The noble's face turned crimson with rage.
"How dare you stop me?! Do you know who I am?!"
"I don't," Ji Hoon replied coolly, his tone razor-sharp. "Nor do I care."
"What?!" The noble's voice cracked with fury, his veins bulging. Around them, the once-bustling dining hall fell into uneasy murmurs.
Customers leaned toward one another, whispering, yet none dared to intervene. The clinking of utensils and chatter had vanished, replaced by tense silence.
Ji Hoon ignored the man and bent down to help the trembling girl to her feet.When he caught a full view of her, his eyes widened slightly in surprise.
She wasn't fully human.
Two soft, triangular ears sat atop her head, twitching with fear, and several fox-like tails trailed behind her, trembling.
She was clearly a Beast-person—to be precise, a humanoid Vixen. Around her neck gleamed a cold, metallic band engraved with faint runes. It wasn't jewelry.
It was a slave collar.
Ji Hoon's jaw tightened. So slaves really do exist here…
The noble, enraged at being ignored, stomped his foot, making the nearby tables rattle."Oh, young boy, it seems you don't understand who you're dealing with. Do you know what it means to cross me? I am a member of the de Clein family—Alister de Clein, owner of this very establishment! Who do you think you are to lay a hand on me?"
"De Clein…?" Ji Hoon's eyes narrowed slightly, filing away the name.
"Young master!" Beatrice came rushing over from their table, Adrine hurrying behind her. Her face was pale, voice tight with panic.
Alister's eyes glinted with cruel amusement. "Young master, you say? Ah, now I remember. You're the son of the Ahn family, aren't you?"
A slow, mocking smirk stretched across his lips. "I heard a few ruffians beat you senseless not long ago. Hahaha! A useless noble who can't even protect himself… and now you're standing up for slaves? Pathetic!"
Gasps rippled through the hall as customers began whispering excitedly.
"Did he say Ahn family?"
"So that's the boy who was attacked…"
"I heard his family's falling out of favor…"
Beatrice's fists clenched, ready to shout back, but Ji Hoon held up a hand, stopping her.
Alister yanked the Vixen forward by her collar, causing her to choke and whimper. Her tails drooped low in pain.
"So don't mess with me, punk! I decide what happens to my property!"
No one spoke up. Not one customer raised their head. Their silence screamed volumes—they saw nothing unusual about this.
Ji Hoon's brows furrowed. 'A slave…'
He glanced at the girl, who kept her head bowed, eyes hidden behind her bangs.
'In my world, this would be a crime beyond words. But here? It's just… normal.
The realization sent a bitter taste down his throat.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Alister sneered. "You should've thought twice before crossing someone like me—the owner of this fine establishment!"
Ji Hoon tilted his head, then let out a small, sharp laugh.
"Ah, so you're the owner. That explains why the food tastes so bad."
The hall went dead silent.
"…What?"
Alister's face flushed. "You dare insult my cuisine? Do you not know that the famous Grace Twins are my head cooks? They ranked top nine in last year's Imperial Culinary Competition!"
Ji Hoon raised his brows, feigning awe. "Oh? Top nine, you say? Impressive."
Alister puffed out his chest. "Exactly! So keep your filthy tongue in check before—"
"Hmm," Ji Hoon interrupted, his expression shifting to a disappointed frown. "I didn't realize the ICC's standards had sunk so low."
The customers gasped collectively. Alister's eyes bulged.
"…What did you just say?!"
"I said," Ji Hoon's smile turned razor-edged, "if this is what passes for top-tier cooking, then I have nothing to worry about. I just registered for this year's ICC. Maybe I'll win without even breaking a sweat."
For a beat, silence. Then Alister threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Hahahaha!" His laughter was so loud it shook the room. Soon, other customers joined, mocking Ji Hoon.
"A noble… cooking?!"
"Surely, he's joking."
"He must've hit his head when those ruffians beat him!"
Ji Hoon stood firm, unflinching. "Laugh all you want. Anyone can enter a kitchen. What matters is skill and taste."
Alister sneered. "Skill? Taste? Do you even know what those words mean? The Ahn family must have truly fallen for their heir to spout such nonsense."
Ji Hoon's tone grew sharp. "I know I can beat your cooks."
"Don't be absurd! My chefs are unmatched!"
"Oh really?" Ji Hoon's lips curled into a sly smile. "Then let's make a bet."
Alister's laughter faltered. "A bet?"
"Yes," Ji Hoon said, pointing straight at the trembling Vixen girl.
