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Chapter 16
“If I make a mistake at this party, I might get fired.”
Solia replied,
“Chef, I heard you’ve been taking a lot of time off lately… Were you busy looking for a shop on the outskirts of the capital?”
Jeffrey’s eyes widened.
“How did you know…!”
Jeffrey had been a chef for thirty years. Five years ago, he was hired at a high salary to work at the baron’s mansion, but Baron Rotten’s constant insults had worn him down.
“Hey! You call this food? Are you even thinking at all?”
Jeffrey had decided he couldn’t go on and planned to resign. He’d been saving for thirty years, hoping to open a restaurant, but the future looked bleak. His savings weren’t enough, and even with money, it was hard to find a good location without the right connections.
Solia immediately saw through Jeffrey’s troubles.
“You’ve been cooking your whole life, Chef. Even if you start a business, you’ll never starve. Besides, didn’t you graduate from the Martizan Academy, where only the best go?”
Jeffrey coughed, embarrassed.
“The top spot went to a genius, and I just managed to graduate second… The ones behind me all went to the royal palace. They had strong family backgrounds, so it made sense.”
“That must have been tough.”
“I spent half a year after graduation like a zombie, then finally came to my senses. I worked at a restaurant in the capital…”
He trailed off, craving a cigarette.
“That was already thirty years ago. I worked at a restaurant serving noble banquets in the capital and was scouted by a few noble families. Now, as you can see, I just get yelled at by Baron Rotten. Ha!”
“But I know you’re truly talented, Chef.”
Solia’s words made Jeffrey’s eyes sting with emotion.
Cooking was his life—his wife and his child. He’d spent his entire life running toward that goal, yet here he was, wasting away under constant abuse at the mansion.
“I don’t know what makes me any better than a rotting tomato in the kitchen…”
He shook his head, pouring out his woes, unsure why he was even saying such things to the young lady. There was something disarming about her. She seemed to open up the tightly closed doors in people’s hearts.
“When I was young, it was my dream to have my name appear in Blue Tongue. To have a restaurant I built myself get five stars…”
He stroked the rim of his glass. Even in summer, the dawn air was chilly.
Once, he had burned with ambition, but now only ashes remained in his heart. He couldn’t even clear out those ashes, clinging to the last bits of regret.
Solia quietly listened, taking a sip of water.
“Thank you for telling me about your dream, Jeffrey.”
Blue Tongue was a famous gourmet magazine even Solia knew. The former Imperial head chef was the chief editor, and anyone in the food business dreamed of having their name listed there.
“Blue Tongue reviews restaurants in the capital twice a year. Only the most creative recipes or the best-tasting dishes make it in.”
She continued,
“Of course, if a dish is outrageously bad, it can also make it into Black Tongue… But those restaurants usually close within a year, whether they’re noble or commoner-run. Blue Tongue is popular with everyone.”
The people whose restaurants closed might find it unfair, but Blue Tongue’s biting reviews never held back.
“If you’re chosen for the best dish of the year, you make it into the Blue Tongue Hall of Fame. Sometimes, at the New Year’s festival or the Foundation Day banquet, a dish is named after the chef and served to the Imperial family. How could you describe that honor? If His Majesty the Emperor ate my food…”
He realized he was getting too excited, coughed, and kept going.
“That’s every chef’s dream in the Empire. That’s why people risk everything to open a shop in the capital. I’ve drifted around the city for a long time. Maybe that’s why I want to succeed here, so I can finally settle down. Ha!”
Jeffrey needed to make a living, but he didn’t want to give up his dreams.
Solia replied,
“You’re right. In this capital, just having cooking skills isn’t enough to run a business. Especially when the land is so expensive… Even if a commoner’s restaurant becomes successful, landlords raise the rent or steal recipes.”
She set her teacup down and continued,
“If you start preparing now, you could have a connection with the Imperial family in four years. It might even be possible to open a shop in a prime spot, like inside Gallery Sforza.”
Jeffrey’s eyes grew wide.
“Gallery Sforza? No way! Countess Malone wouldn’t even glance at me.”
He waved his hand but then hesitated,
“…Do you have a special way to make that happen?”
Solia nodded. She did have a plan. Later this year, the Imperial family would start a food business project, including portable rations for knights and mercenaries. If Jeffrey was chosen, he could open a shop in Gallery Sforza.
She’d already made detailed plans, but it wasn’t the time to tell Jeffrey everything.
“After some trial and error, I’ll get close to Empress May. When the business grows…”
“Ha, have you even met Her Majesty the Empress?”
“Not yet. But I’m sure I’ll be close to her in four years.”
Jeffrey thought it over for a long time.
“Thirty years ago, I even got swindled. I’m good at spotting scams now. I’ll have to think about the shop idea a bit more.”
He was never one to make hasty decisions.
“But thank you for caring. And for listening to this old man’s foolish complaints…”
Jeffrey wiped the corners of his eyes.
“As long as you’re at the baron’s mansion, I’ll help with anything I can reach.”
Solia smiled,
“That’s more than enough. But if you change your mind, let me know. If you decide you want to be on my side, I’ll make sure you never regret it.”
She shook her head, still smiling.
She never expected loyalty at the first try. Only ability and conviction could move someone’s heart.
“Ah, remember this too. When I leave the baron’s mansion, you’ll leave with me.”
“Haha…”
Jeffrey laughed at Solia’s confidence.
His reaction wasn’t quite yes or no, but Solia seemed to expect that. As the wind tousled her hair, she said,
“We can talk about your restaurant later. For now, save up. Don’t forget your severance pay.”
She changed the subject. What mattered now was preparing for the party in the freesia garden.
“I need your help for my plan. Do you remember the sandwich I asked for before?”
“Ah, yes… You mentioned a basil pesto sandwich. It was my first time trying it, and it was delicious. Should I make that for the party?”
“No. The food for the party will be the spicy dishes we talked about earlier. You’re familiar with those, so I haven’t given you a new recipe.”
She handed him a folded slip of paper.
“Make this just as it’s written. I’ll give you exclusive rights to the basil pesto sandwich recipe.”
“But, I should pay royalties—”
“It’s fine. If you just help with the party, you can have it for free.”
“It’s an unpublished recipe,” Solia said, and Jeffrey’s face brightened.
“Alright, I’ll prepare spicy and stimulating dishes for this party.”
“And leave out the cold water.”
“In that case, Countess Malone, who’s hosting the garden party, will be furious. You may not know this, but she has a lot of influence in society…”
“I know. She’s the owner of Gallery Sforza, isn’t she?”
Countess Malone had started a clothing business after her idle husband failed. Her collaboration with Iris Dress Shop was a huge success, and she built the massive Gallery Sforza in the commercial district of the capital.
It housed a branch of Iris Dress Shop, famous restaurants, dessert shops, tea houses, cafés, high-end salons, and boutiques.
Everyone wanted to catch Cheryl’s eye, but it wasn’t easy.
Cheryl only cared about skill. If someone was truly talented, she’d allow even a commoner to open a shop. If she thought someone was useful, she never hesitated.
But her standards for “excellence” were incredibly high. Very few had ever met them.
