A Sweet Girl Won't Be Fooled By The Villainess - [Vol. 3] Chapter 31
[Vol. 3] Chapter 31: What Little Dwarf!
As the large shrimp and squid on the iron plate gradually cooked, the dominant fragrance became even more intense due to the sprinkled spices, making it impossible for people to sit still just by smelling it.
Those who had previously run out of the kitchen and returned did not continue to act professionally in their positions. Instead, they stood together, pushing and shoving each other, wearing curious expressions on their faces, and standing very close to where Ifia was cooking.
While staring fixedly at the dishes that were both colorful and fragrant, they lifted their hands to wipe the drool that was about to flow like a river from the corners of their mouths.
They felt as if they were standing in the middle of heaven and hell, truly on the verge of being tortured. They had never thought that a dish could be so tantalizing!
In response to this, some of them were puzzled. These were just common ingredients they used regularly. How did they turn into delicious dishes in Ifia’s hands?
“Oh my god, I’m about to be drooling to death. This is just too fragrant!”
“Don’t even talk about it, my saliva is about to flow down. This dwarf from the Sith Empire really has some skills!”
“Why call her a dwarf? She is my respected master!”
“Sigh, I originally thought it wasn’t necessary to go to the Sith Empire to learn, but now it seems that learning is endless. I wonder if I can apply to the royal family to study culinary arts in the Sith Empire.”
Due to Ifia showcasing her culinary skills, everyone in the kitchen had lost interest in their current tasks. As a result, the handling of the upcoming post-meal dessert was somewhat perfunctory, as they couldn’t wait to finish and join the others in watching Ifia cook.
The blatantly negative and slack attitude caught the attention of the Head Chef, Erlyn, who furrowed her brow. No longer able to continue staring at Ifia, she quickly reprimanded them, “What are you daydreaming about? Focus and do it seriously. If the food turns out bad, be careful not to incur the wrath of the royal family.”
The royal family of Taric Kingdom was not known for their kindness and gentleness. Many palace servants had been whipped to death in the past. Although the kitchen had limited interactions with the royal family and was relatively safe, displeasing food could still lead to consequences, at least in the form of a severe beating.
Therefore, upon hearing Erlyn’s reprimand, the people working in the kitchen dared not lose focus. However, while observing her subordinates working diligently on the post-meal dessert, Erlyn couldn’t help but rub her temples in frustration. She cast an annoyed glance towards Ifia, the dwarf from the Sith Empire.
Using milk as an ingredient, Ifia’s cooking produced a sweet and rich aroma even from a distance, in stark contrast to the usual milk they used. Regardless of the taste of these dishes, the enticing fragrance alone indicated that Ifia indeed had some genuine culinary skills!
Perhaps Erlyn’s gaze was too focused, but as Ifia waited for the clay pot to heat up, she suddenly turned her head and locked eyes with Erlyn. Then, Ifia smiled and waved towards Erlyn.
Seeing that Ifia seemed to be inviting her over, Erlyn hesitated for a moment. However, she quickly reminded herself that this was the kitchen of Taric Kingdom’s palace, and as the Head Chef, she had no reason to hesitate!
With these thoughts in mind, Erlyn immediately stepped forward, under the watchful eyes of others, and approached Ifia. With a stern expression, she said in a deep voice, “Foreigner, what do you want?”
“Hello, you can call me Ifia. This is my friend, Amelia Barlen.”
As the saying goes, don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Ifia felt a bit awkward being referred to as a foreigner all the time, especially since she would be staying in Taric Kingdom’s kingdom for a while. It seemed more convenient to establish some familiarity in the kitchen for future interactions.
Upon noticing that Ifia’s attitude was different from before, Erlyn was momentarily surprised. After a moment of discomfort, she awkwardly touched her nose and dropped her authoritative tone, saying, “I’m Erlyn, the Head Chef.”
Seeing that Erlyn’s demeanor was not as strong as before, Ifia thought there might be a chance.
Seizing the opportunity, Ifia quickly continued, “I mentioned earlier that I wanted to showcase the culinary skills of the Sith Empire. Since you’re the Head Chef, Erlyn, why not taste these dishes?”
After saying this, Ifia took out pre-prepared small plates, each containing a bite-sized portion.
All these small plates were placed on a golden tray, arranged in the shape of a flower. Upon seeing this, Erlyn couldn’t help but purse her lips, thinking that people from the Sith Empire were just too particular. And the portion size—did they look down on someone? In Taric, people ate from large bowls!
Although she thought the portion was small, Erlyn didn’t refuse to taste. She had been curious about the taste ever since she caught a whiff of the aroma of these dishes. Now that she had the opportunity to taste them, she wasn’t about to miss it.
As she pierced a piece of squid with her fork and put it into her mouth, Erlyn’s expression changed from initial skepticism to shock, then to the enjoyment of the taste, and finally became complex and silent. The range of expressions she went through could rival a quick-change artist.
