LESS THAN AN HOUR LATER
XAVIER
The palace steward led me through several hallways before stopping in front of an enormous kitchen. Only it wasn’t hidden. Three sides were completely open, overlooking one of the palace’s inner courtyards where nobles gathered for afternoon tea.
"An open kitchen?" I blinked.
"His Imperial Majesty wishes to watch today’s meal being prepared."The steward smiled politely.
I looked toward the courtyard. There had to be over a hundred people.
"You’re telling me all of them are going to watch me cook?"I asked.
"Correct."The steward nodded.
My soul quietly packed its bags.
"I suddenly miss my tiny village kitchen."I whispered.
"I am afraid that isn’t possible."The steward only smiled.
I rolled up my sleeves anyway.
"If I’m doing this..." I muttered. "I’m doing it properly."
Servants immediately brought fresh ingredients. Premium pork, river fish, fresh vegetables and rare spices. Even ingredients I had never seen before.
"They’re really spoiling me..." I whispered.
I picked up my knife. The elegant one Baron Xu had gifted me, the familiar weight settled into my hand. The moment I began chopping every movement became smooth, rhythmic and almost effortless. Even the palace chefs quietly stopped working to watch.
"Look at his knife work."One said.
"So precise..."Another one nodded. "He isn’t wasting a single movement. I have never seen anyone cut vegetables that quickly."
Within minutes acrowd had formed outside the kitchen. Nobles, officials, young masters, ladies and a surprising number of omegas. One noble omega covered his mouth with a fan.
"He’s even prettier up close."She said.
"I thought the festival rumors were exaggerated."Another nodded dreamily. "They weren’t."
"His white hair is beautiful."Third one added.
"And those eyes..."Fourt one nodded. "He’s actually handsome enough to rival noble heirs."
I kept slicing carrots, don’t listen and tried to ignore them. One particularly confident omega noble walked right up to the counter.
"Chef Wei."She said.
"Yes?"I asked.
"I simply wished to tell you." He smiled sweetly. "Your hands are very attractive."
"My... what?"My knife almost slipped.
"Your hands."He leaned forward. "They are very elegant."
"Th-thank you?"I had absolutely no response to that.
Why are people complimenting my hands? What kind of flirting is this?
"I actually prefer his smile."Another omega stepped beside him.
"I like his hair."Third one nodded. "I wonder if he has someone waiting for him."
"I heard he isn’t married."Fourt one added.
My face became warmer with every sentence. Please let me cook. Across the courtyard several imperial concubines had also arrived after hearing the commotion. Even they stared openly.
"So that’s Chef Wei?"First one asked.
"He looks nothing like the forgotten Beta from before."Second one nodded. "He became incredibly handsome."
"No wonder everyone keeps talking about him."Third one added.
"I would like to taste his cooking."One omega concubine smiled.
"I would like to meet the chef first."Another giggled.
A third adjusted his robes before beginning to walk toward the kitchen. Inside my head my heterosexual survival instincts were screaming. I focused entirely on the wok, oil, garlic and ginger.
"I understand cooking."I muttered. "I do not understand flirting."
As the aroma spread through the courtyard even more people gathered.
"My goodness..."First one asked.
"What is that smell?"Second one joined. "Now I understand the festival."
The imperial concubines were now standing only a few steps away.
"Chef Wei."One smiled warmly.
"Y-Yes?"I asked.
"If you’re free after today’s banquet..." He gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind one ear. "Perhaps we could have tea together."
Error, system failure, brain offline. Tea, is that code for something? Do people in palace dramas invite chefs to tea? I genuinely had no idea.
"I... um..."I began. "I have to stir the pot."
I turned around so quickly I nearly hugged the stove. Behind me ana would be laughing herself to tears. Hin would probably look disappointed in my complete inability to recognize flirting. Across the courtyard Emperor Lang Li watched everything from beneath the pavilion. His expression remained perfectly calm. Only Shen noticed the truth, the Emperor’s teacup cracked. A tiny fracture spread across the porcelain beneath the pressure of his fingers.
"Your Majesty." Shen spoke very carefully. "Should I ask the concubines to return to their residences?"
Lang Li watched another omega smile at Wei. Another noble compliment him, another servant blush while accepting a plate. His golden eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
"No." His voice was calm. "They may stay. After all they will soon discover that Chef Wei has no time for idle conversation."
At that exact moment, the palace steward hurried into the kitchen.
"Chef Wei."He said.
"Yes?"I asked.
"His Imperial Majesty requests..." I looked up. "That today’s meal be served personally."
"Personally?"I asked.
"Yes."He nodded. "To His Majesty alone."
Behind me...
Nearly every omega in the courtyard looked visibly disappointed. Lang Li quietly lifted his teacup as he saw my face, since for the first time all afternoon he seemed satisfied.
I took a slow breath and focused on the only thing that had never betrayed me. The wok hissed as the pork caramelized beautifully before I added the vegetables. Aromatic spices bloomed in the hot oil, filling the open courtyard with an even richer fragrance than before.
For a few precious minutes everyone stopped talking.
The only sounds were my knife, the crackling fire, and the steady rhythm of cooking.
"This..." One elderly palace chef whispered. "This is cooking."
I carefully arranged the finished dishes onto elegant jade plates before wiping the edge of each one clean. Only then did I finally step back.
"Done."I nodded.
"It looks worthy of His Majesty."The steward stared at the meal for several seconds.
At the edge of the courtyard, I spotted two familiar faces. Ana and Hin had been granted permission to watch from the visitors gallery. Ana gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up before quickly remembering she was in the imperial palace and awkwardly turned it into a graceful nod. Hin simply smiled warmly.
"You’ve done well, Master Wei." She mouthed.
My shoulders relaxed. If those two approved, I could survive anything. Around the courtyard, the nobles were having a much harder time.
"Is that all for His Majesty?"First one asked.
"It smells unbelievable."The second one nodded. "I suddenly regret eating before coming."
"I would pay a hundred gold coins for one bite."The third one added.
Several nobles stared so intensely at the dishes that they looked ready to abandon all dignity and sprint toward the kitchen. Even a few palace guards swallowed visibly. The steward noticed the hungry expressions and immediately stepped in front of the tray.
"These dishes." He announced firmly. "Are reserved exclusively for His Imperial Majesty."
A collective sigh echoed through the courtyard. I couldn’t help smiling, at least this time they were staring at the food instead of flirting with me.