Episode 11
***
Chloe had been remembering the promise she had not been able to keep due to the recent circumstances. It was a promise to have tea with Kiel.
Chloe recalled that when Kiel helped her organize the tea, she had planned to treat him to tea, but that day, she had run into Alphonse by chance and the plan fell through. So on a free afternoon when she had nothing else planned, Chloe called Kiel and Ellie over to have tea with them.
“It is an honor to be able to taste tea brewed by the Madam herself.”
Ellie nodded her head repeatedly next to Kiel, who was smiling brightly all the time.
Ellie, who had already tried Chloe’s tea several times, truly liked her tea.
Chloe left Kiel in the living room and went into the kitchen with Ellie. It didn’t take long for them to return. A coffee pot full of tea clattered on the tray Ellie was holding.
As soon as they returned, a sweet fragrance filled the living room. It was a familiar scent, and Kiel knew what it was.
“It smells sweet. Is it chrysanthemum?”
“That’s right.”
Chloe smiled and sat down. Ellie also placed her tray on the table and satdown next to Kiel.
Chloe poured tea directly into Kiel’s cup. The light yellowish-colored tea water filled the white cup. What was being strained through the strainer were not the usual black tea leaves, but dried white flower petals.
“It’s chamomile. It’s a flower from the chrysanthemum family. Would you like to try it?”
At those words, Ellie and Kiel also lifted their glasses to their lips.
When the teacup came closer, the sweet scent that reached the tip of their nose felt good. It was a sweet and fragrant scent, perhaps even cool like mint, a scent that naturally put their mind at ease.
As the scent escaped through the exhalation and the tea touched the tongue, what was felt was a distinct sweetness.
It’s a sweetness that wouldn’t be present if you just brewed the flower petals. Kiel said, taking the teacup away from his lips.
“It’s sweet. Did you add sugar?”
“No, it’s honey. The practice of adding honey to chamomile tea is a custom of the southern peninsula countries of the Empire.”
Chloe explained it kindly.
As he listened, he realized that the flavor, mixed with the chrysanthemum scent unique to chamomile, was the rich and unique scent unique to honey.
Enjoying chamomile tea with honey was a popular drink in Spain, the world where Chloe lived in her previous life. In Spain, it is called Manzanilla con Miel, and it is a tea that is also good when made into milk tea with milk.
Kiel was impressed.
“It’s sweet and delicious. It’s like eating chrysanthemum candy. I thought all teas were bland and tasted like water.”
It was a tea that anyone would enjoy because it was sweet and had a familiar aroma, but there was another reason why Chloe chose this tea to treat Kiel.
“Kiel, you said you had insomnia?”
“Oh, yes.”
It was common knowledge in the ducal palace that Battenberg’s butler, Kiel, suffered from insomnia.
Because he couldn’t sleep, he would work late into the night and try to supervise the servants, and the servants who would normally be able to work leisurely on the night shift were often treated harshly.
“Chamomile is good for insomnia because it relieves stress and improves blood circulation. I added honey to it, which is also good for a good night’s sleep.”
Kiel, who was a rare kind person to Chloe in the mansion, was one of the people she was grateful to. Chloe said with a sincere smile.
“I hope this will be helpful to Kiel, who always works hard for the Duke.”
Kiel couldn’t help but be impressed. He didn’t know that the mistress of the duke’s house would take care of his sleeping situation. Of course, the tea was delicious, too.
“There is such a profound meaning in this cup of tea… Madam, I am so moved right now.”
He jumped up from his seat, bowed, and said playfully.
“I will continue to serve you diligently, Madam. Please take good care of me.”
“Oh my, Kiel! Come and sit down.”
Even as she tried to stop him, Chloe couldn’t wipe the happy smile off her face.
“I’m the one who needs to take good care of you, Kiel.”
Meanwhile, there was one person who didn’t like the fact that Chloe and Kiel were creating such a good atmosphere.
‘Madam, you’re mine…! Me too, me too, the chamomile drink was really delicious!’
It was Ellie. Ellie couldn’t shake the feeling that her precious person had been taken away from her.
But she was too timid to show her jealousy out loud. So all she could do was look with her sad eyes from behind her glasses and continue to drink chamomile tea to cool her burning heart.
Chloe and Kiel were still creating a cheerful atmosphere, laughing and chatting, without even remotely imagining what Ellie was thinking.
“If you want to drink tea in the future, please come by anytime. All the tea I have was selected by Kiel.”
“I didn’t select anything. I just ordered everything that had the word ‘tea’ in it.”
Kiel answered, scratching the back of his head as if embarrassed.
Chloe, who was sipping her glass while mulling over his words, suddenly said.
“Did you know that? Strictly speaking, chamomile isn’t actually tea.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Kiel’s eyes widened.
You offered me chamomile tea, saying you would treat me to tea, and then suddenly said chamomile tea wasn’t tea. What were you talking about?
For a moment, Kiel thought his madam was joking, but Chloe was serious.
“In fact, the word ‘tea’ refers to a beverage made from the leaves of the tea tree.”
“Ah! I see, that’s what you and I were drinking before, Madam!”
Ellie interjected into their conversation, which was rare. Chloe had no idea of Ellie’s intentions and just looked at her as if she found her cute.
“That’s right. The tea that Ellie and I drank was made from the leaves of the tea tree. And drinks made from ingredients other than tea leaves are strictly called ‘alternative teas’ or ‘infusions’.”
“I see! So what you and I drank before was tea, and the chamomile we drank this time was an infusion!”
Ellie glanced at Kiel and said.
Meanwhile, Kiel found the little maid’s intentions so obvious that he couldn’t help but laugh.
That little girl seemed to really like the madam. The innocent madam didn’t seem to realize that the maid was keeping the butler in check.
But unfortunately, Kiel was not a good-natured person who could just look at the little girl with a warm fatherly smile as if he found her cute. He decided to break the little maid’s innocence.
“I really appreciate your generous hospitality today, my lady. Is there anything else you need? I, the butler Kiel, may not be much, but I will do my best to help you.”
He asked Chloe with a kind face. Chloe answered innocently.
“Hmm, I wish I had a teapot and teacups to drink tea with. Right now, there’s only a coffee pot and coffee cups in the duke’s residence.”
“Aha, a teapot, I will do it right away.”
“Oh my! Thank you so much.”
“Haha, there’s no need to thank me for something so small.”
Chloe clapped her hands in joy.
Kiel, who was showing off his power as a butler, glanced at Ellie.
‘How about it, kid? This is the level between you and me.’
Indeed, Ellie was despairing.
Unfortunately, her rival was too strong. She did not have the money or power to buy luxury imported goods such as teapots and teacups and give them to Chloe.
‘Ugh, Madam…! There’s nothing I can do for you…!’
Ellie looked at Chloe with sad eyes, but reality was reality. The little maid, whose innocence had been shattered, hung her head pitifully, and Kiel felt triumphant.
After tea time that day, Kiel wanted to order some utensils for Chloe as promised, but since tableware was a matter of taste, he thought it would be better to let the madam look at them and choose for herself rather than ordering them on his own.
He reported to Alphonse that his wife would be going out to buy tea tomorrow. Alphonse replied.
“I have an important business tomorrow. Kiel, you go with my wife.”
