The growling of Seola’s stomach prompted her mother to begin the second trial. For this trial, Yuri initially wanted to test Seulgi’s cooking skills. Among four other cooks, Seulgi was to cook a meal and Joohyun had to figure out which dish was the one Seulgi cooked, but Seola spoke out about how one–sided the test was. Through her eyes, it only seemed like Joohyun was the one being tested. 

To spoil her daughter even more, Yuri agreed to switch their roles. Albeit disappointed she won’t be able to assess Seulgi’s cooking, she was at least able to test the latter’s taste palate. As a distinguished gourmet, Yuri was strict with keeping certain traditions for her descendants. It’ll be hard for her to accept anyone with no aesthetic taste into the family.

In the end, among four others, Joohyun had to cook a meal and Seulgi had to figure out which dish was the one Joohyun cooked.

“What would you like for lunch?” Seola shyly asked Seulgi.

A sensational rush of comfort spread through Joohyun’s heart when she heard the latter’s answer: crab stew. Her eyes rolled with a look of irritation when she heard Seola enthusiastically showing Seulgi that snow crabs were in season. But she couldn’t hide her incoming smirk. There was no doubt that Seulgi picked crab stew because it was Joohyun’s most confident dish.

The stew took under an hour to cook but there was still much preparation and seasoning put into the dish. Yuri only looked at Seulgi’s rude, but surprisingly hard-working, betroth with a pitiful sigh. No matter how well the girl was planning to cook it, she had already sabotaged the ingredients. There was no way Seulgi could figure out the right dish.

Yuri mentally scolded herself for having to stoop as low as pulling petty tricks like switching the salt and sugar. She was dealing with those twice younger than her, but she didn’t want to risk losing a potential partner for her daughter.

By the time they finished cooking, Seulgi was famished. In front of her lie five small bowls of crab stew, each with a single crab. Joohyun had convinced the other cooks to provide the rest of the stew for the rest of the servants as it was nearing lunchtime.

Although Joohyun’s bowl was the first one Seulgi had a taste of, she quickly moved on to the other four without hesitation. Joohyun’s heart dropped. Was it because it’s been five years since Seulgi last tasted her cooking? Whenever she used to cook for Seulgi back then, after the latter had sparring lessons with her father, Seulgi would always return to her with an empty bowl and sincere appreciation.

Yuri couldn’t but hide a victorious smile. “So, which bowl was cooked by your betroth?”

Seulgi wiped with a swipe of her arm after finishing off the four other bowls. She looked to Joohyun with a big smile before pointing to the only full bowl still leftover.

Shock was an understatement that stretched beyond the dining halls. Even the cooks in the kitchen, who were later informed of the results, were dumbfounded.

“B–but…how?” Yuri had confusion written all over her face. Joohyun was no different.

“I think there’s something you should know about our families first, especially if you hope to wed your daughter to me.” Seulgi stood up from the table and made her way over to Joohyun. “We come from a line of great warri