Chapter 200
Chapter 200
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 200
Chapter Title: Corin's Shadow (16)
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‘Ugh, this is so uncomfortable.’
El grumbled to herself nonstop. How long had it been since she last wore a skirt? She’d spent all that time in pants—light, comfortable ones that prioritized mobility—so she had no idea how stifling the maid outfit felt, from the underdrawers to the petticoat and outer skirt.
‘How on earth did I manage to live in stuff like this back then?’
With a click of her tongue, El straightened her skirt hem, pulled her cap low over her head, picked up her tray, and left the room. She’d glanced at a simple map of the castle, but Corin’s fortress was built thick like a stronghold, with winding paths inside that twisted every which way. It was all too easy to make a mistake, and if she did...
‘...I’d naturally draw suspicion.’
Gulp. El swallowed dryly and walked down the corridor. Once a noble lady who always kept maids at her side, she knew exactly how they were supposed to act. Lingering near Dawood’s bedroom without reason would be foolish. Unless she was his personal maid or valet, it was a surefire way to arouse suspicion.
But.
‘The most likely place for useful info is Dawood’s bedroom.’
Could she get in under the pretense of cleaning? Or an errand? Claiming she was lost wouldn’t fly. In that case...
‘...I’ll just use that method.’
Louis. According to him, there were plenty of rats here. Worst case, she could say she was chasing one. That it had run off with something shiny. Maybe one of Louis’s jewels.
El quickened her pace. Turn left here, follow the corridor straight until the portraits, then right. Up the stairs that appeared right away, walk a bit more, and...
‘There it is!’
A particularly heavy-looking door came into view. Fortunately, no one stood guard. El approached slowly, muffling her footsteps.
‘It’s probably locked.’
But that was fine. Her master had lent her the ‘key that opens anything.’ She’d slip in quick, shut the door behind her, and no one could interrupt. The room’s owner was in the Sequoia Forest, so who would dare enter an empty master’s quarters?
“......”
The corridor was silent. No one around, for sure. Whew. El took a deep breath like her master always did, let it out slowly, and placed her hand on the doorknob. Just in case it was unlocked...
“What are you doing there?”
That instant.
A sharp voice sliced through the air like tearing space itself. El whipped around with an involuntary gasp.
“...!”
Her shoulders tensed. Damn, damn, damn, damn! Cursing inwardly, she shrank her shoulders and bowed her head, feigning politeness—or rather, fear.
“S-sorry...”
The voice like a stiletto belonged to a woman who, despite her age, flaunted undimmed beauty. El instantly recalled her face from memory. She’d seen it in the lord’s study. The woman in the family portrait, standing by the lord...
‘Corin’s wife!’
She’d figured any interruption would be a guard or another maid, not the lord’s wife. Cold sweat trickled down her back. El bit her lower lip hard and racked her brain. What now? Ah, her master would know!
Her master was a druid with a rare talent for lies. What lie would he tell? El agonized but couldn’t think of anything better than her prepared excuse. Gulp. Swallowing dryly, she spoke to the lady in a trembling whisper.
“I-I was chasing a m-mouse...”
“Hah?”
It wasn’t working at all! We’re doomed! In a flash, El imagined all sorts of horrors. Stories her maid Coco had shared about other maids—whipped until their calves burst, hair shorn off... Wait, her hair was already cut short? Anyway!
“I saw it run off with something shiny...”
“Something shiny?”
“Y-yes, so I thought maybe it was one of Louis’s jewels...”
“...Haven’t you just arrived at the castle?”
“Huh?”
“Seeing you dare to lie like that.”
The woman’s voice chilled to the bone. It was a pretty solid lie—why wasn’t it working? El stared at her in confusion. The lady stepped closer, one foot after another, then seized El’s chin.
“My husband despises lies above all.”
“......”
“I do too.”
“...I-it’s not a lie.”
“Enough.”
“......”
“Louis isn’t the type to care about jewels.”
Mistake. Shadow fell over her face, and El squeezed her eyes shut. Sorry, Master!
