Chapter 59 …
Returning as Received
Zeke entered the main building’s kitchen.
“What’s going on?”
“All the tea leaves are gone.”
As the steward, it was also Zeke’s responsibility to procure any missing supplies.
“These are for Her Highness the Grand Duchess, so don’t touch them. You can take the others, though.”
Zeke nodded in acknowledgment at the chef’s words. As he began taking some tea leaves, the chef, seemingly not busy, stayed in place to watch.
“Don’t worry about me, just go ahead.”
The chef crossed his arms and tilted his wrist toward Zeke in a gesture that said it was fine.
“How have you been lately?”
At Zeke’s greeting, the chef waved his hands dismissively, as if words alone couldn’t express his exhaustion.
“The Duke insisted that every dish sent to Her Highness be perfect, so it’s been chaotic.”
“Oh, for Her Highness the Grand Duchess?”
“Yes. She’s been ill more frequently these days, so she’s incredibly meticulous. Even desserts get checked twice or thrice. Thanks to that, my workload has doubled.”
“That sounds tough.”
“The cooking itself isn’t bad since someone is in charge of it, but other things are a bit of a hassle. It’d be nice if Byles helped out sometimes, right?”
Following the chef’s explanation, Zeke’s gaze fell on Chef Byles, who was trimming vegetables. Since Byles never used an assistant and did everything alone, it was difficult to add any enhancers to his dishes. If he found even a trace of someone else meddling with his food, he’d throw a fit.
Zeke had tried helping with Byles’ dishes before, only to see them discarded entirely. After that, he hadn’t dared try again. But it didn’t matter—after all, the dishes for the Grand Duchess weren’t only the ones prepared by Byles.
“You’ve been working hard, Chef. It’d be easier if Chef Byles stepped in.”
“True. Everyone here came to learn from him, so just a word of encouragement would get them moving. Sigh… Oh well. Has Byles ever been cooperative? Maybe a day or two, at most. But he’s perfect at his own work, so in a way, it’s convenient.”
Zeke gave a polite smile at the man who managed the kitchen overall.
“By the way, Zeke, it’s about time—huh? Hey, what are you doing leaving that there?”
The head chef rushed over as a junior cook caused a minor mishap. Zeke watched him for a moment before taking the tea leaves out of his pocket. They were soaked in an enhancer but looked fresh and dewy, as if kissed by the morning dew.
He placed them in the container meant for the Grand Duchess and then left as if nothing had happened. Once Zeke disappeared, the head chef reappeared.
“He must have gone by now.”
He muttered to himself while looking at the spot Zeke had been. He seemed slightly disappointed at the lack of further conversation. Of course, the reality was different.
“Ma’am, where are you going?”
Jane, who had just been bringing a tray, noticed Aileen stepping outside and asked.
“I have someone to meet.”
“I’ve prepared tea. What should we do about it?”
Aileen glanced at the tray. For a moment, she narrowed her eyes at it before a thoughtful smile spread across her face.
“We can drink it on the way. Shall we go this way?”
It was actually unnecessary to drink the tea before moving, but Aileen muttered to herself and clapped in satisfaction that it worked out.
Leading the way, Aileen set the pace, and Jane followed, curious about their destination. They soon left the main building.
“This way.”
Aileen gestured to Jane in front of another building.
“Ma’am, this place is…”
“I’m going to meet Elder Allan.”
Aileen said cheerfully.
“Let’s go in.”
She entered first, and Jane followed. Aileen, captivated by the wide entrance and the high domed ceiling, muttered under her breath.
“It’s really big.”
“That’s because this is where the elders reside.”
Walking along the corridor, which was as grand as the main building, Aileen kept showing her amazement.
“Was it always this big?”
“No, it gradually expanded during renovations.”
“I see.”
Aileen looked around to take in the surroundings before heading toward Elder Allan’s location. Her confident pace made Jane curious.
“Do you know the way?”
