Chapter 18
As she watched the madam pouring the water Ellie had brought into the teapot, the kitchen maid Jaqueline thought it was a very elegant sight. And although the others didn’t say anything, she was probably not the only one who thought so.
The tea the madam made last time had a very sweet scent, like burnt sugar or ripe fruit. Another kitchen maid, Ashley, had whispered to herself as she smelled the scent.
‘I want to try that tea too. I envy Ellie.’
At that time, she scolded Ashley.
‘Don’t say that. Don’t you know what kind of person is the madam? She’s the most foolish person in the duke’s mansion, and she’s the one who’s ridiculed by everyone else. It’s obvious that tea isn’t something special.’
Jaqueline, who was recalling the incident at that time, was surprised that the madam had called her.
“Jaqueline. Jaqueline?”
“Yes yes!”
She came to her senses, startled, as if she had been burned. Chloe smiled.
“Why are you so surprised?”
Jaqueline, embarrassed, made an excuse.
“No, I’m not surprised…”
Then her eyes opened wide in a new realization. Jaqueline asked in disbelief.
“Do you know my name?”
Knowing the people under her supervision is a basic quality for any housewife, but Chloe was no ordinary housewife. Wasn’t she the lady who was ridiculed as the most foolish in the duke’s mansion?
She couldn’t remember the names of her servants. In fact, she didn’t seem to be trying to remember them. That was one of the reasons why the servants in the ducal palace rarely felt sorry for Chloe.
But then the lady suddenly remembered her name and called her friendly, as if she was an old friend. How could she not be surprised?
But Chloe just smiled as if it was nothing.
“Why don’t you know? You’re part of our dukedom.”
Then she added,
“By the way, bring me some dragonfruit and honey. Four dragonfruits and a small jar of honey will be enough.”
“Dr… dragon fruit and honey?”
“Yes.”
Jaqueline went to get dragon fruit and honey, feeling a little dazed. Chloe asked Ashley, who was next to Jaqueline, to bring her lots of ice. She also remembered Ashley’s name and did not forget to call her affectionately.
While Jaqueline brought the dragon fruit and honey, Chloe strained the tea leaves from the well-steeped tea. When Jaqueline returned with what she had asked for, Chloe said playfully,
“You brought it without any trouble this time?”
Chloe joked about how Jaqueline had grumbled when she asked her to get the kettle out the first time she made tea in the kitchen.
When Jacqueline hesitated and couldn’t answer, Chloe smiled and said.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, no.”
Chloe herself took up the knife and peeled the dragon fruit, dicing its flesh. A duchess herself holding a knife and cooking! Nothing was more surprising. All the kitchen maids watched her in astonishment.
After all the dragon fruit was prepared, Ashley came back with ice. Chloe poured hot tea over the ice, and with Ellie’s help, mixed in the dragon fruit pieces and honey. In the end, about 4.5 liters of fragrant and sweet dragon fruit honey iced tea was completed.
All the kitchen maids glanced at the clear orange-colored, refreshing-looking drink. It was early summer and the kitchen was a place where there were many fires. Working by the fire since morning in this weather made it hot and the backs of the maids’ uniforms were soaked with sweat.
Every time Chloe made tea, one or two of the maids would smack their lips at the unique aroma, but today there was almost no one who did not do so.
‘There are so many, I just want to take a sip.’
All the maids thought the same thing. After all, they had seen Chloe make tea many times before, but aside from the tea parties, this was the first time she had made such a large quantity at once.
Ashley also gulped. Jaqueline gave Ashley a glare, but she couldn’t help feeling her throat burn.
That’s when something happened that none of them expected.
Chloe stood in front of a glass jug of iced tea, holding a ladle, and said,
“Everyone, come here with your cups.”
When they looked closely, Ellie was already holding a glass and standing close to Chloe.
At first, the maids thought that it was not addressed to them. After a few seconds, someone asked,
“Um, us?”
“Well then. Who else is here besides the kitchen maids?”
The maids were dumbfounded. They knew that she was talking to them, but they had no idea why the madam was calling them.
Could it be that she was trying to share that iced tea with them? But the tea was imported and extremely rare. It wasn’t something she could share with just any maid like theirselves.
Besides, even if Ellie, who was close to Chloe, could share it, they couldn’t. No, rather, weren’t they closer to looking down on and ignoring Chloe? So why?
As they stared blankly at her with their faces filled with question marks, Chloe smiled faintly as if she knew what she was talking about. She spoke softly.
“I know you worked hard at the last tea party. I appreciate you working hard for the Duke’s residence today, even though it’s hot. I prepared this to at least give you a drink.”
In Chloe’s opinion, the kitchen maids weren’t such bad kids.
Although they still tend to be a bit rude to her, they are relatively less hostile towards Chloe than the other servants. This may be because they were maids who only worked in the kitchen and didn’t have much contact with Chloe in the past.
The other servants rarely listened to Chloe’s instructions unless Alphonse or Kiel were watching, but the kitchen maids were not so much. They did not openly laugh at Chloe or whisper among themselves what was clearly meant to be ridicule.
Besides, Chloe also knew that the maids would often glance in her direction every time she went into the kitchen to make tea, because of the sweet scent.
As a modern person born in the 21st century, she was still not used to the class system, so it felt a bit unfair that she had to make tea with their help in the kitchen but not even share a sip. She had been thinking for a while that she would pick a day to share tea with them too.
Anyway, whatever her intentions were when she showed this kindness…
It was not just anyone else, but a duchess… Did she personally prepare tea for them, even though they didn’t even treat her with much sincerity?!
Chloe was puzzled when all the kitchen maids looked like they had been hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat instead of showing gratitude. But she didn’t show her puzzlement and said in a soft tone,
“So, who wants a drink?”
“Madam, me, me!”
Ellie raised her hand enthusiastically.
Jaqueline just looked at Chloe and the iced tea with bewildered eyes. Ashley was the first of the kitchen maids to rush out beside her.
“Me!”
She quickly stood behind Ellie, holding the glass.
At first, the maids were frozen and couldn’t move, just looking at each other. But when Ashley stepped forward, they gained courage and lined up in front of Chloe one by one.
It was an improved version of the fruit iced tea she had previously made for Ellie and the Three Musketeers, Honey Dragonfruit Iced Tea. It was a very attractive drink that combined the richness of black tea, the refreshing taste of dragon fruit, and the unique flavor of honey. It would be perfect for the maids who were tired and hot from working hard.
Ashley, the first of the kitchen maids to taste iced tea, exclaimed in admiration.
“Oh my, oh my, my goodness! This is so delicious!”
Ellie and the other kitchen maids were also all amazed as they drank Madame’s iced tea.
Of course, the drink itself was also incredibly delicious.
But that wasn’t the only thing that mattered. The curiosity and interest that they had felt while watching Chloe make tea were all resolved at once, and more than anything, the maids’ hearts were filled with emotion at the thought that someone as powerful as a duchess (even though she was just a figurehead) would put such care into mere kitchen maids.
“Oh my, the Lady herself…”
“It’s something other nobles would never have thought of.”
“I didn’t really try my best…”
The maids whispered to each other. Of course, there had been many instances of servants whispering about Chloe before, but this time it was different. Unlike before, the whispers were very friendly to her.
Jaqueline was also dragged into line by another kitchen maid in the chaos.
Chloe poured each and every maid a glass of cold iced tea.
