The story of the black silk female knight

That's why Melina has never been sure about Valensa's true orientation... Even though Valensa confessed to her recently, she only thought Valensa was being coquettish and joking.

But the body is the most honest thing in the world. Recalling the bumpy ride on horseback earlier, Melina couldn't help but blush a little.

It's so good.

Not only can I use my abilities to help the young lady, but my body is also needed by her... This is really great.

only……

After the sweetness and shyness subsided, Melina frowned again.

The Earl only has the young lady as his heir... If the young lady likes girls, wouldn't the Earl, who saved her life, be left without an heir?

Convincing the young lady to accept a man... that's even more impossible.

Melina preferred to endure her guilt towards Count Badr rather than put Valenza in a difficult position.

...Then there's only one way left.

Melina's work as the head of the Adventurers' Guild exposed her to many secrets.

While it is rare for women to form relationships with other women in this world, it does happen.

Some of these female couples wanted to have offspring, and they tried various methods, with some actually succeeding.

Knowing that she would be in charge of intelligence gathering at the Royal Capital Adventurers' Guild in the future, Melina secretly kept this in mind and would pay more attention to this kind of information in the future.

At this time, Valensa was unaware that her maid had already considered so much for her. After returning the horses, she went to Nora's Trading Company in Sergin Town to check on the preparations for the banquet.

Upon closer inspection, the problem was discovered.

Perhaps the manager of the branch in Klara City didn't fully understand Valensa's meaning, or perhaps he acted on his own initiative, but the banquet was completely different from what Valensa had imagined.

According to the Nora Chamber of Commerce's plan, the banquet would indeed be very grand and expensive, but not many people would actually be able to participate; most people would just be able to watch the excitement from the outside.

This is the opposite of what Valensa wanted... If it were just a matter of saying goodbye to a few people of high status, she could simply visit them one by one.

The reason for holding such a grand banquet is to thank the common people of Sergin Town and treat them to a good meal.

The Nora Chamber of Commerce's plan can be described as putting the cart before the horse.

"No, no, this proposal needs to be redone!"

Because the banquet was nominally paid for by Valensa, in the eyes of the Nora Chamber of Commerce employees who were unaware of the truth, she was the client.

So Valensa didn't hold back at all, not only scrapping the plan and starting over, but also making all her demands.

"It's not a social gathering for nobles, but a banquet to thank the commoners... I'm sorry, it seems I didn't think it through."

The planners from the Nora Chamber of Commerce were quite humble; they weren't angry that their work was rejected, but only showed a hint of embarrassment.

"Expanding the banquet is fine, but that would... create budget issues."

Chapter 54 A noble lady couldn't possibly be good at cooking? Ha~

"Budget issues? Hmm..."

Valencia's "I'm the client, I call the shots" smile froze.

Being the client can be prestigious, but you need to be rich.

The ordinary employees of the Nora Chamber of Commerce did not know who the real funder of the banquet was, so they naturally came to Valensa for more money when the budget was insufficient.

"Let me see the budget list first."

Although the manager of the branch in Klar City said he would pay for it, if the expenses exceeded his means and the banquet failed, it would ultimately be Valensa who would lose face.

Therefore, Valencia did not rush to agree to the increased budget, but planned to wait and see.

"Ok."

The Nora Chamber of Commerce's banquet planners were very cooperative, and soon handed Valensa a thick stack of lists of various ingredients and supplies to purchase.

Valensa quickly flipped through the pages and immediately discovered the crux of the problem.

"These ingredients..."

She pointed to a series of ingredients on the budget list that were more expensive than gold of the highest quality, such as snails, foie gras, tiger prawns, crimson crabs, and deep-sea grouper.

"Is it really necessary? If we replaced all the vegetables, meat, and seafood that we can buy at a regular market, wouldn't that greatly reduce the budget?"

To be honest, Valencia was almost shocked when she saw the total amount on the budget. Even for her, who used to be a countess in the capital, that number was definitely not a small amount.

