Chapter 64

Pitter-patter—

On rainy days, Ramona took a long-awaited break. She had set aside her embroidery and was enjoying some time alone when Amy entered. Whenever Anna had a day off, Amy was always there to fill her shoes.

“Sister, the young masters have arrived.”

“Hm? In this heavy rain?”

“Yes. They’ve all arrived and headed straight to Young Master Raon’s room.”

They had somehow agreed to meet on the second Saturday of every month, but Ramona had sent a reply telling them not to come if the weather was bad. She hadn’t expected them to actually show up, and she let out a soft sigh.

“Did the Duke or the Young Duke greet them?”

“No. I believe both the Duke and the Young Duke are out, so Butler Adiel greeted them instead.”

“Oh dear, I’ve been impolite. Have refreshments been served?”

“Yes, I heard Butler Adiel took the refreshments up himself.”

That was a relief, at least. Deciding that they needed to set a firmer rule about weather-related cancellations in the future, Ramona tapped her desk with her fingertips. Since nothing had been prepared, the kitchen was likely in a state of flustered panic.

“On a day like this, it has to be…”

She needed something simple yet quick to make. Having made a decision, Ramona jotted down a list of necessities for Amy. Kai, who had been digging furrows to keep the fields from flooding, immediately harvested and sent over fresh vegetables.

The chives, zucchini, perilla leaves, and chili peppers were freshly picked and vibrant. To these simple ingredients, she added squid and shrimp from the underground freezer, chopped them up, and mixed them into a flour batter.

It was hard to tell if this would turn into a proper meal, but the group in Raon’s room soon broke into cheers. Because the dish would lose its flavor if it got cold, Ramona had brought a roaring brazier, a pan, oil, and the batter to cook right in front of them.

Sizzle—

The sound on the pan harmonized perfectly with the sound of the rain outside. It was a particularly mouth-watering sound, and everyone held their breath as they watched the dish take shape under Ramona’s hands.

She roughly tore the golden-brown savory pancakes with chopsticks rather than using scissors or a knife, then distributed a dark sauce into individual dipping bowls.

“You dip it in this. Raon, could you show the hyungs how it’s done?”

“Yes!”

Raon picked up a piece of the seafood and vegetable pancake and dipped it into the soy sauce. The savory taste and the aroma of perilla leaves filled his mouth, instantly whetting his appetite. Seeing Raon, the others all followed suit and took a bite.

“Whoa, this is delicious!”

Seeing Riad exclaim in delight while eating a dish that was mostly vegetables brought a broad smile to the faces of the accompanying servants.

“Shall I fry up another one?”

“Yes!”

They answered like well-behaved students. Ramona fried up more pancakes immediately. Thinking that a bustling atmosphere was better for a rainy day anyway, Ramona finally breathed a sigh of relief after the young guests departed.

“Sister, you worked hard. The kitchen sent this for you.”

The kitchen staff, who had been a bit frazzled by the surprise guests without a formal request, seemed to have found peace thanks to Ramona’s quick thinking. Seeing the glass of juice filled with gratitude, Ramona chuckled.

“Storage apples don’t usually yield much juice… it looks like they ground up an entire basket for this.”

“It’s a small token compared to your hard work, Sister. Oh, they asked if tenderloin steak would be alright for dinner tonight.”

“Tenderloin? I’d love that. Food made by someone else is always the best.”

Even if everyone praised her cooking, it was a universal rule that a meal prepared by another person tasted best.

Just as she thought she could finally rest while dreaming of the steak, Adrian burst in.

“What about me?”

“What about what?”

“I heard you cooked for Raon and the kids. What about me? I want to try it too.”

Adrian, who had rushed over after hearing from Adiel that Ramona had made something he’d never even seen while living at her house, wore a dejected expression. Seeing a face that looked ready to cry if she said no, Ramona sighed inwardly. She had initially thought he was a heavy, charismatic man, but he seemed to grow younger and more childish by the day.

“I gave the recipe to Stello, so just ask him to make it.”

“I don’t want to. I want to eat food that has Raon’s mom had a hand in. No matter how much they follow the recipe, it just doesn’t taste as good as when you make it.”

At the mention of her handmade food, Ramona found herself frying seafood and vegetable pancakes again amidst the falling rain. She fed Adrian until he was full and thought she could rest, but then Adolf came running in.

“I…”

“I’ll make it for you.”

“Good.”

Knowing exactly what Adolf wanted, Ramona fried the pancakes for him immediately. After devouring five whole pancakes with a satisfied expression, Adolf handed her something.

