Chapter 4

"Are all the ingredients complete?"

Kharim Celia did not bother to arrange the vegetables on the long wooden table, you will notice that it is really durable. I looked around the kitchen. It is very spacious and almost complete with all the cooking utensils. I'm just not familiar with other things because they look old and I can't find them in the modern world. These are probably their tools in ancient times. It is still similar to what is used in modern times, it has improved more because of the technology and creativity of the people.

I turned to Kharim Celia who was still busy preparing. Kharim Celia was accompanied by five other waiters in preparing the cooking utensils. They seem to cook a lot.

From the door, I stepped closer to where Kharim Celia was. I would have planned to help with the cooking to speed up the work. I haven't done anything yet so I'd better just help.

"Kalea?" She was shocked to mention my name when she saw me next to it. "What are you doing here? You should still be asleep at this time because the Princes will be awake later," she added.

She instructed me, I will only serve the five Princes. I don't have to help with cooking or cleaning anymore. I will spend my full attention and time on the five Prince Sons of King Valor. That will be my only job here in the palace.

But if I don’t help now, what am I going to do? I haven't been able to sleep since earlier when I felt Kharim Celia get up from her bed. I also woke up and followed him here because I lost sleep.

I don't have a watch but I guess it's only four in the morning. It was still very dark when I came out. Even the breeze was still very cold. Fortunately, our clothes have long sleeves so it's not that cold.

"I would like to help," I said and then looked at the vegetables there. I checked it one by one. Most of the vegetables mentioned in the house-hut song are in front of me now.

Kharim Celia approached me and was about to whisper so I didn't move from where I was standing to wait for her to whisper. "But you don't know how to do kitchen work, Princess Amity. Our colleagues might just notice."

I can't keep quiet about what it says. Doesn’t Princess Amity know how to cook? Even simple food she doesn’t know?

If so, we are very different.

I've been Mom's frequent cooking assistant since I was little and that's why I learned to cook. Since I am an only child, I am always in charge of the kitchen so I know how to do kitchen work. I also know how to cook a lot of food.

I won’t wonder why Princess Amity doesn’t know kitchen work, she’s probably a Princess. She didn't have to strain himself anymore because she just called the maid, that's fine. Everything she wants she can get so easily. She could do it with no difficulty. Her servants will be her hand in every move she wants to make.

But how can I get through this if Princess Amity doesn't really know how to cook? I have to be careful what I do. They couldn’t notice the difference between Princess Amity and me in temperament.

"Ah, I mean I wanted to learn to cook," I reasoned. I pretended that I didn't know and taught them so that they won't doubt why I know how to cook next.

Kharim Celia just looked at me as if she couldn't believe what I promised. "Are you sure? If so, take a look and study what I'm going to do."

She has already started slicing other vegetables. She also ordered a maid to put the large frying pan in. I watched her and pretended to study every mixture she made in the cooking. She cooked a variety of vegetables. I don't know the name of this dish here but based on the ingredients I see, it's called pinakbet in the modern world because it has a lot of vegetables.

After she cooked it, I suggested that I cook it next. There was already pork ready on the table and since there were no condiments sold on the corner, Kharim Celia told me to go to the garden to get other ingredients that I would use.

The mini lamp served as my light on my walk to the garden. I was alone and reassured because there were soldiers awake to guard the palace but when I got to the garden itself, I did not see a single soldier. Even though there were gas stoves hanging from every tree, I still couldn’t help but feel scared but I also threw it away to find soybeans and laurel leaves right away. There are probably no ghosts at this time.

I went to the right side of the garden. The vegetable plants are there. I bent down and started searching. While looking for soybeans and laurel leaves, my hair stood on end when I heard a hiss.

"Pst, psst!"

I was even more scared. If not for snakes, I am afraid of ghosts.

My grip on the gas stove tightened. I remained calm and pretended to hear nothing but the strength of my heartbeat due to nervousness and fear especially when it hissed again.

"Psst," he said again.

Am I a fairy?

I turned around and raised the kerosene I was holding to see if anyone was around. "Who's that? Is there anyone there?"

No one answered. When this situation is still like this, I immediately panic. My fears are really more dominant. Something was running through my mind and I immediately concluded.

"Calm down, Kalea. Maybe it's just insects chirping." I feel like a fool talking to myself just to calm down.

I turned my attention back to the search. I need to find the ingredient I need to get back to that. As if I regretted it, I volunteered to cook. I'm too stupid! Maybe what else I see here is malignant or fairy.

Kharim Celia is right, I should have just fallen asleep and woke up later.

