Chapter 27: Getting the Recipe
“I-I’m sorry, Your Grace! I thought the room was empty!”
The maid had entered, carrying a tray with a water jug and cups.
“Leave it and go.”
“Y-yes!”
Startled by his cold tone, the maid quickly placed the tray on the bedside table and rushed out.
After all the effort he had put into scolding the Grand Duchess about not visiting him at night…
And now, he had been caught watching her sleep.
How pathetic.
At least the maid had seen them together, so she wouldn’t come back to check on the Grand Duchess again.
But she’ll be uncomfortable sleeping like this.
The dress wasn’t a problem, but the earrings might get in the way.
Hesitating for a moment, Loic reached out and gently touched her ear.
Carefully, he removed the small earring from her soft earlobe.
As he did, her quiet, rhythmic breaths filled the silence.
After finally removing the earrings, Loic made sure to tuck her in properly before forcing himself to leave the room without looking back.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a bright white ceiling.
Pushing aside the stiff sheets, I sat up in bed.
I remember reading in the study last night….
I looked down.
I was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
“…!”
Wait. Why didn’t I change?
No matter how hard I tried to remember, I had no memory of returning to my room.
Scratching my head in frustration, I quickly called over a maid who had just come in to tidy the bed.
“Last night?”
The maid hesitated, giving me a how would I know look before answering carefully.
“I’m not sure, but I heard that His Grace checked on you while you were sleeping.”
I must have misheard.
“What?”
Sensing my irritation, the maid hurriedly explained.
“Um… His Grace was in your room and told us not to enter until morning.”
After dismissing the nervous maid, I sat there, completely confused.
The Grand Duke was in my room?
Did he bring me here? How?
Did he… carry me like a princess?
No way.
Maybe he just slung me over his shoulder like a sack of flour?
Either way, it was beyond embarrassing.
My dress had been heavy with layers of fabric, plus jewelry weighing me down.
Turning my head, I noticed my earrings neatly placed on the bedside table.
I had never arranged my accessories so carefully before.
“Ugh.”
This was too much.
How did I not wake up?
I subtly asked Whitley about last night, but he didn’t seem to know anything.
Apparently, the Grand Duke had been out all day and wouldn’t return until late in the evening.
For a moment, I felt relieved that I wouldn’t have to face him immediately.
But then…
I realized that with him gone, there was nothing to do.
What am I supposed to do all day?
In the capital, people had tea parties and attended balls.
Here, no one even came to greet me—let alone invite me anywhere.
Of course, I had never officially appeared in public, so it made sense.
No one knew me, so why would they invite me?
Well, the weather’s nice today. Maybe I should go out.
Once I decided to leave, my destination was obvious.
Less than an hour later, I was sitting at an inn table with Norton.
This time, I had come at the right hour—there were a few customers enjoying their meals.
Soon, Marie placed a steaming bowl of tomato stew in front of me.
“Be careful, it’s hot.”
She had stopped calling me Your Highness after Norton warned her not to make a fuss, but her eyes still showed respect.
Taking a bite, I shivered as the spicy warmth slid down my throat.
“This really is the best tomato stew in the world.”
“You’re too kind.”
Marie blushed, whispering as if afraid someone would overhear.
“I’m not joking. Even the palace chef can’t make it like this.”
I had asked the palace chef for a spicy tomato stew before.
His version had a rich, creamy taste, but it lacked the sharp, spicy kick I wanted.
“But I can’t come here every time I crave for this stew….”
I sighed, shaking my head.
Marie blinked in surprise.
“Would you like the recipe?”
“The recipe? Are you sure you can just give it to me?”
Marie waved her hands dismissively.
“It’s not really a secret. Every house makes it a little differently.”
My eyes lit up.
The food at the palace was amazing, but lately, I had been craving this exact taste.
“Then… could I ask you to write it down for me?”
Without hesitation, Marie quickly scribbled down the entire recipe—
Even including the exact measurements of each spice.
I carefully tucked the paper away, feeling a little guilty.
