~Chapter 11~
Thanks to this, Delfina’s food had become available.
‘I can’t wait to eat it.’
Delfina’s food had a certain quality that made people happy. Even though she was just making a simple omelette, Alex couldn’t help but be excited to taste it.
However, Delfina bit her lower lip as she looked at the finished omelette.
<Delfina’s Omelette>
Grade: D
An omelette made by Delfina, who has excellent craftsmanship!
The best result from simple ingredients.
The system window praised the omelette.
‘But it didn’t reach C-grade.’
Delfina presented the omelette to Alex.
Alex started eating the food as if mesmerized.
However, Delfina was lost in thought. The omelette was delicious, but it wasn’t the kind that would satisfy Walton.
What more was needed?
To go from D-grade to C-grade……
‘There must be a way.’
Delfina tirelessly made more omelettes.
The maids in the Grand Duke’s castle had heard that Delfina was making omelettes.
“What kind of omelette?”
“I heard she’s doing it to gain Walton’s approval.”
At first, everyone dismissed it as no big deal.
They thought it was just one of those noble pranks, just as Walton had imagined.
Then, Alex appeared and told the servants.
“Come and try the omelettes. Delfina said she’s making them specially.”
The maids hesitated, retreating a few steps.
“Omelette? I’m not expecting much…”
“I doubt it will taste good.”
Alex, with a serious expression, spoke to them.
“I am always serious about food. Delfina’s cooking is truly fantastic!”
At Alex’s words, the maids tilted their heads in curiosity. Alex was famous for having an extremely picky palate in the Grand Duke’s castle.
‘He’s almost as picky as Walton.’
‘If Alex says it’s fantastic…’
‘Could it really be that good?’
The maids followed Alex, their faces filled with doubt.
One of the maids, Sana, looked down at Delfina’s omelette. While she liked omelettes, knowing it was made by a noblewoman made her skeptical. But, seeing Alex’s expectant gaze, she reluctantly picked up her spoon.
The soft, warm omelette entered her mouth. The cheese melted into the omelette, giving it a smooth texture and rich flavor.
‘It’s soft and delicious. The cheese makes it even more savory.’
She couldn’t help but let out a sigh of admiration.
“It’s… delicious.”
Soon, servants, maids, and knights from the Grand Duke’s castle began to crowd the dining area.
Delfina let out a deep sigh.
The dining room, once crowded with people, had become quiet as they all left.
Delfina had made a significant number of omelettes that day.
After a long time spent working, her shoulders were sore. Sofia was diligently washing the dishes beside her.
Perhaps because she saw Sofia working so hard?
The maids from House Lycaeon had quieted down. They seemed to be observing Sofia’s punishment.
‘Dishwashing was one of the toughest jobs I did in my previous part-time work. Repetitive tasks like this are exhausting.’
Sofia’s face had become haggard after just one day of washing dishes, without even having a meal.
‘Sofia is probably going to report everything that happened to Ivelina.’
It was satisfying, yet a little worrisome. The Duke of Lycaeon would naturally find out that Delfina had run off.
‘Someone from the family might come soon.’
Delfina shook her head at the thought.
For now, she had to focus on making the omelette.
After dozens of attempts, she had started to get the hang of it. She was beginning to figure out what would satisfy Walton.
It was simple.
She just needed to make the kind of omelette Walton liked.
Taste was always subjective, but Delfina had used Alex to gather people and find out Walton’s preferences.
‘I’m building rapport with the people in the Grand Duke’s castle, and learning Walton’s taste preferences.’
Her mind drifted to the time when her grandmother ran a restaurant. Her grandmother had many regulars.
‘Her cooking wasn’t anything special.’
But her regulars loved her food.
“Lady, your food is the best!”
“If it weren’t for you, I might’ve starved. The food I cook just doesn’t taste the same.”
Her grandmother always felt proud when she heard that.
Delfina knew why her grandmother’s regulars liked her food.
Her grandmother remembered every single regular.
She remembered what dishes they liked, when they left food unfinished, and when they finished everything.
Her grandmother made food based on her observations.
Delfina was doing the same thing now. She was making the omelette and asking others about Walton’s preferences.
The people who were impressed by her food freely spoke about Walton’s food tastes.
“Walton doesn’t like overcooked food.”
“Sometimes he makes omelettes, but he doesn’t cook them too much.”
“Ah, he likes cheese omelettes more than regular ones.”
“He prefers his food to be seasoned well. I like it plain, so our tastes don’t match.”
Everyone had different preferences when it came to food.
Even with eggs, some liked them hard, while others preferred them soft.
‘Even if something is liked by most people, there will always be someone who doesn’t like it.’
Delfina made omelettes for the knights and maids while learning Walton’s tastes.
She focused on making food specifically for him.
She had learned from her grandmother that food should be made based on the person’s tastes.
The completed omelette used strong-flavored cheese and pepper, with milk added to create a creamy, smooth texture. It was perfectly suited to Walton’s tastes.
What kind of reaction would Walton have when he ate this?
Delfina’s question was answered by the system.
<Omelette for Walton>
An omelette made by Delfina, tailored specifically for Walton.
It incorporates his food preferences perfectly.
Walton exclusive grade: C
It will maintain a certain warmth until Walton eats it.
Late at night.
Walton woke up from his sleep.
After tossing and turning for a while, the events of this afternoon came to his mind.
The knights had come to him and told him that Delfina was making omelettes.
And that she had shared the omelettes with the maids and knights.
She was still making omelettes, but would she still be in the kitchen at this hour?
He became curious.
Walton decided to go to the kitchen to see for himself.
As Walton made his way to the kitchen, he thought to himself.
‘I don’t expect much.’
He had been bombarded with complaints all afternoon.
Mostly from the knights.
“I heard Lady Delfina has been making omelettes all day.”
“She’s probably struggling since she’s not used to this.”
“She’s really putting in a lot of effort…”
Hearing those words, Walton paused for a moment.
‘Wasn’t this just a brief amusement for her?’
Walton had expected Delfina to give up and return to her room after trying a few times. He had anticipated that she would eventually leave the kitchen.
But when he entered the kitchen, he was surprised.
Delfina was sitting uncomfortably in a chair, dozing off.
Beside her, a large pile of egg shells had accumulated.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
If she had come to him as a joke, she wouldn’t have gone this far in her efforts.
