The Silent Competition

Both the Queen and Duke Kensington walked over to where Lady Melissa and Lord William were, which was the royal kitchen. The Queen laughed at how engrossed Lord William was looking at Lady Melissa kneading the dough and she quietly left the kitchen.

"What're you making?" Duke Kensington asked while taking a seat beside his son.

"I'm making dumpling." Melissa answered.

"Dumpling?" Duke Kensington looked at his son, searching for answer but his son merely shook his head, indicating this was the first time he heard of it too.

"Yes, just wait and see." Melissa felt triumphed in her heart. 'Of course you don't know what's that! All you guys eat are either meat or bread! Oh my God, I'm so craving fried dumpling right now.' 

In her past life, Melissa was a Chinese cuisine aficionado, she could never go past a week without having at least one Chinese meal. She loved everything about Chinese cooking, and in order to save cost, she had even learned how to cook them using recipes obtained online. In fact, over time she had gotten better at cooking the meals. If someone were to ask her what she missed the most after landing in this era, it was probably her electric hot pot and grill, and instant noodles. She didn't even miss her handphone or tablet, it's not like she used them much, she's so busy with painting!

Both Father and Son were looking at how seriously Melissa was, with her hand kneading the dough. Once ready, she took a roller and flatten the dough, making it thin enough before using a small bowl to cut the dough in small round shapes, which would be used as dumpling wrappers.

Next, Melissa began to meticulously prepared the filling. With a practiced hand, she combined the ingredients which included ground pork and chives in a large mixing bowl, adding just the right amount of seasoning until the mixture was perfectly balanced. Unfortunately, there's no soy sauce and sesame oil available, so she had to make do with whatever ingredients she had. 

Melissa then took one dumpling wrapper in her hand. With a spoonful of the savoury filling, she carefully placed it in the centre of the wrapper, ensuring not to overfill. Dipping her finger in water, she moistened the edges of the wrapper before folding it over, creating a half-moon shape. With each fold, she pressed firmly to seal the dumpling, forming a beautiful crescent that awaited its golden transformation.

Next, in a sizzling hot pan, Melissa heated a generous amount of vegetable oil until it shimmered ever so slightly. Gently placing the dumplings in the pan, they listened to the satisfying sizzle as each dumpling touched the hot oil. The kitchen filled with the sound of cooking, a symphony of sizzling and soft murmurs as the dumplings started to turn golden brown on the bottom.

Melissa patiently watched over the dumplings, adjusting the heat as needed to ensure they cooked evenly. With a spatula, she carefully rotated each dumpling to ensure all sides were crisped to perfection. The aroma of savoury filling and crispy dough intensified, promising a delightful crunch with every bite. Both Father and Son salivated at the sight of this.

Once the dumplings were golden brown and crispy all over, Melissa transferred them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil. Finally, with a small bowl of dipping sauce made from vinegar, salt and a pinch of lemon juice, Melissa arranged the fried dumplings on a serving platter and put them in front of Duke Kensington and Lord William.

"Take one and dip it in the dipping sauce before you eat it." Melissa instructed them.

Taking a fork each, both Duke Kensington and his son eagerly reached for the crispy dumplings. However, before they could do that, a hand appeared out of nowhere and pulled the platter away from the both of them.

They quickly turned to see who was the person who dared to snatch food from the Duke and his son, only to meet with the Prince's innocent face.

"Well, well, what do we have here? How can you leave me out?" Prince Xavier skilfully took a fork, poked it into one of the delicious looking moon-shaped pastry and dipped it into the tangy sauce before taking a bite. The filling was tender and flavourful, perfectly complemented by the crispy exterior that crunched satisfyingly with each bite.

Prince Xavier's eyes widened with astonishment at how wonderful this pastry tasted! He had never eaten anything like this before. Looking at his amazed look, Duke Kensington quickly snatched the plate away from the Prince and both son and father took a dumpling to try too.

"Mother! This is so delicious! I've never tasted it before. You're amazing!" Lord William exclaimed with his mouth full.