"If I win, you hand her over to me."
Gasps erupted around the hall. Beatrice's hands flew to her mouth in shock, while the girl herself stiffened, eyes wide.
Alister blinked, startled. "What?"
Ji Hoon shrugged casually. "Unless, of course, you're afraid your 'top-nine chefs' will lose. In that case—"
"Afraid? Me?!" Alister's pride flared like wildfire. "Fine! But what do I get when you inevitably lose?"
Without hesitation, Ji Hoon grabbed a heavy leather pouch from his belt. With a loud THUD, he slammed it onto a nearby table. The sound of clinking coins echoed through the hall.
"If you win, you take the money. Simple."
"Young master Ahn!" Beatrice's voice cracked with alarm. "You can't just—"
Ji Hoon silenced her with a raised hand and a calm, confident look. "Trust me."
Beatrice bit her lip, worry etched deep in her features.
Ji Hoon smiled to himself.
This was exactly what he wanted from the start. The moment he saw the slave collar, he'd been thinking through his options.
In this world, once someone became a slave, there was only one way to free them—direct intervention from the emperor himself. And Ji Hoon had no way of reaching someone that powerful.
'Which means,' he thought grimly, 'the only path is to change ownership.'
He couldn't save her entirely, but at least he could take her away from this abusive man. It would almost certainly cause him trouble later, but Ji Hoon's conscience couldn't bear leaving her like this.
If he could defeat these cooks and win the bet, he would take her under his protection.
As for his insult about the food earlier—that had been a bluff.
Truthfully, the meal hadn't been terrible. It wasn't amazing either, at least by the standards of his original world, but clearly someone skilled had made that custard tart earlier.
He just didn't know if it was the Grace Twins themselves or another cook. Either way, he knew he still had work to do. This duel wouldn't be easy.
Alister's smug grin widened as he stared at the money like it was already his."Hahaha! I like your confidence. Pity you're about to lose everything."
"So, you agree?"
"Oh yes," Alister said, gesturing grandly. "Waiter! Fetch Isaac and Malak at once!"
The waiter bolted into the kitchen. Moments later, two massive men emerged, their arms thick as tree trunks, both wearing identical aprons. Their nearly identical faces were marked with identical smirks.
One twin cracked his knuckles. "This the guy?"
The other chuckled darkly. "Relax, my lord. We'll crush him like a bug."
Alister's chest swelled with pride. His hubris was palpable.
"But who will judge?" Ji Hoon asked evenly.
As if on cue, a man rose from the farthest corner of the room. Slowly, he unwound a scarf from his face. Gasps and whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Wait… is that—?!"
"It's him!"
"The Fourth Rank Minister of Food—Lord Marcus!"
Ji Hoon's brow arched. Minister of Food? Is he like… an appraiser?
Marcus's voice rang out, calm yet commanding. "I shall judge. Does anyone here object?"
No one dared.
"Then it's settled," Alister declared.
"Hold," Marcus interrupted sharply. "Two against one is hardly fair. He will need a partner." He pointed at Ji Hoon.
Ji Hoon waved dismissively. "It's fine. I can handle—"
"No," Marcus's tone brooked no argument. "This will be fair and square, with no excuses later."
Ji Hoon clenched his teeth. Should I ask Beatrice? No… she doesn't seem ready. Adrine? No, It's completely out of her skills…
Just as he was about to protest, a voice cut through the tense air.
"I'll join him."
Everyone turned. A young man rose from a central table—the same boy Ji Hoon had bumped into earlier when he entered.
Ji Hoon blinked. That guy? Is he a cook?
"Do you agree?" Marcus asked Ji Hoon directly.
Ji Hoon studied the boy for a moment. Nothing about him stood out, yet there was something calm and assured in his stance. Ji Hoon nodded. "I do."
The hall erupted into wild cheers.
"Let's gooo!"
"We're going to see a food duel!"
"Who do you think will win?"
"Isn't it obvious? Even I don't know how to cook, what could a noble do?"
"Betting ten silvers on the twins!"
"A noble cooking? Hah! He's doomed."
Marcus raised a hand, and silence fell like a dropped curtain.
He positioned himself between the two teams: Ji Hoon, Beatrice, Adrine, and the mysterious boy on one side; Alister, Isaac, and Malak on the other.
Producing his official seal, Marcus spoke with authority that filled the hall.
"By the power vested in me, I declare this a formal culinary duel. Neither party may back out once the challenge begins."
His hand sliced through the air like a blade.
"Let the battle… BEGIN!"