“What? You’re coming to the restaurant? Great. I’ll show you my true skills!”

Pudica rolled up his sleeves enthusiastically.

This situation wasn’t good. Michelle nibbled on her lower lip.

And a short while later, Jane appeared in the restaurant.

Jane appeared wearing neat clothes and with her hair neatly tied up.

She wasn’t wearing any accessories, but she was so beautiful that everyone who saw her for the first time couldn’t help but stop in their tracks and stare.

“Good morning, Miss.”

Those bustling about the restaurant all bowed their heads in unison.

Even though Cain hadn’t personally introduced her, the servants knew that Jane was staying at Somnium House as a candidate to be his partner.

Norbert hadn’t forgotten to add one request when passing on that information.

A faint smile appeared on Jane’s lips.

“Good morning. I’m Jane Whitney. I’m sorry for the late introduction. I’ll greet you all officially later, but would you do me the honor of telling me your names?”

“Eh? Ho-honor?”

The servants were taken aback by the polite greeting and respectful language not often received from nobles.

“Miss, please speak comfortably.”

‘What is that fox up to?’

Michelle thought to herself, pursing her lips.

“I’m still a guest of the Hastings family, so I’ll gradually lower my speech. When I become part of the Hastings family, that is.”

Jane, subtly hinting that she would soon be the mistress of the Hastings house, looked at the dining table.

Michelle’s lips twisted. She could clearly see through the ploy to win people over to her side.

“I’ll receive your greetings while seated.”

A servant who had been standing awkwardly quickly pulled out a chair for Jane. Her movements were very quiet, not even making a sound as she sat down.

While working at the Hastings house, they had seen many nobles, but never someone who moved so elegantly and quietly.

Those graceful movements were not inferior even when compared to Cain, who was considered the epitome of nobility.

One by one, they came forward to greet Jane. Each time, Jane called them by name directly.

It was quite an unusual experience for those who were used to being called “you,” “hey,” “there,” or “fellow.”

The line quickly shortened. There weren’t many people working in the dining room in the morning.

“Good morning, Miss. I’m Pudica, the chef of the Hastings house.”

Pudica, with his square jaw and good build, was the last to greet her.

“So you’re the chef.”

Pudica’s cheek twitched as he recalled the previous night’s events.

“I’m sorry about yesterday. Didn’t Michelle relay my message? That your cooking was excellent, but I wasn’t feeling well.”

“Pardon? Such words…”

Pudica looked at Michelle standing next to Jane. Michelle’s mouth fell open as she shook her head from side to side.

“Didn’t you throw away all the food?”

Jane’s eyebrows curved strangely. Her eyebrows drooped.

“There seems to have been a misunderstanding. That absolutely didn’t happen, Pudica. Throwing away such precious food? That’s impossible.”

Jane’s tone and expression were sincere.

Pudica glanced at Michelle. She was trying to act calm, but her flustered state was evident.

‘Michelle lied!’

He had almost made a big mistake because of Michelle. No, he already had. He had starved the future mistress.

Pudica was debating whether he should apologize first or grab Michelle and give her a scolding.

“The aroma was amazing. I couldn’t forget that smell, so I woke up early today.”

Sometimes, you understand things without being told directly. Like now.

Jane knew that Pudica had been deceived by Michelle. And she was granting absolution for Pudica’s mistake.

“I look forward to breakfast, Pudica.”

She extended her hand. Kissing the back of a noble’s hand was not an honor that just anyone could enjoy.

Jane was granting in advance the honor that Pudica, as a chef, could only earn when he presented his best dishes.

It was a display of trust in Pudica.

He barely managed to grasp the tips of Jane’s fingers and kissed the back of her hand. His lips and hands trembled.

* * *

The breakfast table set by Pudica was simple yet extravagant. The reason these two contradictory words could coexist was because Pudica had put so much effort into it.

It was a neat menu consisting of soup, appetizer, one main dish, and dessert, but each was delicious enough to be called a dish in its own right.

The presentation was equally impressive.

The pumpkin soup, decorated with a curved red sauce and topped with a violet, was as beautiful as a painting.

Jane finished her meal very satisfactorily, not sparing praise for the chef.

To Pudica, who had only seen noble women nibbling at their food, the sight of Jane eating everything with relish was refreshing.

His pride swelled each time he saw a clean, empty plate.

“I look forward to dinner as well.”

“You won’t be having lunch?”

