Chapter 42
He was right.
Now, even if she wanted to back out, she couldn’t.
Whether she liked it or not, he was her husband.
The food in the Principality of Sieff was all astonishing.
Though it was her first time experiencing such flavors, everything suited her palate so well that, after arriving here, Floria quickly gained some weight in her cheeks.
Eventually, unable to contain her curiosity, Floria asked Grace, the head maid, to take her to the kitchen. About ten people stood in the kitchen.
There were several men, and at the center, a plump middle-aged woman wearing an apron was smiling brightly.
“Your Grace, welcome.”
Grace pointed to the woman and introduced her.
“This is Jill. And from here, Peter, John, Billy, and······.”
At that, the woman introduced as Jill waved her hands dismissively.
“Oh, even if you say that, you won’t remember all their names. What’s the point of knowing about the men? Just call them whatever.”
Then Jill stepped forward and approached Floria.
“Your Grace, it’s an honor to meet you. I never expected you to come all the way to the kitchen yourself.”
Floria replied with a smile.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Ma’am? Oh dear, just call me Jill. No need to know the names of the other men.
Ah, it’s so nice to meet you. I honestly thought His Grace would never marry.
He had no interest in women and only went around hunting and to battlefields.
I can’t believe he got married. But truly, Your Grace suits him well. Oh, that man over there is my husband, John. He’s a hopeless drunk every night, but he diligently handles outside work.
I’m Jill, did I mention that? I work in the kitchen. I cook. Oh my, Your Grace, you’re terribly thin.”
While Floria was momentarily bewildered by the rapid-fire speech, Jill grabbed her hand.
“Look at these skinny things.”
She had gained quite a bit of weight since coming here.
However, Jill stroked her hand as if she felt sorry for her.
“Jill······.”
From behind, Grace looked at Jill with an expression of discomfort.
“Your Grace, I apologize. Jill rarely leaves the kitchen, so she’s not well-versed in etiquette.”
“It’s alright.”
Indeed, it was hard to say that Jill’s behavior adhered to the proper etiquette expected towards nobility.
However, Floria found her unreserved demeanor pleasant.
When she was in Altomole, all the employees pitied her. Here, everyone was reserved.
Having someone approach her so openly was a first, except for her nanny, Catherine, who had cared for her since childhood.
“I’m comfortable with this kind of treatment.”
“Still, to act this way towards Your Grace······.”
Cutting off Grace’s words, Jill continued.
“Oh my, please come by often, Your Grace. I get lonely.”
She couldn’t help but smile along with Jill’s bright grin.
After that, Floria frequently visited the kitchen.
It wasn’t a common practice for a Grand Duchess, but no one in the principality minded, and Aidan didn’t either.
As she had felt before, the kitchen of Sieff Castle was filled with things that would make any woman’s eyes light up.
Once a week, various ingredients arrived from the village, and each time, vegetables and fruits she had never seen before were delivered.
Yesterday, upon hearing that ingredients were arriving, she went to see them and was amazed by the abundance of food. Moreover, Jill’s cooking skills were excellent.
Even now, the pastry Jill made was melting in her mouth.
“I like Your Grace.”
Jill spoke up.
“Your Grace is kind and beautiful, but more than that, I can feel that you’re warm-hearted.
Since Your Grace arrived, His Grace has definitely changed.”
“What influence could I possibly have?”
At Floria’s words, Jill put on a stern expression.
“No, Your Grace. I’m right. His Grace rarely smiled since he was young and always focused on one thing. It’s understandable.
The late Grand Duke was always cold towards him.
He believed it was His Grace’s fault that the late Grand Duchess passed away.”
It was said that when Aidan was born, his mother died from a difficult labor.
“I see······.”
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