Soon, all the three men sat huddling together around the table, eating with relish, no one spoke a word. Melissa laughed at how well behaved they were at the moment. She felt like an accomplished chef, satisfied that her cooking was being enjoyed tremendously. 'I knew it! Chinese cooking never fail to impress, no matter what era we're in!'

Looking at both Duke Kensington and Prince Xavier sitting together, Melissa couldn't help but remembered what had transpired during her comatose days. Both men seemed to have strong feelings towards her. As for Melissa, she still needed time to process and think carefully of her future. She had never been one to take a step before evaluating the pros and cons of all her available choices. Especially now, in the matters of heart, something which she's unfamiliar with, prompting her to be especially careful. It involved her lifelong happiness.

 Suddenly an argument could be heard coming from the two adults at the table.

"Zachary, you already had more than me. This last piece should be mine!" Prince Xavier argued.

"I didn't count, how would I know if you didn't have more?" Duke Kensington replied, with an attempt to take the final dumpling on the platter.

Melissa glanced at William, who had a sad look on his face. Clearly this young boy was no match for the two grown adults and obviously had the least compared to them. Melissa immediately took the last dumpling and passed it to William, making the young boy grinned with joy and he quickly swallowed the whole piece in this mouth, afraid that his father or royal uncle would snatch it away.

Melissa smiled at the three of them, feeling real happiness for the first time since she transmigrated here.

After dinner, Duke Kensington asked for Lady Melissa to accompany him for a walk in the garden, while Prince Xavier took the liberty to engage the little boy in a game of chess. Earlier, Duke Kensington had quietly informed the Prince that he intended to speak to Lady Melissa about the matter which the two men had discussed earlier. Realizing the importance of this affair, Prince Xavier acquiesced and took Lord William with him.

Duke Kensington guided Melissa around the garden and they both sat down on a nearby bench together. 

"My Lady, how are you feeling now?" Duke Kensington asked lightly.

"I feel fine, Your Grace." Melissa answered, looking ahead. She wondered what did the Duke want to say to her. He even sent William away with the Prince. Being an astute person herself, she noticed the subtle actions between the Duke and the Prince earlier, indicating these two were somehow in cahoots with each other. As to what were they planning, Melissa couldn't figure it out.

"You can just call me Zachary, if you'd like." Duke Kensington said while looking at her tenderly. The more he got to know this girl, the closer he felt towards her. These past few days, although they didn't converse much, however their tacit understanding on matters which required no spoken words, were enough to create a bond between them. He felt his heart leaned towards her, and he's ready to indulge her every request and whims. 

"Alright, then why don't you call me Melissa?" Melissa reciprocated. She glanced sideway and saw him looking at her with a look that could melt any woman's heart. She quickly averted her gaze. 'Why is it always so dangerous to look into a man's eyes??'

"Melissa, what are your aspirations in life?" Duke Kensington carefully approached the subject.

'Aspirations? How about not dying within the next year, is that an aspiration?' Melissa sneered at this thought.

However, Melissa knew she couldn't possibly say that, so she carefully thought about it.

"Well, as I told you before, I love to paint. That's my passion, I eat and breathe with it. I dreamed about opening my own art gallery. I'd also like to collect beautiful paintings of others and display them in the gallery. I want to provide an avenue for artists like myself to showcase their works. It will also help those who'd like to earn a living by selling their art pieces. Arts doesn't discriminate so I welcome all artists from all walks of life to work with me." Melissa said confidently, her eyes glistened with tears as she spoke. Clearly, she's very passionate about the things she just mentioned. 

Melissa's thoughts wondered far after she said whatever was on her mind. That was indeed her lifelong dream, in fact she was currently in talks with Master Graden to open her first art gallery before her unfortunate accident. Previously, all her art works had been displayed under Master Graden's art gallery and it had gained wide recognition over the years, prompting Master Graden to encourage her to open her own gallery and manage it on her own. It was Master Graden's wish for her to learn the ropes, so he could pass on his legacy to her once he's no longer around.

Thinking of her old Master, who was unmarried and counting on her to inherit his legacy, left Melissa feeling regretful for once, on how this turn of events had cause many ripples in her real life. Tears trickled down her cheeks involuntarily.