“Problem—there’s a problem!”

It was the day before the festival. Of course, I still had nothing to do, so I was just organizing some documents. While everyone except Campbell and me was running around busily, Natasha came running in, her already pale face even whiter than usual.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nikita!”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Natasha, who suddenly shouted Nikita’s name. Gasping for breath, she cried out.

“One of the Nikita delegation members says they don’t eat meat!”

“You mean not just beef, but all of it?”

“We replaced all the beef with pork and duck because Arian can’t eat beef! But now one of the Nikita delegates says they don’t eat meat at all!”

Apparently, vegetarians existed in this world too.

“We can’t change the entire menu just for one person.”

“We’ve already bought all the ingredients.”

“Right. And without meat, fish alone isn’t enough to carry the main dish.”

In the middle of the murmuring crowd, Edmund rested his chin on his hand with a serious expression. For him, winning over each and every delegate was important. That was the only way to successfully secure the trade route.

But this scene hadn’t appeared in the original story. Maybe because Ecla wasn’t in charge of the preparations, or perhaps it happened because my comment about Arian not eating beef led them to double-check the meal list.

“How about soy meat?”

Having lived in modern society, this was an opportunity for me.

“Soy meat?”

“You mean meat made from soybeans?”

What kind of opportunity? A chance to catch Edmund’s attention.

“I know how to make it.”

And just like that, I was thrown straight into the royal kitchen.

The only relief was that the Nikita delegate wasn’t a strict vegan.

I started by boiling the soybeans. While they cooled, I finely chopped the carrots, courgettes and onions I found in the kitchen. Although I hadn’t been good with knives before, the time I had spent helping out in the temple kitchens had paid off.

“Please sauté these vegetables.”

I handed over the chopped vegetables. The head chef shot me a sharp look, but began skilfully moving the frying pan despite his reluctance, eyeing Edmund’s reaction.

While the chef expertly sautéed the vegetables, I worked on removing the moisture from the cooled soybeans.

“This actually becomes meat?”

The people around me looked visibly skeptical. But wasn’t this the perfect moment to put my prior knowledge to good use?

Once the chef had grumbled and handed over the stir-fried vegetables, I tipped them onto the soybeans and began mashing them together with all my might. Ugh! Due to time constraints, I hadn’t soaked the soybeans for long enough — they were tougher than I thought.

“How much do you need to mash them?”

Edmund asked as he watched me sweating buckets while pounding away.

“Uh… about halfway.”

The moment I finished speaking, Felix and Dante quickly took the kitchen tools from my hands and began mashing the soybeans themselves.

Now that’s what I call reading the room. Thanks to them, I finally got a moment to rest and watch as the mixture of beans and vegetables was crushed.

“That looks good enough.”

Once it was about halfway mashed, I sprinkled breadcrumbs on top. It would’ve been nice to have something like activated gluten, but I had to accept that modern conveniences weren’t available here. At least they had breadcrumbs—thank goodness.

I added some salt and parsley to taste, then shaped the mixture with both hands until it resembled a round patty.

“It’s done.”

At my words, the head chef immediately began grilling the soy patty.

And of course, a royal chef was on another level. He grilled it to a golden brown, added his own special sauce on top, and even plated it with roasted mushrooms and vegetables.

When the chef handed over the dish, Edmund elegantly sliced off the edge of the patty. Even that simple gesture looked like a scene from a movie.

“How is it?”

Tension hung in the air within the kitchen. Edmund chewed silently, not even making a sound, then dabbed his lips with a napkin and gave a small nod.

“…It’s good. Let’s go with this.”

The tension in my stiff shoulders melted away at once.

“…You sure do know a lot of strange ideas.”

As Edmund was about to leave the kitchen, he glanced at me and added a few words.

“You’re quite useful.”

Oh—was that a compliment?

I grinned from ear to ear, clenching my fists in delight. Just then, as Edmund stepped out of the kitchen, I thought I saw the corners of his mouth turn up slightly. He must still have been feeling the effects of chopping all those onions earlier.

Finally, the day of the festival arrived.

During the festival, foreigners were free to roam the streets, which made it the perfect opportunity for me to search for my master.

As it was a public holiday, those without designated tasks didn’t need to report to work. I took the chance to wander around and ask if anyone knew of a foreigner with a gunshot wound to his hand.

I hadn’t found anything until I spotted a familiar face.

