Cooking with Ki & Birthday

Ki left her research room with a basket full of goods and went straight to the kitchen.

Giving instructions to the chef, Ki began to cook with the ingredients preparing dish after dish.

For one dish she ground up the meat then added a beaten egg, smashed and minced garlic cloves, chopped basil, oregano and thyme leaves and then mixed them together.

After making several portions she placed several washed mulberry leaves shiny side down, she then got help from the chef to finish the rest when she went to prepare for the other samples.

Meanwhile the chef began to follow her instructions by taking a tablespoon of the mixture before rolling it into a patty then placing each one onto one of the leaves on the cooking tray.

He finished the final touches by folding the leaves around the patty adding a toothpick to hold it into place and then drizzled a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice over the top of the stuffed leaves.

He then placed it in the oven and began to prepare rice to go along with it. [1]

Ki then continued to prepare a pie, a cake and a fruit drink with the assistance of the chef until dinner time came [2]

Normally Ki would not have skipped out early on her training but today was a special day.

When it came to the time for everyone to eat together everyone sat at the table expectantly but also confused.

Something was missing from the table leaving the family doubtful, the food had not been placed before their arrival which was an odd occurrence.

Ki noticed the families confusion but only turned her head towards the door upon hearing a knocking sound. "Come in."

Miranda and Evie entered the room followed by the chefs and other mansion workers, Ki nodded allowing the mother and daughter to sit down at the table while the other workers placed the food down before leaving.

When they left the room Ki spoke up once more. "I assume you have noticed a difference from our usual afternoon meal. Although it is my little brothers birthday we did not really add anything special besides his favourites so I felt that we can all celebrate together to try something new. Lady Miranda and her daughter Evie will be joining us because I would like her to experience what it is she has invested her money into. I hope we can have a successful work relationship and a successful start with the restaurants. Some of these will be produced within the restaurants while others will be traded to the restaurants to promote them for future uses."

"So this was your plan." Agnes searched her granddaughters face for traces of clues into the truth of the matter. "Did you make these yourself?"

"I had a little help but yes I did." Ki answered. "First try the meat dish with some rice then the pie and the cake and tell later which one you like the best. Oh can someone also pour some wine into the glasses of my mother, father, grandmother, lady Miranda and a small amount for me too, for Leon and Evie give them the fruit drink I made."

A servant nearby began to serve the drinks upon her orders, when they smelled the aroma of the food they secretly wanted to try some of it.

Ki noticing their gaze rolled her eyes, raising her glass of wine she announced. "Happy birthday brother and to a successful cooperation."

Ki quickly began to enjoy the mixture of the meat and rice dish which was paired with her wine. 'Aaah so refreshing. It's a good thing that I did not have too much poured into my glass otherwise I would have gotten very drunk with my young body. I feel like I haven't tasted wine in a long time oh how I have missed you.'

Elizabeth especially liked the meat dish so grew curious. "Did you use lamb? It's so good!"

"Yes but other meats with this recipe too so can be used in different varieties." Ki smiled at her mother's curiosity, her mother had began to open up more and explore herself during the 3 months after starting up her business. "After the recipes are ready to be put into the restaurants we may need your help mom. The staff uniforms need to be prepared, we need something like the martial uniforms but more neat with longer sleeves. I would prefer them to have a mulberry tree embroidered on the sleeves or on the left chest and do not use a too bright or dark colours that they are dressed professionally."

"Hmm.. I will keep it in mind." Elizabeth nodded before focussing on her meal once more.

Agnes wasn't a big meat and wine lover so didn't enjoy herself as much as the others but liked the addition of the cooked mulberry leaves with the meat patty, still she gave her business opinion. "Mmm.. i think it will sell well."

Evie and Leon devoured their food without even lifting their heads, Leon began to choke so took a drink of his juice. "Aah so good!"

Lifting her head and seeing Leon's actions, Evie rolled her eyes secretly. 'Fool.'

'Pfft my little brother is being looked down on.' Ki did not miss Evie's actions and found it funny.

