competition grounds
19:46suddenly went mostly silent.
19:48The nobles who had been chattering non-stall fell quiet,
19:50sniffing the air as they turned toward my direction.
19:52The smugness on Lydia's face also froze.
19:55She stared at me, her expression darkening.
19:59Soon, the cooking time was over.
20:01The bronze bell rang out at the edge of the venue.
20:03The stoves at every cooking station
20:04were extinguished one after another.
20:06I plated my dish swiftly
20:08as servers wound through the stations,
20:10collecting the dish through the stations
20:12in order to present them to the judges.
20:14Lydia was the first to finish arranging her dish.
20:16Lifting her pearl-white skirts,
20:18she strode forward with her head held high.
20:20A red wine reduction drawn in a smooth, graceful arc,
20:23garnished at the edge with edible gold leaf.
20:26It was exquisite, like a museum piece.
20:28The judges and the Lord tasted it in turn.
20:32All of them nodded in praise.
20:34Scorecards were raised one after another,
20:36the numbers pulling far ahead.
20:38Lydia's truffled foie gras
20:39shows masterful heat control
20:40and rich, mellow flavor.
20:42It doesn't pale in comparison
20:43to the finest chefs in the royal capital.
20:44The noble ladies in the front row
20:46chimed in agreement,
20:46hiding their smiles behind ivory fans
20:48as they praised her
20:49for having both pedigree and skill.
20:51Lydia curlsied slightly,
20:52the smirk on her lips growing even wider.
20:55Yet, from the corner of her eye,
20:57she threw a side-led glance at me,
20:58a look clearly waiting for me
20:59to make a fool of myself.
21:01I ignored her provocation entirely.
21:03Picking up my plate,
21:04covered with a silver clover,
21:06I walked at a measured pace
21:07toward the judges' table.
21:08The nobles along the way
21:09couldn't help but turn their eyes towards me.
21:11Up on the high platform,
21:13Cassian, who had been leaning back in his chair,
21:14some were curious,
21:16others raised their owls,
21:16now sat up straighter.
21:17His gaze was fixed unblankly
21:19on the plate in my hands.
21:20But at that moment,
21:21a figure suddenly rushed at me
21:23from diagonally behind,
21:24stumbling heavily right into my path.
21:26The plate in my hands
21:27lubged violently.
21:28The silver clatter clattered
21:29and slid half an inch open.
21:31The entire dish seemed
21:32about to crash to the ground.
21:33I instinctively twisted my wrist,
21:35silently chanting
21:36an implantation in my heart.
21:37Green magic light
21:38seeped from my fingertips.
21:39I gripped the bottom of the plate,
21:40tightly lifted it.
21:41The wobbling plate
21:41landed steady back in my palm.
21:43The clutch,
21:43which had slid half an inch open,
21:45was pressed back into place by me.
21:48The maid who had bumped me
21:49was now sitting on the ground,
21:51clutching her ankle,
21:52and acting like she had merely tripped,
21:53offering fake apologies
21:54in rapid succession,
21:55all while her eyes
21:56slipped flutively
21:57toward Lydia's direction.
21:59I had no interest
22:00in getting tangled up
22:01in these petty tricks.
22:01Carrying my plate,
22:03I walked straight
22:03to the judge's table.
22:04The moment I lifted the clover,
22:06a warm, mellow meaty aroma
22:07mingled with a crisp,
22:08clean herbal cement
22:09wafed through the air.
22:10The beef slices,
22:11braised until meltingly tender,
22:12were layered in folds
22:13over a bed of smooth,
22:14velvety mashed potatoes.
22:16The surface glistened
22:17with an enticing sheen.
22:18The judges were so enticed,
22:20they began swallowing
22:21in anticipation.
22:22They couldn't wait
22:23to start tasting.
22:24One after another,
22:26their faces lit up
22:27with astonishment,
22:28and they praised me
22:28with utter disbelief.
22:30The scorecards
22:31they raised
22:32were a clear notch higher
22:33than what they had
22:33just given Lydia.
22:35To achieve such layers
22:36of flavor with common
22:37ingredients is truly rare.
22:39Otherwise,
22:39she wouldn't have cured
22:40my ananexia.
22:41The final scores
22:42were announced.
22:43I had beaten Lydia
22:44by a margin of two points
22:46and taken first place.
22:47Lydia couldn't accept it.
22:49She shrieked accusations
22:50of cheating,
22:51but couldn't produce
22:51a shred of evidence.
22:52She was coldly rebuked
22:54by the Lord
22:54for her disgraceful conduct
22:55instead.
22:56Left with no choice,
22:57she clenched her skirts
22:58and stormed away,
22:59her face twisted
23:00with venomous spite.
23:01I received the wooden box
23:02containing the lilan wood
23:03from the Lord's hands.
23:05My heart was pounding.
23:08With this,
23:08I could finally craft
23:09a new magic wand.
23:10hand.
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