Putting Aside Nationalistic Bias, It’s Really Delicious

11 – The flatfish, or rather, Sebastian, was too delicious to deny.

People living in the ocean, called mermaids or sirens.

They were beings who lived in harmony with marine creatures in the sea under the reign of the Sea King.

Their existence was believed to be only in legends.

Humans living on the continent could not dare to go to their territory by boat because of the sea monsters in the distant ocean.

Mermaids, too, rarely had a reason to go to the continent.

There were plenty of things to enjoy in the sea even without going to the continent.

Riding shark skates.

Climbing on a water cannon spouted by a giant whale and soaring into the sky.

Swimming through the ocean with dolphins.

Collecting various clams and coral reefs on the deep seabed.

Etc.

Mermaids had plenty of fun activities to enjoy.

However, not all mermaids lived beneath the ocean.

There were numerous cases where mermaids, intrigued by the mainland, lived among the land-dwellers.

For them, changing their tails into human legs to get up on land was incredibly easy.

As a result, the incidence of humans discovering mermaids over the span of hundreds of years was exceptionally rare.

The princess of these mermaids, Michel.

The first daughter of the Sea King who ruled the ocean.

A woman renowned for her beauty in the far-off and deep Dragon Palace.

Her blue hair, resembling the transparent and azure hue of the sea, was loved by every marine creature.

Loved by all and loving everyone, she was also the daughter the Sea King cherished the most.

“Father, I brought back a coral necklace from outside the Dragon Palace.”

“Hehe, it’s beautiful. Did you get it yourself?”

“Yes! Sebastian helped me!”

Upon hearing this, the Sea King sighed.

“Michel.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Don’t get too attached to those children.”

“Why is that?”

“The one you named Sebastian is a fish different from us mermaids. Even though they can communicate with us, in the end, they are the ones we rule and manage.”

“But Sebastian has been working in the Dragon Palace for hundreds of years.”

“That’s true. A loyal servant. A strong subordinate I trust, as well. But that’s a separate matter.”

“Why?”

The Sea King couldn’t continue his words.

“You’ll understand as time goes by.”

He simply stroked her gently.

She didn’t understand.

How can we think of these beings, who can communicate and exchange conversations, as mere subjects to be managed?

“But, Dad.”

“Michelle, tell me just one thing. Those kids can’t enter our Dragon Palace. Do you know why?”

The Sea King flicked his finger.

At the same time, the seawater that filled the Dragon Palace drained away, and oxygen replaced it.

As the water disappeared, the lower halves of the Sea King and Michelle, which resembled fish tails, transformed into human legs.

“That’s because fish can’t survive here without being able to breathe outside the water. They can’t live like us.”

“So are you saying we are people from the continent?”

“No, it’s different. They can’t breathe underwater, right? But fish aren’t like us either. We are special beings. Remember that, my daughter.”

The Sea King said as he stroked her hair.

“Now let’s go eat. It’s mealtime.”

Heading to the dining room with the Sea King, she saw the food laid out on the table.

Delicious dishes with steam wafting from them.

The smell of freshly grilled meat wafted through the air, lifting everyone’s spirits.

Her older brother, Guriel, the Sea King’s first son, Michelle, and the rest of her siblings were all seated at the table.

This was the only time the Sea King could relax from his duties and enjoy a feast with his family.

Once the queen was seated, the family meal began.

“Enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you!”

The underwater cuisine was delicious.

It made you forget about the world above the water.

“Dad, what are the ingredients for this dish? How can someone create such a dish?”

“That’s a secret I can’t tell you. It’s the chef’s secret recipe.”

It was a pity that she couldn’t cook the dish herself since she didn’t know the ingredients or the recipe.

But it was okay.

The food in the Dragon Palace had always satisfied her taste.

That was enough for her.

Or so she thought.

“It’s delicious…”

And now, there was food that was several times more delicious than what she had eaten before.

Crispiness, moistness, and even softness.

The chewy flesh melted in her mouth as if it disappeared after a few bites.

It wasn’t tough.

It meant the man in front of her was a top-notch chef.

‘I’m sure they used the same ingredients…’

It was the meat that Dragon Palace chefs often used for steamed and grilled dishes.

The taste derived from the ingredients was similar.

Of course, this dish tasted better, but she had a discerning palate enough to distinguish the taste from the ingredients.

“Is this called flatfish fried?”

“Yes, it’s a dish made with flatfish. If you coat it with batter and deep-fry it in oil, the result will be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.”