Ki did not miss her brother and Evie's closeness after spending time together, her brother was often made fun of for his larger build and began to lose confidence in himself.

During his time training and interacting with Ki and Evie he began to open up again and gain some confidence in himself.

Ki saw this as a positive thing and if it developed into something more when they grow older she was also not against the idea so long as her brother was happy.

The idea of family background and monetary differences was never a problem in her eyes, she had gone from a noble daughter to a slave, to someone living in the slums, travelling the continent and then making her way up the rankings in the blood sect.

She had met many people from all walks of life and never once looked down upon them so if Evie was to be a sister in law candidate she was not lacking.

Evie was already hardworking and smart like her mother Miranda despite her young age and she was also her second official disciple.

Not many could gain Ki's acknowledgment but Ki did indeed take a liking to Evie's potential and character.

Meanwhile a certain father finished his meal and drunk his glass of wine. "More wine! Ah so good. Hey little Ki tell me who made this? Do you have more?

In response to this spectacle, Elizabeth and Agnes facepalmed.

If anyone in the family liked wine as much as Ki did then it would be her father.

Ki patiently answered. "The bottle is not finished so you can ask for another glass but don't drink too much as it's not good for your health. That wine is the mulberry wine I made. It is one month aged and there are many barrels and bottles of finished products ready to be sold. I plan to introduce them at the restaurants first and if there is more of a need for them I can begin selling them as a bottle, a barrel or in bulk once I get more people to help with the winemaking."

"Sounds good!" Adam spoke in a soft coaxing voice to his beloved daughter. "Dearest daughter do send your old father some of your wines, father will be very grateful."

"I will father but I can only give you some in moderation." Ki was secretly laughing inside at her fathers personality change.

Meanwhile Elizabeth revealed a look of disgust at her husbands fawning over his daughter for wine.

The family moved onto the mulberry pie, not many expressed great satisfaction upon eating but silently enjoyed their meal.

Evie held her hand to her cheek as she chewed on a piece of pie with her eyes closed and a small smile on her lips.

Agnes looked very pleased. "This one is more of my taste, the flaky and buttery pastry along with the fruity filling really improved my mood upon eating it. I believe this will also work too. I don't doubt you at all after this so just pass the recipes onto me and I will begin preparing cooks for the restaurants to learn the recipes."

Ki's eyes lit up after gaining her grandmothers approval.

Even after reaching the age of 87 Ki still kept her grandmothers teaching and image buried deep within her heart, after receiving her praises and approval she began to feel as if she was a child once more receiving praise from her elders yet she didn't hate the feeling.

The family tried some bread with jam and Miranda seemed to enjoy it the most out of everyone. 'Indeed I was right to bet all of my money on the young miss, she has many ideas and good vision. To be honest at this point I don't even need the money, I will be happy as long as my daughter grows up happy and healthy.'

She looked to her side to notice her daughter and Leon talking between themselves happily.

If she was seeing that look on her daughters face back when she just escaped from that mans grasp then she recognised the wrong person.

She was like a soulless and broken doll after experiencing her grandmother and fathers mistreatment but during the time Miranda was serving the Bombyx family Evie had improved a little.

Evie quickly started improving the most recently thanks to Agatha, Leon and Ki's help during the few months spent together.

She could barely recognise her daughter after this change because she changed so much, she gained weight, became energetic, more motivated and life began to show within her dead eyes.

Miranda secretly wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. 'I am so glad I came to this village during my time of need. I owe them so much.'

Seeing everyone had almost finished their food, Ki signalled a servant with her eyes and upon noticing this they quickly left the room.

After everyone had finished the servant entered carrying a tray of several tea cups and a pot of hot tea.

Elizabeth's eyes lit up upon seeing this. "So we get to have some tea with our cake."

Ki quickly smiled back to her mother. "I am sure you will like it."

Ki knew her families preferences well while her father liked his wine, her grandmother preferred pies and other pastry dishes, her brother liked meat the most but her mother took more interest in tea.

