9. If You’re Going to Stand Out, Do It Properly.

“If you don’t have teeth, you use your gums, right? Besides, you’re a commoner, so shouldn’t you be more used to Tamara Mountain tea leaves anyway?”

At Olga’s blatant mockery, Dorothy looked like she was about to burst into tears.

“Does anyone have any tea leaves to spare?”

Dorothy looked around at her fellow trainees for help, but no one stepped forward.

“I feel bad for her, but this is all we’ve got, too.”

At least Linda lifted her tea jar to show her. There was barely enough left inside to brew two cups of tea.

“What do we do? We can’t really use Tamara Mountain tea leaves…”

As Dorothy anxiously shifted her weight from foot to foot, Hailey held out her own tea jar.

“Then you take this.”

“But what about you?”

“I’ll use the Tamara Mountain tea leaves.”

“Hailey, are you crazy? You’re going to serve that cheap tea only fit for maids to the Grand Duchess?”

Linda asked in disbelief, but Hailey simply nodded.

“Cheap or not, tea is still tea. What matters is who brews it—and how it’s brewed.”

A meaningful smile played across Hailey’s lips.

After the noisy chaos subsided, the trainee maids each brought the tea they had brewed and placed it on the table.

Senior maid Maria inspected each cup one by one, evaluating their skill.

“The color’s too pale—this one was brewed for too short a time. Always remember, the color of tea should be golden.”

“Oh dear… You put in too much tea this time. I can smell the bitterness from here—it’ll taste astringent. Take it away immediately.”

Wearing a disapproving expression, Maria then stopped in front of a teacup with a delicate pattern etched into it. She examined the cup filled with golden tea and a floating slice of lemon with a satisfied look.

“Who brewed this one? The scent from the lemon is lovely.”

As if waiting for this moment, Olga stepped forward.

“In my household, we always float lemon slices in our tea during afternoon tea. That came to mind, so I gave it a try.”

“Tea leaves from Mount Simodel have a fruity fragrance, so they pair well with the citrus. And you picked a very elegant cup. As expected of someone from a noble family, you have excellent taste.”

“Thank you, Senior Maid Maria.”

A pleased smile crept onto Olga’s lips at the compliment.

‘Perfect! I’m the winner of today’s tea time.’

She celebrated confidently in her head—until…

“What on earth… who made this tea?”

Maria’s sharp voice rang out in disbelief.

In front of her was a large, dull, and clumsy-looking mug—something more suited for a snack break among kitchen maids, definitely not for an elegant afternoon tea setting.

“Your taste in cups is absolutely dreadful… And what’s with the color of this tea?”

The tea inside the mug wasn’t golden, but a cloudy brown. It was a murky color no high-quality Simodel tea leaf could produce. Maria furrowed her brows in displeasure.

Just then, Hailey stepped forward.

“I brewed that tea.”

“What exactly did you put in it?”

“I added warmed milk.”

“Good heavens, why would you… And this scent—don’t tell me you used Tamara Mountain tea leaves for something meant for the Grand Duchess?”

Despite Maria’s horrified reaction, Hailey replied politely, without wavering.

“I heard Her Grace skipped lunch again today. I thought it might help her feel a bit more nourished, so I brewed it with warm milk and sugar.”

“Oh…”

Maria let out a light sigh at the unexpected response. She had already been worrying about the Grand Duchess’s decreasing appetite lately.

‘With warm milk and sugar, it could certainly make a filling substitute for a meal. And Her Grace would likely find it easier to drink as well.’

Thinking it was a rather thoughtful idea, Maria changed her expression and asked the next question.

“That’s a very considerate thought… but why did you use such cheap tea leaves?”

“I beg your pardon, but while Simodel mountain tea has a rich aroma and smooth finish, it doesn’t pair well with milk. On the other hand, Tamara Mountain tea has a strong, bold flavor, and when combined with milk, it brings out a rich, savory taste.”

“Hooh…”

“I believe the most important thing in tea time isn’t the price of the leaves, but the harmony and balance of the flavors.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

“Besides, today’s tea time is for Her Grace to enjoy alone. So rather than formality, I prioritized comfort and taste.”

With her smooth, flowing answers, not only Maria, but even the other trainee maids had a shift in their expressions.

Especially Olga—who had just been praised by Maria, couldn’t hide the twitch in her face.

“Then let me ask one last thing. Why serve it in such a thick and ugly cup?”

“Tea with milk changes in flavor as it cools, so keeping the temperature is key. That cup is thicker and sturdier than the other kitchenware, so it keeps the tea warm longer. And also…”

“And also?”

Hailey smiled brightly and replied.

