Chapter 59
I heard through one of Count Klever’s men that the footage of me getting angry, swearing, and tearing the restaurant apart had been recorded and edited.
It was already being sold to nobles who had placed advance orders, and they said they would send one our way soon.
At the same time, they sent over 40 percent of the proceeds from the first batch of advance orders. Two boxes of gold coins arrived.
Elysia beamed when she saw them.
“Here, I’ll divide one of these boxes among the Maison Monbel staff as bonuses.”
“Long live Lady Elysia!!!”
“From this moment on, I will begin worshiping Lady Elysia…”
“But I’m the one who earned it…?”
The other staff members jeered when I complained.
“Boo—Kyle the cheapskate.”
“You’re going to be rich once you get married anyway!”
Marie shot Baron, who had said the last thing, a terrifying glare. Baron backed away for a moment, then slipped.
I had no idea what he meant.
I have no plans to get married, though.
Anyway, a few days later, another invitation to a social gathering arrived from House Reinfeldt.
“Does House Reinfeldt do nothing but stuff themselves and hold salons?”
“Kyle, watch your language…”
There had been a request for me to attend again, but this time, I decided not to go.
The reason was simple.
“The head chef belongs in the kitchen. What would happen to the guests who came that day to eat my food if I weren’t there?”
Marie nodded.
“Can we really send Lady Elysia alone?”
“Uncle Bernard is going with her. And today we have two Marquess Courses and three dessert add-ons. If I’m gone, you’ll have even more work to do.”
“That’s true.”
Before leaving, Elysia stopped by the kitchen entrance for a moment.
She was dressed much more formally than usual today.
Judging by the navy dress she had bought recently and the platinum adornments she wore, this seemed to be more than just a social gathering. It was probably a chance to show that House Monbel was doing well now.
“I’ll be going.”
“Yes. Have a safe trip.”
Elysia smiled.
“Kyle, don’t torment the kids in the kitchen too much, either.”
“I’ll take it easy.”
Marie muttered as she chopped onions while wearing swimming goggles.
“Easy by Kyle’s standards, I’m sure.”
“Marie.”
“What?”
“Do you want to have those swimming goggles confiscated?”
“Changing the subject, are you?”
Elysia laughed at the sight and left.
“You’ll be the talk of the gathering today.”
“Are they saying good things?”
“Interesting things.”
That was even worse.
#
By the time Elysia arrived at the marquess’s residence, people had already gathered.
The marchioness came out to greet Elysia.
“Welcome, Lady Monbel. The guest of honor has arrived.”
“Thank you for inviting me, Marchioness. Kyle is busy running the restaurant today, so unfortunately, he couldn’t come with me.”
“What a shame. Still, it’s admirable to see him devoted to his true calling.”
The purpose of today’s gathering was for everyone to watch the Maison Monbel restaurant consulting footage together.
If Kyle had come, it could have been called a watch party.
The official title was rather impressive.
「Maison Monbel Restaurant Consulting Record: The Swan Beneath the Crown Edition」
But not a single noble called it that.
They all called it this:
「Kyle Pratt’s Devil’s Kitchen」
It was also the nickname Count Klever had given it.
Laughter erupted throughout the salon the moment the footage began.
It was the scene where Kyle opened the restaurant door, smelled the air, and failed to keep his expression under control.
“That expression is truly priceless.”
“He was already angry from the start.”
“It’s even funnier because he’s trying to hold it in.”
Elysia quietly watched the screen with a teacup in hand.
Soon, the scene appeared where Kyle saw the name of the dish on the menu and asked whether it had received imperial approval.
Someone covered their mouth with a fan.
“His answer that he would change it to The Grand Duke’s Tears was remarkable too.”
“If the Grand Duke of the North heard about this, I feel he’d throw the restaurant owner into a snow-covered wasteland in the middle of a blizzard.”
“Still, it’s better than His Majesty.”
“Does His Majesty already know?”
“Who knows…”
And then, at last, that scene appeared.
Kyle cut into the cold fish, fell silent for a moment, and then looked toward the other side of the dining hall.
