Chapter 117: You’re a Sly little Fox

Talent.

People often say that everyone possesses at least one exceptional talent.

Whether it’s something good or bad, they claim it exists.

But for me, that wasn’t the case.

The word ‘talent’ was as distant from me as could be.

If incompetence could be considered a type of talent, perhaps the story would change a little.

From the start, my entire world was a room with just one mirror.

I had never expected to possess any kind of ability.

And on top of that, I was the kind of person who didn’t even try.

A worthless being ignored even by my own parents.

Weak and useless, incapable of accomplishing anything on my own.

Why would a god bestow the gift of talent upon someone so lowly?

And so, I always believed I was someone far removed from the concept of talent.

“Even a dung beetle knows how to roll.”

That was the first thing Miranda, the elderly lady, said after taking a bite of the food I had made.

“Did you learn how to cook somewhere?”

“Oh, no. This is actually my first time trying.”

“Well, for a first attempt, the seasoning is remarkably spot on. You even cooked the meat perfectly, keeping the juices intact.”

I was puzzled. Miranda wasn’t the type to hand out compliments so easily.

Could my food really have been that good? I hesitantly let myself hold onto a small, fleeting hope.

“Was it… tasty?”

I asked hesitantly. Instead of answering, Miranda pointed to a woman standing outside the kitchen.

“Take it to her and find out for yourself.”

I wondered if such a humble dish was worthy of being served, but I had no choice but to leave the kitchen under Miranda’s orders.

I didn’t expect anything good to come of it. It wasn’t realistic for something I made for the first time to taste good. If I didn’t get criticized, I figured that would be a fortunate outcome.

But what I got in return was an unexpected response.

“It’s fucking delicious.”

For a moment, I doubted my ears. It was high praise.

The woman went on to shower my dish with words that bordered on reverence.

It was the first time I’d ever heard such words.

I stared blankly at her.

Her eyes were fixed on me.

She wasn’t speaking to Tina.

It was praise meant solely for what I had accomplished.

It was praise directed at me, not Tina. For the first time in my life, I heard words of acknowledgment meant for me as a person.

Miranda told me I had a talent for cooking. She was certain that I wouldn’t be able to produce such flavors otherwise.

“Well, aren’t you glowing from a little compliment?”

Miranda chuckled lightly as though she found my reaction amusing.

Embarrassment surged, and my face grew hot.

I tried to look away, but my racing heart showed no signs of calming.

What was this feeling?

I always thought receiving affection was the only way to find happiness.

Being loved by someone made me feel like even someone as insignificant as me had meaning in this world.

But now, even without anyone offering me affection, a quiet joy was starting to bloom inside me.

To be honest, talent for cooking was utterly useless for someone of noble birth.

It wasn’t like I would ever run a restaurant, and the mansion had plenty of people who could cook in my place.

What use was being good at cooking?

And yet, hearing someone say I had talent, hearing someone acknowledge that I was useful at something, it kept tickling my heart.

“I’ll prepare one more kitchen space, so from now on, you can also try making food for the guests.”

My eyes widened in surprise.

“R-Really?!”

Excitement made me unintentionally raise my voice too loudly.

Grandma Miranda looked at me with a playful smile, as if she were teasing me.

…How embarrassing.

It has now been a month since that day.

“…I shouldn’t have let that one step out of the kitchen.”

Grandma Miranda stood with her arms crossed, glaring at me sharply. I couldn’t ignore the intense gaze drilling into the back of my head.

“W-Why?! The guests all praised my food!”

“Yes, I know the food tastes good.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

If the food is good at a restaurant, that should be enough.

What else could possibly be an issue?

“You should’ve just served the food and left! What nonsense did you pull for the guests to cause such a ruckus?!”

I protested indignantly, but Grandma Miranda scolded me instead.

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

A commotion among the guests? This was the first I’d heard of it. I hadn’t done anything problematic.

“Tell me, what exactly did you do for them to scream that they can’t even look at my face anymore?”

“How should I know?”

“If you don’t know, who does?!”

“I mean it! I really don’t know!”

Thinking back, I’d barely exchanged a few words with the guests.

The guests always complimented my food, and I simply thanked them and wished them an enjoyable meal.

That was all. It was an utterly normal interaction between a worker and a guest. I had no idea what the problem could be.

