Chapter 66
Lilia Beloa arrived a little earlier than the appointed time.
The moment the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, Elysia went out to the entrance herself.
Under normal circumstances, Uncle Bernard would greet the guests first, while Elysia waited elegantly in the drawing room.
But this time, she rushed out exactly like someone waiting for a truly close friend.
I was watching her discreetly from near the kitchen entrance.
Of course, I wasn’t watching to observe the greeting. As the chef, I was checking the guest’s condition.
Whether she was nervous, tired, hungry, or already emotionally conflicted before even sitting at the table.
I had to know such things to prepare good food.
It absolutely wasn’t because I was curious about the original novel heroine’s face.
The carriage door opened, and Lilia Beloa stepped out.
She was a woman wearing a bright cream-colored dress, the sort who could better be called beautiful than pretty.
She wasn’t extravagantly dressed, but she had the distinctive air of someone who naturally drew the eye.
Her eyes were gentle, and when she smiled, it felt as though the air around her brightened a little.
‘Ah, so this is why she’s the original novel’s heroine.’
She wasn’t the kind of beauty who overwhelmed people outright. She was the type who made you want to look after her when she was beside you, until you came to your senses and realized you had already fallen for her.
She had exactly the sort of face that made the male leads in romance-fantasy novels trail after her one after another.
And they really were trailing after her.
Men stepped down behind Lilia.
One was a young man with an aristocratic, cold impression.
Judging by his clothes and bearing, he was likely from a high-ranking noble family in the west.
One was a tall, broad-shouldered knight.
They said he was from the north, and the moment he stepped out of the carriage, his eyes moved first, scanning the surroundings.
Another was a young mage connected to the Magic Tower. He reached out when it looked as though Lilia might stumble, only to be checked by the other two men simultaneously.
The last was the heir to a merchant house. He tried to soften the atmosphere with a smile, but the rings on his fingers and the quality of his clothes spoke for his wealth in his place.
This was an excellent lineup.
It was the kind of lineup that warmed me as a merchant.
The moment Elysia saw Lilia, her smile grew even brighter.
“Lilia.”
“Elysia!”
The moment Lilia stepped down from the carriage, she took Elysia’s hand.
“It’s been so long. I’ve kept receiving your letters, but you look much better in person. I heard you were doing well, but I was still worried about you for quite some time.”
Elysia held Lilia’s hand tightly and smiled.
“I missed you too. I’m sorry for making you worry all this time. But don’t worry today—eat without worrying and enjoy your meal before you leave. I’m treating you.”
Lilia’s eyes immediately went round.
“No, I’m here as a paying guest who made a proper reservation too. How can I let you pay for my share? I’ve heard how expensive Maison Monbel is.”
“We’re friends. You’re the friend I could rely on most when things were hardest. What kind of person would I be if I couldn’t even buy that friend a meal?”
Elysia said brightly,
“Of course, the rest of your party will have to pay for themselves.”
The men’s expressions shifted subtly at the same time.
I watched from the kitchen entrance and nodded.
They began guiding the guests into the drawing room.
Uncle Bernard had arranged the seating perfectly.
Lilia and Elysia sat side by side, while the men were naturally positioned around them.
They couldn’t sit facing one another and keep exchanging glares, but they could clearly see who reacted first whenever Lilia smiled or spoke.
It was very clever.
I returned to the kitchen.
“Let’s begin.”
Marie immediately began preparing the plates.
“Is Lady Lilia pretty?”
“Yes.”
“Prettier than me?”
Why was she suddenly asking that?
“She’s not my type.”
“What is your type, Kyle?”
“Get back to work.”
Marie snorted softly and wiped down the plates.
The amuse-bouche was ‘A Greeting from an Old Friend.’
We sliced fruit from the Monbel garden very thinly and chilled it, then served it with small pieces of soft cheese from the west.
We used just enough herb oil to leave its aroma behind, and kept the acidity gentle enough that Lilia wouldn’t find it overwhelming.
I didn’t overdecorate the plate.
Since we’d called it a friend’s table, making the first course too elaborate would only feel awkward.
Marie carried the plate out.
I watched the guests’ reactions through the gap in the door.
Marie explained it particularly well today.
“This is the first course. We’ve prepared fruit from the Monbel garden with young cheese from the west. It’s a friend’s greeting commemorating a long friendship.”
Lilia glanced at Elysia after hearing that.
“Elysia, you prepared something like this too?”
Elysia smiled.
“I didn’t make it. Our chef, Kyle, did. But I gave him the concept. I wanted you to eat comfortably today.”
Lilia picked up her fork, looking a little touched, and ate the first piece.
Her expression gradually softened.
“It’s delicious. It’s light, and somehow it puts me at ease.”
Good. Lilia’s side was a success.
The problem was the men.
The cold-looking young noble spoke first.
“Lady Monbel’s hospitality is remarkably thoughtful. To think you prepared a meal like this for Miss Lilia—we’re not imposing by coming along, are we?”
On the surface, it was a polite remark.
But its true meaning was clear.
I’m someone who cares about Lilia.
Then the second son of the northern knightly family spoke in a low voice.
“Since a meal is meant to be shared, saying we followed you isn’t quite right. If Miss Lilia can eat comfortably, that’s enough.”
The young mage gazed at the fruit on the plate as he spoke.
“It’s interesting that the fruit was sliced so thinly and brought to the proper temperature. If you took Lady Lilia’s tastes into account, then perhaps the aroma of the next course has been designed to be gentle as well.”
The heir to the merchant house cut in with a smile.
