Chapter 4

Juliana was irritated.

It had been a very long time since she had felt such an insult.

“—So, you are the one who will be preparing tea for me today?”

“If I may be so bold.”

“Not Viscountess Graz, nor Amalie, nor Corinna, but you—on your very first day of service.”

“That is correct.”

When the girl bowed politely, Juliana couldn’t help but snap her fan shut.

Her only enjoyment in this life of seclusion—no, this suffocating life in the palace—seemed guaranteed to be ruined today.

An involuntary sigh escaped her lips.

It was true that Juliana had fired many maids in the past over the way they brewed tea.

However, most of those instances had been to protect herself and her son.

For example, the reason she had once driven a certain maid out into the cold half-naked was that the woman had spiked the tea with poison and concealed a dagger beneath her clothes.

Another maid had been subjected to the “ordeal of insects” because she had scattered poisonous bugs in Juliana’s young son’s bedroom.

Both were the handiwork of the Legal Queen, whose twisted maternal instincts and jealousy had exploded in her desire to ensure Prince Felix’s ascension to the throne.

While Juliana parried these attacks at the water’s edge, she also avoided denouncing the Queen directly.

At the same time, she allowed herself to be slandered as the “Fierce Consort” and accepted isolation within the inner palace.

The more limited the number of maids entering and leaving her quarters, the higher the security.

In the end, the maids serving her—with the exception of the exceptionally good-natured Head Maid—were all terrified of her. She wasn’t even sure if her own son understood her true intentions.

But Juliana didn’t mind.

Aching over a bad reputation was a luxury one could only afford once their life and dignity were secure.

That said, with King Werner’s passing making Felix’s ascension almost certain, the Queen had finally lowered her sword. Now, there was no longer any need to spread ill rumors unnecessarily.

She had been thinking that she could finally treat her frightened maids with a bit of kindness—and eventually repair her strained relationships with her son and the Head Maid—when this happened.

‘I wonder if my favorite black tea is about to be over-boiled by this plain, novice maid.’

It was a fact that she grew cranky when served bad tea.

Juliana cast a skeptical glance at the maid before her.

Black hair tied back simply, and thick glasses that seemed to cover half her face.

Though her clothes were clean, she looked somewhat dowdy.

She lacked expression and seemed overall unremarkable—a maid who appeared to have come from commoner stock.

‘…Wait?’

In that moment, something strange happened.

The girl who had introduced herself as Elma straightened up and allowed a faint smile to play across her lips.

Her posture became supple and tall, as if she were being pulled upward by a single taut line from the top of her head.

Suddenly, the maid uniform that had seemed ill-fitting appeared to trace the lines of her body perfectly.

It was a well-proportioned, beautiful figure.

Her lips, curved into a slight smile, were so beautifully shaped that Juliana wondered why she hadn’t noticed them until now.

It was a refined mouth, perfectly symmetrical.

She had simply straightened her back and smiled.

And yet, it was a dramatic transformation, as if the plain commoner girl had suddenly turned into an elegant noblewoman.

“You…”

Juliana instinctively reached out a hand, still gripping her fan.

However, Elma briefly looked up at the sky, confirmed the position of the sun, and gave a quiet nod, saying, “The time is right.”

“Now, if I may be so bold, I shall prepare the tea.”

She bowed gracefully to Juliana, gesturing for her to sit in the chair set out in the garden.

What happened over the next few dozen minutes was entirely beyond Juliana’s imagination.

“Which brand of tea would you prefer? In addition to the first-flush Rehberg, I have prepared Stolz, Kredel, and Hannish if you would prefer.”

“S-So many…? And you have first-flush Rehberg? Then, that one, please.”

“As you wish.”

Rehberg tea leaves could only be harvested near the peaks of rugged mountains; they were incredibly precious leaves with very limited circulation.

