Chapter 697
Chapter 697
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 697
Chapter Title: Torment and Choice (3)
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1.
The sudden request from Rinne, who had dropped in out of nowhere, was a demand that perfectly fit the phrase "out of the blue."
But for the Witch of Freedom, gathering ingredients didn't take long at all.
To a witch who had lived for an eternity, fine cuisine was an indispensable pleasure.
Even the witches gathered in Hexennacht were no different.
It was common knowledge that when abducting slaves to exploit in various fields, hotel chefs and patissiers ranked at the top of the list.
As such, Dignity Town was teeming with contacts that handled rare ingredients, and the Witch of Freedom was able to procure more than enough materials using just a twentieth of the gold bars Rinne had handed over.
Even so, designing a course menu and sourcing the ingredients in just over an hour was purely thanks to the Witch of Freedom's culinary expertise.
Those designated as apprentice witches by the Oracle were all geniuses with exceptional beauty and diverse talents.
They were a collection of prodigies who would have made their mark in any field, even without becoming witches.
In the case of the Witch of Freedom, "Zlata Yusticia," one of her shining talents was in cooking.
Though it was merely a hobby, she had graduated with honors from the world's top three culinary schools and had quietly earned recognition for her skills even among the exiles.
Though she felt half-pushed into it, this was a rare chance to show off her prowess, so her steps back to the apothecary were light as air.
"I'm back!"
Opening the door revealed Rinne sitting in the exact same posture as an hour ago.
It was a serene welcome that calmed Zlata's slightly excited state.
There's a Japanese proverb praising beauties: peony when writing, peony when sitting, lily when walking—a grand expression.
Her demurely gathered knees and straight back.
Not a single flaw in her impeccable attire.
As far as Zlata knew, no woman embodied that proverb better than Rinne.
Of course, the rumors swirling around said she was closer to a fierce demoness than a pure maiden.
"I'll get started."
Anyway, for a woman like her to go crazy over a man...
For her to want to pamper him with aphrodisiacs and nourishing foods...
It made her wonder just what techniques he must employ.
He'd looked decent enough when she saw him before—fairly mild-mannered and round-faced...
Does he turn into a beast at night?
Is that what they mean by "daytime nerd, nighttime stud"?
She neatly folded such thoughts away in the corner of her mind.
Honestly, Zlata still found Rinne a bit scary.
"Will you wait here?"
"No, I'll watch."
"I could have it delivered to the mansion once it's done?"
"I'll watch."
"Fine then, follow me."
Still, Rinne was far from the tyrannical figure in the rumors.
This world was full of bitches who clenched their fists and snarled "Handle it yourself?" at anyone with a hint of higher status or power.
Compared to them, she paid upfront and didn't cause a scene, even if she talked about bedding or killing.
With somewhat lighter spirits, Zlata led Rinne into the kitchen.
In contrast to the exterior that evoked a rundown antique shop, the kitchen and appliances were state-of-the-art.
It even had a small furnace and smoking equipment with proper ducts, and the shelves were lined with top-tier cooking utensils that would make any chef drool.
Zlata turned back, inwardly hoping for admiration, but Rinne showed no particular reaction.
"Begin."
Zlata gave a wry smile and dumped the armful of ingredients onto the counter.
The course she had planned was a fusion medicinal cuisine blending kaiseki with edible magical crops.
Since Eastern medicine treated diet as part of therapy, incorporating herbal cooking naturally meant basing it on Eastern-style cuisine.
The gathered ingredients were as follows.
Eels wriggling vigorously, spraying sticky fluids from their bodies.
Conger eels that could snap a human finger like a twig.
Brittany oysters prized for their delicate texture and hazelnut aroma.
Bear paws, irreplaceable in中华 culture as the ultimate stamina food.
Wide thigh meat still clinging to fresh deer bones right down to the marrow.
And goats that had been frolicking on hillsides just days ago.
Mountain and sea delicacies fit for an emperor.
With Zlata's skill poured into them, this stamina-boosting course could make an eighty-year-old on his deathbed drive a triumphal chariot.
Not just a placebo effect—the magic ensured tangible results from a single meal.
-Thud!
As Zlata finished prepping by piercing the washed eel's eyes with a pick, Rinne asked,
"What dishes will you make?"
"Explaining each one would take forever since it's a full course."
"That's fine. Explain."
"The oysters will be served raw, blanched lightly in baijiu and done as vinegared sashimi. The conger eel will be simmered long with herbs..."
Even for Zlata, prepping eels this size took time.
But her course description was so elaborate it would fill the entire time, so she figured Rinne would lose interest soon.
It was complex and technical for a layperson, after all.
"...And finally, finish with a sip of the clear broth left from boiling."
Yet unexpectedly, Rinne listened attentively right to the end.
No nodding or exclamations of awe, but she absorbed it like a disciple receiving final secrets from a dying master.
