I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy

Now, even if a story that didn't exist in the original appeared, it was not particularly surprising. Even the scene where Hong Bi-Yeon was sitting in front of Baek Yu-Seol, skillfully grilling samgyeopsal with tongs, didn’t faze him.

{TN:- Samgyeopsal refers to a Korean dish called "samgyeopsal," which consists of grilled pork belly slices. The tongs are used to handle and flip the meat while grilling it. In Korean cuisine, samgyeopsal is a popular choice for barbecues and is often enjoyed with various side dishes, lettuce wraps, and dipping sauces.}

It really didn’t suit her. But no matter what she did, she was so beautiful that even the scene of grilling meat looked like a photoshoot.

… But had the princess ever grilled meat before?

Sizzle!

"Hey, turn it over! Grill it!"

"... I was going to."

"Hey, give me the tongs."

"No. Today, I'll take care of it..."

"Ah, shut up and give it to me."

To burn and eat this precious meat...

It was as if she was the incarnation of fire, burning everything skillfully.

Hong Bi-Yeon patiently waited, her chubby face resting on her hands, while Baek Yu-Seol skillfully flipped the samgyeopsal and cut it into bite-sized pieces with artistic precision.

"Here, eat."

Since she was born as a princess, she usually only ate high-class food, so even the expensive black pork was nothing more than cheap food to her.

Still, Baek Yu-Seol intentionally chose this kind of food. If he randomly picked a fancy restaurant, he would be overwhelmed. He had to bring Hong Bi-Yeon to a place she didn't know so that he could sit confidently.

"... It's decent."

It meant that it didn’t taste good. Normally, when she tasted something that didn’t taste good, Hong Bi-Yeon would contort her face and forcefully spit it out. But today, she somehow managed to swallow it reluctantly.

He knew the reason why.

It was because a product of "Alchemy Engineering" had been developed in the Alchemy City.

The information had not been disclosed to the public yet for the prevention of technology leakage, but Hong Bi-Yeon would have obtained it through the information network of the Adolveit Royal Family long ago.

Perhaps she wanted to have a direct connection to the "Item Business" through him.

By introducing the innovative technology called "Item" through a person like Hong Bi-Yeon, it would provide power to the person herself.

However, he had one question.

"Did they intentionally let you know that I am the co-author? But why me? They could have contacted Assistant Alterisha directly."

"There might be some misunderstandings. While the Item is important, I consider the connection with you as an individual even more important."

"Huh?"

"Because you are a very capable talent. It won't hurt to have some kind of relationship with you."

‘I see. I didn't know she thought so highly of me.’

Sizzle!

Hearing the sound of samgyeopsal being grilled, he thought about Hong Bi-Yeon.

She was in a very precarious situation.

She was running full speed towards a cliff that could collapse with a slight misstep.

It was dangerous.

Even though she knew that, she kept running. He knew very well how desperate that girl in front of him, who was just seventeen years old, was.

Her own power.

Her own authority.

That was what she needed most urgently.

So, at that moment, he was willing to accept whatever Hong Bi-Yeon did.

She was no longer a villain.

He couldn’t know how she had changed because he wasn’t a mind reader, but he decided to think that way.

In the original story, she became a villain because… simply because the circumstances were unfavorable.

The human relationships got tangled up. She was pushed into a cliff with no retreat in sight. And to make matters worse, the "protagonists" enrolled in the academy.

That was how it happened.

She could improve.

Just like Eisel, Hong Bi-Yeon Adolveit Princess was also deserving of a bright future.

No player so far had shown a bright future for Hong Bi-Yeon and Eisel…

By the way, seeing her chew on a piece of meat in her mouth for a long time, it seemed like she couldn’t really swallow it.

"It doesn't taste good?"

"... No. It's edible."

"Your expression says it all."

He knew the reason.

Her sense of taste was very slightly... well, not just slightly, but significantly distorted, making it extremely sensitive.

When she ate food that an average person would perceive as sweet, she perceived it as sour, and when she ate salty food, it tasted bitter to her.

In addition, she experienced symptoms where she perceived common flavors in an opposite and distorted way... Anyway, the above matters were the most important.

Why?

Because she couldn’t properly sense the most essential "sweet and salty" in human life.

So, Hong Bi-Yeon would struggle hard to find foods that reacted to her taste buds, but she probably wouldn’t be able to find them without the help of the "players."

Even in Aether World, thanks to the players who tried to conquer the villain countless times, forcefully feeding various foods to Hong Bi-Yeon, they were able to discover how she reacted to different types of food.

First and foremost, spices.

Although she couldn’t properly sense sweet and salty, she could distinctly perceive spiciness. That was because spiciness was not determined by taste but by the sense of touch.

Moreover, she could properly smell aromas and taste bitterness. Considering those various reasons...

He chose kimchi.

Why kimchi all of a sudden?

Wasn’t it a random choice?

It was similar.

Actually, even if it was not kimchi, as long as it was a dish with ingredients like chili peppers or garlic, Hong Bi-Yeon could eat it without any problem.

For that reason, it was fine to feed her gambas; it was fine to feed her mala hot pot. Well, there could be various options, but as a Korean, he chose kimchi.

{TN:- "Gambas" is a Spanish dish that consists of prawns (shrimp) cooked in a garlic and chili-infused oil. "Mala hotpot" is a popular Chinese dish, particularly in Sichuan cuisine.}

"Try eating this."

"... It looks unappetizing."

"Stop complaining and just try it."

When he forcefully handed her kimchi, Hong Bi-Yeon reluctantly took it, slightly wrinkling her brows, and started chewing it with a surprised expression.

It was not that kimchi tasted delicious to her.

Simply put, she could taste it. There were very few foods that could stimulate her taste buds.

The reason why Hong Bi-Yeon carried ginseng candy with her was not for health reasons or because it tasted good.

She simply carried it because it was one of the few foods she could taste.

Baek Yu-Seol felt quite proud as he saw her hesitatingly continue to eat kimchi.

It was a pity for the Kimchi Sensor, but while kimchi existed in this world, it was not particularly popular, so Hong Bi-Yeon probably didn't have many chances to try it.

"Here, have some ginseng candy for an aftertaste."

"..."

As she flinched, not because of eating kimchi but because of the candy, she quietly stared at him and then took the candy.

One was for himself.

Anyway, as he observed her gradually changing, he felt a sense of excitement.

If Hong Bi-Yeon continued to stand on the side of righteousness, it would be a great help. So, in order to improve the favorability rating even more, he was trying to say something more.

"Oh, it's Bi-Yeon, isn't it?"

Suddenly, an unwelcome guest interrupted.

Someone approached their table and cast a shadow over them.