Life After Being Claimed by the Disabled Dragon Lady - Chapter 25

Strawberries have a relatively soft texture, making them difficult to carve into shape, so Long Ling could only assemble a strawberry dragon on the plate and carve a white dragon out of radish.

Long Ling’s fair and slender fingers held a thin-bladed knife, the handle spun twice on her fingertips, and thin, silk-like radish shavings slipped from her fingers, landing on the table like pure white blooming flowers.

Her wrist was light and flexible, operating the blade, and soon a lifelike white dragon emerged from the radish. Its powerful claws clung to the radish pillar, and its eyes sparkled.

The white dragon’s head was topped with a sweet, plump strawberry, and next to it coiled a red strawberry dragon.

Long Ling also arranged nine strawberries carved into roses around the white dragon, placing them on crushed ice that emitted a chill. The strawberry tips dotted the centers of the flowers, making it convenient for Violette to eat.

Long Ling carried the platter to Violette, and said softly, “My Lady Duchess, is this the little strawberry dragon you wanted? The red dragon is you, and the white dragon is me.”

Long Ling was wearing a luxurious blue puff-sleeve dress, her icy blue eyes like glass, melting into scattered starlight. Her fair cheeks were illuminated by the sunlight, revealing fine downy hair. Her slender hands held a white porcelain floral plate larger than her small face.

When mentioning that the red dragon was Violette, she couldn’t help but quietly raise the plate slightly, blocking her slightly shy eyes.

Violette rested her chin on her hands and glanced at Long Ling. The little strawberry dragon she wanted was clearly this adorable little dragon in front of her, not the motionless white radish dragon.

This little white dragon looked almost identical to Long Ling’s dragon form, vivid and lifelike, but because it was carved from radish, the scales on the dragon’s body were not as radiant as Long Ling’s scales.

The little white dragon’s head was topped with a plump and sweet strawberry, like an offering.

A faint scent of strawberry wafted over. Violette smelled the strawberry scent and mentally gave the strawberry radish dragon a score of nine out of ten.

The one point was withheld to prevent Long Ling from getting arrogant, leaving some room for improvement.

Violette used a golden fork to pick up a small strawberry and put it into her mouth, chewing slowly. The sweet strawberry juice melted on her tongue: “Not bad.”

Long Ling breathed a sigh of relief. The carving skills she had learned for so long were finally not in vain.

“Then let it keep you company. Please wait for me just outside the kitchen for a while. I’ll have the meal ready soon.”

Violette frowned slightly: “I can’t be in the kitchen?”

Long Ling gently explained: “There will be a bit of oily smoke. Didn’t you just say you don’t like that smell? I’ll handle it cleanly and bring it to you when it’s done.”

Violette’s brow relaxed, and she nodded slightly. She also wanted to see what kind of unique cuisine Long Ling could create. Anyway, she could see Long Ling through the crystal window.

Long Ling quickly pushed the wicked dragon lady’s wheelchair to the small garden outside the kitchen. Elina, who was behind her, immediately bent over and stepped forward, opening the folding antique carved coffee table, spreading an light green checkered tablecloth, placing the little white dragon made by Miss Long Ling on it, and brewing flower tea for Violette.

With someone to attend to Violette, Long Ling turned and returned to the kitchen.

The fat lamb she had selected in the morning had already been slaughtered by the servants, cleaned thoroughly, and delivered.

When Long Ling was butchering the lamb, she found that the lamb offal had been discarded. Probably because the wicked dragon lady was a noble and never had to eat the food commoners ate, the servants didn’t have the habit of keeping it.

It made sense. Which chef would dare to make lamb offal soup for the wicked dragon lady? They probably didn’t want to see tomorrow’s sun.

Although Long Ling was now the wicked dragon lady’s fiancée, she didn’t dare to easily challenge the wicked dragon lady’s authority.

The wicked dragon lady could even use magic. If she turned into a little milk dragon again, she would be bullied by the wicked dragon lady again. She still hoped to maintain a huge dragon form, at least looking bigger than the wicked dragon lady.

Although she lost in terms of aura to the wicked dragon lady, she didn’t want to lose too much in terms of size.

