Chapter Text
Year 2 - Spring - Commoners and Nobles.
The past few days since the arrival of giebe Fraistein and most of his household. The knights were really busy patrolling the land and culling the feybeasts that were too close to the fields the farmer would be working after the spring ceremony.
Myne had been surprised that the farmers were not already at work, but one of them explained to her that without the chalices from the temple that brought sustenance to the fields, any crop planted would waste away.
This really got her thinking about this magical land. She would really have to study how it worked if she wanted to make the best decisions for herself and her family.
She was quite perplexed as there seemed to be some normal plants and animals. But maybe they were only normal in appearance and were actually weakly magical, making them nearly indistinguishable from earth varieties.
“Myne, Myne!” Tuuli nudged her sister who was rambling on their way to Millio’s office where they would gather before going to the giebe’s estate. “Are you ok? You cannot afford to be daydreaming today.”
“Sorry, Tuuli.” Myne demurely smiled at her older sister. “I was just getting my thoughts together before the meeting. I would never go to a meeting unprepared.” She added averting her eyes from the doubtful stare of her sister.
“Go easy on your sister, Tuuli. It will be a long day for her.” Effa reminded her eldest. She was following the girls while carrying a crate with a dozen jars of shampoo.
They arrived at the office and Tuuli pursued on her way to Miss Cilia’s shop while Myne and Effa entered.
They were the last to arrive and Myne could feel that everyone was on edge. From what she had gathered, meetings with nobles were always a dangerous prospect as they could abuse their position of dominance if they were not satisfied with the way negotiations were going.
Gunther was due to come with them, but with the recrudescence of fey beasts, he had been drafted with other able bodied men to help clear the farmland as he was due, before Myne’s ideas roped him into her shenanigans.
After a last discussion about their goals in the meeting with the giebe, they boarded Marius’ carriage that was waiting for them outside. As there were only four seats, Myne was on her mother’s lap. During the small journey to the estate, Myne commented on the rattling of the carriage monologuing about ways to improve the comfort, much to the dismay of the adults present with her. It took Effa's stern stare to stop her from rambling more.
The estate was occupying the top of a large hill, and they reached the gate by a road that was going up and around the hill. It gave time for Myne to inspect the curtain wall of white stone.
They alighted from the carriage at the gate, and they presented the invitation board to the young knight minding the entrance. He gave the board to a servant who ran to a side building.
Moments later, the servant was back with Lady Cominia, the attendant Myne had met at Mendo’s.
She led them to a side building.
“We are having the meeting in the scholars’ building as it has the best room for a meeting with quite a lot of people.” She explained to assuage any worries.
“Oh, scholars. Do you have books in it? You must have lots of documents to help run the province. How exciting!” Myne gushed till Effa’s hand on her shoulder calmed her down.
Cominia let out a crystalline laugh as they entered the white building. Myne wondered about the building, was it magic? They did not seem to be masonry but the doors and windows were actual wood. She had already seen the white stone on the ground floor of the buildings surrounding the central plaza of the village, but she had more pressing matters to attend to. Another thing she would have to investigate.
Myne was really surprised when they brushed the soles of their shoes on the entrance carpet and it cleaned them without getting dirty. Her unladylike Bwuh elicited another giggle from Cominia who explained the carpet was an enchanted item to insure dirt did not get inside the building. Myne felt more and more like she had stepped into a fantasy story.
As they moved along the main corridor, Myne could not help but be on the lookout for books, but the side doors were closed. At least, it was nicely decorated, even if she could guess from the multiple empty spots on the walls that, as she had been told, the giebe and his family were going through hard times financially.
They reached a side door and Cominia knocked before opening slightly and announcing their arrival. After receiving approval, she widened the door and moved to the side so they could enter.
Myne was impressed as there were more than a dozen nobles in the room, arrayed in a half circle. Clearly it was organised to impress with the giebe seating on a high backed seat at the top of the arc. Knights were at the edge closest to the commoners, ready to intervene if need be. The giebe was flanked by advisers, one of them being Lady Emelia on his left, while a male scholar about the same age as the giebe was seated to his right.
Myne could feel the tension in their little group of commoners. Even Marius the guildmaster who was used to dealing with nobles and was dressed for the occasion was wary. To Myne, it looked like a power interview or an exam with unfriendly examiners, nothing her Japanese education had not prepared her for.
