Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

”Let’s start with contestant Soren’s dish since he was the first to finish!”

Faris announced, and the staff immediately moved to carry Soren’s dish to the judges’ table.

”Now, let’s hear it from Chef Soren, Bagdad’s Savior, himself,” Faris asked. ”Can you tell us what kind of masterpiece have you prepared?”

”...” Soren glanced at the broadcasting platform and turned back to the judges. ’So this is how you wanna play...’

He took a deep breath and started his presentation speech. ”Actually, I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece. It’s just a simple meal I made back when I had no money and no proper cooking skills, but it served its purpose well. It filled my stomach and kept me going through difficult times, which is more than enough for any meal to do.”

He paused briefly, his gaze fixed on the judges.

”I believe food doesn’t need to be extravagant to hold meaning. A dish born from necessity can hold just as much value as one crafted from luxury, if not more. That’s what this dish represents to me, and that’s why I chose to present it here today.”

”Furthermore, whether I win or not, I plan to share the recipe with everyone freely after the competition.” Soren’s expression softened slightly. ”I hope it reaches those who need it most, whether they’re struggling to make ends meet or simply looking for something to fill their stomachs. If it can do for them what it once did for me, then that alone would make this worth it.”

He bowed subtly and finished his presentation.

”Whoa! What wise words!” Faris exclaimed as the speakers sang loudly with cheers. ”As expected of Bagdad’s Savior! However, let’s see what the judges will have to say about that.”

Everyone watched as the judges tasted Soren’s meal, their curious expressions shifting to surprise and even contentment. And, just like in the semi-final, they ended up finishing everything.

”As expected of Chef Soren.” The first one said. ”You never cease to amaze me! I give a perfect score again!”

”It was better than I expected, though it fell short of getting the perfect score this time.” The second one sighed as if disappointed. ”I will give eight points.”

”...Nine.”

”...Ten.”

”...Eight.”

”...Nine.”

”Whoa, I guess Chef Soren was truly a great chef!” Faris laughed as the judges finished their evaluations. ”However, I wonder what his rivals will think of his dish?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the cameras zoomed in on the table specifically prepared for the finalists. They had also finished eating their portions.

Nuelia was the first to give her score: 10.

Damir followed up with a 9.

”I was right about you,” Lucent spoke up as the attention shifted to him. ”You truly have great talent in cooking. The flavors were well balanced, and the simplicity worked in your favor.” He paused, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. ”I acknowledge you as my rival, Soren. That said, it wasn’t perfect. There were a few flaws, so I’ll give it a 9 as well.”

”...” Soren started back at Lucent and nodded with a smile.

The next moment, the average of the finalists was calculated and added to the judges’ points. Soren’s current score shot up to 63.3 points on the main screen.

”Since the lucky judges are still on the way, let’s continue with the next contestant,” Faris announced. ”Chef Damir, please take the stage.”

Damir nodded, swapped places with Soren, and presented his own dish. It was really a soup, as Soren had guessed earlier. According to Damir, this was also the first meal he had ever created. It had been a task given by his master before he could even begin learning how to make magic meals. He mentioned he prepared this because it was the first time his master had ever praised him back then.

Judges tasted his dish and gave their scores. It came close to Soren’s result, but in the end, it fell one point short of his total.

Soren tasted it himself and gave it a 9 since he noticed a flaw this time. Nuelia and Lucent, however, ended up giving 8 points. As a result, Damir’s score ended up at 61.3 points, just two points below Soren’s.

Next came Nuelia’s turn. She stepped forward hesitantly and couldn’t speak for a moment. Only after she saw a certain someone nodding at her with an encouraging smile did she calm down and speak.

”This... this is my first time cooking like this,” she admitted, her gaze sincere. ”I know I made mistakes, but I tried my best. Please judge me fairly and give me your honest opinions. I want to learn from this.”

The judges nodded and started eating. Some stopped after taking a few bites, while some finished everything.

”This is amazing for your first try.” One of the judges praised. ”However, you still have a lot to improve. I recommend practicing how to control the fire first. But the rest is good.”

They gave her a 7. Other judges followed up with their honest opinions and gave similar scores, but none of them gave more than 7.

”I saw how hard you worked,” Soren said as his turn came. ”And I am sure you will master it pretty soon if you keep practicing. It’s an 8 from me.”

”I understand this was your first time,” Damir followed, ”but I’m sorry; your mistakes were too obvious to ignore. So I’ll give 6 too.”

”...” Lucent stared at Nuelia and chuckled mockingly. ”I guess what Sister Monie told me about you elves was true. You’re an arrogant race who rely on your innate talents and long lifespans to feel superior. But strip those away, and you’re useless. Take away your magic and your centuries of privilege, and you can’t even do something as simple as cooking a proper meal. I now understand how difficult it must have been for her... Anyway, don’t expect any mercy from me!”

He laughed coldly and raised his score.

It was... 3.

”I added an extra 2 points since you actually kept trying even after failing, and didn’t fear facing the judgment head-on. So I guess you’re somewhat better than the rest of your kind.”