In one of the mansion's rooms, Cesline stood in her old chamber. Though the servants moved around her with quiet diligence, her attention was fixed on the mirror before her. She wore a gown of pure white silk taffeta, the fabric carrying a faint transparency that gave it a delicate, ethereal quality. The dress was cut to enhance her natural grace, flowing elegantly as the servants adjusted its folds and lines to perfection. Around her neck and wrists gleamed accessories of Silron, their silver sheen catching the light with a refined brilliance, while blue sapphires set into the designs shone with a vivid and pure blue glow. A Silron necktie completed her attire, its subtle lustre framing her pale features. Her long silver-white hair was styled in an intricate braid gathered at the crown, with soft waves cascading down her back in flowing strands, the design lending her an air of quiet regality. With her pale grey eyes, calm yet luminous, Cesline's beauty was revealed in full as she was being prepared for Lyraena's birthday party.
Soon, the door opened and a woman appeared, dressed in a long, flowing ceremonial gown. The fabric was a deep obsidian shade, scattered with fine glitter that shimmered like a night sky filled with stars. Around her neckline and bodice, embroidery in the colour of cognac diamonds glowed warmly against the darkness of her attire. The gown left her shoulders bare, and the skirt fell gracefully to the floor, long and fluid without being overly wide. She wore brown sapphires as her adornments, their gentle radiance adding a subtle contrast to the celestial beauty of her dress. Her long black hair was styled in an intricate braid that crowned her head before flowing down in smooth, elegant strands, a design that lent her a composed and regal presence. Her brown eyes shone with quiet depth, and her features and beauty were similar to those of Cesline in age and grace. The woman who entered was Thalindra Destenebres.
"Hello, Cesline, it has been quite a while," Thalindra said proudly, a smug look on her face.
"Madam Thalindra…" Cesline replied tiredly, as if she did not wish to speak to her.
"Hahaha, it truly has been some time. Since the Harvest Banquet not long ago, has it not?" Thalindra said with a cruel smile.
"Yes…" Cesline answered quietly, agreeing to her words.
"I heard what happened. Your son came today for the first time since being cast away to the forest with you. I also heard that because he wore such poor clothes, he looked like a servant boy. He was sent to work in the kitchen until you leave or until the party ends. Too bad you cannot leave before then," Thalindra said mockingly, her voice filled with scorn as she mocked Cesline's fate and her son's as well.
"What do you want?" Cesline asked wearily. There was a trace of anger in her tone, though she did not show it towards Thalindra.
"Nothing. I only wish to remind you that you and your son live in the forest, while I, my son, and my daughter live here. Hahahahaha!" Thalindra said as she turned towards the door, walking out and laughing loudly once she stepped outside.
Cesline clenched her hand into a fist, hating the situation she was in and hating that her son, who had come here after being cast away to the forest, was also suffering because of it.
'It is because I am weak and did not speak up to him that our… no, my son is suffering like this. I hate myself for it. I wonder how Ragnar is doing right now,' Cesline thought to herself, blaming her own weakness for her son's suffering.
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In the kitchen, I was peeling potatoes. After finishing one, I placed the neatly peeled potato into a container on my left. The container was already filled with many others, all neatly peeled, including the one I had just added. Then I took another potato from the container on my right, which was now empty since the one I held was the last. I began peeling it quickly and neatly over the container in front of me, where all the potato peelings were collected.
When I finished the last potato, I placed it into the container beside me with the rest of the neatly peeled ones.
Another one completed.
"That was such a boring and torturous thing to watch," Wraith said tiredly.
Who said you needed to watch?
"I mean, it is not every day I get to see you being tortured like this," Wraith said with a faint hint of amusement.
If this is torture, then what is hell?
"A world that was ruined by your existence," Wraith replied bluntly.
Hey, I made hell a better world to live.
"I would not call enslaving the residents of hell and every being from across the cosmos to work in harsh factories all over hell a better place," Pride said weakly, sounding as if he did not wish to talk about it.
