Shock and Awe in a Dessert (2)

Unable to say a word, I barely managed to snap out of it and asked, "So, you're saying I should marry Lady Seonwoo...?"

"It makes no sense to enjoy such a wonderful dessert only in the Central Plains. Besides, our future son-in-law must know of even better desserts than this."

Jin Ranyeong, who had fallen into the mara—no, the demonic clutches of chocolate, lost her composure and pressed me.

"I-I know Lady Seonwoo is beautiful and we get along well, but deciding a marriage over a dessert is a bit much, don't you think? Please, calm down."

"But still...!"

"Mom! Who on earth decides their daughter's marriage over a dessert?!"

Seonwoo Seol, who had been frozen in shock, finally snapped out of it and immediately yelled at Jin Ranyeong.

I thought she would be incredibly sharp and rational, fitting her position as the Cult Mother... Is chocolate really this terrifying?

"I will regularly send recipes through Lady Seonwoo's letters instead, so please do not make the foolish mistake of deciding a marriage solely for dessert."

"Is that true?"

"Of course. You must also consider the lifetime of nagging I would have to endure from Lady Seonwoo for marrying her just for dessert."

"Exactly, Mom! How could you even think of trading your only daughter for a dessert?"

At those words, Jin Ranyeong cleared her throat and subtly avoided our gaze.

"The Cocoa Pound Cake is indeed exceptionally delicious. There was a reason the Cult Leader's junior disciple sent it as a gift."

"Indeed. Priest Deok might be mischievous, but he isn't the type to play a cruel prank on us."

Is his last name Deok? He's a foreigner, so I guess he has a unique name.

"Well... sending the raw beans ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as they were was probably a bit of a prank in itself."

When I explained that they had to be finely ground and mixed with sugar or honey to be palatable, Jin Ranyeong narrowed her eyes and slapped her knee.

"...I knew it! My husband insisted there couldn't possibly be anything wrong with something his junior brother sent, only to grind them up, eat them plain, and end up coughing his lungs out."

"It seems your junior disciple is quite the prankster."

"He might be quite similar to you."

"To me?"

Come on, I'm not the type of person to serve raw cacao beans plain.

"Does it feel strange to be compared to someone who would play such a prank?"

"Well, yes... even if it was just a minor prank."

"And yet, the other three here, including my daughter, seem to agree."

Huh? At her words, I looked over at Seonwoo Seol, Man Hanseok, and Gongson Yeongji. All three of them were nodding.

"Do I really play that many pranks?"

"You can't exactly deny it, can you?"

"She's right. The pranks you pull, Chef Yoon, often defy all expectations."

"Not that I dislike you for it, Chef Yoon..."

Ahem. I should probably tone down the pranks. I didn't realize my credibility was this low.

Refocusing on the dessert, Jin Ranyeong savored the rich, dense texture of the Cocoa Pound Cake alongside the bitter Kuding Tea, looking thoroughly impressed.

"Even in the Sacred Cult, we occasionally receive snacks from the West, but I have never tasted anything so unique."

"Mom—I mean, Mother, please, just one bite..."

"I'll let you keep all the remaining beans, so just ask Chef Yoon to make some for you."

"...Other mothers are usually eager to feed their children. Are you sure you're my biological mother?"

"Can't you tell just by looking at these eyes?"

When Jin Ranyeong pointed to her own sparkling, peridot-green eyes, Seonwoo Seol pouted. The banter between mother and daughter was amusing. Do they talk like this back in Xinjiang too?

"Why? Is our conversation strange to you?"

"Well, considering your respective positions."

"We are strictly formal in official settings. Why, even this girl here, the moment an official event ends, she sheds tears asking why I was so cold to her..."

"Mooom!"

Seonwoo Seol cut her off with a flustered expression. Ah, come to think of it, I've never asked about Seonwoo Seol's life back in the Sacred Cult.

"Because of her title as the So-cheonma, I assumed she would have been raised under incredibly harsh discipline in the Sacred Cult."

Even if it's a cliché, they say lions push their cubs off cliffs. Countless rulers have raised their successors with extreme severity.

At my words, Jin Ranyeong spoke as if to reassure me.

"My husband plays that role. The Cult Mother's duty is to comfort the cultists who carry out unreasonably difficult orders."

In other words, the Cult Leader wields the whip, while the Cult Mother offers the carrot. It seemed this policy of the Sacred Cult extended to their household as well, which was quite a fresh revelation.

"Father might act tough, but he really doesn't live up to the terrifying reputation of the Heavenly Demon."

"Dear, what do you mean by that?"

"Actually, every night after those brutal martial arts lessons, he would secretly apply wound medicine to me. He told me to keep it a secret from you, Mother."

"Oh my goodness, that man. And here he was, boasting every day about how strictly he was training you?"

Jin Ranyeong replied in a flustered voice to Seonwoo Seol's testimony, her brow furrowing soon after. It seemed she had no idea the Heavenly Demon was actually such a doting father to his daughter.

