Chapter 15

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Chapter 15: No Title

“Oh no, I accidentally revealed Her Majesty the Queen’s secret. I hope Miss Naya can keep it a secret for us, or Her Majesty the Queen will scold us.”

Flanna had actually said it on purpose.

Her Majesty the Queen had many little gestures that showed her love for Naya, but she pretended to be cold due to her royal status.

“Mmm, I will. Is there anything else about Iris? I’d like to hear.”

“It’s not that we don’t want to tell you, but there’s a saying, ‘The more you say, the more mistakes you make’. Besides, discovering Her Majesty’s hidden affection for you in daily life is much more delightful when you find it yourself, isn’t it?”

“You’re right.”

Naya smiled slightly.

She thought about the past five years she had spent with Iris.

Even the coldest iceberg should have melted after five years of her warm companionship, right?

Even if Iris still didn’t fully trust her, still wary that Naya regaining her memories might pose a threat to her, Naya thought it was an understandable suspicion.

It didn’t matter if Iris didn’t love her enough.

As long as there was love, that was enough.

The rest, Naya would take care of with her own efforts.

After a whole morning of hard work, they had finally made exactly four baskets of dumplings.

In this otherworld, magic could be used to keep things warm, so there was no worry that the dumplings would get cold by the time they reached Iris.

Lunch time.

Illya finished her studies and came to the dining table.

She looked at the table full of dumplings but didn’t seem too excited.

“Mama made a new dish again. Such small bread rolls.”

“These aren’t bread rolls, these are dumplings. They’re small, easy to carry, and can be dried for storage. Just toss them into boiling water, and they’re ready to eat. Try dipping one in some vinegar, they’re delicious. Here, Illya, try one.”

Naya picked up a steaming meat dumpling with chopsticks and dabbed a little vinegar on it.

Illya obediently opened her mouth.

“Ah…”

Then she frowned.

“It’s not tasty.”

Even though she said it wasn’t good, she still forced herself to swallow it.

“Huh? Really? Not tasty? This black stuff is spicy and awful, but the meat inside is delicious.”

Black stuff? She must be referring to vinegar.

Naya smiled awkwardly.

“Try it without the vinegar then.”

Naya picked up a fresh dumpling with clean chopsticks, and Illya instantly beamed.

“Mmm! That’s the right taste!”

No wonder Bella didn’t recognize vinegar, it turns out dragons didn’t like it.

Naya took a bite of her own dumpling dipped in vinegar.

She still felt that the essence of dumplings was in the vinegar.

Illya grabbed her plate and poured most of the dumplings into it, then started gobbling them down like she was shoveling rice.

She completely shattered Naya’s preconceived notion of how dumplings should be eaten.

So, dumplings are eaten like a meal!

“It’s too plain.”

Illya pondered over her plate for a minute before running to the kitchen. She came back with several bottles of condiments and squeezed cream, ketchup and sprinkling sugar onto the dumplings.

“Illya, that’s not how you eat dumplings.”

“Then how should I eat them?”

“You’re supposed to dip them in sauce… Never mind, as long as you’re happy.”

Illya giggled, climbed back onto her chair, and happily began eating her dumplings with cream and ketchup.

Watching Illya eat dumplings that way, Naya couldn’t help, but worry about Iris.

What if Iris really didn’t like them?

With her head down and her mood deflated, Naya put another dumpling in her mouth, and suddenly it didn’t taste as good.

Maybe eating dumplings was just a sentimental attachment to her Huaxia roots.

Illya glanced at Naya and noticed something seemed off.

“Mama? Don’t you like this?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“But you seem unhappy. Didn’t you and Mother adjust your emotions last night?”

Adjust emotions? What does that mean?

“I was just thinking, what if your mother doesn’t like this?”

“Well… as long as it’s not dipped in that black stuff, it’s pretty good! Better than bread because it has more meat.”

“I see.”

Naya let out a sigh of relief.

She had prepared several sauces for Iris, including vinegar, cilantro, garlic, scallions, chili paste, peanut oil, sesame oil, soy sauce and others. All mixed in various combinations and ratios, just in case Iris didn’t like one of them.

After all, the thermos box was big enough to hold them all.

——————

Outside the castle, Iris returned to her private lounge, eagerly watching as Bella set today’s lunch on the table.

“Bella, what’s this new thing?”

“Miss Naya said it’s called dumplings.”

Unlike Illya’s first impression, Iris thought these small items looked more like after-meal snacks.

However, these little things gave off a rich meaty aroma.

Once Bella had set everything up, she explained to Iris how to eat the dumplings, just as Naya had instructed.

Since Naya liked vinegar, many of the sauces had vinegar in them.

Iris quickly devoured all the dumplings. As usual, Naya’s food was always delicious.

Actually, she could just walk a few steps to get home, but Iris didn’t really want Naya to see how obsessed she was with her cooking. When something hit her taste buds just right, it felt like she was on the verge of ecstasy, completely losing her regal composure.

She could control herself during dinner.

But she couldn’t always hold back, so she indulged herself at lunchtime.

Of course, she had to send the maids out during the meal.

After finishing, Iris looked at the array of strange sauces.

Her face showed a trace of reluctance.

Like Illya, she didn’t really like vinegar.

But this was Naya’s cooking.

She picked up the small bowls, gritted her teeth, and forced herself to drink all the sauces. The pungent taste of aged vinegar overwhelmed her senses, leaving her mouth and tongue feeling sour and dry.

Iris clutched her forehead, her face twisted as if she were constipated.

She had been too careless. Maybe Naya was still trying to kill her.

When Bella was called back to clear the dishes, Iris had already composed herself. But thinking about how much she owed Naya over the years, she looked up at Bella and said,

“Tell Naya I liked it very much.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Bella cleaned up and didn’t fly into the sky. Instead, she walked into the heavily guarded inner palace.

Back at the castle.

Naya had been pacing around the first-floor hall, waiting for Bella to return. When she saw Bella, she rushed over to stop her.

“Let me see, which types of dumplings did Iris not like?”

Bella handed the thermos box to Naya.

“Miss Naya, Her Majesty the Queen ate everything, and she asked me to tell you that she really liked it and would like to have it again next time.”

Naya opened the thermos box.

Seeing the spotless plates inside, she picked up the small bowls that had held the sauces in disbelief.

Not a single drop was left.

It was one thing for Iris to eat all the dumplings, maybe she ate them without sauce, like Illya, but to finish all the sauces too was too much.

“Did Iris really like them?”

Are you sure this wasn’t just thrown away?

Illya had clearly hated the vinegar, and Naya had even asked Flanna, who also couldn’t stand vinegar.

Tonight, I’ll test it again to see if Iris really likes vinegar.

I’ll make a special cold dish with extra vinegar just for Iris!