The royal capital was a crowded place.
The view of the city from the carriage was stunning, but not as stunning as the first time I had set foot in Raativ.
I was told later that the bards would sing of the beauty of the city of Raativ as one of the most beautiful on the continent.
Although the capital is full of splendid and glittering buildings, I like the somehow elegant and serene atmosphere of Raativ.
It’s not glittering, but I think it’s beautiful with its various designs here and there.
It’s the home of the Elzeverts of ‘beauty.’ A person who told me about it said so, but I don’t really understand the difficulties.
However, when it comes to simple ingredients for cooking, it was easier to get a variety of ingredients in the capital city than in Raativ, where the sea is not nearby, and there were many rare and unusual items.
Even with a single piece of sugar or honey, there are many different flavors of sugar and honey from countries whose names I don’t even know.
And in terms of convenience, the Royal Capital is far superior.
The castle in Raativ only had a few water chambers on the lower floors, but the mansion in the Royal Capital had water chambers on every floor.
Moreover, in the kitchen, there was a water supply in the corner near the entrance, and a tap was installed. If you turned on the tap, you could use the water whenever you wanted. I was impressed by the fact that there was no need to fetch water from a well in the capital.
My assistant, Alyssa, was delighted.
After all, fetching water is the hardest part of the job.
For a kitchen maid, fetching water is the hardest work one can do. I once spilled tears on my hands while fetching water in the dead of winter.
I was glad that Alyssa’s hands didn’t have to go through that.
“Sister, I’m done removing off the roseberries.”
“Thank you.”
Roseberries are a type of berry that grow in the snow during the winter. The berries are small and clustered like grapes. The red berries are beautiful to see in the white snow, and the cream cheese cake I often make in the winter imitates this.
“This one is bigger, so I’ll make a confiture with a little bit of fondant wine and a little bit of sweetness. It’s first class.”
“Yes.”
White crystal sugar is a white granulated sugar. The whiter the sugar, the higher the grade and the more expensive it is. The first grade is the whitest, and the second grade is the clearest, like a piece of crystal. The difference between the grades is not only in appearance. They are sweeter and have less of a bitter taste, allowing you to use them to make the best use of the ingredients.
I can use third or fourth grade for confiture and jam, but I use first grade for everything I make ever since I came to the Royal Capital.
The use of first class white crystal sugar gives a different finish to both jam and confiture. The fruits are brightly colored and glossy and have a high degree of clarity. It even looks like a jewel.
If I didn’t have to worry about the cost, it would of course be better to use first class sugar, but first class white crystal sugar is very expensive.
Compared to the high price, you can’t help but notice a little bit of a finish.
However, since the items I will be bringing to the royal palace will be for Her Highness, the Crown Princess, to eat, I’ve been told to use the highest quality ingredients.
The Princess of the Crown Prince…
Perhaps it’s because I’m not an aristocrat that it makes me feel uncomfortable that the princess, who is only a few years past ten, is already the wife of the Crown Prince who is in his late twenties.
For generations, it has been said that the princesses of Elzevert marry early.
Someone told me when I was in Raativ that it’s normal to be engaged by the age of five and married around fifteen. I also remember someone boasting that it was because she was the daughter of the first duke’s family.
But when I heard that, I felt that it was like being kidnapped.
The princess I’ll be serving is a perfect example of this. After all, the princess went to the royal capital as soon as she could endure the trip to the royal capital, and was married to the Crown Prince before she was even one year old.
It’s strange for any reason that a baby under the age of one is separated from his parents, and even more so, the fact that she was married makes me wonder if she was crazy if it wasn’t done by the king’s actions.
However, I couldn’t say anything because everyone knew the circumstances of the princess…or rather, the princess’s mother, the deceased princess and the lord, and especially the people of the Elzevert territory like us. who immediately clam up when the subject comes up. There would be nothing to say because there’s no way I can say anything.
My lord was a good lord, and I respect him, but I can’t say that he behaved in a very commendable manner to the princess.
I wonder what the princess thinks?
The princess rarely appeared in front of the people in the castle because it wasn’t a long stay and there were many incidents.
