Chapter 34

Although he had heard from Amelia that the head maid Patricia had been dismissed, Dunswell hadn’t gotten the details. 

Of course, this didn’t mean Dunswell doubted Amelia. He simply concluded that she must not have known the specifics either.

“If you had explained the situation, Dyffrin would have increased the budget.”

“If it had been necessary, perhaps. But the existing household expenses were sufficient.”

Dunswell felt a rare sense of satisfaction with Evelyn’s actions. While this alone couldn’t define Evelyn’s character, it did significantly reduce his prejudices.

Since Dunswell wanted to see every nook and cranny of the interior, Evelyn continued to show him around the mansion even after lunch.

“You’ve done well, Evelyn. I would like to retire to my room and rest now.”

Evelyn smiled warmly and escorted Dunswell to his bedroom. Though it hadn’t been a long time, the awkward atmosphere seemed to have improved considerably.

As soon as Dunswell disappeared, someone approached Evelyn, who was now alone. 

It was Harry, Dunswell’s attendant. He bowed respectfully.

“Good day, Lady Evelyn.”

Evelyn looked at him briefly before asking. 

“What is it, Sir Harry?”

“The Duchess has instructed me to convey something to you regarding tonight’s dinner. If it’s alright, may we speak briefly?”

So it has come. Evelyn nodded her head.

“Alright.”

Harry rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a small note. As he unfolded it, the names of a few dishes and what appeared to be a restaurant’s name were written on it.

“This is a list of restaurants that the Duke frequents in the capital. The Duchess has instructed that you procure meals from here for tonight’s banquet.”

Evelyn glanced over the note. Veal steak with red wine sauce from Ranelli, fish and chips from Caerphilly, crab soup from Talbot Green.

Evelyn, staring at the densely written note, snatched it from Harry.

“Understood. I just need to prepare all the dishes listed here, right?”

Harry’s hand, which had been holding the note, awkwardly hovered in the air. His expression seemed somewhat flustered.

“…Yes.”

“If this much needs to be prepared, you should have informed me in the morning.”

“My apologies. The journey was long, and I made a mistake.”

“I didn’t say that to get an apology. There are only a few hours left until dinner, so we need to move quickly.”

Evelyn muttered as she looked at the note. Harry hesitated before speaking again.

“Could you return the note if you’ve finished checking it?”

Evelyn lifted her gaze to meet Harry’s eyes. Then, as if to hand the note back to him, she folded it and put it in her own pocket.

“I’m not very good at remembering things. I think it’s better if I keep the note to avoid any mistakes.”

Harry furrowed his brows and said, 

“Then I’ll write it down separately for you.”

“Is this note so valuable that it warrants such effort?”

“…No, it’s not.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Evelyn asked nonchalantly. Harry looked like he had bitten into something bitter.

“The Duchess doesn’t like her handwriting to be circulating just anywhere.”

“Then I’ll tear it up and dispose of it properly after I get the food.”

He replied reluctantly, 

“…Understood. Then please make sure to prepare the exact menu the Duchess mentioned.”

As Harry disappeared, Evelyn smirked crookedly.

But soon, she returned to her usual expression and called Merrilyn, instructing her to buy the dishes listed on the note.

* * *

Fortunately, the maids managed to buy all the dishes listed on the note before Dyffrin returned and before dinner time.

As expected from renowned restaurants, the dishes exuded an aristocratic aroma, with the crab soup being particularly impressive.

The cream soup, with finely shredded crab meat, didn’t look like crab soup at first glance. It had a strong aroma from the generous amount of herbs used. Upon tasting, it revealed a luxurious umami flavor, likely enhanced by the finely shredded crab meat.

Evelyn prepared a grand feast by pairing the dish with bread, salad, and beverages.

At that moment, Merrilyn approached and whispered softly into Evelyn’s ear.

“As you instructed, Lady, Sir Harry searched your bedroom while you were away. Even the trash bin.”

Evelyn’s eyes turned icy. He was probably looking to confirm that she had torn up the note, but the note was still intact, hidden in her sleeve.

Evelyn nodded and instructed Merrilyn to step back.

As she took her seat, Dunswell looked at the table in surprise and said,

“It must have been hard to prepare all this.”

“Not at all. Most of the dishes were bought from restaurants.”

“Even buying them is no easy task.”

Evelyn and Dunswell engaged in a rather amiable conversation.

