A Dessert of Shock and Awe (1)
Why was she staring so intently? It was actually getting a bit embarrassing.
“Ahem. I am Yoon Gomyung, the Master of the Inner and Outer Dining Halls at the Mutual Righteousness Academy.”
I greeted Seonwoo Seol’s mother with a respectful clasp of my hands, and she returned the gesture with a light nod.
“May I speak comfortably?”
“Of course. Please do.”
“I shall refrain from introducing myself, just in case.”
Although we were in a private room of a high-end teahouse where eavesdropping was difficult, one could never be too careful. Of course, even without an introduction, we already knew exactly who she was.
Cult MotherJin Ranyeong. Wife of the Heavenly DemonSeonwoo Dan, and mother of the Little Heavenly DemonSeonwoo Seol. Before her marriage, she was the eldest daughter of the Jin Clan, a family renowned for producing numerous masters within the Orthodox faction. She was also famous for throwing the first punch—metaphorically speaking—by boldly asking out Seonwoo Dan, who was the Little Heavenly Demon at the time, when they both first entered the martial world.
Apparently, her taming of the Little Heavenly Demon had inspired countless young women of that era, causing marriage rates to skyrocket some twenty years ago. Or so the rumor went. And the greatest weapon she possessed to captivate such a man was, without a doubt, her devastatingly beautiful appearance.
I had always wondered where Seonwoo Seol got her breathtaking looks, and now I had my answer: she was the spitting image of her mother. Their olivine-green eyes, in particular, were identical. Furthermore, she possessed such a youthful face that she could easily pass as Seonwoo Seol’s older sister rather than her mother.
While I was lost in these idle thoughts, Seonwoo Seol and Jin Ranyeong shared a warm embrace, patting each other’s backs affectionately. It was a reunion between mother and daughter after years apart. Of course, being from the Sacred Cult, they didn’t indulge in overly dramatic displays of emotion. Even with just a few words exchanged, there was a clean, unspoken understanding between them.
Seonwoo Seol pointed toward Man Hanseok and Gongson Yeongji.
“These are the fellow students I travel with.”
“U-uh, hello. I am Man Hanseok of the Donhwa Sect.”
“I am Gongson Yeongji...”
As the two bowed politely, Jin Ranyeong offered them a warm, pleased smile.
“Yes, I have heard much about you. Just as the letters described, you are bright and well-mannered children. Please, sit.”
At her invitation, everyone took their seats, quietly waiting for Jin Ranyeong to speak next.
“And you must be Yoon Gomyung, the one who is so close with my daughter.”
Ah, here comes the wave. I braced myself, focusing entirely on the conversation as I nodded.
“Yes, that is correct, Mother.”
“Mother?”
Well, you’re not my father, are you? If I said that, I’d probably get my face caved in with a shout of “You insolent brat!” so I quickly steered the conversation in a safer direction.
“Though Lady Seonwoo and I have a bit of an age gap, we can, for now, be considered close friends.”
“For now?”
Wait, why that tone? Did I already make a bad impression? Why does it feel like she’s latching onto my words and twisting them?
“Surely you don’t intend to stop at being mere friends.”
“That is not a relationship I can decide solely on my own will.”
“I doubt that.”
“...?”
“As long as your resolve is firm, my daughter is ready at any—”
“Mooom! What on earth are you saying to Chef Yoon?!”
Seonwoo Seol, who had been using the formal term for mother when we first arrived, suddenly burst out with the much more affectionate “Mom.”
“You are forbidden from talking about that in front of me!”
“Oh, hush. Can’t a mother speak?”
“W-we will take care of that ourselves!”
“Honestly, why do you push back even when I’m trying to give you a nudge?”
Why did every master of the older generation sound exactly the same? It felt less like meeting a legendary figure of the martial world and more like visiting nagging relatives who were desperate to play matchmaker. At Seonwoo Seol’s protest, Jin Ranyeong pouted. It was the exact same habit Seonwoo Seol had.
“I would like to discuss the item sent by my husband’s junior disciple, if that is alright?”
“Ah, you mean the beans.”
When I spoke with the nuance of already knowing the true identity of the cacao, Jin Ranyeong’s eyes widened in surprise. Wow, even that reaction is exactly like Seonwoo Seol’s.
“The true identity of that item is a bean?”
“They are called beans, but they aren’t the kind used to press oil or make tofu. Originally, they were used as a medicine to recover from fatigue.”
“A medicine... I had a feeling it might be something like that.”
In Latin America, the birthplace of cacao, the Aztecs drank a beverage called xocolatl. They considered this drink—made by mixing finely ground cacao beans, chili powder, and water—to be sacred, consuming it before important events. Since cacao beans contained caffeine and various other fatigue-relieving compounds, it was highly effective, even if it tasted incredibly bitter.
Later, when the Spanish conquistadors tasted the drink, they were utterly astonished, much like the Europeans who first discovered coffee. Once xocolatl was refined and transformed into a sweet beverage—chocolate—its popularity spread like wildfire across Europe. It reached a point where chocolate houses, similar to modern cafes, began popping up everywhere.
