The Personal Chef of the Sorceress Who Can’t Eat Alone

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The fried chicken was primarily made of meat, and though the coating was a bit different, at first glance, the Dakgangjeong looked quite similar to the many seasoned fried chicken that William had eaten before.

Thus, I expected the flavors of this dish to not be too different either.

What a misconception.

From the very first moment I held the Dakgangjeong in my mouth and chewed, it was distinctly different.

No, even from the moment I carelessly picked it up with my hand for the first time, there was a significant difference from seasoned fried chicken.

It’s naturally crispy when fried chicken is deep-fried until fully submerged in oil.

In fact, it’s expected for any fried food to be crunchy.

However, once it’s coated with seasoning, it’s a different story.

After all, the coating is nothing but flour and breadcrumbs.

The moment it’s tossed in sauce, it starts to absorb moisture.

The crispy crust becomes soggy, losing its original purpose of being fried in oil, but the unique, slightly chewy texture, unable to fully reclaim its moisture, revealed a peculiar umami flavor every time I took a bite.

Crispy-!

But how can it still be this crunchy despite being lavishly coated in seasoning?

The batter, heavily soaked in sauce, was quite crispy, even if not as much as that of freshly fried chicken.

Each time I bit down, the unique flavor of soy sauce blended with a sweet and salty sauce complemented the light, dry chicken meat.

It was a completely different taste from the fried chicken and seasoned fried chicken I had eaten before.

Beneath the crispy or chewy crust, the soft flesh was hidden, and the moment it was ripped apart, the juice burst forth.

However, the flesh of the Dakgangjeong was not tender at all; it was quite dry.

The juice was nearly nonexistent, and the flavor was faint, resulting in it being bland.

Nevertheless, the intense flavor deeply embedded in the batter thanks to the rich sauce made those shortcomings vanish.

Crisp- Crunch-

As my tongue and teeth began to acclimatize to the flavor-soaked batter, the crunchy texture of the batter quickly faded away.

Yet, the gift did not end there.

In place of the vanished crunch, a chewy texture, thanks to the sauce, took its place, proudly announcing its existence.

The once crispy batter, contrasting with its chewy nature, melded with the sticky sauce, producing a nutty flavor with every bite.

It melded so well with the bland and dry chicken that it felt like chewing on a thin, hardened piece of candy.

Crispy, chewy, sweet, salty, light, and rich.

Unlike eating fried chicken or seasoned fried chicken as a meal, eating Dakgangjeong felt more like indulging in a snack.

However, there’s no eternal joy in this world.

The crispy chewy batter, the nutty crust, and the tender dry flesh, which perfectly matched the sweet salty sauce, all soon slid down my throat.

Gulp-

There was absolutely no reason to feel regret.

William grabbed three Dakgangjeong pieces at once with his hands.

Crunch- Crunch- Crack-

“The cooking methods look similar, but is there really this big of a difference?”

“Indeed. There’s a clear difference from regular chicken.”

Mary nodded as she stuffed her mouth full of red Dakgangjeong.

“It’s definitely more of a snack compared to a meal; it has a distinctly sweet taste. It feels somewhat like chewing on candy.”

Mary swallowed a piece of Dakgangjeong and immediately speared another with her fork.

“Hmm, but as I keep eating, it’s quite dry. Though the sauce helps mitigate that a bit.”

“The Red Mason seasoning on the side is spicy, so it helps a bit less. You could alternate between dipping one in soy sauce and the other.”

“Genius.”

William was genuinely impressed.

This kind of idea, truly a house fairy.

As soon as he chewed and swallowed the contents in his mouth, he reached for a hefty piece of Red Mason Dakgangjeong with his hands.

“By the way, don’t you use a fork? You keep picking up the Dakgangjeong with your hands.”

“Shhhh. My hands are already dirty, so it doesn’t matter.”

After all, the truth is that chicken is meant to be eaten with hands.

This was a claim made by a boy who had only been eating for less than a year.

More than such trivialities, it was about the Dakgangjeong.

Of course, since it was essentially fried chicken with only a different sauce, there was no significant difference in texture.

But there was a dramatic difference in taste. The aroma was the same.

The moment the Red Mason Dakgangjeong, emitting a spicy fragrance even before it touched my tongue, entered my mouth, it stimulated my tired taste buds.

