THE NEXT MORNING
XAVIER
The next morning I had exactly three goals for today. Buy ingredients, return to the inn and avoid accidentally becoming famous again. Simple, reasonable, almost certainly impossible. The morning market was already bustling by the time I arrived. Merchants shouted over one another while villagers bargained over vegetables, fresh fish, and cuts of meat. I adjusted the basket hanging from my arm.
"Let’s see." I stopped at the vegetable stall first. "I’ll take those potatoes, carrots, onions, and two cabbages."
"Cooking another feast today, Chef Wei?"The old farmer smiled.
"I was thinking something a little less dramatic."I said and smiled.
"You have been saying that every day."He laughed.
"Fair point."I nodded.
After paying, I wandered farther into the market. Fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, a basket of mushrooms that looked surprisingly similar to shiitake.
"This world really likes copying Earth’s ingredients."I muttered under my breath.
"Earth?"The mushroom seller blinked.
"I said dirt."I said.
"You said Earth."He said.
"I definitely meant dirt."I shook my head.
"I will pretend I heard dirt."He shrugged.
"Thank you." I quickly bought the mushrooms before I could embarrass myself any further.
Next came spices. The spice merchant immediately recognized me.
"Chef Wei!"He shouted.
"Uh-oh."I muttered.
"I have been waiting for you!" He proudly placed several jars onto the counter. "I found new cinnamon bark yesterday."
"Really?"I asked.
"And dried citrus peel."He added.
"Ooh."I whispered.
"And mountain pepper."He added again.
My inner chef instantly won against my desire to stay unnoticed.
"I will take all three."I nodded.
"I knew you would." He grinned as he wrapped them carefully.
By the time I left, my basket was already half full. Behind the crowded market, a man dressed in plain, gray clothing watched quietly. He wasn’t shopping or talking. His eyes never left Wei.
"So." He muttered. "This is the former palace concubine."
He had expected someone broken, someone miserable. Instead Wei was laughing with merchants. Helping an elderly woman carry her groceries. Accepting a free apple from a child who insisted the "famous chef" deserved it.
"This doesn’t match the reports."The spy frowned.
He remained hidden behind a fabric stall. When Wei continued walking the man followed, always keeping several people between them.
"Hmm."I stopped in front of the butcher. "I see you got pork belly."
The meat looked good.
"I will take this cut."I said.
"Making another new dish?" The butcher nodded.
"Maybe."I said.
"What you will you call it?"He asked.
"I haven’t even cooked it yet."I chuckled.
"You will think of something." He wrapped the meat before leaning closer. "My wife still won’t stop talking about your Hawthorn Liquor."
"I am beginning to think the liquor has become more popular than I am."I said, smiling.
"It has."The butcher laughed loudly.
"Somehow that is comforting."I smiled.
Across the street, the gray clothed man quietly wrote inside a small notebook. ’Target has integrated with local villagers. Highly respected despite low status. Displays no resentment toward the palace. Unexpectedly kind.’
"That is strange."The spy stared at those words.
I continued shopping without the slightest clue someone was documenting my grocery trip.
I picked up some fresh eggs, then flour, butter, and other ingredients.
"Dangerous thoughts." I nodded to myself. "Very dangerous."
The spy watched Wei happily mumble recipe ideas to himself. Was he planning dinner? The spy had spent years infiltrating criminal organizations. Tracking assassins, following corrupt nobles. Now he was hiding behind a wagon, watching a former imperial concubine debate dessert recipes.
"I need a raise."He whispered.
Completely unaware, I hummed happily as I walked back toward Ana’s inn. The morning breeze felt refreshing, the basket was full, business was good, and life was peaceful. For once, everything was going perfectly. The spy quietly followed and prepared a report that would soon reach Emperor Lang Li himself.
By the time I returned to Ana’s inn, my basket was so full that I was starting to question whether I had bought ingredients or an entire market. I placed everything on the kitchen table. Potatoes, vegetables, spices and fresh pork belly. Ana walked into the kitchen and looked at the mountain of ingredients.
"Wei."She began.
"Yes?"I asked.
"Are you cooking for the inn." She pointed at the ingredients. "Or are you feeding the entire village?"
I looked at the table.
"A reasonable amount?"I looked at the table.
"That means too much."Ana narrowed her eyes.
"Maybe."I laughed.
"Tonight, I am making something special."I picked up the pork belly.
"Another new dish?"Ana became interested immediately.
"Yes."I nodded.
"What is it called?"She asked.
"Braised pork belly."I smiled.
"Braised... pork belly."She repeated the name slowly.
