The castle, which I had reached while dragging my exhausted body, was bustling with activity. Puzzled by the somewhat chaotic atmosphere, I dismounted, and Robert hurried out to greet me. Curtis narrowed his eyes at the commotion. Maids and servants were rushing busily toward some unknown destination.
"What is going on here?"
"It would be faster for you to see for yourself, my lord."
Smiling as if he had expected me to ask, Robert led him to the large kitchen. The kitchen counters were surrounded by people. As Curtis approached, the maids and servants who recognized him quietly cleared a path.
"Alice, have you sliced these pine mushrooms? And did you remove the roots from the shimeji mushrooms?"
"Yes, I did. What should I do next?"
"Shred them thinly. Slice the green onions the same way, but at an angle."
There were three people at the counter. Alice, a kitchen assistant, and Kesi, a parlor maid. The one directing the cooking amidst the two seasoned maids was none other than Roxana.
"I’ve trimmed the chicken thighs and seasoned them with salt and pepper. What do I do now?"
"Melt butter in a thick pot and sear them until they are golden brown. I’m simmering the chicken stock, so please start the beef stock in a little while, Kesi."
Under the nimble fingertips of the three women, the ingredients were being prepped and brought to a refined completion. As the two dishes cooked, the kitchen filled with an appetizing aroma.
Even though Curtis was watching, the three women didn't even glance at him, focusing entirely on their cooking. Watching the food come together step by step, Curtis tilted his head.
"What are you doing right now?"
"We are preparing a meal for Lady Frey. Since she keeps skipping her meals, I decided to try cooking for her myself."
"For Frey?"
She was a child who wouldn't touch a single bite, no matter what fine food or childhood favorite desserts were offered to her. Curtis let out a scoff, crossed his arms, and waited for the dish to be finished. He had waited with a mix of doubt and expectation, wondering how impressive the food could be, but what was completed was a humble meal.
"What is this? The young lady is going to eat something like this?"
"She won't even touch all sorts of luxurious food, yet she's expected to eat that?"
The watching maids and servants whispered in disbelief. Regardless, Roxana proudly introduced the two finished dishes.
"It is mushroom stew and chicken stew with lentils."
"Do you really think Frey will eat this?"
Amidst the whispering, Curtis, who had been silent, spoke slowly. At the same time, the kitchen fell quiet.
"Yes."
"And what reason do I have to feed my sister your cooking, of all things?"
At his calm question, a memory suddenly surfaced in Roxana’s mind: the words he had said while brushing away the ointment.
"I don't need it. How do I know if you've mixed poison into it?"
It was a valid suspicion and a reasonable question. However, a corner of her heart ached painfully. Hiding her emotions with effort, Roxana replied calmly.
"You watched the entire cooking process, so you know. If the young lady does not eat both dishes, I will go hungry until tomorrow."
"Me too."
"I will go hungry as well."
Kesi and Alice chimed in, not wanting to be left behind. Roxana smiled, looking at them in turn with gratitude.
* * *
It was a situation where she had nothing to lose. With Curtis’s tacit permission, Roxana presented both dishes to Frey. Before she could even open the lids, Frey frowned and refused.
"I told you I wouldn't eat."
"You’ve only had one meal since yesterday. You must eat at least a little."
"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to?"
"Then please, just smell it once. The three of us worked hard to make it."
At Roxana’s repeated request, Robert held his breath. Given the young lady’s temperament, she detested being told things twice. It was certain she would flip the table, claiming it was insolent. But nothing happened. She merely turned her head away sharply.
Curtis was just as surprised by the unexpected reaction. Seeing Frey’s calmed demeanor, Roxana smiled and slowly opened the lids of the dishes. The scents of chicken stock, mushrooms, and green onions wafted up fragrantly. Frey, who had seemed determined not to even look, suddenly turned her head back at the scent drifting toward her nose and sniffed.
"This is..."
"One is mushroom stew, and the other is chicken stew with lentils."
Roxana, who had introduced the dishes calmly, placed a spoon in Frey’s hand.
"I thought that perhaps greasy, heavily spiced food didn't agree with your stomach. I prepared a stew with a soft texture that is easy to digest. Please try one bite. If it doesn't suit you, you may send it away immediately."
