Chapter Five

But his laughter was short-lived. Jellard was startled as Camilla grabbed him by the collar in one fell swoop. 

'Because I have a bit of a nasty personality.'

She didn't like people who didn't like her. She's not kind enough to put up with groundless criticism and ridicule.

If Camilla had done something to this man before she came here, she'd be willing to put up with this nonsense.

But as far as she knew, Camilla had never done anything to Chef Jellard.

In short, the reason why he was being rude to her was because he can.

Squeeze!

'I'm a woman who's grabbed collars hundreds of times through acting.'

The grip on his collar tightened.

Although that body was not her own, she still had her skills from her previous life. She was a master at grabbing someone by the collar.

Jellard's body naturally leaned forward.

"W-What are you doing!?"

Jellard, who soon regained his senses, shouted as loudly as he possibly could.

In the kitchen, he is a king. Getting grabbed by the collar in front of so many people is…!

"Listen."

However, Camilla was unperturbed. If anything, she gripped the furious Jellard's collar even tighter.

"This height."

"…Yes?"

"When I win the bet, become this height."

Camilla thrusts her face into his.

"If you look down on me with those eyes one more time…"

Jellard swallowed hard at the harsh, whispering voice.

"I'm going to break your knees and make you crawl for the rest of your life."

"T-The Duke will not stay still…!"

"Yes, I know. I'm going to get scolded, and I might not even be able to leave my room."

"So please…!"

"So what of it?"

"What?"

"It's not like it's my first time experiencing it, so what if it?"

"N-No, it's not that! The Duke—!"

"I'll receive some punishment."

The corners of Camilla's mouth crept upward.

She was under scrutiny by the Duke of Sorpel, but she had no intentions of letting anyone intimidate her because of it.

"Do you think he'll kill me just because I destroyed you?"

"…!"

"Do you think I can't do it?"

She thought this was more than enough…

Camilla smiled as she watched Jellard's mouth twitch and patted his shoulder.

However, Jellard couldn't straighten from his bent posture, as if his whole body had stiffened. If he straightened up now, he felt that his knees would shatter.

"Then, I'll use the kitchen well."

Camilla resumed her position, leaving Jellard behind. Then, she had called out to someone, as if she were talking to herself in a low voice.

"Ferrol."

[Yes.]

Ferrol, the ghost chef who had been hovering around, had moved closer to Camilla.

"Are you ready?"

[Of course!]

"Let's get started."

As soon as Camilla finished speaking, Ferrol's hands overlapped hers.

* * *

"Young Master Ludville contributed greatly in the operation. They say he was outstanding. Here are the documents."

Listening to the aide's explanation, the Duke of Sorpel read the papers carefully.

"He's doing a great job."

"Yes, as expected of Ludville."

The Duke of Sorpel put down the reports with a satisfied look.

"…"

His gaze soon turned to one place out of habit. It was a vase filled with gypsophila that Camilla had brought him.

It was something he often saw back when his mother was alive.

His mother, who was very fond of gypsophila, used to arrange them in her room like that.

'Although I'm not particularly a big fan of flowers…'

It gave him a strange feeling, seeing the gypsophila in his office.

He suddenly remembered Camilla's face as she smiled at him, holding a bunch of gypsophila in her arms when he went for a walk in the morning.

Has the child ever smiled so hard in his presence?

'And it's been over a week already.'

He thought it would've been over in a day or two.

But Camilla had been decorating his office and room with gypsophila without missing a day.

"It's not bad."

"What?"

"Is Camilla still not eating properly these days?"

"Ah…"

The aide's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected question.

Duke Sorpel had asked about Camilla's tyrannical behavior, but this was the first time he had asked about her well-being as he did now.

Even if he ordered him to do something, he had never asked about Lady Camilla herself…

"I'll find out right away."

The aide, Zakter, replied hastily with a bit of panic in his voice.

Knock, knock.

There was a knock on the door and a man stepped inside. It was the butler, Rube, a man in his early 30s.

He held a tray of food as he entered the office.

Rube bowed politely, then quickly set the food on the tray down on the table.

"What's all this?"

"I thought you might be hungry."

The Duke of Sorpel looked at the clock and nodded at the butler's words.

When he stayed in the office for a long period of time, Rube would often bring him a simple meal.

"Thank you for the meal."

Jakter, the aide, looked more pleased than Duke Sorpel. He had a light supper, but his stomach had been sending signals for a while.

"Why don't you try it, Duke?"

"Hm?"

The Duke of Sorpel looked at the butler with questioning eyes.