“…Fried. I’ve never had this kind of food before.”

“Is this your first time trying fried food?”

“Yes. But it’s delicious.”

The hostility she had felt until just now seemed to fade away softly.

He was too valuable a talent to kill.

Killing Sebastian was infuriating, but Abamama always said,

-Preserve talents with ability. One talented person can replace ten thousand ordinary people.

Crunch.

The feast of the crispy first bite and the tender flesh inside.

The white flesh tearing along the grain was incredibly beautiful.

“The ingredients often used by the chefs of the Dragon Palace were indeed right.

The texture as it tore apart, the color of the flesh visible beneath the crispy coating.

From taste to appearance.

It was alike.

But the taste was different.

What I had in the Dragon Palace felt almost like a child’s prank.

“Mmm, delicious.”

The tender flesh lingered in the mouth.

My hand kept reaching out involuntarily.

It was the first time experiencing rice and spicy stew, both delicious, but what felt familiar in her mouth was this dish of fried flounder.

Just a bit oily, almost too heavy, but when sipping the vivid red broth.

“Hmm….”

The body trembled.

A red wave, cleansing the mouth filled with oil.

This red spicy stew, with lava-like heat, was so spicy that it made the mouth tingle, but it only intensified the craving for more.

With a contented sigh, I ladled a spoonful of rice.

Delicious.

Truly delicious.

To the point where I would invite this man who defeated Sebastian to the Dragon Palace.

If Abamama tastes this human’s cooking, she will surely be amazed.

Perhaps she’ll even appoint him as the exclusive chef of the Dragon Palace?

The more I ate, the more I craved.

It wasn’t just because I was hungry.

It was really delicious.

No matter how many times I emphasize, it wouldn’t be enough.”

Her anger towards Sebastian faded.

– “Your Highness, I will hunt for something to eat nearby.”

Sebastian…

The girl who had devoured the food cooked by the man asked him while wiping her mouth with a tissue.

“What is your name?”

“It’s Lucas.”

“Lucas, do you have any thoughts of becoming a chef in our palace?”

“I’m sorry, but I have no plans to leave here.”

What?

Does he truly find this countryside diner satisfactory?

“Are you giving up on a royal chef position, where you could have all kinds of wealth and honor?”

“Yes.”

She was at a loss for words at his firm response.

Persuasion wouldn’t work on him, it seemed.

His gaze was filled with unwavering determination.

What should she do?

She wanted to take him.

She desired to bring him with her, so much.

She even wanted to call her palace’s warriors and forcibly take him.

She craved to only eat the food prepared by this man three times a day at the palace.

She wanted it.

This man’s cooking.

Every single day.

Without a single day missed.

She had eaten numerous delicacies in her life, but this was the first time she felt this way.

“It may be hard to believe, but I am a princess of a certain country.”

“Even if you were an empress, I couldn’t go with you.”

“…”

At that moment, a thought crossed her mind.

It is said that craftsmen who have reached a certain level have their own standards and stubbornness.

They neither listen to nor grant the requests of those who don’t meet their criteria.

Moreover, she had tried to kill this man from their first meeting.

Because she was furious about Sebastian’s death.

‘I made a mistake. I should have been more composed…’

What should she do?

How could she possibly take this man with her?

She couldn’t find an answer.

Her anxiety grew.

If she couldn’t take him with her, then at least learn how to make these dishes.

These fried foods.

This spicy soup.

This rice.

This mushroom stir-fry.

Each one of them exuded its own charm, making every dish too enticing to miss out on.

The girl, who had been tapping her foot impatiently, asked a question.

If he wouldn’t teach her the recipes, she would ask slowly about the ingredients.

If she found out about each one, would he open his heart to her?

“What kind of meat is this flatfish used in this fried dish?”

“Ah, it’s a kind of meat called flatfish on the mainland, but…”

Clang!

“Guest?”

“Is, is it the flattened meat…?”

“That’s right. It’s flattened meat cut into thick slices and a good size to eat…”

“St, stop!”

“Guest?”

“Please, stop.”

I knew that mainlanders called Sebaschan-like tray meats “flattened meat.”

Could it be that this fried flatfish I ate…

“Sebaschan?”

No way.

There’s no way I would have eaten Sebaschan so deliciously.

“Ugh!”

A dreadful self-loathing, along with disgust, rose up.

I couldn’t help but dry-heave.

But the eaten food did not come back up.

