Wednesday, January 3, 2035.
Devil's Planet, Devil Empire Capital, Royal Dining Hall, 12:00 p.m.
Morgana sat at the round table, tasting Valentina's Sicilian fish soup packed with tasty halibut, salmon and prawns in candlelight under the ceiling with golden rose pattern. She had tasted David's diet and Valentina's diet with gustatory enjoyment and spiritual pleasure. She would like to share her enjoyment and pleasure with chefs.
"Thank you for the exquisite and delicious diets that you have cooked with enjoyment for me. David's diet, the classic phoenix steak, it's the best steak that I have ever tasted. Valentina's diet, Sicilian fish soup packed with tasty halibut, salmon and prawns, it's the best fish soup that I have ever tasted. Come to join me! Please!"
Morgana said in a peaceful tone, inviting chefs to have luncheon with her. She would like to taste different type of diet, to feel different type of taste in life. She would like to have luncheon with chefs, to discuss chef's day-to-day working life at the kitchen, to learn her cooking lessons, and to feel what kind of taste chef's life was.
'One hundred diets have one hundred types of tastes, as one hundred people have one hundred types of lives. Whether it's bitter or it's sweet, everyone himself feels what kind of taste his life is. If life is bitter, we shall not be in grief, but embrace what's given by life, and believe sweetness comes after bitterness. If life is sweet, we shall cherish life's sweetness, lest life's spring does fly too fast.'
Five chefs who were known as the best chefs in their hometowns, they were devil cuisine chef David, vampire cuisine chef Valentina, werewolf cuisine chef Wesley, snake people cuisine chef Stella and human cuisine chef Hailey. It's a great honor for them to engage in the luncheon with the queen.
"Yes, your majesty!"
Five chefs replied respectfully, sitting at the round table in candlelight under the ceiling with golden rose pattern. David sat by the queen's right side, and Valentina sat by the queen's left side. David who was the chief of royal chef, he was supposed to prepare luncheon for the queen, but there were already two tasty diets.
'In one's life, there are always ups and downs, sometimes we would fall in life's hollow, and sometimes we might rise up life's clouds. In life's hollow where was a kitchen, there's endless and repetitive drudgeries. In life's clouds, where was the Royal Dining Hall, there were tempting wage, numerous ingredients, and free choices of diets.'
Morgana took out a bottle of the queen's red wine, poured a glass of red wine for herself, and poured a glass of red wine for each other. She took a slice of classic phoenix's steak, poured a bowl of Sicilian fish soup for herself, and shared a slice of classic phoenix's steak and a bowl of Sicilian fish soup for each other.
"Hello, David! You have cooked classic phoenix's steak with pleasure and enjoyment for me. I tasted your classic phoenix's steak, and also tasted what kind of taste your chef's life was. I would like to taste different type of diet, to feel different type of taste in life. May you please tell me what kind of taste your chef's life was?"
Morgana said in a peaceful tone, inquiring David about the taste of his chef's life. She hadn't experienced what David experienced, but from David's classic phoenix's steak, she could tell that David must have suffered a lot at the kitchen, before he could cook the tasty classic phoenix's steak better than all the others.
'A great chef must do two things better than all the others, observe a lot and practice a lot. The greatest chef once was just a newbie, who had to observe a lot and practice a lot at the kitchen. If a newbie could observe the chef cooking, he would learn how to prepare the diet's ingredients, and how to cook the ingredients into a tasty diet. If a newbie could practice a lot, he would improve his cooking skills steadily.'
David experienced life's hollow, where was a kitchen, there was endless and repetitive drudgeries. He experienced life's clouds, where was the Royal Dining Hall, there were tempting wage, numerous ingredients and free choices of diets. He was gonna share his life's hollow and life's clouds to the queen.
"In the first day when I worked at the kitchen, I did what I was told to do, but no matter how many drudgeries that I had done, the chef would never be satisfied with my work. If I could fit for the job, the chef might think I might threaten his position. If I couldn't fit for the job, the chef might think he better than me."
David replied peacefully, sharing his first working day as a newbie, who was required to do what he was told to do at the kitchen. He was required to repeat his daily endless and repetitive drudgeries in every working day. He was required to be treated like a machine that's manipulated by the senior chef.
