Chapter 24
Chapter 24
The mansion was in total chaos.
The person fished out of the lake was a healthy adult male.
We thought he might be a corpse, but his heart was beating and he was breathing.
Moreover, his condition was surprisingly good, as if he hadn’t been submerged in water at all.
We first left the man in the care of a healer and gathered again in the reception room where we had shared drinks two days ago.
Roen and Hyle, Isiel’s assistant, were also present.
“…Cassis, have you ever disposed of someone in the lake?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why did a person come out? And from a frozen solid lake at that?”
That’s exactly what I’m curious about.
The reception room sank into an uncomfortable silence again.
“Wasn’t his attire a bit unusual?”
“Ah, certainly.”
The person we ‘hunted’ from the water had somewhat peculiar clothing.
He was wearing clothes that looked like they came straight out of an ancient myth.
“He must be really into ancient civilizations.”
“I suppose so.”
Silence fell over the reception room again.
Everyone looked visibly tired from being outside in the cold for so long.
Just then, the butler approached and announced dinner.
“Master, dinner is ready.”
But knowing the chef’s skills, none of us were pleased.
Moreover, in my case, thanks to the system telling me before that ‘that person might poison the food someday’, eating was stressful every time.
I must have imagined someone suddenly grabbing their throat and collapsing at least five times while eating.
Seeing the gloomy atmosphere, the butler quietly said,
“About the chef candidate you mentioned before.”
“Ah, Apple.”
Actually, when Cassis had told me to do as I pleased before, I had already called Apple to the North.
I had already said I was going to change the current chef anyway…
“Yes, Apple Bain. He arrived this morning.”
He’s here, our Apple!
I turned to Cassis.
“When you told me to do as I pleased with the chef before, I had already called in a good person from the South.”
“I see.”
Such mansion management tasks are probably the role of the lady of the house, but since Luwin doesn’t have one, the butler and head maid would be handling it instead.
Cassis would give the final approval, of course.
The butler spoke quietly.
“We had already received and checked his documents and background through Irina earlier, and then proceeded according to proper procedures. The butler, head maid Anna, and all the assistant butlers unanimously decided to approve Apple Bain.”
I internally sighed with relief.
If my recommendation hadn’t passed, it would have been a bit of a blow to my pride.
“Therefore, tonight’s dinner has been prepared by Mr. Apple Bain, and if the master gives final approval based on the meal, we plan to hire him as the chef of Orsha Palace according to subsequent procedures.”
What?
Today’s dinner is going to be completely delicious?
Isiel must have had the same thought as me, as he lifted his head with a brightened face.
Cassis, seemingly surprised, asked,
“Is that so? Any particular notes?”
The butler seemed to hesitate for a moment.
“He brought letters of recommendation from the Seike family and the Cha family.”
My mouth dropped in shock.
The Seike family’s recommendation letter was probably given to him by Ijin when sending him to the North, but the Cha family?
The Cha family.
Surian, which rules the southern part of the two great empires that divide the Eastern Continent.
The Cha family is the largest military family in the Surian Empire.
The only Cha family I know is that one.
“By the Cha family, do you mean the Cha family of Aris Cha?”
I wasn’t the only one surprised.
Isiel asked the same question, and William nodded.
“Isn’t this person the one Irina recommended?”
“Yes, but I don’t know what connection Apple has with the Cha family either.”
Although I did send him off on a ship to the Eastern Continent, I had no idea he would have connections with the Cha family.
“Then, shall we move to the dining room?”
* * *
The meal was truly excellent.
Apple must have sharpened his skills for this first meal, as it was excellent from the start.
I was worried about how he would manage to prepare a proper meal right away without having time to secure proper ingredients.
But he did his job well.
The pre-dinner bread was a delicious baked bread topped with lightly cooked egg whites and seasoned with spices, perfect for eating in one bite.
As bite-sized dishes kept coming out without pause, I marveled at Apple who had prepared an artistic full-course meal in such a short time.
I had heard he was doing waterfall training in the Eastern Continent, and it seems it had indeed paid off.
[Didn’t Irina scoff at that time?]
[You did say something like ‘Are you going to make dumplings with waterfall training?’]
Typical imperial dishes continued to come out, scattered with dishes that had a hint of Eastern Continent flavor.
The two combinations harmonized beautifully.
When a dish of meat and vegetables wrapped in mushrooms sliced as thin as dumpling skins came out, Isiel quietly marveled.
