“What? I’m in charge of what now?”

“You’re in charge of Young Master Dietrich’s meals.”

“Me?”

It was early in the morning, the sun barely risen.

As always, I was crouched in the corner of the kitchen, trimming ingredients, when the head maid came looking for me. I widened my eyes as I looked at her.

In charge of Dietrich’s meals?

Now that I think about it, it’s strange.

Dietrich can’t even eat by himself yet?

Seeing me just rolling my eyes, the head maid explained again as if frustrated.

“From now on, you’ll directly bring meals to the study where the young master is. He personally ordered it, so just follow without question.”

“Yes, I understand.”

If I’m told to follow, I’ll do it for now, but…

‘Didn’t he usually eat well in the dining room?’

I tilted my head at the mention of him having meals in the study.

Only after hearing my answer did the head maid leave the kitchen.

Robert, who had been as quiet as a dead mouse trimming carrots from the moment the head maid arrived, immediately clung to my side as soon as she left.

“What, what! Why are they suddenly putting you in charge of Young Master Dietrich’s meals? You must be really close with the young master!”

“Not particularly close.”

It’s been so long since I’ve seen his face that I’m not even sure if we can be considered close now.

“By the way, do I have to bring it directly every time? How troublesome!”

Robert looked at me with pity as he peeled the carrots.

But rather than finding it troublesome, I couldn’t get the head maid’s words out of my head.

[From now on, you’ll directly bring meals to the study where the young master is. He personally ordered it, so just follow without question.]

He personally ordered it, so I should follow?

Does he think I’m someone who has to follow if he tells me to, without ever pretending to know me?

Unbelievable!

That afternoon.

I was on my way to the main building of the mansion, carrying a tray with a tomato sauce-based meat pie, carrot cake, and blueberry yogurt.

I pouted and grumbled that I didn’t want to go, but I couldn’t not go.

[Haidi. Wouldn’t it be better to go and come back quickly? You have to do it anyway. If you go and come back, I’ll give you the leftover carrot cake.]

If it weren’t for the head chef’s sweet temptation, I wouldn’t have gone!

How could a mere kitchen assistant maid think of not going?

I don’t know. Anyway, I wouldn’t have gone!

The tray was quite heavy, so I had to be careful going up the stairs.

When I arrived at Dietrich’s study on the second floor, I tightly gripped the tray with my right hand and quickly knocked with my left.

Knock knock, bang!

The last bit of force control was an intentional failure.

It had already been several weeks since he had taken Harpe and gone on the northern expedition without a word.

Thinking about how he didn’t look for me even after returning and how difficult it was to see him at the mansion as he wandered around somewhere, I couldn’t help but use some force.

“…Come in.”

Without even asking who was knocking, he just told me to come in. I swung the door open.

There, in front of the desk in the mahogany study flooded with sunlight…

Dietrich was sitting fully leaned back in his chair, feet propped up on the desk with his eyes closed.

The sunlight poured over his disheveled silver-gray hair as if shattering. It was as if there was a halo behind him.

His tightly closed eyes were softly creased, unlike usual.

“Wow…”

It was a sight that made me stare absentmindedly.

Is this the feeling of a masterpiece that a genius artist spanning centuries devoted his life to painting?

The deep shadows cast by his thick eyebrows and tall, straight nose bridge, and his slightly parted red lips.

As if enchanted, I approached him closely.

I knew I would look stupid, but the captivating beauty left me no choice but to stare blankly like a fool.

I gently set the tray I was holding down on the desk and began to fully appreciate him.

“Should I have paid an entrance fee to come in here? Crazy visuals.”

When going to an art gallery to admire something beautiful, it’s only natural to pay a proper price.

I was getting to enjoy a top-notch sculpture for free.

“Even if the work is hard, the benefits are pretty good.”

If only he wouldn’t talk, he’d be so handsome.

Before I knew it, I had gotten close to the chair he was sitting in.

This wasn’t of my own will.

As I was drawn closer, a faint floral scent I had never smelled before wafted from him.

Having never thought I would smell a floral scent from a man, I widened my eyes in curiosity and approached even closer.

The scent became stronger as I neared his chest, where he wore a comfortable-looking white shirt.

‘The scent is really nice.’

Does he wear perfume, or use a nicely scented soap?

It was a wildflower-like scent mixed in with a refreshing breeze.

My face, which had been near his chest, gradually moved up close to his face.