Eventually, when a Dutch chemist figured out how to separate cocoa butter from cacao mass, a whole new world of solid chocolate bars was born.
“Then, what was your intention in asking to meet at this teahouse?”
“Chef Yoon prepared a lunchbox for you, Mom... I mean, Mother.”
“A lunchbox?”
“Ideally, I would have preferred to serve you at the academy, but since it is difficult for outsiders to enter freely, I brought it here. Oh, and I will present the dessert made from the beans after you finish your meal.”
I had briefly considered incorporating chocolate into every dish, but that was a feat best left to chefs specializing in Western cuisine. While there were dishes like steak drizzled with chocolate sauce, attempting that when I wasn’t a Western culinary expert would likely result in something so atrocious that even a stray dog would go on a hunger strike. Doing whatever popped into my head would be no different from politely handing Jin Ranyeong a plate of garbage, so I opted for a safe, classic menu instead.
With that, I carefully retrieved the nine-dish lunchbox and a bowl of rice I had set aside.
“My, this is quite a generous portion.”
“You might actually find it lacking once you start eating.”
The well-structured, grid-patterned container held nine different side dishes. Knowing she must be exhausted from her long journey, I had focused on light, easily digestible foods rather than heavy, grease-laden dishes.
“Starting from the left, we have Japchae, soy sauce-marinated stir-fried beef, steamed white fish topped with grated radish and soy seasoning, soy-braised eggs, three types of wild spring greens tossed in sesame oil, pickled cucumbers, and pickled radish.”
“Japchae?”
“It is a savory side dish made with glass noodles.”
“This yellow rice has a wonderfully savory aroma. Did you add something special to it?”
“I brewed it using chicken stock and turmeric to make it gentle on the stomach.”
With that, Jin Ranyeong began her meal. Perhaps due to her high status as the Cult Mother, her movements were incredibly graceful and elegant.
“You are quite skilled.”
Fortunately, she seemed to like it. Though I had poured my heart and soul into the preparation, none of the nine side dishes required extraordinary culinary techniques or massive amounts of time. It wasn’t as if I had used entirely different, complex cooking methods for each one. If anything, it was the ultimate culmination of Yoon Gomyung’s bachelor-style cooking skills.
“I would never have guessed this was made by a chef who has yet to reach his thirties. It has a very... comforting taste.”
It seemed she meant it tasted like a warm, home-cooked meal rather than a pretentious, high-end dish. That was more than good enough for me.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“I am particularly curious about the recipe for this Japchae. Would you mind sharing it? My husband would love it.”
“Oh, of course. Absolutely.”
Yesss! Setting aside the fact that she still referred to the terrifying Heavenly Demon as her “husband” so casually after twenty years, I was just relieved that Jin Ranyeong genuinely enjoyed my food.
Having completely polished off the mountain of side dishes and rice, Jin Ranyeong let out a deep breath. It certainly wasn’t because the food tasted bad or because she had any complaints.
“My goodness...”
Jin Ranyeong spoke with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“I ate far more than I anticipated, yet my stomach feels incredibly light.”
“That is because today’s meal was packed with ingredients that promote healthy digestion and cleanse the stomach.”
“Why did you choose to include ingredients with digestive benefits?”
“Well, it is a considerable distance from Xinjiang to here. Since you traveled in such haste, I assumed your body and mind would be exhausted. And when one is fatigued, digestion naturally suffers.”
“So, in the end, you were being considerate of my well-being.”
“Everyone has the right to enjoy a delicious meal and leave the table feeling good, don’t they?”
That was the absolute baseline of my philosophy. If I had cooked purely based on my own whims, I would have whipped up a heavy, Central Plains-style sausage fried rice glistening with lard and scallions. But if Jin Ranyeong had eaten that? She would have suffered from severe indigestion, forcing her to endure a miserable carriage ride to her next destination.
At my response, Jin Ranyeong offered a bright, clear smile. Seeing how Seonwoo Seol made the exact same face whenever something good happened, it seemed I had successfully left a highly positive impression.
Now that Jin Ranyeong had finished her meal, we quickly cleared away the lunchbox and set out tea and teacups on the clean table. It was time to prepare the final blow.
While I was getting the dessert ready, Jin Ranyeong brought up a heavy topic with a deceptively casual expression.
“To be frank... I am sure you are well aware of how incredibly complex the relationships and interests are among the Orthodox, the Unorthodox, the Sacred Cult, and the Imperial Court.”
“Though I am merely a neutral bystander who belongs to no faction, I am at least aware of that much.”
“Yes, I figured as much. But surely you know that knowing about it and making a choice are two entirely different things.”
Jin Ranyeong looked at me with a serious gaze.
“You won’t be able to remain in the gray zone forever.”
“Are you saying a time will come when I must make a choice?”
“Indeed. A tree caught in a typhoon has only two options.”
It either bends with the wind, or it snaps under its force. A person swept up in a massive storm faces the same fate: they either endure, or they break.
