Chapter 101: Bursting with Frustration
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Bursting with Frustration
“Sir Knight, I believe I’ve lost my way.”
Janet looked up at the knight before her, her innocent eyes shimmering.
“Would you be so kind as to escort me back to the annex?”
She was standing on a small path a short distance from the main castle, wearing a dress that elegantly bared her shoulders. The knight, who had been stopped mid-stride, let his gaze flicker over her briefly.
‘I knew it. How could these Northern hicks resist a sight like this?’
She waited for him to eagerly offer his arm.
“Who gave you permission to leave the designated path?”
Janet flinched at the knight’s icy tone.
“Did you not receive a briefing?”
“I… I don’t quite recall…”
The knight leaned in, his expression grim.
“The paths starting with red tiles are off-limits to visitors. Return to the main road immediately.”
Her face flushed with humiliation, Janet hurried back toward the path. When she glanced back, she saw the knight glaring at her with terrifying eyes, making sure she actually returned to the main thoroughfare. She had no choice but to quicken her pace.
‘How annoying!’
As she walked along one of the few permitted paths, Janet swallowed her rage. She didn’t know how many times she had failed already.
It was as if these Northern men had no concept of etiquette. Even though a lady was asking for directions, they all treated her like a spy, acting prickly and avoiding her at every turn. Since her ambitious plan to use her "feminine wiles" wasn't working, she had no way to move on to the next stage.
‘Find out exactly what is being discussed when the Rondoris delegation arrives.’
That was Marquis Frais’s demand. The official purpose of the Rondoris delegation’s visit, as reported to the Imperial Court, was "negotiating mutual trade," but the Marquis was certain there was another reason hidden beneath the surface.
In exchange for the information, she had been promised a marriage match with a wealthy family of at least viscount rank. As the eldest daughter of a poor barony whose entire estate would pass to her uncle the moment her father died, it was an offer too generous to refuse.
But once she actually arrived at the Grand Duke’s Castle, everything felt hopeless.
‘What am I supposed to do in this massive castle without a single soul to help me!’
— “Whether you bribe a maid or blackmail Annette, make sure you secure an internal mole to leak information.”
The Marquis had spoken as if blackmailing Annette would be the easy route, but from what Janet could see, the name "Frais" hadn't carried any weight with the young lady for quite some time. To make matters worse, the Marchioness, who had come with her, was utterly useless.
Janet had thought about sneaking a peek at the training grounds, but because that arrogant young master had snuck in there alone once, the security had become even tighter.
‘Fine. If that’s how it’s going to be, I’ll just have to seduce a knight or an administrator and get them on my side.’
Janet was quick-witted and quite confident in her ability to smile and drop hints of interest. A maid from a Marquis’s household in the capital was bound to draw the attention of the men in this castle. After all, an elegant noble lady like herself was a rare sight in this backwater wilderness.
Though she hadn't been there long, Janet absolutely loathed the bleak, rustic North. She was desperate to find something—anything—so she could return to the capital as soon as possible.
‘I need something that can definitively drive a wedge between the delegation and Blenheim.’
The Marquis had promised a viscountcy for information, but if she could truly sabotage the relationship between the delegation and Blenheim, he might offer her an even better position. Janet had no intention of spending her life cleaning up after others. Hadn't she endured this miserable life as a lady's maid for so long just to secure a decent marriage?
‘The knights seem to have terrible personalities, so I should aim for the administrators instead.’
Steeling her resolve, Janet spotted an official walking by, carrying a stack of documents. He was leaner than the knights, but even at a glance, he was quite handsome.
‘Better to pick a pretty one if I can.’
Janet double-checked that her dress was sitting perfectly on her shoulders and walked quickly toward him.
*
“What do you think, Lady Cecilia?”
Cecilia nodded with satisfaction as she looked at the refreshment tray Chef Berni had set on the table.
“This is beautiful too.”
The kitchen prep table was covered with all sorts of mini tarts and pies.
“It’s the exact same spread we served during the noblewomen’s tea time,” Berni explained.
“Perfect. Let’s make this the second recipe. Morina?”
Standing beside her, Morina—the exclusive illustrator for Cecil’s Recipe—began sketching the tray diligently.
Since Cecil’s Recipe had started publishing separate booklets, recipes were now being released every month under various themes. This month’s theme was "Grand Duke’s Chef Berni’s Tea Time Recipes."
In truth, all information regarding the Grand Duke’s Castle used to be strictly guarded, and Berni’s recipes almost didn't make the cut. However, thanks to the recent change in the castle’s atmosphere, certain exceptions had been made. Of course, it was only possible because the Grand Duke nodded along to anything the Grand Duchess suggested.
