Putting Aside Nationalistic Bias, It’s Really Delicious

10 – Mermaid Princess Mishel, Seeking Revenge

“Ahhh, so refreshing.”

Was it because he had a hangover cure with the fish he caught himself at the shore yesterday?

Ever since eating the flatfish he had caught, his body felt full of energy.

Without doing anything, his Mana Core spun, and Mana swam vigorously inside his body.

Perhaps thanks to that, he sweated like he’d been in a sauna all day yesterday.

As a result, he quickly recovered from the hangover and even had an abundance of energy to prepare the store for opening.

“It was much bigger than the other flatfish; maybe it’s something like a legendary creature.”

No way.

Even thinking about it, it was an absurd idea.

I had been fishing there for several months already.

But there was no way the fish I caught yesterday was a legendary creature.

Legend has it that such creatures live their lives in a noble way, never touching the hands of humans, and are mysterious animals.

It could not have become sashimi just by being caught with a single lure.

‘The fish did have a strong force for its kind.’

It was big, so it also took quite an effort to catch it.

If I hadn’t loaded mana onto the fishing rod, it would have certainly broken.

Although it wasn’t a legendary creature, it was definitely an extraordinary one.

The overheating of my body might be due to the positive energy remaining in the fish.

Just like an eel swimming powerfully underwater being a symbol of strength.

What should I do if my positive energy increases after eating this?

“There’s no match for me.”

Sigh.

A sigh came out instinctively.

I spent those seven years in the Knight Order just trying to survive, and after leaving, I spent my time opening a store.

Thinking about it enrages me.

I don’t want to be alone.

Thinking about it only makes me angry.

“I’ll have to eat the frozen fish in the store’s freezer later as a health supplement when I feel weak.”

Splash! Splash!

Suddenly, the sound of the waves from yesterday echoed in my ears.

Recalling the spicy fish soup I had eaten with the flattened fish last night while listening to the sound of the waves made me feel hungry again.

Suddenly, I had a craving for fish.

I didn’t plan on eating something heavy in the morning.

“I still have plenty of frozen flat fish fillets left…”

It should be fine to grill a little and have it.

Just one piece.

Only one piece.

***

I opened the shop door, humming a tune.

Finally, the long-awaited first day of opening.

There’s always excitement when starting something new.

In the early morning, I went to work, thawed the frozen flat fish fillets, and started preparing the ingredients for the business.

My planned opening time was 11 in the morning.

I boldly gave up on doing morning business.

From the beginning, I wanted the peak times for my restaurant to be lunch and dinner.

Giving up on morning business was regrettable, but it was an inevitable choice.

If I tried to do morning business here, I would have to completely give up on evening and late-night hours.

People in Jakryeong woke up and went to work much earlier than I thought.

Farmers, hunters, and woodcutters whose workplace was outside Jakryeong left the gates at dawn, just before the morning sun rose, and there was no one among the people working in the fort who wanted to eat breakfast at a restaurant.

Even the soldiers didn’t come to the store.

It was an opening time chosen through thorough market research.

The first customers would definitely be lunchtime customers.

The reason I gave Hymer breakfast two days ago was for marketing promotion purposes.

In this world, knighthood is a respected profession and social class.

I thought there would be a definite promotional effect since they will have their own community in Jakryeong and receive respect from the people here.

Marketing to capture the people of Jakryeong together with Liana, who is in charge of this place.

A true entrepreneur never skimps on advertising.

It’s still only 10 in the morning.

There were many people on the streets, but none of them looked particularly hungry.

Most people just passed by the restaurant without a second thought.

‘Even when lunchtime comes, there won’t be many customers for the first few days.’

It was expected that the number of customers would be low since the restaurant was in the countryside.

Unlike the empire’s capital, this area required starting and running the business as a neighborhood shop, due to the difference in foot traffic.

‘Enough with useless thoughts.’

All the ingredients had been prepared, so it was time to prepare the side dishes.

I opened the door of the restaurant and turned on the stove to prepare the ingredients before opening.

A chef should never be idle during business hours.