“How on earth did you find a person like this?”
“I do have an eye for talent.”
“Wow, Cassis, if you’re not going to hire this person, let me know first.”
I quietly raised my hand.
“What about me?”
“Sorry, Irina.”
“You said my cooking was the most delicious.”
“Are you jealous?”
I smiled brightly.
“Of course not. And Apple is absolutely not available because I brought him here.”
“That’s not how it works. Whoever pays more is the master.”
That’s true, but.
“…I’ve raised Apple since he was a baby? Absolutely not. How small and cute and lovable our Apple is.”
I can’t send him to such a harsh and scary noble family of the Empire.
[…It’s a bit much to say Irina raised him.]
[When he insisted on cooking and was swinging knives around, you just sent him off to the Eastern Continent as is.]
[You told him if he liked cooking so much, he should go to the Eastern Continent and learn how to make ramen.]
‘Did I really say that?’
[Yep.]
I decided to reflect a little.
“Ah, so this Apple person is cute and lovable. Is she a woman?”
“No.”
The last time I saw Apple, he was about fifteen.
He was the same age as Ijin, and maybe because his growth was slower than his peers, he was small and cute.
He was smaller than Ijin but kept saying he wanted to repay the favor, so I just told him off, saying he should just take care of himself first.
Cassis asked while scooping up a newly served braised fish dish with his fork.
“The ingredients seem fresh.”
“As soon as he heard he would be in charge of dinner, Mr. Apple Bain went to the market to get fresh ingredients.”
“Hmm.”
The butler added an explanation.
“The fish dish that just came out is one of the fish that Mr. Isiel caught today.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Ah.
Those… radioactive fish?
Suddenly I’m losing my appetite.
[I told you it’s not radioactive.]
The dishes continued to come out several more times, ending with a lemon sorbet for dessert.
Isiel, having finished his share of sorbet, smiled brightly and said,
“If it were me, I’d hire him.”
Cassis, me, and everyone in the room nodded.
[SYSTEM | Quest ‘Find a Chef for Orsha Palace (Grand Duke Luwin’s Mansion)!’ has been completed!]
[SYSTEM | As a reward, ‘Cooking Skill ‘1’ point level up’ will proceed.]
[SYSTEM | ‘Cooking Skill’ level D+ -> C-.]
[SYSTEM | Additional reward ‘3 C grade recipes’ will be given.]
Unlike me, Apple Bain’s employment was decided faster than anyone else’s.
As per Isiel’s request, Apple Bain came out of the kitchen to stand before us.
“……”
“……”
While everyone in the reception room was silent, I secretly waved my hand to greet Apple without anyone noticing.
Our Apple hadn’t changed much from his snotty-nosed days.
Just his size had grown… well, a lot?
[He seems to have changed a lot though?]
[Wasn’t he supposed to be a chef? Why does he look like a bandit?]
…His build was huge like a bandit, but his face was still as gentle as when he was young.
Apple, perhaps wanting to hide his large frame a bit, politely clasped his hands and smiled.
“…Age?”
“I just had my birthday recently, I’m exactly twenty.”
“Twenty, you say?”
Roen, unable to believe it, turned his head sharply towards the butler, and William nodded, conveying the truth to him.
Isiel looked at Apple with slightly bewildered eyes, then slowly approached me, bent down, and whispered.
“You said he was small and cute.”
“I guess he grew up well. He might not be small, but he’s still cute, isn’t he?”
“Where? You said he was lovable.”
“Look… at his face. How gentle it is.”
“Irina, don’t you see that huge scar on his face?”
Oh.
That’s right.
Seems like a lot happened in the Eastern Continent.
“Apple, what happened to the scar on your face?”
“Hello, Miss! It’s been a long time!”
“Never mind the greetings. You’re quite energetic after a long time.”
That’s good to see.
After waving my hand once, I asked about the scar again, and Apple proudly shrugged.
“When I was in the Eastern Continent! I had…”
“Uh, Apple. Summarize.”
Apple tended to talk a lot and give long explanations.
That’s why even the letters he used to write to me would go on for dozens of pages, and I had to pass some of them to Ijin because they contained a lot of unnecessary content.
Apple, used to this reaction from me, nodded his head once vigorously and only stated the conclusion.
“Yes. I got this while fighting a lobster!”
“Really? Did you win the fight?”
“Of course!”
Then that’s fine.
I turned to Isiel.
“That’s what he says.”
The dining room fell into silence once again.
