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Chapter 23
“Really, I can rest?”
Yesterday, aside from picking my room, I hadn’t done anything at all.
So I thought that from today, I would finally have something proper to do.
Even if this is a fantasy world, it’s a K-fantasy world.
It made no sense that Francesca, who values appearances above all, would allow a commoner daughter-in-law to rest. Even if she didn’t present me in society, I assumed she would ensure my training for the sake of the family’s image.
Of course, I had no intention of following that training.
But… she’s saying I can rest all afternoon?
“Is this some kind of test too?”
I suddenly recalled the first time I went to my in-laws’ house.
“Take it easy today and observe the atmosphere of our household. Just greet the elders.”
She clearly said to take it easy, but how many hours did I spend washing dishes that day?
A whole box of peeled fruits, at least.
My mother-in-law wanted me to act neatly and sensibly on my own.
“A test? I’ll never fall for that.”
Back then, I had unknowingly suffered more than necessary, but now, I was different. I had no intention of enduring the hardships of married life here.
I would do exactly as I pleased!
I would act according to my own will.
“Okay, I’ll really rest! I’ll rest completely!”
I answered brightly, like someone with flowers in their head.
It’s best to pretend not to know from the start in situations like this.
“…Fine. I have work to do, so tell me if you need anything.”
“Yeah. I’m really going to rest, so you just go ahead with your work.”
“…Are you really resting, or just pretending?”
“I’m really resting.”
Getty looked at me strangely, then left after saying he would bring my meal, telling me to stay in the room.
After eating a full meal, I stepped out of my room.
[Earlier you said you were resting. Why not take a nap together?]
“I just ate and had tea. If I sleep now, I’ll feel even more bloated.”
I needed to take a walk. Staying cooped up in the room felt too suffocating.
I wondered if the servants had eaten that stew again for breakfast and lunch, so I headed straight to the kitchen. Of course, before that, I changed out of my uncomfortable clothes and put on a fresh maid uniform from the laundry room.
“Oh? It’s Lara.”
Right after stepping out, I ran into May.
“Lara! Where were you all morning?!”
“Uh… in the main building.”
“The main building? You didn’t go to see the head chef, did you?”
May asked with a look of despair.
“No.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Come quickly. The head chef is waiting!”
“The head chef?”
May answered vaguely and grabbed my arm. I was planning to go anyway, but thanks to her, I arrived at the kitchen quickly.
A few maids and a middle-aged man in a white hat were there.
“You’re here! This is the one. Head Chef Hassen.”
“So it’s you.”
The man called the head chef crossed his arms, groaned a little, and then straightened his hands. His gaze toward me was serious, almost solemn.
“Yes, that’s me.”
I replied with the same seriousness.
“What are you ‘that’?”
“The one who prepared the delicious dish last night?”
I remembered the faces of the maids around him.
Yesterday, while making dumplings with May in the kitchen, they begged me to make some for them too because they looked so good. Thanks to their insistence, I ended up making enough dumplings for all the auxiliary staff in the annex.
Head Chef Hassen probably heard it from them as well.
“Hmm. I’ve never seen you before. Are you really a new hire?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Special recruitment, perhaps…?”
He muttered to himself. I stayed silent. It was easier to let them think of me as just another maid than to explain everything.
“So, the dumplings you made yesterday, which recipe did you use?”
“The dumplings?”
“Dumplings? Never heard of them. Which regional cuisine is that from?”
“It’s from my hometown far away. You wouldn’t know it even if I told you. It’s a place called ‘Kim Soo Han Moo Turtle and Crane Three Thousand Years Village.’”
I gave a name that sounded completely unfamiliar, fearing he might question me if I said a real, existing place.
“Do you know the neighboring area called ‘Taejeong Taese Mun Danse’?”
As soon as I spoke, Hassen stammered.
“I’ve never heard of such a name in my life.”
“The world is vast and varied.”
I shrugged.
“Besides, taste is what matters most.”
Hassen straightened his posture and nodded.
“I tasted what you prepared yesterday. It was excellent. Can you make anything else?”
“Of course.”
Countless things.
“Then what about desserts? Can you make them?”
“Desserts?”
“Yes.”
“Of course!”
Thanks to my mother’s scolding to cook at home, I’d never left any dish untried.
“Good! Perfect!”
Hassen happily handed me a white apron.
“While we prepare meals in the main kitchen, it hurts my pride to ask you to handle desserts there too.”
“Uh? Chef, desserts? Who are we making them for?”
A nearby maid asked, and I was curious too. Knowing the recipient is key to making the perfect treats.
After a pause, he sighed and answered:
“There’s a young lady in the annex.”
Hassen added that this was quietly relayed to him by Butler Karl early in the morning and instructed not to spread it around.
“A young lady!? Is one of the young masters getting married?”
“I haven’t heard of a wedding. Well, apparently Mr. Dotchef brought a woman, but since they’re keeping it hush-hush, something seems off.”
Oh my. That’s about me.
“Mr. Dotchef brought a woman? Before Mr. Nikolai?”
“Lower your voice! You might hear her while she’s in the annex.”
Hassen hushed the maid.
Getty hasn’t explained much about me yet. Of course, if he had, he would know I’m wandering around in a maid uniform.
“Tell me. Why is she in the annex?”
“Yesterday, the lady ordered the annex to be thoroughly cleaned. It was all in preparation for welcoming a new family member.”
