Chapter 52 - 51 - Serving Second Dinner

Chapter 52: Chapter 51 - Serving Second Dinner

The second dinner was ready to be served, and I found another problem.

It’s not because my food is burnt or unappetizing.

The problem was my unsteady hearts.

After all, the food I will serve to high-ranking nobles uses simple tableware that does not reflect their elegance.

Master Amagi and Master Reina probably didn’t mind, as they were busy staring at each other with mysterious gazes. Master Reina’s eyes, red and sharp, were clearly filled with suppressed anger. Meanwhile, Master Amagi, sitting quietly beside her mother, smiled serenely, her hand occasionally wiping her lips to remember our kiss.

Master Amagi’s deliberate tease was directed at Master Reina, who couldn’t reciprocate. Master Reina was sitting next to Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld and was forced to act like a polite noble.

There were a few words that slipped out of Master Reina’s mouth, like the desire to kick me, but it was immediately corrected after realizing another threat in the form of punishment from Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld.

Acting with great manners to holding anger was the right choice for Master Reina, and it helped me provide the second dinner service at midnight.

With a simple wooden plate and a wooden spoon, I served the perfectly baked mashed potatoes. The aroma of the chopped dried vegetables was evenly mixed into the mashed potatoes, and the fries I cooked were still hot, with a slight smoke wafting over them.

"Please be careful, it’s still hot..." I said as a warning to the high-ranking nobles who were starving in the middle of the night.

Their eyes couldn’t take off from the bright brown mashed potatoes, perfectly baked to a crispy texture on the edges and soft on the inside. I hadn’t tasted them yet, but when I equally shared to them, I could already tell the mashed potatoes were perfectly cooked.

Once again, my instinct of "just enough" saved me from cooking failure.

Experience is truly the best teacher!

"Enjoy this dinner slowly; I don’t want your tongues to burn with these tempting mashed potatoes. Although they don’t look hot... but trust me, they are very hot after coming out of the magic oven," I continued with another warning that they shouldn’t have to hear.

But just in case, I had to bother to warn them.

Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld pulled the wooden plate before her eyes.

"I didn’t know you could cook, Liliana," Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld said softly, like a compliment. She picked up a wooden spoon and scooped up a mouthful of mashed potatoes, blowing softly on it.

The heat from the food fresh from the magic oven enveloped her face.

With great care, Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld ate it.

"Hmm~ not too bad for a dish with potatoes as the main ingredient."

"Much better than baked potatoes in the winter, which I get bored of every time I eat them."

"This is a unique breakthrough, Liliana."

"I’m pretty sure Duke Adelheid Von Blutfeld will be happy to eat this than baked potatoes during his upcoming military expedition."

The Duchess praised my cooking with a gentle smile on her face.

Seeing such a positive response, I breathed a sigh of relief.

The dishes I make are not too bad for a noble’s taste buds.

At least, they can still eat mashed potatoes with the spices and vegetables I can find in this kitchen.

"I’m glad to hear that, Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld," I replied as I prepared the fries, slowly dividing them onto another wooden plate.

"You have a talent for cooking, Liliana?"

"I don’t have a talent for cooking, Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld. What I cook is an imitation of the dishes my aunts used to make in my hometown," I replied, keeping secret my hobby in the past, which was to learn to cook on a whim so that the monthly food supplies would be used up without any leftovers.

Buying groceries and leaving them to rot is a minor sin of wasting food.

And I hate that kind of behavior.

"Oh, about your ruined hometown. Are there any other dishes you’ve learned from your aunts there, Liliana?" Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld asked in a gentle tone, watching me divide the fries.

In that gentle tone, at a glance I heard a touch of pity from the Duchess. The story of Liliana’s hometown being destroyed by a monster invasion probably touched the Duchess’s heart. What a noble gesture from a noblewoman.

"Not too many, maybe my mother knows some recipes from my hometown." I answered it with full awareness.

If I were to answer honestly, I’d be given the additional task of cooking after graduating from the apprentice maid training. Taking care of Master Reina and Master Amagi’s needs as part of the apprentice maid training was already a hassle, and it would be even more of a hassle if I had to learn to cook.

For that reason, I threw the responsibility of cooking to my mother.

"Don’t you want to learn how to cook for Reina?" asked the Duchess with another trap she had prepared.

A trick question that I could already smell and anticipate well.

