CHAPTER 4

Chef Ryu walked through the hallway, balancing a tray of food destined for the prince's room. She was halfway there when Ana suddenly appeared, blocking her path. "Chef Ryu, I want to deliver the food to His Majesty," Ana said, her voice confident.

Chef Ryu's expression turned agitated. "As what? Listen up, you maid, stop carrying yourself so high just because you're a distant relative of Aide Kim. I'm assigned to deliver food to His Majesty's chamber. Go get your lazy ass up."

Ana stood her ground. "Uhm... Aide Kim actually instructed me to bring the food while you hurriedly go prepare... Ginger tea with honey and lemon for His Majesty," she lied smoothly.

Chef Ryu scoffed. "Ginger tea with honey and lemon... who drinks that?" She narrowed her eyes. "Uhm... Chef Ryu, there's something on your hair," Ana said, reaching out to remove it.

"Can I have the tray now?" Ana asked, her hand extended.

Chef Ryu eyed her suspiciously before handing over the tray. "My eyes are on you," she warned, turning to leave.

Ana let out a quiet squeak of happiness as Chef Ryu departed. "Now I can see His Majesty," she whispered, her heart racing.

But disaster struck – she accidentally dropped the tray of food, spilling it all over the floor. "Jeez, what have I done?" she panicked, rushing to clean up the mess stealthily.

As she gathered the broken dishes, she caught a whiff of something off. "Why does this smell like oleander leaf?" she wondered, sniffing the food before tossing it away.

Ana approached the large pot in the kitchen, sniffing its contents. "But it's the same food – why does the one in the pot not smell like oleander leaf... or..."

Her thoughts were interrupted by approaching footsteps. She quickly fetched a new serving of food and hid.

"...who opened this pot?" one of the men muttered.

"Someone might have tampered with the meal," another replied. "But Chef Ryu was here – no need to worry."

"I never thought she'd be so careless to leave the pot lid open," they whispered, cleaning up.

Ana seethed with frustration, hoping they'd leave soon. But as they began to head towards her hiding spot, she bumpingly her head on the cabinet.

Just as they turned towards the sound, Court Lady Kyle intervened. "You guys should go clean the dining hall."

"Okay," they chorused, and turned to the cabinet curiously.

"I said now," Court Lady Kyle ordered sternly, and they complied.

Ana emerged from the cabinet, breathing heavily. She hurried towards the royal quarters, but the guards blocked her path. "I have Head Chef Ryu's permission," she said, showing them Chef Ryu's name tiara.

The guards scrutinized her before finally letting her pass.

Dear readers,

note: Oleander leaf is from a toxic plant called oleander (Nerium oleander). It's super poisonous if ingested, and even touching its leaves or sap can cause irritation.

In this context, a "name tiara" likely refers to a token or badge, It's like a credential or pass that shows she has permission from Chef Ryu .

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