Sedilloi’s eyes widened slightly. She looked bewildered, as if she had heard a language from a completely unknown foreign country, and let out a deep sigh.
“Leave now.”
Mayana had expected his agreement, but the answer that returned was just that.
But she obediently rose from her seat and left the Duke’s presence. If she said Sedilloi’s reaction didn’t bother her, it would be a lie, but it wasn’t her place to badger him, the Duke, and her employer.
‘The important thing is Ariante.’
Mayana thought.
(This is a time separator.)
The next day, Mayana woke up to the sound of birds heralding the early dawn. Since her room couldn’t have windows directly facing outside, she had to be quite alert to get up on time every morning. Especially on a day like today, when she needed to get up earlier than usual.
Having quickly prepared herself, Mayana tightened the laces of her usual lowheeled shoes and went straight down to the kitchen. The chef, perhaps because the Duke was back, was preparing breakfast, his nerves on edge more than usual.
“Chef, what’s on the menu for Her Highness’s breakfast today?”
The chef, who had been tasting a sauce boiled down for a while, looked sharply at Mayana.
“Why are you lurking in the kitchen? Bringing breakfast is the other maids’ job, isn’t it?”
“I know. From today, I want to check Her Highness’s meal first.”
“What’s going on?”
The chef threw down the ladle he was holding as if to fling it. A loud noise came from the giant cooking counter made of stone and solid wood.
“Say that again, what? Check the meal? Check? What nonsense are you talking about, you mere maid?”
The chef, who was furious from head to toe, brandished as if he was about to draw a knife. But Mayana merely wrinkled her nose, speaking as if she had no concern for the chef’s momentum.
“I’m just a mere maid. Yes. But I don’t know if you remember, but this mere maid is also a maid serving Her Highness. So I need to do whatever it takes to ensure that Her Highness can eat properly. As you know, Chef, if there are vegetables or ingredients she doesn’t like, Her Highness doesn’t touch her meal. So from now on, I’d like you to change your ways.”
The chef’s face turned red and pale.
“Change the way, what right do you have to interfere with the kitchen? I can’t stand it anymore. You’ve got to know your place! I must report you to the housekeeper Jocelyn and get you fired right away.”
“Do so. But before that, you should know that I’ve received permission from His Grace, the Duke, about how I take care of Her Highness’s meals and daily life.”
The chef, who was about to turn sharply, came to a halt. The mouths of the other cooks who had been watching the two’s dispute with excited faces fell open all at once.
“What did you say……?”
The chef’s face, which had been flushed with rage, seemed to lose its color in an instant.
“Now you’re even lying.”
Mayana answered.
“Do you think I’m stupid enough to lie about this, even when His Grace, the Duke, is right there?”
She gestured toward the library, where Sedilloi was, pointing in the direction of the kitchen window.
The chef was blinking, completely speechless, and almost knocked over the sauce he had prepared. It was unthinkable! Has there ever been a maid who pushed her way into the kitchen for Ariante before? There certainly hadn’t been one. Everyone was busy running away from Ariante…….
“Is this Her Highness’s breakfast for today?”
Mayana accurately found Ariante’s breakfast from the wide table, cluttered with ingredients and dishes, sauces and soups, and chunks of bread. One of the cooks, hearing her question, glanced at the chef and nodded his head.
Mayana narrowed her eyes and sighed briefly at the plate.
“Again, the carrots are cut too big. And the peas. Turnips and spinach too.”
The chef spoke up angrily.
“So what do you want me to do? Serve chocolate cake every day?”
Mayana looked back at him with an annoyed expression.
“You call that a reply? From someone who claims to be the cook of a Duke’s household? Think about it. Princess Ariante is only seven years old. She’s still young. If she were seventeen and that picky, it might be a problem. But at seven, out of sight, out of mind.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Mayana sighed once again at the grimacing chef and handed him the plate as if to shove it at him.
“Grind it all and cook it like steak. Not too thick. Top it with tomato and lobster sauce, and bring crispy toast and butter along with it. Got it?”
Mayana quickly left the kitchen, leaving behind the astonished cooks. She had only managed to prepare breakfast, but there was still much left to do.
“Oh, Mayana!”
Returning to Ariante’s room, Mayana encountered Grete, who was filling a silver basin with water.
“Grete! Thank goodness. You’re in charge of the princess’s morning dress today, right?”
Grete nodded.
“Yes, I’m already drained thinking about how many times I’ll be rejected today.”
“No, Grete. Today, I’ll help the princess dress, so you go to the kitchen and bring her breakfast when it’s ready.”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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