Dyffrin was equally surprised. It wasn’t so much the abundance of food that astonished him, but the fact that the previously awkward relationship between Evelyn and Dunswell had significantly improved in just the few hours he had been away.

Though it was bewildering, the feeling wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, it leaned more towards the positive.

“Father, please have a seat.”

Feeling unfamiliar with the situation, Dyffrin spoke rather gruffly. Nevertheless, Dunswell continued to chat and laugh with Evelyn.

Before Dunswell picked up his spoon, Evelyn asked, 

“The day after tomorrow is the equestrian competition, right?”

“That’s right. Tomorrow, we plan to lead the horses to the competition grounds.”

Since there are often cases of people giving their horses drugs to ensure victory, the association brings all the horses to the competition stables the day before for fairness.

“I’m sure you’ll do well.”

“This time, I must win.”

After saying that, Dunswell looked at Dyffrin and Evelyn in turn.

“Everyone must be hungry. Let’s dig in.”

“Wait a moment.”

Just as Dunswell was about to lift his spoon, Evelyn intervened. Both Dyffrin and Dunswell looked at her.

“I realized I haven’t introduced the dishes yet.”

It’s customary for the host to briefly introduce the dishes to the guests at a banquet. Although this step is usually skipped among family, Evelyn insisted on doing the introductions.

It was Harry, the attendant, who tried to stop her.

“…Lady Evelyn. Everyone must be hungry, so it’s alright to skip the introductions.”

“That won’t do. Even if we are family, it would be impolite. The Duke is an important guest in our home.”

“But still…”

Harry hesitated, looking uneasy. Evelyn glanced at him indifferently before gently pushing his shoulder aside.

“Sir Harry, I appreciate your advice, but I am the mistress of this house.”

Harry was ultimately pushed aside, and Evelyn began the introductions methodically.

“The main dish is veal steak with a sweetly reduced red wine sauce. The side dish is fish and chips made from cod caught at the nearest coastline…”

Evelyn’s gaze stopped at the crab soup.

“And this is crab soup. It may not look like it contains crab meat at first glance, but the crab is finely shredded to maximize the umami flavor.”

Evelyn spoke lightly about the final dish. Despite her cheerful tone, the atmosphere in the dining room quickly grew tense.

Dunswell asked with a stern face, 

“Did you say crab soup?”

“Yes. I heard it’s a very famous dish at the Talbot Green restaurant.”

Dyffrin exhaled and rubbed his forehead.

“Evelyn, Father is allergic to shellfish.”

Evelyn widened her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Oh my! I had no idea…”

“You didn’t know, so it’s unavoidable. But please be careful next time. Even a small amount can cause his throat to swell and lead to breathing difficulties.”

Evelyn, nodding with a somber face at Dyffrin’s words, spoke quietly.

“But it’s strange. The crab soup was specifically requested by the Duchess herself…”

The first to react was Dunswell.

“What do you mean?”

“Just as I said. The Duchess instructed me to buy crab soup, veal steak, and fish and chips for the banquet.”

“…That makes no sense. Amelia knows better than anyone about my allergy.”

At that moment, Harry interjected.

“That’s correct. It seems there must have been some misunderstanding on Lady Evelyn’s part.”

“You were the one who handed me the note, Sir Harry. You saw the contents as well.”

“I don’t really know…”

As Harry tried to feign ignorance, Evelyn pulled out the note from her sleeve and unfolded it. Harry’s eyes widened.

Evelyn read aloud the words written on the note.

“Crab soup from Talbot Green restaurant.”

Then she flipped the note to show it to Dunswell.

“Isn’t this the Duchess’s handwriting?”

Dunswell’s gaze fixed on the writing. His pupils quivered slightly.

It was indeed his wife’s handwriting.

He wondered why Amelia would give such an order. She knew better than anyone about his severe shellfish allergy.

If he had consumed even a little of that soup, he would have collapsed and been bedridden for days.

Dunswell looked down at the clear soup. At first glance, it didn’t look like crab soup at all. The strong herbal aroma masked any scent of crab.

This subtle deception made him feel even more uneasy.

“I think the Duchess must have momentarily forgotten. When there are many things to worry about, even very important things can sometimes be overlooked.”

At Evelyn’s reassurance, Dunswell forced himself to ignore his unease. He couldn’t keep frowning during a rare dinner with his son and daughter-in-law.

“…Yes, that must be it.”

Dunswell barely managed to respond, but his mind remained uneasy, as if something sticky clung to his fingertips, and his discomfort lasted until the end of the meal.