Chapter 15: Is fine

After cleaning the fountain, Ailiya did not plan to wander around the garden. She had no intention of wasting time on meaningless strolls.

As the newly appointed Head Maid, she needed to quickly familiarize herself with everyone in the Kastian manor and the environment of the logistics operations.

Thus, she headed to the kitchen.

At that moment, the kitchen was a scene of bustling activity.

Chef Carter stood before the stove, wielding a spatula that made a sizzling sound.

Martha was beside him, handing him seasonings with practiced synchronicity, while the young maid, Anna, stood at the cutting board, her head lowered as she carefully sliced side dishes.

The moment Ailiya stepped into the kitchen, she immediately drew their attention.

“Hello, Chef Carter, Anna, and Madame Martha.”

Ailiya stood with her hands folded in front of her, her tone as flat and calm as ever.

Hearing her voice, Carter stopped his spatula and turned his head.

He wiped his hands on his oil-stained apron and gave a simple, honest laugh. “Hello there, beautiful Lady Ailiya. Having you wear that maid uniform really brings a lot of prestige to our back kitchen.”

Hearing this, Martha gave him a sharp, annoyed look from the side, pouting as she muttered, “Hmph, smooth talker. You’re at that age already, yet you act like you’ve never seen a woman before.”

“Hahaha…” Carter gave a dry, slightly embarrassed laugh. “Martha, this is called chivalry. Don’t you understand?”

Martha let out a cold snort and turned back to fiddle with the plates in her hand. “Fine, just focus on your cooking. Tonight isn’t like other nights; it has to be a feast.”

She paused, then shot a sideways glance at Ailiya. “After all, the star of tonight’s welcome banquet is standing right in front of us.”

Ailiya blinked slightly, her expression remaining rippleless. “Me? There is no need for such trouble. I am merely a newly arrived maid.”

Carter quickly waved his hand, laughing heartily.

“Hahaha, you’re too modest. Miss Ailiya, this was the Madame’s idea. She specifically instructed us to celebrate properly, saying that since you’ve come to the manor, everyone should get along like family from now on.”

“Since it is the Madame’s wish, it would be impolite of me to decline. I shall be in your care then.” Ailiya nodded slightly, then glanced at the busy cutting board. “Is there… anything I can help with here, Chef Carter?”

“Heh… not really. Having Anna and Martha as assistants is enough,” Carter replied bluntly with a wave of his hand.

“Ahem,” Martha cleared her throat loudly, interrupting Carter.

“Actually, there is. As the newly appointed Head Maid, you need to quickly understand the kitchen’s rules and the flow of logistics. This is a mandatory course.”

Carter paused, scratching his head with a confused look.

“Eh? Was there such a requirement? Usually, it’s just helping with some side dishes, preparing ingredients and utensils… the rest is just serving the food and cleaning up the kitchen.”

Martha was momentarily stifled by Carter’s lack of tact and glared at him. “Enough! Just do your cooking! Of course there’s more to it than that.”

After saying that, Martha pointed toward a basket of potatoes and green peppers, raising her chin. “Since Lady Ailiya wants to help, then slice these side dishes. Anna, step aside; let the Head Maid have a turn.”

Ailiya said nothing. She stepped forward, rolled up her sleeves slightly, and picked up the kitchen knife.

Truthfully, she was an expert at hacking down monsters, but shredding potatoes was a total blind spot.

When she first started cutting, her movements were stiff and awkward. The potato slices were uneven in thickness, looking nothing like the work of a veteran.

Martha observed from the corner of her eye, feeling a secret surge of joy in her heart.

‘Hmph, at the end of the day, she’s just a young little girl. She thinks she’s so impressive because she knows a bit of magic and cleaned a fountain, but once she’s in the kitchen, she’s completely lost.’

She cleared her throat. “Ailiya, it seems your basics are—”

“Oh, Miss Ailiya, you can’t cut potato shreds with such brute force.”

Just then, Carter happened to walk over carrying a basin of washed vegetables and saw Ailiya’s clumsy movements.

He set the basin down and naturally picked up another knife and a potato.

“When cutting these side dishes, look here. Keep your left hand steady, with your knuckles slightly curved against the blade, and use your right wrist to apply force…”

“Shredding green peppers is all about the wrist. The blade should stay close to your knuckles; that way it’s fast and you won’t hurt your hand…”

Ailiya nodded seriously, her ice-blue eyes showing not a hint of impatience.

At the edge of her vision, the familiar translucent system panel popped up.

**[Chef “Carter” is teaching you culinary skills.]**

**[Time: 5 minutes]**

“There.” Carter quickly finished cutting a small handful of potato and green pepper shreds, then handed the knife back with a chuckle. “Give it another try now, Miss Ailiya.”

