Winning a Man's Heart Through His Stomach
Lord Quentin's Manor.
Under the courtyard tree stood a stone table and several stone chairs.
Beside the table sat a delicate little stove, with a pot of rice wine simmering on top.
Mia Qian knelt gracefully by a cushion, her head lowered as she added green plums to the rice wine.
Quentin Qian sat across from Alexander Hayes, smiling warmly. "Your Majesty, this rice wine is a specialty of our region—its flavor is rich and mellow. When slow-cooked and infused with green plums, the fragrance of the wine blends with the freshness of the fruit, making for a truly exquisite taste. My granddaughter Mia is especially skilled at preparing plum-infused wine. I hope Your Majesty will give it a try."
As Quentin spoke, Mia Qian gracefully poured wine for Alexander Hayes. Her movements were elegant, and as she bowed her head, the snowy white nape of her neck was revealed, graceful as a swan.
Quentin Qian took pride in Mia's posture, thinking to himself that she had been carefully raised since childhood and that no man could possibly resist such grace.
Yet Alexander Hayes seemed not to notice Mia Qian at all, focusing solely on his drink. He praised, "Excellent wine."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty." Mia Qian bowed gracefully, her cheeks tinged with pink. "Your Majesty, Grandfather, the wine is ready. I shall go prepare some dishes to accompany it."
"Go ahead, Mia." Quentin Qian replied cheerfully.
Mia Qian rose and walked gracefully toward the kitchen, her figure elegant and poised.
Quentin Qian turned to Alexander Hayes and praised, "Your Majesty, my granddaughter isn't just skilled at making plum wine—her cooking is outstanding as well. Knowing that you're from the capital and might not be used to our local flavors, she even hired a renowned chef from the capital at great expense, studying with him for days to master the capital's cuisine. Please, Your Majesty, you must try her dishes!"
Alexander Hayes responded with a quiet hum, clearly not much interested in food or drink, and instead turned his attention to discussing state affairs with Quentin Qian.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mia Qian worked carefully and attentively on the dishes, with the renowned chef from the capital standing beside her, offering guidance.
Once she finished several dishes, Mia Qian asked the chef, "Master, how do you think my cooking turned out?"
The chef nodded in approval. "Miss Mia, you are truly gifted. Your skills will surely win a man's heart."
Receiving the chef's praise, Mia Qian felt a weight lifted from her heart. Proudly, she said, "To win a man's heart, you must first win his stomach. Today, I'll let His Majesty taste my cooking—I'm sure he'll remember me!"
With that, Mia Qian summoned several maids to help carry the dishes out with her.
"The dishes are ready." Mia Qian knelt beside the cushion, smiling as she took each dish from the maids and arranged them on the table, all the while closely watching Alexander Hayes's expression.
Alexander Hayes had just been deep in conversation with Quentin Qian about state affairs, but the moment he saw the dishes, his expression shifted slightly. He stopped discussing politics and finally gave Mia Qian's cooking his full attention.
After days of hard work, Mia Qian finally earned His Majesty's attention. She was thrilled, thinking to herself that all her effort to learn the dishes from his hometown had truly paid off!
With the dishes arranged, Mia Qian blushed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, please try my cooking. I learned these dishes with great care from Master Chef, and I hope you will enjoy them..."