The kitchen table, cutting board, and knives were all gathered by Long Ling with the help of Marcia the butler. The manor originally had a kitchen, and spare cooking utensils were available, so they could be used immediately.

Nora offered to help, so Long Ling asked her to gather some necessary ingredients for cooking and help wash some side dishes, then asked her to leave.

Long Ling liked the feeling of working alone. For her, cooking was a very enjoyable thing, which was why she only ever wanted to be a chef.

Long Ling disassembled the lamb into various parts, planning to give the wicked dragon lady a taste of Eastern culinary shock.

For the cold dish, she would first make sliced white-cut lamb. Long Ling chose the hind leg meat of the lamb, blanched it to remove the blood, then added her secret spice blend. This spice formula was only available in the palace. She had modified it, turning it into her exclusive secret recipe, which would make the cooked meat even more fragrant.

Mentioning the spices, Long Ling couldn’t help but miss her original pot of aged brine. It had been used for more than ten years, and the edges of the pot holding the aged brine were smooth and shiny from being permeated by the sauce. Let alone meat, even putting a shoe sole in it would make it smell delicious.

Every chef had their own aged brine. Without it, she could only find time to make a new pot.

Ordinary commoners usually only sprinkle salt when stewing meat, but the imperial cuisine was more particular, using spices that were tributes, rarely seen by commoners, and that they wouldn’t bear to use. As an imperial chef, she was already used to them.

Fortunately, her fiancée, the wicked dragon lady, was super wealthy. Her manor was even larger than the imperial estate in her world. She could get all these spices in the manor, so she didn’t feel constrained when cooking.

While the lamb leg was stewing, Long Ling went to remove the lamb ribs. Her knife skills were excellent; she could separate the meat from the bone in just two or three cuts.

Grilled lamb chops need a little fat left on them. This way, when grilling, the fat edges sizzle, and the golden fat naturally seeps into the lamb, preventing the meat from being too dry.

Long Ling left a little fat on the lamb chops, then cut some side vegetables, crushed them in a mortar and pestle, applied them evenly to the lamb chops, brushed on a layer of her own fried sauce, and then placed them in the oven to roast.

She used a knife to cut some tender lamb with fine fat, plucked a handful of fresh, young green onions from spring, and made a steamed lamb dish. At the same time, she also made a stir-fried lamb dish. The lamb was marinated, coated with an appropriate amount of starch, and stir-fried with colorful bell peppers cut into rolling pieces and yellow carrots. The carrots this season grew quickly and looked bright. Slicing them for stir-frying created a visually appealing and appetizing color combination, making up almost a table full of dishes.

She had carefully observed the wicked dragon lady’s eating habits. The wicked dragon lady had no particular preference for food; she could eat both sour and spicy, so Long Ling took all that into consideration. Each dish had to have its own unique flavor so that she could better understand the wicked dragon lady’s preferences.

The lamb soup was almost done by now. When she opened the lid, a large cloud of white steam emerged. Long Ling poked a piece of meat with a fork, and a small hole was just made. The lamb was stewed until it was soft and tender, and the lamb skin was crystal clear and thin.

She scooped out the lamb and let it cool. Once it was completely cool, she sliced the lamb into thin pieces. At this point, the lamb and skin were tightly connected, making it chewy and resilient to eat.

The stock left from the stewing was not wasted. She added some chopped white radish, condensing it into a small bowl. This method was both nourishing and appetizing.

Violette watched Long Ling through the transparent crystal kitchen, busy cooking with a spatula.

It was clearly a tough job, but the little milk dragon was radiant and looked very happy.

She did not choose to pursue a respected profession like most dragons, such as a mage, elementalist, warrior, pastor, or rely on her family’s ancestral property to live a life of extravagance, playing cards, drinking, and socializing with other dragons in the manor.

But Long Ling was different from both types of dragons. She seemed to genuinely love cooking. This level of passion was something she had never seen in any other dragon.

Liking to cook wasn’t a bad thing. At least she wouldn’t flirt around like other Alphas, attracting the affection of many dragons. Staying in the manor every day, occasionally going to her tavern, she was an easy-going little dragon who wouldn’t cause any trouble.

