Chapter 14
“A Reliable Ally”
“Actually…”
“Yes, Miss. Please go ahead.”
If only she could say this:
This world is from a novel, and I am a reader of it. I left behind 2 billion won in my original world, so I need to go back quickly.
How nice that would be.
If only this point in time matched the original story, she could at least use future knowledge to create an advantage for herself…
Does everything only begin after Vivian dies, like in the original?
If so, that was an even bigger problem.
Because she had no intention of dying.
Mrs. Mayfield narrowed her wrinkled eyes and spoke gently,
“It’s alright. Go on, Miss.”
If it were Mrs. Mayfield, she wouldn’t treat her like a madwoman. She might even help her… or at least feel pity and make her life in the mansion easier.
“Someone in this mansion is trying to kill me.”
“That can’t be… Who would… who would do such a thing to you, Miss?”
“I don’t know who exactly. Only that it’s someone in this mansion… That person will put poison in my food. Maybe they already have.”
“Did someone tell you this?”
“It doesn’t matter who I heard it from. It’s not a guess or delusion. It’s all true. Will you please believe me?”
“You must have been through a lot… Oh dear… how pitiful…”
There were unspoken words hidden at the end of her sentence.
Whether she believed it or not, it was clear she was trying to understand Vivian.
That was enough.
A bitter smile appeared on Vivian’s face.
“I know I shouldn’t keep upsetting the Grand Duke, but I can’t just let it happen when I know the result. Even when someone brings me food, my whole body shakes. How could I eat that?”
A thought suddenly came to her.
What if Mrs. Mayfield helped her avoid being poisoned?
There was nowhere in the mansion Mrs. Mayfield couldn’t go. Especially the kitchen—she could enter it freely.
And once her restriction was lifted, she would have even more freedom.
Vivian spoke in a deliberately weak voice.
“If the Grand Duke continues to forbid me from entering the kitchen… then I wish someone I can trust would prepare my meals. Of course, without him knowing.”
Vivian looked at Mrs. Mayfield persistently.
Please understand what I mean.
“Who could possibly do such a thing, Mrs. Mayfield…?”
Vivian looked as if she might cry at any moment.
Mrs. Mayfield, who had been lost in thought, stared at her for a moment, then sighed deeply.
“If the Grand Duke finds out, he will be very angry… and Marian won’t stay quiet either. There’s no one who can do such a thing.”
“…Ah.”
The smile disappeared from Vivian’s face.
Mrs. Mayfield shook her head firmly.
“I’ll try to persuade Marian.”
“It won’t be easy. She follows Mr. Lindemann’s rules more strictly than anyone.”
“This time, she’ll help us. I’m sure of it. She owes me.”
“…Us? I’m sorry, Miss. I don’t want to cause any more trouble.”
Mrs. Mayfield’s expression softened slightly.
She spoke as if calming a child.
“Why not tell the Grand Duke instead?”
As if she hadn’t already tried.
Vivian remembered Leon’s cold back as he left the dining hall that morning.
“There really won’t be any problem. You just need to prepare my food separately. I’ll talk to Marian myself. Please?”
“Oh, Miss…”
After avoiding her gaze the whole time, Mrs. Mayfield finally nodded reluctantly at Vivian’s persistent request.
***
Early afternoon.
Zygmunt appeared in the servants’ hall, which was filled with maids.
As he entered through the large door, Marian, who had been resting, stood up.
“Mr. Lindemann, what brings you here?”
“Ah, I was just looking for you, Marian.”
“For me?”
Zygmunt walked in, stood by the window, lit a cigar, and gestured to her.
“I have something to discuss. Come here.”
Marian approached with a calm face.
“That dish from last time—how about serving it for the Grand Duke’s lunch today?”
Zygmunt said, exhaling smoke.
“That dish…?”
Marian frowned slightly at the smoke and thought.
He was talking about the foreign dish that troublesome Miss had made.