The Heavenly Demon is a doting father... Note taken.

As I continued chatting with Jin Ranyeong about the Sacred Cult, I suddenly recalled something. Didn't I hear a very important clue earlier when she made that employment declaration disguised as a marriage proposal?

I racked my brain, retracing the conversation.

"Ah."

"Ah?"

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just... something I wanted to ask."

"What is it?"

"Is Lady Seonwoo returning to Xinjiang as soon as she finishes her duties as a Gyodu?"

"...!"

Seonwoo Seol seemed to realize it only just now as well. Her eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Jin Ranyeong and me.

"Had you not heard?"

"No. This is the first I'm hearing of it."

"Why did you leave out such an important detail...?"

Jin Ranyeong glanced at Seonwoo Seol, then nodded. "It's true. Seol-ah will be returning to the Sacred Cult after she finishes her duties as a Gyodu this year."

"Is it a permanent return?"

"Unless there is a specific event held in the Central Plains, yes, that will be the case."

"I see."

I couldn't find any words to add to Jin Ranyeong's firm statement.

"..."

And for good reason—Seonwoo Seol, who would normally have protested, kept her mouth tightly shut. It meant she couldn't easily make an excuse about this right now.

Despite the sweet dessert sitting right in front of me, my mouth tasted bitter.

As the atmosphere shifted in an instant, Jin Ranyeong tilted her head, nibbling on her Cocoa Pound Cake as she asked, "Won't you come to Xinjiang?"

"I'm sure I'll go eventually."

"Then why the long face? You look like someone who is parting ways forever."

Oh, do I? I guess I do. It's not like we're parting forever, and I can always go if I want to... So why did I feel so bitter?

Just as that realization dawned on me, I remembered a conversation I had with a drunken Seonwoo Seol back at Gijwaru.

So that's what she was talking about back then? But wait, you never mentioned that the person we'd have to crush was the Heavenly Demon! Good grief, this frustrating lady.

When I stole a glance at her, Seonwoo Seol stared back with wide, sparkling eyes—or more accurately, eyes pleading with me to do something.

You'd think a So-cheonma would rebel with something like, "Mom, it's my life to live!" but I guess that was just the So-cheonma of my imagination.

In reality, the So-cheonma Seonwoo Seol was a well-behaved, filial daughter who couldn't bring herself to openly defy her mother.

Since I didn't want Seonwoo Seol to drift away like this either, I fell into silent thought for a moment.

The person sitting right in front of me wasn't just some elder; she was the Cult Mother, the wife of the Heavenly Demon. Wouldn't it be worth testing the waters here?

After a brief hesitation, I spoke up. "Please give us some leeway."

"Leeway?"

"Or at least split it down the middle. She could spend half ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the year in Xinjiang and the other half in the Central Plains. It seems a bit of a waste to spend her vibrant twenties confined only to Xinjiang, don't you think?"

Even the people of the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Noble Clans wander the world freely to build up their achievements.

At my words, Jin Ranyeong beamed. Her sudden, bright smile only made me more suspicious.

However, contrary to my wariness, her response was positive. "Very well."

"Yes... Wait, what? Really?" I couldn't help but be bewildered by her readily agreeing. Wasn't she accepting this a bit too quickly?

"However, there is one condition."

"What kind of condition...?"

"Whenever Seol-ah returns to the Sacred Cult, you must accompany her, Chef Yoon."

Huh? When I looked at her with eyes asking, You're joking, right?, Jin Ranyeong shook her head. She was dead serious.

And with Seonwoo Seol staring at me with sparkling, hopeful eyes as if everything had worked out perfectly, I couldn't possibly refuse.

Ah, the songs of Chu are echoing from all directions.

"Mmm...!"

It was melting in her mouth. How could such a sweet, luscious dessert exist in this world?

Riding in her carriage toward her maternal family home in Hebei, Jin Ranyeong practically stomped her feet in delight as she popped another treat given to her by Yoon Gomyung into her mouth.

It was hard at first, but the moment it entered her mouth, it melted away, leaving behind only a rich, luscious sweetness. It was an entirely new kind of confection.

The Kuding Tea and Cocoa Pound Cake she had enjoyed at the tea house were also rich and dense, which she loved, but this treat offered a thrilling, bittersweet depth she had never experienced before.

If desserts were to be ranked, this treat would easily sit at the absolute pinnacle.

Jeogoryeongdang.

She had asked Yoon Gomyung, the creator of the treat, what the name meant, but he replied that it had no particular meaning—it was simply a name he knew, transliterated into the language of the Central Plains.

A heavy pouch of Jeogoryeongdang, almost too heavy to hold in one hand.

Along with it, Yoon Gomyung had left her a sheet of paper detailing the recipes for Jeogoryeongdang and Cocoa Pound Cake, along with a cheeky suggestion to use them to get back at "Priest Deok."

How on earth does our future son-in-law know about such confections?

