Chapter 12 - Breakfast at Sardinson Castle

The two maids hadn't brought breakfast up for Wei Wei, as the people here only ate two meals a day. Commoners usually had theirs early, while nobles typically dined around ten in the morning.

However, Qin quickly realized that Wei Wei was different from the nobles she had encountered before. Since she had woken up so early, she might already be hungry.

Noticing this, Qin immediately said, "I'll go to the kitchen and have the cook prepare breakfast for you."

"No need for that trouble—we're heading to the kitchen anyway, aren't we?"

Wei Wei lifted the hem of her skirt and stood up.

"If the cook doesn't mind, I may need to borrow the kitchen for quite some time today."

The cook certainly didn't mind. When he saw Wei Wei appear, he looked somewhat flustered.

The kitchen was located near the castle's back entrance, where opening the doors would reveal the moat outside. Naturally, the air was foul. The masters never came here, let alone guests. Any requests were always relayed through servants.

This was the first time the head cook had seen a noble guest in the kitchen, and he was visibly uneasy.

To make matters worse, this was also the servants' mealtime. They all ate breakfast in the kitchen, so when Wei Wei entered, she found herself face-to-face with everyone.

She hadn't thought much of it at first, but when the entire kitchen staff abruptly stood up in a panic and greeted her with deep bows, she realized she might have come at an inconvenient time.

In the end, it was the steward, who had also been eating, who stepped forward to address her. "Miss Wei Wei, is there anything you need?"

"Good morning, Steward Barton." Wei Wei glanced at the others before offering an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast. I promised the Earl yesterday that I would prepare a meal for him, so I came to check what ingredients were available in the kitchen."

Steward Barton was both honored by her courtesy and surprised by her promptness.

He had been present during last night's dinner and knew about Wei Wei's agreement with Felix. He had even informed the cook in advance. However, he hadn't expected Wei Wei to come to the kitchen so early.

He hesitated for a moment, glancing at the chaotic kitchen. Should he clear the room for her or ask her to wait until things settle? Right now, the kitchen was an absolute mess.

Wei Wei decided for him. "I'm feeling a bit hungry now. Could the cook prepare something for me? I'd like to dine in the garden."

"Of course, my lady."

Wei Wei looked at the half-finished meals on the table and ordered, "I'll have some bread and a salad, along with a cup of hot milk."

"Right away, Miss."

These were simple requests that wouldn't take long to prepare.

With all eyes still on her, Wei Wei left the kitchen and, guided by the maids, made her way to the garden, choosing a nearby pavilion to sit.

Compared to the foul air inside the castle, the garden was much fresher. The fragrance of flowers and greenery masked any odors from the distant moat. The morning breeze was refreshing, lifting her spirits.

Steward Barton personally brought out Wei Wei's breakfast.

The bread was the same white bread she had eaten the previous night. The salad had been adjusted—there were no pungent vegetables like onions or carrots, suggesting that the steward had paid attention to her preferences at dinner.

The only downside was the milk. It was freshly squeezed, and the strong, gamey smell was overwhelming. Even though Wei Wei liked dairy products, she found them difficult to stomach.

She couldn't help but mention to the maids beside her, "Next time, you can add some fresh fruit juice to the milk. It will improve the taste."

She had originally wanted to suggest tea, as milk tea would have been an even better option, but tea leaves likely didn't exist here. Even if they had made their way to the West, they would be rare and expensive.

The maids took careful note of her words, understanding how they should prepare her milk in the future.

After finishing her leisurely breakfast, Wei Wei returned to the kitchen, which had since been cleaned. The mess from earlier was gone, and only the cook, Bob, and a few kitchen assistants remained.

Hanging outside the kitchen were large quantities of cured meats and sausages, most likely made from the wild boar they had hunted the day before.

Recalling the taste of last night's pork, Wei Wei turned away in silence.

With Steward Barton's prior instructions, Bob carefully led Wei Wei through the kitchen's storage, showing her all the available ingredients and seasonings.

To her surprise, the variety was more abundant than she had expected for this era.

Dairy products such as eggs, milk, cheese, and butter were readily available. The vegetables were mostly the same ones she had seen at dinner. The fruits included apples, pears, lemons, and various wild berries—though the berry supply was limited, as most had been used for making preserves.

