You, Who's Kind Only To Me - Chapter 22
“Could it really be that simple?”
“Of course.”
…With that, back to the present.
“It seems His Excellency has urgent matters to attend to. I will personally look into it, Madam.”
“While it’s hard to imagine what kind of urgent matters the aide wouldn’t know about… Yes, Johann always had a hard time.”
“No, Madam. Then—”
The brown-haired aide exchanged brief glances with those around him, then finally bowed to Ren. After suddenly exchanging greetings, Ren discreetly held her breath at the sight of the Madam looking back at her.
The elderly couple was always open about their emotions, so Ren didn’t know how to handle someone quietly containing their anger like this.
“Miss, what should I call you?”
“Please call me Ren, Madam.”
“Oh, Ren. Okay, I like that. Ren, I’ll apologize on the Duke’s behalf. I’m sorry.”
Taken aback for a moment by the Madam’s heartfelt apology, Ren saw Madam Herwin elegantly curling her eyes. She remained the dignified lady she had always been.
“Since it seems the duke will be late, shall we start without him, just us?”
In the end, the dinner began without the presence of the lord of the castle. The table, set for just four people, was filled with sumptuous and lavish dishes that Ren, who had been filling her stomach with cold soup and hard bread in her small attic room, could never have imagined.
With the sea nearby, a variety of seafood dishes graced the table. Large grilled lobsters seasoned with exotic spices, crawfish dishes with cheese cascading like a waterfall, dishes of a fish the size of an adult man’s forearm thick and richly seasoned with various spices, and shellfish cooked on low heat in a pan with butter, were among the spread.
Ren looked at the pile of seafood dishes in front of her with a slightly perplexed face. Her blue eyes cautiously shifted toward the salad bowl.
Although slow, Ren’s careful savoring of the dishes brought a sense of satisfaction to the Madam. After all, the Southern region had a rich abundance of resources and a diverse range of ingredients, leading to the development of a rich food culture.
No matter how well-mannered a young lady may be, making noise at the dining table was not considered polite.
“Wow, this tastes so delicious.”
Ren’s eyes widened and her mouth watered as she tasted the slightly bloody meat from the mainland for the first time.
Lawrence, the head chef of Daverid Castle, secretly felt sorry.
He had been anxious since the rare and precious young lady seldom ventured into the seafood dishes he was most confident in, but seeing her enjoy the beef steak brought relief.
The leisurely Southern meal suited Ren well from the start. If what Lucas said was true, the island must also belong to the South, but the island and the mainland seemed quite different in many ways. The variety of food was diverse, and there was no one to comment on her slow eating. Most of all, the absence of someone scolding her to stop eating was the most surprising thing for Ren.
While the couple provided her with a place to sleep and food, the portions were never ample. Ren always felt hungry.
“It’s jasmine tea, miss.”
Pour-
As the maid poured the tea, Ren, feeling unusually satiated for the first time, set down her fork, only to find that there was still a significant amount of food left on her plate.
As the servants cleared the table and brought out desserts, Ren couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret as she thought of Lucas, who couldn’t enjoy such delicious food.
It would have been nice if he could have eaten with them…
“How was the meal, Ren? Did you enjoy it?”
Madam Herwin spoke as Ren gazed at the small and exquisite dessert with twinkling eyes.
The distance between them, which had felt difficult to bridge when the stomach was empty, had significantly narrowed when the stomach became full. This is what it meant sharing a meal across the sea.
Ren chose a soft note floating above the teacup, and with a voice as calm and elegant as the melody of waves singing, Ren spoke.
“Yes, it was delicious.”
It was completely sincere.
“That’s a relief, Daverid Castle offers a wide variety of delicious food. Countless rare ingredients from across the sea pass through here even before they reach the imperial palace. And our head chef’s skill is, of course, unparalleled.”
While Ren hesitated over whether to eat it, the Madam personally recommended one of the homemade tarts. One adorned generously with lemon meringue.
As Ren took a small bite of the tart, the soft meringue melted on her tongue, spreading a rich, tangy sweetness throughout her mouth.
“Moreover, the weather here is so mild all year round, not too hot or cold. We can enjoy desserts made from various fruits throughout the year. You can also taste the top-quality tea, which was said to be exclusive to the imperial family, and the wine made directly from the grapes grown in our large vineyard.”
“Wow, does that mean the weather is as clear all year round as it is today?”
“Indeed. Daverid’s sky always has a bright blue hue, similar to today, except during the monsoon season.”
“When I saw it today, it really felt like the sky resembled the sea.”
“That’s right. Just like the sea.”
Madam Herwin quietly chuckled as she watched Ren’s jewel-like eyes glisten.
“Especially the harvest festival in three months… It’s famous for offering a taste of all the rare delicacies in the world. People even come all the way from distant lands across the sea just to enjoy Daverid’s harvest festival.
The Madam continued, setting down her teacup.
Click- A fantasy whispered by the calm voice was shattered.
The vision of the sun-drenched, expansive vineyard gradually faded along with the sweet dessert and fragrant tea. Ren swallowed her disappointment.
“Ren, how long do you plan to stay in the castle?”
The sudden question caught Ren off guard.
“Wouldn’t the Duke decide that?”
Ren blinked, considering that she didn’t know how long she had to continue working until the Duke himself told her to stop.
After all, she was quite fond of this place.
She wanted to stay as long as possible.
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