They presented their greetings to the giebe and the noble assembly. Myne wondered if they would have to stay standing for the discussion, clearly a power move. But thankfully servants brought chairs from a side alcove and Effa picked her up to seat her on her seat.
The scholar by the giebe stood up and advanced a few steps getting closer to them. In his early thirties, he had quite refined features.
“Thank you for your presence today. I am Resmund, headscholar to Giebe Fraistein. Malto, you are here to give a rapport about your investigation in possible trade in the province. Please, proceed now.”
Malto stood up, and while his nervousness was visible. He quickly had his merchant training taking over. He took his time explaining the different products he had discovered in town and how they could be valuable items for traveling merchants. He went into details how the cooked products would be really big tickets items, but that they were not suited for long travel times.
Marius intervened there to stress how the new cooking techniques and recipes would be invaluable in noble society. Sharing this knowledge would be a powerful lever for house Fraistein to ingratiate themselves with powerful individuals if used as a gift, or as a good way to earn gold lyons by selling it.
Myne noticed that Lady Emelia had procured a diptych in town as she was taking notes with a stylus. She made a little sign with her own stylus that was answered by a soft smile.
Malto continued his round of the products, going over which markets were more likely to be interested. It was a way for him to sell himself as a potential trade partner. Myne could understand that any merchant coming in contact with her “inventions” would be eager to keep in touch. Myne did not mind as she quite liked Malto and his wife, his son was nice too even if it had been hard for him on the first days in school with the local children. But he was a charmer and soon made friends.
Resmund thanked Malto for the work and insight he had provided, before having a servant lead him out of the room so they could discuss further.
Millio was questioned for a while about Malto and how he had behaved in town. He just confirmed that Malto was a man of good character and his caravan had not caused any trouble since they had arrived. He also gave a report on how the town was faring coming out of winter.
They talked about the increased number of fey beasts and how they had to commandeer available men, including Malto’s caravan guards to help in the clearing of the farmlands before the arrival of the chalices. The knights joined into this conversation, and Myne noticed they seemed quite glad as they talked about gathering good quality ingredients, but they did not say what these were for, so she would have to wait and see if she could learn more.
“Thank you, Resmund. And thank you Millio.” intervened Giebe Fraistein. “And I am grateful that you made the trip from Frenbeltag, Guildmaster Marius. I hope your experience will help us in striking a fruitful agreement today.”
He took a moment to gather his thoughts.
“So, little Myne. I have come to understand you are the one behind so many of these new products. Could you tell me how you came with these ideas?”
“Of course, Giebe Fraistein.” Myne answered quickly, thinking that this was the kind of question to check if she kept the same story. “As you may know, I was afflicted with fevers that kept me abed for most of the time. In my feverish state, I used to dream about being a healthy adult who could do anything she wanted. My dad actually said it was the gods’ gift for the harsh life I was living. But I would not know much about the gods.”
She took a small break from speaking to gauge her audience’s reaction. She could see the nobles who did not know her seemed quite doubtful, while the three nobles she had met at Mendo’s had more welcoming expressions.
“After my bouts of fever calmed down, I started going about with my mom, but the memories of my dreams stayed with me and I did not think there would be anything wrong with using them to make the life of the people around me better. I sincerely believe that it is by working together that we can improve everything.”
She was gaining momentum in the speech she had rehearsed in her head.
“As I have helped the villagers, and the results have been fruitful for them as well as for my family. I would be glad to come to an agreement with your household that would bring us to a brighter future. I have been informed that noble society is heavily reliant on status, and having seen the reception my inventions have received from your retainers, I am highly confident that my ideas would be of great help in improving your standing in society.”
Myne noticed the giebe’s raised highbrow and decided not to push her luck too much.
“Of course, you could try and force me to reveal my secret ideas. But it would be a risk with a sickly child such as myself. Why take that risk when we can develop an harmonious relationship where everyone wins?”
The Giebe let out a laugh before standing from his seat.
“You are quite the talker, child. One could even say that you lack awareness of the way society works.”
He paused to let the warning sink in. Myne noticed her mother’s hands trembling on her lap. Had she overstepped?
“You are lucky that I have heard good things from my people, and I trust their judgement. Emelia has informed me of the deal you want to strike with me. Something that puzzles me is why do you want to learn the ways of the nobility? Surely you know that no commoner could ever become one? Emelia said that it is to help with your ideas; is that right?”