As Carter’s demonstration ended, a series of notifications rang out in her mind.

**[Experience Gained: Life Profession +20]**

**[Manual Labor Proficiency — Handicraft +10 Experience]**

**[Chef Learning Progress: 5%]**

‘I see,’ Ailiya thought.

The initial lack of adaptation vanished. Having received specific guidance and combined with the absolute advantage provided by her “Manual Labor Proficiency,” the techniques and ways of applying force became as clear in her mind as if they were engraved into her muscles.

“I understand.” Ailiya picked up the knife again.

*Tuck-tuck-tuck-tuck-tuck—*

Only the sound of extremely dense and rhythmic chopping remained in the kitchen.

The lecture Martha was about to give got stuck in her throat. Her eyes widened, and she stared at the cutting board as if she had seen a ghost.

Ailiya’s movements were so fast they almost left afterimages. Her left hand was steady as a rock while her right hand flew up and down.

One by one, whole potatoes turned into fine shreds of perfectly uniform thickness under the flash of the blade.

Furthermore, her cold face remained expressionless, as if this were just a trivial matter.

She didn’t even lift her head; her hand reached out, and the next green pepper was already pressed against the board.

With a turn of the blade, she deseeded and shredded it in a single, fluid motion without the slightest hesitation.

Even Anna, who was cutting vegetables nearby, stared blankly, and the half-carrot in her hand nearly fell to the floor.

“So… such incredible knife skills!”

Carter was also stunned, his simple smile freezing on his face.

“Whoa… Miss Ailiya… these knife skills are better than mine were when I was about to finish my apprenticeship. I can’t believe I was just standing here trying to teach you how to hold a knife. You were clearly hiding your true abilities to have a laugh at my expense.”

Martha’s face turned various shades of red and white. Finally, she could only swallow dryly and, with a dark expression, went to the side to organize the plates.

Under Ailiya’s efficient preparation, the kitchen work was completed ahead of schedule at an incredible speed.

As Carter finished cooking and plating, all the steaming, fragrant, and sumptuous dishes were placed one by one onto a long, multi-tiered meal cart.

Carter wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel. “That’s about it. Let’s get ready to serve.”

Ailiya also wiped her hands and naturally began pushing the meal cart.

Passing through the corridors and following the designated route, Ailiya steadily pushed the cart into the dining hall.

When she entered, the spacious dining room was already full.

The dignified Marchioness Elsa sat in the head seat. To her left was Young Master Leo, who looked reluctant and had clearly been dragged downstairs. Ian, the tutor, pushed up his glasses and sat near the end of the table.

The Butler stood with all the maids—excluding those in the kitchen—standing in an orderly fashion on both sides of the long table.

Everyone’s gaze shifted toward Ailiya as she pushed the cart into the room.

Young Master Leo had originally been leaning listlessly against his chair, poking at his empty plate with a fork.

But when he looked up and saw the silver-haired girl pushing the meal cart, he jolted as if he had been struck by lightning and snapped upright.

In that instant, his lazy behavior vanished without a trace, replaced by an extremely deliberate elegance.

“Ahem.” Leo cleared his throat and even took the liberty of smoothing out his slightly messy hair.

Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, he stood up and quickly walked over to Ailiya.

He took the handle of the meal cart from Ailiya with a gentlemanly flourish and handed it to the Butler.

Then, he naturally moved to an empty seat nearby, reached out to pull the chair back for Ailiya, and bowed slightly in an inviting gesture. “Please take a seat, Lady Ailiya… Head Maid.”

This sequence of movements was so fluid that it left everyone dazed.

“Thank you, Young Master Leo,” Ailiya responded flatly and sat down composedly.

“It is only right, only right.” Leo sat back in his own position, behaving throughout like a successor with perfect noble upbringing.

Madame Elsa, watching from the head of the table, finally saw her usually stern and dignified expression soften. A rare smile of relief appeared at the corners of her mouth.

‘This rascal… it seems the confinement actually had some effect. He finally looks like a noble young master.’

She took a sip of her black tea, secretly arriving at a very dangerous parenting conclusion.

‘Since confinement is so effective, next time this boy makes a mistake, I might as well lock him up for ten days or even half a month.’

However, sitting nearby, Ian instinctively adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, doubting if the Young Master had been hit by some kind of confusion spell.

‘Something is wrong.’

This excessive harmony gave Ian a sense of dissonance.

‘What is this kid up to?’

‘Is there a miniature magic scroll hidden in his sleeve?’

‘Is there a delayed-activation magic circle drawn under the tablecloth?’

‘Is there explosive magic powder pressed under the cutlery?’

He even used his peripheral vision to carefully inspect the chair Ailiya was sitting on.

Ian paused for a moment before finally reaching a conclusion.

‘There are no problems…’