Chapter 9 - Dinner

Felix had probably spent too much time in the royal capital—his manner of speech had acquired a touch of the exaggerated elegance common among the nobility there. Fortunately, his demeanor remained proper, his gaze never strayed beyond the bounds of decorum, and his striking appearance certainly worked in his favor. Thanks to all that, Wei Wei didn't find him off-putting.

Tonight's dinner was a grand feast, not just for them but for all the knights who had participated in the hunt. It was a customary reward after every successful hunt.

Wei Wei was seated at the right side of the main seat, where Felix sat as the host. To her other side was his younger sister, Dolores, while across from her sat an elder in priestly robes—Father Matthew.

The knights were positioned at the far end of the long table, while the middle section was left empty, clearly separating the different groups.

Had there been no unmarried noblewomen present, Felix might have invited the knights to sit closer, but in the current circumstances, that was out of the question.

The food served was also notably different.

The main course of the evening was the wild boar they had hunted earlier. However, while the knights were served meat from a full-grown boar, the four seated at the head of the table had the privilege of dining on roast suckling pig.

Alongside the pork, the table was filled with bread, fruit, and vegetables.

The bread was the fine white variety that only nobles could afford, but unlike the soft, fluffy bread Wei Wei was familiar with, these loaves looked incredibly dense—more like hard biscuits or some other dry baked goods.

As for the fruits and vegetables, they were all common for the season. However, the way people consumed them here was vastly different from modern times.

At this point in history, fruits were believed to be "cold" and harmful when eaten raw, so they were always cooked. Only the lower classes ate them raw.

Vegetables, on the other hand, were the opposite.

Wei Wei wasn't unfamiliar with cooked fruit—after all, canned fruit existed—but the cooking methods here left much to be desired.

She glanced at the soup on the table. Her sharp nose instantly detected an overwhelming mix of spices, with black pepper being the most dominant.

If there was ever a debate between sweet and savory fruit soups, Wei Wei was firmly in the sweet camp. She refused to accept any flavors other than sweetness in her fruit dishes.

Meanwhile, the vegetable salad on the table was a mixture of raw cabbage, turnips, carrots, and onions.

Honestly, raw cabbage was fine. But raw carrots and onions? That was a crime against human taste buds.

Wei Wei didn't even like cooked carrots—why would she tolerate them raw?

And as for the suckling pig, which everyone else seemed to be raving about, she had no desire to touch it.

Sure, the meat was tender, and the chef had expertly roasted it to a perfect golden crisp. However, they didn't know how to properly remove the gamey taste. Wild boar already had a much stronger odor than domestic pigs, and while the cook had tried to mask it with an excess of spices, Wei Wei's sharp senses could still detect the lingering musk.

She was beginning to suspect that her new body had turned her into a picky gourmet.

[I feel like my nose and taste buds are going to starve me to death in this world.]

[No, they won't. You have the skills of a top-tier chef now. If you can't stand their food, just cook for yourself.]

Wei Wei thought about it and had to admit the system had a point.

While she was inwardly complaining, the servants had already finished setting the table. Felix picked up his dining knife, signaling that the meal could begin.

At the main table, everyone had their own set of knives and spoons. However, down at the knights' section, they were forced to share a single knife per group, though at least they each had their spoon.

Seeing this, Wei Wei realized that the utensils she had brought might not be necessary after all.

Still, she took out her wooden case.

She glanced at the curious faces around her and offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to the tableware here. Would it be alright if I used my own?"

It wasn't that she was trying to be difficult—it was just that she seriously doubted the hygiene standards of this place.

The hands of the servant who had just brought out the cutlery were visibly filthy.

And come to think of it, the food itself might not be very clean either...

No. She had to stop thinking about it. If she kept going down that path, she'd lose her appetite entirely.

Felix seemed slightly surprised that she had brought her utensils, but he nodded graciously. "Of course, feel free."

No one else reacted much either. They were well-acquainted with the whims of noble ladies, and this was a noblewoman from the mysterious East—who knew what kind of customs her homeland had?

However, when Wei Wei opened her case and revealed her utensils—particularly the pair of blue-and-white porcelain chopsticks—everyone gasped in awe.

"Is that porcelain? I've never seen patterns like these before! They're stunning!"

At this point in history, blue-and-white porcelain was still relatively rare, even within China itself, let alone abroad.

By comparison, the finely crafted knives, forks, and spoons in her set didn't draw as much attention.

"These are chopsticks," Wei Wei explained, demonstrating how to use them.

After hesitating between the different dishes, she finally picked up a piece of raw cabbage from the salad.

Her graceful handling of the chopsticks intrigued the onlookers, but it was obvious that this utensil required practice to use properly.

