The Possessor Mistook the Genre for 20 Years

88 – The Heroines’ Cooking Contest (3)

On the table were four plates filled with appetizing food.

Franz, holding the spoon and fork, was not confident about the evaluation.

To evaluate something made by others, one had to know the field very well.

He was not a chef, and even less a gourmet, so there was no way he could evaluate it well.

‘It wasn’t meant in that sense in the first place.’

He had said that his ideal type was a woman who was domestic and good at cooking.

But that meant a woman who was good at making home-cooked meals like kimchi stew or soybean paste stew, not a Michelin star chef.

So as long as she could cook to some extent, it didn’t really matter.

Anyway, since the situation had come to this, it was all his fault, so Franz decided to take responsibility and give his evaluation.

Clink-.

Franz brought a plate forward.

On the plate was a salad made with various colored vegetables.

But now, it was accompanied by thinly sliced meat.

At first glance, it was a pass.

The colors were diverse and pretty, and the sauce was impressively decorated with flowers.

Before eating, Franz glanced at the expressions of the four.

Among the four standing in line as if being judged, there was only one with a nervous expression.

‘Hera made this.’

He could tell just by looking at the dish.

He had a feeling it was made by Hera, and as expected, he was right.

But evaluations must always be fair.

Who made it wasn’t that important.

It was just a small amusement.

Chomp-.

Franz took a big bite of the thin meat and vegetables.

The flavor of the well-seasoned meat, the freshness of the vegetables, and the tanginess of the fruit-based sauce.

Various tastes harmonized in his mouth.

‘It’s delicious…?’

It was an excellent taste, separate from being hungry.

Especially the sauce had an oddly addictive taste that made him keep reaching for more.

If it were sold at a restaurant, he would gladly pay to eat it.

After cleaning the plate, Franz brought the next dish forward.

This time, it was a stew. A dish made by simmering various vegetables and meat together.

‘Who made this….’

Franz thought as he glanced at the women, and saw Arian swallowing with a determined expression.

It seemed this dish was made by the secretary.

Her sandwiches had been quite delicious, so he had some expectations.

Without hesitation, Franz took a big spoonful of the stew and brought it to his mouth.

The carrots, potatoes, and meat were all cooked to a very tender texture.

The seasoning was just right, making it a superb stew with hardly any flaws.

As Franz finished his plate of stew, Arian let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed she had been quite nervous.

Despite confidently challenging him to a cooking duel, she wasn’t as self-assured as she appeared.

The next dish Franz chose was cube steak, with meat and vegetables grilled together in perfect portions.

Eustia, while pretending to be nonchalant, kept glancing over at him, so it was likely her dish.

Franz immediately brought the forkful of vegetables and meat to his mouth.

‘This is delicious too…’

He was well aware of Eustia’s cooking skills.

After all, she had been responsible for meals during the hero party.

Though this was the first time he had tasted her properly made food.

Back then, she had to focus on making the most out of limited ingredients.

In any case, Franz cleaned his plate once again.

Having eaten two plates already, he was starting to feel full.

But he couldn’t leave any food behind.

Leaving food after finishing the first two plates would be unfair.

He had to eat everything, considering the effort put into making it.

Now, only one dish remained, the one made by Yuna.

Franz pushed the empty plate aside and brought the dish in front of him.

It was a small meat pancake.

Finely chopped meat and vegetables thinly fried into a pancake.

However, the portion was noticeably smaller compared to the other dishes.

Perhaps she anticipated this and made a smaller portion.

Franz didn’t know for sure, but it was fortunate for him, as he was already full.

He cut the meat pancake into a suitable size with his knife and put it in his mouth.

He was familiar with Yuna’s cooking skills, and the taste did not deviate much from his expectations.

In a word, it was delicious.

Finally, Franz finished Yuna’s dish, concluding his meal.

A cooking duel between the hero party and the secretary.

Honestly, just hearing the name might make one expect subpar dishes, but the result was a surprisingly satisfying meal.

Franz wiped his mouth and thought.

‘Now I have to make a judgment…’

What they probably want is a clear distinction of superiority.