Violette elegantly sipped her flower tea. Jasmine petals floated up and down in the cup. She rarely basked in the sun outdoors like this. Most of the time, she was either in the training room or the study. Watching a little dragon cook like this was a relatively new experience.

Her gaze fell on the little white radish dragon. She gently poked the little white dragon’s belly with her fingertip. It was hard. Poking a real, touchable little dragon was more interesting.

In just a short while, Long Ling presented a table full of dishes. A hint of surprise flashed in Violette’s eyes. She had only seen Long Ling waving the spatula in the kitchen, yet the dishes were all done so quickly.

Long Ling’s eyes were bright. She handed the silver fork to Violette: “Try it. I made all of these myself. They are super delicious.”

Violette first tasted a bite of the stir-fried tender lamb made by Long Ling. The lamb was very tender. This cooking method maximized the flavor of the meat, seasoned with ginger, and had no gamey smell at all.

Under Long Ling’s expectant gaze, the wicked dragon lady finished one piece of lamb and then forked a second piece.

Willing to keep eating meant she must really like it.

Long Ling felt her cooking skills were recognized and couldn’t help but happily puff out her chest. She then scooped a serving of the cooked lamb soup for the wicked dragon lady.

But the stir-fried lamb seemed to be so delicious that she watched the wicked dragon lady eat half the plate before remembering to drink a sip of the lamb soup.

If the wicked dragon lady filled up on the stir-fried lamb, the other food she made would not be as tasty after cooling down.

Long Ling proactively picked up a thin slice of white-cut lamb for the wicked dragon lady, dipped it in the appetizing sauce, and placed it on the wicked dragon lady’s plate.

The pair of chopsticks was carved by Long Ling out of wood in the kitchen earlier and polished. She still preferred to use chopsticks, which were handier than a fork, so she made a pair of wooden chopsticks.

Violette saw Long Ling using two small wooden sticks to pick up food for her and couldn’t help but ask, “What is this?”

Long Ling obediently replied, “Chopsticks. They are used to pick up food. We use these to eat where I come from. They are quite convenient.”

Violette recalled that the Arnold family had migrated from the East a long time ago, and their living habits were slightly different from the local dragons. She would find time to read up more on Long Ling’s family culture.

Violette stared at her, her voice slightly deep: “You only made one pair?”

Long Ling felt a little guilty. She had forgotten to make a new pair for the wicked dragon lady too.

She quietly explained, “This one is too rough. I plan to make a more beautiful pair for you. How about I carve a majestic and imposing great dragon on the chopsticks for you then?”

Violette narrowed her eyes: “I want this one now.”

Long Ling instantly felt like she was sitting on pins and needles and humbly said, “Alright then. If you don’t mind, you can use the pair I am using now.”

Violette snorted coldly and took Long Ling’s chopsticks into her own hand.

You can’t expect a wicked dragon lady to be soft when she takes something from someone, right?

But even if the wicked dragon lady took her chopsticks, she probably wouldn’t know how to use them.

Long Ling lowered her head, revealing a sly and mischievous smile.

The next second, her smirk was discovered by Violette.

This little dragon definitely wasn’t thinking anything good in her head. Was she mocking her for never having seen chopsticks before?

Violette gave her a faint look: “You use my chopsticks to feed me.”

Long Ling froze for a second: “…”

Those chopsticks were clearly hers just a moment ago.

She picked up the cold-cut lamb from the plate, and carefully brought it to the wicked dragon lady’s mouth.

Violette looked at the little milk dragon’s aggrieved look, and her mood instantly became cheerful.

After dipping the cold-cut lamb in the sour and spicy sauce, the meat tasted rich and mellow in her mouth, yet cool and soft, making it very appetizing. Coupled with the presence of a pitiful little milk dragon next to her, who could say this dish wasn’t delicious?

Violette let Long Ling feed her about ten slices, then told Long Ling to stop: “You don’t need to feed me anymore. I’ll try something else. You should sit down and eat too.”

Only then did Long Ling sit down and enjoy the meal with Violette.

They ate together for a while, and the food on the table was quickly half gone.

