Episode 15

"Alright, I'll give it a try, then…."

The head chef, overwhelmed by their determination, nodded involuntarily.

Only then did I exhale.

Once the chef made his decision, everything proceeded smoothly.

"What about the ingredients?"

"I believe we can proceed with the following right away."

"The recipe hardly requires heat. Alright."

"Rookie, get the bay leaves!"

"Bring over the leftover chickpeas! This way!"

For the first time, the previously depressed kitchen buzzed with enthusiasm.

The scattered cooks scanned the cookbook and adjusted accordingly.

Leading at the forefront was, of course, the head chef.

"Use a different vinegar! Hey, get those proportions right! Are you not paying attention?"

The muscles in his arm as he swung the ladle were intimidating.

Red veins popped out in the whites of his eyes.

"This time, I shall reveal my true potential!"

His attitude was completely foreign from the person who had just angrily insisted there was no reason to prepare foreign cuisine just moments ago.

'Was it simply a matter of pride?'

The chef's lips trembled.

"Hehe, vacation… Emerald sea… I should ride a yacht too…"

He must have gone mad from lack of sleep.

'It wasn't a big deal after all.'

With the enthusiastic cooperation of the entire kitchen, Ronda-style cuisine was completed for the first time.

"Whew…"

"Please…"

"Vacation, I just want a vacation. Forget the pay, just let me rest."

Now, all that was left was to wait.

As the meal was arranged on the trolley, the kitchen resonated with the sound of prayers.

How much time passed?

After the maid from the main building returned with the trolley, all eyes bored into the concealed plates.

"Huu…"

The head chef cocked his eyebrows sharply.

The woman nearest the door began lifting the lids one by one.

Her previously anxious eyes widened with each revelation.

"-eaten."

"What?"

"She's eaten everything!"

"Is this a dream?"

"At last..."

"Oh my god, let's call it a day."

Those who had been sprawled all over the kitchen began to rise and approached the trolley one after the other.

The head chef scrutinized each dish and clenched his fist in triumph.

His intense gaze locked onto me.

"You, what is your name?"

"Sonnet Posa."

"Yes, Sonnet Posa, you..."

Veins bulged from his arms, large as a pot.

In an instant, the head chef stood right in front of me.

Smack!

His broad palms gripped my shoulders firmly and shook them.

"In the name of the head chef's honor, I shall mentor you!"

"...Uh, what?"

"Perceiving the diner's needs is a vital qualification for a chef! Your experience may be limited, but you have the knack for it!"

Just five hours ago, he had no interest in foreign cuisine.

The head chef declared boldly, dismissing the past as inconsequential.

"You have impressed me!"

"Thank you..."

"Haha! From now on, prepare to dedicate your life to this kitchen—"

"That won't be happening."

A dry voice interjected, dousing the moment in cold water.

The head chef scowled as he recognized the voice.

"Shouldn't you be focusing on cleaning the mansion properly? What brings you to the kitchen?"

"I have business here, obviously. You're still as obtuse as ever."

"That's—Huh, what did you say?"

"Sonnet Posa, come here."

Her eyes, reflected through her lenses, were piercing.

As I tried to move at the head maid's summons, a forceful grip seized my wrist.

"Why this kid? No! I'll ensure she's well-trained!"

"Sonnet Posa will now serve exclusively as the madam's personal maid."

"And who are you to dictate kitchen matters?"

"Kitchen matters? Sonnet Posa is unequivocally under my jurisdiction."

Caught between the head chef and the head maid, I could only roll my eyes in confusion.

'This feels straight out of a dramatic scene.'

The culinary authority and the estate overseer, squabbling over me!

'My heart is racing...'

Is this love?

The head maid took a step closer, her tone monotonous.

"When Sonnet Posa was first hired, she was clearly under my purview. Her placement in the kitchen was a temporary measure due to urgent circumstances."

"That's when you dumped her on me and expected me to mold her into shape because she seemed like trouble!"

...Pardon?

"You claimed you couldn't handle her because she seemed like an impossible eccentric!"

Wait, are they talking about me?

"That was then; circumstances have changed. We need to reconsider."

"Do you think the kitchen is a place where you can just do as you please?"