"Psst!" I heard it again. I also feel that someone is looking at me. I just want to run now but I can't step on my feet. I seem to be very much in my position.

"What? You've been whistling there many times. What are you? Show me, you think I'm scared of you? Well, no!" I shuddered pronunciation. I was silenced weakly. What did I say? I am very brave. What if that shows up? "But it's just a joke. I just want to get the ingredients I'll need for cooking. I'm not bothering you or disturbing you, so don't scare me, please. Let's just be friends," I whispered.

After saying those words, I now heard a man laugh out loud. I had not lost my fear when someone suddenly appeared in front of me.

"Oh, fairy!" I ejaculated in shock which made him laugh even harder. He was still holding his stomach while laughing. I hope he doesn’t forget to breathe.

I put the lamp on him and was shocked to see the man in front of me now.

"You again?" I growled at him. "Are you really going to kill me in a panic?"

"Is it my fault that you were startled?" he asked me again and again.

I stared at it and turned my back on him. My fears and anxieties disappeared but were replaced by annoyance. I went back in search of soybeans. I thought it was really a fairy or a white lady but it was just lazy!

Because I still hate him up to this day, I ignored him. I am ultimately focused on finding the ingredient.

A few minutes passed but I still couldn’t find what I was looking for. This is because their garden and the many other vegetable plants are very large.

While bent over and currently looking, I felt him nudge me and he also bent down and looked at every vegetable I was holding. I immediately felt disgusted because there were only a few spans between our faces.

"What are you doing here, Prince Nesh? Go back inside. You must be still asleep at this time." I got up properly and walked around the vegetable garden to get away, but he still followed me.

“As far as I know, I am the Prince and I am also the only one who has the right to command,” he replied.

I still don't look at him. By the way, my role here is to serve. He's right anyway. I am the one who is commanded and I cannot command especially a Prince like him.

I have an attitude problem, but this one has even more attitude.

"What are you looking for?"

I looked at him and he was looking seriously at the vegetables in front of us.

“Soybean and laurel leaves,” I said. I plan to cook adobo, one of my favorite foods. I don’t know if they know that food.

"S-Soy-bin? L-Law-rel? Surprisingly, I just heard about those vegetables, just now."

I forgot that they don't fully understand English here. What are the names of those ingredients here based on their vocabulary? I don’t know either.

"Ah, nevermind! That's the ingredient I'll need for what I'm going to cook." I continued the search. If only there was enough light, I would have found them earlier.

"Do you want to help me?" I turned to him. 

I made him smile. Apparently, he's waiting for me to ask him a favor.

"But how will you know it?" I raised an eyebrow at him. He didn't even know the two ingredients I mentioned.

He just smiled back at me. His tendency to really giggle, he was so mischievous to look at.

"You'll be amazed at what I'll do," he said as he let out a fire in the middle of the garden.

Instead of being surprised, anxiety overwhelmed me. I could be bothered with the fire he made. The fire may get worse and there is a chance that all the plants in the garden will burn.

"What are you doing?" I was stunned. I walked to the center where the fire was.

"Fire," he uttered reluctantly. "You can use that as a light to search the ingredients, just to make your search easier."

I just covered my face with my hand. It will be easier but all the vegetables here will be consumed immediately!

I first set the lamp I was holding on a large rock near the lake. I hurried to the lake that was just there near the middle of the garden. Using the container that I would have put soybeans and laurel in, I used it to pick up and pour over the blazing fire. I poured eight until the fire was completely extinguished. Fortunately, only ordinary plants and flowers were burned.

I sighed and wiped the stamp of sweat off my forehead.

"It doesn't look like the help I've given is good," he grinned once, hand on his head.

Kharim Celia is right, Prince Nesh is not able to use his ability properly so it leads to disaster. I understand this because he is still too young. He still needs guidance and adequate training. It's normal because of his young age.

My problem now, how do I approach him so he won't be offended? Even though I was annoyed with him, I still felt sorry for him.

"Oh, here…" I handed him the gas lamp. "Just hold it and light the vegetables I'm going to touch to make my search easier."

I think I'm very bossy in my posture. It's okay so they won't feel sorry for me if I act too kind.

He immediately followed what I said. He grabbed the gas stove and pointed at the vegetables in front of us. In a few moments I had found the soybean and laurel.

"It's now okay," I put the two ingredients in the container I was holding. "There are other condiments inside that I need, so let's go."

I stepped forward but he still remained standing with a trace of confusion on his face.

"What are the last words you said?" He asked me with a frown.

I winced when I realized that I had used some English words that they couldn't understand.