Probably, the lord felt guilty about it too. That’s why he was quite distant to the crown princess, even though she’s his daughter. I’m sure the princess must not have felt very comfortable either.
Somehow, I was emotionally on the side of the princess.
Her handmaids told me that it was the first time the princess told them that the sweets were so delicious.
“Take these ones from the non-sticky side.”
“Yes.”
I showed the basket of berries that I picked and sorted with my eyes.
Even if there are some scratches or small grains, you don’t have to worry about it, as long as you look through the blemishes and make jam. Jam can be used in sweets, or even in tea. Besides, a piece of bread with soft cheese and jam is the snack that the Mistress…the Duchess likes best.
The mistress, who was born into a family that is not so large, even though she is a nobleman, prefers the simpler flavors.
The princess enjoyed eating all kinds of sweets, but I think she was particularly fond of the baked goods. I’ve heard that she ate more than usual, especially the ones made with vegetables, which I put a lot of effort into.
I wonder if His Royal Highness will be served sweets as well?
I hadn’t heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince liked sweets, but he might have a cup of tea with the still young princess.
Come to think of it, I haven’t heard anything at all about the princess’s marital relationship with the Crown Prince.
I could understand the stories when I was in the Raativ’s mansion, but it was strange that I didn’t hear them even in this mansion in the royal capital.
I would hear all sorts of gossip about the royal family, but it was usually only about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. There aren’t many rumors about the princess. It was partly because she rarely participated in events due to her young age.
It is said that Her Highness is protected by His Highness in the depths of the Crown Prince’s palace.
When it came to rumors about the two of them, there were none. I’m not sure if there are any problems with their relationship when they are fifteen years apart in age, but I really didn’t hear anything about it at all.
I don’t know much about rumors, but the kitchen is a treasure trove of them. In particular, since we specialize in making sweets, the people we come into contact with are overwhelmingly female servants, and the female servants are very knowledgeable about such rumors, if nothing else.
I’m sure these women are very well guarded, since they don’t even talk about it.
“It’s great to be a princess, they get to eat this kind of food every day, right?”
Alyssa mutters enviously.
“It’s not easy being a princess even if you can eat good food.”
“She can wear beautiful clothes and has a lot of jewelry. I envy it all, even if it takes a little hard work.”
“And in return, she has to learn a lot of things from when she’s still little. Do you know how strict the etiquette of a princess is? Even the angle at which you bow and pick up your skirt is fixed.”
“Eh.”
“And you have to bow differently depending on who you’re meeting and you have to be friendly to the foreign guests you’re meeting for the first time.”
Alyssa, who is a shy person, gives me a look that says she might not like it.
“Besides, ever since she can remember, she’s had to live in a place where her mother, father, and siblings were all gone.”
I don’t care how rich I am and how well I was brought up, I’d still be unhappy to be without a family.
I don’t know if the princess is happy or unhappy, either.
“You can’t become a princess just by dressing up nicely and smiling, you know.”
“But this princess is the Crown Prince’s wife. I hear the Crown Prince is very cool! The other day, the maid Cecilia showed me a scrapbook card.”
Alyssa clasped her hands together and looked enraptured.
“Next time I get a half day off, I’ll go buy some too.”
“…I have to go up to the royal palace.”
“Well, aren’t you able to take breaks when you get to the palace?”
“It’s not like that, but it sounds like the outings are quite restricted.”
It was said in the past that when you go up to the Royal Palace, you should be prepared to be a servant for the rest of your life, and that’s close enough to that. Also, we are going to the West Palace, which is said to have the strictest procedures and strictest access to the estate. Those of us coming up from Elzevert have to be very careful.
But I still don’t know when I’ll be able to get to the Royal Palace.
Despite the fact that our departure and the itinerary were rushed, I didn’t make it up to the royal palace right away, not only because the kitchen was under construction, but also because the king of the neighboring country had taken over.
I heard that their former king was on good terms with this country, but the new king is planning to fight against us.