If Ki had inherited her liking for wine the she definitely inherited her love for tea from her mother.

Perhaps it was the influence of being brought up in a noble family but her mother really enjoyed the classic noble hobbies like embroidery, music and the art of tea.

Most noble women are required to learn different arts to increase their marriage prospects meaning the more beautiful, the higher their reputation, the higher their families status and the more skilled they were the higher their own worth was.

The higher their worth the greater their family can gain from the marriage price upon marrying out of the family, this happens in most noble families because while a daughter would marry into another family the son would stay to inherit the household so sons are often favoured over daughters in 29 out of 30 noble families to the point of most noble women being disregarded by their families unless they have some special use or skill.

Luckily Elizabeth married Adam and could sever ties with her unsupportive family then come to enjoy her life.

The two smaller children enjoyed their cake while the adults and Ki enjoyed their combination of cake and mulberry leaf tea.

Both Agnes and Adams moods had settled down and calmly enjoyed their time slowly finishing their tea and cake quietly.

Elizabeth however seemed to be delighted and began praising her daughter. "This is lovely. Just to my taste! It's mild, almost sweet and faintly herbal. I think this would be popular among the noble circles, most noble ladies often socialise through tea parties so I think it would become very popular quickly once it spreads among them. I can even host one to promote it if needed! I have not attended a tea party in years."

"Thanks mom but while it would be helpful I have an idea which requires more of your help and expertise if you are interested. In one of the three cities I would like to open a luxury tea pavilion, it would have good scenery, the tea makers would be dressed in a custom uniform for every season made from higher quality materials that are durable and not easily stained. They would serve our mulberry tea and other teas, cakes, sweets and even iced teas and ice creams would be served during the summer." Ki smirked. 'Mom is going to be busy! However I have no need to feel guilty because I am sure she will gain a lot of enjoyment.'

"If you wish to use a tea party to promote the tea pavilion later then I will not deny your help. The deserts can be sold in both the tea pavilion but preferably the cheaper ones should be sold in the restaurants while the higher quality ones should be sold in the tea pavilion. The mulberry tea leaves will be used in the tea pavilion and cooked leaves with the restaurants meat dish so please set a restriction on the amount consumed because it has medicinal effects and if over consumed it will have negative effects instead. Any other dishes can be served in the restaurants along with the mulberry wine. As for the jams they can either be sold separately or be added to the tea pavilion or the restaurants." Ki finished her explanation. "Of course the tea pavilion will take some time to finalise the planning, buying of land and building. So you do not have to rush your work mom."

Ki was already secretly calculating her gains through such a place opening. 'Gaining the nobles money and influence after the pavilion becomes a spot for the noble tea gatherings to be hosted, putting my own trained people in there to gain more intelligence from the noble circles and further increasing my image among the nobility.'

Elizabeth's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Yes of course little Ki but you have to join me during the tea party! I will have to teach you all you need to know when taking part in a noble gathering."

Most noble families daughters debut into noble society officially around the age of 15 but they can host or attend a tea gathering which is for girls only at an earlier age.

Sadly she never got the chance to attend any noble gathering with other ladies before her families demise in her last life however she would have to begin attending them from time to time to at least show her presence.

Ki did once take part in one noble gathering during her days of a slave but it was definitely something she would never wish to reminisce about because there she experienced the true evil of her previous owner and the nobles indifference towards human lives who were below their status.

Upon seeing her granddaughter playing around with her mother, Agnes thought to herself. 'I cannot believe I am seeing my granddaughter manipulating her mother like this… but it's for Elizabeth's own good. It's about time for Elizabeth to take some steps in a more positive direction… while Adam is good at managing the businesses he isn't exactly the most creative of person so I never expected much from him besides keeping the family business steady but now we have Ki motivating her mother to use her creativity to the best of her ability. It's so good that I still have many long years to live. I can fully enjoy my life and see the family prosper.'

[1] https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/israeli-kitchen/recipes/lamb-stuffed-mulberry-leaves

[2] https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/mulberry-recipes/