I once heard a famous chef say on TV,

It’s the worst thing when a chef sits at a table watching TV or doing something else when there are no customers.

Instead, one should appeal to the charms of the store and do something worthwhile.

Trimming ingredients, preparing seasonings in advance to cope with busy times, or purposely cooking fragrant food to attract customers with the scent.

“Shall I stir-fry some mushrooms to use as a side dish?”

The aroma of mushrooms stir-fried with soy sauce, sesame oil, and various seasonings was quite stimulating.

It was enough to pique the interest of passersby who were hungry at this time.

It would make for a good side dish for the flatbread I was going to eat later.

Sizzle!

I sliced the peppers and mushrooms.

With the door of the restaurant left open, I stir-fried the mushrooms and peppers with a soy sauce-based seasoning.

Sizzle!

The smell of oil and mushrooms wafted out of the door and into the air.

In another frying pan, a soup to accompany the pork cutlet was boiling.

“Hmm~.”

After quickly finishing the mushroom stir-fry, I hummed a tune and sliced the thawed flatfish, or rather halibut, into thick pieces.

Halibut was an ingredient that was somewhat regrettable to use for deep-frying.

If it had been caught yesterday, or even just today, I would have eaten it raw as sashimi, but….

‘Well, it can’t be helped.’

It had already been frozen once, so eating it as sashimi was a pity, and making a soup using only the flesh was also regrettable, leaving only one option.

Halibut tempura.

Although it was the best beer snack, for me, it was a great side dish for rice.

When dipped in soy sauce and eaten, the freshly fried halibut tempura would become crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

The taste was incomparable to the mediocre fish tempura served in the army.

I admit that fish tempura definitely had its pros and cons.

However, this halibut tempura was not the kind of food that would be easily divided into likes and dislikes.

‘Because it tastes much better raw than fried.’

I seasoned the fish and dipped it in tempura batter before dropping it into the hot oil.

Sizzle!

The sound of the batter frying made a tapping noise in my ears.

A pleasant ASMR.

Like the sound of raindrops, I added another thickly cut fish piece in synch with the sound.

Sizzle!

Double the sound!

A pleasant tingle tapped on my ears.

The pleasant smell of frying tickled my nose.

I shook off the freshly fried halibut tempura’s excess oil and placed it on an oil absorbing sheet.

The oil-absorbing sheet soaked up the oil from the tempura, keeping the crispiness even longer.

There was even a soy sauce-based side dish for eating with rice.

“Ah, with this much, I can easily finish a bowl of rice.”

It was then.

A girl entered the store.

With her neatly tied blue hair like seawater, she wore a rather luxurious-looking black dress.

Did she come after offering a prayer?

Her dignity could be glimpsed in every movement.

Her education and upbringing could be known from her clothes and behavior.

She was a noble.

And a high-ranking one at that.

‘At least a countess.’

She wasn’t from a viscount family.

I had never heard of such a girl being from a viscount family.

Besides, the hair color of the viscount was a light brown.

His wife had golden blond hair.

There couldn’t be such a beautiful blue-haired beauty.

“Customer, we haven’t opened the store yet. Please come back when we open it in 30 minutes.”

“……”

The girl, who entered the entrance and stared at me, had a colder look in her eyes.

‘Killing intent.’

A strange hostility could be felt.

Who is she?

Is she someone I know from the capital?

I don’t remember seeing such a person.

The blue-haired woman who stared at me with cold eyes sat down at the table with the best view of the kitchen.

“Do you know Sebastian?”

She asked, her hand resting on the rapier hanging at her waist.

Her hand moved. It moved.

It would be troublesome if it reached there.

“Sebastian… you say?”

“Yes.”

Who is that?

I cannot remember.

I have no idea.

There was no one with the name Sebastian in the Order of Knights.

There was no one with the name Sebastian among the characters in the novels.

I had never once met a man named Sebastian.

As I was about to shake my head, I hesitated for a moment.

A hypothesis that came to mind.

‘Could she be someone sent by the princess?’

The elegant attire befitting the capital, the ornate decorations on her rapier.

Her demeanor indicative of high status.

