Episode 49

Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the banquet.

“So, how is it?”

Flynn asked with eyes full of anticipation.

I remembered how he had let me taste his lobster dish once before when he was excited about having his food served at a banquet. It was excellent back then, but now his cooking had surpassed even that.

I could only look back and forth between the lobster dish and Flynn’s face without saying a word.

“…Is it not good?”

Flynn asked, his voice trembling with fear at my reaction. How could he be so worried after creating such a wonderful dish?

“Of course not!”

I said, smiling broadly to reassure him.

“There’s no way something you made could be bad. It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

Hearing my assessment, Flynn’s worried expression slowly began to relax. He collapsed into a chair, his legs giving way beneath him.

I gently patted his shoulder.

“Everyone else will love it too. You’ve worked hard, Flynn.”

It was the moment when all of Flynn’s early morning efforts in the kitchen would bear fruit.

“…Thank you.”

Flynn sighed with relief.

“And Flynn, today, no matter what Mr. Olive says, don’t let it bother you. Got it?”

Flynn didn’t respond immediately. His face darkened slightly at the mention of Mr. Olive.

I grabbed his shoulders firmly, signaling him to stop worrying. Finally, he managed a forced smile and replied.

“Okay…”

“Your dish will be the best among all the dishes served at the banquet tonight.”

“…”

Dorothy and Emma, who had been listening to our conversation, nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, Flynn. Don’t pay any attention to what that round fruit says. What does he know about taste anyway?”

Emma hurriedly covered Dorothy’s mouth with her hand, startled by her bold words.

“Hey, what if someone hears you…!”

Dorothy muffled a sound and pushed Emma’s hand away. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as if removing Emma’s touch.

“Did I say anything wrong?”

Dorothy was defiant.

Emma, used to her antics, ignored her and addressed Flynn and me.

“By the way, it’ll be hard to see everyone after the banquet…”

I realized that I was only scheduled to work in the kitchen until the end of the banquet. The same went for Dorothy and Emma.

Emma’s words cast a silence over the kitchen, a sense of melancholy settling in.

“Yeah, I guess…”

Flynn muttered in a low voice. Dorothy crossed her arms and glared at Emma.

“Why’d you have to ruin the mood by saying that!”

“…”

“And why should it be hard to see each other? None of us are leaving the Grand Duke’s estate, and we’ll still be working as servants.”

I chimed in to support Dorothy’s point.

“Exactly. We may not be together as much as we are now, but it’s not like we won’t see each other at all.”

Emma glanced at me with a slightly softened expression.

“Really…?”

“Of course! Why are you asking something so obvious? Oh, stop feeling down. Once today is over, we can finally catch a break.”

Dorothy stretched nonchalantly. But then, she glanced at Emma standing next to her before turning to me.

“…If you miss us that much, we can always have a drink together sometime.”

“I-I’d like that.”

Flynn’s previously gloomy face brightened up immediately at her suggestion. Dorothy smirked and put an arm around his shoulder.

“You’ll be making the snacks for that night, right?”

“Sure.”

Thanks to this, the dark mood lifted once again.

After that, Dorothy and Emma headed towards the kitchen. Just as I was about to leave to get back to work, I heard a small voice.

“…Thank you.”

It was soft, but enough to make me pause.

Flynn, who had just thanked me, looked like he was about to burst into flames from embarrassment.

…I hadn’t really done anything. His reaction made me feel a bit awkward.

* * *

“Wow, is this really the same ballroom I saw a few days ago?”

I couldn’t help but exclaim. Unlike me, Peter sighed deeply.

“We’ll have to clean that up again later…”

I shared his dread about the aftermath, but the sight before my eyes was simply too beautiful to worry about it just yet.

The ballroom looked like a perfect embodiment of spring. Colorful flowers were in full bloom, warmly welcoming everyone who entered.

“Good thing the weather’s cooler now.”

Peter muttered indifferently while looking at the flowers decorating the hall.

“Why?”

“If it were warmer, there’d be bugs everywhere. We’d be the ones getting rid of them all.”

“Ah… Yeah, you’re right.”

Peter ruffled his hair carelessly. As he yawned widely, he patted my shoulder.