'I remember what kind drudgeries that I was required to do, because I was required to repeat my daily endless and repetitive drudgeries in every working day. Firstly, I was required to move dishes needed for given diets. Secondly, I was required to unload goods needed for each diet's ingredients. Thirdly, I was required to serve the diets with heavy tray. Fourthly, I was required to prepare each diet's ingredients for the chef. Last but not at least, I was required to mop anywhere that's required to be mopped.'
Morgana listened to David sharing his first working day at the kitchen, imagining that once there was a hard-working boy who was required to do what he was told to do at the kitchen. She hadn't experienced what David experienced, but from his first working day at the kitchen, she understood how bitter his chef's life was.
"David! You have suffered a lot at the kitchen with passion for cooking, hard work and perseverance. You have been doing two things better than all the others, observe a lot and practice a lot. You have cooked devil cuisine better than all the others. May you please tell me how are you feeling now?"
Morgana said in a peaceful tone, concerning David's feelings. She was grateful for having David to be the chief of royal chef, who had prepared her luncheon with loyalty and pleasure in everyday. She admired David's impressive cooking skills, but what she admired David most was his passion for cooking, hard work and perseverance.
'The greatest chef once was a newbie, who was required to do the endless and repetitive drudgeries that he was told to do in chef's life, who was forbiddened to whatever that he wasn't told to do. Every chef once was a newbie, who had been through the bitter part of his chef's life. But sweetness would always come after bitterness, as rainbow would always come after rainfall.'
David was known as the best devil cuisine chef in Devil Empire Capital, admired by many devil cuisine chefs, who regarded David as the Father of Devil Cuisine. Everybody admired David's impressive cooking skills and respectful reputation, but nobody concerned how much bitterness and sufferings David had been through.
"People always said sweetness comes after bitterness, but I don't think so. I said all bitterness and sufferings that we have been through, would eventually become sweetness and happiness. I have been through too much bitterness and sufferings, but now all bitterness and sufferings that I have been through, have paid off."
David replied in a peaceful tone, sharing his feelings to the queen. As the chief of royal chef, he was a decent and respectful gentleman with enviable job, tempting wage, and short working hours. Everybody admired what he had owned, but nobody concerned what did he have experienced in his chef's life.
'I have experienced things that people wouldn't believe. I was required to reach restaurant at 8 a.m., to move dishes needed for given diets, to unload the goods needed for each diet's ingredients, and to do all the other extra chores. I was forbiddened to be little late, to break any dishes, to miss any goods, and to neglect any the other extra chores.'
Morgana hadn't experienced all bitterness and sufferings that David had been through, would not feel the same feelings. She tasted David's classic phoenix's steak, and also tasted what kind of taste his chef's life was. The reason she felt tasty and sweet, was because all bitterness and sufferings that David had been through, had paid off.
"All bitterness and sufferings that you have been through, have paid off. Once you were a newbie at the kitchen, who was required to do what you were told to do, who was forbiddened to do what you weren't told to do. Now you have become the chief of royal chef and the best devil cuisine chef in Devil Empire Capital. You are a decent and respectful gentleman with enviable job, tempting wage and respectful reputation, admired by many devil cuisine chefs who regard you as the Father of Devil Cuisine."
Morgana said in a peaceful tone, narrating David's bitter past and sweet achievement. David once was a hard-working young boy, who had no cooking talent, but he had something better. It's passion for cooking, hard work and perseverance, which were the key to become a great chef.
'The key to become a great chef is passion for cooking, hard work and perseverance. Everyone could obtain the impressive cooking skills by observing a lot and practicing a lot, but not everyday could hold on passion for cooking, hard work and perseverance. If one could hold on something with passion, hard work and perseverance, someday he would make something magnificent.'
Morgana tasted David's classic phoenix's steak, and also tasted what kind of taste his chef's life was. She tasted Valentina's Sicilian fish soup packed with tasty halibut, salmon and prawns, and also tasted what kind of taste her chef's life was. She gently raised her wine glass, drinking together with five chefs.
"Cheers!"