– Translated and Edited by the lovely 𖤓⋆.˚𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑛˚.⋆𖤓 –
Side Story 14: The Dream Of A Summer Night
She sprinkled the red powder, which had been torn open in advance, into the boiling water. As the color deepened, she confirmed the thickened and lumpy texture, tossing in the solid pieces. She cracked an egg into it as well, careful not to burst it, as it would make the broth cloudy. Now, all that was left was to gently stir and wait for four minutes.
It was an easy and convenient instant ramen.
Watching the bubbling red foam, she felt ecstatic. Meanwhile, the time she had been waiting for passed. She removed the pot from the heat, pulled the kimchi closer that she had set aside, and finally, she could eat ramen. Chewy noodles in a spicy red broth. Her mouth watered involuntarily.
And just as she was about to pick up her chopsticks!
Chirp, chirp, chirp!
Luana opened her eyes.
“Huh?”
Blinking several times, she waved her hands in the air.
“Huh?”
She looked around dazedly, but the ramen was nowhere in sight. It was then she realized she had been dreaming. Disappointment furrowed her brows, and her eyes blinked with injustice.
“My ramen!”
At the sound, Legion opened the door and stepped inside, his puzzled gaze meeting Luana’s.
“Luana?”
Despite calling her name, there was no response. Luana hastily dressed and dashed outside. Legion watched her depart, a knowing smile curling his lips.
“There she goes again.”
Though initially surprised by Luana’s sudden exit, he grew accustomed to it. Wherever she ran off to like that, it didn’t matter. He just smiled quietly, expecting the outcome.
Thud!
Luana half-jogged her way to the kitchen, nearly running. Thanks to Legion’s consideration, the conveniently located kitchen was stocked with fresh ingredients.
“First, chicken feet!”
To achieve a rich and deep flavor, she prepared chicken feet. While beef could also be used for the broth, chicken feet seemed more appealing at the moment. After cleaning the chicken feet thoroughly, she placed them in a preheated oven. Watching them turn golden and crispy, she proceeded to take out the other ingredients one by one. After preparing all the vegetables to accompany the chicken feet, she confirmed that they were cooked to perfection.
Then it hit her—she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.
“Hmm.”
In the kitchen, she could make anything to eat. She could’ve also ordered food or summoned a servant, but she resisted. Because she wanted to eat ramen! Suppressing her excitement, she pressed gently on her heart and took a quiet breath. The aroma filled the air, tantalizing her senses.
Slurp. After smelling the scent, her hunger intensified.
“No.”
Luana solemnly addressed her grumbling stomach, watching the broth.
“Now that the broth is done.”
The noodles would be thin like Kal-guksu; She didn’t know how to make dried noodles. She would try various methods later, but for now, she couldn’t. Then Luana frowned, pondering.
“If there’s a problem, it’s only one.”
What would she use to make the spicy flavor for the ramen? What went into the ramen soup? Luana racked her brain. Mushrooms, beef, red pepper powder, salt, soy sauce—she’d prepared everything. Except the most crucial thing was something she couldn’t get, though.
MSG. The magical powder that enhances the flavor.
“But there are ramen without MSG.”
So, would it be okay? Luana finished all the preparations and patiently waited for the broth to be ready. How long had she waited? Finally, the broth was ready! The fruit of her labor tasted so sweet.
“Perfect!”
The carefully strained broth glistened enchantingly. As she tasted it, a rich flavor filled her mouth. It wasn’t even seasoned yet, but it tasted like this! It seemed like it would be delicious no matter what she made with it. But today, it was ramen! It was perfect for both a snack and a meal!
Using the powder seasoning, noodles, and broth she had prepared, Luana began to boil the ramen. It would be fine to add an egg, or perhaps slice some green onions to garnish, or add seafood or meat. Whatever she added, it would surely taste great, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy the pure taste of ramen.
A bowl of completed ramen. Luana couldn’t hide her smiling lips in front of it. Her hand trembled with joy as she lifted the chopsticks. She remembered the taste of ramen that she had forgotten all along, and her mouth watered.
First, she tasted the broth. The powder seasoning had melted perfectly into the broth. It had just the right balance of spiciness and refreshment, stimulating her tongue. Then she tried the noodles. Then she tried the noodles—chewy and satisfying. In the quiet kitchen, all that could be heard was Luana slurping her ramen. How much time had passed? Finally, she finished the bowl.
“It’s delicious.”
Yes, the ramen she made herself was delicious. It was an unbeatable combination of flavors. Luana nodded her head and then leaned back.
“It’s delicious. But…”
It wasn’t the taste of the ramen she had in her past life in Korea. In fact, Luana’s favorite ramen was spicy. It had a stimulating broth so spicy that it made her tongue tingle. And chewy noodles. That ramen from her dream!
“That’s not the taste.”
Luana covered her face with both hands and sat still for a moment before lightly patting her cheek. She hadn’t intended to recreate the taste from the beginning. So she couldn’t give up now.
“I did a good job boiling the broth for a long time. Let’s start over.”
With a blazing determination, Luana’s body moved.
Meanwhile…
Legion finished all his tasks and headed to Luana’s kitchen. Where she had rushed in the early hours, so there must be a new dish waiting for him by now. Luana’s food was mostly delicious. Sometimes there were strange-tasting dishes, but even those were enjoyable experiences in their own way.
How wonderful it was to taste. Legion opened the kitchen door, his lips curling into a smile. On one side of the prepared dining table, Luana was busy jotting something down, with several bowls lined up. The liquid in the bowls was all tinted red.
