Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Aftermath

The first surprise was, the point that a person no one expected to come to this place suddenly revealed his appearance.

His Majesty Edward VII.

When witnessing the scene of the current King of the British Empire walking trudging wearing only a simple mask on light attire that middle class might wear when strolling, Chairman Balfour almost spat out the water he was holding in his mouth!

One knows just looking at that imposing build. From the start he had no thought of hiding at all!

No, how on earth did His Majesty know here and come looking?!

Of course knowing the fact that Sir Durand was called to Clarence House and even scheduled for knighthood, one couldn't say there's no connection with His Majesty at all. But His Majesty directly revealing his appearance at this place was a different dimension matter.

Right from the day after tomorrow rumors would spread all over London. The King of Britain met Jean-Paul Durand!

Only there was a long-standing rule coming down from the Victorian era at masked balls.

Whoever the other party — even if the king — unless a companion, one must absolutely not reveal the identity or show signs of recognizing.

Although here wasn't a masked ball, since all attendees were wearing masks one could see that rule as the same.

Chairman Balfour barely suppressed the instinctive impulse to stand up from the seat and bow his waist to His Majesty and show respect.

And the one who tried to suppress that impulse wasn't only him.

Sounds murmuring from all sides arose briefly, then soon quieted.

Awkward conversations briefly circled trying not to pretend to know, and somehow after Sir Durand quickly ran out and provided special wine service to His Majesty without saying anything everyone could let out a sigh of relief.

Yes, someone just needed to show they cared about His Majesty. If that was the restaurant owner it was icing on the cake.

As expected a quick-witted young man. So the uncle also seemed to have recognized who he was at once.

'That guy is the one you praised so much, right?'

'Yes, Uncle. And he's also the protagonist of today's event.'

'Is that so? Tall and handsome.'

Although only one short word, Chairman Balfour well knew that was the maximum praise the Marquess of Salisbury gives.

Differently from people's stereotypes, although serving as prime minister three times his uncle was a very quiet and introverted personality except for diplomatic political related work. The hobby was only reading.

Speak only when necessary. Absolutely don't make useless jokes.

He always claimed that was exactly the maximum weight needed as the head of the British Empire government.

Anyway thanks to Sir Durand's agile response the tension that was tightly wound loosened, and when expectations for the dishes also gradually ignited, the second surprise came.

It was when about 30 minutes remained from the exactly scheduled start time.

The two people last guided and entered the restaurant hall.

One was young, and the other was an old gentleman who looked tremendously old but had a grand frame.

And the identity of that old gentleman was first recognized by the Marquess of Salisbury not Chairman Balfour.

'Why is the Prince Regent of Bavaria of the German Empire here...? Without formal visit procedures? There was no telegram to the government either?'

The uncle immediately turned his gaze to Ambassador Metternich. An eye urging explanation.

Ambassador Metternich quickly raised both hands.

'I really know nothing! I only rode the same ship to London as the Prince Regent! I don't know the subsequent schedule at all!'

'Then is the ambassador saying the Prince Regent came on a secret trip to Britain secretly?'

'How would I a mere count of Prussia know the inner thoughts of the Prince Regent of Bavaria? It's certain it's not a diplomatic issue! If it was so our embassy side would have delivered long ago!'

'Still shouldn't one have informed? If the Prince Regent had a problem in London, was the ambassador going to turn it into Britain's responsibility?'

'Absolutely not! Please believe my words!'

There was nothing one couldn't believe. Even just His Majesty Edward VII no one didn't know he enjoyed thrill trips secretly in France during the crown prince days.

It was also fact that Joseph I of Habsburg or Nicholas II of Russia several times entered and exited London hotels without official request.

Only the target being Ambassador Metternich became a mockery.

The Prince Regent of the Kingdom of Bavaria, Luitpold von Bayern.

The formal title was regent, but in European social circles he was called by the nickname 'Regent King' and everyone took that for granted.

Because he was a monarch who substantially ruled Bavaria the second largest kingdom after Prussia in the German Empire for dozens of years.

That was so, the real king of Bavaria Otto I was only formally king, confined for life in a small manor in Munich under the pretext of mental illness.

Some criticized Luitpold as the incarnation of power desire who usurped the throne, but there was no one who dared resist him a marshal who seized the substantial military power of all southern Germany.

If he fell out with Prussia and even split Germany north and south, the person who would take half of that was exactly Luitpold.

A figure important enough to be counted next to Emperor Wilhelm II in the official protocol order of the German Empire the military power next to Britain, why on earth did he appear here?!

But this time a commotion as much as when His Majesty Edward VII didn't occur in this hall. Differently from the fame widely spread in social circles, the Prince Regent rarely stepped outside Bavaria so most didn't recognize him.

Only an extremely small number of figures who recognized the Prince Regent's face swallowed saliva while inwardly tense.

