(BL) Reborn as Lycan's Emperor's abandoned Beta concubine?!

Chapter 20: 20. Empress dowager is smart!

AT THE SAME EVENING

XAVIER

If someone had told me a month ago that I’d be cooking for the Lycan Emperor, the Empress Dowager, half the imperial court, and an army of nobles, I would have asked what they were smoking. The imperial banquet was quieter than usual, not because the food was bad. Quite the opposite as everyone was too busy eating.

The only sounds were chopsticks... and occasional satisfied sighs. I stood awkwardly beside the open kitchen. Should I leave? Should I stand? Should chefs breathe during imperial dinners? Nobody had given me a handbook. Then the enormous palace doors opened.

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"A steward announced.

Every noble immediately stood, even Emperor Lang Li rose from his seat. An elegant older woman entered wearing deep crimson robes embroidered with silver wolves. Despite her age, she carried herself with effortless grace, her sharp eyes swept across the hall before landing on her son.

"So." She smiled. "I hear you have stolen my chef."

"He cooks well."Lang Li remained perfectly calm.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "That must be the shortest compliment you have ever given someone."

Several ministers quickly lowered their heads to hide their smiles. Lang Li ignored them as the Empress Dowager took her seat.

"Serve dinner." She ordered.

The servants immediately presented the first dishes.

Lotus root soup, braised pork, jade vegetable stir-fry, golden fried fish, fresh milk buns. She tasted the soup first. One sip it was all it took. She froze. Then took another, then another before she slowly lowered the spoon.

"Who made this?"She asked.

Every servant immediately looked toward me.

"Chef Wei, Your Majesty."The steward bowed.

"So you’re the famous young chef."Her eyes found me instantly.

"This humble one greets the Empress Dowager."I quickly bowed.

"Nonsense." She waved her hand. "Come closer."

"Me?"I asked, nervously.

"Unless another handsome white-haired chef is hiding behind you."She said.

The hall chuckled as I cautiously walked over. She looked me up and down, then smiled warmly.

"Oh my. No wonder everyone keeps talking about you."She said.

"I... thank you?"My ears immediately heated.

She tasted another dish, then another, then another.

"This braised pork practically melts."Every single bite made her smile wider.

"Oh..."I nodded.

"The vegetables still have texture."She added. "And these buns..." She picked one up. "Are dangerous."

"Very dangerous."The ministers nodded vigorously.

"I ate four." One said.

"I had six." Another one nodded.

"I stopped counting." Someone else added.

"My son."The Empress Dowager laughed.

"Yes, Mother."Lang Li said.

"You’ve finally done something intelligent."She said.

"Mother?"Lang Li blinked once.

"Hiring this chef."She said.

The Emperor remained silent.

"I approve."She said.

Shen quietly coughed into his sleeve. The Empress Dowager looked back at me.

"Tell me, Chef Wei."She said.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"I asked.

"How old are you?"She asked.

I answered honestly as she nodded thoughtfully.

"And..." She tilted her head. "Why doesn’t such a wonderful young man have a husband yet?"

The entire dining hall froze. I nearly inhaled my own saliva.

"H-Husband?!"I gasped.

Several noble omegas immediately looked interested.

"I have been wondering that too." One said. "He seems very kind..."

"And handsome, I heard he can cook desserts..."Another one added.

"I would marry him."Third one said.

"I called dibs yesterday."A fourth one grinned.

My soul began ascending. Please, please stop. Lang Li slowly lowered his chopsticks as his golden eyes swept across the hall. The whispers instantly became quieter.

The Empress Dowager noticed, she looked at the nobles, then at me, then at her son. Lang Li wasn’t eating anymore, he wasn’t looking at the food, he was looking at me. She watched as another young omega smiled in my direction, Lang Li’s fingers tightened around his teacup. Crack. A tiny fracture appeared. The Empress Dowager’s eyes slowly widened. Then she remembered: months ago, a quiet Beta concubine, forgotten, ignored, eventually dismissed from the palace. She looked at me again. White hair, gentle smile, and extraordinary cooking. Then back to Lang Li who hadn’t taken his eyes off me.

"Oh." She whispered so quietly only she heard it. "Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me." She covered her smile with her sleeve. "My dear son..." She almost laughed aloud. "You don’t want the chef, you want the former Beta."

Realization hit her like lightning. Her son, the emotionally constipated Emperor who had ignored Wei for years, had fallen in love only after kicking him out. She nearly burst into laughter.

"Karma works quickly."She said with a grin.

"Mother?"Lang Li frowned.

"Nothing."She smiled innocently.