After all, a recipe was still part of the inn’s trade secrets.
Of course, I had no intention of taking it without giving something in return.
“Would you like another bowl?”
Marie smiled, noticing how quickly I had finished the first one.
“Yes, please!”
Luckily, I was sitting in a quiet corner, and Norton’s broad shoulders blocked me from view.
That meant I could eat in peace while casually watching the people around me.
They feel different from the people inside the palace.
Most of the customers seemed to be workers or shopkeepers on their lunch break.
And their meals were all different—
One person was tearing into a roasted chicken leg.
Another was eating bread.
The person beside them had a plate of noodles that looked a lot like spaghetti.
Surprisingly, there weren’t many travelers in the inn.
As Marie brought over my stew, I asked,
“There don’t seem to be many guests staying here. Is it the off-season?”
“Blenheim doesn’t get a lot of travelers, so we don’t really have an off-season or peak season.”
“Huh? If there aren’t travelers, how does the inn stay open?”
“Merchants usually stop here for a night or two before crossing into Rondoris. And sometimes, people come north for business.”
“Is that enough to keep things running?”
Marie gave me a warm smile.
“Luckily, we still have a steady lunch crowd, so we’re managing for now.”
After she left to tend to other customers, I thought back to her words.
“Managing for now?”
The lunch rush hadn’t seemed particularly busy.
Something about it left me feeling a little uneasy.
Back at the Grand Duke’s estate, I was greeted with unexpected news.
“Madame Ramondria is here?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Actually…”
Whitley hesitated before continuing.
“His Grace invited Madame Ramondria personally.”
“The Grand Duke called for her?”
“Since the seasons are changing, he asked her to check Your Highness’s wardrobe.”
Why so suddenly?
Did my dress look too shabby when I greeted the knights yesterday?
Sensing my confusion, Whitley spoke carefully.
“His Grace didn’t tell you because he didn’t want to burden you. If it’s inconvenient, I can reschedule—”
“No!”
I quickly waved my hands.
“Since he went out of his way to arrange this, I should at least meet her.”
I didn’t know why he had done it, but considering I had zero spring dresses, this was perfect timing.
I nodded in approval.
“It is an honor to see Your Highness.”
At my invitation, Madame Ramondria entered, followed by several assistants carrying dresses and illustrated fashion plates.
Her sharp expression remained the same as before, but I gave her a genuine smile.
“Thanks to you, I was able to make a good impression on the knights yesterday. It must have been a rush, but you did an excellent job.”
“I am honored that it was of help to Your Highness.”
Madame Ramondria bowed humbly and added,
“For a dressmaker, meeting deadlines is only natural. If Your Highness entrusts me with anything in the future, I will ensure you are never disappointed.”
She sounded reliable.
At first, I had worried that the embroidery quality would suffer due to the short timeframe.
But while packaging the handkerchiefs, I had checked—each of the 99 designs was perfectly stitched.
She takes real pride in her work.
I was starting to like this woman.
Once the assistants finished setting up, Madame Ramondria began presenting the dresses.
From a deep blue silk gown adorned with delicate gemstones to an off-shoulder dress with fine lace detailing, each design was unique and elegant.
There was even a frilled dress with pearl buttons and ruffles.
“Your Highness has such fair, flawless skin that any style would suit you. That’s why I prepared a variety of designs.”
“You managed to make all of these so quickly?”
I raised an eyebrow, curious.
Madame Ramondria replied in her usual calm tone,
“When I heard that Your Highness would be coming to Blennheim, I assumed you might visit at some point, so I started preparing in advance.”
Wow… this woman is a true businessperson.
And she clearly had good taste.
Even back at the dress shop, I had noticed her skill.
Compared to the dresses I had seen in the capital, these weren’t lacking in quality at all.
Considering the level of most shops I had passed by in Goldrain, this was impressive.
The designs followed current trends while still maintaining the dignity expected of a Grand Duchess.
Everything was perfect… except for one small issue.