Perhaps it would have been different in her homeland, where many nobles loved black tea, but since marrying into the Luten Kingdom, Juliana had hardly ever tasted them. She jumped at the offer without a second thought.

Even so, this level of familiarity with black tea was unthinkable for a commoner.

“Furthermore, I have prepared three types of milk.”

“Th-Three types…?”

When she wondered what on earth “three types” could mean, she was told that the girl had gathered milk from different breeds of cows.

It was a display of abundance rarely seen even in her homeland.

“Since this is a first-flush Rehberg, it is delicate enough that you may not even need milk. I recommend the Aberline breed, as it has the most subtle flavor profile.”

“I… I see. Then, let us go with that.”

By this point, Juliana was convinced that the tea this girl was about to brew would undoubtedly match the quality found among the highest-ranking nobility of her home country.

“That is wonderful to hear. Today, the mood of Moritz—our Aberline cow—is quite splendid, so the milk will surely be of the finest taste. …Moritz, c’mon!”

“Are you milking her right now?! And more importantly, where did that cow just come from?!”

No, it might even surpass it.

Juliana stared blankly at the maid as she expertly milked the cow while talking to it.

After securing the fresh milk and politely ushering the cow out of sight, Elma transferred the tea leaves to the pot with smooth movements, poured in water that was clearly at the perfect temperature even to a bystander, and placed a cozy over it.

During the steeping process, she filled the gap with light, witty conversation that was never intrusive yet truly fascinating—a masterful touch.

Then, finishing the steep in what felt like an instant, she lightly lifted the porcelain pot and poured the tea into a cup held in her other hand.

It was just after midday, and the sun was dazzling.

The blessing of light pouring from high above made the amber liquid sparkle. As the tea settled elegantly into the cup, drawing a smooth arc, it looked like a rainbow connecting heaven and earth.

‘H-How… beautiful…!’

Juliana felt as if she had been struck by the sheer artistry of the simple act of pouring tea.

“Please, enjoy.”

The tea eventually offered to her was—perfect.

Yes. Perfect.

The color and aroma were beyond reproach.

Her intuition told her: do not add milk yet, drink it as it is first.

Following that voice, the tea-loving consort raised the cup with trembling hands.

Taking a sip, a pleasant temperature and a delicate astringency spread across her tongue; upon swallowing, she felt a lingering fragrance that could only be described as elegant.

How could this be?

This was the first time she had ever had tea that felt like it was aiming straight for the center of her heart with full force.

“…Ah…!”

Overcome with emotion, Juliana let out a cry of ecstasy.

“It is the best…!”

Lucas and Gerda, who had been about to step into the garden, froze in their tracks. After staring at each other’s faces, they looked back at Juliana as she savored her tea.

She, whose beautiful face was usually set in a stern expression, was now flushed with a full-faced smile—no, the color of pure rapture.

The look on her face, which seemed to leak heartfelt joy, was a true feast for the eyes; it felt as though it might even wash away the sins of those watching.

“H-Her Highness’s radiant smile…? What…? Is this a hallucination…?”

Suddenly, a dazed mumble came from diagonally behind them.

Startled, they turned to see the blonde maid, Irene, standing there, her face ghostly white. Or rather, she wasn’t so much standing as she was half-collapsed against a bush, looking as if her soul had left her body.

Even though her idol, the Second Prince, was standing right there, she didn’t even have the energy to act coquettish.

Apparently, after being ordered by Head Maid Gerda to come and apologize, she had arrived a step ahead and had frozen in place just like Lucas and the others.

Seeing the “Fierce Consort”—of whom it was said that snow would fall in summer if she ever smiled—grinning with such intensity, Irene seemed to be trembling at the sheer rarity of the sight.

No, strictly speaking, that wasn’t the only thing that had shocked Irene.

“To finish a workload meant for four people in a single day during just the morning… and for every single task to be perfect…”

Irene was core-shaken by the fact that every job Elma had performed before the tea preparation had been completed to a terrifyingly high standard.

