Chapter 41
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I possessed the body of a villainess locked away in a desolate tower.
Chapter 41
The first floor appeared to serve as both a dining hall and tavern, with several round wooden tables and chairs scattered throughout the spacious chamber.
Following Bonita's guidance to our table, I surveyed my surroundings with unbridled curiosity.
A weathered wooden counter, enormous oak barrels stacked like mountains in one corner....
Despite my status—having primarily dined in the royal palace of Salt or the Grand Duke's Residence dining room—I found myself in unfamiliar territory.
It was only natural that this authentic fantasy-world inn felt so strange to me, seeing it for the first time.
"Your order has arrived."
"Oh!"
Utterly exhausted from dried meat, I let out a delighted gasp at the sight of steaming food rising with wisps of heat.
How long had it been since I'd eaten properly prepared food from a kitchen?
With joy in my heart, I picked up my utensils and prepared to fill my stomach generously.
But then. But then...
Something strange suddenly caught my eye.
'Huh...?'
The fork, made of some unidentifiable metal, bore mysterious stains.
Moreover, it appeared somewhat—no, quite heavily—worn.
It didn't look naturally aged from daily use, but rather as though it had been neglected and poorly maintained.
Swish.
I quietly picked up a napkin from the table and wiped the head of the fork.
Sure enough, rust came away, along with black grime.
Ugh, how revolting.
'No, they must have been careless due to being overwhelmed. Let's think of it that way!'
With discreet movements, I thoroughly scrubbed the utensils clean.
'Well, this much is manageable. Haha....'
It seemed reasonable enough—they likely hadn't hosted guests in ages, and suddenly receiving so many travelers could easily lead to oversights.
Besides, having been forewarned in the guidebook, issues that would have alarmed me elsewhere didn't seem nearly as serious.
So that's why preventative measures matter.
Anyway, let's just move past this sort of thing.
"The Imperial Capital isn't far now—enjoy your meal!"
Following Bonita's cheerful greeting, the murmur of people conversing filled the air.
"Ah, finally sitting in a proper chair to rest!"
"We've had our hands full dealing with the night dew."
The surroundings grew lively, and the other knights began enjoying their evening meal.
With the atmosphere now more relaxed, I too savored my food with a lighter heart.
But then.
But then... I discovered something else that bothered me, this time regarding the meal itself.
"Ah...."
The problem I'd found was with the menu itself.
'This is supposed to be roasted duck leg?'
I poked at it tentatively with my fork, and the soft flesh bounced right back.
The texture was distinctly different from the duck or chicken I was accustomed to.
'This is strange.'
One thing was certain: the "roasted duck leg" on the menu bore no resemblance to what lay before me.
Of course, I couldn't claim to have spent much time scrutinizing duck legs throughout my life, but this meat of unknown origin was remarkably small.
If anything, it seemed more likely to be pigeon, quail, or perhaps some unidentifiable species of bird caught from who knows where.
The menu clearly listed it as "Special Butter Roasted Duck Leg."
Yet no matter how hard I looked, this was decidedly not a roasted duck leg—and certainly not one prepared with special butter.
No matter how deeply I inhaled, I detected nothing but a strong peppery aroma, with no hint of butter whatsoever.
'What is this?'
The situation was far too peculiar.
While there was no foreign object in the dish itself, the menu had clearly been switched—yet everyone else seemed utterly oblivious to anything amiss.
Even the fastidious Blaire Grand Duke appeared unaffected!
I stared blankly at the Grand Duke as he casually cut into his portion and ate, my teeth clenching involuntarily.
My heart, which had soared at the prospect of a proper meal for the first time in ages, deflated miserably.
As a Korean who held food as the most important thing in the world, I took eating very seriously indeed.
Lost in disappointment, the contents of the safety guidelines the Grand Duke had given me suddenly flickered through my mind.
1. Should foreign objects appear in your food, pretend not to notice.
Small inns in remote villages typically lack thorough sanitation standards due to their circumstances.
Pointing out unavoidable issues may deeply wound the feelings of the kitchen staff and chefs who prepared the precious meal.
...Right.
I shouldn't make a fuss.
The guidelines said not to make a fuss, so whether this meat is duck or goose, I'm keeping my mouth shut.
But after enduring one uncomfortable situation after another, my appetite vanished entirely.
Had my displeasure shown?
As I continued poking at the meat with my fork, a server passing nearby approached.
"Are you satisfied with your meal?"
In that moment, I looked down at my untouched plate.
The server had surely come to check on me out of concern upon seeing this.
I briefly considered whether lying in such an obviously unsatisfactory situation would be strange, but I shook my head inwardly.
'No. Follow the rules. Follow the rules.'
Established rules always had sound reasoning behind them.
The moment I opened my lips with a smile.
A violent sneeze erupted from the overwhelming spice aroma.
"I, I'm fi... *achoo!*"
The outburst drew the attention of everyone seated nearby.
"Are you alright, guest?"
The server whose eyes met mine asked again with a courteous smile.
"It seems there may be an issue with the menu, guest."
"W-well, you see... the problem is...."
Was it really the fact that I hadn't eaten that was bothering him?
As I pondered how to respond, I could feel the attention of everyone around us still fixed upon me.
'What's going on?'
Why were they all staring at me with such flustered expressions...?
That's when Liam appeared like a relief pitcher.
"...You did consume quite a bit of jerky on the way here, didn't you?"
"Huh? Yes?"
He hastily positioned himself between me and the staff member, then spoke to me in a noticeably awkward manner.
"Since jerky is tough and takes a long time to digest, it's only natural that you don't have an appetite yet."
As I listened quietly to what Liam was saying, I finally understood the situation.
'He's making an excuse for me.'
The head chef of this dining hall must have been quite timid. So much so that even the fastidious Liam was being considerate.
Thinking I should play along appropriately, I quickly nodded.
"That's right. I kept chewing on snacks the whole way here because I was bored, so my appetite is a bit off. Haha!"
"Still, I recommend you try at least a little of our roasted duck leg. The head chef has put considerable effort into preparing it."
"Yes, thank you for your consideration."
The staff member glanced over the menu on the table one last time, then bowed and withdrew to another area.
At the same time, the gazes that had been concentrated on me scattered once more.
All except one—the Grand Duke.
'Why is he staring at me so intensely!'
Unable to meet his gaze, I turned my head away.
Ah, no. It wasn't like I volunteered to step forward!
Still, well, strictly speaking, I didn't violate the guidelines themselves, so it should be fine, right?
It wasn't roasted duck leg that came out, but I didn't lodge a complaint either. I just fumbled through it and it ended!
"Ahem, hem."
"Are you quite uncomfortable, miss?"
"Hm?"
At Bonita's concerned question, I immediately shook my head.
"Oh, no."
"Eat quickly. The food will get cold."
"O...kay. Thank you."
In the end, I picked at the gradually cooling soup and meat from an unidentifiable leg, but I couldn't discern what it tasted like at all.
If anything, the jerky seemed better....
The one saving grace was that while the dining hall's hygiene was indeed poor as the guidebook had warned, there were no foreign objects in my food.
After finishing that unsatisfying meal, the first thing I did upon returning to my chamber was to soak my weary body in hot water and rest.
After washing up and emerging, a knock sounded at just the right moment.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org