"Uh... what's that? It's just my own words so don't pay attention if I use words you don't understand," I excused myself.

I know I will look crazy in their eyes, but this is a better reason than to admit those English words I learned in my world that will make the situation even more complicated.

"Come on," I pulled him and then turned my back on him. I started to walk inside to escape what he might ask.

I felt like I was following him on foot but when I turned to go to the kitchen he could no longer follow. I don’t know where he’s already gone. He suddenly disappeared behind me.

I just focused on cooking adobo. Kharim Celia, on the other hand, just asked me, what kind of food do I cook. It seems like it's really their first time to taste the adobo.

"So delicious!" Kharim Celia's amazing promise when she tasted the chicken adobo I cooked. It's three more mouthfuls.

"Kharim Celia told you, the adobo is really delicious."

"I didn't know you were so good at cooking, Princess Amity," she said softly just right so the other waiters wouldn't hear. “Certainly, you will make the Princes fall in love with the dish you cooked,” she added.

I just laughed because the first thing that came to my mind was as if I had put a potion on the food I cooked to make them fall in love. Look, it's just simple food in the modern world but we're proud of it because it's really delicious.

I already helped put the food on the long table there. The extravagance is evident because the spoons and forks, plates and other utensils are made of gold. The dishes are also surrounded by a few vases with only bright flowers and huge candles that serve as lights, as if you are just on a romantic date. Also, so much more food was served. You would think that every day is an occasion or a Christmas. You’ll really want to eat if that’s the view you can see.

“Get ready, the Dear King and the Princes are coming,” Kharim Celia warned everyone.

As servants like me, started to sidestep and formed two queues, I too was already lined up. In the middle of us is the long table where the King and the five Princes will eat. I had already heard their heavy steps indicating that they were coming down the stairs.

"King Valor," I whispered to myself. Leading the elderly man wearing a crown. He could no longer hide a few strands of her white hair. He looks respectable because of her attire.

Next were five Princes who just looked straight ahead and it seemed like none of them were in our presence. My fellow servants bowed but I secretly looked at the King and Princes.

Oh my gosh! I only watched this scene in movies. But now, I am with the people with blue blood in this world.

On the left side, King Valor walked with Prince Nesh, Cozen and Arsh while Prince Ravi and the lame Prince Dern walked in front of us and winked at me when I caught sight of them. It's really lame! I just bowed down.

Kharim Celia is on the side of King Valor. He was probably the best leader of the servants, butler if called. That is why they easily overthrew Norland because other traitors were in high positions in the Kingdom.

Everyone was eating quietly when Prince Ravi suddenly spoke.

"Kharim Celia?" Kharim Celia quickly approached Prince Ravi.

She bowed first before asking. "What's that, Prince Ravi?"

"Did you cook it?" I simply peeked at the bowl he pointed to.

That was the bowl I put the adobo I cooked. Suddenly, I felt nervous. Didn't he enjoy it? Is there a problem with what I cooked? Does he feel weird? Did Kharim Celia poison the adobo I cooked to end the life of the King and the five Princes immediately?

I can’t help but overthink.

"I want to get to know who cooked this dish." Authority is imprinted in his voice. I became more and more uncomfortable with my position.

Kharim Celia nodded immediately and then it started to step towards me. Does he really intend to point at me?

"Kalea cooked that dish, Dear Prince."

I raised my head. They all stared at me except for the other waiters who still remained stooped. Prince Ravi is staring at me now. Our eyesight then hit, giving heat to my both cheeks.

"I didn't think you had any cooking skills, Kalea." Prince Ravi's voice was soft. 

I took a deep breath and removed the tightness I had been feeling before. He will just praise me. I thought it was something.

"Looks like my eldest Son was hit because of what you cooked," a smiling King Valor replied. King Valor traces kindness and mischief, as does Prince Nesh.

"Father," Prince Ravi disobeyed because his Father was obviously teasing him. 

I was embarrassed to look at them both.

"I just want to praise a Haya like her. Not only is she beautiful, she's also good at cooking which makes a young man like me fall in love with her even more," a sweet smile drew on her lips.

I can feel thousands of butterflies in my stomach right now. I can also feel the heat on my cheek.

I only answered with a small smile. I have nothing to say. It is speechless when a King is in front of you with his Prince Son especially when you are being teased.

Before I finally returned to the line, I caught sight of Prince Arsh. His eyebrows met mine. Why would he look like that? What's his problem? I just haven't ignored it yet. Maybe he's just in a bad mood.

I just bowed and repeated in my mind the words left by Prince Ravi because I smiled in emptiness.