And his sheer initiative.

He hadn't used any martial force since he had to hide his identity, but she had never seen anyone so boldly attempt to extract a concession from her, the Cult Mother.

Had he been a stranger from the Jianghu, she would have branded him as insolent, a fool who dared look down on the Cult Mother of the Sacred Cult, and dispatched a Pursuit Squad to hunt him down.

But what could she do? He was the man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her daughter fancied.

Especially since Seonwoo Seol had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠declared since childhood that she would never accept a man who wasn't at least equal to her father.

...Does that mean our future son-in-law possesses something that rivals my husband?

Yoon Gomyung must possess something on par with Seonwoo Dan. After all, her daughter was not someone who would fall for a man based on looks alone.

Tinkle, tinkle.

Having reached a swift conclusion befitting the Cult Mother, Jin Ranyeong rang a small bell inside the carriage. Instantly, a figure dropped down from the roof and pressed close to the window.

"You called, Cult Mother?"

Restoring her elegant, dignified demeanor as the Cult Mother, Jin Ranyeong issued her command in a cold, sharp voice.

"Assign a tail to Chef Yoon. Seol-ah mentioned that even the deputy commander of the Hidden Shadow Unit had his Eunjam-sul detected by him, so it must be someone exceptionally skilled in stealth."

"Understood."

As the man vanished, Jin Ranyeong popped another chocolate into her mouth, her face once again breaking into a bright, private smile.

By the way, every time I eat this, it feels like something other than mere energy is welling up inside me...

For some reason, she found herself missing Seonwoo Dan. Intensely so.

After Jin Ranyeong departed from the tea house.

"I thought she would at least stay the night with you."

"She's a busy person. Still, it was wonderful just to see her face and talk like this."

At my question, Seonwoo Seol popped a piece of Cocoa Pound Cake into her mouth and beamed. "Ah, this is so delicious~"

I chuckled as Seonwoo Seol practically buried her face in the table, squirming with delight.

"Seeing you like that, there's no doubt you and the Cult Mother are mother and daughter."

"...Do we really look that much alike? When I was young, people used to say we didn't share a single resemblance other than our eye color."

"With a bit of exaggeration, you could pass as sisters."

"Hehe. Mother would love to hear that."

The chocolate, Jeogoryeongdang, which I had barely managed to make after researching day and night for two days, had used up almost all of our cacao beans. I had given most of it to Jin Ranyeong as a gift, and we decided to keep the rest for ourselves, save for a small portion set aside for emergencies.

"But is Jeogoryeongdang really not a recipe you created yourself, Chef Yoon?"

"I'm no culinary genius. There's no way I could have invented such a delicious dessert from scratch."

"Seeing how uncharacteristically humble you are, it must be true. Then where did our Chef Yoon acquire such knowledge?"

"It's a secret."

"Even from me?"

"I'll tell you later when we have some time."

I could have easily lied and said I read it in some Western book rolling around somewhere, but I didn't want to. It felt wrong to keep lying to Seonwoo Seol, and I couldn't hide my true identity forever anyway. I wanted to reveal it to those closest to me someday.

Looking around, Seonwoo Seol took a sip of her tea and asked, "Yeongji said she was going to do her vacation homework, but what about Junior Man?"

"You know where. He went to meet her."

"Ah, youth."

Seonwoo Seol wore a mature smile as she said that. Geez, as if she isn't only twenty herself.

Man Hanseok was probably dressed up handsomely in his martial robes right now, waiting in front of the academy's main gate for Dang Go-hye to arrive. Because today was the day.

"...But do men and women usually suggest going to gather poisonous materials together for a date?"

"Hanseok probably just threw that out there to find any excuse to hang out with her."

The public date proposal Man Hanseok had made when they parted ways with Dang Go-hye was finally happening today. I wondered if he really had to go that far, but I had absolutely no intention of getting in the way of his desperate desire to spend time with her. In fact, knowing they wouldn't be hanging around normal villages or main roads, I had packed him plenty of Misu and preserved rations so he wouldn't go hungry.

"Isn't this the most comfortable way to spend time anyway? Just relaxing, drinking tea, and chatting."

"Exactly. If there's no reason to go out, staying inside is the absolute best."

Seonwoo Seol, who surprisingly had a bit of a homebody streak, agreed. Since I also had no desire to step foot outside the academy for the time being, I simply wished Hanseok a safe trip. He was going to be in his graduating class next year; there was no need for us to tag along.

"But those two will be fine, right?"

"What could possibly go wrong? They're only taking a quick trip around Hebei."

"I just have this bad feeling."

I scratched my cheek at Seonwoo Seol's words. A bad feeling. I recalled reading somewhere that a "bad feeling" is often a warning triggered by the subconscious accumulation of one's life experiences.

But Hanseok was a First-class martial artist; surely nothing would happen. Besides, Dang Go-hye, who had already suffered a major ordeal once, wouldn't make another mistake.

...Right?