Chapter 133
Translator: Yonnee
-
Ciel went upstairs to the room where he usually stayed and loosened his tight cravat, tossing it aside.
Seating himself on the couch, he let out a deep sigh and then drank the water that Rouman had brought him.
"Huu..."
He was happy to have coincidentally met Irene. His feelings for her remained, but he knew that they had subtly changed.
In the past, his feelings were intense, but he had sometimes doubted whether it was genuine love.
However, his current feelings were different.
Although he still had the same resolve, it was tinged with a different shade.
He had no desire to possess her, but rather, he was filled with the first and foremost sincerity to give her everything she wanted.
Ciel leaned back on the sofa and reminisced about the past. As he did, things he had failed to do back then came to mind, one by one.
There was one time when they had passed by a certain elementary school together. There was a shabby tteokbokki stand nearby, and Irene had a particular fondness for their tteokbokki.
She suggested they eat there, but Ciel had been repulsed. In his eyes, the place seemed terribly unhygienic. Thus, he made negative comments and expressed his desire for her not to eat there.
And ever since, Irene never ate tteokbokki in front of him.
At the time, he had been delighted that she listened to him, but it was a rather thoughtless act on his part. Like a fool.
"Why was I so hellbent on such trivial things back then..."
He felt angry with his past self for not granting her wants. And it wasn't just that-he recalled that they were just minor requests that she had made, too.
He made a resolution.
Yes, now he needed to convey his apologies in person, not just in his heart.
Ciel stood up from his seat and called for Rouman.
"Rouman!"
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Summon all the chefs and employees from the estate in the capital to come here."
"...Yes?"
"And also, hire a pastry chef as a specialist."
"...Understood."
"Ah, and if we end up repairing or building the villa, I will personally assist, so feel free to request help at any time."
"...Yes, sir."
"So, try to expedite this as much as possible."
"Yes..."
Rouman replied with a weary expression, but Ciel didn't seem to notice. In his mind, he could only imagine Irene's delight at receiving the gifts he couldn't give her in the past.
* * *
After finishing my morning swordsmanship practice, I bathed, put on a dress, and came downstairs to join my mother for a meal.
As I was making my way towards the dining area, the entrance suddenly became noisy.
"Is Lady Irene de Closch present?"
As I approached the entrance, I saw an unfamiliar man delivering a message to the butler.
"I am Mark, the head chef of the Leopardt Duchy's estate. I apologize for this sudden visit, but Milord has sent a gift to Lady Irene, and I've come to deliver it."
"A gift...?"
"To be more precise, in order to deliver the gift, may I briefly use your kitchen facilities?"
"What?"
Even the butler, who had experienced many unusual events lately, was taken aback and asked for clarification. Mark, bowing deeply, went on to explain.
"As a chef myself, I understand how inconvenient this request may be to your household's people. It won't take long. I would appreciate your permission."
My mother, who had just returned from a charity event, entered at that moment.
"What's going on?"
"M-Madam!"
The butler reported the situation with an expression that seemed to say, 'We're saved.' I also peeked curiously from behind my mother because there was something vaguely familiar about the smell in the air.
"What is it?"
"By any chance, are you Lady Irene de Closch?"
Mark asked as if he had been waiting.
"Yes, I am. But may I ask what this is about?"
"His Grace has a special dish that he wishes to personally present to Your Ladyship. It's a delicacy he developed, and it's best enjoyed when freshly prepared. We've brought the ingredients, and though I realize it's rather impolite, please, could you allow us to use your kitchen for a short time?"
As Mark spoke, he revealed the ingredients he had brought. The contents of the box seemed oddly familiar, especially since I believed it was something I could never find here.
With a triumphant expression as if he had discovered a treasure on a distant continent, Mark continued.
"This is a dish His Grace created exclusively for Lady Irene, called 'Tteobokki.' It's spicy but also sweet, with a chewy texture and crisp vegetables. In addition to that, there's a dessert called 'Patbingsu' to soothe the spiciness. So please, allow us to use your kitchen for just a short while, Baroness and Milady!"
That man! What on earth was he doing!
Even though I was mentally scolding Ciel, I couldn't take my eyes off the food.
After all, my favorite food combo is eating tteokbokki and then having patbingsu. But why does he still remember that?!