Unable to come to my senses from the fantastic harmony of the wafting floral scent and the fresh-faced handsome man…

“…Are you a pervert?”

His teal eyes, resembling the sea or a forest, were staring intently at me, having opened at some point.

“Aah!”

“Why are you surprised? I should be the one surprised.”

“Since when were you awake?”

“That’s what I want to ask too.”

Dietrich lightly tapped my forehead with his index finger as he spoke.

I hurriedly pulled my face back and took a few steps backwards with an embarrassed expression.

Then, pointing to the tray I had placed on the desk, I made an excuse.

“I was just trying to bring this.”

He calmly gazed at the appetizing-looking food on the desk.

Feeling my ears turning red for no reason, I fidgeted, trying to leave the room.

However, I froze in place at Dietrich’s sharp words, preventing me from going out.

“Where are you running off to?”

“…No, that’s…”

“First you secretly ogle someone sleeping, and now you’re trying to slip away?”

“Slip away, my foot!”

“Then come over here and sit.”

He jerked his head, indicating the ivory sofa in front of the desk.

Unable to escape, I had no choice but to plop down on the sofa.

Does he want me to watch him eat or something?

However, even with a fork and knife in hand, he only stared at the food for a long time.

As if he were eating the food with his eyes.

After gazing at it for a long while, he asked in a low voice.

“Did you cook and plate this food?”

I only assisted in the kitchen; I didn’t directly cook.

The head chef was in charge of overseeing the cooking.

The maids and servants working in the kitchen simply trimmed ingredients as instructed by the head chef and provided a little help next to him while he cooked.

I shook my head slightly and said,

“No. The head chef does everything. Of course, I seasoned the sauce for today’s meat pie!”

“Then who plated this food?”

That was obviously me!

It was a strange question coming from the person who had directly ordered me to bring the food.

I tapped my chest proudly and said,

“I did, of course?”

“…Is that so?”

Only then did he cut into the steaming, appetizing meat pie.

Watching the tempting meat pie, I marveled anew at the head chef’s cooking skills.

How can it look so delicious?

Even though it wasn’t a dish I made, my shoulders unconsciously rose with pride.

“How is it? Looks tasty, right?”

He silently speared the pie with his fork.

With an elegant motion, he put the meat pie into his mouth and slightly raised his eyebrows.

“Salty.”

“Give it here. Don’t eat it.”

“No.”

I glanced sideways at Dietrich, who was picking a fight with me out of the blue after meeting again in a long time, but contrary to his words, he was eating well, om nom nom.

He didn’t seem like the same person who had been looking at the food with a reluctant expression just a moment ago.

‘Come to think of it, why insist on having meals in the study?’

He doesn’t seem picky about food.

Thinking carefully, I had never seen him having meals in the dining room.

Of course, it could be because I’m not the maid in charge of the dining room, but…

While watching the noble-looking Dietrich eat, I casually asked,

“But why are you eating in the study?”

“…”

“Wouldn’t it be nice and less troublesome to eat in the dining room?”

“Are you saying it’s troublesome to bring it all the way here?”

He lightly furrowed his brows and put down his fork.

My words seemed to have irked him.

Pointing at my apron, he sarcastically asked,

“Why? Do you want to stay in the kitchen, but they won’t let you, so you’re upset about that?”

What nonsense is this now?

I held my forehead and let out a hollow laugh.

“No way! I don’t like staying in the kitchen for long!”

“Really? But it seems like you’ve already made a lot of friends in the kitchen.”

Is he talking about Robert?

I tilted my head for a moment, but soon realized that wasn’t the important part.

How does he know I’m close with Robert when he didn’t even come looking for me?

I crossed my arms and slightly lifted my chin.

Thinking about how I had been pining alone all this time, I didn’t want to lose to Dietrich.

“I did make quite a few friends!”

“…Keep bringing the food here from now on.”

As if he didn’t want to talk anymore, he sharply turned his head to the side.

Why is he being so childish!

I grabbed the tray he was pushing forward, indicating he was done eating.

“I’m going!”

I was annoyed by Dietrich, who wouldn’t even glance at me until the door closed.

Before the door slammed shut, I stuck out my tongue and left the main building without looking back.

I’ll make sure to leave out the tasty dishes from now on!

Grumbling childishly all the way back to the kitchen…

Little did I know that in a few hours, my firm resolution would shatter to pieces.