Long Ling was incredibly proud. For a chef, the greatest compliment is for the diner to keep eating the food she makes.

Just as they were about to finish lunch, the Crown Prince, Loraine, arrived fashionably late.

Loraine was wearing black high heels and an elegant, vintage, noble long dress. Today, she was still dressed with charm and had an innate nobility.

The Omega’s cedar scent was very strong, mixed with a faint scent of tobacco. Her eyes were the same dark gold as Violette’s, but she always looked lazy and leisurely.

If Violette hadn’t introduced her yesterday as her older cousin, Long Ling would have difficulty imagining that the woman opposite her was the continent’s Crown Prince.

“I’m late. I was going to come earlier this morning, but the Alpha I met last night was a bit too clingy. I only just arrived now. Have you two already started lunch?”

Loraine naturally sat next to Violette. She smelled a scent that was highly appetizing, and motioned for the servant following her to fetch a set of dishes and chopsticks: “Violette, you don’t mind me joining you for a meal, do you?”

Violette’s expression was unchanged. She didn’t even look at her: “We’re already done eating.”

Loraine looked at the dishes on the table that hadn’t been fully eaten and raised an eyebrow in surprise: “No way. Aren’t there still some left?”

Long Ling reminded her promptly: “These are leftovers. I was planning to clean them up.”

Loraine looked up and saw the charming Alpha dragon hidden in the manor by Violette. Yesterday, Violette denied any progress with the little Alpha dragon, but now it seemed they were incredibly in love.

Violette’s body was covered in strawberry pheromones. Obviously, the two dragons had a very intense night. However, the little silver dragon was so gentle that she didn’t leave any marks on Violette.

She couldn’t help but smile at Long Ling, her voice very charming: “I’m Loraine, little silver dragon. What’s your name?”

Long Ling said softly: “My name is Long Ling.”

Loraine gave her a flirtatious look: “Long Ling, you can call me ‘sister’ just like Violette does.”

Long Ling was stunned for a moment, and couldn’t help but quietly glance at Violette.

She and the wicked dragon lady weren’t even married yet. Wouldn’t it be a bit inappropriate to call Crown Prince Loraine ‘sister’?

Violette’s expression instantly became displeased. The little Alpha dragon had never called her that, so how could she call another woman that?

Violette’s eyes were dark, and she commanded: “Don’t.”

Long Ling put her fingertips together and said very obediently: “Okay.”

Loraine crossed her legs, resting her chin on her hand, and teased: “Tsk, Violette, you’re so overbearing. What’s the harm in calling me ‘sister’? Do you two dragons call each other ‘sister’ every time you’re intimate at home? Not allowing this and not allowing that is too distant.”

Long Ling’s cheeks involuntarily flushed. So, calling someone ‘sister’ was more intimate in this world? She just didn’t know how to close the emotional distance with the wicked dragon lady.

Violette couldn’t be bothered with Loraine and said coldly: “This is my manor. I can throw you out anytime.”

Loraine leaned back in her chair and chuckled: “Are you embarrassed? Fine, I won’t say anymore. I need to eat something. I’m really hungry. When did you change chefs in your manor? This food smells so good. I’ll just make do with a little.”

A servant brought Loraine’s own cutlery. Loraine naturally forked a piece of vegetable and was surprised: “Did you measure the way this vegetable is cut? The length and thickness of every piece of carrot are the same.”

She tasted two bites, immediately fell silent, and her beautiful eyes suddenly lit up. She elegantly and quickly finished all the food on the plate.

After Loraine emptied one plate, she quickly cleared the next one.

Long Ling still held her chopsticks, her eyes wide with shock, watching Loraine devour all the food on the plate like a whirlwind.

After Loraine finished eating, she still felt a little unsatisfied and asked Long Ling: “Is there any more?”

Long Ling shook her head blankly: “No more.”

Loraine rubbed her still somewhat empty stomach, her gaze sweeping around, and finally settled on the little white radish dragon placed in the very center of the dining table.

“This little dragon is quite pretty. Is it made of radish? Can I eat it?”

This touched Violette’s bottom line. She even wanted to eat her little dragon right in front of her.