“Miss Marie, come on down here.”
The salon erupted once more.
“So when he says that, it means it’s over?”
“That must be a death sentence for the restaurant owner.”
The laughter briefly stopped when Berman said something implying that Marie knew nothing about fine dining.
Then Kyle rose from his seat.
“No, fuck this.”
The profanity rang through the elegant salon.
And yet, no one took offense.
Instead, everyone laughed as if they had been waiting for it.
Kyle stopped a member of the dining-room staff.
He asked what they had been taught to say when a guest pointed out undercooked food.
He went straight to the guests and asked what they had eaten after waiting for an hour.
Then he entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
“Fuck, is this supposed to be a kitchen? It’s a morgue!”
This time, the entire salon truly burst out laughing.
Even the marchioness covered her face with a fan as she laughed.
“If I saw a kitchen like that, even I would be angry.”
“Would you say something like that, Marchioness?”
“I would call the manager. Kyle Pratt would shout.”
Count Klever quietly watched the people’s reactions.
At first, he had thought the nobles would buy the footage simply to laugh, chat, and enjoy themselves, or to learn about modern restaurant management.
But now he understood.
What people enjoyed wasn’t the consulting.
It was the chef speaking for the customers and employees who had endured a run-down restaurant and its shameless owner.
And, in the end, it was the scene where he turned the kitchen upside down.
This wasn’t something only nobles would watch.
Count Klever saw the servants by the wall quietly trying to suppress their laughter.
What if he could sell it to commoners too?
What if he could play short clips in inns, teahouses, and taverns in the market districts?
Even without knowing fine dining, anyone could recognize spoiled fish and a dirty kitchen.
An angry chef beating some bizarre person to a pulp would be entertaining to anyone.
“Fun really doesn’t care about social status.”
He muttered it very quietly.
He already looked like he was working through his next business venture.
As soon as the gathering ended, he began planning how to sell the footage to taverns throughout the imperial capital.
To bring this up with Elysia, he summoned an attendant and ordered them to draw up a document immediately.
#
When Elysia returned late that night, I was washing the last pot.
It was a little strange for the head chef to be washing dishes, but Marie had clutched her stomach and said she wasn’t feeling well, so I decided to take over.
Come to think of it, there had been a bit of a smell of blood. Had she injured herself somewhere? I had no idea.
“How was it?”
Elysia replied while taking off her gloves.
“It was fun. Even the nobles found it hugely entertaining.”
I stopped washing.
“What’s so fun about watching that?”
“At social gatherings, the only things that are even remotely entertaining are balls and poetry readings, and this is much more fun than either.”
“Balls are fun once you dance, though, aren’t they?”
“Once you finish dancing, you just talk about the same things with the same people.”
“What about poetry readings?”
“No matter who reads, everyone has to say it was wonderful.”
I was silent for a moment.
Elysia shrugged.
“Duels aren’t held at every gathering, either.”
“Why are duels coming up here?”
“It is fun watching nobles get angry over something trivial and draw their swords. Even that was banned by His Majesty right after he ascended the throne, though, so I suppose we won’t be seeing it for a while.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Actually, I’m a little disappointed because duels are fun. But I guess His Majesty didn’t want nobles dying over pointless things. Like that baron who came here last time and ate raw fish—there are some crazies who have nothing but duels in their heads.”
I looked at her quietly.
“So the nobles see me taking down a restaurant owner as a substitute for duels?”
“Something like that.”
She was far too honest.
Elysia said, suppressing a laugh:
“Still, they weren’t making fun of you. They said it was satisfying.”
“I even cursed him out while taking him down.”
“That too.”
I poured myself a glass of cold water and drank it.
Elysia leaned against me and added,
“Count Klever seems to be thinking of selling the footage to commoners too.”
“Why would commoners watch me get angry?”
“Because it’s fun.”
“Is that all?”
“Because it makes money.”
That was just like Count Klever.
Elysia said with an extremely satisfied expression,
“Now that he can sell it to commoners too, it’ll be even more profitable. Kyle, you’re really going to become famous, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t want to become famous like this…”