“You’re all taking this far too seriously from the very first course. Before Miss Lilia starts feeling pressured, shouldn’t we begin by saying it tastes good?”
Lilia smiled awkwardly.
Elysia watched her and casually picked up her tea.
I watched the scene from the kitchen and felt pleased.
Very good.
The battle of wits had already begun.
The first course was meant for Lilia, but the men were interpreting its meaning in their own ways.
Who was more thoughtful, who was more considerate, and who understood Lilia’s tastes best.
They hadn’t paid anything yet, but the competition had begun.
Now all I had to do was make them pay.
The second course was a clear soup.
I added just a tiny amount of my beloved MSG.
I kept it clear and warm without overwhelming Lilia, while making sure the flavor lingered on the finish.
I placed a thin membrane over the soup to trap the herbal aroma.
It was a light magical cooking technique that released the fragrance when touched by a spoon.
This time, Uncle Bernard went out personally instead of Marie.
“This is the second course. We’ve combined warm broth with the fragrance of the Monbel herb garden. When you put in your spoon, the aroma will open first.”
The young mage’s eyes immediately lit up.
“It’s an aroma-preservation membrane.”
The cold-looking noble turned toward Lilia and said,
“This suits Miss Lilia better than strong aromas. Rather than pushing its way in, it feels as though the fragrance waits, then opens.”
The northern knight quietly drank his soup, then said,
“It’s warm. Drinking something like this during a northern winter would help one endure for a long time.”
The heir to the merchant house smiled.
“You’re all interpreting it in your own ways. I simply find it delicious. You feel the same, don’t you, Miss Lilia?”
Lilia took a sip of soup and smiled faintly.
“Yes. I like it because it’s warm.”
That one remark changed the men’s mood again.
I stifled a laugh in the kitchen.
They reacted whenever Lilia said she liked something.
I was a man myself, but men became remarkably stupid once they started a one-sided love affair.
I could milk them for all they were worth.
At that moment, Elysia quietly rose and entered the kitchen.
It was natural, since her role as hostess required her to keep going back and forth.
The moment the kitchen door closed, the corners of her lips curled up.
“It’s begun.”
“I saw.”
“Lilia’s eating comfortably. The men already look as though each of them thinks he understands her best.”
“Then we’ll make the first extra offer.”
I took out a small card I had prepared in advance.
Special Offer for Companions.
[Please choose one flavor you would like added to Lady Lilia’s main course. The selected suggestion will be reflected in the main sauce, while the suggestions not selected may also be prepared as small accompaniments.]
Elysia read the wording and smiled brightly.
“This is so wicked.”
“You said we should squeeze them for all they’re worth.”
“Perfect.”
“Each suggestion comes with an additional charge. The one reflected in the main course will cost the most, and there’s a separate charge for reflecting the others in the accompaniments.”
“What about Lilia?”
“Free.”
“Perfect.”
Elysia took the card and went back out into the drawing room.
I immediately began preparing the next course.
I had Thomas check the fish’s temperature and assigned Nina to the accompanying vegetables.
Estelle was checking the condition of the aroma-preservation membrane and the chilled cream for dessert.
Marie started straining to listen at the door, but I caught her.
“Marie, get to work.”
“The mind games are fun.”
“If the cooking falls behind, the mind games won’t matter because everything will be ruined.”
“All right.”
Elysia’s voice drifted faintly from the drawing room.
“I’m thinking of adding a special selection to today’s main course. If each of you proposes a flavor that would suit Miss Lilia, we can incorporate one of them into the main sauce and prepare the rest as small accompaniments as well. Of course, since they require extra care to prepare, there will be an additional charge.”
After a brief silence, the men responded almost simultaneously.
Just as expected.
The noble young man suggested a delicate wine sauce suited to Lilia, while the northern knight proposed a warm, hearty game-meat sauce.
The young mage suggested a magical herb sauce, and the heir to the merchant house proposed adding a bright flavor with southern fruit and spices.
None of them backed down.
Lilia looked flustered, while Elysia smiled.
A short while later, Elysia came back into the kitchen.
She set down the card and said,
“They’ll do all of them.”
I stopped what I was doing.
“All of them?”
“Yes. When one of them asked why they should choose only one, they asked us to serve each of their suggestions at least as an accompaniment. And because they were worried Lilia might feel uncomfortable, they dressed it all up as a celebration for a friend.”
I was silent for a moment.
“That’s good.”
“Yes. It is.”
“What about the extra charges?”
Elysia smiled brightly.
“Three times the original estimate.”
I quietly nodded.
As I melted butter in a pan, I said,
“Then we’ll redesign the main. We’ll spread the basic sauce gently over Lady Lilia’s plate and place the four suggestions separately as small accompaniments. There’s no need to make anyone feel they weren’t chosen. Instead, we just need to give them the illusion that all four of them did something for Lady Lilia on a single plate.”
Elysia’s eyes gleamed.
“An illusion?”
“An experience.”
“Yes. An experience.”
Marie shook her head beside us.
“You two are both truly awful.”
“We haven’t fleeced your friend.”
“That’s even scarier.”
She might have had a point.
But the restaurant was doing just fine.
In the drawing room, Lilia was laughing with her old friend, while the male lead candidates each tried to prove their thoughtfulness in their own way.
Elysia kept going back and forth between the drawing room and the kitchen to attend to the guests, while I turned those acts of consideration into dishes one by one in the kitchen.
And each time, the additional charges rose.
The main course hadn’t even been served yet.
And yet the profits from today’s meal had already far exceeded our projections.