The word “war” doesn’t ring a bell with the people of Elzevert, because they don’t know what to think. The people of Elzevert do not think of warfare, because the territory of Elzevert is located in what is known as the inner sanctum of Dardinia, and has rarely been exposed to direct warfare.
Even during the two civil wars that have occurred in the past, it did not involve Raativ.
However, my childhood friend Joe, who became a soldier, was killed in the war in Reefid.
All that came back was a tuft of hair and a blessed medallion he received in the cathedral.
It had been delivered to him by a soldier who said he was a colleague.
I thought it wouldn’t matter much if I wasn’t a soldier, but everyone in the Royal Capital was worried about the war that had yet to take place.
Many of the people who live in the capital work for the royal court and have many soldiers, so there is always one or two soldiers among their relatives. Everyone seemed to be anxious and couldn’t seem to ignore to the war.
“I’m done removing the shavings over here.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
The berries were very carefully prepared.
Not by force, but by removing the core of the berries so as not to crush them.
Perhaps this may be suitable.
I think that sweets are suitable for people who don’t have to worry about detailed work.
Or someone with a big appetite and is willing to go to great lengths to make things taste good.
Alyssa is the former and I’m probably the latter.
“Sister, I hope the princess will be pleased with this jam.”
Boil down the berry and sugar over low heat. I haven’t added the honey yet.
It is a rule to use lemon to keep the color consistent, I use green lemon this time of year. The smell of the green lemon goes really well with the roseberries. I think it enhances the sweetness of the roseberry.
“I don’t know. I still don’t know what the princess likes yet.”
I know that she liked my pastries a lot during her stay in Raativ, but I don’t know what she likes or what she likes to eat.
I’ve become a confectioner for the crown princess.
It’s my job to make the princess what she likes.
I had a vague idea that I would have to find out what she likes when I get to the palace.
“I hope she’ll be happy.”
It takes a lot of work to make jam.
I don’t know how they do it in other estates, but I don’t add water when I make jam.
In some cases, Lazar sake, Delana sake, and wine may be added, but the basics are only fruits and sugar.
If it’s just fruit and sugar, it gets burnt very easily, so you have to keep the heat low and keep stirring to prevent it from burning. Of course, you have to remove the lye often.
But if you work carefully and meticulously, you can make a beautiful and delicious jam.
“Yeah.”
I didn’t quite understand what it meant to be the princess’s confectioner, but I just wanted to make sweets that the princess would think were delicious.
Sweets that would make the young princess smile.
***
“You’re the confectioner from Elzevert?”
“Yes, my name is Elda.”
The young lady in front of me is Lana Hartley…the princess’s head lady-in-waiting, as the third young lord (***Rael is the third Elzevert son) told me before I came here.
Although she still looks like she’s only over 20 years old, she is very quick and efficient, as expected of a princess’s high ranking lady-in-waiting.
She was probably less than half the age of the house’s butlers and chief maidservants, yet she didn’t seem at all unreliable.
“My name is Alyssa.”
Alyssa utters her name in a small voice.
“Did you hear of another subordinate worker that would come?”
“We had planned to do that, but Elda’s eyes didn’t match (***this part made no sense to me in the translations), so for the time being, they are the only ones.”
The young man, who now works for the the Royal Capital’s Kings Guard, said so, getting down on one knee.
Alyssa and I also look up, but we are still on our knees.
“Is that so? I understand.”
Lana nodded as she ran her eyes over the documents in her hand.
Then she suddenly heard something and looked up from the papers.
“Bow your heads.”
Then she herself changed her position and bowed her head.
The attendants did the same and bowed quickly.
There is the sound of a door opening and someone enters the room.
“…Is that the new chef?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The smooth sound of clothes shifting can be heard.
If there was anyone in this palace who was called His Highness, it had to be the Crown Prince.
“Raise your heads.”
We looked up and saw His Royal Highness the Crown Prince preciously lowering a young girl from his arms, looking so cherished.
Dazzling golden hair…The eyes that saw me had the same mysterious blue color as the lord’s.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T/N: Nigel’s gonna be carrying Luthia for the rest of her life, isn’t he?
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