Life as a Tower Maid: Locked up with the Prince - Side Story 31

Side Story 31

Translator: Yonnee

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I brought out all the ingredients from the pantry.

First, I laid out the medicinal herbs to be added to the broth, such as ginseng, jujubes, and astragalus to restore vitality!

It was possible for me to gather these rare ingredients thanks to Ina and Alexander.

‘Honestly, Albert probably doesn’t need anything to restore his vitality…’

But they were essential for enhancing the broth’s flavor!

‘The taste of a broth infused with medicinal herbs can be quite polarizing.’

That’s why I also stocked up on plenty of seafood yesterday.

If worse comes to worst, I could at least make a seafood kalguksu.

I started boiling the herbs in water.

Next, I began salting the cabbage for the quick kimchi.

It needed to be salted in advance so the quick kimchi would be ready around the same time.

Then, I brought out the main ingredient of the day—chicken.

‘Just follow what Ina taught me.’

Preparing the chicken was the hardest part for me.

With a determined heart, I started cleaning the chicken thoroughly, almost as if I were giving it a bath. After cleaning it inside and out, I stuffed it with glutinous rice, jujubes, and the chestnuts I had prepped yesterday, then tied the legs together.

As I diligently prepared the ingredients, the sound of the broth bubbling away beside me reached my ears.

“It’s done.”

Judging by the rich color of the broth, it had steeped well.

Feeling satisfied, I plopped the chicken into the broth.

‘Until the glutinous rice is fully cooked…’

I double-checked the recipe to make sure everything inside the chicken would be properly cooked. Then, I moved on to the next task.

As I busied myself over the stove, sweat began to bead on my forehead. I wiped it away with one hand and let out a deep breath.

Sensing a gaze behind me, I turned around to find Albert watching me intently.

“What do you think? Does the smell bother you?”

“No, it’s just nice to watch you.”

Albert’s words, said while resting his chin on his hand, made my face flush.

“…And I suspect you’re about to make something spicy.”

“You caught me.”

I cleared my throat and focused back on cooking.

I mixed together chili powder, fish sauce, sugar, and garlic—ingredients I frequently used—to make the seasoning paste.

I rinsed the cabbage, drained it, and mixed it with the seasoning to complete the fresh kimchi.

The fresh taste revealed it to be pleasantly spicy and crunchy.

“…Would you like to try some, Albert?”

“If you feed it to me, I’ll eat it.”

I popped a piece of the fresh kimchi into Albert’s mouth.

“How does it taste?”

“Better than the palace chefs’ cooking.”

“Oh, come on, that’s just flattery!”

I laughed and waved my hand dismissively, though I was pleased.

While the samgyetang continued to cook, I skimmed off the excess fat from the broth.

Finally, the chicken was thoroughly cooked and the samgyetang was ready.

‘The broth is so rich and flavorful…’

While it had tasted great when I made it with Ina, I wasn’t sure it would turn out the same on my own, so I felt even more accomplished.

“It’s ready.”

I placed the pot of samgyetang in front of Albert.

I set down my portion as well, along with the fresh kimchi and the traditional kimchi I had procured.

“This is…”

“I thought it’d be nice to have more than just the fresh kimchi. I didn’t make it myself, but…”

“I think you’ve done more than enough cooking for today.”

“Right! Shall we eat now?”

I sat across from Albert at the table. After being used to the long dining table at the palace, sitting at this small four-person table felt surprisingly nice.

‘I should bring Adela and Joos here sometime.’

It would be a good time for the kids as well.

“Shall we start eating?”

I handed Albert a spoon. He looked at the samgyetang for a moment before picking up his spoon. Albert took a large spoonful of the broth and tasted it.

“It’s the clear broth you like, Albert.”

“Yes. I like it.”

“Do you really?”

Albert nodded as I asked excitedly.

“Yes.”

“…If you untie the chicken’s legs, you’ll find well-cooked rice, chestnuts, and jujubes inside. It tastes great when you eat it with the broth.”

I untied the chicken’s legs and showed him the contents inside.

“This is the first time I’ve seen something stuffed inside a chicken like this.”

It must have been a new experience for him. I took a big spoonful of the stuffing and broth and topped it with some kimchi.

“This is how you eat it.”

I took a bite. The hot, rich broth combined with the glutinous rice and the spicy kimchi created a symphony of flavors. It was really delicious.

Fortunately, it seemed to suit Albert’s taste as well.