“Indeed, Giebe Fraistein, the most interesting customers are nobles, so it would help me greatly to tailor my products if I had a better understanding of noble society and its trends. We…” and Myne made a wide gesture to encompass commoners and nobles, “can only succeed if we are aware of each other’s way of thinking and doing things.”
“I see. I understand your point of view, but if it became known that we consort with commoners, it would be a social death for our household.”
“Unless our province offers groundbreaking trends impossible to ignore for noble society at large. Your insightful management, by ensuring commoners provide adequate products and services, would be proof of your good stewardship of the province. It would bring wealth and prestige to your household and the duchy at large. I am sure merchants would be glad to help spread the news of your enlightened leadership that made Griefechan smile upon our land.”
“I must say that I am impressed by the way you view things and present them, young Myne. You must have heard about the history of our house. It is clear that, with our goal of rising again in society, we are open to new ventures.”
Giebe Fraistein took a deep breath, and Myne noticed the whole room was awaiting his decision.
“As Giebe Fraistein, I agree on the terms that were presented by Lady Emelia. I will let you iron the details with my scholars and attendants, while I talk to my knights before they leave for their patrols.”
He left the room followed by two of the knights. As soon as the door was closed, servants brought forward tables for the writing of the contracts.
The main contract was about Myne’s involvement with the Giebe’s household as both a teacher for the cooks and a student under Lady Emelia. It covered as well the teaching of merchant apprentices by the attendants in the estate. Marius pointed out that Myne’s part of the deal was much more valuable, and that a salary should be added for Myne. The scholars were quite reluctant, but Myne offered to lower the amount if she could have access to reading materials available in the estate. Marius was appalled by the deal, but Myne and the scholars were pleased on their side. Myne actually had to take a moment to breath and calm herself, as she felt happiness bubbling up inside herself.
The other contracts were ironed by Marius as they dealt with duchy wide protection of the new products so they could keep their production in the province. It would help bring wealth to the Giebe’s household while also saving the workshops from unwanted concurrence. The shampoo and the veils would keep many villagers working, and the contracts would secure these jobs.
The adults were hesitant at first to have Myne be the one writing, but she showed them she had exquisite handwriting, so they let her do it. Myne was just enjoying writing with a quill and ink on parchment. She could feel her heartbeat rising at the glee she experienced. Hopefully, the papermaking would be successful soon and she would have full access to writing. It took her all and the fact that she was surrounded by nobles to keep her mana in check.
Marius presented Myne with wooden boards and had her make copies of the contracts, explaining that the original would be consumed upon the signing. Myne wondered what he meant by that, but, then, she would see soon enough.
While Myne, Marius and the scholars were discussing at the table. Milio and Effa presented the products they had brought. The attendants were delighted when they saw the crate full of bottles of shampoo.
While quite timid at her first discussion with nobles, Effa eased up as she took the time to explain the different scents they had available and how to use the shampoo for the best effect. Most of the scents were for women, but they had managed to make a few with manlier scents that were welcomed as well. Everyone was quite impatient to try it, and soon, Effa’s workshop would receive many orders.
Milio had brought half a dozen veils and boar bristle brushes, going from simple to more elaborate designs to present another trendy item. He informed the nobles on which shops were selling them and which workshops could make them. It was limited for the moment, but hopefully more artisans would start to make them as they were a valuable item if done properly.
Milio had also brought a few games of GO, they were quite simple looking, but he had one with decorated edges as a gift for the Giebe. Having played a few games already, he explained the rules while showing the nobles the wooden board on which they were written that came with each board.
The contracts being ready to be signed, the scholars shifted their attention to the products presented that day.
Lady Cominia asked Myne to stand on a stool they had brought as she wanted to try the different veils on Myne’s shiny hair.
Myne was quite surprised by the whirlwind of attendants, as brushes and pins appeared out of nowhere. Her hair was styled in two long tails and she was adorned with a headdress with decorative woven flowers.
The nobles explained that she looked like the goddess Mestionora. Lady Emelia told Myne she would give her the story of the goddess when she would come to the estate.
As Giebe Fraistein came back to the room after giving his orders to the knights, they gathered around the table for the signing of the contracts.
He took the time to reread, inquiring about several points Myne had argued for and added to the contract. She went over each point, explaining they were measures to protect her ideas from poaching by individuals outside the contract.
