Chapter 2207 – 2207. Dark Moon
Yuria entered the kitchen.
The maids, who were busily moving about in the kitchen, frowned at the sight of Yuria. There was some territoriality, but the situation was also a problem. They were already swamped with work because of the banquet to be held tomorrow evening, and now an outsider was taking up space in the kitchen? If it weren’t for Linda, the head of management, being there, harsh words might have been spoken.
The head chef was dumbfounded by Linda’s words.
“Head of Management Linda. You’re saying you’re going to entrust a dessert to a trainee? Even if she’s a student at the Maid Academy, she hasn’t even graduated yet. Are you going to give work to a student, not a professional? She could ruin Her Highness’s banquet.”
“It’s just one dessert. And the banquet hasn’t even started yet. If that tanghulu dessert is substandard… we just won’t serve it at the banquet. Head Chef, please cooperate. The ingredients are just small fruits, sugar, syrup, and skewers, so it’s not an unreasonable request, is it?”
“……Haa. I’ll allow it for exactly 30 minutes. As you know, Head of Management Linda, the kitchen is my domain. Even if you’re the head of management, you can’t trespass.”
“Of course. I know that. Thank you.”
Linda smiled brightly. The tense atmosphere instantly dissolved. Yuria could sense that she was admired by the head chef and the maids. It was like a soft charisma. It felt like she was using it because she knew it well.
“Okay, Yuria, the ingredients are ready. How do we do it?”
“It’s nothing special. If you’re chefs here, you’ll be able to follow along after seeing it once.”
She prepared a well-washed small cherry tomato, skewering it onto a stick.
She put sugar, water, and syrup into a pot to make a syrup. Once the syrup was ready, she coated the skewered fruit with the syrup. The important thing here was to make the coating thin. If the coating was too thick, it would be too sticky and the sugar taste would be too overpowering, which could be unpleasant. After that, she put it in ice water to harden the coating and then took it out.
The finished tanghulu was smooth and flawless. It was so glossy that it looked like a jewel.
“Tanghulu, huh. It’s the first time I’ve heard of it, but it’s a simple dessert.”
“Fruit and sugar. The taste is predictable…”
“If we serve such a simple dessert, won’t the guests be disappointed? Still, the appearance is like a jewel, so it’s not bad.”
The chefs’ reactions were negative. It wasn’t anything too special.
“Let’s try it first.”
Linda brought a cherry tomato tanghulu to her mouth. She bit into the tomato without much expectation.
Crunch!
“……!”
The thin sugar coating broke crisply, and the juice burst out. The juice was sweeter than she had imagined. As the sugar coating melted, it mixed with the juice, maximizing the sweetness. It was a fun texture and the sweetness of the juice spread in her mouth.
“It’s really delicious. It would be a must-have dessert for people who like sweets.”
Of course, Linda also liked sweets. She tasted the strawberry tanghulu next to it. The strawberry was even more delicious than the cherry tomato.
Seeing Linda’s reaction, the other maids’ eyes lit up as they each tasted a tanghulu.
“It’s sweet. It’s delicious. I thought the sugar would stick to my teeth, but… it’s so thin that it feels like it’s mixing with the juice.”
“It feels like I’m eating junk food… but each fruit tastes different, so I want to eat them all.”
“Ah, ah…. The snack I’ve been wanting was here?”
“The cooking process is simple, and it looks pretty… I think it would be okay to serve it at the banquet as one of the desserts?”
“Even though it’s simple, it’s a snack I haven’t tasted in Neo London. It’s not bad. Yuria, was it? Can you tell us more about this dish?”
The maids’ tone became softer. It was the effect of sweetness. There wasn’t a woman who disliked sweets. In [Baekhwan], tanghulu was a popular dessert, especially among young women.
“Tanghulu is a dish from the ancient country of True China. That’s why it’s not known in Neo London.”
The head chef’s eyes widened.
“True China? That’s an ancient country mentioned along with Great Korea and Unbelievable Japan. Okay. With LK-99, the interest of London citizens is turning to ancient countries. If it’s food from such an ancient country… the guests will be interested. I’ll put tanghulu on the banquet menu. The cooking method is simple, so there shouldn’t be any problems. What do you think, Head of Management?”
“I agree. However, only if Yuria allows it.”
“Tanghulu isn’t a dish I developed. You can use it however you want. And… please don’t reveal my name.”
Yuria didn’t want to gain fame just for introducing tanghulu. It was a fame that would bring no benefit. In the first place, she had no interest in fame.
“Okay. Hehe. I feel happy for some reason today. We’ll be going now.”
After saying goodbye to Linda, the chefs were busy making tanghulu.
Yuria and Linda also went around various parts of the mansion.