Hey, I made hell a purposeful world. Instead of being tortured endlessly, you are forced to work. Is that not better than being tortured?
"I would rather be tortured than work," Sloth said lazily.
Your opinion does not matter.
"I see that you have finished peeling all the potatoes, Young Missssss," a staff member said mockingly. He was the same one who had taught me how to peel a potato when I first came to my station.
"Yes, I have finished peeling all of them," I replied calmly, ignoring his tone.
"Good, now peel these next," the staff said sharply as he replaced the empty potato container with one full of carrots.
"You know how to peel a carrot, don't you? If you don't, then too bad," he said mockingly.
"No worries, I know how to peel a carrot," I said in a calm tone, keeping a steady expression.
"Good!" the staff said mockingly.
He then shuffled the containers around, taking away both containers containing the peeled potatoes and the peelings before walking off.
"Wow, he really still holds that grudge," Wraith said lazily.
I would not blame him for it.
When the staff had been teaching me how to peel potatoes earlier, he showed me one of his own as an example. It was not peeled very well, but it was still peeled. Then he handed me the peeler and told me to try. At first, he expected me to do poorly, but after a while, the potato I peeled was much neater and faster than his. He was dumbfounded at first, and to make it worse, some of the other staff who had been watching began teasing him when they compared our work. He did not take it well and walked off angrily.
Of course, after I finished peeling a full container, he took them away and gave me another batch, as always. The one he took earlier was my third batch.
Well, at least now it has changed from potatoes to carrots.
"Sorry that you had to endure Petro's bullying because of us," said one of the kitchen staff cutting ingredients nearby, his tone apologetic.
"It is alright. I have endured such things before," I replied calmly, speaking without thinking as I continued peeling my first carrot.
"Wow, have you been bullied by your mother, maids, or anyone at your home in the forest?" the kitchen staff asked curiously.
"Ah, my mistake. No one at home bullied me. It is just that, because of my father's absence, I developed a sort of mental problem where I imagine him, or people around him, ridiculing me for my lack of talent and worth. It is a mental problem," I said calmly, giving a rather foolish excuse.
"Oh, I did not know you had gone through something like that. You are still so young, yet you already suffer from such a problem. My apologies," the staff said sincerely, clearly not expecting such an answer.
No, I should be the one apologising for making you believe that.
"Another poor soul, lied to, thinking younglings like you suffer so much," Wraith said with a sigh.
Since when have you started caring about mortals?
"Since now, hahahaha," Wraith replied cheerfully.
…I am ignoring you.
"By the way, my name is Marik," the staff said as he continued chopping the ingredients.
"Ragnar. Ragnar Destenebres," I said calmly while peeling my third carrot.
"I know," Marik said softly, giving me a pitying look.
"My name is Kilpi," another staff member said quietly as he washed the plates.
Marik and I turned to look at him. He was smiling.
"Sorry, was I intruding?" Kilpi asked weakly while continuing to wash the dishes.
"No, you are not. It is nice to meet you as well, Kilpi," I said calmly.
"Thanks," Kilpi replied with a grateful smile.
Though, Kilpi was not the only one.
"Hey, my name is Delfeo."
"Hi, my name is Kliara."
"Sup, my name is Himu."
One by one, more of the staff who had overheard our conversation introduced themselves in a friendly manner.
We chatted while continuing our work. We spoke about our dreams and goals, and some even shared stories about their love lives. While we talked, I had just finished peeling all the carrots neatly when suddenly—
"What are you all chattering about?" Petro barked angrily. He had noticed us talking like proper colleagues while carrying a container of carrots.
"You must all be doing your jobs well if you have the time to chat so freely," Petro said in a sharp tone.
Everyone fell silent, turning their attention back to their tasks. No one dared to respond. Petro then looked straight at me, his face full of irritation, while I calmly met his gaze.
