In the afternoon, Allen reclined comfortably in a bright corner of the dining room by the window.
He snacked on various treats brought by the servants to replenish his energy while happily writing his book.
Occasionally, he shared stories with Anna, who was also busy devouring snacks beside him.
Mr. Robert, the head chef of the Laval House, finished his kitchen work and couldn’t help but lean in curiously.
He wanted to hear what kind of novel story this young master — who had changed quite a bit recently — could tell.
Allen got along quite well with the servants and didn’t put on airs.
Everyone had long since discarded their old impressions of the moody and short-tempered young master.
They gathered around to enjoy afternoon tea and listen to Allen’s stories.
Usually, Marianne, the Head Maid, kept a strict watch, making it difficult for the staff to get close to the master.
With the Head Maid away today, everyone could finally enjoy this rare, leisurely time.
Allen was telling ‘Andersen’s Fairy Tales’, and the servants listened with rapt attention.
After the stories finished, they began discussing the plot points seriously.
Maid A said with a look of longing, “The princess from ‘The Princess and the Pea’ sounds just like me. If the bed is even slightly uneven, or if there is something hard under me, I feel uncomfortable all over and can’t sleep.”
Maid B curled her lip. “Oh, give it a rest. I think that Prince definitely had some issues. Why insist on finding a princess with skin so delicate she can feel a pea under twenty mattresses? Isn’t that just looking for trouble?”
Maid C added thoughtfully, “It just shows that when lords look for wives, they care about matching status. Even if I really had skin as delicate as the Princess and the Pea, no noble lord would ever look at us.”
Maid D sighed. “In that case, the meaning of *The Ugly Duckling* is actually… a swan is born a swan. Real little ducks like us can never fly high no matter how hard we try?”
Maid B shrugged. “Of course. Our fates are different.”
Hearing his servants’ realistic interpretations, Allen suddenly wondered if Finn’s symptom of over-analyzing everything was contagious.
‘What is wrong with you guys! Can’t you just feel the beauty and innocence of a fairy tale?!’
He looked at Anna to see how seriously she was listening.
She seemed to have finally understood some of the noble qualities these stories aimed to convey.
She looked up with clear, curious eyes and asked, “Allen… is roasted swan meat tasty?”
Allen: “…”
‘Well, your sense of innocence has completely drifted off course too!’
Most of the maids of the Laval House were at a marriageable age, so it was normal for them to discuss such topics.
Although they worked in a noble household, they understood that the social divide was difficult to cross.
The conversation soon shifted toward marriage and the future. Listening to their chatter, Allen couldn’t help but recall his own failed engagement.
How should he put it… it was a bit of a pity.
Honestly, even if Livia and Allen were arch-enemies, she was a super beautiful girl.
Just looking at her was pleasant. Marianne was a beautiful girl too, but… can a sister and a fiancée be treated the same?
Of course not! Not even a younger sister by law!
Allen’s moral standards were sometimes quite strange.
In some aspects, such as planning to eliminate an enemy, he was almost completely unscrupulous.
But in other areas, like those involving emotions and relationships, his sense of morality was excessively strong.
This was likely psychological trauma left behind after repeatedly encountering tragic endings in this otome game world centered on romance.
However, the servants’ discussion soon focused on Livia, specifically regarding the fate of her biological mother, who had been a noble’s maid.
Her mother had tried to change her fate by seducing the Count of the Borderlands and successfully gave birth to Livia.
No one knew if there had been true love between her and the Count, or if she simply viewed the child as a tool to elevate her status.
All people knew was that under the intense rejection and suppression of the Count’s legitimate wife, she spent a miserable life.
When she was terminally ill and dying, she didn’t even get to see her daughter one last time.
As they reached this part of the conversation, the atmosphere in the dining room became somber, and even Allen was moved.
Indeed, in the original ‘Starshine Love Song’ game, Livia’s background was more of a setting used to enhance the “Cinderella” attribute of the protagonist and evoke a player’s desire to protect her.
But in this real world, there was a tragedy of a living person behind it — the irreparable loss of a child’s childhood.
Although Allen’s mother had also passed away early, he at least had a father who loved and cared for him. As for the Count of the Borderlands and Livia…
Allen recalled his limited contact with that Count and felt that it was probably more guilt than true fatherly love.
He didn’t understand Livia at all. The one who truly understood Livia was actually her rival, Allen.