From those in charge of cleaning to the servants moving supplies to the warehouse. Roughly combined, there were over 100 people. And most of them were maids. There were few butlers. It was natural. The owner of this mansion was Her Highness the Princess. It wasn’t a place where men could freely come and go.
They entered the office. Linda handed over the documents that were organized on one side of the desk.
“Since you’re from the academy, you must know how to read documents, right? This is the budget and expenditure statement. Please check if there are any irregularities.”
“……Is this also a test?”
“Hehe. What do you think?”
Yuria quickly scanned the documents. It didn’t even take a second to look at one document. Even though it looked like she was just glancing, all the information written on the documents entered her head.
“Here, here, and here. There’s a problem with the expenditures. I suspect corruption.”
“…To think you’d grasp it all in less than three minutes. You’re amazing. You must know the market prices accurately…. Do you happen to know the market prices of food ingredients and furniture as well?”
“Market analysis is also part of the academy’s evaluation.”
“I know that too. I’m from the academy, after all. But I don’t remember there being an evaluation that covers all markets…”
“It just so happened that the market I was analyzing matched.”
“A coincidence.”
Linda smiled wryly. She didn’t think it was a coincidence at all.
“Next, please look at this document.”
“…This is a list of guests attending the banquet.”
“Yes. It goes without saying, but you must not reveal it anywhere. This banquet is private, and the entry of reporters is also controlled.”
“I haven’t asked yet, but what is the purpose of this banquet? Her Highness’s birthday is next year.”
“It’s to celebrate the development of Neo London. You know that superconductors have been commercialized, right? Since superconductors originated in Neo London, the value of Neo London has increased even more. Her Highness couldn’t just stand by.”
“……Is the chairman of LK Company also coming?”
“You mean Baron Eugene Meyer? Yes. As the owner of the superconductor, he must come. He has already accepted. Her Highness will personally commend his achievements. Unfortunately, the main character of this banquet will be him, not Her Highness.”
“I see.”
“Huh? Did you just smile?”
“I didn’t smile.”
“Aww. I think you did…. I understand. You must be happy because you’ll be meeting a patron at the banquet.”
“…You knew after all.”
“Don’t be offended. We can’t bring an outsider into the mansion without solid information.”
“It’s natural, so I’m not offended.”
Thump-thump.
Unlike her indifferent words, Yuria’s heart was beating faster than usual. She was meeting her master after a long time. Just that fact alone gave her body vitality.
“Foreign companies are thoroughly excluded from the list.”
“Superconductors will be supplied domestically first.”
“As far as I can see, there are no problems with the list.”
“That’s right. Next is this document. It’s a document related to personnel.”
This was also a very sensitive document. As such, it must have been a document that had been reviewed once before. Yuria silently accepted the test disguised as work.
• • •
“Agnes. How is she? Is she valuable enough for the royal family to directly try to recruit her?”
Elsa asked Agnes, the head maid, while enjoying tea time on the balcony.
“Your Highness. Maria Hilton is a royal-class maid like me. She does not lie. There is no doubt that her judgment is accurate. Her loyalty is also beyond question.”
“But it could be exaggerated. A talent aiming for prime-class, which is rare in history. It’s hard to believe.”
“If her potential is real… she will soon show her talent. Perhaps she has already shown it.”
“What was your first impression of her, Agnes?”
“She was perfect.”
At the unexpected words, the teacup that was being lifted clattered onto the saucer.
“Perfect? It’s the first time Agnes has said such a thing.”
Agnes had been serving Elsa for over 10 years. Just as Agnes knew Elsa well, Elsa also knew Agnes well. A cold-hearted head maid who was stingy with praise. Agnes was a person who lived up to her impression.
“Perhaps it’s my delusion… but my first impression was more than that of facing the royal head butler. Besides that, I couldn’t see any flaws. Her appearance was neat, and even her small gestures were graceful. Despite having such talent, I didn’t feel any arrogance.”
“What’s the conclusion?”
“…Judging by first impressions alone, Yuria Grace was a perfect maid.”
“Since Agnes is praising her so highly, I definitely want to make her my own. Of course, I need to find out a little more. Let’s meet her once. Ah, how was the daughter of the Metcalfe family?”
“Lydia Metcalfe is also a talented person, though she is overshadowed by Yuria Grace. She will probably reach superior-class in the future.”
“Superior-class? She’s talented. I must embrace her.”
“Lydia Metcalfe wants to be Your Highness’s lady-in-waiting, that is, your secretary. If she is treated fairly, she will be in Your Highness’s arms. However, a thorough investigation is necessary.”
“Good. What about Yuria?”
“…I haven’t yet grasped what she truly wants. According to the reports, she is working quite passively, unlike Lydia Metcalfe.”
“Passive… Is there something she doesn’t like? Hmm. I’m curious. As the owner of the mansion, I should meet them both. I can call them right now.”
“As Your Highness wishes.”
