Morning came to the Viscount Aradis’ estate. Last night, the viscount couple and their daughter had attended a banquet at the royal palace and returned very late. Because of this, the servants moved as cautiously as possible.

The Viscount and Viscountess Aradis were known for their fiery tempers. It was clear as day that if they made a loud noise and woke them up on a day like this, they would be severely scolded.

The servants thought it was rather fortunate and, like their masters, did not rise from their beds until late.

In other noble houses, this would be cause for a stern reprimand from the butler or head maid, but not here. The viscount had long ago dismissed high-ranking servants like butlers and head maids, unable to afford their wages.

The only people left were all temporary servants. Even then, they could not afford to employ them generously and were barely managing with the minimum number of staff.

For this reason, Ael was busy in the kitchen alone from early morning.

A month ago, her father had fired the chef for failing to prepare a perfect dinner.

It was natural that he couldn’t prepare the banquet. After all, they had brought in someone who had worked in an ordinary restaurant, not a noble household kitchen.

Moreover, there was a shortage of food ingredients.

So it was only natural that he couldn’t create a banquet at the level of other noble houses.

“Do you think I have nowhere else to work but here? I only came because you were pathetically calling yourselves nobles, thinking I might add it to my resume! Forget it! I was already planning to quit anyway.”

The chef packed his belongings and left ostentatiously. He didn’t forget to deliberately spit in the middle of the entrance on his way out.

How the Viscount Aradis had raged at that sight, shouting to catch that bastard.

It was an impossible task. There were no sturdy male servants left in the viscount’s house who could exert such force.

Even if there were, there was no reason to catch the chef as he hadn’t committed any crime.

With the chef’s departure, meals at the mansion immediately became a problem.

The viscount ordered Jena, a newly arrived maid, to take charge of all kitchen duties.

Along with the threat that if she didn’t do it properly, she would be thrown out immediately without any severance pay.

Jena’s face turned pale. It was no wonder, as she was a maid who had just come up from the countryside and entered here as her first job.

There was no way Jena, who had never properly done kitchen work other than cleaning up food waste, could single-handedly prepare meals for the viscount couple and others.

Eventually, Ael, unable to bear it any longer, said to the viscount,

“Father, may I help Jena?”

At those words, Viscount Aradis roared,

“If you do such menial work, what will the remaining servants say about me! How far do you intend to disgrace me!”

He was merely angry because he feared his own dignity would be diminished, not particularly out of concern for Ael.

Ael knew this fact better than anyone else, so this time she clung to her stepmother.

“Mother, you know how particularly sensitive Elize is about food. I don’t think Jena will be able to cater to Elize’s delicate palate well. The social season is about to start, so we need to pay even more attention to Elize’s meals…”

“Yes, you’re right. Our Elize is a bit of a sensitive child, isn’t she? I don’t think that country bumpkin Jena will be able to satisfy Elize, who has grown up eating only the finest things. So if you don’t mind, I think it would be alright for you to help. Don’t you agree, dear?”

The stepmother, who until just moments ago had been looking at Ael as if to say how could a noble possibly talk about doing work, changed her expression when Ael mentioned the name of her half-sister, Elize.

She then glared at her husband as if urging him to give permission quickly.

“If it’s for Elize’s sake, ahem. I suppose it can’t be helped. It’s only natural for you to take care of your sister, isn’t it?”

Even the father, who had been shouting at the top of his lungs, lost some of his momentum when Elize’s name came up. It was only natural.

Elize was the beloved daughter of the viscount couple, and also the one on whom the future of the viscount’s family rested.

Elize, born to Viscount Aradis and his new wife, was a being who had been acclaimed as the flower of high society, gaining tremendous popularity as soon as she debuted due to her outstanding beauty from a young age.

Despite their tight finances, the viscount couple did their utmost to surround Elize with the finest things.

Not just clothes and accessories, but even the smallest stationery item that Elize touched.

It was only natural that Elize’s palate was picky.