Still, she didn't eat with them.

She was surrounded by foreigners, eating Western food. Using chopsticks in this setting felt out of place.

So, she set them down and picked up her knife and fork instead.

With practiced elegance, she sliced a small piece of the roasted suckling pig—aside from the overpowering musk, it was quite well-prepared. Then she took a bite of the cabbage salad, accompanied by the rock-hard bread.

The fruit soup, however, remained completely untouched.

She was starting to regret having the system recycle all of her food supplies.

"You don't seem to have much of an appetite."

A soft voice came from beside her.

Wei Wei turned to see Felix's younger sister, Dolores.

The girl was at least a head shorter than Wei Wei, and while she seemed quite young, it was hard to gauge her exact age—Westerners tended to mature faster than those from the East.

Dolores closely resembled Felix, with golden hair, blue eyes, and a sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks. She was a budding beauty.

But compared to her noble status, she seemed timid and withdrawn. When Wei Wei looked at her, she even hesitated to meet her gaze directly.

Still, her question showed she was kind-hearted.

Perhaps she wasn't very favored in the household?

Wei Wei glanced at Felix, who was deep in conversation with Father Matthew, then turned back to Dolores with a friendly smile.

Lowering her voice, she explained, "I'm not used to the food here. You know, I'm from the East—our cuisine is quite different."

Dolores seemed to relax at her smile, and her voice gained a bit more confidence. "But you should eat more. You look too thin."

The girl's eyes lingered on Wei Wei's waistline.

No, this is a standard A4 waist—it's perfectly fine.

Wei Wei merely smiled politely. "I think I just need some time to adjust."

Dolores nodded in understanding and told her, "Since you're my brother's guest, you can ask the servants for anything you need. If you don't like the food, you can tell the kitchen. The chefs are skilled—they could try making something more to your taste."

Wei Wei's eyes lit up. "Really? In that case, would it be possible for me to cook something myself?"

"You want to cook?" Dolores blinked in surprise. "Do noble ladies in your country also have to cook for themselves?"

Of course not.

"We have many things to learn, and cooking is one of them," Wei Wei replied with a smile. "We may not cook often, but every young lady has a few signature dishes. Since your brother has been so kind to me, I'd like to prepare a meal as a token of my gratitude."

Felix, who had overheard, chuckled. "You're too polite, Lady Wei Wei. I've done nothing much."

Wei Wei turned to him, her expression sincere. "You helped me escape a dire situation and gave me shelter when I had nowhere to go. I won't forget this kindness."

Her gaze was firm—she genuinely meant it.

Felix was momentarily taken aback before he smiled. "Then I look forward to your cooking."

"Of course."

After dinner, instead of following the others to the lounge for post-meal socializing, Wei Wei excused herself and returned to her room to rest.

Before heading upstairs, she asked the maids to prepare a bath for her.

The two maids immediately set to work.

The kitchen staff boiled several buckets of hot water, and the maids led Wei Wei to a designated bathing chamber. The room was located on a lower floor, making it easier for the servants to carry the hot water up. Inside, a large wooden bathtub sat ready, already filled with steaming water and sprinkled with flower petals. It looked incredibly inviting.

To Wei Wei's surprise, while she had worried about the lack of modern bathing products, she found a bar of soap available in the chamber.

Yes, soap already existed in the West at this time, even though the manufacturing process was still crude compared to modern standards. Nevertheless, it was effective for cleaning.

That said, using soap to wash her hair was going to be a challenge.

Wei Wei declined the maids' assistance, insisting on bathing alone. They respectfully stepped outside to stand guard, allowing her some privacy.

The bath was everything she needed—warm, fragrant, and soothing. Once finished, she emerged from the tub, drying herself while running her fingers through her damp hair.

As soon as she stepped out of the chamber, the maids rushed to her side.

This time, they didn't give her a choice.

Before she could protest, they swiftly helped her out of her bathrobe, leaving her no time to resist. One of them massaged her body with olive oil, while the other carefully applied a fragrant, floral-scented hair oil to nourish her hair.

Resistance was futile.

She could only resign herself to enjoying the experience—might as well think of it as a spa treatment.

To be honest, their massage skills were excellent.

Curious, Wei Wei casually asked about their training, and that was when she learned that both of them had once served as personal maids to Felix's late sister-in-law.

The young countess had loved bathing and massages, so they had received special training to tend to her needs.

This piqued Wei Wei's interest.

She suddenly realized that these two maids could be valuable sources of information about Sardinson County.

Although Felix had told her some details, his account had been brief and lacked depth.

With that thought in mind, Wei Wei subtly steered the conversation in that direction.

.

----------------

Follow "Rebirth of Hollywood Lady"

----------------