Instead of answering, Frey fumbled and took a spoonful of the stew. As she swallowed it carefully, a flood of memories rushed in. She had wondered why the scent felt so familiar; it was food she had eaten before. It was the stew the nuns often made for her when she stayed at the convent.
"Stop crying now and try eating this, Frey."
It was a kind meal that smelled of sunshine. A mushroom stew with a soft texture, and a stew made with chicken that the Mother Superior, who forbade the taking of life, had traveled to a distant market to purchase.
A single tear rolled down her cheek. Even after her brother, who had gone on a long journey, returned and she became a lady of the Marquess of Russell’s house again, it was a taste she had never been able to forget.
The castle was affluent, but it was different from the convent. Life in the castle had changed everything. Luxurious meals using high-end ingredients, a life of wearing expensive dresses and sleeping in a soft bed. These were all things she had truly missed, but the three nuns who used to embrace her were not here.
"Frey?"
At Frey’s sudden tears, Curtis, who had been watching from a step behind, approached.
"Are you in pain?"
"No, Brother..."
Frey wiped her tears with the back of her hand and shook her head.
"It’s just so delicious. It’s really delicious."
Frey scraped the bowl clean with her spoon. Until both stews were completely gone.
Starting with Roxana’s cooking, Frey began to eat the food she made little by little. As a month passed, her gaunt cheeks began to fill out, and her hands and feet, where the bones had once been visible, began to look healthy. Robert was more pleased than anyone by this change.
"It seems the food was to her liking because it was what she ate back at the convent. It is truly a relief."
"...I suppose so."
Curtis, who had been reviewing tax documents all night, stretched his arms out wide.
"The food Roxana made must have been identical to what Frey ate at Angela Convent."
Robert’s eyes widened at the unexpected remark. Curtis had never once brought up the past until now. Since he had only heard bits and pieces from Derek, he became intrigued.
"Did she stay at the convent for a long time?"
"No. I left shortly after dropping Frey off."
"I see."
"I abandoned my blind sister and left, so she has every right to resent me."
Curtis muttered, rubbing his stiff neck. Warm early spring sunlight was pouring in behind his back. Hearing a burst of laughter, he turned around to see the maids entering with water basins.
Among the young women wearing similar bonnets, his gray eyes pinpointed one woman precisely. Unlike the other maids who subtly showed their bangs or wisps of hair, Roxana had tucked her hair away into her bonnet with almost ascetic discipline. Her eyebrows, lowered over her fair and neat forehead, were long and tidy. She wore a faint smile on her lips, as if she had heard a funny joke.
Fixing Frey’s picky eating was something no skilled chef or seasoned maid had been able to achieve. Since she had accomplished such a remarkable feat, he had expected her to demand something. He didn't expect her to dare ask for forgiveness, but perhaps to be sent back to the convent or moved to an easier job. Yet, she served Frey silently. Without a single complaint or request.
While his eyes obsessively followed her, Robert, startled, denied his words.
"Please do not say such things. Are you not running around day and night to reclaim and stabilize the territory? Lady Frey will understand someday as well."
"Will she?"
She was finally eating, but that was all. Frey was still like a wild cat. She suspected and pushed others away, and showed aggression if anyone tried to feed her medicine. This was no exception for Roxana, or even for her brother, Curtis.
"That aside, is there anything to report?"
"Ah. This is it."
Blinking for a moment as if he had forgotten, Robert handed over what he had brought. It was an invitation in a luxurious envelope, stamped with a familiar seal. As soon as he confirmed the seal, Curtis furrowed his brows.
"It’s from Baroness Philomena."
It was an invitation to a banquet to be held in ten days.
The host, Baroness Philomena, was one of the most prominent figures in Southern high society. This was thanks to the vast fortune left by her late husband and the extensive network of connections she had built because of it. The hobby of this noblewoman, who had plenty of time and money, was matchmaking. There were ten couples who had married under her arrangement. Curtis twisted his lips at the invitation, which clearly carried a specific intent.
"This matchmaker lady is desperate to invite me."
"Connecting the bonds between men and women is a sacred task."
"That’s just something a romantic chasing dreams would say."
Rolling his eyes, Curtis crumpled the invitation and tossed it into the ashes of the fireplace. Watching that scene with regret, Robert’s eyes sparkled with a sudden thought.
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