And even the intense gaze she directed at me.

There was a possibility.

She was the villainess who would become a tyrant in the not-so-distant future.

A woman whose actions were unpredictable.

Was it possible she had sent someone because I left the Order of Knights?

‘Sebastian is a code.’

If I could not decipher that code, it was clear that the woman with the sharp gaze would draw her sword on me.

If she was a subordinate of the princess, it was certainly possible.

But what kind of password?

I couldn’t get a grasp on it.

‘Let’s buy some time.’

I had to find at least some clue while talking to her.

“I know very well.”

“Do you?”

Damn.

Her reaction was too bland.

I couldn’t find any clues in her short conversation.

“….”

Her eyes still glaring at me.

“You knew…..”

Meanwhile, the fried flatfish was getting cold.

‘It’s not tasty when it’s soggy.’

Grumble.

Damn.

I’m hungry.

My empty stomach started to make loud noises.

Well, I’d rather eat and die.

It wouldn’t be unfair if I died after eating.

I scooped white rice into a bowl of rice.

On the tray, fried flatfish, stir-fried mushrooms, white rice, and bright red kimchi were spread out in their respective bowls.

I poured the spicy soup broth from last night into a soup bowl.

In the soft, tender radish, and bright red soup, steam was rising.

‘A fish feast.’

It was a shame that there were no fish bones left to eat with the spicy fish soup.

It was so delicious that I had eaten them all yesterday.

Still, the savory taste of the fish bones did not disappear.

The main dish was fried fish, after all.

I picked up the tray and sat down across from the woman.

Startled, she recoiled slightly.

Always act unpredictably in the face of your opponent.

It was Rule No.1 for survival.

“What, what are you doing?”

“I didn’t have breakfast. I’m just trying to eat something.”

I picked up a spoon and chopsticks and took a sip of the hot spicy fish soup.

Slurp!

“Wow! It’s delicious.”

Soup dishes always taste best a day after they’ve been cooked.

The taste was entirely different from yesterday’s fresh-made soup, swirling in my mouth.

I marveled at the slightly richer taste of the broth and scooped a spoonful of rice.

The red seasoning of the spicy fish soup seeped between the snow-white grains of rice, as if to be broadcast live.

I used my chopsticks to pick up a piece of radish on the steaming rice.

The radish was so tender that it was breaking apart, so I held it as softly as I could.

I took a big bite.

“Mmm!”

After a mouthful of rice soaked in spicy fish soup, I picked up a piece of fried flatfish with my chopsticks.

The crispy, crunchy sound of the fried fish was clear.

I dipped the fried fish deeply into the soy sauce.

Crunch!

I take a bite of the crispy fried fish.

The spicyness of the spicy soup and the crispy, savory taste of the fried flatfish mix together.

“What is that?”

“Hmm.”

It’s not like I’m talking while eating.

“Answer me. What is it?”

“…It’s a dish made with flatfish.”

“Flatfish?”

“It’s a delicious meat. It’s one of the most favorite ingredients among people. It’s great as a side dish for alcohol and turns into a perfect rice accompaniment when grilled well.”

“…”

I take another spoonful.

Yum.

It’s delicious.

Is it because it is the food I am eating before I die?

It tastes even better.

The harmony of the moist, white fish flesh and the golden-brown fried batter was beautiful.

Plus, the soy sauce that balances the seasoning.

As I chew, I can feel the rich and savory taste of the oil added to the fried fish.

And with a spoonful of the spicy soup, just right!

The spiciness of the soup catches the taste of the fried fish that could have been slightly greasy.

‘It feels like eating fried food at a Japanese restaurant.’

My insides feel refreshed.

The complicated thoughts in my head are unraveled in an instant.

This is what taste is.

The Joy of Life.

“Ugh, delicious.”

Regardless of the taste, I still don’t know who this Sebastian is that the girl is talking about.

She keeps glaring at me with resentment, but I don’t know what it means.

“Would you like to try some?”

“…..”

Her eyes are fixated on the flatfish fry.

After staring intensely for a moment, she glares at me again.

“But why are you looking for Sebastian?”

“Because you killed him.”

