LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 21
Karem, a reincarnated being who had lived as a serf for ten years, suddenly found himself working as a cook and servant to a female wizard in Winterhome.
Naturally, as a lowly noble—or rather, not even a noble but merely a serf—hardly anyone looked favorably upon him, and Karem became a target of immense oppression!
Yet, surprisingly, there was no such treatment.
“Phew, I was worried, but nothing I expected has really happened.”
Karem had anticipated a harsh atmosphere, wary due to the many people residing in the manor, where unnecessary political maneuvering naturally prevailed. It seemed like no matter the class, when three or more people gathered, they’d form factions.
But that wasn’t the case. Even when Karem visited the castle every few days, the people he encountered showed no emotions regarding his presence.
Deciding to contemplate the matter, Karem uncovered a couple of reasons after a few days of pondering.
Catherine’s influence was more significant than he had initially thought.
He often observed political maneuvering, meaning most competition happened among those of similar or higher class.
Most importantly, Catherine rarely left the Wizard’s Tower, limiting Karem’s encounters within the castle.
Thus, Karem’s sole responsibility revolved around providing three meals and snacks for his employer.
Freed from the duties of being a personal servant, Karem engaged in his favorite activities during his free time, maintaining a fulfilling daily life akin to his past life. Even now, he filled the kitchen with the delightful aroma of food.
The breakfast he prepared was seafood chowder, a richer version of the commonly known clam chowder, enhanced with fish.
In a pot where butter was melted, he sautéed chopped celery and onion until they became translucent, adding diced carrots and parsnips, seasoning as he went.
Next came the spices and broth, then he boiled it once. After that, he incorporated flour and cream, boiled it again before adding generous portions of fish fillet, shellfish, and parsley.
The dish was completed when the protein cooked thoroughly.
“Wow, this seems even tastier than what I had in my previous life.”
However, that alone felt a bit dull, so Karem quickly added delectable fried egg, toast, sirloin bacon, and sausage.
Though it felt a bit unbalanced due to the protein overload, the presence of vegetables made it fine, right?
Presenting an impossibly large amount of food, appearing to be three servings at least, he carried the tray to the dining room.
Karem had come to reside in the Wizard’s Tower, where the wizards employed by the Duke of Iceland had stayed for generations.
Of course, with only three people currently present, including Karem and Catherine.
As Karem nudged open the grand dining hall door with his toes, Catherine, clad in a casual linen dress and lounging on the sofa, greeted him warmly.
“Oh, yes! Breakfast has finally arrived.”
Actually, it was the tray with food she welcomed more than Karem himself.
“You’re slow.”
Seated beside her, a woman complained.
“Well, I can’t help it if my legs are short.”
“Then hurry and grow taller!”
“That’s not realistic.”
“Geez, humans are something else.”
Karem quickly passed a pinch of salt to Mary, the brownie who had become familiar over the past few days, and placed the tray before Catherine, taking a seat across from her.
Mary, who set the table with a bright demeanor, was dressed in a black dress that barely revealed her calves, entirely covered by a white apron and cap.
Once the setting finished, she immediately served Catherine while Karem eagerly took a spoon to the chowder.
Catherine smiled with satisfaction as she savored the chewy shellfish, soft fish, and the thick white broth of the chowder, filled with cream.
“Whoa, it’s thick like stew but light like soup!”
“We had fresh clams come in yesterday, how do you like it?”
“It’s excellent! Nobles certainly see the value in hiring skilled chefs.”
At that moment, Mary shot Karem a jealous glance. Initially, Karem felt irked.
After all, it was no surprise that one would feel discomfort when someone suddenly expressed jealousy and insults without understanding the situation.
However, once he recognized the reason behind it, his vexation quickly dissipated.
She was a fairy—a brownie.
Someone who loved housework so much that it bordered on devotion, and housekeeping was her very reason for existence.
Of course, Karem had been led to believe she was just a maid until Catherine revealed her true nature.
“Ugh, I thought I had finally gained a worthy contractor after ten years—”
“Who are you calling a worthy contractor?”
“Could it be that I have an extremely strong competitor in this one field already—”
“Hey, are you ignoring your master?”
“Plus, she’s merely a child who hasn’t even undergone a coming-of-age ceremony!”
Think of her perspective.
What if she was enjoying a gratifying work/leisure life, and suddenly her superior parachuted someone into her domain?
Even if the newcomer performed well, they likely wouldn’t be viewed favorably.
“Karem, I hate to ask again, but you haven’t organized the kitchen, have you?”
“I only cooked and left everything as is, don’t worry.”
“Are the pots and dishes still in their places?”
“Yup, they’re all exactly as I left them, with food particles still stuck on.”
Initially, Karem had been frightened by the cold glares he received when he accidentally cleaned, but he resolved to be satisfied with his situation.
