My Lady Chef { La Vita Series } - Volume 1

Extra Chapter: The Little Fox

Neo's POV:

It has been 3 days since I started looking around for the little fox.

But...as I searched everywhere during my free time. I grew anxious because she was not fully healed yet.

She could be dead by now or taken by people who might skin her for her white fur after she is killed.

Because of that, I was feeling rather miserable that even the server and my assistants looked at me with worry.

But then I remembered that today was the day Miss Linda will be coming over to taste my new menu for the new fall season.

That was enough for me to concentrate on my work as I prepped a few ingredients.

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"These....look pretty good, Chef."

It was a few hours before closing time before we used one of the dining tables out back to do some taste testing.

The Fall Season is often a popular season for apples, pumpkins, pork, and autumn berries.

So I centered it around 1 pork meal set, 2 apple-based dessert, a rustic pumpkin soup, and a berry beverage.

"I can still tweak it accordingly. These are not final yet." I smiled at the way she was struggling to stay composed. "Please try them out?"

"Then....don't mind me."

She sat down and began sampling the food.

"Hmmm....Interesting combination....This is good....Hmmm yum!"

The interest on her face as she pleased her palate in between bites and nodded while. muttering a few things was....kinda similar to Lady Aisenburg.

"The Fried Pork in the meal set is pretty good but the thicker cut may cause trouble for you during a rush hour when you fry them. May I suggest *butterflying them then pounding it before you season and fry them?"

*a method of cutting thicker meat in the middle to make a bigger cut and halving it into two thinner halves. This allows one to half your frying time and lessens the possibility of your middle being raw.

I had my notes out and wrote down her suggestions as she explained what this method was....

Since she is the duchess' cooking assistant during her cooking experiments.

She praised the berry juice and pumpkin soup with a few tweaks but gently told me that the apple pie needs something extra because there is a stand that sells a similar tasting one.

"As Lady Alaina says "if it is not a product that offers something new to a customer's palate. Keep the idea for a later time and improve upon it." The mix of pumpkin bits and apples stewed into a small pie is common but it needs....a little zing."

"....Maybe...I could try a few spices she recommended for that extra zing but I am not well-versed in them. "

"Milady uses spices like she was born to mix them. I can come another time to work on the pie with you. Fall is not until next month. We still have time."

"Would you? Are you not busy?" I hid my pleasure at seeing her again.

She nodded and did not look bothered by it. Miss Linda has that cool expression like nothing ruffles her. She is business minded and amazing...

She would not be the duchess' trusted maid if she was not good at her job.

I hope to be like her someday. Someone indispensable to the duchess.

"I'll send a letter soon on when I am free. The cafe's hours have been so busy lately and...." My face must have betrayed me because Miss Linda spoke up.

"You seem worried about something."

"Well....It's this...."

I explained about the little fox I was nursing back to health and how it worried me because it was still hurt.

When I finished, her serious look changed to a rather perplexed and funny expression.

"Ehem. I have a confession to make. "she said with a guilty face. "I...took the fox. I came here last night to check the accounts at the office for the duchess a few days ago and heard a scratching noise inside the storage."

Her story was that she took the fox so that it could pee and concluded that it would be best to care for it in the mansion.

Where it can recover safely.

She even described the little fox perfectly. From her pure white fur to her big pointy ears to her pink nose and big blue-gold eyes.

"I am sorry for not telling you immediately. I had something important to do after that and just remembered when I was on my way to the cafe." Her voice was sincere.

It dispelled my worries about the little fox immediately.

"It-it's okay, Miss Linda. I am happy that the little fox is safe and I am confident that she will recover with your care."

"...Thank you for trusting me, Chef." her face softened and she offered a hand. "You can come and visit her while she is at the mansion. I plan on releasing her outside a nearby forest soon after she recovers."

I smiled as I grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously.

"Yes! I would love that! Thank you, Miss Linda! Thank you!"

My exuberance made her cheeks redden a bit.

"Please...call me Linda. We're serving the same master so we should help each other out."

Somehow her words made my insides all jiggly and warm. She looked unguarded and comfortable with me now.

That made me happy because I respect and admire her.

Then I noticed that my hand was still grasping hers and let go immediately.

"S-sorry! Mi-miss..I mean...Linda. I did not mean...."

"Ehehehe.." she let out a giggle which became a laugh. "You are so cute, Neo."

Neo...

The way she said my name made me blush furiously, I can feel my ears and face heating up.

"D-don't tease me. In my village, An unmarried man cannot hold an unmarried woman's hand for so long..."

"Is that so? I apologize but I cannot help it when you act like that. It's so...adorable." her laughter lessened a bit. "It's a compliment. Just take it."

"Alright..., Linda" I relaxed as I invited her to finish the rest of the food on the table as we chatted more about the little fox and arranged a day for a visit.

Somehow the awkwardness morphed into that of friends slowly getting to know each other.

And....it was not bad.

I never had a female friend before. All my male friends are now married and working for their family farms or shops.

It was kinda nice.

I have a friend here in the city.

And I like it.

This is all thanks to the little fox that dropped in my arms one night.

I could hear Sylph humming softly in my head.