To Jin Ranyeong’s heavy words, I replied,
“We will only know when the time comes, won’t we?”
I glanced over at Seonwoo Seol, who was quietly listening to our conversation with an anxious expression.
“However, whatever choice I make, it won’t be one that leaves anyone in regret.”
“It seems you have the same habit I do of speaking in riddles.”
“Well, if I speak too plainly, I won’t be able to dodge and weave, will I?”
“The Elders and the Vice Captain described you as a silver-tongued devil, and indeed, you play the sly fox quite well.”
Pfft.
Seeing Jin Ranyeong chuckle and take a sip of her tea, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. It seemed she believed a massive storm was brewing on the horizon. And if a wind that powerful were to blow, it meant I wouldn’t be able to safely hide in the neutral gray zone of the academy forever.
That was why I had essentially answered, ‘I won’t let a single tear fall from Seonwoo Seol’s eyes.’
It felt like I was drifting closer and closer to the Demonic Cult, but... honestly, the Cult members had never brought me any harm. If anything, they had only brought me benefits.
Still, it felt a bit too hasty to suddenly join the Demonic Cult and shout, ‘Glory to the Heavenly Demon, may the ten thousand demons submit!’ to Seonwoo Seol’s father. I would hold out as a neutral bystander for as long as I possibly could, and have a very thorough discussion with Seonwoo Seol later.
Once the heavy conversation wrapped up and her food had digested a bit, Jin Ranyeong spoke first.
“So, where is this dessert?”
“Since I have made your head spin with such difficult topics, Mother, it is time to give your mind a sweet rest.”
Clap, clap!
I clapped my hands firmly, prompting the waiters waiting outside the private room to enter carrying trays.
“I have prepared two things for today.”
“Two things?”
“One is for you to enjoy right now, and the other is for you to savor whenever you happen to think of it.”
The first one was perfectly fine, but the second was something I had never served to anyone but myself. That part weighed on my mind a little, but since I found it delicious, surely she would too.
“For the tea, I have prepared Kuding Tea instead of green tea.”
“Kuding Tea... That is a rare find in Xinjiang. But isn’t it incredibly bitter?”
“Which is exactly why I prepared something to go with it.”
Kuding Tea, also known as ‘One-Leaf Tea,’ featured leaves so massive that a single leaf was enough to brew an entire pot, unlike standard green tea. It was also notoriously bitter. While not quite on the level of the dreaded Sophora root tea often used as a penalty on variety shows, its bitterness was far more intense than regular green tea. Soon, the waiter presented a perfectly dense, rich dessert sliced into neat squares.
“This is Cocoa Pound Cake.”
“Pound cake!”
At the mention of the cake, Jin Ranyeong’s face lit up instantly. Seonwoo Seol sent letters back to the Sacred Cult quite frequently, and it seemed she had described the pound cake in detail in one of them.
“The very same pound cake the Sword Empress ate?”
“The flavor will be entirely different from that one. This is a pound cake made with the cocoa beans sent by the Cult Leader’s junior disciple.”
At my words, a brilliant smile spread across Jin Ranyeong’s face.
“Seol-ah refused to share the recipe, so we tried experimenting with it several times back at the Cult, but we could never get it right.”
“Ah, I will gladly write down the recipe for you as well.”
And that’s another point scored. With this, I wouldn’t have to worry about being disliked even if I visited the Demonic Cult. It seemed Jin Ranyeong, just like Seonwoo Seol, loved pairing sweet desserts with bitter tea. Like mother, like daughter.
Since I doubted I could get the exact proportions right for a brownie, I had pivoted to a pound cake, a recipe whose ratios I knew by heart. Though, honestly, what was the real difference between a chocolate brownie and a chocolate pound cake anyway? To my unrefined palate, they tasted pretty much the same.
“Should I eat it the same way as before?”
“Yes. Take a sip of the bitter tea first, and then take a bite of the Cocoa Pound Cake.”
At my instruction, Jin Ranyeong immediately took a sip of the tea. Judging by the very slight furrow of her brow, it was indeed quite bitter.
“And now...”
“Please, help yourself.”
Welcome to the sweet temptation of Mara, Mother.
...
Wait, wasn’t Mara Papiyas literally the Heavenly Demon? Jin Ranyeong was already deeply in love with a ‘Mara,’ after all. In any case, Jin Ranyeong lifted a piece of the dense, rich chocolate pound cake from her plate and took a bite.
Chew.
Before she had even chewed a few times, Jin Ranyeong closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh.
“Haaah...”
Seeing this, Seonwoo Seol’s eyes widened.
“Mom, is it... really that good?”
Jin Ranyeong did not answer her daughter. Instead, she opened her eyes and stared intently at me.
Wait, hold on. Why is she glaring at me?
“Chef Yoon Gomyung. No.”
“...?”
“My dear son-in-law.”
Son-in-law?
“As soon as Seol-ah finishes her duties as a head tutor, make sure you come to Xinjiang immediately.”
At her powerful declaration, all four of us were struck utterly speechless.