The spiciness and heat from the Red Mason quickly caused saliva to flow, moistening my parched mouth from eating the Dakgangjeong.

“Mary.”

“What is it?”

“Didn’t you say the soy sauce used for this and the Red Mason sauce is made from soybeans? I heard that’s what it was.”

“Yes. It’s fermented by bundling boiled soybeans with straw. Karem’s junior called it meju.”

“Who would believe that this was made from soybeans?”

William picked up another soy sauce Dakgangjeong to erase the lingering spiciness in his mouth.

Crunch-

As expected, he couldn’t taste the soybeans, no matter how he ate.

Even when eating the Red Mason seasoning Dakgangjeong, it was the same.

With the soy sauce-based Dakgangjeong, there was a distinctive flavor ascending from under my tongue and nose as I ate.

Even if one were to assume that the taste was all that the Red Mason contained, the sauce had a slightly sweet flavor with a deep, nutty quality, even devoid of its spiciness and heat.

“I’m not entirely sure, but I’ve heard there’s some unique fermentation process, only possible with straw.”

“Only straw? Isn’t it possible with reeds or something else?”

“Yes. Even then, they often grumble that you need to pray to God to increase the success rate.”

Though it does make more work for me to clean, William took in that complaint with indifference, continuously finishing two bowls of it.

More than such trivial matters, this Dakgangjeong was important.

Perhaps realizing that, Mary fell quiet.

The two of them quietly moved their hands and forks for a moment.

As the mountain of soy sauce and Red Mason seasoned Dakgangjeong in the large bowl began to lower, their movements slowed.

“…Eating this, I still have limits to eat the other.”

“I agree. It’s dry and tough.”

“Is that why you wanted to bring out beer?”

William, who had simply thought that beer was the best companion for fried chicken, finally understood Karem’s thoughts.

There was a limit reached when it came to the spicy stimulation of the mouth.

With every chew of the Dakgangjeong, moisture from the mouth vanished.

As a result, my mouth felt so dry it was almost parched.

“It would be perfect if we had some beer right now.”

“I agree.”

William and Mary simultaneously had the same thought.

Not quite as dry as a desert, but like the cracked earth of a drought, my mouth craved the fresh and fizzy beer that rushed in like a tide.

Lager, not the heavy Eisenbalter.

What suited them now was merely a typical wheat or barley beer.

Just then, Karem entered, pushing through the swinging door while carrying a small jar in one hand and a small beer barrel with his ringed left hand.

Clunk-

“I brought the beer. And there’s pickled radish for palate cleansing.”

“Finally!”

With a smile, William accepted the beer barrel.

“But why did it take so long? Isn’t the refrigerator right next door? Did you go all the way to the storage on the first floor?”

“Oh, not the first floor. This time, Narque was stealing cookies.”

“Are you talking about Escarna?”

“Well, the Bersengzeto cookies are quite popular among wizards.”

Wizards, by nature, are thinkers.

And when one thinks, they crave something sweet.

In that sense, the Florentine and Bersengzeto cookies that Mary baked whenever she had a moment and stored in the refrigerator drew considerable popularity.

They were sweetened just enough and packed with nuts, so they filled you up quickly and were crunchy throughout the chewing process, making it never boring.

As a result, many wizards would sneak in to steal them, even without designated snack times. Mary tilted her head, seemingly unable to understand.

“I still don’t get it. They could just take them out without hesitation. Why is it necessary to go through all that trouble?”

“Just like Alicia sneaking in and pilfering food from the mage tower?”

“Indeed, that does feel similar—wait, could you say that again?”

At William’s remark, Mary, who had been nodding expressionlessly, turned her head sharply.

“Wait, are you saying Alicia sneaks in to steal food from the mage tower?”

“…I had thought the amount of cookies dwindling had increased recently for some reason. Was that the reason?”

“Well, more than that, it’s about the beer. Beer.”

While Mary’s competitive spirit flared up, William opened the lid of the beer barrel and poured some into the glasses Karem had brought.

After filling all three glasses with a frothy head, he set the beer barrel aside and lifted the first glass, allowing the foam to settle.

Gulp- Gulp- Gulp-

“Ahhh!”

William had intended to down it in one shot, but the involuntary exclamations escaped before he could.

The cool, refreshing liquid soaked into the dry cracks of his mouth and tongue, which had become as parched as Iceland’s few sunny sandbanks.