"Trust me." I placed the pork onto the cutting board. "This one is worth the time."
I started preparing everything. The pork belly was cut into neat pieces, not too large and not too small. The perfect size for absorbing flavor while keeping the meat tender. Ana watched carefully as she washed vegetables beside me.
"You always look different when you cook."She said.
"Different?"I glanced at her.
She nodded.
"Normally you look like you are thinking about escaping from trouble. Then you start cooking and suddenly you look like you belong here."She smiled.
I paused for a moment. That was unexpectedly accurate. I looked down at the pork. When I cooked, I wasn’t thinking about being the forgotten concubine, I wasn’t thinking about the original story, I wasn’t thinking about Emperor Lang Li. I was just Xavier, a chef, someone who loved creating food.
"Maybe cooking is easier than dealing with people."I smiled.
"That explains a lot."Ana laughed.
The pork was first cooked to remove impurities. Then came the most important step, the caramelized sugar. The moment the sugar melted into a golden color, I added the pork. The sound filled the kitchen. A rich aroma immediately spread through the room.
"Oh."Ana whispered.
"That’s the reaction I wanted."I smiled.
Then came the sauce. Soy sauce, spices, ginger, garlic and little wine. The pork slowly absorbed everything as it simmered, the color gradually changed into a beautiful deep red. Soon after, customers in the dining hall started whispering.
"What is that smell?"One elder asked.
"Is Wei cooking something new again?"Another one joined him. "It smells incredible."
I lifted the lid and checked the pork. I carefully placed it onto a large plate.
"I have seen nobles eat expensive dishes."Ana stared. She looked at the braised pork. "But somehow this looks better."
"Food isn’t about being expensive."I laughed.
"Then what is it about?"She asked.
I thought for a moment.
"Making someone happy."I said.
"That is probably why everyone likes your cooking."Ana smiled.
Before I could answer the sound of the inn door opening interrupted us.
"Ana?" A familiar voice called.
Ana turned and her expression changed.
"That voice." I looked toward the entrance.
An older woman stood there. She wore simple clothes, but her posture was elegant, too elegant for an ordinary villager. Her eyes moved around the room then stopped on me. The color drained from her face.
"..." Her eyes widened. "No."
I frowned because she looked like she had seen a ghost.
"Master Wei?"She asked.
My hand stopped. That name. Again. My memories of the novel began searching, then it clicked. Hin, Wei’s only personal maid in the original story. The one person in the palace who stayed by his side, unlike the nobles who ignored him, unlike the Emperor who forgot him. Hin was the only person who treated the original Wei like a human.
"Hin?" The moment I said her name, tears immediately appeared in her eyes.
"You remember me." She covered her mouth. "You actually remember me."
I froze because technically I didn’t. Not personally. But this body did, because somewhere deep inside Wei remembered.
"Wei?"Ana looked confused.
"My apologies."Hin quickly walked forward. She bowed. "I didn’t expect to find you here."
"Hin."I looked at her.
"When you left the palace, I searched for news about you."She smiled sadly.
"You searched?"My expression changed.
"Of course." She looked offended. "You were my master."
The words hit harder than expected. Master. Not abandoned concubine. Not forgotten person. Not a side character, someone important to someone. Hin looked around the inn, then at my cooking.
"You became a chef?"Hin asked curiously.
"Something like that."I scratched my cheek.
"You look happy."Her eyes softened.
She wasn’t surprised I was poor, she wasn’t disappointed I wasn’t in the palace, she was happy that I was happy. Then she noticed the braised pork sitting on the table.
"What is that?"She asked.
"Braised pork belly."I smiled slightly.
"May I try it?"Hin looked curious.
"Be careful."Ana immediately laughed.
"Why?"Hin looked at her.
"Because after tasting Wei’s cooking, normal food will disappoint you."Ana explained with a wink.
"Ana."I sighed.
"What? It’s true."Ana grinned.
"I would like to try."Hin smiled.
I served her a portion. She picked up the chopsticks, then took a bite Her eyes widened she lowered the chopsticks.
"Master Wei."Hin said.
"Yes?"I prepared myself.
"This." She looked at the dish. "Is the best thing I have eaten since leaving the palace."
"Really?"I blinked.
Hin nodded then she smiled.
"The old Wei would have never made something like this."She explained. "The old Wei spent all his time waiting for someone else to notice him. You built something yourself."
I didn’t know what to say, and outside the inn, hidden among the shadows, the spy watching me quietly wrote another line in his report. ’Former concubine has reunited with his previous maid. He appears genuinely happy.’