It’s not that I’d turn down a good offer, but it would be better if I worked within my capabilities. I wouldn’t be too tired to fall asleep at night and no too lazy to get to work in the morning.

"I would love the opportunity to learn how to cook, but there’s no free time left in my apprentice maid training schedule," I replied gently and smiled innocently at the Duchess.

In other words... I turned down her request to learn to cook because my apprentice maid training schedule was already full.

I don’t know the exact schedule, but Liliana’s vague memories have me dreaming of endless maid work.

"Oh my!! I almost forgot you were still an apprentice maid, Liliana."

"In that case, come here... Your owner will give you some rewards for your hard work."

After I finished distributing the fries onto four different wooden plates, Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld took the opportunity to draw the attention of the people still in the kitchen.

Some of the night maids who were seen enjoying the salty fries stopped; they looked at me, who was about to receive a reward from the Duchess.

"I-Is that okay?" I asked as I looked around.

Master Reina and Master Amagi stopped their hand movements while they were enjoying the mashed potatoes to look at me.

"Don’t worry about Reina; you’re still mine as long as Reina can’t beat me in an honorable duel. Don’t be too shy to enjoy my affection, Liliana~."

"Uh, yes, please don’t overdo it... when giving the rewards," I replied as I approached the Duchess, who was sitting beside Master Reina.

Her red eyes stared at me, fixed on me with a tenderness I couldn’t quite describe. Her red hair, flowing beautifully in the middle of the night, was tucked into a bun beside her shoulder. Her nightgown was gently patted by the gentle touch of her hand on her lap.

Paatt...

Paatt...

"..." I was silent for a moment after seeing Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld’s hand gesture, patting her thigh.

"Mama, what are you doing?" Master Reina asked in a soft voice and an intimidating red gaze.

Gllaarree...

Gllaarree...

"Giving Liliana a reward. Is that wrong, Reina?" the Duchess replied, her red eyes undaunted by Master Reina’s intimidating gaze.

"There’s no need to bother giving Liliana a reward. Isn’t it the maid’s job to cook? Liliana is just doing her duty as a maid."

Sttuubb...

Sttuuubb...

A sharp, invisible stab of reality struck the night maids. Those who were enjoying their salty fries suddenly clutched their breasts, pierced by Master Reina’s sweet mouth. Those who couldn’t cook well could only enjoy their salty fries, made even saltier by their tears.

That’s a painful and terrible stab at facts.

Luckily, I could cook in my past life, and the cooking techniques in this novel world are not much different from modern world.

"A hard-working maid deserves a reward, Reina."

"It is a form of gratitude and great concern from the owner."

"If you don’t understand that well—" the Duchess suddenly cut herself off and looked at Master Amagi, who was staring at me non-stop.

"Hmm~ Then don’t blame Liliana if she feels comfortable serving Mama and Young Miss Amagi," continued Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld, making Master Amagi choke.

"Cough!! Cough!!" Master Amagi, who was choking, immediately drink the glass of water beside her; luckily, I had prepared fresh water for her to drink.

"Uhm, D-Dear Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld, what are you talking about?" Master Amagi said after recovering from her choking.

Her cheeks, which had been chilled by the night breeze in the kitchen, now seemed warm with a cute pink hue. Her calm demeanor was a stark contrast to Master Reina’s, who was burning with anger.

"LILIANA! YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WHEN SERVING ME, RIGHT?!!"

"ANSWER HONESTLY!"

"TELL TO MAMA... YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH ME!"

Oh, no, I’m trapped in this dilemma prison again...

Honestly, I don’t know about this anymore...

Is that a threat?

Is that an order?

Is it jealousy of a child who is being compared to another child?

Yeah, right, I don’t know anymore...

I just smiled beside Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld, who slowly pulled my body to sit on her lap.

"I always feel comfortable serving Master Reina," I replied calmly after sitting on the Duchess’s lap.

"MOM?!! YOU HEARD THAT, RIGHT?"

"LILIANA ALWAYS FEELS COMFORTABLE WHEN SERVING ME AS A MAID!"

The Duchess just smiled.

Her hand gently stroked my hair, and she chuckled.

"Fufu~ Please calm yourself, Reina."

"A good noble girl is one with elegance and controlled emotions. Right, my Liliana?"

Paatt...

Paatt...

I’m stuck again with a new problem...

Again and again...

Who knows when this will end?