The party of adventurers pointedly looked away, feigning indifference. The sheer pressure radiating from Theord was so overwhelming that no one dared to look him in the eye. Of course, that didn't stop them from stealing glances at his handsome face every chance they got.
While everyone else held their breath, crushed by the tension, I was the only one who offered a bright smile and pulled out a chair for him.
Even though I’d seen him just yesterday, I welcomed him with the joyous expression of someone greeting a long-awaited guest. In response, his eyes crinkled ever so slightly in a faint smile. In that instant, muffled gasps broke out around the room.
“…Gasp.”
“He smiled….”
Fearing the commotion might annoy my regular customer, I shot a glare at the surrounding tables. Not that they could see my eyes through my bangs anyway.
“Would you like the gukbap?”
Theord nodded. I hurried to the kitchen and brought back a steaming earthenware pot, setting it down before him while striking up a conversation out of habit.
“Don’t you get tired of eating the same thing every single day?”
Theord’s hand froze mid-air.
Ah, damn. I slipped up.
It’s the unwritten rule of the restaurant industry. Never initiate unnecessary small talk with a young male customer. They’re like wild animals, if you act too familiar, they’ll bolt and never come back.
Realizing my mistake, I shut my mouth instantly. Instead, I silently set down a few extra slices of boiled pork on a side plate and slipped away to another table without another word.
When I stole a glance back, Theord thankfully hadn't reacted poorly. He simply lifted his spoon and took a mouthful of soup. His expression remained a stoic mask, but his spoon moved rhythmically and without pause.
…I’m saved. It looked like he wouldn't be boycotting the place after all.
After finishing the bowl to the very last drop, Theord slowly stood up. As usual, he reached into his coat, but then his hand paused for a moment.
“……?”
What now? Had the noble lord finally realized the actual value of currency and decided to pay the fair price?
I swallowed hard, watching him, when Theord spoke in a low voice.
“…Because you said it was filled with love.”
“Pardon?”
While I stood there blinking stupidly, Theord flashed a faint smile. The room erupted into a stir yet again. A spoon clattered onto a floor, and someone failed to stifle a loud cough.
“…He smiled.”
“The Great ‘Hardt’ actually smiled...?”
The whispers spread like wildfire.
However, Theord seemed entirely oblivious to the commotion, maintaining his composed demeanor. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver coins as he always did.
Clink.
The sound of the coins hitting the table was unusually heavy today. That small, dull thud resonated deeply in my heart.
“……!”
I glanced at the table and reflexively covered my mouth. It wasn't just one coin. Three silver coins were shimmering there.
A staggering 3 silver.
My fingertips trembled. Even in my shock, my brain was doing the math. A bowl of gukbap is 3 pennies, which is essentially 0.03 silver. This crazy noble had just tossed a hundred times the price onto the table like it was nothing.
‘…This is it. I’ve caught the total pushover.’
I was so frozen I couldn't even manage a goodbye as he left. I could only slowly reach out and scoop up the silver from the table.
Three sparkling silver coins.
As their heavy weight settled into my palm, my heart skipped a beat. The surfaces glinting in the sunlight were no longer just currency. They were ecstatic. Beautiful. It felt like I was holding a masterpiece of art in my hand.
“…Haa.”
…What am I going to do?
I wasn't just looking forward to his visits anymore, my heart was actually starting to flutter.
***
And it began that very day.
“The Imperial Knight Commander ate gukbap at a backwater inn on the border and gave a radiant smile.”
Excuse me, when exactly did Theord give a "radiant" smile?
People took the fact that the corners of his mouth had moved a mere 0.1cm and exaggerated it into a grand legend. The rumors, far from dying down, snowballed until the bell above the inn door began ringing dozens of times a day.
Ding~ !
“Is this the inn where the Knight Commander ate?”
“That’s what they say. Apparently, that cold-blooded man polished off two whole bowls.”
I hurriedly waved my hands in denial.
“No, it wasn't two bowls! And he didn't smile radiantly, it was just a slight… a minute, extremely microscopic smile!”
“See? He said he smiled!”
“No, I mean it’s not the 'sunshine-and-rainbows' smile you’re all imagining!”
But my voice was a silent scream, an echo lost in the wind. It didn't reach the ears of the customers who were already piously lifting their spoons.
Exhausted from trying to explain, I gave up and just started serving up bowls of milky broth loaded with meat and MSG. Without fail, the customers' eyes would light up.