The manager of the branch in Klar City is so generous; he's definitely showing his sincerity... If Valensa were to add more to the budget, she would feel like she's being too greedy.

Since the budget cannot be increased, it will have to be redistributed.

There's still a lot of room for maneuver in this budget, for example, with the ingredients Valensa just mentioned.

While it might be a way to demonstrate power at social banquets among nobles, what about feeding it to commoners?

I'm afraid many people simply can't tell the difference between meats that cost hundreds of times more per unit.

The banquet planner from the Nora Chamber of Commerce had clearly considered this as well; he nodded.

"How about increasing the number of tables by lowering the quality of the ingredients for each table? That's one way... Anyway, those ingredients haven't been purchased yet for freshness, so it's not too late to change the plan now."

But wouldn't that be beneath Miss Bader's dignity?

"You are, after all, a nobleman from the capital. Even if it's a banquet to thank and bid farewell to commoners, serving only simple home-style dishes would be..."

"Hmm...you make a good point."

In fact, many people in Sergintown know that Valensa is a rather poor young lady.

But the so-called "face" of the aristocracy means that even if everyone knows that you are poor, you must not show that you are poor.

So even when Valencia was at her poorest, eating only dry bread and drinking plain water, she would still use her meager gold coins to buy beautiful dresses and high-quality black stockings.

I've been living in poverty in Sergin Town for three years, and now I'm going back to the capital to attend the War Academy. I can't just treat everyone to a simple home-cooked meal, can I?

If she were still the Valencia of her previous life, she might not care about these things, but she had been a true noblewoman for more than ten years in this life, and had more or less picked up a bit of vanity.

She wanted to make this farewell banquet not only grand, but also ensure everyone had a good meal.

But with the total budget limited, improving the quality of ingredients is impossible.

Emmm...

It seems there's only one option left.

Valensa's eyes gradually hardened, even gleaming faintly:

"It's a bit beneath me to use only ordinary home-cooked dishes for a banquet... How about this, have all the chefs in charge of the banquet come to the Adventurers' Guild to see me first thing tomorrow morning, and just buy the most common ingredients."

"Uh... what do you mean, Miss?"

The Nora Chamber of Commerce's banquet planners made no attempt to hide their surprise.

He wasn't a local from Sergin, but had come all the way from Klar to be in charge of the banquet, so he didn't really know much about Valensa.

"It's just what you think."

Valensa tilted her head slightly:

"Inventing and making all sorts of new dishes is one of my hobbies... Since using everyday dishes would seem insincere, let everyone try my special dishes!"

"This this……"

The banquet planner immediately panicked, but didn't know how to refuse, and was sweating profusely.

His idea was actually quite reasonable... How could a noble lady, who was also a female knight, possibly be good at cooking?

Those so-called specialty dishes... I bet they're not going to make you see the Sun Goddess after just one bite!

"It seems you don't trust my culinary skills, Mr. Planner~"

Valensa clearly saw this as well, but she didn't get angry or try to persuade her.

After all, the planner's speculation was actually reasonable, and it was just empty talk. To truly convince the planner, we had to use facts... Otherwise, no matter what we said, it would only be the young lady's arrogance and temper.

"How about this."

So Valensa just chuckled softly:

"If you don't like sleeping in, Mr. Planner, come with the chefs tomorrow morning. I'll let you see my cooking skills for yourself... If you don't think it's good, the plan can be adjusted."

"That's...ok."

Actually, the planner still felt it would be best to revise the plan tonight, but since the client, a noble lady, had said so, he had no choice but to agree.

At the same time, I couldn't help but feel a little curious... Could this beautiful young lady knight really have excellent cooking skills?

The planner, tormented by his curiosity, didn't sleep well all night. When he arrived at the Adventurers' Guild the next morning with six chefs, he still had obvious dark circles under his eyes.