"I see you have peeled all the carrots. You must be free then. Here, more carrots for you to peel," Petro said harshly as he swapped the empty container with one full of fresh carrots. He then took the container with the peeled carrots and their peelings and walked away without another word.
After he left, the room fell quiet for a brief moment before Marik spoke.
"Well, that was awkward," he said calmly.
"Is he always like this?" I asked, not expecting him to answer not only to me but also to everyone around.
"Yeah, he is always like that. He thinks that because he is a sous chef, he can act all mighty," Kliara said casually.
"Wait, he's a sous chef?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes. Although he may not look like it, he used to be the head chef before Chef Seraphina came here," Delfeo explained calmly.
"When did that happen?" I asked curiously.
"Back when the head of the house was the previous lord. He's an elder now. It has been quite some time already," Himu replied.
"Wow. So how did Chef Seraphina becomes the head chef?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"It is because Chef Seraphina defeated him in a cooking duel," said one of the older staff members, who looked to be in his forties. "She was also chosen by many because of her skill, passion, and beauty, unlike Petro, who had skill but no real passion for cooking back then."
"So, he stayed as a sous chef because he wanted revenge or something?" I asked.
"At first, it was for revenge, but soon—" the staff began, but Kliara interrupted.
"He fell in love with Chef Seraphina, so he chose to stay as her sous chef," she said calmly while stirring a pot.
"Huh," I said in surprise. I did not expect that at all.
Why does this feel like one of those dramas I used to watch? The chef surprises someone, they fall in love, and everything turns into chaos. Oh right, I forgot I was transmigrated into a harem game filled with ridiculous twists and nonsense moments. The only good thing about the game was the female character designs.
"Yeah, I understand your reaction," Marik said calmly, as if he had once shared the same feeling himself.
"Does Chef Seraphina know about it?" I asked curiously.
"She does," Delfeo replied as he focused on cooking a steak.
"She does!? Then what was her answer?" I asked in surprise, shocked that she actually knew.
"She said she was not interested in him," Kliara replied as she scooped a small amount of sauce from her pot, poured it into a ramekin, and tasted it carefully.
"Then why is he still a sous chef?" I asked calmly, though I could already guess the answer.
"Well, the reason for her rejection is that Chef Seraphina prefers someone who can cook as well as her, or better, and someone who shares her passion for cooking," Marik said in his usual calm tone.
Why am I not surprised that this is the setting…
"Oh… so what was he lacking?" I asked quietly.
"Both," said a familiar voice from behind us.
Everyone, including me, turned towards the source of the voice. It was Seraphina, standing there with her usual calm expression as she looked at everyone.
"What is wrong?" Seraphina asked smoothly.
"I am done with my sauce now. I shall go deliver it," Kliara said nervously, grabbing her pot and hurrying away.
She was not the only one to make an excuse.
"I have finished cooking the steak. I will put it on the heater now."
"I have finished cutting the ingredients. I will place them in cold storage."
"I have finished washing the plates. I will move them to the drying rack."
One by one, everyone excused themselves and quickly left, leaving only Seraphina and me behind.
"I have just finished my second batch of carrots," I said calmly, giving my excuse as well. It was true that I had just finished peeling them.
"Good work," Seraphina said in a composed voice as she looked at me.
"So… what is next?" I asked carefully.
"Well, since you have finished peeling the potatoes and carrots, that should be enough. The guests have started arriving and are settling into their rooms," Seraphina said calmly.
I have a bad feeling about this.
"So, congratulations, Young Miss. You will be promoted to Room Service servant," Seraphina said smoothly, her words making me uneasy as she glanced at my outfit.
"Room Service servant?" I asked cautiously.
"Yes. The other servants are busy preparing for the banquet and attending to guests, so I will need you to assist with room service and receive any food orders to the guests' rooms," Seraphina explained with a composed, mature smile.
I knew this bad feeling was right.
Not long after, the butler, Lato, appeared and escorted me out. I wanted to resist but decided against it.