The bubbles and carbonation popped and fizzed as they slid down his throat, cleansing the cloying bitterness and leaving a crisp taste behind.

William gazed up at the kitchen ceiling.

A joy bubbling deep from within surged up.

“Phew! Yeah. This is it. That’s why you brought the beer, right?”

“Yeah. Since it’s pretty dry due to minimal brining, I thought it was necessary.”

Of course, Karem preferred cola more.

But in Europa, there was no cola to be found anywhere.

In that case, one had to settle for something similar.

“After all, sparkling and refreshing things are somewhat alike.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“The beer is good, but there’s also pickled radish for palate cleansing.”

Pickled radish? Is it the radish you eat with chicken?

Upon closer inspection of the jar, it appeared to contain not just regular radish but appeared pickled.

“No, wait, does something smell different?”

“It’s surprisingly good.”

At those words, curiosity appeared in William’s eyes. Mary, repeatedly dipping her fork into the pickled radish, nodded her head.

“It has a sweet and sour taste… It’s quite sweet. Did you use sugar?”

“Regular pickles taste too sour for me to eat much.”

“Well, that’s obvious, isn’t it?”

Mary pushed the jar toward William and dipped a piece of Red Mason Dakgangjeong into it.

“It has to be pickled in vinegar to preserve it for a long time.”

“Likewise with sugar.”

“Still, it’s definitely better this way.”

In the end, it was about creating an environment that shields from outside air in any way possible.

Salting or sugaring removes moisture to prevent bacteria from invading, while soaking in alcohol or vinegar is to eliminate bacteria from the start.

Crunch-

“You should have brought it out a bit earlier. But more than that, Karem.”

“Yes. Is there anything else you’d like to have?”

“For now, this is enough. No, not that.”

With a piece of Dakgangjeong still in his mouth, William waved his hand while moving closer to Karem with a somewhat playful smile and teasing look.

“So, when did you start being addressed by name?”

“Huh? My name?”

“Wow. Now that I think about it, there’s a ring on your left hand that I haven’t seen before.”

“Oh.”

Karem instinctively glanced at the ring on his left hand. He hadn’t thought much of it, but being pointed out made him feel oddly flustered.

“Your ears are turning quite red.”

“What? That just happened. What do you want me to do?”

“Hey, there’s no reason to be shy. Everyone has already heard of the budding romance between you two.”

“Well… I didn’t particularly intend to hide it either. I haven’t spread it around either.”

“You and Atanitas have been quiet.”

And what of me and Catherine? Is there a third party?

Karem casually rolled his eyes to glance at the house fairy chewing on the Dakgangjeong.

Mary looked quite aggrieved.

“Are you implying it was me who spread that? Were my relations with the contractor and you so shallow?”

“Should I remind you who ruined the previous good mood and made things awkward?”

“Oh my god. But Karem, listen. I’m truly innocent!”

“They say a strong denial leads to a strong affirmation—”

Karem peered at Mary with a suspicious look as she constantly patted her chest while eagerly munching on the Dakgangjeong, pickled radish, and beer.

“Well, Mary’s probably not the culprit behind the spread.”

“Do you even know if His Highness knows that?”

“Of course. I heard it from our youngest, Tubby.”

Alicia, right?

Karem smacked his knees as if he had an epiphany.

Certainly, he could still picture Alicia, bewildered and flustered, trying to salvage the atmosphere when Mary had first disrupted it.

After that, neither herself nor Catherine had ever particularly asked Alicia to keep it a secret.

Not that there was any reason to hide it.

Wait, did that even spread throughout the entire castle?

‘Now that I think about it, it seems like even people outside the castle knew.’

There were participants and attendees at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony who casually whispered distorted sounds as Catherine trembled.

“Ohh. You’re getting redder.”

“You might explode soon.”

“Both of you are so loud.”

While Mary could be excused, the remark was a bit much for a child of a grand noble family, but Karem couldn’t hold back and said it before gulping down more beer.

Even though it was a feeling that was tough to describe, the Dakgangjeong, pickled radish, and beer were still delicious.

“Ah, I completely forgot. Karem.”

“Yes?”

“Grand Prince Godwin is waiting downstairs.”

“Huh?”

“It seems like it’s about time.”

“What?”

Why mention that now?

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