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Chapter 52
Nine Pieces of Bread. Crap Is Crap, It Can’t Become Soybean Paste (2)
“You really eat so well….”
A heartfelt exclamation slipped out. Ellie proudly puffed out her chest.
“I’m kind of good at this.”
“Not only do you eat well, but you’re neat about it too. You’ve learned proper table manners.”
“I learned from books.”
That part was true.
Before regaining memories of her past life—up until she was eight—Ellie had a private tutor who provided her with basic education.
At that time, the Mayer family still cared somewhat about appearances and reputation, so they gave her the minimum support.
But once Ellie began her full-blown eccentric behavior, all education stopped.
Thankfully, she had already learned to read. If she had been illiterate, life would’ve been extremely difficult.
On sleepless nights, she would sneak into the mansion’s library and read various books. The butler, attendants, and servants all turned a blind eye, which made her little “thefts” possible.
“Have another steak. Want some grilled trout too?”
“I could eat more, but… if I eat all that, I think I’ll be too full.”
Like a fan donating to a mukbang YouTuber, Damian kept trying to offer her more food. Ellie decided to state her limits in advance. No matter how much she wanted to make a good impression, she wasn’t about to force herself and risk indigestion or throwing up.
“Don’t overdo it. Bring this to Ellie.”
“You don’t eat much, do you, Damian-nim?”
She asked as he pushed his steak plate toward her.
Maybe there was some universal rule that beautiful people had small appetites, because Damian, like Edmund when she first met him, barely touched the lavish feast before him.
He poked at the fresh salad with his fork before setting it down, and even the perfectly seared, juicy steak—he only cut off the tip for a single bite. Compared to Ellie, who cleaned every plate the second it was set in front of her, he might as well not have eaten at all.
“Not really hungry. I ate too much yesterday, so I feel a bit heavy today.”
“…What you ate yesterday should stay in yesterday. Why does it make you feel heavy today?”
“…”
“Oh, I guess some people are like that. My bad, I wasn’t thinking. Of course, that could happen… right….”
Her words said one thing, but her eyes clearly said, What in the world are you? Luckily, Damian didn’t look offended—he only smiled lightly.
“Meat doesn’t sit well in my stomach.”
“Then… what do you live on?”
Oops, tone check. Ellie quickly corrected herself.
“I mean, what do you usually eat?”
“Hmm, fruit or salad? Or alcohol.”
So basically, he filled his belly with alcohol. Ellie’s eyes flicked to the flat bread sitting ignored at the corner of the table. He’d only eaten one piece dipped in soup as an appetizer, then never touched it again.
She wanted to teach him the joy of tearing into freshly baked bread.
But seriously… avoiding carbs this much—wouldn’t that cause chronic fatigue?
Take Van and Morris, for example: they ate mostly meat, sure, but they still had soups thickened with flour, corn and potato dishes, and flatbreads on the side.
Even with less wealth, people made sure to eat soup, corn, and potatoes, so their diets didn’t tilt so far into imbalance that their health suffered. Meat was the main dish, yes, but it wasn’t the only dish.
But Damian—he didn’t touch carbs at all.
Ellie cautiously asked,
“Don’t you often feel fatigued?”
“…”
“You get cold easily, right?”
“…”
“And you have headaches too.”
“…How did you know that?”
Ellie felt like some kind of fortune teller.
Of course—he doesn’t eat a balanced diet. No carbs, and then he practically starves himself whenever his stomach feels off, only to drown himself in strong liquor afterward.
He seemed to like sweets, considering his fondness for meringue cookies, but since he didn’t eat regularly, eating sugar-covered fruit must spike his blood sugar like crazy.
He was bound to die young at this rate.
Ellie didn’t know much about eating habits in the Yan Empire, but it did seem like carbs weren’t valued there.
The way they dismissed chestnuts as “kids’ playthings” suggested potatoes, corn, and similar foods probably weren’t highly regarded either. Maybe not among commoners, but certainly among nobles, they might be seen as “unrefined” ingredients.
They really don’t know anything.
They should’ve learned from Koreans—who even found ways to make poisonous plants edible.
“Just to be clear—I’m not particularly frail.”
“You don’t look frail, Damian-nim.”
“Nobles generally live with nervous headaches. We’re sensitive and lethargic. I’m on the better side, honestly.”
“Do most of them not eat properly? Or even if they do, just a few bites of vegetables and that’s it? Oh, and in high society—thin figures and pale skin are trendy, right? Especially among the women?”
“…Are you also a prophet or a mind reader?”
“No, just… it’s obvious.”
She could see the image of young women starving themselves in pursuit of pale skin and thin bodies.
A meat-heavy diet required a sturdy digestive system. Without one, you couldn’t handle full meals, so you’d end up bloated and suffering indigestion. It wasn’t just about nutrients—it was about whether your body could process the food at all.
And nobles with idle lifestyles, who barely moved their bodies, would gain weight easily.
In a society that valued fuller figures, that wouldn’t matter. But if thinness was the beauty standard, of course people would lean toward semi-starvation.
A low-carb, protein-heavy diet could help with weight loss—if done properly. But done poorly, it only wrecked your health. They’d eat tiny portions of meat or potatoes, sip soup like birdseed, then gorge on candied fruits and floral garnishes with wine.
Sure, refined carbs like bread did make people gain weight—but eating none at all was worse.
“If you’d just follow my advice for a few days, you’d feel better like magic.”
Damian narrowed his eyes at her.
“Confident, aren’t you. If you know something, out with it.”
“It’s nothing special. Just eat a balanced diet. Potatoes, meat with vegetables, and bread too.”
“How can anyone enjoy eating bread?”
“Wrap meat and vegetables with it—it’s delicious.”
“No. It’s dry and bland.”
“If you bake it thinner, it tastes great. Want me to make you some? Actually, my main specialty isn’t desserts—it’s bread.”
Baked fresh in this kitchen’s oven, even flatbread would be tasty. But his picky palate—and more than that, his prejudice—was the real obstacle.
It was like a kid who ate soggy eggplant once and grew up never touching it again. People in this world, who had likely tasted only bad bread, simply had no expectations of it.
Breaking those prejudices—that was the most thrilling part.
Her blood boiled with excitement.
Come to think of it, he hasn’t even tried my chestnut bread yet. He might not even know that counts as “bread.”
Ellie’s blue eyes sparkled with challenge. Damian, amused, watched her practically bouncing in her seat.
“I’ve heard from Morris that you bake, but I’ve never cared to try.”
“Just one taste and you’ll change your mind. Don’t you want to be free of those headaches?”
A healthy mind in a healthy body! Ellie declared like a wellness ambassador.
“I can’t make my shop’s menu here—it takes too much time and prep—but even a simple process can turn bread unbelievably tasty. Just trust me once.”
“Hm. I do still want to enjoy your unpredictability.”
“You won’t regret it.”
After a moment’s thought, Damian shrugged and nodded. Ellie cheered.
I swear, I’m going to become the queen of sales…!
“Excuse me.”
As Ellie entered the kitchen, the atmosphere changed immediately.
“Teacher!”
“Teacher’s here!”
“Hey, hurry, line up!”
Huge, burly men rushed to gather in front of her. Ellie, startled, stumbled backward—but there was nowhere to retreat.
What, what’s going on? Why are they acting like this? Did I do something wrong? Are they going to hit me? Fight me?!
She shrank in alarm, shoulders hunched. Then, all at once, the gathered cooks shouted in booming unison—
“Hello, teacher!!”
Ellie’s eyes widened.
Well, I’m definitely not fine anymore.