“Which family’s young lady is she?”
“Well… I heard she has no family.”
“What!?”
The maid gasped and covered her mouth.
‘No wonder she’s surprised.’
I never imagined I’d end up living here either.
“Did the lady really allow this?”
“That’s why the annex was organized. She also asked for special attention in preparing desserts.”
“No way. Even Mr. Nikolai isn’t married yet… How could Mr. Dotchef go first… Did an accident happen?”
“Shh. Be careful. If the lady hears, she’ll scold you.”
Half true, half false. Yes, an incident happened, but not serious enough for me to be taken in permanently.
Francesca brought me in just to prevent her unruly son, treated like an ugly duckling, from failing to marry anyone.
“Could it be…”
At that moment, all eyes turned toward me. I smiled awkwardly, wondering if I had been discovered.
“So that’s why a new maid has come.”
“Exactly!”
The maids clapped. They didn’t suspect it was me?
I turned my gaze toward Hassen, who was staring at me.
“No wonder a skilled maid appeared. The lady must have had a plan all along.”
“Ahahaha.”
“You’re truly a lucky charm.”
Hassen put his hand on my shoulder, his face filled with emotion.
“Rumor has it that the young master’s woman has never cooked for herself before.”
Yikes, that was true—but not anymore.
“Really? Even though she’s a commoner?”
The maid asked in surprise.
“Even as a commoner, she lured wealthy men and got lavish meals.”
“How daring! Did she even lure the young master? Mr. Dotchef… with such a family position… and now this woman he brought along?”
I was taking all the blame for the maid’s assumptions.
“Watch your tongue! Anyway, our job is to prepare dishes suited to her taste. Judging by how the lady baked and brought her into the house, she’s no ordinary woman. Her tastes will be particular, so we must pay special attention!”
The maids nodded.
I hadn’t done anything, yet I felt like a sorceress already.
“And you?”
All eyes turned to me.
“Ahaha. I’ll do my best too.”
I smiled awkwardly.
“Shall we start with desserts?”
“Yes, let’s do that!”
At least give her something sweet first, to make things go smoothly.
Meanwhile…
Clack! Clack!
The sound of wood striking wood and harsh breathing filled the practice field of the 3rd division.
Under the scorching sun, the faces of the two standing there were red from exertion, the heat palpable even from nearby.
Yet the two didn’t stop moving, each locked in a duel with wooden swords.
“Still at it? How many hours has it been?”
A trainee knight returning from lunch asked, seeing the two still clashing swords.
“I don’t know. They’ve been at it since morning, without resting, I think.”
“No, it started at dawn. The servant cleaning the practice field said they’ve been at it even before I arrived.”
The tireless duo were Dotchef and Moldorf.
Since requesting a trial from Moldorf, Dotchef had been facing him on the field.
Normally, a test ends the moment Moldorf says, “Passed.”
But he remained silent, so Dotchef couldn’t stop either.
Since yesterday, the apprentices of the 3rd division were busy watching this spectacular duel.
“Even if it’s a test now, isn’t it too late? He left on his own. After that, he didn’t touch a sword, only wandered around with bottles.”
One junior noble trainee sneered.
“But isn’t it strange? If he rested for so long, he wouldn’t be able to block for this long.”
“Clearly Moldorf is holding back for Dotchef. He’s giving him consideration as a noble. Most likely, he’s waiting for him to collapse.”
Everyone knew Dotchef lacked natural talent.
A reckless scion of a swordsmanship family.
A stain on a prestigious house.
A parasite.
He had always carried such labels.
Even at age five, most in his family awaken to first-rank skills; he had yet to escape rank one and continued on the path of a reckless youth.
The apprentice knights, barely one year in, openly mocked him, knowing his family position was weak.
“What’s he trying to do now? Tsk.”
“He’ll inherit the title soon, so he’s probably trying to act competent.”
“Ugh, if it were me, I’d marry into a rich family rather than beg my siblings. Much easier. No need to fake swordsmanship.”
“True. And he’s got the looks and body to attract rich widows.”
Snickers. The blunt comments flowed freely.
“Huff… huff…”
Half of their speculation was wrong, half was right.
It’s true Moldorf held strict standards for Dotchef, but as time passed, Moldorf was the one growing tired.
Dotchef showed no signs of fatigue even after long hours; he was, in fact, leading the duel.
‘How is this possible?’
Like the gossiping trainees said, Dotchef hadn’t touched a sword in a long time. Rumor had it he spent time with low-quality mercenaries and drank daily.
Alcohol weakens the body and dulls the mind. Knowing this, Moldorf tested Dotchef’s endurance even more strictly.
He thought Dotchef would fall quickly… yet he endured.
‘No, it’s me who’s exhausted!’
Moldorf was fatigued.
It was natural from Dotchef’s perspective.
Even if Dotchef was now weaker than an ordinary knight, he had once reached a level surpassing his own father, the duke.
He even seemed to enjoy this challenge.
“Guh.”
Moldorf staggered as his blood heated.
Clack! Clack!
Dotchef lightly struck, observing his state. Moldorf realized Dotchef would never let go first.
It was late, but perhaps it was time to shout, “Passed.”
Just as Moldorf was about to lower his sword…
“Darling!”
A clear voice echoed from afar.
At that sound, Dotchef’s sword froze in midair.
