Chapter 31
“What exactly do you think you’re doing? I see you haven’t even finished preparing the dishes for the guests. And…”
Segleninde glanced at Cynthia. She realized the cooks had been frightened not by her, but by Segleninde standing behind her, and felt somewhat deflated.
“…And to behave so rudely in front of the lady of the house. How should you be punished for this?”
Grrr, grrrrr… grrk…!
“I won’t listen to excuses. If you fulfill your duties now, I’ll let it go. But since the lady of the house is hungry, serve her a meal. And you’d best put your utmost sincerity and effort into it if you want to be forgiven.”
At Segleninde’s cold command, the Butcher Cooks bowed their heads again and again, then hurried away. Even as they moved off, they kept glancing nervously at Cynthia and whispered among themselves.
A little later, the Butcher Cooks seated Cynthia and Segleninde at the table.
Now completely changed in demeanor, the cooks treated Cynthia with extreme courtesy and served a variety of luxurious dishes with the utmost politeness. The Ghost Rats, avoiding the cooks’ notice, brought Cynthia the foodstuffs they’d found in the kitchen.
As she tucked away the food the rats had brought into her inventory, Cynthia suddenly remembered what the main food source of the mansion’s creatures was according to the game’s setting… and her appetite abruptly vanished. But that only lasted a moment, as Segleninde, sitting across from her, spoke up.
“Grilled beef, lamb chops, roast turkey, chicken dishes. These are all what would have been served at tonight’s banquet. Hm. At least their skill is as good as ever.”
Fortunately, everything he listed was made from ingredients she recognized. In fact, she was so hungry that she couldn’t afford to be picky anymore.
She immediately began to eat.
“Thank you for the meal!”
She would have been resentful if she hadn’t.
The white bread was so soft it was like biting into cotton, and it was still warm, as if freshly baked. Spreading jam on it filled her mouth with bliss.
When she clumsily cut the meat with her knife, she was suddenly reminded of Melissa, who would always urge her to eat more. She felt a pang of guilt, but that didn’t stop her from continuing to eat.
She was a bit concerned about the source of the meat, but as it tasted just like beef, she didn’t dwell on it. The juicy, tender steak soothed her twisted stomach and reignited her appetite.
Before she knew it, Cynthia was gnawing on a chicken drumstick with one hand and stabbing a whole steak with her fork in the other, taking big bites. Popping a spoonful of pomegranate seeds into her mouth refreshed her palate with a clean, bright flavor.
It was only belatedly that she realized her behavior was more like that of a vagrant than a noble young lady.
Just then, Segleninde, looking dumbfounded, commented,
“I’m not going to steal your food, so eat slowly. I can’t tell if you’re really my fiancée or a thief who came to rob my kitchen.”
‘Maybe I really should have just thrown this guy out as bait earlier.’
She must have been so hungry her brain stopped working. She’d thought he was unusually close with the Butcher Cooks, but in the end, it was just a standard employer-employee relationship with a strict hierarchy. It was a typically 21st-century, democratic, Korean misunderstanding.
At least now, as her stomach filled, it was as if she were finally getting enough oxygen. Her head was finally clearing up.
It seemed it had been a long time since the body of ‘Cynthia Obel’ had a proper meal. Now that her stomach was full, her mood was improving, too.
Segleninde, noticing her much softer expression compared to before, let out a wry chuckle.
“Isn’t this just an ordinary meal? I don’t see what there is to get so excited about.”
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