Marius and the scholars had all taken notes about the wording and notions covered in the contract addendums, clearly impressed by the guile and clairvoyance of the points.
Giebe Fraistein produced his schtappe in his hand, and Myne could not hold an exclamation.
“Bwuh! So magical.” Myne was keeping her hands closed in little fists, not wanting this show of magic to prompt an innate response from her own hand. “Can all nobles manifest a wan like this? Are you, like, born with it?” She could not help but ask.
“No, we acquire our schtappe during our time at the academy where we learn to be proper nobles. But I should not give you free information about nobles before we sign the contract.” Ruperto answered good naturedly, and was answered by the chuckles of all present.
With that, he changed his schtappe to a pen and signed the contracts before dismissing it.
Marius then was presented with a quill and ink as well as a small blade. Myne was puzzled by that, and she shuddered and tried to hide in the folds of Effa’s skirt when she saw the guildmaster pricking his thumb to apply a drop of blood after signing with the ink.
Seeing Myne distressed, he explained that while nobles signed contracts with their magic, commoners had to use a drop of blood as they did not have enough mana to do otherwise.
Myne was still holding onto Effa. But now it was because she wondered if something strange would happen when her drop of blood would touch the contract with her mana.
She signed with a trembling hand and had Effa draw blood from her thumb. She was holding her breath, worried, when she pressed her finger on the parchment. As she removed her finger, the edges of the parchment started to smolder and Myne let out a yelp.
“Sorry, sorry, I did not..” as she looked around, she finally noticed that apart from her, Milio and Effa, no one seemed to be alarmed by the scroll that curled and finally vanished into flames.
“These contracts are consumed into flames and reappear in the scholar office of the archducal castle to be archived. It is the magic of the Archduke that enforces the contract and so it is much more binding than a normal contract.” Marius explained as they went on to sign the other contracts.
It had been quite a fright for Myne who thought she had exposed herself as a person with magic. But it looked like she was in the clear again. She nursed her aching thumb, resting against Effa’s solid presence. She knew her mom would have been tense as well.
Still Myne wondered what would happen in the noble estate if she came into contact with magic items. But that would be a risk she had to take to learn more about this world and how it works. While her family was in a low tier of society, she was sure her modern education would help her improve life for them all.
They had a chat to organise when Myne would come to the estate. Myne and Milio informed the nobles that they had already prepared for someone else to take over teaching in the village, so that Myne would be free to come from the following day to start teaching the cooks. She would take a few days to spend full time with them to cover the core principles of her cooking, then she would split her time between overseeing the kitchens and her lessons in noble society.
When they came back to the village, they had a meeting at Mendo’s and more contracts were signed, this time between Marius and the villagers. It was mutually beneficial as Marius’s influence would help their trends spread to the capital while he would get an advantage over the other merchants. It was not a contract to be exclusive, but it would give him prior knowledge of new products being designed in the province.
Marius also planned with them for Effa and Gunther’s visit to the capital to pass their beruf certification in front of the Guilds. He estimated that a good time would be at the end of autumn. He even gave Effa a letter for herself and her husband to protect them from merchants trying to bully them for their lack of certification. He also advised them to get the help of the Giebe’s household if need be.
The sums of money looked huge compared to her family’s budget. But Myne knew launching new ideas and gaining influence would cost lots of money. So she was just satisfied to gather this investment money.
They had a nice family meal at home when they could tell Gunther and Tuuli about their day. Gunther had a panic attack when they talked about the sums of money being talked about. But he had to quickly regain his composure and dignity as a father, because Tuuli, from her newfound experience working at Cilia’s shop was more appreciative than shocked by the golden Lyons being talked about.
Myne was a bit peeved that their start of testing to make paper would be pushed back as Gunther had to keep helping with the culling of fey beasts around the soon to be reopened fields for the farmers. But, as she would be quite busy with the nobles for a while as well, it could not be helped and she would have to live with it. At least, she would have some reading material once the chef’s cooking was mainly over and she would start her lessons under Lady Emelia.
The following morning, duly dressed to visit the estate and Effa having spent the time to brush her hair to form twin tails, Myne met Alfo who accompanied her to the gate. He had been quite busy monitoring the allotment of the fields for the farmers and preparing for the arrival of the first merchants.