“I really just picked this up on my way here. So you can have it.”

It was a hairclip made of jewels that he had ‘picked up’ from the treasury on his way. Feeling a bit self-conscious about constantly eating her food, he had prepared a small gift.

Watching this from a distance, Adrian clenched his fists.

“Is Father… flirting with Ms. Ramona?”

“Then why don’t you try flirting too, Young Duke? I heard from Anna that Lady Ramona likes ‘dainty’ things,” said Ashiel, who was holding an armful of documents and prodding Adrian with his eyes.

Adrian asked what the difference was between ‘dainty’ and ‘cute.’

“Aren’t they both the same thing? Though I apologize, as I managed to get married just fine without being either dainty or cute. For your information, I’m a glowing newlywed of six months.”

Despite being an aide, Ashiel was acting like a relationship guru and wasn’t being helpful in the slightest.

“If you want to replace that ‘glowing’ honeymoon period with overtime, feel free to keep blathering. Working every day in a ‘family-like’ atmosphere without overtime pay would be quite heartwarming, wouldn’t it?”

“Not at all. I will look into it thoroughly.”

Ashiel immediately backed down and opened a dictionary to find the distinction.

“The meanings are roughly similar. ‘Cute’ is dainty and endearing, while ‘dainty’ means something is small but has everything it needs, making it tiny and adorable.”

“Is that so? But I have no idea what is supposed to be dainty about me.”

No matter how he looked at it, Adrian felt he possessed nothing dainty. Ashiel’s gaze, which had been meeting Adrian’s sighing eyes, slowly drifted downward.

“Stop right there. If your eyes go any lower, I can’t guarantee the safety of your ‘junior.'”

At the threat of being turned into a eunuch, Ashiel quietly turned his eyes back to the documents. Though his feelings were hurt, he was soon ‘healed’ by an appropriate financial bonus and went back to work.

***

Even though it wasn’t mealtime yet, the kitchen was bustling. They were busy making something Adrian had specifically requested. Ramona, who happened to go down to the kitchen to make something of her own, nodded after hearing the reason.

“The Young Duke is planning an outing with his friends, so we are making snacks.”

“I see. Then I’ll handle one side of it, so just make the simple things. Sandwiches, cookies, and fruit would be best.”

Stello was grateful for the reduced workload. After a flurry of activity, the picnic baskets were soon filled.

“The Young Duke seems to have many friends.”

“Yes, he has quite a few. It’s just that he isn’t allowed to bring them into the house due to the Duke’s strict orders. In the past, the Duke’s friend used to wander in and out at will, causing such chaos that outsiders are now banned.”

Adiel, who had come to collect the baskets, explained the reason kindly.

“Ah, I see… No wonder Raon’s dad shook his head when the ladies said they wanted to visit.”

“Yes, so please don’t take it personally. If that person storms in, he tends to suck the soul right out of us.”

Adiel shuddered momentarily at the thought of Duke Lepid, the culprit behind it all. It was a pain he never wanted to experience again.

***

Adrian, carrying a basket full of food from the kitchen, headed to the meeting spot.

“Hurry up! I’m so hungry my stomach is touching my back!”

He had a regular gathering with his friends. Since Adrian rarely appeared in social circles, they had specifically created this meeting to see him. Today they were meeting outdoors, and a few of them had brought lunch boxes from their own homes. Feeling the fresh greenery and the swaying summer breeze, they all headed for the shade of a tree.

They spread out a mat and opened their baskets. They shared their food, and the most popular item by far was the food from Adrian’s basket. Who would have thought Ramona would make sweet and sour pork?

Adrian enjoyed the relaxation, leisurely dipping the fried meat into the sauce with a grin.

“Who made this? Did you hire a new chef? No, wait—I heard the woman looking after Raon is a great cook. Did she make this?”

Sevio Icarus, who was stabbing the pork with a fork and drenching it in sauce, exclaimed in delight. It was so delicious he even offered to trade his own food for it.

“Forget it, just take as much as you—”

Adrian, who was about to be generous with the sweet and sour pork Ramona had made, suddenly scowled. Sevio had suddenly poured all the sauce over the meat.

“As expected, the sauce has to soak in for the best flavor.”

Watching Sevio—who wasn’t even his father—dare to pour sauce over the precious sweet and sour pork, Adrian suddenly threw down his gloves.

“You bastard, we’re through.”

The ‘Pourers’ and the ‘Dippers’ could not coexist under the same sky.