“Luana.”
“Oh, Legion, you’re here?”
As he called her name, Luana turned to look at Legion. Then she naturally approached him, embraced him around the waist, and planted a kiss on his cheek. She didn’t hold back from expressing her affection.
“Yeah. What did you make today?”
“Ramen.”
“Ramen? What kind of dish is that?”
“Hmm.”
Luana furrowed her brow for a moment, contemplating, then spoke.
“It’s a dish with chewy noodles in a spicy and cool broth.”
She omitted the part about it being a quick and easy dish. In her past life, ramen was instant, so it was quickly made. But now, it wasn’t like that. Brewing the broth alone required quite some time.
“Like Kal-guksu?”
Come to think of it, she once fed Legion spicy knife-cut noodles on a rainy day. It seemed like he recalled it upon hearing the word “spicy.” He had seemed to enjoy it despite the spiciness. Luana smiled faintly and replied.
“It’s similar but different. I’m still experimenting, but would you like to try?”
“Gladly.”
A bowl of ramen was quickly served. Seated at the table, Legion tasted the broth first. As he sipped the slightly spicy broth, he felt warmth spreading in his stomach. Then he picked up the chopsticks. Though initially clumsy, he quickly got used to them.
He picked up the noodles and chewed. The thin noodles soaked just enough broth to be delicious on their own. Sipping the broth, and chewing the noodles, before he knew it, he finished the whole bowl. He let out a satisfied sigh unintentionally.
“How is it?”
“Delicious, isn’t it?”
Luana grinned at Legion’s words. Watching someone enjoy the food she made was always a pleasure to her.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Your cooking is always delicious.”
“But actually, it’s still incomplete.”
“Is it?”
Legion tilted his head, probably finding something minor unsatisfactory. Luana was thorough when it came to cooking, even if she had him nearby. She felt a bit annoyed at his busy movements without paying attention to her. Should she disturb him for a moment? She thought better of it and looked down at the ramen bowl she had just finished.
A dish not found in this world. Unusual utensils. In faraway lands, they used chopsticks, but not here. Yet Luana knew all about them. At first, she thought so.
The unfamiliar dish was because she was a witch. She had made it out of overflowing creativity. She seemed to have found out about the utensils because she was interested in other countries.
‘But that wasn’t it.’
Luana was the neglected youngest princess of the kingdom. It wasn’t without investigation that they suspected her of being a witch and brought her in. The Emperor conducted more research on her than he did on Ingrid, whom he cherished. From before she was born until now, they had scrutinized every move she made. There was nothing remarkable. Her mother was a witch, but she died early, leaving her to be raised by a sole nanny.
The king didn’t give the discarded princess any money, so she grew up struggling. Even a common book for nobles was a luxury to her. She didn’t become a witch until much later, so before that, she was just an ordinary person.
Around that time, Legion felt something odd. And he realized. Luana had a secret. A bigger secret than being a witch. A secret she hadn’t told even to her beloved Legion.
Calling it creativity, she produced numerous dishes. Rather than developing new dishes to improve their taste, she seemed to stick to what she already knew. And she used tools that seemed to have been seen and learned from somewhere, rather than using what she already knew.
“What is she hiding?”
He didn’t have the urge to dig into what Luana was hiding. But sometimes an impulse surged unexpectedly. An impulse to find out all of her secrets. A desire to uncover everything hidden deep inside her and know everything. His fingertips tingled with intense desire.
Suddenly, Luana turned and muttered.
“We should soak the empty bowls in water.”
“…Right.”
His response came a bit late. It seemed he had been too engrossed in thought. Fortunately, Luana didn’t find him strange. She just pursed her lips and went back to focusing on her seasoning combinations.
Legion took a deep breath.
‘No.’
He didn’t want to incur Luana’s displeasure in any way. So he endured. Suppressing the desire that surged up within him today, Legion smiled. He put the dishes in the sink and stood by Luana’s side.
“Can I help?”
Luana hesitated.
“Are you okay with making something spicy?”
Well, although it has improved a lot compared to before, Luana’s standard for spiciness is still much higher than Legion’s.
“Why on earth do you like spicy food so much?”
When Legion grumbled for no reason, Luana responded with a grin.
“Don’t you feel a sense of relief in your stomach when you eat something spicy enough to make your mouth tingle?”
“Isn’t it painful?”
“Oh, come on. If this level of spiciness shouldn’t hurt.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Legion turned behind Luana and subtly placed his hand on her waist. When he embraced her from behind at the right moment, her hand, which had been teasingly moving, stopped. Her earlobes turned red as his body pressed against hers.
“We’re cooking.”
Though he teased her for no reason, Legion didn’t give up.
“You can do other things while cooking, can’t you?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, what could it be?”
Legion pressed his face against Luana’s head.
“You’re really weak.”
It didn’t seem like that before. At some point, Legion became more assertive in expressing his affection. Sometimes he was shamelessly clingy, expressing his love.
‘That’s a good thing, but…’
With a flushed face, Luana organized the seasonings. It seemed she wasn’t in the mood to cook more today. Legion chuckled quietly. The vibration was felt deeply through their touching bodies.
“Shall we go to the room then?”
This fox-like man, what was she going to do with him? Luana cleared her throat softly before turning around to embrace Legion.
“Let’s go then.”
This amazing and wonderful man was hers. Feeling happy at this fact, Luana smiled at him.
『Bon Appetit!』End of Side Story.
Notes:
- Kal-Guksu/ 칼국수 – is a Korean refreshing noodle dish consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients.
