RCYL
Volume 2
Chapter 4 Part 4
Translated by: june
After eating dessert, I went back to my room. I pound my stomach that was about to explode as Citron comes in.
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
“No… I just ate too much.”
She grinned.
“I heard that the castle was noisy a few days ago as they were preparing to welcome the Lady.”
“They are all really nice people.”
“Because the Lady is also a good person.”
Saying so, she puts a bunch of letters.
“I’ve checked it, and it was mostly party invitations.”
“How can there be this much?”
There were occasionally party invitations sent to me, but it used to be only a few. But today I was really surprised that it piled up like a mountain.
“It was revealed that the Lady was a saint and there are even rumors circulating that Lady has received the Empress and Queen Rowena’s favor.”
“Hmm…”
“If you’re not going back to the academy, shouldn’t you have a social debut?”
Now is the time to really make a choice. When I was Yoon Se-na, I dreamed of becoming a first-class chef. Even if articles have been pouring that gender discrimination has disappeared in the kitchen, but in doesn’t really mean anything in reality. I didn’t even go to culinary school, let alone study abroad, so I had to build up my career as an assistant. However, as a woman, it was difficult to find an assistant position.
Assistants take care of kitchen utensils and prepare ingredients. They had to trim it, and they came to work at dawn and was the last to leave work. That’s why they prefer men to women with weak stamina.
‘But I can do it here too.’
There is no need to grumble in an unreasonable situation. I just have to work hard. I might be able to make great dishes like Agon.
When I thought of that, I became greedy.
“Citron, when do I have to submit the return to the Academy?”
“The deadline is in a week.”
“Is that so? Then I have enough time to submit.”
“Yes?!”
Citron’s eyes widened.
“I thought you were hesitated to return to school.”
“Yes?”
“Since graduation is just around the corner, you have to apply for Royal Kitchen. That is why i thought you were reluctant to return to school.”
“Why is that?”
I asked as I tilted my head.
“The test takers need a guardian’s signature.”
“Grandpa’s signature?”
“No, You must get it from His Excellency.”
If its His Excellency…
‘Dad.’
Citron nodded as my expression hardened.
“You say I have to go to the capital to get the signature?”
I moaned and swallowed a moan. For Seniana, her father was more uncomfortable than her grandfather or brothers. Because he was a person who never had any affection.
He was much more blunt than grandfather and brothers. A man who is called the most handsome man in the empire. A powerful person who inherited the title at a young age and became the ruler of the capital. A cold-blooded person who has no affection for his family. When I thought of the rumors attached to my dad, I got scared.
‘But…’
Only those with excellent grades could take the Royal Kitchen Admission Test. Wouldn’t it be difficult to take the entrance exam anyway? Because Seniana’s grades are lower than anything. I can’t do anything unless I get first place on the academy graduation exam. Will I even be able to be number one?
‘I’m just going to take classes, so it’ll be fine.’
With that in mind, I folded the submission form neatly and stored it in a box.
***
The next day, after a walk, Seniana headed to Neberius’s study room with her brothers. The butler went to the study room with tea that Seniana liked. As soon as he put the tray down on the table, Gawain placed the cake in front of Seniana.
“It’s your favorite tree cake.”
“It’s Baumkuchen.”
“Whatever. Come on, eat.”
“I’m full though…”
Seniana shook her head saying that she ate a lot of cookies before the walk and her stomach was still full.
“There is no way you can be full with just a few cookies.”
“But I ate four cookies the size of my palm?”
At Seniana’s words Lancelot smiled and pushed the cake plate.
“Right, you can’t eat it if you are full.”
“But brother, I feel like her wrist would break easily.”
“If you break a person wrist, of course it will break.”
At his words, Lancelot sided with Seniana. Seniana glances at him while holding the teacup that Lancelot had given her. She gently touched her dress, looked at her grandfather, and when their eyes met, she avoided his gaze
‘It seems like she has something to say.’
Not only the three men but the attendants also swallowed laughter. Sometimes she is startlingly resolute, and at the other times she flutters like a new born duckling. It is quite heart-warming to watch. Which is why the two brothers only happily watched what Seniana was doing without knowing.
“So, you see…”
After drinking the whole cup of tea, Seniana managed to gather up her courage.
‘Finally.’
“What?”
Gawain asked with a smirk.
“You know, that, about the academy…”
Seniana, who was talking in a crawling voice, wiggled her hands.
“Why the academy?”
“They said I had to apply for reinstatement by this week.”
Neberius, Lancelot, and Gawain were silent for a moment. When the semester start, it will be difficult to see each other for at least half a year.
“Do you really need to go back to the academy?”
As Gawain mumbled, Lancelot grinned and mumbled.
“As the new school year is just around the corner, it will be difficult to find a house.”
Of course, he left out the word ‘even though there is a dormitory system’. Neberius also nodded and said.
“Now that you’re in the castle, you might as well learn from Agon.”
“But…”
At those words, Seniana mumbled.
“I have to submit and the graduation too…”
“If you don’t want to join the Royal Kitchen, you don’t have to graduate.”
At Gawain’s words, Seniana looked at Neberius.
“You wanted me to enter the Royal Kitchen.”
“That…! The situation have changed. If you are in the Imperial Palace, you could be engulfed in political strife.”
“Wouldn’t it be different if it was in the Royal Kitchen? It’s a place where every day is a test, so even the Empresses won’t be able to access it easily because of the fairness.”
It was true, but still. The three men turned around.
“No, you still can’t.”
“There is no need to learn to cook separately, right”
“It’s about slicing and seasoning, you can learn from the castle.”
Seniana raised her eyebrows and muttered again.
“It’s not just slicing and seasoning…”
But Neberius and the two brothers continued to speak, pretending not to know.
“If you do it for a long time you will get better at it. That is enough.”
“Your grandfather is right. Royal Kitchen, it’s just a kitchen after all.”
“There are many things more enjoyable than cooking.”
Seniana put the empty teacup down on the tea coaster. Then she pursed her lips and said
“You guys are mean.”
Then she hurriedly went out of the room.
“No, Seniana! We’re not saying you’re insignificant…!”
They hastily followed after Seniana.
The brothers chased after Seniana all day. But Seniana didn’t give them a single glance.
“We really didn’t mean it like that.”
“Give me an answer.”
But Seniana’s mouth did not open. She sharpened the blade of her cleaver with sharpener. She can’t tell how much power she gave to it.
“Seniana.”
“Youngest.”
“…”
After she changed, she was like an innocent kid, but who knows once she is angry she can be this scary. Seniana, who had organize her cleaver, turned her head.
“Let the servant do that.”
“…”
“Oh, how about we change the oven to a new one?”
“…”
The three men looked at Seniana with her mouth shut. Gawain sighed softly.
“Isnt this all because of Grandfather?”
Then Neberius, who was with him, frowned.
“What are you talking about.”
“The reason why Seniana went to the academy in the first place was because of Grandfather right?”
“If you are good with knife rather than the sword, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
“In the first place, if you are not greedy…”
“It was for the family.”
“Family name always come first for you.”
Both grandfather and his grandson glared at each other fiercely.
“Are you being sarcastic?”
“I only said the fact.”
“Gawain!”
“I can hear you even without you shouting like that!”
Then Seniana shouted.
“Stop!”
Then she clasped their back with both hands.
“If you are going to fight like this, get out of my kitchen.”
“…”
“…”
Neberius and Gawain shut their mouth closed.
“Both of you, apologize to each other.”
“What?”
“What did you say?”
“I said apologize.”
Seniana frowned disgustingly.
***
Juneberry TL 