“You mean the stew?”
“Yes. The one served to the Miss last time. The one in the flat pot.”
“Well… today’s lunch was supposed to be herb chicken sauté, Mr. Lindemann. I already salted the chicken.”
“Then serve that for dinner.”
“But… if it stays salted that long, it might become too salty…”
“Then let the servants eat it as a special meal.”
Normally, that would be welcome news.
Eating food meant for the Grand Duke was a rare treat.
But not this time.
“This is a bit sudden…”
Marian was troubled.
Vivian had never revealed the recipe for the stew.
To serve it now, she would have to ask Vivian—and that was the last thing she wanted.
“Is there a problem?”
“N-No, Mr. Lindemann. Then we’ll serve the stew for lunch.”
“And from now on, don’t serve food in separate plates. Serve it so it can be shared.”
“…Pardon? The Grand Duke dislikes that…”
“It’s his request. He said he will eat from the same dish as Miss Vivian. Inform everyone.”
“That’s unusual… The Grand Duke sharing a dish with someone…”
“They will soon be husband and wife.”
Everyone in the mansion knew that their marriage was only for show.
Marian found it strange but didn’t think too deeply about it.
“Please do your best. I expect something as delicious as last time.”
Zygmunt put out his cigar and left the hall calmly.
As soon as he was gone, Marian quickly called a maid.
“Go bring the Miss here immediately.”
***
Vivian lay on her bed, feeling as if she had gained a thousand soldiers.
Even though she hadn’t eaten, she didn’t feel hungry.
The anxiety she had felt since arriving here had finally calmed.
For now, she didn’t have to worry about being poisoned.
She could calmly think of a way to meet Kaion.
And she wouldn’t be disliked by Leon for refusing food anymore.
It felt like a burden she had carried for years had finally been lifted.
The sunlight outside the window looked especially bright today.
The high sun gently touched the quiet, barren land of Lavric.
Just as she got up to look more closely—
Knock, knock.
Urgent knocking sounded again, and a familiar maid appeared.
“Ivin? What is it?”
“Hello, Miss. The head chef is urgently looking for you.”
Her pale face was covered in sweat.
Realizing it was urgent, Vivian followed her without question.
Avoiding the resting servants, Ivin led Vivian through the back door of the mansion.
So there was a place like this.
Vivian looked around curiously.
“We must avoid being seen, so we’ll go through the back, Miss.”
The walls along the stairs were covered in ivy.
As Ivin walked, her skirt brushed against the leaves.
Now that she had settled in, she looked even thinner than before.
Vivian noticed her worn clothes and pale face but said nothing.
Even if she wanted to speak, Ivin was walking too fast.
After descending a long, narrow staircase, they reached the back entrance of the servants’ dining room in the basement.
Ivin opened the small door.
“Please go in, Miss.”
As Vivian stepped inside, warm, humid air rushed over her like entering a bathhouse.
“You’re here, Miss.”
“Yes, I am… what’s going on?”
“Mr. Lindemann ordered the stew to be served for lunch today.”
Standing in the center of the room, Marian’s lips trembled with frustration.
So it finally came.
Fine. I’ll make something even the Grand Duke can’t resist.
Vivian’s eyes shone.
After checking the time, she removed her silk gloves and clapped her hands lightly.
“There’s still enough time. First, we should prepare the ingredients—oh, they’re already done?”
The servants’ dining room was wider and cleaner than she expected.
It was simpler than the main dining hall, but it had everything needed for cooking.
The stove was a bit weak, but there was also a small furnace.
Not perfect, but good enough.
Marian gestured at the neatly arranged ingredients.
“I prepared them roughly, but I can’t get the taste right…”
Ah, the taste.
Vivian looked over the ingredients.
She needed sauce.
To recreate the same flavor, she needed the seasoning from before.
That meant going to the storage.
Vivian turned to Marian.
“Um… I’ll go to the first-floor kitchen for a moment.”
