AT THE SAME EVENING
XAVIER
I had expected many things. A small room. Maybe something near the kitchens, perhaps a modest servant’s residence. After all I was the palace chef. Right?
"Chef Wei."A palace maid bowed politely.
"Yes?"I asked.
"Please follow us."She said and smiled.
Two servants picked up my luggage while another carried several boxes that somehow already contained my cooking tools.
.How did my things get here before I did?"I asked, confused.
"The Imperial Household is very efficient."A maid explained.
"Apparently."I nodded.
I followed them through the palace grounds. Past the main kitchens, past the servants quarters and past the guest residences.
"We are walking an awful lot."I said.
"Almost there, Chef Wei."She asked.
Five more minutes passed.
"Are we leaving the palace?"I asked, even more confused.
"No."She said.
Another minute passed, and then the servants stopped. I looked up.
"What is that?"I asked.
Standing before me was an elegant courtyard residence. Not a room, not an apartment, an entire residence. White stone walls, dark wooden beams, curved jade green roof tiles. A koi pond surrounded by flowering trees, a small bamboo garden. Its own private kitchen, which was somehow larger than Ana’s entire inn. There was even a separate pantry, spice storage, wine cellar, herb garden, and a covered outdoor cooking area.
I slowly pointed.
"This?"I asked.
"Your residence."The head maid smiled.
"No."I shook my head.
"No?"She blinked.
"There has clearly been a mistake."I said.
"There hasn’t."She said.
"I’m a cook."I said.
"Correct."She nodded.
"I don’t outrank ministers."I added.
"Correct."She nodded.
"I definitely don’t outrank princes."I added again.
"Also correct."She nodded.
"Then why do I have a house?"I asked, even more flustered than before.
"His Majesty ordered one."The maid answered without hesitation.
"I thought he meant... a room."I said.
"No."She said. "He specifically ordered a residence."
"..." I looked at the building again. "This is bigger than my old apartment on Earth..."
The servants tilted their heads in confusion.
"Nothing."I shook my head.
The doors slid open. Inside, I saw silk curtains, hand carved furniture, an enormous bedroom, a private study, a library. Three guest rooms, a bathing room with steaming hot water already prepared.
"Why do I have guest rooms?"I stared in complete disbelief.
"In case His Majesty summons officials to discuss cuisine."The maid said.
"Cuisine requires meetings?"I asked.
"Apparently." Another servant proudly opened a second door. "And this is your personal kitchen."
My jaw nearly hit the floor. Copper cookware, stone ovens, clay ovens, woks, knives, shelves filled with premium ingredients, every spice carefully labelled. There was even a small refrigerator room cooled with spirit stones.
"This kitchen costs more than the entire village."I gasped.
"His Majesty instructed us to spare no expense."The steward smiled proudly.
"Does His Majesty know what a chef is?"I slowly turned toward him.
"We no longer know."The steward answered without missing a beat.
"I heard His Majesty personally designed this residence."One younger servant whispered to another. "The architects worked without sleeping for three days before your arrival here."
"They did what? What do you mean that they finished an entire residence in three days?"I asked.
"The Emperor was... very motivated."One of them nodded.
"He actually built me a house."I buried my face in my hands. "Before I even arrived here? So order to build it was a trap?"
"There is one final matter."The steward coughed politely.
"Oh no."I whispered.
"His Majesty has also ordered a private walkway."He said.
"A what?"I asked.
"So Your Majesty-" He immediately corrected himself. "So Chef Wei may reach the Imperial Palace without passing through the main courtyards."
"That’s oddly specific."I blinked.
"His Majesty dislikes crowds."A steward said. "And unnecessary interruptions, and wandering nobles."
"Wait."I asked.
"No further explanation was provided."I blinked.
Somewhere else in the palace Lang Li calmly signed another document. Shen glanced at it.
"Your Majesty?"Shen asked.
"Hm?"He asked.
"You’ve approved a private covered walkway... connecting your palace directly to Chef Wei’s residence."Shen asked.
"Correct."He nodded.
"So he doesn’t have to walk through the noble district?"Shen asked.
"Correct."He said.
"Where the omegas keep flirting with him?"Shen asked.
"That is merely a practical benefit."Lang Li looked up.
Shen looked at the document, then at his Emperor.
"Naturally."He nodded.
Back in my new residence, I slowly sat down in the middle of my luxurious living room.
"I think..." I looked around the ridiculously elegant house. "I’m the most overpaid cook in this entire empire."
Outside the window, I could already see palace servants hanging up a wooden plaque. ’Imperial chef’s residence’.
"They even made a sign."I pointed at it. "This is excessive." I whispered.
"Xavier!" I turned and saw how Ana ran toward me.
And before I could react, she hugged me tightly.
"You did it!" She said excitedly.
"Ana-"I gasped.
"You went to the palace, cooked for the Emperor, and now you have your own quarters!" She looked like a proud mother watching her child graduate. "I still can’t believe this." She held my shoulders and looked me over. "My little chef is living in the palace now."
"I’m not little." I protested.