Soon, I had changed back into the clothes I wore when I first arrived. Lato handed me a notepad and a pencil, explaining my duties briefly before leading me down the guest room hallway.
"This is all you need to do. Are there any parts you do not understand?" the butler asked calmly.
"No, I understand everything," I replied evenly.
Then the butler walked away to attend to other matters, leaving me alone in the corridor.
I walked up to one of the rooms and knocked.
"Room service," I said dully.
The door opened, revealing a nobleman who looked at me in surprise.
"Can I help you with something, young one?" he asked awkwardly, clearly not expecting a child to be at his door.
"Room service," I repeated plainly.
"Oh, room service. What do you have?" the nobleman asked, sounding a little more relaxed.
I flipped open my notepad and showed him the menu listed inside.
"Hmm, then I'll have the Bellwark fish fillet with a good drink to go with it," the noble said calmly.
"I will relay it to the chef," I replied, trying to give him a polite smile.
"Alright, here's the payment," the noble said as he handed me fifteen gold coins in the small pouch I was given earlier.
I am not sure how the economy here works, but isn't fifteen gold coins a bit much?
"Thank you," I said politely.
"Thank you for your service," the nobleman replied before closing the door.
No tip? Seriously…
After noting down his order, I continued knocking on other guest room doors. There were plenty of nobles requesting room service, most polite, though a few scolded me for disturbing their rest after a long journey.
I am doing my job well, yet I am not even getting paid for it…
After visiting many rooms, my pouch had grown heavier. Thankfully, some nobles were generous enough to give tips. At least I was not returning empty-handed.
I walked towards another door and raised my hand to knock, but before I could, I heard strange noises from inside.
"Ahh… ahhh… ahhh… that's it…" a woman moaned loudly.
"How is it?! Does it feel good?!" a man's voice followed, loud and full of excitement.
…Surely I am not hearing that correctly.
"I sense something spicy in that room, hehehe," Lust said playfully.
"OOOH, IT FEELS GREAT!!" the woman cried out even louder.
…
"Wow, it really is heating up in there," Lust said with a grin in his voice.
The other devils remained silent.
Should I knock?
"No, why would you want to disturb their moment?" Lust asked, sounding genuinely confused.
I am just going to knock…
"Wait, don't—" Lust started to shout, but I ignored him.
"Room service!" I called out loudly, knocking firmly on the door.
There was a brief commotion from inside, hurried whispers and movement, but I kept knocking.
"Room service!" I repeated loudly.
Finally, the door opened. A man stood there with only a towel wrapped around his waist, his upper body bare naked.
"Do you need something?" the man asked nervously.
"Room service," I said calmly.
"Oh, then I will have the Bellwark fish fillet with a good drink to go with it," the man said nervously, as if wanting to get rid of me quickly.
"Then what about the madam in the room?" I asked calmly as I peeked inside.
I saw the woman covering herself with the bedsheet, smiling nervously.
"I will have the same thing as he ordered," she said with a shaky smile.
"I see, that will be thirty gold coins in total," I said calmly, trying to maintain a pleasant smile.
"Alright, here you go," the man said, dropping thirty gold coins into my pouch. Though I accepted the money, I had no intention of stopping there.
"Wait, what are you planning—no, don't you—" Lust began, sounding confused, but then realised what I was about to do and shouted, only to be interrupted.
"By the way, is the madam alright? I heard screaming. She sounded as if she were in pain," I said calmly, though I already knew the situation.
"She's fine. She was just... saying things for fun, weren't you, darling?" the man said nervously.
"Yes, I was saying things for fun," the woman echoed with a forced laugh.
"Madam, if you need anything, we can send a servant to help you. It's quite alright. If I could just know what was wr—" I said with feigned innocence, but was quickly cut off.
"It's alright, the madam was just busy with me. We were doing something important. You know what, kid, here's a tip. Forget about this and don't tell anyone, alright?" the man said, still nervous, as he handed me twenty gold coins.
