Ashui rolled up her sleeves, put on an apron, and stood beside the head chef watching him cook.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Qiann Yan, and her expression became serious.

"You said earlier that you could learn just by watching once," Qiann Yan reminded her. "Try it now."

Ashui was confident in her abilities, yet this time she felt a bit nervous, observing the chef’s cooking closely.

The chef started with a rather simple dish; the ferocious Princess Consort was right there, so he didn’t dare be careless, teaching Ashui every detail earnestly.

It would be great if the Princess Consort didn’t need him to cook from now on.

At this moment, he couldn’t afford to hold back, and besides, he didn’t really believe this pretty girl named Ashui could learn all his skills.

With the dish complete, it was Ashui’s turn to try her hand.

The chef was stunned to see Ashui’s smooth actions, almost perfectly replicating his previous steps.

Qiann Yan looked more intently; this person truly wasn’t lying.

She could see that Ashui was a bit unfamiliar at first but quickly became proficient, as if she’d done it countless times before. Not only did she grasp the chef’s details in making the dish, but she also removed some minor poor habits.

Is such a capable person really reduced to selling themselves?

What is her true purpose?

Many of the original owner’s memories could no longer serve as a reference. Where the original owner hadn’t noticed was the true face of this world.

She didn’t care about what this world was.

She only wanted to live comfortably and freely. Moreover, she aimed to make those who sought to use her uncomfortable.

Solve Jing Lingyu and Jing Yunzhou, and perhaps chaos wouldn’t ensue; at least she didn’t currently feel the country’s governance was terribly bad.

"Princess Consort, please try it," Ashui presented the dish to Qiann Yan. "I promised you’d be satisfied."

"Actually, I’m more skilled at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting," Ashui added, seemingly trying to salvage the situation.

However, Qiann Yan insisted, "I just need someone to cook."

She picked up chopsticks, took a bite of the dish, then asked for a glass of water to rinse her mouth before taking a bite of the chef’s version.

"Ashui."

Ashui suddenly grew nervous. Had the Princess Consort changed her mind? Did she think cooking was a waste of talent?

"You’ve learned very well; stay here and continue learning. Go through all the dishes they know," Qiann Yan’s words dimmed the light in Ashui’s eyes.

After all this, she still had to cook. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Qiann Yan left.

Ashui remained in the kitchen, continuing to learn from the chef.

"Miss Ashui, how did you come to the Prince Mansion?" the chef asked.

Ashui replied, "Bought by the Princess Consort."

Since she could only stay and cook, Ashui didn’t feel discouraged and learned diligently. Actually, this wasn’t bad; at least there were many people to interact with, making it easier to obtain what she needed.

Thinking of her purpose, Ashui suddenly felt relieved.

She only hoped this time wouldn’t be a waste, hearing that Jing Lingyu was seriously ill; it was crucial to find evidence during this period.

"Miss Ashui, don’t lose focus, or it won’t be easy under the Princess Consort," the chef said softly. "Our Princess Consort is quite fierce, don’t cross her."

What the chef didn’t mention was that even the usually imposing Prince yielded before the Princess Consort.

Ashui quickly concentrated, though inwardly disagreeing with the chef’s words—was the Princess Consort really that fierce?