Now that the truth of the matter was resolved, Count Briand Lind was naturally more than willing to express his gratitude.
Whether it was Luo Yi, who had genuinely saved his beloved daughter, or Lawrence, who had pointed out the truth and helped dispose of the manticore’s corpse.
If you don’t mind, please stay for a dinner banquet.
“I’m deeply grateful.”
Lawrence bowed.
“All I want is a taste of my hometown stew—the flavor of Niers.”
“Are you from the Western Kingdom of Westania?”
Xue La instinctively lifted her skirt in a curtsy, a proper lady’s gesture. It was muscle memory from her body after she transmigrated—making an effort to be a comfortable, graceful, elegant noblewoman wasn’t actually so bad.
“Niers is a beautiful countryside city with lovely natural green scenery! I know all about it.”
It was even quite relaxing, certainly more comfortable than her days before transmigrating, when she’d have to rush to the restaurant before dawn to do odd jobs, right?
But that was getting off track. After all, having transmigrated into a game world, Xue La knew the story of the Patagonia Continent, the stage of Epic Fantasy Legend, like the back of her hand.
On the Patagonia Continent, after the curtain fell on the history of the legendary explorer and emperor, Frank, his descendants split the grand empire into four, forming the four great kingdoms of the East, West, South, and North.
Among them was the Northern Kingdom of Norsenia, blessed with abundant resources and a warm, pleasant climate. The royal family that the House Linde served ruled this largest and most prosperous nation, which was also the stage where the Brave was born and grew up in the game’s setting.
The remaining three kingdoms were slightly smaller in territory—but that couldn’t be helped. The Patagonia Continent itself could be seen as a V-shaped peninsula. From north to south, the land area itself shrank, and the central region was dominated by an unbroken mountain range.
This mountain range divided two societies and kingdoms with completely different climates: the Western Kingdom and the Eastern Kingdom.
Using the jargon from the game forums, Xue La was more accustomed to calling them the Sea Kingdom and the Desert Kingdom. The Western Kingdom of Westania had a long, narrow territory. Once you crossed the mountains, you’d find green coastal lands and complex harbors.
This unique geography fostered a thriving commercial and industrial environment, which also provided fertile ground for merchants like Lawrence who traveled far and wide.
As for the Eastern Kingdom of Istania? Xue La couldn’t be bothered to think about it for now. It was the second-largest territory, but a crazy place mostly covered in deserts and gobi. She’d worry about it when the Brave’s adventure took him there.
She wasn’t the Brave. She had transmigrated to enjoy life, so she didn’t need to care too much.
And the Southern Kingdom? That was even worse, because the Demon King’s lair was in the cold, southern archipelago, dense with floating ice and featuring a damp, cold climate.
It was on the front line of the battle between humans and the Demon Realm—so the situation was the worst.
But that wasn’t something Xue La needed to worry about.
The immediate priority was to properly host Luo Yi and his grandson Roderick for a meal. Seeing how angry her father, Count Briand, was at the knight, there might be a chance in the future to win Luo Yi and his grandson over…
If she could build up enough goodwill, she could relax and enjoy a stress-free life.
Let him be the Brave, defeat the Demon King, and receive all the glory.
Let her be a leeching noble lady, open a restaurant, and live her own little life.
Everyone had a bright future, right?
Hearing that the only daughter of the House Linde was so familiar with his homeland, Lawrence felt a sense of pride.
It seemed he wasn’t the kind of out-of-town merchant who was looked down upon.
After all, he was making a living in a foreign land. The royal families of the Four Kingdoms could indeed trace their lineage back to the same great ancestor, but under the squabbling of their noisy descendants, they inevitably split into four, bickering over various selfish geopolitical interests.
The great defeat back then, the Tragedy of Old General Baliseh… was partly due to this reason that it failed.
Lawrence wasn’t stupid; he just felt that in times like these, a girl like Xue La was a rare treasure.
“In that case, I wonder if Lady Xue La knows what the most common stew in my hometown of Niers is, and how it’s made?”
This question happened to fall right within Xue La’s area of expertise.
First, Xue La was a skilled player of the game, and she was even somewhat famous on the game forums as the pioneer of the cooking style.
Second, before transmigrating, Xue La had worked as an apprentice in a Western restaurant, so she had a natural sensitivity to these dishes.
“The main ingredients are carrots, cucumbers, and eggplant, slow-cooked with tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and thyme into a rich soup…”
Xue La spoke, full of confidence.
Lawrence nodded in agreement, but not Count Briand.
He showed a slightly troubled expression, making an excuse that he needed to severely punish the worthless knight who had deceived his superiors, and left.
But Xue La quickly understood why—after all, she was Count Briand’s only child; there were some things he didn’t need to hide from her.
In the kitchen, the Count showed his daughter this terrible situation.
“You’re saying that because I was taken by the manticore, my mother got upset and took more than half the servants back to Grandma’s house?”
Xue La pouted.
“What kind of mother is that?”
“No matter what, your mother loves you.”
Count Briand shrugged wryly.
“Anyway, the kitchen servants are short that one crucial chef, so they can’t make the stew or any other food…”
Seeing her cheap father so anxious, Xue La had no choice but to accept it. After all, noble marriages weren’t always filled with love. A woman who argued with her husband and returned to her parents’ home because her daughter was captured by a monster… Xue La’s mother, Count Briand’s wife, must have been a woman of strong character.
“You’re actually a lot like her.”
Count Briand spoke.
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have insisted so strongly that Luo Yi’s merit not be infringed upon.”
Like mother, like daughter! That was Count Briand’s assessment.
Therefore, in the kitchens of House Linde, only a few servants who could make simple dishes like bread and roasted meat remained. The professional chef wasn’t present…
Making a good pot of stew to satisfy the guests had become a difficult task.
“So, Father, you want me to help out?”
Xue La spoke.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time. I used to watch in the kitchen and never get my fill…”
This statement was a bit of a lie. As a transmigrator, Xue La knew that her character—a lazy, gluttonous noble lady—went into the kitchen to sneak desserts, and had nothing to do with cooking.
But Count Briand and his wife likely only knew that their daughter snuck into the kitchen.
So, there was room for her to maneuver here.
“I think I could try making a pot of Niers Stew.”
Xue La asked her father.
“This dish isn’t difficult.”
The Count father smiled and quickly gathered the remaining servants in the kitchen, handing over command to her.
“After all, you’ll have to learn eventually—when you get married, you’ll need to…”
“Isn’t it too early to talk about that?”
Xue La stomped her foot.
“I’m only thirteen.”
“Your mother was only sixteen when she married me. Thirteen is a perfect age for an engagement.”
The Count left with a wry smile.
Xue La couldn’t be bothered with such teasing. She began tying on her apron and signaled the servants to set up pots and boil water.
The hometown stew that Mr. Lawrence wanted to eat, Xue La knew how to make it.
After all, she had been an apprentice in a Western restaurant before transmigrating.
The so-called Niers Stew actually had a clear real-world prototype.
Provencal Stew.
Xue La knew how to make it, and she would wow the entire room.
Just wait and see!