Seeing the extra gold, my act of innocence almost turned into a grin, but I managed to hold it back.
"I see. Then I didn't see anything," I said calmly as I took the thirty gold coins and placed them into my tip pouch.
After that, the man gently closed the door, and I could hear soft murmuring inside.
...
"Well, you ruined their moment, so may—" Lust started lazily, but was cut off.
Guys, I might have a brilliant idea.
"No, no you don't! Do not—" Lust shouted angrily but was interrupted.
"I agree with the idea," Greed said without hesitation.
"I'm liking this," Wraith said, eager for some mischief.
"I wish to see them suffer like this," Envy said with excitement.
"I fear this..." Pride muttered weakly.
Time to find more of them for some room service.
Once I thought that, I began knocking on every door, offering room service. Most encounters were ordinary, but some were indeed... occupied, and I took advantage of those situations for more gold. I even found some guests alone, indulging in their own pleasures, but they too paid me after my little act.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Money! MONEEEYYY!
"He's losing it badly," Wraith said, mocking me for my greed.
"I believe he's sane and pursuing a great cause," Greed replied, praising me.
"HAHAHAHA! Those people were so beautifully interrupted," Envy laughed with delight.
"I find this rather embarrassing..." Pride murmured softly.
"Did I miss anything?" Sloth asked sleepily, as if just waking up.
While everyone commented on my actions, one devil didn't sound pleased at all.
"You monster... how could you ruin such art? They were making art!" Lust cried out in my mind.
Hehehehe... time to find our next prey.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lust screamed as he realised my next move.
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Meanwhile, at the entrance of the mansion.
Five people stood together, welcoming the guests. They were Caedros Destenebres, Thalindra Destenebres, Cesline Destenebres, Lyraena Destenebres, and Lysander Destenebres. They were greeting those who had come to celebrate Lyraena's birthday.
Each of them showed different expressions. Caedros looked serious as he greeted the guests.
"Thank you for coming," Caedros said with a firm expression as he bowed slightly.
Thalindra smiled brightly as she welcomed the guests who came to celebrate her daughter's special day.
"Hahaha, thank you for coming to my daughter's birthday party. Is that new makeup you're wearing? It looks lovely on you," Thalindra said cheerfully as she greeted the wives of the guests.
Cesline's smile was strained as she greeted the guests, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
"Thank you for coming," Cesline said quietly, her smile polite but lacking warmth.
Lyraena's expression was stiff as she received greetings from young boys around her age. They wished her a happy birthday and complimented her beauty, which only made her feel uneasy. She disliked their arrogance and appearance.
"Lady Lyraena, happy birthday. You look as beautiful as the flowers in my garden," one boy said proudly.
"Thank you for your words," Lyraena replied with a forced smile, trying to hide her discomfort.
"It is my pleasure," the boy said happily.
Lyraena turned her gaze to the side, towards her brother Lysander, who was surrounded by young girls trying to get his attention.
"Young Master Lysander, you look handsome today," a young girl said happily as she greeted him.
"Thank you, you look beautiful as well," Lysander replied with a serious tone, imitating his father's manner.
"Hehehe, thank you, Young Master Lysander. If you are interested, would you like to visit my home sometime?" the girl asked shyly.
"If I have the chance," Lysander replied calmly, keeping his serious expression.
"Hehehe, I will look forward to it," the girl said with a delighted smile, thinking he had accepted her invitation.
'That sly fox. How dare she try to steal my brother from me, even on my birthday,' Lyraena thought angrily.
"Alright, I will go now," one of the guests said as he exchanged farewells and led his family to their room.
"Alright, have a pleasant rest," Caedros said calmly, still keeping his serious look.
Soon, the butler who had been standing outside approached Caedros and leaned close to whisper.
"My lord, the Aremflaris family has arrived," the butler said quietly.
One of the hero families, the Aremflaris, had arrived.