“By the way, you should go and freshen up.”

“…Do I look that dirty?”

I had already washed up this morning, knowing there was a banquet.

Peter looked me up and down and responded lightly.

“A little?”

“What? Then I won’t wash up again.”

I was too lazy to do it twice.

Peter shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t care.

“Still, it’d be better if you did. Standing next to the nobles is a real chore.”

At that moment, I didn’t quite understand what Peter meant.

I thought it would be simple enough to just stand next to them and pour drinks. I wasn’t wearing high heels or anything.

If anyone should be uncomfortable, it would be the nobles in their elaborate attire.

But it was only after the banquet began that I understood what Peter meant.

It was physically exhausting, sure…

But standing among such splendidly dressed men and women, I felt extremely out of place.

Amid the vibrant sea of flowers, the laughter spreading with the music, the only ones not laughing were the servants like me.

Standing next to them, I felt incredibly small.

‘So that’s why he said to wash up…’

Of course, washing up wouldn’t have solved everything.

I sighed deeply and happened to catch Delphia’s eye as he entered the hall. He gave me a gentle smile.

…Well, it’s a good day today.

I decided to muster up some energy.

“Hey!”

Someone tapped my arm just then. I assumed it was a noble in need of more drinks.

But the person tapping my arm was none other than Catherine. She opened her fan with a flourish and covered her mouth. She leaned in close and whispered to me.

“…What happened with the note?”

“Oh, I gave it to the young master right away that day.”

At my response, Catherine’s eyes narrowed slightly. She lightly fanned herself.

“…Did he say anything?”

I quickly revisited my memory of that day. But Theodore hadn’t said anything specific.

When I cautiously nodded, Catherine hesitated for a moment.

“…You did deliver it properly, right?”

“Yes, I definitely gave it to him that day.”

Catherine let out a long sigh and snapped her fan shut with a loud clack.

Now that I thought about it, I couldn’t see Theodore in the ballroom. Raiden had also disappeared after giving a brief toast at the beginning of the banquet.

This left his partner, Amy, looking uneasy.

At that moment, another lady approached me and extended an empty glass.

“If this boy had dressed up for today’s banquet, it would have been quite entertaining.”

Amy, who was sitting on the sofa, turned her gaze to the lady.

Amy smiled faintly and replied.

“On such a good day, we shouldn’t risk upsetting anyone.”

The lady had honey-glazed skin. I quickly realized who she was.

Princess Scarlett of the Roschena Kingdom.

Recognizing her, I quickly bowed politely. She lightly shook her empty glass as if to tell me to refill it.

I carefully poured wine into her glass. The surface of the red wine reflected the chandelier’s image, but as Scarlett took the glass, the reflection disappeared.

“I heard from the maids that your appearance was quite impressive…”

Scarlett stared at me intently. Her expression was that of royal benevolence, but I felt incredibly intimidated by her imposing presence.

“They said you were incomparable to the previous Marie. I must have missed a great sight.”

Scarlett took a sip of her wine. Watching her red lips touch the wine, I handed her a handkerchief.

“By the way, I didn’t know the servants of the Akaruth family were so distinguished.”

The maid who followed Scarlett spoke softly. She took the handkerchief I offered and dabbed her lips gently.

“Even the mere servants are so good-looking… No wonder there are no ladies catching the Duke’s eye.”

Despite Scarlett’s comment, Amy maintained a serene smile. Scarlett, however, chuckled lightly and asked her.

“By the way, where is the Duke? I intended to greet him, but I don’t see him anywhere… It seems I am quite late.”

“The Duke will be here shortly. If you relax, you’ll be able to greet him soon.”

“How can I relax at a banquet without the host? I feel uneasy until I see him.”

The atmosphere quickly grew tense.

Her words implied that Amy, often mentioned as Raiden’s fiancée, could not be considered the mistress of the mansion.

But Amy’s expression remained unchanged. And so did Scarlett’s.

Scarlett raised her wine glass higher.

“Here’s to hoping the young lady’s partner returns soon.”

“To hoping…!”

The ladies standing near Scarlett also awkwardly raised their glasses to the sky.

After taking a sip of wine, Scarlett handed me her glass, then turned away as if she had no further interest.