Furthermore, Elma, who was now serving tea, showed not a single hint of fatigue.

And then.

“Once you have finished the scones, next we have today’s sweets. I have taken the liberty of serving them directly rather than setting them on a tea stand, so that you may enjoy the process of their completion. I beg your indulgence.”

“Oh…!”

Before the eyes of the three onlookers, Elma began respectfully preparing the desserts.

She pushed out a wagon set with cooking utensils that neither Irene, Gerda, nor even Lucas had ever seen before—they could no longer even imagine what was about to happen.

‘What is that…? Looking at the thick batter and the thin iron plate, is she making crepes…?’

As the Second Prince who had tasted sweets from all times and places, Lucas managed to make a guess.

However, Elma’s actions went a step beyond that.

“First, I shall make a meltingly soft crepe with a pleasant mouthfeel.”

She expertly cooked the crepe, gathering it into the center of the iron plate while creating beautiful folds.

“Next, I shall sprinkle it with a high-proof distilled spirit—today, I am using a fragrant brandy from Grosskreuz.”

With dancing hands, she tilted the bottle toward the crepe on the iron plate, and Elma then held up a lit match.

“Flambé.”

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a beautiful flame soared toward the sky.

“Kyah!”

Juliana let out a scream—though it was a scream of delight, not fear—as she held her chest and caught her breath.

“Goodness… my heart won’t stop throbbing…!”

In her excitement, her expression had become like that of a young girl.

Elma quickly plated the crepe, garnishing it with fruit and sauce, and presented it to Juliana along with two other quickly prepared sweets.

Then, she gave the bridge of her glasses a little flick.

“Today’s selection is a trilogy inspired by the mystery of the East, Spiritual Zen. From left to right, they are ‘Karma,’ ‘Nirvana,’ and ‘Satori: Beyond Enlightenment’.”

Those are some intense names!!!

The inner voices of the three eavesdroppers became one.

“It is magnificent…! I see, the flame that leaves behind a captivating, corrupting fragrance only to vanish like a momentary afterimage… it represents the ominous yet sweet sin of human destiny born within us—Karma…!”

“It is exactly as you say.”

And they’re totally on the same wavelength!!!

Lucas and the others looked at each other, breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Ah…! How can this be? It has been twenty years since I stepped foot on Luten soil. No, even going back to my days in Rutland, I have never encountered such profound and beautiful sweets!”

“I am humbled by your generous words; I am unworthy of such praise.”

What’s more, when Juliana began rambling in her native Rutlandic tongue out of excitement, Elma matched her perfectly.

She’s fluent in foreign languages too?!?!?!

Once again, Lucas and the others screamed in unison within their minds.

But the shocks didn’t stop there.

“Oh, but wait, this is quite a large portion, isn’t it?”

When Juliana returned to her senses and tilted her head, Elma gave a single nod. In the next instant, three more seats had been added to the table.

It was a feat of speed so fast that even Lucas, who possessed excellent dynamic vision, doubted his eyes.

Faster than the three could gasp in realization, Elma spoke up.

“To the three of you in the bushes. On a pleasant day like today, you must surely be thirsty. I address Lady Juliana. May I have the honor of inviting your son, the Head Maid, and hopefully my esteemed senior maid to join us?”

She had seen right through the fact that Lucas and the others were spying.

Juliana, asked so brazenly for permission to have them join, was momentarily stunned. Then, recognizing Lucas and the others, she burst into a peal of laughter.

“My! You lot…!”

She laughed so hard she even had tears in her eyes, though no one was quite sure what was so funny.

“Yes. …Yes, let’s do that. Hehe… it feels like a dream.”

I’ve actually wanted to do this for a long time.

That small murmur in Rutlandic was likely heard only by Lucas and Elma.

As a side note, the Spiritual Zen sweets that the three tasted for the first time were all so delicious they felt as if they might ascend to heaven.