After trying the grilled squid on the iron plate, Erlyn didn’t speak and continued to reach for the next dish. The small plate held a meatball.
When Ifia prepared this dish, Erlyn had watched closely. She had seen minced pork, mashed potatoes, and some special spices being made into meatballs, then grilled on an iron plate with chopped green onions. The cooking process was quite complicated.
However, after taking a bite, Erlyn felt that the complexity was nothing compared to the incredible taste! It was unbelievably delicious!
“What is this?” she exclaimed.
The deliciousness of this meatball surpassed Erlyn’s imagination, leaving her unable to resist asking questions while savoring the taste in her mouth. Despite having just tasted two dishes, Erlyn was clear in her mind. Ifia hadn’t lied— the culinary skills from the Sith Empire were indeed impressive, surpassing those of the Taric Kingdom.
“This is Iron Plate Grilled Lion’s Head with Spring Onions, a dish from the Eastern Kingdom,” Ifia explained. Now that Ifia had successfully entered the kitchen, there was no need to continue provoking. Instead, she began to justify her culinary skills, staying true to her roots.
“In fact, my culinary skills come from a mysterious Eastern Kingdom heritage. The reason I mentioned the Sith Empire’s culinary skills is simply because…”
“Alright, no need to explain. I understand,” Erlyn interrupted. Having worked in the kitchen for many years, she admired talented chefs. Her initial dislike of Ifia was due to her foreign identity and her boastful words about culinary skills without evidence. Now that she saw Ifia’s true abilities, any resentment had been cast aside.
Erlyn was currently contemplating how to build a good relationship with Ifia. Ideally, she wanted Ifia to teach a thing or two in the kitchen. As for Ifia’s previous arrogant remarks, Erlyn had long forgotten about them. Who cares about arrogant talk when there’s genuine skill?
This is clearly her half-sister!
“Ifia, considering your age, your culinary skills are so exceptional! Impressive!” After discarding the initial unfavorable impression, Erlyn found herself increasingly satisfied with Ifia. She no longer wore a stern expression and instead spoke warmly.
The rapid change in attitude caught Ifia off guard, but she was an adaptable person who could go with the flow. She didn’t reject Erlyn’s goodwill but modestly waved her hand, saying, “It’s nothing special, just a hobby of mine to cook.”
“How is that possible? Your culinary talent is so powerful, you’ve surpassed countless others.”
“Really? But I feel like I still need more experience.”
“You’re already this strong, and you still want more experience? You should let other chefs learn from your dedication and perseverance.”
After some back-and-forth, restraining the urge to break into a huge smile, Ifia was delighted by Erlyn’s praise. Erlyn, who had initially criticized her, was now praising her in various ways. It was truly satisfying!
On the side, Amelia lowered her gaze and observed Ifia. Seeing Ifia’s proud and adorable expression, Amelia couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking about gifting Ifia a cat tail or fox tail one day.
She should like it, right? Or maybe, in addition to these, she also likes demon tails? Thinking about this, a hint of red flashed in Amelia’s purple eyes, and suddenly she felt like giving her all of them!
“Erlyn, you can try this cup of lemon milk tea. After removing the milk’s smell, I added lemon juice and some other seasonings. It should be quite different from the milk you’ve had before.”
Noticing Erlyn’s attitude change, Ifia didn’t hesitate and lifted a cup of specially crafted lemon milk tea.
While Erlyn wanted Ifia to come to the kitchen to teach, Ifia was thinking of frequently visiting the kitchen to enjoy the food. With a mutual understanding, their relationship quickly improved.
As a pledge to the kitchen, Ifia decided to share the technique of removing the smell from milk with everyone, freeing the people of Taric from the inconvenience of the milk’s odor. When it came to teaching simple culinary skills, Ifia was not secretive. She believed in the joy of sharing and enhancing everyone’s culinary experience.
However, when it came to the unique culinary skills taught by her grandfather, they were not to be shared unless she took on apprentices. This involved the sacred tradition of culinary heritage and couldn’t be casually revealed.
In reality, Ifia would actually like to take on an apprentice if she could find a suitable candidate, passing down her culinary skills and continuing the family tradition. However, considering the imminent destruction of the world in a few years, Ifia thought it might be better to play it cool.
She only hoped that when the world came to an end, she could be with Amelia. Facing death together seemed quite romantic. So, Amelia belonged to her, and no one else should even think about trying to steal her!
As Ifia was about to hand the lemon milk tea to Erlyn, a crisp female voice suddenly sounded outside the kitchen door, “The kitchen seems lively today!”
It was the persistent voice of Princess Sissi.
Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, Ifia coldly hummed in her mind, thinking that intentionally letting Princess Sissi discover their departure from the grand hall and then deliberately delaying time in the kitchen had finally paid off. It was time for the second step of the Peacock Display Plan – suppress the enemy and showcase oneself!