episode_0090

‘This…’

I only took a sip, but I felt refreshed.

It’s definitely cool and refreshing. I heard that the recipe was provided by the young lady, but the exact proportions were given by that little kid… . It was said that the orphanage would accept applicants and raise new children.

At first glance, it seems like your skill in handling a kitchen knife could be useful.

“No. Ray is our baby. There are separate employees for you to teach.”

Ella fussed and hugged Ray.

“I didn’t say anything.”

Other chefs also began helping Ella.

“Even though Ray is still young, he works very hard.”

“Well, the dish you made was quite delicious.”

Now that I look at it, I see a few chefs that look familiar. They were the judges at the Libyan District Cooking Contest.

Suddenly, I remember the time when I was recommended to them.

“I’m not a person driven by money, but if you want to hire me, you wouldn’t be able to afford a penny or two.”

These were the words he said when he was filled with confidence after winning the competition and receiving an invitation.

The chefs kept talking, and this was what Alex heard.

‘To the subject who was hired with a high salary. One month is enough, right? What, you can’t even do that? Well, you can at least follow the recipe we developed, right?’

I was itching to cook right away.

After that, Alex studied cooking while reducing his sleeping time.

Although the drink called smoothie tastes great, the production process was simple. Of course, it is thanks to the magic tool, but no matter how many times it is tried, the conclusion that the ratio discovered by the girl named Ray is the optimal one.

‘How about mixing vegetables?’

In the end, I developed several dishes in a short period of one month, and one of the menu items created in the process was a diet smoothie.

On the day of opening.

The store was a great success.

Alex recalled the personal information of the chefs he managed.

From someone who sold skewers at a night market to a student who just graduated from culinary school. Although it was a variety of positions.

‘Fortunately, the basics are all covered.’

The young lady did not make unreasonable demands on herself.

Even those who seemed to have been roughly put together at first glance made excellent dishes under their direction.

‘This is just like cooking.’

A student who has just graduated from school is in charge of making smoothies, and when a dark-skinned man puts well-seasoned chicken into a magic device called an oven, it quickly turns golden brown and gives off a mouth-watering aroma just looking at it.

Similar work was taking place at other points as well.

‘The tools are great, so you don’t need any special skills.’

I could clearly feel this because Alex was in charge of the imperial family’s kitchen.

Not only the royal family but also the nobility were not interested in the conflicts and disputes that occurred among the workers.

A chef is generally treated as a tool that must carry out orders. From the work environment to the tools. I’ve never heard of an employee paying such attention to detail.

“Chef Alex, strawberry whipped cream cake came out.”

Naturally, even the young girl created a wonderful cake.

“Lena. Alex will do.”

“Yes, Alex.”

A girl who just turned 15. He makes his own whipped cream and makes desserts faster than most chefs.

This was something that would have been unthinkable before.

In the past, to make cream, a physically fit cook had to whip it to the point that it caused arm muscles to ache.

Naturally, craftsmen who make confectionery need strong arm muscles.

“You broke common sense.”

Looking at it again, that magic tool called the electric whipping machine was amazing. Just press the button and the cream is made at an unbelievable speed.

It’s “. Did I say that Mongolian thing was a meringue cookie? The more I look at it, the more interesting it gets.”

The dark-skinned man said. It was Max who was selling chicken skewers near the night market not long ago.

“Yes. That’s also the recipe the lady gave me.”

I could hear pride in Alex’s voice.

* * *

Ray felt like he was dreaming.

I can’t believe I’m making the dessert I’ve longed for myself.

“There’s really no time to rest now.”

“There was an announcement saying that if you are patient, they will supplement the number of people.”

“Thank goodness.”

The project opened in the eastern district of Ressa was a success, and perhaps as a result, the store in the western Libyan district where he works also saw an increase in the number of customers that were already there before.

“Ray. Two strawberries, one orange, two strawberry bananas.”

“Okay.”

As Ray moved his hands, he remembered the memories of that day.

Two salvations bestowed upon you.

The first is a pretty older woman I met in a back alley 10 years ago, when I couldn’t even eat a single meal a day.

If it weren’t for that sister, maybe. He wouldn’t have even been alive until now.

*

Life at the orphanage was like a dream. I was able to eat three times a day and sleep was comfortable.