“That’s it. I’ll keep an eye on you. Go out and serve the food yourself.”

Since I hadn’t done anything wrong, there was no reason to refuse. I carefully arranged the steamed potatoes from the pot onto plates and carried the finished dishes out of the kitchen.

I glanced back for a moment. Grandma Miranda stood at the kitchen entrance with her arms crossed, watching me.

I quickly turned my head to avoid her gaze and carried one of the prepared dishes to a guest.

“Here’s your food.”

“Ah, thank you.”

The guest was a blonde woman. Her polite tone and demeanor made me think she might be a knight.

Her companion, a man with refined attire, also gave off an elegant and polished air.

Most of the guests here were mercenaries, but occasionally knights from the Empire would visit.

The blonde-haired woman mixed the sauce over the salad topped with chicken and took a big bite.

“My goodness, this is absolutely delicious!”

Her wide, surprised eyes and warm smile were fixed on me. That gaze wasn’t directed at Tina—it was solely on me.

“I heard the new chef’s skills were exceptional, and it wasn’t a lie.”

“Really?”

“Of course. It’s comparable to the renowned restaurants in the Empire.”

Kind and grateful words. Her heartfelt compliment made my heart race and my face flush.

An indescribable sense of happiness seemed to warmly envelop me.

She said it was delicious.

Not Tina’s, but the food I made was praised as comparable to the Empire’s finest.

My body felt hot.

I covered my flushed face with one hand and lightly clutched the hem of my skirt.

‘Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Happy.’

Happiness filled my heart, and a smile naturally spread across my face.

Unable to contain my feelings, I looked at the guest with a smile that reached my eyes.

“Th-thank you. Hearing you say that makes me so happy.”

“Oh… is that so?”

Did she not expect me to be this overjoyed? She stared at me with a somewhat dazed expression.

Perhaps my words came off as a bit overwhelming. But even so, I wanted to sincerely express my gratitude to her.

With my heart this full of happiness, how could I not show it?

“Please come by often! I’ll work even harder for you…!”

“What?”

“I want to bring you even a little bit of happiness.”

The guest seemed momentarily speechless. I cautiously smiled and handed her something I had prepared.

“T-this is on the house! Please don’t feel burdened—it’s my gift to you.”

I carefully placed a glass of tomato juice on her table.

It was originally prepared for another customer, but I could always make more.

As the silence dragged on, I began to feel embarrassed. Worried that I might have interrupted her meal, I hurriedly stepped away.

“P-please enjoy your meal!”

So embarrassing.

I’d been so thrilled that I got a little carried away.

But it wasn’t really a big deal.

[Hey, hey! Calm down!]

[Let go of me! She’s the one who seduced—]

[That’s ridiculous! Casey, get a grip!]

I heard some kind of commotion behind me, but I was too busy calming my flushed face to pay it much attention. It was just background noise to me.

When I returned to the kitchen, Grandma Miranda was staring at me with a look of utter disbelief.

“I have no words. Is that how you’ve treated all your customers until now?”

Her incredulous tone caught me off guard.

“Well… only the ones who compliment my cooking?”

“Hah, I thought you were a clueless bear, but turns out you’re a sly little fox.”

What was she talking about?

I’d just proven myself plenty in front of her eyes.

There was nothing wrong with my serving.

Except for the slight excitement and warmth I felt from the guest’s compliments, there wasn’t anything to criticize.

“What did I do wrong?”

“Are you asking because you genuinely don’t know?”

Miranda’s tone carried an even more incredulous edge.

I still couldn’t understand.

The guest had showered praise on the food I made, and I had simply expressed my joy and gratitude honestly in return.

Wasn’t it a warm and pleasant conversation?

Then what on earth was the problem? The unfamiliar reproach in her gaze was incomprehensible.

“The fact that you don’t even realize it—this is serious.”

“From my perspective, it seems like Miranda is the strange one here.”

“At least now I understand why that noblewoman treats you the way she does.”

From that point on, Miranda began scolding me with an endless string of words I couldn’t understand.

Each and every word was utterly baffling.

Still, I decided to accept it with an open heart. Considering her age, it might be natural for bouts of hysteria to come and go.

‘Yeah, at this point, it’s only right for me to be understanding and take care of her.’

I thought it was best to pay extra attention, just in case anything serious happened.