It was odd—she looked around as if seeing the place for the first time but acted as if she knew the way perfectly.
“I checked beforehand.”
She had seen the building’s layout in the office, so she knew the path but was still surprised by the interior’s grandeur.
Reaching a door, Aileen took a shallow breath, recalling her previous conversation with Lloyd, who had shown her the building plans.
‘It’s all good, but do you really need to do it yourself? I could do it.’
‘If I step in, this plan will work.’
If Lloyd insisted, Elder Allan would likely become suspicious.
When Aileen insisted, Lloyd reluctantly gave in.
‘Be careful.’
With that single, lingering warning, there were no further disputes. Aileen took a steadying breath and knocked. From inside, Elder Allan’s voice called out:
“Who is it?”
“It’s Aileen.”
There was no response beyond that. As expected, Aileen calmly waited for Elder Allan to react.
Finally, the door opened, and Elder Allan appeared, surprised by her visit.
“You startled me by coming so suddenly.”
“I came to follow up on the discussion we had last time.”
“Please, come in.”
For a moment, he looked puzzled, then resigned himself to the situation and guided Aileen to a seat. She gestured to Jane, who brought in the tray. Aileen sat on the sofa and watched Jane place the tea in front of Elder Allan.
“I thought it would be good to talk over tea.”
“Indeed.”
Elder Allan eyed the tea with a faint reluctance. It wasn’t that he disliked it, but he couldn’t refuse outright because of Aileen’s status.
As Jane skillfully set everything up, Aileen stole a glance at Elder Allan. Last night, she had orchestrated a terrifying plan that ended another person’s life, yet now she sat peacefully, as if nothing had happened.
“You’re here to talk about the sedative for Her Highness, correct?”
“Yes. I came to submit a request for the reservation system.”
“That’s a relief. A wise choice.”
Elder Allan visibly relaxed.
“Helping even a single person would be beneficial. I’ve been thinking about this constantly.”
“Her Highness’ choice will be a blessing to many.”
“But there’s a problem.”
Aileen sighed softly as she lifted her teacup. She gazed at the pale green tea, hesitating before speaking.
Elder Allan, restraining his urge to interrupt, also picked up his cup. He suddenly remembered instructing Zeke earlier.
He hadn’t noticed where Zeke had put the enhancer. If he had expected the Grand Duchess herself to come, he would have prepared the tea personally.
Though unsatisfactory in his own mind, there was nothing to be done. Elder Allan set his cup down.
“Hmm? The tea brewed nicely. Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s fine… but…”
“Then taste it. The aroma is quite rich.”
Aileen smiled gently, gesturing for him to try. She deliberately raised her own cup to inhale the scent. Elder Allan, glancing at her, reluctantly lifted his cup.
‘I should ask Zeke when he added the enhancer,’ he thought.
Once the Grand Duchess leaves, he’d investigate.
“Is it okay?”
“Yes, the aroma is pleasant. But what was the problem you mentioned?”
“It’s just that, if we implement a reservation system, we need clear criteria—but the standards are vague.”
Aileen tilted her head in confusion, unsure how to proceed.
“We held a meeting, but no clear standards came up, so I came to get your advice.”
Elder Allan responded thoughtfully.
“It would be best to survey a specific region first and prioritize those most in need.”
Though he mentioned the reservation system first, he hadn’t yet worked out the details, so he shared his rough thoughts. Aileen nodded thoughtfully.
“Then we assign priorities… and, um… set the order… hmm?”
Elder Allan’s excitement occasionally made him stumble over his words.
“Are you all right?”
Seeing her concerned gaze, he tried to downplay it.
“The tea must be hot… cough.”
Overcome by heat, Elder Allan covered his mouth and coughed.
“Why all of a sudden?”
Aileen offered him a handkerchief, noticing his flushed face.
‘Why is this happening?’ she muttered. Elder Allan unconsciously glanced at his cup.
Could it be…