-But, you can live like that until you are fifteen.

And I turn 15 in a month. Even if you run an independent daycare center, there are things you can do without having learned any skills.

One day, I went out to the bathroom and looked into the director’s office, where the lights were on until late at night.

“That kid named Ray.”

“You mean Ray?”

The director’s conversation partner was a middle-aged man wearing a deacon’s uniform.

“…He wants to take me as a concubine.”

Even though I didn’t exactly understand the conversation I heard, my body trembled.

“Hmm. However, the person who wrote the child’s letter of recommendation was the princess…”

“What good is a person who is already dead?”

“Um.”

The director was hesitating.

“It’ll be okay… It’ll be okay.”

I know it in my head. Anyway, when you turn 15, you have to become independent. There is only so much an orphan who has not learned any skills can do. Some people may secretly wish to become the concubine of a nobleman.

“First is down payment.”

A heavy bag was placed on the table in the director’s office.

When I opened it slightly, it was full of gold coins.

“Oh…”

“You probably know that at this rate, the little slave will live dozens of years longer, and the master will support that child to the extent possible.”

“Well, anyways, Ray is lucky.”

The corner of the director’s mouth caught his ear.

‘no. no. no.’

Ray lived in a slum as a child, so it wasn’t his first time seeing people buying and selling humans. Having almost been sold several times myself, I couldn’t help but understand what their conversation meant.

‘Sold. ‘It’s sold.’

When he turns 15, he will be sold to a man called Viscount. From what I heard, he was a perverted nobleman over 50 years old.

The next day, the director was especially kinder to me.

Even the hand stroking my head, which I would normally have accepted happily, felt like bugs were crawling on me.

“Ray, what’s going on?”

Ray suppressed the urge to cry and smiled.

“Oh, no.”

That night, Ray stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself.

Although she wasn’t as pretty as the older sister who saved her when she was young, she was pretty enough to be in the top five people she had ever seen.

Someday, when I meet her again, I really want to tell her that I am grateful that she grew up like this thanks to her.

‘Let’s run away…’

*

next day.

After making up his mind, Ray left the orphanage.

“If possible, it would be nice to go to a bakery.”

While walking down the street to look for a job, I suddenly felt eyes on me.

‘…Let’s stay calm.’

I stopped by a vegetable store pretending to run errands and returned to the daycare center.

‘why…’

It was the butler I saw at that time.

‘…no way.’

Did he know that he would run away…?

I don’t know. I don’t know, but I do know that I can’t run away if the noble is chasing me.

Several days have passed.

I don’t know how he knew, but he was being followed every time he went out.

“What should I do…”

Ray couldn’t sleep at night anymore.

A moonlit dawn.

‘Can I run away now?’

But if you get caught, you will be taken away right away.

‘You’ll get caught…’

Ray’s intuition was pretty good. Thanks to this, I was able to survive in the slums as a child.

“If you ruin my face…”

I took the knife I had kept with me during meal times and lightly touched it to my cheek.

My body trembles at the touch of cold metal.

If you lower your hand like this…

“Haa…haa…”

I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared.

No matter how many times I thought about it, I couldn’t put it into action.

The treatment of Ray has improved enough for other children to notice.

Good food, pretty clothes, and some benefits were given to children who would soon have their own daycare, but even taking that into account, discrimination was particularly severe.

“Ray. What’s going on?”

Rather than being jealous, the children at the orphanage were worried about Ray.

“Lay unnie?”

Ray was clearly shaking, even for the children to see.

like that. The day before the orphanage became independent.

Suddenly the orphanage was noisy.

“Le, Ray, wait a minute. Hide in the attic and don’t come out.”

The director’s attitude was very urgent.

“What does that mean?”

A cold voice was heard.

“Go, princess…”

“I definitely would have asked you to show me all the children who will graduate from orphanage this year.”

It wasn’t hidden from the director, but it was a girl’s voice.

“Oh, no, there is a specially prepared dress in Ray’s attic. Should I change into that and come back?”

The director, who was in a cold sweat, spoke urgently.

For some reason, I felt like I was very scared.

“Ugh!”

The hand holding my shoulder was so strong that a groan filled with pain came out.

“What is it? Are you abusing the child now?”

“Hee profit! Oh, no.”

The director took a quick step back.