Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Who's in the Kitchen?
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[I can hear the voices of plants...!]
‘...What?!’
Lucillea was so shocked she nearly jumped out of her seat.
She had nearly shrieked and shot to her feet.
Satisfied with Lucillea's reaction, Cookie puffed out his chest and said smugly,
[I'm thirsty! I need more sunlight! Some darn bug is eating me! Only I, the great Cookie, can hear the pitiful screams of the plants, ya know!]
How 'bout that? Amazing, right? Breathtaking, isn't it?! Don't I seem even more adorable?! Right?!
Looking at the triumphant Cookie, Lucillea nodded repeatedly.
‘Okay, I'll give you that. You've earned this one!’
He had every right to be smug, she thought.
If what Cookie said was true, it would be a massive help in cultivating medicinal herbs.
Lucillea's eyes once again sparkled with the desire known as greed.
Not missing the change in her expression, Cookie puffed up and made his demands.
[So from now on, you better treat me right. Give me lots of chicken breast, and peel my fruit for me. And you have to dote on me more than that bratty heir!! Got it?!]
Pfft. Lucillea laughed in disbelief, gently poking the show-off parrot's head with her fingertip.
‘Give him an inch, and he takes a mile.’
Ehehehe.
[Just kidding!]
You know, right? Cookie said, rubbing his cheek against Lucillea's finger.
‘I know, I know.’
Though I never knew he had an ability like this.
She had spent so much time with Cookie, yet there were still things she didn't know about him.
Lucillea stroked Cookie's head, impressed.
‘Alright. With the Grand Duke's generous support and our Cookie's incredible ability, I won't have to worry about growing herbs anymore, right?’
[Of course! Just leave it to me!]
‘Got it!’
Feeling greatly reassured, Lucillea continued her thoughts.
‘Let's see... I'll leave the herbs to Cookie. As for learning alchemy, I'll figure something out.’
Once I get the hang of alchemy, I can try making some potions. When they're good enough to sell, I can use that to make money.
Before that, I guess I'll just have to sell the herbs our Cookie grows.
Lucillea started flipping through a book on herb cultivation.
[Yaaaawn. Don't forget me when you go back.]
Having talked his fill, Cookie settled on a sunny windowsill and let out a long yawn.
He seemed to be getting sleepy.
‘Right, you need to recharge if you're going to chatter again. Don't worry, get some rest, Cookie.’
[Okaaaay...]
Lucillea glanced at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the book.
.
.
.
How much time had passed?
*Thump*. After turning the last page, Lucillea closed the book she was reading.
Then she looked up, tilting her head right and left to slowly stretch her stiff muscles.
‘So there are health recovery potions.’
The book on herb cultivation was quite fascinating.
Thanks to Briola, she was already familiar with most of the herbs, so understanding the content wasn't difficult.
It also detailed which herbs had amplified effects when combined.
In particular, it noted that the herbs needed for ‘health recovery potions’—the best-selling and most expensive kind—also sold for high prices.
‘I've decided. The first herb for my garden!’
Lumina and Crimson Tear, with its blood-red petals!
Lumina, which had pain-relieving properties, and Crimson Tear, which rapidly regenerated wounds, were the key ingredients for making health recovery potions.
‘Health recovery potions are practically a necessity for knights, so they'll sell well.’
And not just knights. Mages were just as likely to get injured on the battlefield or during training.
‘It's an essential item, that's what it is.’
The demand was guaranteed.
‘Now, the problem is alchemy...’
Alchemy wasn't a skill you could master just by reading a few books.
‘More importantly, what the Grand Ducal family wants from me isn't an alchemist, but a mage who goes around blowing things up with magic.’
They had invested in Lucillea's 'special ability'.
Hoping she would one day become a well-honed sword, wielding great power for the sake of the family.
But if a child like that suddenly announced she wanted to grow herbs and make potions, would they really support her without question?
Of course, being an alchemist wasn't a common profession either.
The problem was simply that it was far from what the Grand Ducal family expected of her.
‘Ughhhhhh—!’
Lucillea stretched her stiff body.
‘Why are my bones so achy...’
While stretching, Lucillea noticed the night sky outside the library window and shot to her feet in surprise.
‘Good heavens! It's nighttime?!’
She then checked the clock.
It was already approaching midnight.
The last time Mei came by was around nine. Has it really been that long?
Mei had checked on Lucillea frequently, worried that she was skipping meals to read.
Each time, Lucillea had replied, "Just a little longer."
When Mei came at nine, she had even told her not to worry and to go rest, saying she would be heading to bed soon.
If Mei found out she'd stayed in the library until midnight, she would surely get an earful.
Lucillea neatly stacked the books she had been reading and woke Cookie.
‘Cookie, Cookie! Wake up!’
Cookie, who had been so sound asleep that you could have carried him off without him noticing, barely opened his eyes and mumbled.
[Peeled... peel... Give me the peeled one... The flesh is so soft, ehehe...]
‘...’
Lucillea stared blankly at the sleep-talking Cookie, dumbfounded.
This little guy even eats in his dreams.
Even while sleep-talking, Cookie wore a blissful expression and opened his beak wide at the empty air.
The sight was so vivid that Lucillea couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
‘His appetite really is something else.’
Lucillea gathered Cookie and left the library.
As she glanced out the hallway window, the now-dark night sky came into view.
[Luuucy... I'm hungry...]
You said you wouldn't let me starve anymore...
Cookie mumbled in a voice still thick with sleep.
Cookie's complaint made Lucillea realize she was hungry too.
But it was long past the designated mealtime, nearly midnight.
‘I can't possibly wake Mei...’
With that thought, she trudged down the hallway toward the west annex.
The moment she entered the west annex.
‘Huh?’
What's that smell?
*Sniff, sniff.* Lucillea twitched her nose, sniffing the air.
It was the time of night when all the grand ducal staff should have been in bed, yet the mouthwatering aroma of food was wafting from somewhere.
*Sniff sniff.*
*Sniff sniff sniff.*
As if hypnotized by the scent, Lucillea began to walk.
Following the smell of food, she soon found herself at the west wing's dining hall.
The dining hall was dark, as expected, but strangely, the smell of food was still strong.
As she glanced around, she noticed a faint light seeping from under the closed kitchen door.
And what sounded like quiet whispers.
“Is this salt?”
“Isn't it sugar? We'll know if we taste it.”
Is someone in there? Are the servants staying late to prepare tomorrow's food?
Hoping she might get a simple snack, Lucillea headed for the kitchen.
As she got closer, the voices from inside the kitchen became clearer.
“I hope she likes it. Do you think she will?”
“She eats anything.”
Huh? Their voices sound young.
They definitely weren't the voices of the kitchen staff, but of young boys whose voices hadn't broken yet.
“Ah, don't add carrots. She doesn't like them.”
“You just said she eats anything.”
“...I just remembered.”
“Still, Lucillea is even cute when she's being a picky eater. Anything else? Is there anything else Lucillea doesn't eat?”
“For now.”
“'For now,' you say. You don't really know much either, do you?”
Just then.
Huh? Lucillea's eyebrows shot up.
‘My name?!’
Hearing her name mentioned, Lucillea couldn't hold back and threw open the kitchen door.