Moreover, although they had burst out in anger due to pride, the viscount couple knew well that they didn’t have the money to hire another chef.

And here was Ael, volunteering to do the work herself. Of course, not because of their ‘dire circumstances’ but for her ‘beloved sister’.

“Very well. It’s commendable that you’re trying to be helpful in this way. From now on, you’ll manage the kitchen together with Jena.”

After saying this, the viscount couple returned to their room. From then on, Ael and Jena were put in charge of the kitchen duties together.

While Ael was alone preparing ingredients, adding seasonings to the pot on the fire, and preparing food, the kitchen door opened and Jena, with a flushed face, entered coughing.

“Young miss, why didn’t you wake me up… Let me do this, *cough*. I’ll do it…”

“I deliberately didn’t wake you up so you could sleep, why are you up? Go back and rest a bit more.”

“I can’t. How can you do this alone… *cough*! *cough*!”

Jena, who was trying to stop Ael, curled up clutching her chest painfully as a fit of coughing erupted. Ael hurriedly ran over and patted Jena’s back. Then Jena muttered in an even more pained voice.

“They say even dogs don’t catch summer colds…”

At those words, Ael couldn’t help but smile. She had been worried because Jena seemed to be in pain, but at least she still had the energy to make such jokes.

“Anyway, go back and rest. What if I catch it too?”

“That’s true, but…”

Jena’s eyes wavered, unable to find a proper retort.

“But you can’t do everything alone, young miss. Even if it’s just simple tasks…”

“No, it’s fine today. Father, Mother, and Elize came back late yesterday, remember? The servants who accompanied them to the banquet are all sleeping in today too. So I only need to prepare for the few who are awake.”

“But still…”

It wasn’t wrong. Jena, who was about to say something, instead reddened her eyes and sniffled.

“The masters are really too much. You were invited to yesterday’s banquet too… But they only took young miss Elize… leaving you behind alone…”

Ael smiled bitterly at Jena’s words.

Jena had said she grew up in a family with strong bonds. So she couldn’t understand at all why Ael, who was still family even if she was the daughter of a previous wife, was treated so poorly.

“Jena, at this rate, I’ll have to add nursing you to my tasks. There’s some soup I’ve already prepared, so hurry back with it.”

When Ael spoke deliberately in a cold voice, Jena finally stopped crying, bowed her head apologetically, and returned weakly with her portion of soup.

Ael felt sorry for being cold to the sick child, but if she hadn’t done so, it seemed Jena would have sat crying all day, so it couldn’t be helped.

After Jena left, Ael moved even more busily. Thanks to this, with about an hour left until lunchtime, she had roughly finished preparing not only lunch for the people in the mansion but also dinner preparations.

Ael checked the clock and then fell into thought for a moment. Soon after, as if she had made up her mind, she moved her steps upstairs.

Entering her father’s study on the second floor, Ael walked carefully to avoid making any noise. Anyone who saw her would think she was a thief.

‘It’s no different.’

She was indeed a thief, as she had entered here to steal something.

Ael’s face brightened as she quietly opened the drawer and searched inside. What she was looking for was there.

A rectangular identification card about half the size of her palm.

Ael put it in her pocket and hurriedly left the study. Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone else in the hallway as Ael returned to her room.

Back in her room, Ael quickly changed her clothes.

It was neat and tidy but modest outerwear that a home tutor in a noble household might wear.

Clothes that would make no one think she was a young lady from a noble family if she went out wearing them.

After dressing, Ael slipped out of the mansion through the back door via the kitchen.

‘It’s 11 o’clock now.’

Her parents and Elize had returned home when it was almost dawn. Unless something special happened, they would surely not wake up until late afternoon.

‘I can go and come back before then.’

Ael walked quickly to the main road and hailed a passing carriage.

“To the Academy library! Please hurry!”

“Yes, yes, understood.”

The coachman started the carriage with a not-at-all reassuring reply.