“This flavor…!”
“No wonder the Knight Commander approved.”
“Man, it was worth risking my life to come here for this gukbap.”
…I’m telling you, you don’t need to risk your life for soup!
At first, one pot was more than enough, but now I had to start boiling a massive cauldron first thing in the morning. Seeing customers lined up at dawn just to get a bowl of soup was surreal.
I wiped the sweat from my brow with my sleeve, lining up the earthenware pots, and muttered to myself.
“The power of branding is terrifying.”
The Knight Commander of the Empire. He was a living, breathing human billboard.
By the end of the lunch rush, I ran out of ingredients and had to call for an official break. After a quick rest, I headed down to the marketplace, where I spotted a butcher thumping his chest and bragging to a crowd.
“The meat for that inn on the border? I’m the one who supplies it. So, technically, the Knight Commander was eating my broth.”
The vegetable seller across from him folded his arms and scoffed.
“Don’t make me laugh. The greens the Commander ate with it were supplied by me.”
“Ho ho, you’re both wrong.”
This time, a restaurant owner chimed in with a smirk.
“The cauldron they use for the soup was borrowed from my shop. If you think about it, what the Commander ate was my secret recipe.”
The three of them bickered so loudly the whole market could hear. I watched the spectacle from a distance, face-palming with one hand while fiddling with the heavy silver coins in my pocket with the other.
Fine. Whatever. At the end of the day, the money ends up in my pocket anyway, right? It's a pointless argument.
I shrugged and continued walking, when suddenly,
WHACK!
“Ack!”
A sound like a lightning strike echoed, and a shockwave jolted through my body as if I’d been hit by a bolt. A massive hand had slammed into my back. My body lunged forward, and I stood there trembling, unable to even clutch my back before spinning around.
“Hey kid, where ya going?”
Sure enough, it was Gilbert, the annoying inn owner with his braided beard.
I briefly contemplated yanking on that bushy beard of his, but settled for a sharp, grumpy retort.
“Seriously! That hurts! I told you it hurts! You’re an old man, why are you so strong? Lose some muscle, would you?!”
“Eh?”
A bewildered Gilbert scratched his head and glanced at my back. He looked at me with a skeptical expression.
“So fragile. How’s a lad supposed to survive when he’s this scrawny?”
“Consider the size difference! You're hitting a lanky fledgling!”
As I huffed, my eyes welling with indignant tears, passersby began to stare. Feeling even more victimized, I turned to walk away, but a sheepish Gilbert chuckled and strode over to me.
“Sorry, sorry. Did it really hurt that much?”
“Forget it. I’m busy, don’t follow me.”
I ignored him and kept walking, but Gilbert kept pace right beside me.
“So, where are you heading? Buying something? Want me to carry it?”
I hesitated. Honestly, his help wouldn't be a bad thing. There was something I was having a hard time finding on my own.
“…There’s something I want to buy, but I can’t find it.”
“What is it?”
“Peppers.”
In an instant, Gilbert’s eyes swept down toward my lower half. He muttered with a very serious face.
“Wait, weren't you a boy?”
“……!”
What the hell is this perverted bearded bear talking about?!
Hearing the people nearby snickering, I covered my face and screamed at Gilbert.
“Argh! Who’s talking about male anatomy?!”
I yelled and tried to shove Gilbert away, but the muscle-bound wall of a man didn't budge an inch.
“Grr…!”
It was so unfair. I realized that no matter how much I pushed, I was hitting a brick wall. All I was doing was hurting my own palms.
I stomped away in a huff. Just as I was fuming enough to make the ground shake, Gilbert caught up and slung a heavy arm over my shoulder.
“Gah! The hair! I told you to keep your beard away from me!”
His beard tickled my cheek, making me shiver. Regardless, he casually ruffled my hair and muttered.
“Don’t be so cranky, kid. So what are you looking for?”
“Spices. I’m trying to make some spicy seasoning, but I haven't seen any.”
“There’s pepper and ginger.”
“That’s different!”
If I just had red peppers, I could make kkakdugi (radish kimchi), create specialized sauces, and serve up a truly unique gukbap…!
Besides, gukbap without dadegi (spicy seasoning) is like kimbap without yellow radish, or ramen without kimchi. There are such things as culinary soulmates!
As I muttered regretfully, Gilbert stroked his beard and stared intently at my face.
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