The meats, apart from the wild boar, consisted of salted lamb and pork. These were hung in the kitchen's ventilation area, but many of them were covered in mold. Whether from excessive aging or improper storage, they emitted an unpleasant odor.

However, this time, Wei Wei also spotted several live chickens in cages by the entrance and noticed fresh fish in a wooden bucket, likely delivered not long ago.

For staple foods, the castle's bread was made in its bakery, so there were only small amounts of flour stored in the kitchen. However, there were plenty of unprocessed grains such as barley, wheat, oats, rye, and various legumes.

As for spices, there was an impressive selection. Locally sourced herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, parsley, coriander, mint, and fennel were abundant. Exotic imports, including black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, were also present—but in much smaller quantities. When Bob brought them out, he handled them with extreme care, as if afraid of spilling even a single grain.

In addition to these, there were also several jars of fruit preserves, a container of wild honey, and a variety of dried mushrooms.

Looking at the selection, Wei Wei realized that the nobility truly lived in excess. While commoners had access to only a handful of basic foods, nobles could indulge in a wide array of ingredients.

Silently marveling at the extravagance of aristocratic life, she reminded herself of the importance of maintaining her noble identity. If she were ever reduced to a commoner, she wouldn't just face discrimination and danger—she would also lose access to all these luxuries.

[Don't worry, I'll make sure your identity is perfectly established. There won't be any mistakes.]

The system, taking responsibility for its past errors, had devoted all of Wei Wei's reclaimed energy to securing her noble status before its departure.

Seeing its sincerity, Wei Wei decided to trust it one more time.

Refocusing on the kitchen, Wei Wei asked the cook, "Are there any dietary restrictions for the Earl's family?"

Bob answered, "Lord Felix loves meat but dislikes vegetables. Miss Dolores dislikes strong-flavored vegetables such as carrots and onions. She also hates the smell of celery and coriander."

"And what about Miss Caroline?"

"She's still young—she only drinks milk."

Wei Wei frowned. If she remembered correctly, Caroline was already over a year old. Was she still just drinking milk? Wouldn't that be lacking in nutrition?

Her gaze fell on the sack of flour. It had been sifted several times but still contained traces of bran, making it less refined than modern flour. The texture and taste would likely be different as well.

"Do you eat pasta? Can you knead dough?" she asked.

The kitchen staff looked confused as if they had never heard of it.

[Pasta's origins on Earth are debated—some say it comes from ancient Rome, others claim Marco Polo brought it back from China. In this world, it's the latter. But Marco Polo might not even be born yet, so pasta likely doesn't exist in the West.]

Realizing she would have to improvise, Wei Wei donned an apron, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work.

If she wanted to make noodles, she would have to teach them herself.

Since no one here knew what pasta was, Wei Wei had to take the lead.

She had Qin fetch her an apron and tie up her sleeves, ready to get to work.

Considering her limited manpower, she naturally began delegating tasks.

First, she had the long wooden kitchen table moved outside and thoroughly cleaned. The layers of grease and grime were scrubbed off with great effort by the kitchen helpers. It took several rounds of washing before the surface met Wei Wei's hygiene standards.

Then, she instructed everyone to wash their hands. Overgrown nails were trimmed, and they were all ordered to clean out any dirt in the crevices.

Although some of them were reluctant, no one dared openly protest, not even Bob the head cook. They obediently followed her instructions.

Once everything was clean, Wei Wei poured flour onto the now-spotless table, cracked eggs into it, and began kneading the dough.

Despite having little kitchen experience—since she mostly relied on takeout in her past life—her actions were surprisingly smooth and practiced. She measured the egg and water content with precision, and soon, a soft yellow dough took shape in her hands.

The kitchen staff watched in amazement, thinking she was even more skilled than the castle's bakers.

Of course, she didn't let them just stand and watch. As soon as she formed a proper dough ball, she had them follow suit, kneading their portions under her guidance. She also sent someone to the bakery to fetch rolling pins.

Since these kitchen workers were used to physical labor, kneading dough was easy for them. With Wei Wei's careful instructions, they quickly got the hang of it, and soon, each had a neatly formed ball of dough.

After kneading, the dough needed time to rest. Since there was no plastic wrap, Wei Wei had them cover the dough with clean linen cloths and set them aside.