When Cecilia had proposed the column to Berni, the hulking chef had welcomed the idea with overwhelming enthusiasm.
— “My recipes? My name will be in print? Please, make sure to include the title 'Chef of the Grand Duke’s Castle'!”
‘If I hadn't asked, he would have been so heartbroken.’
Cecil’s Recipe was currently the best-selling book in the North, to the point that even Berni was making a fuss. Consequently, Cecilia had risen to the ranks of the most popular authors in the region.
Even today, word had spread that she was working on recipes at the castle, and the kitchen was bustling with maids who had come to "help" just so they could catch a glimpse of the process.
Sipping the cold tea a maid had handed her, Cecilia looked out the window. Originally, the kitchen of the Grand Duke’s Castle had been a closed-off space, but following the Grand Duchess’s advice, it had been renovated into a pleasant area with large windows.
In the distance, she saw the Marchioness’s maid walking by.
‘Keep a close eye on that maid named Janet to make sure she doesn't do anything suspicious.’
Her Highness the Consort had instructed the knights that Janet was a more significant figure to watch than either the Marchioness or Raphael. Thanks to that, though Janet likely didn't know it, the knights were taking turns tracking her movements.
Furthermore, the fact that the maid was using the excuse of being lost to talk to every knight she encountered had already become a rumor throughout the entire order.
‘Though she seems completely oblivious to that fact.’
One of the maids, noticing where Cecilia was looking, spoke up.
“Have you heard about that maid?”
“What about her?”
“They say she keeps appearing in front of the knights and trying to pull something.”
So the rumors had already reached the maids.
“She asks for directions while batting her eyelashes for no reason,” the maid added.
When Cecilia didn't show any sign of displeasure at the gossip, another maid nearby chimed in eagerly.
“And she’s picky about it, too. She only shows up in front of the handsome knights.”
“How do you know that?”
Cecilia looked puzzled, and the maid’s lips quirked.
“I heard the knights talking about it at the training grounds. They were comparing notes on who had run into her… Sir Tiern, Sir Norton, Sir Leon… who else was there?”
“Oh my, those are all the handsome ones!”
The maids began to chatter excitedly.
“How does she manage to sniff them out so perfectly?”
“Wait, why is Sir Norton included in the 'handsome' list?” Cecilia asked, her face souring.
“What do you mean, Lady Cecilia! Sir Norton is so dashing.”
“That face that looks like unbaked bread dough, with zero interest in the world?”
“But that indifferent look is exactly what makes him so cool!”
“Is being indifferent considered cool?” Berni chimed in softly, but no one responded to him.
Cecilia furrowed her brow. Her Highness the Consort said she liked the Grand Duke because he was "sweet," which was strange enough, but now the maids thought Norton was cool because he was "indifferent."
‘Is there something wrong with my eyes?’
Cecilia was thinking about how diverse people’s tastes could be when she saw Janet approach Perel and start talking to him.
“What the…”
The words slipped out of her mouth, and the maids’ gazes immediately shifted outside.
“Look at that. I guess she’s changed her target to the Aide this time.”
“She managed to pick out the most handsome one of them all. Truly impressive, isn't it?”
Janet murmured something, her face flushing as if she were shy, and Perel gave a polite nod. After a brief exchange, Perel offered his free arm—the one not holding documents—to Janet. Janet tilted her head bashfully and placed her hand on it.
“Oh my, did you see that?”
“Don't tell me the Aide actually likes her?”
“Surely he’s heard the talk from the knights?”
“Morina, keep drawing for a moment.”
Leaving the buzzing maids behind, Cecilia hurried out of the kitchen.
“She definitely bumped her shoulder against him on purpose just now, didn't she?”
The maids immediately went back to their excited whispering.
‘Where did that man go!’
They had definitely been walking in this direction. Cecilia searched the area for a while but couldn't find Janet or Perel. They must have taken a different turn.
Just as she was about to give up in a huff and return to the kitchen, Perel appeared from behind a building.
“Where have you been!”
Cecilia’s sharp voice rang out. Perel looked at her, bewildered.
“Were you looking for me?”
“What on earth were you talking about with that maid?”
‘Aren't you a maid yourself?’ Perel’s expression grew even more confused before he let out an "Ah" of realization.
“Do you mean Miss Janet?”
“Miss Janet?”
Hearing him address the potential spy so affectionately made Cecilia feel like her chest was going to burst with frustration.