After all, it was something that cookers universally loathed—cleanup.
No person would refuse a helping hand in that regard.
At the very least, Karem welcomed it with open arms.
“Hmph, I may concede the cooking, but I dare not yield on the clean-up.”
“Does that include the dishes?”
“Naturally! Ugh, even if my contractor happens to enjoy your cooking!”
“Well, if my dishes are fresh and delightful, then the hired help can’t complain, can they? If I aimed to ruin the dishes—”
“Then I’ll personally show you how firm my rolling pin is.”
“See? I can’t go half-heartedly.”
“Sigh—my tragic mistake-”
Karem’s statement wasn’t inherently wrong. However, Mary had observed a certain expression on him that seemed to say, “If you have complaints, then cook better than me!”
Of course, this was all Mary’s prejudice, as Karem merely enjoyed the seafood chowder he had made.
“Hmm, breaking crispy bacon and sprinkling it on would make it even better.”
“Oh, are you suggesting bacon crumble?”
Nodding in response to Catherine’s question, Karem pointed to the plate next to the bowl brimming with rich chowder—toast, sausage, and the bacon displayed in an oval shape, unlike a typical rectangular cut.
It was commonly known as sirloin bacon.
“Not sirloin, but pork belly bacon, you see.”
“Pork belly bacon? Will anything even come out of that? I’m clueless.”
“You need to leave enough meat while cutting. You take thin, fatty bacon, grill it until crispy like a snack, then sprinkle the crumbles over here, and won’t it be so much tastier?”
Deep-frying and crumbling bacon makes it delicious anywhere. In fact, specialty stores sell bacon powder on its own, so it was no surprise.
“Hmm, I think I’ve tasted something similar in the continent…”
“Are you referring to guanciale?”
“Yes, it was guanciale. Its origin was the Kingdom of Servianus, right?”
Karem knew what guanciale was—a type of bacon made from the pig’s cheek or head.
Famous chefs often insisted on including guanciale for their carbonara, as Romans were apparently crazy for it. Yet he had never eaten it himself.
Nonetheless, he couldn’t let that knowledge show, as Catherine only saw him as a boy who had been a serf for ten years, with a brilliant knack for cooking.
Though he began harboring a slight doubt.
“Doesn’t it layer fat and meat, and if the fat exceeds half, doesn’t it resemble guanciale?”
“Oh, that might actually work! It felt a bit plain due to its tenderness, but thankfully we have toast.”
“Should we order it from a butcher when the chance arises?”
“That sounds great.”
As they continued chatting and enjoying their meal, the plates and bowls gradually emptied.
Catherine concluded her breakfast and headed straight to her laboratory without a backward glance, while Karem was about to clean up when Mary swooped in like a bird of prey.
“Roar! How dare you! This is my job!”
“Ah, if you’d move it for me, I’d be grateful.”
“Hmph, lead the way then.”
“Yes.”
As previously stated, Karem had no complaints. Who would reject having someone else do the irritating and dreary tasks?
Moved by instinct, he was still slightly awkward in this new adjustment.
Once Karem opened the kitchen door, the sight he had left behind greeted him.
Flour scattered across the floor and table, vegetable peels and roots left lying around, pots, pans, dishes, and utensils caked with remnants of the cooking.
Seeing this, Mary’s expression brightened as if she had never been irritable, and she immediately dashed to tidy up the kitchen.
Of course, Karem would not just stand back.
“Mary.”
“I was just in a great mood working! What brings you here all of a sudden?”
“Let’s have a meal first and finish later.”
“But the task is right in front of us, food—”
Without waiting for her response, Karem fetched a sizable bowl from the shelf and scooped a generous ladle of still warm seafood chowder from the pot, placing it on the table.
Feigning ignorance, Mary could not help but be drawn to the warm chowder, instinctively sitting down in front of the bowl as if her body had betrayed her.
“Ugh, still… The dishes and vegetable scraps—”
“Oh! It seems even the flavor has intensified, and the thickness is much richer now. The seafood chowder maintains its quality better.”
“How is it that it’s so thick!? Just how much cream did you add?!”
“Here, have some bread and fresh milk from early this morning.”
Karem’s hobbies were cooking and gaming.
Upon hearing her true nature, a thought crossed his mind.
A brownie. A house fairy with a great love for housework.
Traits: Fondness for cream, bread, and milk.
And thankfully, Karem’s knowledge from his past life seemed to resonate with this brownie as well.
“Wooooow! The richness of this cream, the clam broth, and the sharpness of the pepper—”
“It’s incredible, isn’t it?”
“…”
Swish!
As Karem hinted at conceding defeat, Mary turned her head away. Yet, she still tore off a piece of bread, dipping it in the soup while guzzling the milk, embodying a cat longing for a treat.