“Sir Dante?”

“Oh, Olivia? Here to enjoy the festival?”

“Y-yes…? But aren’t you busy today with the delegations arriving?”

At my words, Dante sighed and rubbed his temple.

“It’s a mess right now. The half-blood interpreters we hired suddenly said they couldn’t come.”

“What?”

The Empire was notoriously supremacist, with a dominant belief in its own superiority. Most people here thought, Why should I learn the language of some uncivilized nation?

In other words, If you’re coming to our Empire, you should’ve learned our language first! That meant there were very few people capable of speaking not only Puglish but also other foreign languages.

“The Nikita half-blood interpreter had a carriage accident, and the Arian one called in sick! So now we’re scrambling to find replacements.”

Fifteen years ago, foreigners could only speak the ancient tongue. But ever since Kai became Emperor, he had given foreigners the opportunity to learn the Empire’s language. That’s why most young foreigners were fairly fluent in it now.

Dante checked the time anxiously. Just over an hour remained before the delegation’s arrival.

“Sir Dante, wait a moment!”

I grabbed his hand.

“I can do it!”

***

“So?”

At Edmund’s cold tone, everyone in the office flinched.

Of course, I swallowed dryly too, suddenly nervous for no reason.

“You? You’re going to interpret?”

Don’t tremble. Either way, if I fail, I’m dead meat.

So, I forced the corners of my mouth upward as I spoke.

I tried hard to keep my voice steady, but a goat-like bleat still managed to slip out.

“I’m confident in both the Nikita and Arian languages.”

“If you mess this up, it won’t just be a matter of getting transferred to another department.”

Footsteps and murmuring voices echoed from behind. With a faint smile directed at them, Edmund leaned in just enough for only me to hear.

“You’ll be handing in your palace access pass.”

In other words—I’d be fired. Did he really have to threaten me like that? How nerve-wracking.

“Then what if I do well?”

At my question, Edmund’s red eyes turned toward me.

“You’ll give me a reward, right?”

“A reward, huh. Fine, I’ll think about it.”

Oh—really?

I hadn’t expected a positive answer to something I blurted out on a whim. Let’s take this chance to see if Edmund is truly my master.

Turning toward the still-suspicious foreign delegates, I introduced myself in the Arian and Nikita languages I had honed so carefully over time.

⦅“Welcome to the Empire. May the blessings of the Nikita god be upon you.”⦆
⟪“Messengers of the divine, welcome to the Empire. The Arian god shall be watching over you.”⟫

These were greetings I had heard countless times at the temple from visitors of Nikita and Arian faiths.

The delegates looked thoroughly pleased. Smiling brightly, I led them through the palace.

Fortunately, I had read the historical records of the royal buildings beforehand. Thanks to that, I was able to entertain my guests by sharing interesting facts with them, such as when each structure had been built and the meaning behind certain symbols. I showed them around the banquet hall as though I were a museum tour guide.

⟪“I didn’t expect to find someone so courteous in the Empire.”⟫
⦅“Hahaha! I never imagined such an entertaining person existed among the Empire’s citizens.”⦆
⦅“As you may know, our Empire is renowned for its exquisite cuisine.”⦆
⟪“We’ve gone out of our way to source a variety of special ingredients today, so please enjoy.”⟫

A soft melody played in the background as the banquet table, adorned with flowers symbolising Nikita and Arian, was laid for dinner.

The warm atmosphere and the start of the meal were simply perfect.

It felt like all our efforts in creating the menu had truly paid off.

When the steak was served, the Arian delegates were touched that beef had been omitted from their meal and the Nikita delegation was moved that soy meat had been specially prepared for one person. They repeatedly praised the Empire’s thoughtfulness.

After the main course, which had made me the most anxious, was over, the sweet desserts were brought out.

— and the conversation flowed exactly as we had hoped.

In fact, everything was unfolding just as it had in the novel.

When the idea of a regular trade agreement was suggested, with grain as the main commodity, both delegations exchanged cautious glances before responding positively.

I stood in the middle, mediating the minor differences of opinion.

⦅“Very well. We agree to the terms.”⦆

Even without interpreting, their approving expressions and gestures were enough. At that moment, Edmund’s face noticeably brightened.

⟪“Ugh—!”⟫

Thud.

While laughing and chatting, one of the Arian delegates suddenly stumbled and began gasping for air.