Sniffing a Noseful of Chili Powder
Princess Mira’s face lit up with wild delight. She burst out laughing, "Hahaha, perfect! Su Li, you wretched woman, you think your cooking’s so amazing—opening Eight Treasures Bistro just to steal my business? Dream on! Now I’ve uncovered your secret. Once I gather my top chefs and we crack these seasonings, we’ll whip up dishes just as delicious. Then I’ll slash prices and run your Eight Treasures Bistro into the ground!"
Princess Mira’s grin twisted into something both smug and a little wicked. She clutched the cloth bag of seasonings, already picturing in her mind the scene: her own restaurant squeezing Eight Treasures Bistro out of business, Su Li kneeling at her feet, begging for mercy.
The picture in Princess Mira’s mind made her blood boil with excitement—she couldn’t wait to crush Su Li, preferably by tomorrow.
On the rooftop, Bella Bell and the Hayes Family Shadow Guard all rolled their eyes in unison: This clueless princess really thinks cooking is that easy? She actually believes that with just some seasonings, she can recreate those dishes? She has no idea how intricate our master’s recipes are—miss a single step or get the heat wrong, and the flavor’s ruined!
This silly princess, who clearly has never set foot in a kitchen and knows nothing about cooking, actually thinks she can beat our master, whose culinary skills are unmatched. Dream on!
Everyone on the rooftop silently judged Princess Mira’s intelligence. Meanwhile, she eagerly unwrapped the cloth bag, exclaiming, "I have to see for myself what magical spices can create such mind-blowing flavors!"
She stuck her nose right into the bag, took a deep breath—and instantly regretted every life choice she’d ever made.
The next second, Princess Mira’s face twisted in agony, her nose burning and her eyes streaming. She threw the bag aside as if it were a venomous snake.
Bella Bell watched this scene and immediately gave Princess Mira a look reserved for the truly clueless.
Princess Mira inhaled deeply—then, wham! A wild cocktail of pungent, spicy, sour, and numbing powders blitzed her nose. Her eyes instantly streamed, she flung the bag away, and launched into a sneezing fit that could wake the dead.
"Achoo! Achoo! What is this stuff—Achoo! It’s so spicy!" Princess Mira sneezed uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming, her cheeks redder than a monkey’s behind.
Bella Bell and the Hayes Family Shadow Guard covered their mouths, nearly laughing themselves off the roof.
This foolish princess actually stuck her nose into a bag full of chili powder, pepper powder, star anise powder, and other spicy seasonings. The sensation was so fierce it could bring tears to a stone! Princess Mira’s nose and eyes would probably be swollen for three days straight!
For a while, the whole Chu envoy station echoed with Princess Mira’s thunderous sneezes and curses: "What the heck is this? Achoo! You can actually cook with this stuff? Achoo! You idiot, have you been tricked? Achoo!"
The spy was so scared he nearly faceplanted, "Princess Mira, I swear I wouldn’t dare lie to you! They really do use these things to cook—their food is amazing because of it!"
Princess Mira was left clutching her nose and wailing, "Achoo! It hurts! Achoo! I’m dying!"