The reason was simple.
To Rinne, this was essentially bride training.
Though borrowing another's hands for now, she intended to master this spread herself someday.
With ambitions like that, yet a novice in cooking and cursed with a penalty that dulled her taste, she couldn't miss a single word.
"May I try making it myself?"
"Ah, planning to do it yourself later?"
Zlata regretted her words the moment they left her mouth.
Her response had been so gratifying that she'd momentarily forgotten she was the "Sword Witch," slipping into a teasing tone.
"Yes."
But Rinne nodded coolly, without a hint of shame.
Zlata's personality was more naive than cynical, so she didn't think of Rinne as some airheaded woman toyed with by her lover.
She simply marveled, What a noble attitude!
"Have you ever cooked before?"
"No."
"Not once?"
"No."
"Hmm, this might be tough then..."
It wasn't a lie.
What Zlata planned was high-end cuisine that would daunt even seasoned chefs.
A total beginner would just get in the way.
"Want me to help a little? How about this instead?"
Still, Zlata readily offered.
It couldn't hurt to incur a debt from the 22nd Hierarchy Grand Witch.
"I'll make one of the main dishes with you. Hmm, the eel dish I mentioned earlier. It's the easiest one."
Among eel masters, they say three years to skewer, five to slice, a lifetime to grill—demanding deep skill.
But the other ingredients required even more exotic techniques, so relatively, the eel rice bowl was simplest for Rinne.
"Hakari-me don with chimotsu-sui?"
Hakari-me don was an eel rice bowl topped with a whole kabayaki eel skewered on a long spit.
Chimotsu-sui was a clear, umami-packed soup made from the eel's liver.
Confirming Rinne's attentiveness with her precise answer, Zlata nodded.
"Yeah, you could brag that you made that one yourself. Seems more your style than leaving it all to me."
"...Agreed."
It painted a pretty picture, even in Rinne's mind.
Today's primary goal was peeking over the shoulder to learn recipes and enjoying a fine meal, but exceeding that was nothing to sneeze at.
Tying on the apron Zlata handed her and drawing a filleting knife, Rinne gripped it.
Her hold looked downright murderous.
Startled by the stance fit for stabbing someone, Zlata held up her palms.
"Calm down first and put that down. Eel's done prepping—no more knife work."
"I see."
"I'll teach you rice cooking first."
Rinne's bride training took its first step.
About eight hours later.
"Impressive."
Zlata couldn't help but voice genuine admiration, not flattery.
"I merely followed instructions."
Rinne accepted her teacher's praise with calm composure.
With sleeves rolled up and apron on, Rinne was delicately plating thick eels glazed in sweet sauce.
The finesse in placing pickled ginger blooms and a pinch of chadogi with chopsticks evoked the dignity of a veteran plating artisan.
As you can tell, Zlata's surprise wasn't just at Rinne's perfect attitude as a student.
Her learning and execution ability far exceeded imagination.
She hadn't lied.
Pale-skinned yet of Eastern descent, she needed step-by-step on basics like washing rice or why steaming pot rice makes it fluffy.
Zlata hadn't expected much to begin with.
Even disguised at culinary school, she'd endured leers from spoiled young masters who'd never peeled an onion, forced to taste garbage in group evaluations.
She doubted they'd take it seriously.
But Rinne was different.
She followed every instruction perfectly on the first try.
No questions, no improvising to her taste.
The result: an eel rice bowl faithful to the recipe, indistinguishable from Zlata's.
Tasting it, flawless—no nitpicks.
Even the finicky chimotsu-sui, prone to ruin from tiny errors despite its simplicity, was perfection.
Curiosity piqued, Zlata assigned her tasks amid other dishes.
Astonishingly, Rinne executed every one without a single mistake.
Her knife work was especially breathtaking, making her seem less the Sword Witch and more a "Spirit of the Sword."
Once the full course was complete.
Rinne and Zlata sampled the dishes one by one.
"Wow, I was really shocked. Try this—you made it."
Staring at the small portion of eel rice bowl Zlata scooped onto a side plate, Rinne tasted it without a word.
"Delicious, right?"
"Indeed."
"Come back anytime you want to learn more. Show a bit of sincerity like today, and I'll help with all my heart."
"Understood."
After the first cooking lesson ended.
Rinne packed the finished dishes into a lacquered box and returned to the Fragrant Moon Tower.
Wondering what reaction he would have.
Especially his verdict on this eel rice bowl, her steps light with inexplicable anticipation as she sought Si-woo—only to learn.
Shin Si-woo had gone to Rozzy Alu's mansion.
In her zeal for training and cooking, she'd forgotten his report from yesterday.
"......"
No issue there.
Zlata's loaned lacquered box was an artifact outperforming any insulated lunchbox.
Rinne quietly sat at the table, waiting for her disciple's return.