The six chefs were equally uncomfortable. Although they dared not say much because of Valensa's status, they could not hide their arrogance and resentment, and they were all prepared to watch the show.

A mere noblewoman dares to try and teach us professional chefs how to cook? How ridiculous!

However, as Valensa's cooking movements flowed like water, and familiar ingredients gradually transformed into unfamiliar dishes, all the chefs could no longer laugh.

The planner's eyes widened. He hadn't even tasted a single dish of the food on the table, yet he was already completely convinced of Valensa's superb culinary skills and never mentioned changing the plan again.

Mapo tofu, pickled fish, beggar's chicken, green tea shrimp, braised lion's head meatballs, braised goose in an iron pot, secret-recipe char siu pork, peony swallow's nest...

When Chinese cuisine, with its perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste, is presented, there's no need for tasting; its appearance and aroma alone are enough to win over most foodies.

"These...you invented all these dishes, Miss?"

One of the chefs couldn't help but ask.

"Yes."

Valensa gave a rather pretentious, faint smile:

"It's just a little hobby I tinker with occasionally, nothing serious."

Instantly, all the arrogance and defiance in the chefs' eyes vanished.

They looked at Valencia as if she were a devout fanatic who had finally seen his goddess.

Chapter 55 Everyone is equal before delicious food.

For the next two days, Valencia taught the chefs how to cook.

Based on the skills and personal characteristics of the six chefs, she selected 12 dishes from the major cuisines of the Celestial Empire in her previous life that were relatively simple to make and contained common ingredients.

Each chef is responsible for preparing two dishes, making a total of six cold and six hot dishes for a table.

Although the chefs were initially surprised by the Chinese cuisine, they were all chefs hired by the Nora Chamber of Commerce to be in charge of banquets, and their basic skills were excellent.

Objectively speaking, their cooking skills are no less than Valencia's; they just have never been exposed to Chinese cuisine, which is the culmination of 5000 years of wisdom of a nation.

In the end, none of these chefs tarnished their reputation as professionals.

After two days of diligent study and practice, the chefs had mastered at least 80-90% of the 12 Chinese dishes, and were even able to make some improvements based on local tastes.

The day of the banquet finally arrived. Many townspeople in Sergin hadn't eaten breakfast, just waiting to have a good meal at the banquet at noon.

Valensa adopted the kind of banquet style commonly used in rural areas in her previous life, setting up 56 tables from east to west on the widest road in Sergin, with each table seating 10 people.

The banquet officially started at 10:30 a.m. and lasted until 2 p.m. During this time, the chefs would continuously replenish the dishes for each table, and the townspeople would almost always give up their seats after they had eaten their fill.

What should you do if you encounter someone who doesn't know their own limitations?

For example, some hooligans and scoundrels are unwilling to leave after they have eaten their fill. They want to pack up the remaining dishes to take home and eat, and they may even harass the women around them.

At this time of year, the banquet guard team, spontaneously formed by adventurers, would take action and drag those scoundrels and hooligans to a secluded spot for some exercise.

After a meal, people need to exercise in moderation to aid digestion. And for young adventurers, what exercise could be more enjoyable than a legitimate beating?

And so, the banquet proceeded in an orderly manner, and the townspeople enjoyed their meal.

The townspeople were initially surprised when they saw the dishes they had never seen before, and they were even more surprised after learning that these dishes were all Valensa's inventions.

A noble lady who is also good at cooking?

Many people initially thought the same way, but quickly put the idea behind them.

Because Chinese cuisine emphasizes color, aroma, and taste, the appearance and fragrance of the dishes on the table were enough to whet the appetites of the townspeople.

As the first person charged forward with a knife and fork, the entire banquet transformed into a battlefield within minutes, filled with the smacking sounds of rice being cooked and the enthusiastic discussions of the people.

"Wow! What is this tofu?! It's making my throat hurt so much, and my eyes are watering... But it's so delicious! You're not allowed to take it from me!"