“It’s big enough to hold a generous amount. Since Her Grace is frugal, she wouldn’t want to waste precious milk, so this way, she can drink it all in one go.”

“You… cheeky little…”

Maria muttered in disbelief. But what appeared on her face wasn’t displeasure—it was a faint smile.

“Your Grace, this is freshly grilled fish. Please have a taste.”

“This is beef cooked with newly imported spices. It’s not greasy at all—just one bite, please…”

Because she served the Grand Duchess, who had a notoriously small appetite, every mealtime felt like a battlefield for Maria and the head maid. So to her, Hailey’s remarks weren’t impudent—they were endearing.

“Brew the tea again.”

“…Pardon?”

“Didn’t you just say it yourself? Tea with milk loses its flavor once it cools. Were you planning to serve such tea to Her Grace?”

In other words, Hailey had just been chosen to serve the tea to the Grand Duchess that day.

‘Heh, operation success.’

“Thank you, my Lady. I’ll prepare a fresh cup right away.”

“Do it with utmost care. And that goes for the rest of you, too.”

Maria turned to address all the trainee maids.

“From tomorrow, each of you will take turns serving tea to Her Grace. Be alert and put your heart into it.”

“We will keep that in mind, my Lady.”

As soon as Maria disappeared, Linda leaned in and whispered,

“You really are a genius when it comes to quick thinking.”

“Well, if I’m going to stand out, I might as well do it properly, right?”

Hailey replied casually.

‘I know how to brew tea, but I’m not really a fan of drinking it. I could never out-brew someone like Olga, who’s practically lived with a teacup in hand her whole life.’

Instead, Hailey knew how to use her strengths—specifically, the knowledge she had from 21st-century Korea.

‘Sweet milk tea or tea food isn’t mainstream in this world yet. So there’s definitely a niche I can take advantage of.’

Maybe once she managed to escape the palace safely, she really could open a café? Of course, there were also bits of information from the original story that could come in handy.

‘As long as I stay alive, I can do anything.’

“Still, thanks to what happened today, Olga and her gang will definitely have it out for you now.”

Linda commented as she glanced at the fuming group from afar.

Hailey just shrugged.

“My neck’s been tingling—like someone’s glaring at me.”

As if they’d heard her, Olga’s group stormed out of the kitchen with furious expressions.

***

“This was such an unfair competition.”

Back in the dormitory, Olga exploded with frustration. Her companions were just as indignant.

“Milk in cheap tea? Nobody in high society drinks tea like that.”

“And yet, Lady Maria picked that girl. That was obvious favoritism.”

“Well, most of the senior maids in the Detached Palace are commoners. That’s why they favor Hailey—because she’s one of them.”

“Exactly!”

Sarah, equally irritated, lifted her head with a scowl.

“Otherwise, there’s no way we could’ve lost to some lowborn commoner. The whole thing was unfair from the start.”

Everyone nodded eagerly at Sarah’s outburst.

Unfairness and favoritism.

The fact that they, as trainee maids, constantly avoided hard labor, shoved tasks onto others, and received various privileges—none of them considered that unfair.

“It’s only natural that we get special treatment.”

They all came from prestigious noble families in the capital. In particular, Olga’s family had produced generations of high-ranking court maids.

“Olga, one day you’ll be head maid to the Emperor himself.”

That phrase, drilled into her from childhood, became both her pride and her identity.

The idea that one had to work one’s way up from trainee to reach that title had never even crossed Olga’s mind.

“It’s insulting to even have to compete with a lowly commoner like that.”

Then, after a brief silence, Judith suddenly exploded again.

“This all went wrong the moment we were assigned to the Detached Palace. Nobles like us should’ve been placed in the main palace or the crown prince’s residence.”

“Exactly! Honestly, the Grand Duchess has no real power.”

“And I’m sick of being looked down on just because we’re in the Detached Palace.”

As each of them began venting their frustrations one by one…

“I can’t take it anymore.”

Olga suddenly stood up.

“I’m going to see my sister and ask her to reassign me to the main palace.”

Olga’s older sister, Sera, was currently serving as a senior maid in the Empress Dowager’s palace.

She was one of the closest aides, stationed right by the Empress Dowager’s side.

“If it’s my sister, I’m sure she can bring me into the Empress Dowager’s palace.”

If not that, she would surely come up with a scheme to get rid of that annoying commoner girl. Having entered the palace at fifteen and risen to the rank of senior maid, Sera was well-versed in the intrigue and scheming that unfolded within the royal court.

“I’ll get rid of those vulgar, classless nobodies no matter what.”

Grinding her teeth, Olga stormed out of the room and began striding quickly toward the Empress Dowager’s palace.