It didn’t come up because…

I had eaten the flatfish too deliciously.

And deep down, I did not want to throw up this delicious food that I ate.

It would be such a waste.

To spit out that delicious food again…

It was an instinctual desire.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Let me ask you one more thing. Was it around this big, the size of the flattened meat?”

The girl spread her hands, roughly measuring the size of Sebaschan.

“It seemed a bit bigger than that, but it’s similar.”

Unable to bear it, she stood up.

How?

What is she trying to do?

Will she kill him now in revenge for Sebastian?

I also ate it.

I contributed to Sebastian’s death as well.

I am…

The same as this man who killed Sebastian.

She could do nothing.

She just clenched her teeth and shed tears.

‘It was the same meat as what we ate in the palace.’

That meant, for a long time, she had already…

She recalled the words her mother had spoken.

– You’ll find out as time passes.

No.

No, no.

That can’t be!

It’s a lie.

She clenched her fist and fled the restaurant as if running away.

“Ah! The customer!”

Lucas’ voice could be heard from behind, but she kept running.

Until she could see the ocean.

Even as she ran, she thought about how delicious the fries were.

“What was that about?”

I mumbled while watching the blue-haired woman walk away in the distance.

Was she really not someone from the princess’s side?

-Lucas, do you have any thoughts of becoming a cook at our palace?

At first, I thought she was sent by the princess.

-A royal cook? Would you give up a position that could grant you all sorts of wealth and fame?

-It might be hard to believe, but I’m a princess of a country.

However, judging from her reaction, it didn’t seem to be just that.

But there was absolutely no reason for a foreign princess to seek me out…

“Was it a trap?”

If she planned to flee to another country, she might have tried to kill me.

Maybe my strong refusal saved my life.

‘Become a royal cook.’

I already turned down the position of chef for the princess’s knights, how could I go there?

If anything went wrong, I could lose my life.

“But it must have been really delicious.”

Seeing her empty the plate and even shed tears after eating.

“Running away without paying is shameful, though.”

But considering it cost my life, it wasn’t a waste.

“Now, let’s clean up one last time and prepare for the opening.”

There wasn’t much time left before the opening.

***

“It’s today.”

“You came to work early? You usually don’t wake up at this hour, do you?”

Astonished by Riana’s early morning arrival, the self-proclaimed knight, Heimer, asked her.

Riana was a capable and talented person, but she usually didn’t show up at the office until 10 a.m. due to her love for sleeping in.

“I couldn’t sleep much because I was excited about today.”

Riana said, pointing to the dark circles under her eyes.

“You, Sir Heimer, have arrived early as well.”

“Yes, I need to have an empty stomach to enjoy a hearty lunch. Moreover, I won’t be able to train during lunchtime, so I must wake up earlier than others.”

“You’re diligent.”

Though they would usually only briefly chat about lunch menus, today was different.

A subtle tension flowed between them.

“It’s today. I believe you, Riana, would know.”

“Of course. That’s why I couldn’t sleep much.”

Today was the day that Lucas’s knight-themed restaurant would open its doors.

A few days prior, after enjoying different dishes, both Heimer and Riana were determined to find out which dish was the best.

“At last, a knight’s restaurant, managed by the knight himself, is opening.”

“It’s amusing to hear a non-knight speak of a knight’s restaurant.”

“Isn’t it a knight’s restaurant since a knight opened it?”

“The restaurant is called a knight’s restaurant because only true knights can appreciate its true essence.”

“That’s a narrow-minded thought. A restaurant where only knights can taste the dishes?”

“Indeed… there’s a taste in that restaurant that you, a non-knight like Riana, can never understand.”

The two, who were once amicable coworkers, began to feud as if they were mortal enemies ever since their differing opinions on the two dishes: bulgogi and pork cutlet.

Unable to endure their bickering, the decision was made to take the entire team of knights and the internal affairs department to the restaurant for a taste evaluation.

“Sir Heimer, let’s make one thing clear. The one who chooses the more delicious menu more often will admit defeat and hand over this quarter’s budget to the other party.”

“Fine. However, do not undermine the taste with any lies.”

“Of course.”

Betting their department’s quarterly budget.

Today, the two were especially looking forward to lunchtime.

“Finally, we can repair the outer road with the Knight Squadron’s budget.”

“The Knight Squadron will dine out on pork cutlet with the soldiers using the Internal Affairs Department’s budget for the whole quarter. Physical strength is national strength, after all.”

Both were confident in their own victory.