Chapter 77
An invitation was essential to attend the royal engagement party.
As the date of the engagement approached, I checked in with Sylvie.
“Did you get the invitation?”
“No, I didn’t even ask for one.”
“The security will be tight… Um, don’t worry. I’ll try to bribe some guards!”
“What are you talking about? I’ll just walk right in.”
“Huh? But you don’t have an invitation.”
“I’m the one who matched those two. Of course, I have to go. If I don’t go, who will?”
Well, there’s no security that could stop Sylvie. Even an entire battalion wouldn’t be a match for her.
‘Our Unnie is so strong!’
I felt a sense of pride even though it wasn’t my affair.
However, my situation was different from Sylvie’s. I wasn’t even from this dimension.
But I had no reason to worry. How was I going to attend the prince’s engagement party without an invitation? Simple!
“Huh? Who are you? I don’t recognize your face.”
“I’m a new hire.”
I smiled gently and nodded, dressed not in my usual attire, but a maid’s uniform.
That’s right. I was a temporary maid hired for the engagement party.
“Ah, so you’re that rumored maid?”
“Haha, I’m rumored about already?”
“Yeah, that maid! Weren’t you the one who saved Amy after that ordering mistake?”
When one maid recognized me, they all clustered around me, whispering.
“So that’s her?”
“The one who had that extraordinary interview…”
For a smooth operation, I needed to play the maid role. So I interviewed and luckily passed.
But it seems that the interview was quite memorable.
‘An extraordinary interview….’
I suppose you could call it that. I recalled the events from a few days ago.
Even though it was just hiring temporary maids, the palace was swarming with applicants as expected of royalty. Getting the head maid’s approval meant potential full-time hiring, apparently.
“There was an ordering mistake—ten cases of poor-quality red wine came in. How would you handle it?”
The head maid asked, and the applicants answered one by one.
“I’d place a new order… and distribute those cheap wines to the commoners?”
“The palace would never order such wines. This is clearly the vendor’s fault for not confirming properly. I would lodge a stern complaint.”
Everyone had their own opinions.
Then it was my turn.
“I’d make ‘Tinto de Verano’ with those wines.”
“Tinto… what?”
My answer exceeded their expectations, making the head maid and other interviewers gape wide-eyed.
Unfazed by their stares, I calmly explained.
“It’s quite hot here. ‘Tinto de Verano’ is a cocktail perfect for this weather. Good wine would be too precious to use, so it actually worked out well.”
“Um. It’s a bit hard to believe such nonsensical talk…”
The interviewers exchanged skeptical glances, but the head maid gave me an order.
“Show us.”
It seemed the ordering mistake was not just a hypothetical question but a real problem.
“I’ll need the problematic wine, lemon-flavored sparkling water, ice, and lemons.”
Since they were simple ingredients, they were quickly prepared before me.
After checking the supplies, I filled a wine glass with ice, added the red wine and lemon sparkling water, and dropped in a lemon slice.
“Here is the ‘Tinto de Verano’.”
I deftly placed the glasses in front of the interviewers. With unconvinced faces, they raised their glasses.
“Incredibly refreshing! It clears the chest!”
“The lemon adds a nice balance!”
“But it lacks a bit of elegance…”
Their amazement and dissatisfied reactions were all as expected. I waited until they finished their drinks and then spoke again.
“We can add fruit to enhance its elegance. It’s called Sangria. But it takes time…”
“You’re hired!”
After being hired, I learned that the ordering mistake involved a whopping 100 crates of red wine.
Thus, my task became making Sangria.
So far, everything has been going smoothly.
Sangria, made by soaking fruit in red wine and mixing it with soda, was easy to prepare in large quantities and had a universally appealing taste.
‘I even visited famous bars all over to match the local palate.’
I didn’t want to relive the nightmare from the ‘Retired God’ dimension, so I prepared thoroughly.
If Sangria becomes popular here, maybe customers will flock to my lounge too?
‘Come to me, wealthy nobles!’
Noble customers might be demanding, but as long as they paid well, I could tolerate a certain degree of unreasonableness.
‘Instead of lazily working 5 days and resting 2, I’ll work hard for 3 days and rest 4!’
With that mindset, I started enthusiastically making the Sangria, when the gathered maids kept lingering and whispering instead of leaving.
Ah, could they be curious about the Sangria?
“Would you like to have a taste?”
As I poured a little sangria into cups and offered them, the maids reluctantly took the cups with dazed expressions.
“I’m curious how those cheap wines transformed.”
