Stepping into the fairy-tale castle, Ivy Shen glanced around. She hadn't expected the palace inside this seemingly small Endless Indulgence Kingdom to be so heavily guarded—there was a guard every few steps, and just in the plaza alone, there were at least a thousand of them.
"Everyone, line up! There are one hundred and fifty stoves here, one hundred and fifty stations. Each stove has two ducks—one for the imperial chefs to taste, and one for the Crown Prince. If your roast duck can't pass the head chef's test, you're out. Now, pick a stove and get started!" a sharp-voiced man in a hat announced from above.
Seeing this, Ivy couldn't help but sigh. No matter the dynasty, every man in the palace was either a guard or a eunuch. And no matter the emperor, king, or ruler, they all seemed terrified that their concubines might hook up with other men!
Ah, poor eunuchs!
After the eunuch's shout, everyone started prepping at their chosen stoves. The stoves were already stocked with everything they'd need—just waiting to see their skills. Most of the chefs who'd made it into the palace had brought along some secret family recipes.
Of course, Ivy was no exception. After lunch, she'd dragged Eli Crane and Aiden Chen out shopping for spices, then went back to the inn to grind and mix them herself. Doing this would save her a ton of time during the contest.
Taking a deep breath, Ivy told herself she had to win. No matter what the Crown Prince's tastes were, she desperately wanted first place—only then would she get close to the queen!
With that thought, she grabbed her knife and started working fast.
****
On the castle rooftop