Absolutely nothing. Across the room, I stood completely confused. Why was everyone looking at the Emperor, and why was the Empress Dowager smiling as if she had just solved the greatest mystery in the Empire? Hours later, I returned back. I had survived, barely. The banquet had ended, the dishes were cleaned, and somehow I had escaped with my dignity... mostly intact. I was just about to return to my room when the Empress Dowager called my name.

"Chef Wei."She said.

"Your Majesty?"I turned around.

She smiled so kindly that every survival instinct in my body activated.

"There are a few people I would like you to meet."She said.

"..."I nodded.

Never trust a sentence that begins like that. Before I could politely decline, three elegant young noble ladies stepped forward.

"Greetings, Chef Wei."Each one bowed gracefully.

"It is an honor."Another one said.

"I’ve wanted to meet you ever since the festival."A second one said.

"Th-thank you."I smiled awkwardly.

"This is Lady Mei."The Empress Dowager beamed.

"This is Lady Lin."The first lady curtsied.

"And Lady Su."The second smiled sweetly.

The third offered me a small embroidered handkerchief.

"A little gift."She said.

"Oh..." I accepted it with both hands. "Thank you."

The Empress Dowager watched the exchange with sparkling eyes.

"So..." She asked far too casually. "What do you think?"

"Think?"I asked.

"Of the ladies."She said.

"They’re..."My brain stopped. I looked at the three smiling noblewomen. "Very polite?"

The ladies giggled.

"He blushes easily." Mei said.

"That’s adorable."Lin added.

"He’s even more handsome up close."Su nodded.

"I like men who can cook."Mei added.

"I-I really spend most of my time in the kitchen..."My face became hotter by the second. "That’s perfectly fine."

"I enjoy eating."Lady Mei smiled.

The other two nodded immediately.

"I volunteer to taste every new recipe."Su added.

"So do I."As Lin nodded in aproval.

"Oh, this is going wonderfully."The Empress Dowager looked delighted.

Across the courtyard Lang Li had just rounded the corner with Shen. He stopped walking as his eyes landed on the scene. Wei, standing surrounded by smiling young noble ladies. One was laughing, another was offering gifts. A third had stepped just a little too close.

"..." The temperature around the Emperor seemed to drop.

"Your Majesty..."Shen wisely took one step backward.

"Hm."Emperor stared.

"The Empress Dowager appears to be..."Shen said.

"I can see what she’s doing." Lang Li answered flatly.

His mother looked up, noticed her son watching, and smiled. It was the smile of someone causing trouble on purpose. She even gave him a tiny wave.

Lang Li’s eye twitched.

"I believe." Shen said carefully, "Her Majesty is testing your patience."

"My patience has been tested enough." Without another word, the Emperor turned and walked away.

"Oh... So he finally understands."The Empress Dowager hid another smile behind her sleeve.

Later that night I had finally escaped. My social battery was completely dead.

"I cooked."I sighed. "I smiled. Tomorrow I’m hiding in the pantry."

The courtyard was quiet. Moonlight reflected off the small pond beside my new residence. I stepped onto the wooden veranda.

"Much better." I closed my eyes.

Then two warm arms suddenly wrapped around my waist from behind. I froze.

"...?!"I gasped.

A solid chest rested lightly against my back. My entire body locked up, brain offline. Error. Critical error.

"Wh-" Before I could finish, I caught a familiar scent. Cedar, snow and a faint hint of tea.

No, no way. I turned my head. Emperor Lang Li stood behind me, his expression as calm as ever, as though unexpectedly hugging his palace chef was the most natural thing in the world.

"Your..." I squeaked. "Majesty?"

"Hm."He said.

"Your Majesty..." I whispered. "Why are you hugging me?"

He was silent for several seconds.

"You smelled like someone else."He said.

I blinked.

"What?"I asked.

"The perfume." He spoke as if explaining the weather. "Those ladies and my mother. I disliked it."

My brain completely shut down. What kind of explanation is that?! I could practically hear gears grinding inside my own head.

Wait... The novel... Hold on... I read that novel multiple times... I don’t remember Emperor Lang Li hugging anyone. Not the heroine, not his favored concubines, not even after they became lovers, the man barely held hands! Then why... Why was he hugging ME?

I stood there completely frozen while my heterosexual survival instincts screamed loud enough to wake the entire palace. Lang Li, meanwhile, simply rested his chin lightly near my shoulder, looking perfectly content.

Somewhere in the distance, Shen silently covered his face.

"His Majesty..." He muttered to himself. "There is no going back now."

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