Episode 36

What does a holiday mean to modern people?

For some, it’s a day to spend with family.

For others, it’s a day to relieve accumulated fatigue.

For some, it’s a day when they’re forced to work overtime.

Everyone’s personality and circumstances are different, so even on holidays, they won’t all spend the day the same way.

Unlike modern times, where the significance of holidays gradually fades, in the past, holidays were very important to most people.

Religiously, with a heart of worship, to promote the local specialties of the village—There were endless reasons, but if you cut away the secondary ones, it was simple.

Because it was boring.

The medieval times were essentially a boring era with nothing to do.

The only entertainments for commoners were drinking, gambling, prostitution, fighting, and the occasional play or festival.

There were only differences in frequency, but cities and villages were similar.

However, Iceland was perhaps a bit less boring.

It wasn’t because there were more entertainments.

If you didn’t want your house to collapse, you had to wake up at dawn to clear the snow off the roof, and you had to defend against sudden attacks from starving or crazy monsters, beasts, and bandits.

Aside from that, winter in Iceland typically meant staying indoors to alleviate boredom, which made holidays and festivals precious to everyone, regardless of class.

That’s why Winterham was bustling now.

There were numerous servants and workers clearing snow piled like buildings, bringing carts and decorations, making and hanging them.

Winterham, which was usually busy, was even busier and more bustling than before.

The solemn atmosphere was now lively and vibrant.

“So that’s why it’s so noisy from the morning. We’re preparing the castle for those recommended to enter for Wintersend, decorating for the festival, and preparing food. There’s plenty of work to do, so I’m getting requests for help too.”

“I see.”

Karem watched the busy servants clearing the tall snow piles and decorating under the windows with colorful mistletoe bundles and silk.

Winterham was so large that it was like a small village or even bigger.

It housed various facilities, and normally that was manageable, but Karem couldn’t fathom how much manpower was needed during a festival like this.

“Why didn’t I know about this?”

“Karem, how many times a week do you come out of the tower?”

“Enough to count on one hand?”

“Then, if it weren’t for the shortage of eggs and oil, you wouldn’t have come out at all.”

“Yes. The regular delivery day hasn’t come yet. I didn’t know the guests would eat that much mayonnaise.”

It was all because of Godwin and Victor.

No matter how luxurious and new the ingredients were, the only sauces they knew were those based on fruits, meat juice, honey, and herbs.

Encountering the rich, salty, and slightly tangy mayonnaise that lingered on the tongue, they eventually couldn’t tell if they were eating food or mayonnaise.

They consumed more than a tray of eggs just with the mayonnaise they ate.

It was only natural that the eggs ran out completely after making snacks and dinner that afternoon.

“Anyway, don’t just stay cooped up in the tower; go out and build some relationships.”

“…Are you worrying about me right now?”

“Good. Karem, that tells me how you see me.”

“No, that’s not it. Hm.”

Karem scratched his neck awkwardly.

Cold wind entered through his collar, giving him goosebumps.

Since reincarnation, he hadn’t received any concern, and even in his previous life, he hadn’t received much concern as he aged. Karem felt some indescribable thoughts and feelings.

Until Mary’s following words.

“You thought of me as a weird brownie obsessed with housework and looking after you… I understand. Expect much from me.”

“No, I’ve never thought or said that.”

“Don’t worry. I’m joking.”

“I think it’s bad to distort opinions through over-interpretation!”

“But telling you to get out of the tower wasn’t a joke. You’re so gloomy, always going between the kitchen, your room, and the lounge, that mushrooms could start growing on you.”

“But I do come out when I go to order groceries.”

“Sigh.”

Do you know there are already traces of your movements, Karem? — That look sank Karem instantly.

Had he been so cooped up to be criticized like this?

The food storage was also very busy preparing for Wintersend.

Workers were going back and forth between the carts and storage two to three times busier than usual.

Avoiding being a hindrance, Karem entered the storage, immediately recognizing a familiar back with pointed ears and shouting.

“Mr. Augher!”

Augher, the food storage keeper, turned his head.

In Winterham, which had many workers, humans were the most numerous, but there were also dwarves and elves.

However, Augher was definitely the most noticeable among the elves.

Except for his green eyes, his pale skin from head to toe looked more unreal than white paint, but that wasn’t the issue.

Unlike others who were bundled up in winter clothes, he was dressed differently.

As if he didn’t feel the cold, he wore just a short-sleeved shirt and long pants.

When Karem first saw him, he thought something was wrong with his head, but after hearing that he was a Snow Elf, a cousin species of elves who naturally didn’t feel cold, he finally understood.

However, with his sturdy body and a height a head taller than an average adult, Karem thought he might have chosen the wrong job.

“Little Karem? And Mary—”

“Yes. You look busier than usual?”

“Don’t even mention it. Winter came early, the carts are blocked, and Wintersend is right around the corner.”

