At this time of day, there surely shouldn't be anyone here. Not only are there people, but of all people, they have to be nobles who absolutely must not be caught.
She was so flustered that her body froze for a moment, but seeing Lian quickly bow her head low, unlike her, she belatedly came to her senses and followed suit.
“Oh, no.”
And then, she barely managed to let out a trembling voice.
"That’s a relief, then. I was curious about the inside, so I opened it up and was really surprised to find someone there."
It was an ordinary voice. May slightly raised her head and looked at Elisha.
I was worried she might have heard us talking, but did she not hear it? May was unsure.
Looking at her smiling with an innocent face, it seemed as though she really hadn't heard. Lian, who had slightly raised her head following May, also felt relieved after checking Elisha's reaction.
"But I heard something that makes me curious."
"... Yes?"
However, that sense of relief evaporated immediately.
"Hmm, first of all, if I were to mention what happened just a moment ago, what would the name of the sous chef be?"
'Why the sous chef's name...?'
'Oh no! I think she heard it.'
May and Lian's gazes met in the air. Fear quickly set in on their hesitant faces.
With their minds going blank, the two stammered, forgetting that failing to answer the nobleman's question immediately was also a sin. After a brief silence, Elisha added in her still composed voice.
"I just happened to run into her once, and I was wondering if it was her."
"Ah, I, I'm sorry. We were thoughtless."
There was no time to hesitate any longer. The two immediately squeezed their eyes shut and bent over. As if ready to kneel right then and there, they stammered out excuses, desperate to somehow continue their justifications.
However, the conversation was cut off by Elisha, who was instead flustered, as if telling her to calm down.
"Oops. I didn't mean for you to apologize to me... Besides, I'm not even the person involved. I just asked out of curiosity."
Elisha blinked her clear eyes, which seemed to hold the fresh greenery. At her expression, which appeared to have absolutely no ulterior motive, suspicion began to creep into the faces of the two people who had been filled with fear.
'What is this? Did he only hear the sous chef and not hear the details?'
'I don't know. But the atmosphere doesn't seem bad.'
The two, who had been communicating intensely with their eyes as if they didn't know what to do, answered cautiously, with the thought that they should at least match the atmosphere.
"Her name is Ma-Maud Nora."
A strange bitterness crossed Elisha's face.
Since there are several sous chefs, she still hoped that the person they were criticizing wasn't Maud. But in the end, didn't it turn out this way?
She should have felt relieved since she confirmed what she had doubted, but on the other hand, she felt sorry.
However, that was only for a moment; those emotions quickly vanished, and all others saw was the same laughter.
"I see. I wanted to get to know her because she is such a talented person. I understand that it is rare for a young woman to hold a key position, but after tasting her food, I feel this is a natural result. What do you think?"
"Ah... yes, yes! She is indeed a very skilled person."
"Is that so? I had heard rumors from afar that His Majesty judges abilities fairly, but seeing her in person, the Chef, I believe those rumors are true."
May and Lian, who were trying to agree with Elisha's words no matter what, paused for a moment. They exchanged glances, looking as if to say, "Was there a rumor like that?"
Elisha pretended not to see the two of them, simply smiling and tilting her head slightly. At her movement, Lian looked surprised and nudged May's arm with her elbow.
"Yes... that is correct."
"Yes, absolutely right."
The two of them nodded repeatedly with half-dazed expressions. Desperate to simply escape the situation, they looked as if they didn't even know what they were doing.
"Hmm... in a way, he pioneered a new path, didn't she?"
Their head, which had been nodding, suddenly stopped.
"...A new path?”
"Yes. Everything is hard the first time, isn't it? Since she has set such a wonderful precedent, perhaps someone else will be able to muster the courage."
Precedent...?
May and Lian forgot they were trembling and muttered to themselves with bewildered expressions, as if it were a word they had never once thought of.
Was it a precedent? Then again, she was the first female sous chef. Only men were allowed to hold positions and cook in the kitchen, while women were mostly maids who were only responsible for menial tasks.
So, everyone naturally applied strict standards to Maud and naturally acted territorially.
For some reason, the atmosphere became solemn. Oscar and Marie, who had been quietly watching from behind, were also looking at Elisha with puzzlement.
"I don't know what happened, but thank you anyway."