And for that, there’s no choice but to rank them.

But it’s easier said than done, and when it came down to it, it wasn’t an easy task.

Because this damn tongue of his wasn’t that discerning in the first place.

Hmm-.

The more he pondered, the deeper the furrow in his brow grew.

How much time had passed like that?

Finally, Franz opened his mouth.

“You must have worked hard cooking, thanks to you, I ate well.”

At Franz’s words, they swallowed their saliva as if on cue.

“First, the salad I ate the most, Hera made it, right?”

“Uh, yes. That’s right…”

“It was nice to start the meal refreshingly. Especially the sauce was really delicious. I hope I can eat it again.”

“If you wish, I will make it for you anytime. You are my master… after all.”

The title of master felt subtly uncomfortable, but Franz decided to let it slide.

If he said anything negative, it seemed like they would start bickering again.

“The stew I ate next was made by Arian, right?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“It was delicious. If it were sold in a restaurant, I think I would have bought it.”

“Really? Thank you…!”

Arian bowed her head.

Usually, the one who ate the food would bow, but it was a strange thing.

“Next was the dish made by Eustia. I ate it really well too. Even though I don’t like vegetables that much, I ended up eating it all.”

“Well, I’m glad it suited your taste.”

Eustia said that and turned her gaze elsewhere.

Because Franz’s praise made her feel embarrassed for no reason.

Franz, knowing her feelings well, shifted his gaze to Yuna without saying anything more.

“The last thing I ate was made by you, Yuna, right?”

“That’s right. I made it.”

“The portion was a bit small, did you do that on purpose?”

“Yeah, I thought you would eat everything we made. If I made more, I thought we might get too full.”

“I see. Thanks to you, I survived. And the food was delicious. I hope I can eat it again next time.”

After praising each of them one by one, Franz was left with only the final decision.

Of course, they knew it too, and their expressions began to show tension.

Except for one person, Yuna.

Yuna was already satisfied with the fact that Franz had praised her.

A moment of silence flowed in the tension.

“…Sorry, I really can’t choose. Let’s just say everything was delicious.”

Franz declared his surrender.

If they were strangers, they would have somehow ranked them.

Because they wouldn’t meet again.

But that wasn’t the case with them.

They had a connection and would continue to build it.

Franz, who had experienced the hardships of a 21st-century office worker, knew all too well that there was nothing more difficult than having one’s efforts denied.

He was prepared to accept any criticism from someone who wasn’t satisfied with this result.

But no one said anything to Franz.

The three members of the hero party had been dragged by Arian in the first place, but it was a bit surprising that even Arian didn’t say anything.

Arian muttered in a small voice.

“Well, it can’t be helped…”

In fact, Arian was secretly anxious.

The dishes made by the other three were too excellent.

She might have come in last place.

Thus, the cooking competition led by Arian ended safely with Franz’s decision.

The only difference from before was that the three members of the hero party became a bit more favorable towards Arian.

“Arian? Lady Arian? What should I call you…? Anyway, you’re a good cook!”

“Honestly, it was beyond my expectations.”

“I thought you would have grown up delicately because you’re a noble, but it doesn’t seem to be entirely the case.”

Yuna, Hera, Justia.

Arian felt confused by the words of the three.

Until now, she had only thought of them as rivals, but now that they were approaching her amicably, the situation had become complicated.

“Ah, Arian is fine.”

“Arian, aren’t you hungry?”

“Maybe…?”

“Then let’s eat! How about all together?”

“Yes, well…”

In the end, Arian was swayed by Yuna’s positive mindset.

Seeing them like that, Franz could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

When the cooking competition started, he was full of worries, but now it seemed to be somewhat okay.

Without realizing what kind of repercussions today’s events would bring, he was trying to let it pass vaguely.

* * * * *

That night.

Justia, who had parted ways with everyone and entered the room she was guided to, was ready to pray as usual.

As a saint, it was a customary thing to do, so she had no particular complaints.

It was the moment she clasped her hands in front of the candle.

‘Child, it’s been a long time.’

The voice of the goddess was heard.