"You are to me." She smiled.
Then Hin approached more quietly. But the smile on her face was impossible to miss.
"Master Wei..."She began. "I am happy. I was worried about you when you left." Hin admitted softly.
"Well... I’m still here."I looked at her.
"Yes."She nodded.
"Look at you two making me emotional."Ana wiped the corner of her eye dramatically.
"Ana."I groaned.
"What?" She crossed her arms. "I raised this inn’s chef."
"I don’t remember being raised."I said.
"You needed it."She shook her head.
"I survived before you."I said.
"Barely."She grinned.
Hin covered her mouth, laughing. For the first time since arriving at the palace, I stopped feeling nervous. Because standing there with Ana and Hin, the giant palace didn’t feel quite as intimidating. Late evening, when Ana left and Hin went to her maid zone, I had finally unpacked everything. Well, as much as someone could unpack in a residence that was somehow larger than an entire inn.
"This kitchen is ridiculous." I ran my fingers across the polished wooden counter. "This is heaven..."
A knock echoed through the residence. Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Who visits a chef this late? "I frowned.
"Chef Wei."A maid hurried in before I could reach the entrance.
"Yes?"I asked.
"His Imperial Majesty has arrived."She said.
"What?"I asked.
Before my brain could process those words, the doors slid open. Emperor Lang Li walked inside with Shen following a respectful distance behind.
"This servant greets Your Majesty."Every servant immediately bowed.
"This subject greets Your Majesty."I hurriedly bowed as well.
"You may rise."He said.
"Yes, Your Majesty." I stood, trying very hard not to look nervous.
What was the Emperor doing here? Did I burn something already?
"The renovations were completed properly."He slowly looked around the residence.
"Renovations?"I asked.
"They worked quickly."He said.
"So... Your Majesty came to inspect the building?"I blinked.
"Correct." He said asShen quietly looked away.
I had the strange feeling that even he didn’t believe that.
Lang Li walked into the kitchen. His fingers brushed across one of the counters.
"The workmanship is acceptable." He opened a cabinet. "Hm." He checked the pantry, the spice shelves, the knives, rven the storage jars.
"Is His Majesty inspecting my soy sauce?"I stood there awkwardly.
"His Majesty is... thorough."Shen coughed into his fist.
"I can see that."I nodded.
"This one."Lang Li stopped in front of my collection of cooking knives. He picked up the elegant knife Baron Xu had gifted me. "It suits you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."I smiled before I could stop myself.
His golden eyes lingered on my face for just a second longer than necessary. Then he calmly placed the knife back.
"The lighting is poor."He said.
"It is?"I looked up.
"It should be brighter." He turned toward Shen. "Replace every lantern."
"Yes, Your Majesty."Shen nodded.
"And the ventilation."He said.
"Ventilation?"I asked.
"It can be improved."He said.
"What exactly is wrong with it?"I asked, confused.
"Nothing."Lang Li answered without hesitation.
Rich people truly frightened me. He continued walking until he reached the herb garden outside.
"Hm."He said.
"What now?"I waited.
"There should be fresh mountain herbs."He said.
"I’ll have them planted tomorrow."Shen immediately nodded.
"Tomorrow?"I asked. "Your Majesty?"
"Hm?"He glanced at me.
"Have you... inspected every palace chef’s kitchen personally?"I asked.
Shen suddenly found the moon incredibly interesting. The servants collectively stopped breathing.
"No."Lang Li answered calmly.
"I’m the first?"I pointed at myself.
"You are my private chef."He said.
Just then a cool evening breeze drifted through the open doors. Without thinking, a loose strand of my snow-white hair fell across my face, before I could move it Lang Li reached out and my entire body froze. His fingers gently tucked the strand behind my ear. The touch lasted barely a second. Why is the Emperor touching my hair? Is this normal? Someone please hand me the palace rulebook!
"It was in your eyes" Lang Li looked at me quietly.
"O-Oh." That was all I managed.
Behind him Shen’s expression cracked for the first time in years, one servant silently grabbed another’s sleeve, a maid covered her mouth. Nobody dared make a sound. Lang Li withdrew his hand as if nothing unusual had happened.
"The residence is satisfactory." He turned toward the exit. "You will begin your duties tomorrow."
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."I nodded.
He took several steps before stopping. Without looking back, he spoke.
"And."He began.
"Yes?"I asked.
"If any noble." His voice remained calm. "Or omega disturbs your work."
"Yes?"I asked.
"Report them directly to me."He ordered. "Understood?"
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."I nodded.
"Good."He smiled, and then he simply walked away.
The doors closed, and silence filled the residence.
I remained standing exactly where I was.
"..." I slowly turned toward Shen, who was still outside. "He came all the way here..."
"Yes."Shen nodded.
"To inspect my kitchen?"I asked.
"Officially..."Shen maintained a perfectly straight face. "Yes."
Then Shen bowed politely and followed the Emperor.
"He didn’t even inspect the stove I looked around my completely unchanged kitchen, completely speechless.
What I was going to do tomorrow?