Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower

Rimi has spent most of her life making food for the protector god of the land. She is suddenly sent as a tribute to the great empire of Konkoku, becoming one of the emperor’s concubines. She comes close to losing the taste of her home country, but she is saved by the cuisinologist Shusei. As she dreams of a reunion with the kind scholar, she does her best to survive in the envy-filled rear palace with the help of her natural cheerfulness and her skill as a cook. Then out of nowhere, she is arrested and sentenced to be executed on the charge of disrespecting the emperor! How will Rimi get out of this mess? Find out in this China-inspired fantasy story about a princess and her love for food surrounded by gorgeous men.

The Declaration of Stability—a ceremony where the four highest-ranking consorts of the rear palace compete for the new emperor’s favor—draws near. In an attempt to pacify the consorts as they prepare for the ceremony, the food-loving princess Rimi, along with the cuisinology scholar Shusei, are appointed as the consorts’ cooks. Rimi finds herself hard at work dealing with the womens’ strong personalities. Emperor Shohi also starts to approach Rimi frequently under the pretext of wanting to see the Quinary Dragon. Shusei is happy that Shohi has become interested in women, but at the same time, he feels conflicted somehow. That’s when the priceless treasure required for the ceremony is suddenly stolen!

Konkoku has finally initiated a dialogue to form diplomatic relations with the country of Saisakoku, which has remained isolated from most of the world for a century. To relieve Emperor Shohi of his exhaustion and rage from the tough negotiations, Rimi is appointed as his personal chef. While she happily accepts the honor, Rimi is gradually losing the time she can spend with cuisinology scholar Shusei. She also finds herself butting heads with the Chief of Dining, Yo Koshin. Meanwhile, Shusei has realized his feelings for Rimi and does his best to suppress them. What will come of this unfortunate love triangle?

Just after Rimi and Shusei had vowed to cast away their feelings for each other, Emperor Shohi asked Rimi to become his empress. Now, Rimi is spending her days on edge. Suddenly, the Quinary Dragon falls ill, and Rimi travels to the old capital of Hanin to find a cure. There she discovers a mirror, and strange things start to happen around her, including a bedridden Shohi whom Rimi needs to make food for. While she searches for the cause behind what is happening, she discovers a shocking secret about Shusei! It’s time for Rimi to make a difficult decision to protect her place in the world.

Having learned Shusei’s secret, Rimi has chosen to become the empress in order to protect him. Unable to pursue her love of cooking as the time of the enthronement ceremony draws nearer, she begins her education to prepare for her new role—only to find that her tutor is none other than Shusei himself! The two find themselves smiling at each other as they hide the pain of having to carry their feelings for one another their whole lives. Then, Emperor Shohi receives a letter protesting the crowning of a Wakokuan as the empress. With the interests and ulterior motives of the imperial court standing in the way, the love triangle starts heading in an unexpected direction, and a single lie sets all of their fates in motion.