Therefore, Allen was Livia’s true love!
…Stop! What a bizarre thought?
Absolutely impossible. There was no such thing as true love.
Allen quickly extinguished that dangerous thought. His only “true love” could only be the yuri pairing between Livia and Marianne.
Yes, thinking about it that way made him feel much better.
Speaking of yuri, Allen thought of the pairing between Livia and Princess Charlotte, and then he thought of the chosen substitute girl, Olivia.
He saw the Butler directing the servants to replenish the kitchen supplies and asked, “Butler, how is Miss Olivia doing now?”
The Butler answered respectfully, “She is currently receiving strict training from the most professional noble etiquette teachers. Next, she will learn various court dances and posture.”
The Butler always performed his duties flawlessly, but Allen still felt a bit uneasy.
The Butler, however, seemed full of confidence. “Young Master, when have you ever seen your plans fail?”
“That’s true.” Allen nodded.
As a villain, one had to have the realization that “things must go according to my script.”
“Oh, right, Young Master,” the Butler added as if suddenly remembering something, “Mr. François is waiting for you in the study.”
“Eh? Didn’t I give him a day off?” Allen was somewhat surprised.
“He seems to have something important he wants to discuss with you.”
“Hmm… alright, I’ll go see him.” Allen stood up and smiled at the maids sitting together. “I have something to take care of. I’ll come back and continue the story later.”
The maids laughed and told him to go ahead with his work. Anna also waved a small hand covered in snack crumbs.
“Young Master Allen,” Chef Robert reminded him, “Regarding the new dish you mentioned, we can help prepare the ingredients, but for the final cooking, you must handle the ladle yourself.”
When Allen previously proposed that he would be responsible for dinner tonight, this upright head chef had been firmly opposed at first.
The Lorraine Kingdom had a developed economy and a prosperous culture, which naturally produced a rich culinary tradition.
As a head chef and kitchen manager who mastered Lorraine cuisine and served the nobility, Mr. Robert had his own pride.
As the saying went, a gentleman stays away from the kitchen. The kitchen was his domain.
No matter how incredible this young master was, he couldn’t possibly interfere with cooking techniques as well, right?
However, Allen simply took out a cookbook he had written himself, containing all sorts of novel dishes. Robert opened it with skepticism, and immediately, his worldview suffered a heavy blow.
Those unheard-of, exquisite dishes were certainly eye-opening, but it was the novel cooking techniques like “stir-frying,” “braising,” “stewing,” and “deep-frying,” along with the spice pairings, that truly made Robert realize there was always someone better out there.
These dishes were actually the specialty items Allen planned to introduce for the Continental Hotel.
Allen had chosen the location of the Forgotten Madonna inn at the intersection of the Old City District and the Wharf District.
On one hand, it was located on the secret passage leading to the former headquarters of the Thieves’ Guild. On the other hand, he valued its unique location.
Smugglers, domestic and foreign merchants, ordinary citizens, and even nobles seeking excitement were all potential customers.
Allen planned to transform the Forgotten Madonna into the Continental Hotel, creating a unique “social enclave.”
Here, the rigid class system would be temporarily blurred. It would attract nobles to “experience life,” commoners and merchants to “touch luxury,” and foreign smugglers to “enjoy the Lorraine style.”
And the unique specialty dishes in this world would be excellent publicity and a major attraction in themselves.
What Allen wanted to introduce was not just familiar Chinese cuisine, but a culinary concept and technique.
For example, the concept of “stir-frying over a high flame” was a “novel” technique for people of this era who were used to stewing and roasting, as it could greatly preserve the original flavor and tender texture of the ingredients.
After hearing some of Allen’s insights into culinary arts, Mr. Robert looked at him as if he were a god.
Especially when Allen said he would personally demonstrate dishes Robert had never heard of, the experienced head chef immediately put aside his ego and decided to personally assist Allen.
Allen naturally understood Robert’s anticipation. He smiled and said, “Don’t worry. After I finish my business, I’ll probably be hungry enough to eat a whole cow. You’ve worked hard normally, so enjoy my skills tonight.”
This wasn’t much of an exaggeration. The energy consumption speed brought by the Gene Enhancement Serum was truly startling.
He had been eating snacks while telling stories, yet he felt hungry again already.
Sigh, so this is what it feels like to be a glutton.
Anna… it really isn’t easy for her.