Chapter 78
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Cold Poison
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That night.
The dedicated kitchen of the Imperial Palace's Eunuch Bureau.
Though it was the hour when everyone else had fallen asleep, this place alone was filled with clattering sounds and a sweet aroma.
Cheonwi had rolled up his sleeves and was stirring a mysterious white liquid in front of a large pot.
Bubble bubble.
The rhythmic sound of milk boiling rose up.
He steeped black and red tea leaves in it, then dumped in an enormous amount of sugar. It was a lavish symphony of sweetness unimaginable in the West.
"Heh heh heh..."
Cheonwi scooped up some of the thickened liquid with a ladle and let it drip back down.
A white, creamy liquid. Though it started as pure white milk, after passing through Cheonwi's hands, it had transformed into a sweetly corrupting, sticky temptation.
"I wonder how that haughty expression will change after she eats this."
He gazed into the pot with a wicked grin.
It was like a witch brewing a poisoned apple, but the end result would be far more addictive.
"Now, Your Highness. Open wide. I'll melt that noble tongue of yours."
In the darkness of the Eunuch Bureau's kitchen, Cheonwi's evil chuckle echoed lowly.
Crash!
A sharp shattering sound shattered the morning calm of the Welcoming Pavilion. Along with a noise that could tear eardrums, the finest celadon porcelain crafted by the empire's top artisans lay in pieces, rolling across the floor.
And that was just the beginning.
"Is this something you bring for a person to eat?!"
The Second Imperial Princess of the Great Jin Empire, Leona von Heinrich, exploded in hysterics. She yanked the tablecloth, dumping all the delicacies onto the floor.
Greasy Dongpo pork tumbled across the carpet, and fragrant abalone porridge seeped into the shards of shattered porcelain. The efforts of the imperial kitchen's senior maids, who had slaved through the night, were treated like trash.
Leona shrieked, her face flushed red with rage.
"It's greasy! It stinks! And why is the color so dull? Are your barbarian tongues numb or something?!"
Hilda, the knight captain standing behind her, nodded solemnly with a stern expression. She clearly wasn't fond of the empire's food culture either.
"Your Highness, please calm yourself. We never should have come to such a savage land. Their very methods of preparing ingredients are fundamentally flawed. Stewing or steaming meat instead of grilling it over fire—it's an affront to chivalry."
"Exactly! No bread, just some sticky grass porridge! Clear it all away! I can't even look at it!"
It was then, as Leona stomped her feet in frustration.
Creeeak.
The heavy door of the Welcoming Pavilion swung open, and a man in red official robes strolled in leisurely. It was Cheonwi.
He took in the tragic scene strewn across the floor without a hint of surprise, instead clicking his tongue and smacking his lips.
"Tsk tsk. What a waste of good meat..."
Cheonwi shook his head, looking down at a piece of Dongpo pork that had rolled to his feet.
"Is throwing food on the floor the dining etiquette in the Great Jin Empire? What a prosperous nation. The starving masses would weep blood if they saw this."
The sarcasm was blatant. Leona's eyebrows twitched upward.
"You dare! Who are you trying to lecture?!"
"Lecture? I'm just experiencing some cultural shock. In our empire, we don't treat even dog food so carelessly."
As Cheonwi approached with a beaming smile, Hilda instinctively reached for her sword hilt. But he ignored her completely and stepped right up to Leona's nose, nudging a shard of broken plate with his toe.
"So, the empire's finest cuisine doesn't suit your taste?"
"Yes! It's not just distasteful—it's torture! My palate is extremely refined and noble!"
Leona bellowed. The heat, hunger, and stress of the unfamiliar environment had pushed her to her limit.
"I want something cool, sweet, and smooth right now! Something that melts away like clouds the moment it touches my tongue!"
Cheonwi stroked his chin, pretending to ponder.
"Cool, sweet, and smooth... Hmm."
"What? You've never even heard of such a dish? Of course not. Barbarian monkeys from the East wouldn't understand the aesthetics of 'dessert.'"
Leona scoffed. The Great Jin Empire's royal desserts were little more than honey-soaked hard candies or fruit, but she bluffed to belittle the empire's standards.
Cheonwi inwardly cheered. She'd taken the bait.
"The heat must be ruining your appetite. I suppose our empire's hot, humid summer must feel like hell to Westerners."
"If you know that, bring it now! Something as cold as ice but not hard, as sweet as honey but not sticky!"
It was an unreasonable demand. In this era without refrigerators, producing such a dish in the peak of summer was nearly impossible. Leona knew it too and was throwing a tantrum on purpose—just to see Cheonwi squirm.
But a relaxed smile played on Cheonwi's lips.
"Very well. Let's make a bet."
"A bet?"
"If I perfectly satisfy that picky palate of yours, you'll take back that 'barbarian' remark. And sit quietly at the table to eat."
"Hah, so confident. Fine. But if it doesn't please me?"
"Then I'll offer my head. Use it for target practice to relieve your boredom."
Hilda flinched at Cheonwi's outrageous proposal. But Leona's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Deal. I'll give that arrogant head of yours a chance to stay attached. Make it now—before my patience runs out."