Normally, he would leave after putting the food down. But today, he was standing next to him and insisted that he'd eat.

Duke Sorpel, who stared silently at the butler, Rube, for a moment, soon got up and made his way to the table where the food was set.

"It's soup."

Next to it was freshly-baked bread to go with the soup.

"…"

Duke Sorpel's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the soup.

'No way…'

He picked up the spoon and scooped up a large mouthful of soup with uncharacteristic haste, putting it in his mouth. As he swallowed the food, his expression turned even more stunned.

"This soup…"

It's the soup he used to eat; the soup that he loved so much!

It was the soup he had never eaten again after the chef, Ferrol, who had worked in the duchy for a long time, had died in an accident.

He heard that Gerard, Ferrol's student and the current chef, tried to recreate the flavor somehow, but ultimately failed.

And now, the soup he thought he'd never taste again was sitting right in front of him. It had the exact same taste as before.

"Wow… this is really good. How can soup get such a deep flavor?"

The soup was golden and clear, with no trace of dreg.

It was difficult for him to describe the richness of the flavor the moment he put it in his mouth.

"Looks like he was finally able to recreate the taste."

The Duke of Sorpel believed that the current chef had finally recreated his mentor's flavor.

But when the butler heard that, he shook his head gently.

"Chef Jellard didn't make it."

"The chef didn't make it?"

"No."

"Then who?"

Butler Rube smirked.

"It was Miss Camilla."

"…Who?"

"Cough!"

The Duke of Sorpel's eyes grew wide, and Zakter, who had been watching as he sipped his soup, let out a series of dry coughs the moment Camilla's name was mentioned.

He looked at the soup in disbelief.

"Miss Camilla made this?"

The Duke of Sorpel and Jakter remained stunned for a moment as the butler smiled once again, as if he had already anticipated the reaction.

* * *

"E-Eh…!"

Chef Jellard found it difficult to speak.

When he saw the soup Camilla had made, he couldn't believe his eyes.

The golden soup! How can she know that golden soup?!

'E-Even the scent!'

It's the same! It's exactly the same soup that he remembers!

With trembling hands, Jellard ladled out a large spoonful of soup into his mouth.

"…!"

Wham!

The ladle he held fell to the floor.

He was so shocked he couldn't think of picking up the ladle he dropped, despite having always talked about keeping the kitchen utensils clean.

That's the flavor. It's definitely the soup!

It's the soup made by his mentor Ferrol a long time ago!

Due to the untimely death of his mentor, the recipe was never passed down.

But now the soup was made right in front of his eyes. By no one else's hands but Camilla's!

He couldn't believe it, even when he saw it with his own eyes.

"How does the soup taste?"

Camilla, who was quietly watching the scene, slowly approached him.

"H-How…!?"

He was standing there with a dazed expression and only then was he able to come to his senses. Jellard asked, his voice filled with excitement.

"How did you make this!? How did you do it!?"

Jellard's eyes sparked with fire as he looked at Camilla.

He spent a long time trying to recreate the soup, but the results were always disastrous. He could never quite match the flavor.

But how did she get—!

"They're high up."

"Pardon me?"

"They're high."

"Wha…"

Turning to a bewildered Jellard, Camilla pointed two fingers at his eyes, then lowered her hand.

"I have to lower my eyes."

"…!"

Jellard's eyes widened as he realized what Camilla was talking about.

"My neck is starting to hurt."

Camilla rubbed the back of her neck with one hand, as if it were sore.

"…"

Swoosh.

His bulging eyes are downcast. His knees are also slightly bent. At such a height where Camilla would not have to look up.

Naturally, his hands were also clasped in front of him.

"A-Are you going to teach me now?"

It was a very embarrassing scene to show in front of a large group of kitchen staff, but that wasn't important now.

"What?"

"The recipe for this soup."

"Why me?"

"…What?"

"I didn't say I'd teach you how to cook it."

"…!"

Camilla untied her apron and tossed it aside as she watched Jellard's face turn white with shock.

"Miss Camilla!"

Jellard urgently called out to Camilla as she headed out of the kitchen.

He couldn't let her go like this. He had to get the recipe somehow!

"Well, I could teach you."

"R-Really?"

"If you look cute."

"What?"

"If you look cute, I might teach you later."

With those words, Camilla brushed off her clothes and left the kitchen.

Jellard stared at the scene in disbelief, and only after a moment of staring did he turn his head to look at the kitchen staff standing off to one side.

"What can I do to make this face look cute?"

"That's imposs— Ugh!"

Those who covered the mouth of the oblivious, young kitchen worker just smiled sheepishly in return.