“Stop it, Mother.”
That was when it happened.
El cracked her eyes open. There was Louis, gently holding back the lady’s arm.
“Louis.”
“It was my order.”
“......”
“It’s nothing special, just a button. One only available in the capital, so I told her to look for it.”
At Louis’s words, the woman’s intensity softened. She released El and spoke to Louis in a slightly displeased tone.
“If it’s something you value, I suppose it can’t be helped...”
“Yes.”
“Be cautious in times like these, Louis.”
“......”
“Even if it means nothing to you, others might see your every action differently.”
“...I’ll keep that in mind, Mother.”
Louis bowed his head slightly. The lady glanced at El and Louis, then turned and vanished down the corridor.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Good. Even from afar, Mother’s glare looked terrifying.”
Tch. El pursed her lips and straightened her skirt.
“Moving so boldly isn’t wise.”
“Says the guy who shouldn’t be talking.”
“That attitude from your master?”
“What if it is?”
El lifted her chin defiantly. She was the only daughter of House Reinhardt. By blood, she was no less noble than Louis Corin. Besides, she had no intention of bowing to someone who badmouthed her master. Louis shook his head at her spirited gaze.
“Like master, like disciple...”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Ignoring Louis as he walked off, El pushed the heavy door. Despite bringing the ‘key that opens anything,’ it wasn’t locked and swung open easily. Through the narrow gap, El stepped inside.
* * *
Taking advantage of the mother rats distracted nursing their young, I slipped cautiously out of the rat hole. Following the delicious smells through the twisting tunnels, I emerged into the bright, bustling kitchen that greeted me.
‘Whoa, this kitchen is way bigger than I thought.’
Well, it was a castle kitchen, so that made sense. A place this size would make anyone want to cook. Tons of tools, ingredients, and even chefs.
I clung to a pillar and surveyed the whole scene. Ah, that’s where they store milk and cheese. Ooh, sugar, salt, and spices over there! Meat deliveries that way, and that icebox for fish? Nice setup. Great equipment. Lord Corin must enjoy fine dining?
‘Though right now, his soul’s frozen solid...’
Mood drops suddenly. I need to rescue him fast before he suffers more... I climbed down the pillar carefully and began darting through the kitchen.
It wasn’t just chefs coming and going. Servants of all kinds frequented the kitchen freely—for water, light snacks, drinks, even full meals. They had no choice if they wanted to serve properly. Tedious, sure, but servants actually liked kitchen runs. You could snag treats now and then.
So naturally, where people gathered, ‘rumors’ piled up too. Big or small, whatever.
I slipped past a pot bubbling with stew. Mmm, that tomato scent is divine. Beef in there?
-Gurgle...
...Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten in a while.
I hesitated, then sneaked a taste from a small plate of pre-portioned stew.
‘Hm...’
Smells a bit off on the meat. Needs more pepper and herbs to balance it. Sheesh! Missing basics like that?
I glanced around, grabbed a dried rosemary stem from the wall, and tossed it into the pot. Threw in some whole peppercorns too for emergency triage, then leaped to the next table.
They were grilling fish there. But once again, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Grilling it plain like that?!
Sure, fresh fish tastes great that way, but...
‘Unless it’s straight from the sea, it’ll smell fishy.’
I paused, hesitating. It looks like good fish—such a waste to ruin it like that! Even if they sauce it later...
In the end, I hugged a salt barrel my size and started salting the fillets. Not just for flavor—salt cuts fishiness and firms up the flesh!
‘Lemons, lemons over there!’
I fetched a lemon my size, squeezed juice over the fish, and topped it with rosemary leaves. Whew. Feels so satisfying! This alone would make it way tastier. Effort pays off!
‘...Wait, this isn’t the time!’
I’m not hired here as a ratatouille chef—what am I doing? Gotta curb this meddling! I dropped the rosemary and hurried across the kitchen.
“Annie’s mother came to the castle again today...”
Then, a gloomy voice drifted from the kitchen’s corner.