Cheonwi headed straight to the Eunuch Bureau's dedicated kitchen.
He hummed a tune as he pulled out his prepared ingredients.
Fresh milk, a massive amount of sugar, and ripe wild strawberries.
But the most crucial item was something else.
"I've already borrowed it from Snowflower and finished the preparations."
Cheonwi pulled a fist-sized blue gem from his bosom. It was a freezing magic stone emanating cold air.
"Now, time to put my past life's knowledge to full use."
This was a world without refrigerators or ice cream makers. But if you understood the principles, nothing was impossible.
Cheonwi prepared a large copper bowl and placed an ice water bath filled with the freezing magic stone and salt beneath it. A rapid cooling device was complete.
"I call it the 'Imperial Special Gelato.'"
He poured milk, sugar, and a bit of the heavy cream he'd made yesterday into the bowl and began whisking vigorously with a whisk.
Whisk, whisk, whisk, whisk.
This wasn't mere labor. It was a battle with the air.
Just as the liquid touched the cold bowl surface and began to freeze, he scraped and mixed it with the whisk, injecting air. It was essential to prevent large ice crystals and create a smooth texture.
"Hyaah!"
Veins bulged on Cheonwi's forearms. As he infused his internal energy to whisk faster, the splashing white liquid gradually thickened into a creamy form.
Scrape, scrape.
A satisfying sound filled the kitchen. The unique chewy texture of gelato, neither fully liquid nor solid, transmitted through his hands.
"And for the finishing touch..."
Cheonwi added the pre-crushed wild strawberry puree.
Red juice spread over the snowy white milk ice cream. With each whisk, pink marbling formed, soon dyeing the whole thing a lovely pink hue.
Sweet milk aroma mingled with tart strawberry scent, rising amid the chill.
This wasn't just frozen sweets. Laden with fat, it was a devilish dessert that would melt souls the instant it touched the tongue.
"Perfect."
Cheonwi scooped the gelato into a transparent crystal glass bowl, shaping it into a dome. He delicately placed a mint leaf on top.
Visually, it could grace a modern high-end dessert cafe menu.
"Let's see if you still call this barbaric after eating it."
Cheonwi smirked in satisfaction and picked up the tray.
Back at the Welcoming Pavilion.
Leona was still fanning herself, stewing in irritation.
"He's late! Too late! Are they butchering a cow to milk it?!"
"Your Highness, he might have fled. Shall I go sever his head?"
As Hilda asked menacingly, the door opened.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Cheonwi entered. On the silver tray in his hands sat a stunning glass bowl.
White vapor rose gently from the bowl. Not hot steam—cold mist.
In an instant, a refreshing chill spread through the stifling air of the pavilion.
"W-what is that?!"
Leona's eyes widened.
A round pink mound. A sparkling jewel-like bowl. And the mystical cold enveloping it. A visual she'd never seen before.
Cheonwi gracefully set the bowl on the table and extended his hand.
"Your promised 'cool, sweet, and smooth' treat. Please, have a taste. Even the Great Jin royal family hasn't had this."
Leona reached for a spoon, entranced. The sweet fragrance wafting over tickled her nose.
But then, Hilda blocked her path.
"Stop, Your Highness!"
Hilda's expression was grave.
"The color is too vivid! And what's with this vapor? It could be poisoned or cursed with black magic!"
"No, it's just steam from the cold..."
Cheonwi said incredulously, but Hilda ignored him.
"I'll test it first. If anything happens to me, execute him immediately."
It was a resolute vow. Hilda lifted the spoon with the grim determination of Socrates drinking the hemlock.
She scooped a bit of the pink mound and brought it to her mouth.
'Cold poison... Brace yourself.'
Hilda squeezed her eyes shut and put the spoon in her mouth.
And 0.1 seconds later.
"......!!!"
Hilda's eyes bulged wide.
The stern, stoic knight captain's furrowed brow relaxed in an instant. Her tightly pressed lips parted softly, her gaze blurring into a dazed, dreamy expression.
"H-Hilda? What's wrong? Is it poison? Are you dying?!"
Leona asked frantically. But Hilda trembled instead of answering. It wasn't pain—it was ecstasy.
"Y-Your Highness..."
Hilda's voice quivered.
"This is... heavenly... a taste from heaven..."
"What?"
"The moment it touches your tongue... it vanishes like winter snow... but spring flowers bloom... Ahh..."
Forgetting all decorum, Hilda reached for the bowl again with her spoon. Pure instinct. If Cheonwi hadn't quickly slid it toward Leona, the knight captain might have committed the grave sin of stealing her princess's snack.
Hilda stared vacantly at her empty spoon and smacked her lips. Her expression was that of a tragic heroine parted from her beloved.
Leona swallowed hard at the sight.
Even the strict Hilda making that face. What on earth did it taste like?
"Hmph, if it's got Hilda like that, I suppose I can have some expectations."
Leona feigned composure as she picked up the spoon, but her trembling fingertips betrayed her.
She carefully scooped a heaping spoonful of pink gelato. The chewy texture clung delightfully to the spoon.
'Let's see just how great this barbarian dish can be.'
She opened her mouth and slid the spoon in.