“It looks like that too.”

“So what’s the matter? Coming here with Mary too.”

Mary responded with a nod to Augher’s words.

Considering his situation, Karem got straight to the point.

“Do you have any eggs left?”

“Huh? Eggs? Suddenly?”

“Yes. We ran out completely serving the guests.”

“Guests?”

“Surely, you don’t have no eggs, right?”

Karem wasn’t worried.

Even though eggs were relatively expensive, there shouldn’t be a shortage.

After all, Winterham was a ducal castle.

Augher showed curiosity for a moment but then shook his head, thinking it wasn’t something he needed to worry about.

“Hmm, eggs, you say.”

And the answer wasn’t satisfying.

“Are you saying there are no eggs?”

“It’s not just the eggs. Nevertheless, every single egg is gone.”

Karem blinked in surprise at the unexpected situation.

Mary, who had been listening, was equally shocked and asked Augher bluntly.

“Augher. This is Colden, Winterham. How can there be no eggs in the ducal castle?”

“It sounds like a joke, right? I think so too. Other than the amount reserved for the lord’s family meals and banquets, everything is gone.”

“At least tell us the reason.”

“The head chef.”

“The head chef?”

Karem had never seen him in person, but he knew what position the head chef held.

He had heard that the head chef was an old dwarf who oversaw the cooks directly employed at Winterham and was responsible for the kitchen and banquets.

But why would someone like that?

Augher spoke.

“I don’t know either.”

“You don’t know?”

“He said not to ask.”

Augher shrugged.

It was an unreasonable nuisance.

Winterham used at least hundreds of eggs a day in various ways.

They swept up all the eggs and even Snowrunner and other substitutes.

“Isn’t this a nuisance?”

“Anyway, that’s why I’m troubled. I can’t even complain to the head chef because of the protests from subordinates or their representatives.”

“It looks like it.”

Just as Augher said, Karem saw a group of angry people entering the food storage.

Before the storage got too noisy, Karem quickly escaped, with Mary following beside him.

“In the end, we didn’t achieve our goal.”

“Indeed. I didn’t expect there to be no eggs in the ducal castle.”

“Will you return like this?”

“What can we do if there aren’t any?”

Karem shrugged.

Hm, Mary felt the same. What could they do if there weren’t any?

No doubt, Catherine would be angry and disappointed.

As Karem and Mary turned to leave empty-handed, a small figure secretly followed them.

Anyone passing by would be shocked if they saw her.

No one paid attention to her, as the food storage was already busy and noisy.

And it was just as Karem and Mary had expected.

“What? Are you still not over the fatigue from overtime? I feel like I heard nonsense.”

“They said there won’t be any eggs or similar items until the regular delivery day.”

“Don’t talk nonsense like an ogre losing weight!”

When Catherine roared, Karem flinched.

They say you feel a chilling aura when someone harbors murderous intent.

She didn’t look threatening at all, but there was a palpable sense of danger.

Was she really this angry over just dessert?

Before Catherine’s anger grew, Mary quickly confessed the reasons in detail.

Catherine, who knew how to distinguish between work and personal matters, calmed down once she understood the reasons.

However, she still looked angry, frowning and rubbing her forehead.

“The head chef. The head chef, huh.”

“Do you know him?”

“No, not at all.”

Catherine said firmly.

Her memory wasn’t cheap enough to remember people who didn’t meet her standards.

Well, a head chef might be worth remembering, but she had never seen him in person, so there was nothing to know or forget.

It would have been natural to see him if she had attended dinner at the main castle.

But she hadn’t had the luxury to attend dinner since she was busy with work from the first day she arrived.

No, more important than that was.

That there was no dessert.

Catherine asked with an unprecedented seriousness.

“Is there really no snack today?”

“Um.”

Karem sighed at her fuss over a mere snack, but seeing her earnest expression, he steadied his wavering heart.

He thought he had gotten used to it, but he still had a long way to go.

Karem averted his gaze and quickly searched his mind for a recipe.

The essentials for dessert were eggs, sugar, and flour.

Of course, it wasn’t impossible to make something without them, but the recipes would be limited.

‘But is there anything I can make?’

Thanks to the gifts, there was still plenty of sugar.

All the nuts and fruits had long since been candied and eaten by Catherine and Mary.

Making something like pancakes with sweeteners would disappoint Catherine.

As an exclusive chef, he couldn’t afford to disappoint his employer, so that was out.

‘Yakgwa? I could make yakgwa?’

But Karem denied his own thought.

It could be made without eggs.

But if he started now, it wouldn’t be finished until after dinner, so it was out.

Even if he made it now, it wouldn’t be ready until late evening at the earliest.

Wasn’t there anything else? While pondering, something popped into Karem’s mind.

“I can make something.”

“If you’re talking about pancakes with syrup—”

“No, really. Have faith.”

Catherine made a strange face.

Whenever he said that, the results were always good.