At the gate, the knight opened as soon as he saw her, and Lady Cominia was waiting for her.
Alfo and Myne presented their greetings to the nobles, Alfo reminded Myne that he would come and get her at the fifth bell and not to leave the estate alone. Myne thought they were a bit overprotective, but better safe than sorry, after all.
Lady Cominia led me to the main building of the estate, making sure not to walk too fast so I could keep up.
“Myne, this morning, we are going to have a meeting with the attendants as the cooks have already started working on lunch. In the afternoon, we will then go to the kitchen and you can then start teaching the cooks. Does this suit you?”
“ Thank you for your consideration. I am happy to work in a way that fits your usual organisation. For this morning, I would be happy to give you a more detailed presentation of the system I plan to implement for the kitchens. Would that be agreeable to you?”
“It would be perfect.” said Cominia as she opened the door to a small reception room.
Myne felt like she had really stepped onto the set of an historical movie, even more so than she had in the meeting room the previous day. The chairs and high backed benches had their hard seats covered with beautiful flat cushions embroidered expertly. She could only imagine the time it would have taken to make all these. The lower half of the walls was covered in wood panelling while the upper half had a smooth plaster applied with a floral painting. The large hearth occupying one of the walls had a beautifully carved mantle.
In the centre of the room a beautiful carpet was laying under a low table with carved wood edges.
After taking in her surroundings for a short moment, Myne offered her greetings to the nobles present in the room. From their attires, she deduced they were all attendants except for a scholar who sat to the side.
Cominia helped Myne sit on a chair, and then took her own seat beside her. A young attendant with purple eyes sparkling with happiness brought them tea after asking Myne what she would like. Another one had brought a pedestal table so that Myne could easily reach her cup.
Once everyone was installed in the room, Myne decided it would be best if she first exposed her goals.
“As per the contract, I will be teaching the chefs my cooking techniques and recipes. It would be really helpful first if we could go over how meals are structured in noble households. How many per day, how many courses?”
From there, the morning was spent in lively conversation between Myne and the attendants. The younger nobles were quickly overwhelmed by the details Myne asked about and even more experienced attendants were hard pressed to answer some of her questions dealing with inventory management, deliveries of products and so on.
On her side, Myne was really enthused when she learned they had cold storage in the form of a magically imbued ice room where they kept milk and other products that spoiled quickly at warmer temperatures. Her eyes were sparkling as she went on a tangent about possibilities of new desserts. She was then flabbergasted when she was told there were time stopping devices that could be used to preserve food, but that their usage was limited by the cost of mana.
After this first round of discussions, Myne presented to the gathered nobles her plan, highlighting her goal to improve food safety by ensuring an hygienic workplace and good practices. She hammered the necessity for staff to have proper washing facilities so they were clean when they handled food.
The attendants started to be quite apprehensive about how fierce Myne was. Noticing it, she toned it down and explained then that, this afternoon, she would start with the basics of her cooking techniques that would allow the chefs to make a simple but savoury dinner for the evening.
Then from tomorrow onward, she would endeavour to arrive early enough to start working with the kitchen staff as soon as they were finished with breakfast.
Their meeting was called to a stop when it was time for the attendants to get everything ready for lunch.
Cominia led Myne to the kitchen where she introduced her to Nestor, the chief cook of the estate. A thin man with salt and pepper hair, he led an efficient brigade and Myne was glad there was no shouting and barking. She did not deal well with loud and aggressive characters.
She sat on a stool in a corner observing the two dozen people getting lunch ready and the dance of servants taking the meals to the various dining rooms in the estate under the supervision of the attendants.
After a while, it quieted down as lunchtime was closing for the nobles. Nestor called for the apprentice cooks to serve their food in a side room with long tables and benches. While some servants were still coming and going, all the cooks and most of the servants were enjoying their meal and Myne was invited by Nestor to join them.
The food was palatable, she thought. She noticed Nestor was staring at her with veiled eyes. After a sigh, he pushed his plate and turned towards her. She faced him and waited. He indicated for her to follow him to his little office. He sat heavily on his chair and pulled a stool for her to sit.
“I went to Mendo’s the other day. It made me feel like an utter failure as a chef. Then I learned that someone would come and oversee the kitchen to improve it.” Nestor sighed. “I must say I felt quite insulted at first when I was told a child would come here. Being replaced by a kid, I could not live with the shame.”