Surely did His Majesty secretly invite? Saying come to taste spicy taste dishes? But that also doesn't make much sense...

Anyway already two kings, one prime minister, four dukes, five marquesses gathered in this large restaurant hall alone.

If by any chance this scene is recorded in history books it might remain as a quite ridiculous anecdote. A matter possible only if everyone here keeps their mouths shut!

There were no other accidents besides that. Everything flowed smoothly like flowing water.

Leaving the mysterious visit of the Prince Regent behind, the course dishes were also somehow approaching the peak.

Spicy Durand Grilling, thin cabbage soup, smoked salmon steak, lemon sherbet up to. What will come next?

Guessing about the last course of unknown identity was also a brief amusement.

Ambassador Metternich who declared surrender also seemed to have decided to just enjoy comfortably while wiping sweat.

"Since His Majesty likes beef a lot, the main dish is certain to be beef, right."

"Does the Prime Minister see this visit of His Majesty the King as pre-scheduled?"

"Wouldn't it be so? His Majesty is a person who carefully takes care even of the dinner menu at Windsor Castle. If entertaining His Majesty beef would be right."

"Well, I think it's a chicken dish. The signature dish of this restaurant is as expected Chicken and Chips. It will be a very spicy chicken dish."

"Ah, very spicy?!"

"Since London gentlemen also enjoy spicy chicken curry, I think they won't serve a dish similar to that. Haha, please prepare your mind at least Ambassador."

A brief time flowed, and serving carts entered lined up.

The marquess was wrong and the chairman was right.

Certainly as the chairman predicted this dish was curry style.

Dark red seasoning and vegetables placed on fluffy white rice, and finely chopped chicken pieces well cooked.

It wasn't curry. Although curry aroma slightly lingered, the spicy aroma was much stronger than that.

And the savory smell spreading together with that—

"It's cheese! They put a lot of cheese to catch the spicy taste balanced! The color is like chili paneer curry with a lot of chili put!"

"Sweet potato and cabbage, leek also entered well cooked. The depth of the smell is not ordinary."

"What is this noodle? It looks like pasta noodle, but quite transparent?"

"Ah, that's glass noodles. In the past I ate a dish with this noodle at the Qing embassy. It wouldn't have been easy to obtain but they obtained well."

"Then is this Eastern style chicken curry?

"That one doesn't know. Is there someone who knows here? Now let's taste. Mouth is watering."

Chairman Balfour carefully scooped one bite and put it in his mouth.

The cheese stretched longer than thought. Certainly it wasn't cheddar cheese commonly eaten in Britain. And it wasn't Camembert or Gruyère cheese regulars of French haute cuisine.

This is certain mozzarella cheese that Italian immigrants like to eat!

The savoriness of cheese, the mildness of rice grains, and the softly cooked chicken exquisitely harmonized in the mouth and created a tremendously complex flavor!

"D-delicious! But it's not spicy at all! Clearly chili entered this much..."

"Somehow the chef seems to have cast magic on the dish."

It was different from the intense spicy taste felt in the amuse-bouche and poisson.

Chairman Balfour realized for the first time today that there are several kinds even in spicy taste.

It wasn't not spicy at all. Although a numb feeling gradually approached the tip of the tongue, every time the tongue was about to burn the mozzarella cheese immediately neutralized that spicy taste as if fighting a battle!

This was certain worthy of being called a masterpiece of greasy spicy taste!

Moreover glass noodles! This flat Chinese glass noodles absorbed the sweet and spicy sauce a lot and every time chewing in the mouth literally burst explosive taste!

Because there are many sub-ingredients of the dish there was also the fun of picking and eating variously.

Cheese and glass noodles! Glass noodles and chicken! Chicken and cheese!

Even putting soft cabbage on sweet potato crushed with a spoon, even eating together with rice appetite naturally welled up to that point.

No matter what combination one eats there's no lack. This was harmony of taste like an orchestra ensemble!

"Excellent! 3 gold coins aren't regrettable at all! Really surprising!"

Around the time Chairman Balfour mindlessly pushed the last spoon into his mouth, he realized what being full to the point no regret is felt. There was no more space to push into the stomach!

Clap.

Was it applause someone clapped. The sound of palms meeting was only once.

It might be applause mindlessly clapped admiring the taste, or it might have been something like joyful applause after seeing a full score performance at the opera.

But as if that clap sound became a detonator, applause burst out simultaneously here and there.

Clap clap clap clap.

If an ordinary restaurant meal, no matter how delicious everyone wouldn't have followed and clapped like this. Because it was a place with face anyway.

But now everyone was in a state of wearing masks, and thanks to that there seemed to be a few people who wouldn't care about face or whatever.

Even His Majesty Edward VII briefly joined the applause procession to that point!

The applause sound soon subsided. And as if responding to that, piano melody gradually filled the quiet restaurant hall.

