The Imperial Academy's Little Chef

The golden glow of the setting sun washed over the earth, illuminating the towering city wall and casting the carved characters for "Imperial Capital" into sharp relief.

Evelyn Bennett stood near the city gates, staring up at the imposing ramparts. On the outside, she appeared calm and composed; inside, she was cursing the heavens with every fiber of her being.

All she had done was slack off for a few days by cutting her small restaurant's hours down to half-days. Did the almighty powers really have to punish her by dumping her into the ancient past?

And if traveling back in time wasn't bad enough, she had been shoved right into the shoes of the female lead from a melodrama novel she had read!

It was the kind of agonizing trash fire that spanned a hundred chapters: ninety-nine chapters of tormenting the heroine, half a chapter of tormenting the male lead, and half a chapter slapped on at the very end where they miraculously lived happily ever after.

The original heroine had somehow awakened to her own grim fate. Horrified by the senseless melodrama awaiting her, the poor girl's twenty-one-gram soul grabbed its hundred-pound backbone and fled overnight, leaving an eighty-pound shell of a body behind with no one at the wheel.

And that was when Evelyn landed in it.

The good news was that the original body had only just reached the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. She hadn't crossed paths with the male lead yet, meaning the tragedy had not officially begun.

The bad news was that in less than fifteen minutes, the original male lead, Ronald Rowland, would be riding back toward the city gates after finishing business. He would spot Evelyn, catch a glimpse of her profile that bore an uncanny resemblance to his cherished "white moonlight," and immediately cart her off to keep her as his private mistress.

From that moment on, her life would descend into a living hell where literally anyone and everyone could walk all over her and abuse her.

It would go on until the heroine was half-dead, at which point the male lead would have a sudden epiphany, realize he loved her, and force a happy ending.

In the original plot, the heroine had endured a grueling journey from Chenzhou. Reaching the city gates, she had finally let her guard down, merely intending to catch her breath.

Instead, fate twisted its knife, and she ran headfirst into the male lead.

Evelyn glared at the bustling city gates, her mind instantly made up: run first, think later!

With a plot this vile, even a stray dog would know to turn tail and sprint.

Watching the steady stream of travelers, Evelyn weighed her options. She soon hitched a ride on an ox cart driven by an elderly, kind-faced couple heading away from the city gates into the outskirts.

The Imperial Academy—where the clan elder she planned to seek refuge with resided—was about five kilometers away. With a ride available, walking seemed utterly unnecessary.

She checked the cloth bundle the original girl had carried; a handful of copper coins remained inside, more than enough to cover the cart fare.

They had barely traveled a short distance when a loud shout rang out from ahead: "Make way for the noble lord! Clear the road!"

...

Two mounted guards trotted along, barking orders and pushing pedestrians to the shoulder.

Hearing the commotion, Evelyn felt a prickle of panic. Was the male lead making his entrance ahead of schedule?

Having read plenty of novels, she knew that plot points could be stubborn. Plenty of rebellious transmigrators tried to rip up the script, only for the narrative to push back even harder, dragging the leads together by their collars.

Terrified of that very possibility, Evelyn yanked an old cloth from her bundle, lay flat against the wooden bed of the ox cart, and pulled the fabric up, burying herself head to toe.

She had no idea if it would fool anyone, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

It was the sixth month. A gentle breeze drifted across the road, keeping the air pleasantly cool beneath the rough fabric.

Terrified by the arrival of high-ranking nobility, the old farmer hurriedly steered his ox cart toward the grassy verge.

Just as the cart ground to a halt, two horses thundered past, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

Evelyn felt specks of grit settle on the back of her hand, secretly congratulating herself on having the foresight to cover her face.

"Which noble is it this time? Such an impressive retinue," a bystander on the roadside murmured under his breath.

The man beside him jabbed him in the ribs. "Hold your tongue! Word is, it's Lord Wei."

"An imperial prince? Well, you can't get much higher than that."

...

As the grand carriage drew near, the chatter died down. Several travelers bowed their heads, not daring to look up.

The steady clip-clop of hooves approached at a leisurely, peaceful pace.

Evelyn listened closely. This didn't sound like the frantic rush of a man returning to the city on urgent official business.

Besides, people had just mentioned it was Prince Wei's retinue, making her increasingly confident that this wasn't the original male lead.

Even so, she dared not lift the cloth to check.

Because of that, she missed the moment when Prince Wei pushed aside the silk curtain of his carriage and casually glanced in their direction.

The prince drew back his gaze almost immediately, letting out a soft sigh.

His attendant page, Jamison, asked curiously, "What caught your eye, my Lord?"

Prince Wei half-closed his eyes and sighed again. "Next time, do not make such a scene. It disturbs the common folk. I noticed a young woman over there whose breathing seemed faint. She must be rushing out of the city to find a physician."

He waved a hand dismissively. "Let them pass first. There is no need for them to wait on me."

Jamison praised the prince's benevolence and quickly hurried off to pass the order.

Evelyn had no clue what was happening. She had braced herself for a long delay, her heart racing over the possibility of bumping into the male lead. Then, one of Prince Wei's guards gestured for their cart to proceed.

With trembling hands, the old driver cracked his whip.

The yellow ox let out a low moo and plodded forward.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Evelyn peeled back a corner of the cloth. Not far away, an opulent carriage sat stationary, having deliberately cleared a path for the common travelers.

Watching the procession make room, Evelyn thought to herself, *Well, here's a nobleman who's actually different from the rest.*

At that exact instant, a crisp chime sounded in her ear, and a translucent interface materialized before her eyes.

[Gourmet Kitchen System reactivated. Initializing...]

...

Watching the loading prompt flicker repeatedly without confirming success, Evelyn couldn't help but feel a flutter of nervous tension.

Fortunately, just as the slow-moving ox cart pulled up before the gates of the Imperial Academy, the chime rang out clear and true.

[Gourmet Kitchen System reboot complete. Welcome back, Host! Feel free to enter anytime~]

[Current System Level: Level 1.]

This system had been bound to Evelyn back in her modern life. She had spent countless hours grinding away until she finally pushed it all the way to Level 99.

Now, with the reboot, all that progress was wiped clean in a single stroke.

Before she could even lament her lost levels, the old woman called out gently, "Miss, we're here."

"Thank you!" Evelyn replied cheerfully. She scrambled down from the cart, handed two copper coins to the elderly couple, and turned toward the Imperial Academy.

The clan elder she was seeking was the Vice Director of the Imperial Academy. While the official rank wasn't extraordinarily high, scholars held immense respect and social standing in this era.

With his protection, life should be manageable, shouldn't it?

And even if things went south, she still had her Gourmet Kitchen System.

With a whirl of thoughts running through her head, Evelyn walked up to the academy gates.

Two greying, elderly men stood guard at the entrance. Evelyn had no intention of underestimating them.

Many gatekeepers at such prestigious academies had once been Erudites of the Five Classics or esteemed scholars. Even if they weren't hidden masters of martial lore, none of them were ordinary men.

Evelyn walked forward, bowed respectfully with clasped hands, and spoke in a clear, polite voice: "Excuse me, is Vice Director Arthur Bennett in? I am his clan niece, the Bennett Eldest Daughter."

The original body was merely fifteen years old, delicate and petite. Since Evelyn's arrival, her appearance had subtly shifted toward her own original features, her melon-seed face and bright, rounded eyes making her look even younger.

People married early in this dynasty, and seeing a girl no older than their own granddaughters standing before them, both elders softened with grandfatherly compassion.

One stayed behind to chat with Evelyn, gently reassuring her not to fret or worry, while the other hurried inside to find Vice Director Bennett.

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