“Master Nestor, I would not be able to replace you.” Myne offered as a peace offering. “Running a kitchen is much more than knowing how to cook delicious food. I was really impressed by the way yours is orderly and runs without shouting. This is a vital skill that I would lack, while you have it and you just need to learn my techniques to have a wonderful kitchen making yummy food.”
“Mendo could not stop praising you.” Nestor grunted. “He even called you Griefechan’s envoy, sent to bring prosperity. I hope you have the blessings of Cuococalura as well, the goddess of cooking.”
“Griefechan is more likely to smile on us when we discuss with a stomach that has savoured a good meal. So I will do my best to honour the goddess of cooking.” Myne beamed at him.
“So, will you clue me in about what is going to happen when the nobles come back this afternoon?”
“First you’ll take a bath.” Myne said before letting her plan roll out of her mouth like a tsunami. After a little while, she noticed Nestor seemed to be struck in a stupor. Worried, she gave him some time to recover till a thought came to her and she opened her mouth again.
“Master Nestor, by the way, can your staff read and write?”
Thankfully, the arrival of the noble attendants saved Nestor from crumbling under the onslaught of new information and weird questions.
All the kitchen staff gathered, then Myne standing on a tall stool to be visible started to explain what would happen, from the full scrubbing of the kitchen to the cleaning of the staff before they could start to cook.
As soon as she finished talking, Nestor started giving orders, even calling in other servants to help move furniture. He was really surprised when Myne asked the nobles if they could help with their magic for the hard to reach spots under the ceiling.
He whispered to Myne, asking why she did not get them to clean everything. But she explained that cleaning your workplace had to become second nature for all the staff and taking unnecessary shortcuts was not good to achieve high standards.
A bell later, the kitchen was spotless. They then had to go in two side rooms, one for the men, the other for the women. There were large barrels of hot water prepared and they were made to strip naked and wash themselves while Myne had a noble waschen their clothes.
While they were washing, Myne took the time to go through the pantry to have a look at what was available.
The afternoon, Myne went over the basics with the cooks. It was exhausting for her and she had to take breaks regularly. But under Nestor’s lead, the brigade progressed well, and they would have the time to make dinner in time. As the day advanced, the smells that wafted through the kitchen had everyone salivating in anticipation.
Myne had left final instructions with Nestor about the evening preparations, before leaving to return home. She felt it was important to leave room for the head chef to stay master in his domain.
As she was wobbling coming out of the kitchen, Cominia picked her up.
“Are you fine, Myne?” the noble attendant asked, her eyes clouded with worry.
“I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep, Lady Cominia. I apologise for having you carry me.” Myne whispered while resting her head on the lady’s shoulder.
“Shush, Myne, just rest. We cannot afford to have you falling sick on your first day here.”
Alfo was waiting at the gate, and Cominia handed an already sleepy Myne to him.
“Make sure she gets home quickly and safely. If she is not well tomorrow, just send word and have her rest.”
Alfo nodded while holding Myne in his arms. Myne tried to say she was fine, but it was not much more than a sleepy mumbling.
In town, Alfo stopped at Cilia’s shop to get Tuuli, so she could keep an eye on Myne at home.
As soon as they reached the flat, Alfo put Myne on the bed and left after making sure that Tuuli would be fine minding her little sister.
Myne slept fitfully, at times talking in her sleep about training and writing recipes. But thankfully she did not develop a fever. It was only in the morning that she saw her parents.
Effa checked Myne to make sure she was fine, then she got scolded for pushing herself too hard.
Myne was saved by Alfo who knocked at the door. She left with him after promising she would pace herself.
They arrived at the gate, and it was opened before she even reached it. The knight had a satisfied smile on his face.
After she presented her greetings, he complimented her for the dinner they had the previous evening, and was hoping for more from now on. He bragged how the food from the archducal paled in comparison.
Cominia arrived and gave Myne a scrutinising look as she presented her greetings.
The attendant was clearly on the lookout for signs that Myne was not well, so she decided that the best defense is the offense.
“Lady cominia, I again apologise for my unsightly behaviour yesterday afternoon. I got thoroughly scolded by my mom and I had to promise I would pace myself.” Myne said demurely.
“It is good that your mother guides you to behave properly. Pushing yourself to the point where you fall ill in public is seen as bad manners. So I will ask you to be careful.” Cominia had started to walk slowly towards the kitchen, Myne following her.
