Chapter 8
She prepared the syrup.
She poured certain amounts of flour and kneaded it into a dough with her own hands. Then, she fried the round-shaped pieces in soybean oil before dipping them in a bowl filled with syrup. Eventually, their appearance changed into that of a 500 won cookie.
“Hey.”
“Yes, Miss?”
“What’s your name?”
“To…Tom.”
“Totom?”
“I-It’s Tom, Miss!”
“Oh, try this.”
“Huh?”
He was surprised when she threw something cold into his mouth in a way that made it seem as if she was putting a bug into it.
‘Well, it’s the first time that I used ginger and cinnamon together, so I can’t even imagine how the taste will be.’
‘Should I try one?’
The taste of the flour, which came directly from the hand of the maker, was strong. It was then followed and harmonized with the sweetness that spread a little while later. The aroma and stimulating flavor of the ginger juice and cinnamon, which were mouth-watering, was nothing but perfect.
“De-Delicious!”
Tom excitedly blurted out as she was chewing on one yakgwa.
‘Well, of course, it is. I am the one who made it.’
Tom was gawking at the plate full of yakgwa cookies as if he wanted more.
She asked him to leave while she wrapped a few of them inside a box and attached it with a decorative ribbon and a couple of flowers.
There was already a specific drawer in the kitchen that contained all of the decorative items, so she didn’t need to search for anything.
Then, she took a bottle of a beverage before placing all of them on a beautifully decorated tray.
She was a bit disappointed because she had to make the cookies with a round cookie frame instead of the exact flower frame.
When she was finally finished, she peeked out of the main room and saw her father sitting on a chair beside the tea table, seemingly waiting for her.
Everyone was surprised when they saw her. They gathered right in front of the kitchen in a position that she couldn’t see.
She heard someone scolding and slapping Tom in the back.
‘Did I cause Tom to fall into trouble?’
But Tom stammered right away. “Hey, back off Mister!” was what he said.
Well, it was over now.
She smiled, but every employee stared at her with a mark of astonishment plastered on their faces.
“Come on, don’t be like that. Those were for papa. But, all of you can also have them whenever you’re having a hard time working.”
When she walked into the kitchen, leaving her father shaking with emotion, she saw Tom standing in a tight posture with his mouth sealed up.
It seemed like he was afraid of revealing it to all the servants that he ate it. In a way, it also made her feel guilty for having a bite secretly.
His face gradually turned white as she stared at him. He wanted to pretend but it seemed like his mouth moved involuntary.
After looking at him for a long time, she realized that he was still trying to keep the sweetness of the cookie inside his mouth.
“Chew up what’s in your mouth.”
He carefully chewed with a puzzled look.
“Is it that delicious?”
“S-Syrup.”
“Syrup?”
“Did you make the syrup?”
At that moment, she came to know that all of the taste of the yakgwa was because of the syrup she made.
“Yes, it’s my specialty, boy.”
She laughed and walked out with the tray she prepared for Karpel. One of the maids took the tray from her hand and held it for her.
Her father was watching her with a proud expression on his face, while the other employees curiously stared at her.
“Papa, are you not going to taste them?”
“How can I? I don’t want to waste these precious items.”
“Is that so? Oh, then others can taste them. I’ve prepared a lot of them.”
The fragrance of the fried cookies was savory enough to drive everyone towards the kitchen like a flock of hungry ants.
‘Haa, I hope everyone gets a bite.’
“Get out of the way! They’re all mine!”
As her father screamed like a child, everyone was surprised.
“Don’t you think it’s a little too much to eat it all by yourself, papa?”
She asked as she poked out her head.
The Duke contemplated for a moment before reaching out his hand with a determined look. The butler wiped his hand with a wet towel.
He picked up a cookie, carefully sniffing on the scent, and nodded as if he were presenting a yakgwa with careful hand gestures.
He took a bite and chewed it until his face hardened.
‘Does he hate cinnamon?’
She didn’t think he was picky about anything.
‘No, is it too sweet?’
She would be disappointed if the food from her home country didn’t suit his taste.
Her father chewed it slowly before turning to her.
“Ina, my daughter, I can’t believe you had this gift.”
Technically, she only achieved this talent from her previous life. But, of course, in her father’s eyes, it was a new talent she had suddenly shown.
“It wasn’t difficult.”
“That’s amazing. Butler, prepare to wrap it all and cast a conservation spell on it.”
Upon hearing his words, Ina was at a loss of words.
‘So he really is going to eat it all alone.’
“P-Papa, that’d be too much for you to eat it all alone.”
“Don’t worry, dear. I will be fine.”
“Or are you not going to eat anything else I make?”
“I can handle it as well.”
As he spoke firmly, the curiosity of the young people got stronger.
Tom seemed even more excited as he muttered something “really delicious” in the corner.
‘I’m glad you liked it, but papa is being too eccentric.’
As the Duke glanced at her, she slowly avoided his eyes as if pretending she was stabbed at her heart.
“T-Then, all of you can have a taste of Ina’s skills.”
He spoke out.
“Really, papa?”
As her eyes sparkled at him, he coughed in vain. He then glanced at a pile of syrup with tearful eyes before he sighed.
“Yes, I can’t break my daughter’s heart like this now, can I?”
‘So, why did I have to wait for your permission when I was the one who made it?’
But she smiled at him, praising him as she saw his blank face.
“Papa is so great. I want to grow up into someone like him.”
After she wished her father good night, she was about to depart to her room but stopped as she heard a few murmurs among the maids along the hallway. As she peeked inside the kitchen, she saw people carefully enjoying the first bite of their pieces.
And everyone was speechless.
It was as if all of them were the judges of some cooking program on television.
She was so embarrassed that she turned around. It wasn’t until then that she could hear them murmuring,
“This is.”
“out of this.”
“world….”
“Definitely!”
‘As a matter of fact, it is!’
It made her feel proud of her skills.
‘But, today’s actual highlight would be Karpel’s reaction.’
She headed towards Karpel’s room at a trotting pace.
Upon arriving in the hallway, she took over the tray from the maids.
“Now, I’ll hold it. Go and have a taste of my cookies.”
The maid, who was hesitant, bowed her head before walking away towards the kitchen.
She realized she had no hands left to knock on his door.
Just when she was thinking about whether she should use her feet, the edge of the tray, or her head to knock, the door opened by itself.
It was Karpel.
A nice scent filled up her nostrils. She thought he must have just taken a bath. As soon as their eyes met, she politely laid down her eyes.
She wanted to talk to him for quite some time, but his eyes seemed fiercer than usual, perhaps because of what she did earlier in the morning.
At the same time, she was so drowsy that she wanted to throw away the tray and run to her bed immediately.
‘No! Focus, Inaila, focus! If you don’t do this, your family is going to die! You will die!’
Her heart began to race as she shouted out vigorously inside her mind, her fingers tightly clutching on the tray.
“Your Highness!”