The head chef's eyes bulged and he stomped his foot.

It was fortunate he didn't have a knife in hand.

"Absolutely not!"

"She's been appointed as the madam's personal maid. What do you expect me to do?"

"You're making me laugh. Only the shabby folk belong to the main building."

The head chef snorted and raised my arm.

The pushed-up sleeve slid down further past my elbow.

"Behold! Look at this muscular forearm! And do you see all these calluses? She is a gem that was meant to serve the kitchen!"

My left arm swung like a broom in the chef's grip.

Swish, swish...

The middle-aged woman's prominent chin rose haughtily.

"With four eyes, how are you still unable to see properly?"

"You, the one who had remained confined to the kitchen for so long, seem to lack judgment... Posa?"

"Yes."

"Did you see it?"

See what?

As none of us in the kitchen, myself included, caught on to what she was talking about, the middle-aged woman adjusted her glasses and kindly explained.

"The angle of her chin, the posture, reaction time, even her tone of voice."

"..."

"This child was born to be a servant!"

First of all, my mother wanted me to become a teacher or a businesswoman.

The head maid, who had re-established the read for my birth, asserted,

"I'm such she can make invaluable use of such talent by the madam's side."

"I already told you I intend to raise this child though?"

"Are you raising your own children well?"

"I couldn't even visit home, so he went and left! Do you not care about my feelings?"

"You were the one who 17 years ago—"

The two middle-aged individuals wagged their fingers and bickered.

'Is this problem no longer concerning me?'

In the meantime, the remaining staff subtly shed their aprons and left, one or two at a time.

How much time had passed?

Only after the bell rang to signal the hour did the two, who had been arguing vigorously, return to square one.

"This is hardly the time for such discussion. What are your thoughts, Posa?"

"Right, Soja. Tell us what you think!"

"My name is So— No, well, I think..."

From the outset, the answer was clear.

There's only one thing that matters to me.

"Which side offers better pay?"

---

"From today onwards, I am Sonnet Posa, who will serve the madam."

"You came!"

With that, the very next day my affiliation changed.

As the countess approached me, the hem of her dress fluttered.

"I didn't know the count would actually consider my request..."

"I heard you recommended me. I will make sure to fulfill your expectations without any shortcomings."

The personnel transfer was permitted by none other than the master as a response to the madam's recommendation.

'If the count demands it, I must comply.'

Contrary to the rivalry between the head chef and the head maid, I had no choice in the first place.

'Anyway, it's a good thing.'

I had now gained the position of 'close maid,' as Ute Velvet emphasized.

Above all...

'I'll be less busy than before, right?'

This should be better than peeling onions from morning to night.

...But it took less than twenty-four hours to realize this expectation was a misconception.

"This is exhausting..."

The duties of an assigned maid turned out to be far more demanding than I imagined.

'I didn't expect it to be easy, but certainly not this challenging.'

I understood how to serve meals and tea. Sure, that's light work.

Even with wardrobe management, I could make do.

'But why am I expected to bathe her as well?'

I am the one who keeps her company, makes her bed... I basically am in charge of everything related to 'Clara Edwell.'

'Strictly speaking, meal service should be handled by the kitchen staff, right?'

I mean, she had remained mostly confined to her chambers since the wedding, so that's kind of a useless argument, but...

The countess,

truly,

incessantly,

refused to let anyone else touch a thing.

At this rate, I might even end up being forced to build the very coffin she'll eventually rest in.

'I can endure only so much.'

The most challenging part was...

Ding, ding, ding!

The bell connected to the madam's room resounded.

I hurried to her room in my pajamas.

"Yes, Madam."

"Oh, um..."

Her forehead and neck were soaked with sweat.

I embraced the frightened countess and patted her back.

"Did you have another nightmare? It's alright. Nothing happened."

"Sonnet, Sonnet. I'm alright now, right? Yes? I'm alive, right?"

"Yes, you are alive."

"Right now, I am..."

"It's already June. Your twenty-first birthday is coming soon."

After crying for a while, the madam sipped the warm milk I prepared and finally went back to sleep.

As I looked up, the dawn chorus was already singing outside the window.

"Hah..."

Well—

"Hah, these things keep..."

There were more annoying things to deal with, though.

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