“…..”

Damn it.

I stepped on a landmine.

But I killed him?

I deliberately took on cooking duties to avoid killing anyone in the future rebellion in order to survive.

“Hmmm…”

This must be some kind of code.

A code implying that I did something wrong to the princess.

Thunk!

Lost in thought, I took another bite of the flatfish fry.

What?

What did I do wrong?

I even kept the oath I made when I was knighted.

It’s been 7 years, so a lawful termination due to contract expiration is right, isn’t it?

I don’t know.

I have no idea.

‘I’m too inadequate to understand the intentions of the future tyrant.’

The reason she became a tyrant was not clearly stated in the novel.

Such an ambiguous character.

A character with content that doesn’t fit well with a mad tyrant.

Maybe she didn’t like the fact that I left.

Could Sebastian perhaps represent my life as a knight?

By ending my life as a knight, I extinguished the existence of Sebastian with my own hands.

To describe that as murder.

Now that the life of a knight is over.

Indeed, a noble way of expressing it.

Before I knew it, I bowed my head to the woman who was staring at the fried fish, lost in thought.

“I’m sorry. There was no other choice. Given the situation…”

“Chewing, what situation was that?”

“I wanted to live.”

I didn’t want a future where I died by the hands of the tyrant.

I wanted to survive as long as possible.

“You wanted to live?”

“Yes. I killed for the sake of living.”

Admit it.

Admit it and apologize for the mistake.

That’s the only way I can survive.

“Why did Sebastian have to die, of all people?”

The woman’s hand, swallowing her saliva, trembled.

She shivered, glancing back and forth between me and the fried fish.

“There was no other way. I’m sorry.”

“Survival of the fittest… is that it?”

Another riddle.

Damn it.

Why do they have to overuse riddles only they know?

I wish they would make up their mind quickly.

Will it be sacrifice or survival?

“I understand what you’re saying.”

I don’t know what she thought of my silence, but she nodded and responded.

“The law of nature… As long as we are living beings, we can’t refuse it.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“I haven’t forgiven you. I still hold a grudge. So, …”

Grrrrr!

A loud noise was heard at that moment.

It couldn’t have come from my stomach after eating all that food.

“Did you not even eat?”

“……”

She closed her mouth.

“No matter how important your work is, you shouldn’t work without eating.”

“There is something more important than food…”

“Stop!”

I suddenly shouted, and she jolted in surprise.

“There’s nothing more important in this world than food. You should always eat before working! You must maintain your body at 100 percent!”

I was sincere.

What I do best is cook.

I was given a chance to win this woman’s heart.

If I could serve her a wonderful dish here, she might not just leave.

“What do you think this place is?”

“A building of humans.”

I nodded.

“It’s a restaurant. It means we can fill the guests’ stomachs anytime.”

“…”

“So, I’ll prepare a dish that can satisfy the guest’s hunger.”

She couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

How hungry must she be?

I heard that some noble ladies would eat less on purpose to fit into their fancy dresses.

That must be the reason.

Doing so could harm her body.

You have to eat well to be healthy and live a long life.

It also puts you in a good mood.

As I stood up to make a new dish that could please her.

“I want to eat what you had.”

“Do you mean the fried flatfish?”

“Yes, the smell was very nice.”

“I understand.”

I went back into the kitchen, washed the dishes, and made the fried flatfish again.

Since I already had enough ingredients, it didn’t take long to prepare.

I presented the exact same dish that I had eaten earlier to her.

Freshly fried, with tender, springy fish fillet, crispy batter, spicy soup with deep flavors from the fish bones, and a steaming bowl of rice topped with sautéed mushrooms.

“Please, enjoy.”

“I’ll enjoy the meal.”

She didn’t know what to do when she saw the freshly prepared fried flatfish.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Do you have a fork?”

“Oh, here you go.”

I handed her a fork meant for pork cutlets.

“Give it a try. It should be delicious.”

Her eyes widened as she picked up the fried flatfish with the fork.

“Is it this crispy…?”

She took a bite of the fried flatfish with a short exclamation of wonder.

Crunch!