“Even the head maid said it was delicious?”
The maids muttered and sipped from the cups.
At that moment, their eyes widened.
“Wow, it’s delicious!”
“Smooth and sweet! It’s like a juice, not wine?”
“The fruit aroma gives it a luxurious feel!”
As the maids exclaimed in amazement, the maid who had been watching me from afar approached.
“S-Sena, you really are good at this.”
“It’s nothing. My specialty just happened to align well.”
“Actually… the ordering mistake, that was my fault.”
The maid hung her head low and clutched her apron with both hands. Her youthful face clearly marked her as a new hire—how much scolding had she endured?
“I thought for sure I’d get fired, but thanks to you Sena, I was saved! How can I express my gratitude…”
“Hey now, no need. Let’s just make sure word spreads at this engagement party that the sangria was the best.”
“I’ll never forget this kindness!”
Her sparkling upward gaze felt like…
‘It’s like I gained a fan?’
I shrugged and finished making the sangria. Passing maids also came by asking for a sip.
“Mmm… this is great. Another glass, please!”
As rumors quickly spread, maids assigned to other duties also snuck over.
A long tail trips you up, as they say? As the commotion escalated, the head maid caught wind of it.
“What’s going on here?!”
“H-head Maid!”
The maids clamoring for a sip of sangria scattered like the parting of the Red Sea.
The stern-faced chief maid adjusted her glasses and glared at me.
“Do you know what day it is, starting a drinking party first thing in the morning?”
“My apologies.”
“Honestly, what is this…”
Scoffing, the head maid took a glass of sangria someone had left behind and downed it. The glass was emptied in an instant.
At the same time, the stern look on the head maid’s face softened a bit.
“It’s tastier than it looks… Ahem, hmm. Serve the guests delicious wine. But stay focused and behave properly.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
A delicious glass of wine can make even the head maid dance.
The guests will surely love it too.
‘All according to plan.’
Then a distant horn signaled the arrival of guests.
“Get moving, all of you. No mistakes allowed.”
“Yes!”
The maids hurriedly dispersed. Following the other maids’ instructions, I busily rushed about too.
The horn blew repeatedly. Though individual names couldn’t be heard from here, it was about time for the saint’s entrance.
‘Sylvie Unnie must have arrived.’
Perhaps they even crossed paths by now?
🫧
“Wow… they really are the perfect pair.”
“Who is that? I don’t recognize the face.”
The nobles whispering amongst themselves turned their heads. At the end of their gazes were Johan and Sylvie.
Wherever the two walked, they naturally drew all eyes. It was understandable—they made for an exceptionally handsome couple.
However, no one recognized them. While the existence of the witch was infamously known, few were actually familiar with her appearance.
Just 50 years ago, no one was unaware of Sylive’s face, but her recent ill reputation caused her to lie low. Now those who could identify her had long since retired.
“Look how affectionately they’re whispering to each other.”
“So elegant….”
Johan and Sylvie advanced as the envy of all around them.
Admiring gasps burst out here and there. Everyone envied their loving manner, but the reality was quite different from their expectations. Completely.
“Just what is your relationship with our Sena?”
Sylvie’s icy whisper was met with an equally frosty retort from Johan, a picturesque smile on his lips.
“That’s what I’d like to know.”
🫧
⋆｡‧˚ʚ Translator Note ɞ˚‧｡⋆
Tinto de Verano is a refreshing Spanish cocktail made by mixing red wine with a fizzy drink like lemon soda (or sometimes soda water with a splash of lemon). It is a popular summer beverage in Spain, as its name translates to “red wine of summer.”
Sangria is a classic Spanish cocktail made with red wine, fresh fruits, a sweetener, and sometimes spirits like brandy or orange liqueur. It’s a versatile, fruity drink that’s served chilled, perfect for gatherings or warm-weather celebrations.
The key difference between Sangria and Tinto de Verano lies in their ingredients, complexity, and cultural context. Sangria is a rich, fruity cocktail made with red wine, fresh fruits, a sweetener, and often spirits like brandy or orange liqueur, requiring several hours to chill and infuse flavors, making it ideal for festive occasions. In contrast, Tinto de Verano is a simple, everyday summer drink made by mixing red wine with lemon soda or sparkling water, served immediately for a light, fizzy refreshment. While Sangria is sweeter, more complex, and higher in alcohol due to the added spirits, Tinto de Verano is lower in alcohol and favored by locals in Spain for its ease and refreshing quality.
🫧
Thank you for reading! ♡