Pudica asked with a hint of disappointment. He had fallen for Jane in a very short time.

“I’m scheduled to have lunch with Mrs. Themis while learning dining etiquette.”

Pudica tilted his head. As a famous chef, Pudica had many opportunities to see nobles dining, and few ate as elegantly as Jane.

Yet she still needed to learn dining etiquette. Pudica simply couldn’t understand the world of nobles.

“Thank you.”

Jane finished her greetings and left the dining room.

Immediately, the servants flocked around Pudica, each starting to say something.

They had been glancing at Jane throughout the meal.

“She’s really pretty, isn’t she? I heard rumors that she wasn’t much to look at.”

“It’s not just her looks. Her voice is lovely too.”

“And her movements are so graceful.”

“She even called us by name! Did you hear how she praised each of us? She even overlooked our mistakes! She has a heart of gold.”

Michelle, who had been listening nearby, bit her lower lip hard.

“You don’t know because you haven’t experienced it! She looks that way from a distance. Hmph.”

She suddenly burst out yelling.

“Michelle, come here for a moment.”

Pudica, who had gone into the kitchen, came back out to the banquet hall. Steam seemed to be coming out of his nostrils with each breath.

“The future duchess might be looking for me.”

Michelle slipped away to the kitchen as if fleeing. Things weren’t going according to her plan.

‘It’s easy being a noble. Getting all this praise just for calling someone’s name once.’

Jane was nothing but a fox.

Michelle twisted her lips, remembering the bread and milk that had been left at the door.

‘You managed to make someone care for you in just one day? How do you bewitch people like that?’

Michelle’s plan to find allies who would badmouth Jane with her had completely backfired.

‘I can’t believe she came down so shamelessly. I thought the daughter of a treasonous family would be holed up in her room.’

Michelle scrapped her plan to drive a wedge between Jane and the Hastings household staff.

‘She’s so annoying, really.’

But that doesn’t mean she accepted Jane as her mistress.

Michelle glared at her colleagues who had fallen head over heels for Jane’s appearance, then slammed the dining room door shut as she left.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“I know, right? She’s been badmouthing Miss Jane since yesterday. She’s going to get in big trouble if she keeps that up.”

The maids who roughly knew Michelle’s personality shook their heads.

* * *

Jane had been in a good mood until breakfast.

She had confirmed that the dinner problem from last night was Michelle’s solo act. Not all the Hastings servants disliked her.

This single fact was a great comfort to her.

But the good mood didn’t last long.

There was another mountain to climb after crossing one.

Mrs. Themis’s paddle fell on the back of Jane’s hand. It was already the tenth time.

The back of her hand was red and swollen, but Jane paid no attention to it. All her focus was on the spoon in her hand.

No matter what, she must not spill the soup in the spoon.

Slap.

Another paddle flew, but Jane’s wrist didn’t bend. Jane, maintaining her initial posture of holding the spoon like a statue, brought the spoon to her mouth.

Without fail, Mrs. Themis swung her paddle. This time, the paddle flew towards Jane’s cheek instead of the back of her hand.

It wasn’t a mistake, but intentional. Jane flinched when the paddle hit her cheek, but she only put down the spoon after eating the soup.

“When you pick up a spoon, you should eat quickly. What are you waiting for, taking your sweet time? The chef waiting for your evaluation must be dying of anticipation.”

As if she wouldn’t nag about eating too quickly and having a beggar in her stomach.

Mrs. Themis’s teachings were terrible.

It was incomprehensible why she had once been renowned as an etiquette teacher.

Was it because she taught complete obedience?

Once upon a time—perhaps even now—the first virtue required of a woman was obedience.

To her father before marriage, to her husband after marriage.

Many women strived to acquire this virtue. Women extinguished their own vitality.

That atmosphere had gradually begun to change.

Young ladies who started receiving education wanted to move beyond being trophies that glorified men to become men’s companions.

Coincidentally, this atmosphere overlapped with the period when the Rose Faction began its activities, and the Whitney family had taught Jane in the same way.

Mrs. Themis might believe that her popularity declined because of Mrs. Whitney, but in reality, she had simply failed to adapt to the changing society and became obsolete.

And if Cain was the one who had called her here, his ideology might be worth questioning.

‘Does he want to teach me obedience?’

The same man who once debated with her on various topics including art, society, and politics?

‘Does he want me to become a trophy that glorifies him?’

Jane chuckled wryly.