The commotion in the palace immediately died down. All of the officials in the palace turned to stare at Mag with wide eyes as if they were appraising a mentally disabled child.
Bellmann had toiled for over 10 years in the royal kitchen to become the head chef, yet Mag had taken his place with just three dishes.
This was a dream come true to every chef across the entire continent.
All of the officials had burst into an uproar as the king’s decision had come as a complete shock to everyone.
Countless chefs would most likely be willing to shave 10 years off their life to become the head chef of the royal kitchen!However, this chef from Chaos City had turned down the king’s reward, all because he owned a restaurant in Chaos City!
“Is he retarded?!”
Some of the officials simply couldn’t help but verbally express their exasperated astonishment.
This was an invitation from the king of the Roth Empire! Could it be that he was prioritizing the customers of his restaurant in Chaos City over the king?!
There was simply no comparison between the two, yet Mag had made a decision that was simply inexplicable to everyone.
Abraham almost jumped up from his chair in astonishment. However, his shock stemmed from a different reason compared to everyone else. Holy f*ck! I… Isn’t that the man who was selling roast beef cubes outside Cary’s Rotisserie yesterday?!!!
No wonder he can cook such delicious dishes; it all makes sense now. Abraham took a deep breath to compose himself as he looked at Mag with a complex expression on his face.He had thought that two super chefs had appeared in Rodu at the same time, but who would’ve thought that it was only one chef? Furthermore, he was extremely fortunate to have encountered him again.
All of the officials in Josh’s faction were getting rather nervous now. They had thought that Mag’s dishes would grant the second prince a better chance to inherit the throne, but if Mag’s refusal were to enrage the king, then all of his prior efforts would be wasted.
Josh was trying to communicate with Mag using his eyes. Even though Mag had stated that he was going to head back to Chaos City following the birthday banquet, never would he have thought that Mag would turn down an offer from the king to become the head chef of the royal kitchen. If he could stay in the royal kitchen and cook for the king every day, it would be a constant reminder to the king of Josh’s thoughtful gesture in tracking down this chef. This was a mutually beneficial arrangement for both himself and Mag, but who would’ve thought that he would refuse?
Mag was looking down at the ground as if he were feeling rather fearful, thereby allowing him to completely avoid Josh’s urgent gaze.
What a joke! There are so many customers waiting for me back at my restaurant, why would I stay here to cook for this old fart with one foot in the grave already?
He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to repress the urge to poison his dishes and put an end to the king and the two princes.
As the situation unfolded, Sean’s eyes gradually began to light up. He passed his jug of ice water to a nearby female servant and adjusted his robes as a faint smile appeared on his face.
“You insolent chef! How dare you speak to His Majesty in this manner? Do you know how many people would love to be in the position you’re in right now? Yet you’re turning down His Majesty’s kind reward just because you have a restaurant in Chaos City? Is the royal kitchen less important to you than your restaurant? Are your customers more important than even His Majesty himself?” A tall and broad official abruptly rose to his feet as he stabbed an accusatory finger in Mag’s direction.
Mag didn’t even need to think to know that this was one of Sean’s lackeys. It clearly wasn’t befitting of a prince to aim accusations at Mag himself, so he was getting his henchmen to do his dirty work.
However, Mag wasn’t someone who would allow any barking dog to bite him as they pleased. He turned to the official, and said, “I am but an ordinary chef from Chaos City, and I was invited by His Highness, the second prince, to cook for His Highness during his birthday banquet. Prior to coming here, I had requested to be allowed to return to Chaos City within five days, a request that His Highness had agreed to. As such, I had even plastered a hiatus slip onto the door of my restaurant before I left, informing my customers that I would be back within five days.
“My restaurant naturally can’t compare to the royal kitchen, and most of the customers are commoners, so they certainly aren’t worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as His Majesty. However, I am a man who keeps his promises; I’ve promised my customers that I would return to my restaurant in five days, and I refuse to revoke my promise. As such, I have no choice but to turn down His Majesty’s kind offer.”
Mag was a professional at dumping the blame onto others.
As soon as he delivered that monologue, all of the officials turned their attention to Josh.
If what Mag said was true, then he certainly wasn’t at fault. Instead, he was a good and honest restaurant owner who refused to revoke his promises even for greater personal gain.
Having been thrust under the limelight, Josh was suddenly beginning to regret the promise he had made to Mag. However, it was too late for regrets now, and he could only muster up his courage as he said, “Father, Chef Mag has indeed discussed this matter with me. Chef Mag treats each and every one of his customers with respect, and he truly is a fantastic chef and restaurant owner. In fact, he was on the Renhe Food Street yesterday…”
Josh delivered an account of the events that had unfolded outside Cary’s Rotisserie the day before, depicting Mag as a saintly chef who was willing to stand up for commoners and had a kind and virtuous heart.
Of course, none of the officials in the palace appreciated Mag’s heroic gesture. On the contrary, they were quite disgruntled by the fact that they would have to dine with commoners from now on.
“Wow! He challenged the best rotisserie in the city by himself and won? That’s so badass!”
“And he’s fighting for the commoners! He’s such a good and kind man!”
“He’s so wilful and true to himself as well; he really is the perfect man!”
“This is bad; I’m falling in love with him…”
All of the young women present were looking at Mag with stars shimmering in their eyes. He was the epitome of a hero in their eyes. In fact, he was even more than that; he was a handsome hero who could cook irresistible food as well! All of them felt as if their hearts were fluttering like hummingbird wings in their chests.
I’m attracting girls without even trying.
Mag was feeling rather exasperated as he listened to the praise being directed at him. He was too perfect, so perfect that even he was feeling a little embarrassed.
Irina was feeling slightly nervous a moment ago, but she immediately clenched her fists with fury at the sight of the smile that flashed across Mag’s face. All men really are trash!
“It’s the utmost honor for any chef to be able to cook for His Majesty. Josh, you were the one who invited Chef Mag to Rodu in the first place; did you not tell him the rules beforehand? He’s received the award for best dish of the day, yet he’s unwilling to cook in the royal kitchen as he’d rather return to his restaurant in Chaos City. If word of this was to spread, our Roth Empire’s reputation would be swept to the ground!” Sean rose to his feet and turned to Josh with an accusatory gaze.
Josh’s brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this. Sean’s accusations were quite serious, and he didn’t know how to reply.
Right at this moment, Novan put down the cup in his hand, and calmly interjected, “Our Chaos City may be small, but it’s still a city; I believe Chef Mag should be allowed to return and cook in Chaos City if that’s what he wants.”