And at that moment, a voice that should not have been heard was added.
"Wow!"
"C-C-Chef..."
Standing outside the door was the protagonist of this conversation, having been there for who knows how long. May and Lian turned deathly pale.
Oscar, perhaps having noticed earlier, was calmly looking behind him, while Marie was looking at Elisha with a troubled expression.
Maud, having caught everyone's eyes, frowned slightly as she looked back and forth between Elisha and the maid standing behind her. Entering with a look that assessed the situation, Maud first blocked the maids' path and bowed to Elisha.
"Maud..."
"Ah. You know my name?"
Elisha bit her lower lip slightly, as if she had blurted out a name without realizing it. As Maud's questioning gaze lingered, Elisha smiled awkwardly and spoke slowly.
"...Yes. I happened to ask these people, Chef."
"Ah... You can just call me Maud, like you just did. Thank you for your interest in asking my name."
"..."
"But may I dare ask what brings you here? As you can see, this is not exactly a place for high-ranking officials to frequent."
"I just ended up coming here while looking around. By the way, do you happen to remember me? This is our second time here..."
Elisha's eyes, as she gazed intently at Maud, shone with a strange light. Seeing that she looked expectant, Maud tilted her head slightly and answered readily.
"Of course I remember. You can imagine how surprised I was that day when His Majesty suddenly summoned me. He had never once done that before."
"Really? I actually wanted to say hello separately because I imagine you must have been very flustered back then."
"Thank you for your concern. It was an honor for me to meet you that day, Princess, but I am overwhelmed by your kind words today."
"...Ah. But where did you hear that from?"
"Start with the saying that everything is hard at the beginning."
Elisha blurred her shy smile and subtly averted her eyes. Maud's gaze lingered on her, but only for a moment.
As the gaze was withdrawn, Maud muttered in a softer tone than usual.
"Thank you. When I was young, I used to hear from my friends that I was unbiased... but I never once thought about what you mentioned, Princess."
At the sight of Maud, shock flashed across the faces of May and Lian, who had been standing still behind. They quickly exchanged glances as if asking if she was really someone they knew, and why she was acting that way.
'What? I was wondering what on earth that Princess was talking about...'
'Why is Sous Chef acting like that? Normally, shouldn't she be yelling at them to go work and ask if they're slacking off?'
Even though there were nobles present, Maud, who usually revealed her true nature first, was uncharacteristically accepting everything Elisha said. And what was with that submissive tone?
It was to the point where they wondered if she was acting that way because she really liked what Elisha had said.
'Did she... perhaps know that Sous Chef was coming?'
May's eyes began to waver as she narrowly avoided being caught in the act of gossiping in real time. No matter how she looked at it, the atmosphere could not have been as calm as it is now if Elisha hadn't intervened.
"The word 'precedent' sounds cool."
Maud's indifferent eyes, which had been staring at Elisha, crumbled in an instant and curved softly.
It was a side of her they had never seen before. They never dreamed that she, who was always frowning or expressionless, could exude such a heartwarming aura.
May and Lian's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out, their faces blatantly revealing their doubts about whether they were seeing things correctly.
"...Come to think of it, I feel like I've interrupted you too much since you must be busy. Could we talk again sometime?"
In the midst of this, Elisha was facing Maud with a strange smile, unable to hide the slight lump in her throat, like someone who had finally found a trace of someone they knew in a stranger.
"I am not sure if I should say this as I am unfamiliar with etiquette, but personally, I would like to see the Princess often."
Favor seeped into Maud's dark brown eyes. Elisha noticed that look, grinned, and nodded vigorously.
"See you again soon. Oh, I interrupted you too much while you were working. Take care, everyone."
Elisha took a step forward with a lighter expression. The hope that she might be able to reveal their secret to Maud as planned rose in her heart like a spring sprout.
Elisha nodded to Maud and headed toward the door. As she did so, she naturally walked between May and Lian, who were fidgeting nervously as if Maud's behavior was completely unfamiliar to them.
"I really hope you apologize."
The two froze at the whisper heard at that exquisite timing. Barely able to lift their stiff necks, they looked at Elisha's profile as she walked down the hallway.
But she was going on her way, smiling innocently with a face that showed she knew nothing. As if the whisper from a moment ago were a hallucination.
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