"By the way Ambassador Metternich."

"Yes, Chairman."

"You said you want to export German food ingredients to Britain? But just in time there's one food ingredient I want to recommend to the ambassador, how about it? Will you taste for fun? Well, it's not quite bad. If wanting it seems one can even sell to Germany."

###

"Success?!"

Looking at the atmosphere it seems it worked? Everyone even claps?!

I who was peeking at the hall let out a long sigh.

If slightly wrong I almost failed! Fortunately I quickly waved a white handkerchief and changed the menu even hurriedly, if not I really almost went wrong!

The combination of cheese on dakgalbi, and flat glass noodles was a cheat key even in modern times, so I knew it would work for sure.

In the middle I miscalculated the ingredient amount and almost ran short of meat, but stuffing cheese, sweet potato, glass noodles full and seeing the match with toppings was a divine move.

Munch munch.

"Really too delicious! Mr. Jean! Too too delicious! I really want to eat this every day!"

"Yes, eat a lot. Eat until your stomach bursts. But if there's a problem the gochujang brought is almost all used up now. Haha."

"Ah, ah!"

Miss Edith also almost ran in as if shedding tears and finished the dakgalbi so the taste was guaranteed. If even stir-fried fried rice here she would have fainted?

In fact I considered making the dakgalbi seasoning spicy like buldak, but hurriedly twisted the line once more.

Since already shocked with intense spicy taste in the amuse-bouche, I thought the main rather giving soft spicy taste would be good.

Gradually giving strong spicy taste is also a good strategy, but the thought of rather reassuring people who expected spicy taste to the point the spine chills with soft spicy taste wasn't bad either.

In fact it wasn't not spicy at all. Even just scooping and eating the seasoning one sufficiently feels numb spicy taste.

Only the ingredients together with cheese dakgalbi, cheese or glass noodles, rice appropriately neutralized the spicy taste and caused the illusion of less spicy.

If feeling not spicy one can sprinkle the Tabasco sauce given in advance and eat, right? Actually there seemed to be people who ate like that too.

"Is the Nutella cheesecake also all prepared?"

"Yes! One can even send out right now. Shall we do so?"

"Wait a moment. Let's leave the customers to enjoy the aftertaste of the spicy taste a bit more."

Among customers whose excitement rose there were also people patting their bellies and humming strange tones matching the piano beat.

If just putting a spoon in the hand there... Right? That appearance?

If even giving milkshake mixed with brandy won't they really get drunk?!

While alone giggling imagining strange things, suddenly status windows rose in a line in front of my eyes.

【 General Quest: Impress celebrities with special food (18/99 rounds) - Success 】

【 Main Quest: Change history with special food (18.87%) 】

【 Random Box Confirmation Ticket Fragments E, F, G x1 (7/10) 】

"Is this a joke? The change degree rises 4 percent at once?! Moreover how many celebrities newly came on earth?!"

"Yes? Change degree?"

"Ah, monologue."

Was my spicy taste dish that shocking?! Why on earth?

As reward for sudden mass achievement of general quests several random boxes also rose. Of course it seemed only useless junk that won't help right now would come out anyway.

But the achievement notification of that damn time-limited quest didn't rise.

What, the masked gourmet meeting succeeded, right? His Majesty was also satisfied, right?!

Surely time difference achievement? Do I have to wait until these people spread rumors all over London?!

To achieve the quest there were still two more days left in the period.

Time one can have a little leisure. If achieving good, if not whatever. How much is today's sales on earth?!

Excited customers eventually dispersed when time came, while organizing the restaurant giving special bonuses to employees, and the moved Earl of Derby bursting in and tightly hugging me I'll leave as separate matters.

Everyone while going out asked when will add this new menu, so I just laughed and passed. Miss Edith and I did this level with all power, rather just frying only chicken and giving would be more comfortable inside! Where should I recruit more chefs? Expectations seem unbearable?

And in the middle Chairman Balfour came looking and requested one bottle of Nutella so I gave, but I wondered where he'll use that again.

Somehow going out smiling was a bit suspicious, but as for me well it's hard to know politicians' intentions.

He urged when will achieve the next homework so I said soon, but in fact I had no confidence. Until now I couldn't grasp at all what and how to do.

Mr. Doyle also belatedly saw the newspaper article and rode the express train and ran but unfortunately it was when all ended. Asking the employee guarding the front door they said they turned away 30 teams even after that.

Feeling bad sending as is, I made only dakgalbi separately and gave so I almost received a kiss baptism all over the body!

This uncle also why is he like this on earth?! Did he come after drinking a glass of alcohol somewhere? Isn't he eating too much milkshake with brandy put?!

But the real aftermath was from now.

The next day, seeing the article carried in the morning newspaper I almost fainted standing!

Because 5 major newspapers carried special articles about me.