“I was thinking that I could spend some of the day writing recipes on wooden boards if you have some available. It would be a way to rest while being productive.” Myne pipped, a hopeful glint in her eye.
“Would that really be resting? Writing can be quite tiring.” Cominia countered, doubtful.
“Oh it would for me. The best rest is reading, of course. But writing is second best as it gives others something to read.” Myne beamed at the attendant.
“Fine, I will have boards brought to Nestor’s office.”
“By the way, Lady Cominia. Master Nestor did not answer my question yesterday. Do the cooks know how to read and write?”
Lady Cominia was clearly puzzled by the question so Myne decided to explain.
“I will write the recipes, so it would be really helpful if the cooks could read them. In the future, when they have mastered the basics of my cooking, it would be really beneficial for the household if they could try and develop further the recipes and even come up with some new ones and then write them down. Innovation is really important to stay abreast of cooking trends. The most delicious recipe will lose its charm over time.”
“I see your point. I will broach the subject with Emelia during lunch.”
They had reached the kitchen. And, as they entered, Myne was surprised to find Nestor and the cooks waiting in a half circle. Nestor raised his hands and started to clap, quickly followed by the brigade.
Myne was quite taken aback and stood frozen in the entrance till Cominia pushed her lightly to get her to move inside.
Nestor signaled for everyone to quiet down, before moving forward and crouching down to be on eye level with Myne.
“In the name of all the kitchen, I want to thank you for what you taught us yesterday and for all the things you will teach us in the future. Yesterday evening, we served the best meal we had ever served to the Giebe. I must say it is hard for me, who has cooked for all my life, to be so upstaged by a young sprout like you. But you have indeed brought Griefechan to us and I thank you for that.”
He rose up, then he patted Myne’s hair before turning towards his brigade.
“Let’s get to work, people. Lunch is not going to cook itself.”
Everyone scattered while Nestor and Myne went over what ingredients he was planning to use today and what dishes they could make. The morning flashed through with Myne first going through the kitchen and giving advice to the different cook with Nestor at her side.
He frequently asked questions to clarify her information. They had some lively discussions about techniques, and Myne always advise to try and see which method gave the best result.
Cominia stayed close by and was paying attention to everything that was said. She even started to ask questions that enriched their discussions.
Mid morning, Myne retired to Nestor’s office and started to write recipes so that the cooks would have reference material in the future.
Myne took some time with Nestor to show the yeast she had brought, and he called the baker to join them as Myne explained how to cultivate the secret ingredient for the fluffy dough. They were quite reluctant at the beginning, but Myne explained the process was akin to the one to make some cheeses or even alcohols.
It was finally time for lunch. After the nobles were served, Myne joined the cooks and servants, seated beside Nestor so they could talk during their delicious lunch.
In the afternoon, they were informed that Lady Ludovica, the Giebe’s wife, and her son Ortensio would arrive the following day from the capital with the rest of the household.
Myne took Nestor to the side and started to explain to him how to make a marvelous soup, but stressed that they had to start it today if they wanted to get the best version possible. A cook would have to stay up all night to keep an eye on it as it slowly simmered till perfection.
At the end of day, Myne took a little while to explain to the cooks why she was hoping they would learn to read and write. By showing them one of the boards on which she had written a recipe, it would help them have a reference they could consult, then with mastery they could start to make modifications and keep notes on their culinary discoveries.
She got a bit carried away trying to convey how writing would be a huge step in pushing knowledge forward as it would protect the knowledge they would acquire. She bemoaned all that is lost when a master craftsman, cook or otherwise, dies without having transmitted his knowledge.
Cominia coughed lightly, and Myne looked around, noticing she seemed to have lost her audience.
“So the main thing is that learning will improve your work in the long term.” she shyly finished her speech, before giving an apologising smile to Cominia.
“This point is being studied by the Giebe and his scholars. They will inform you on their decision at a later date.”
Before Myne left, she had a final chat with the baker about the fluffy bread he would make for the arrival of the Giebe’s wife.
She was less tired, but Alfo still carried her home to be sure. Effa was the first to come back, so they talked about the workshop. Myne complimented her mom when she told her of the orders she had received through Cilia’s shop. Tuuli joined them a bit later, peppering Myne with questions about the estate and how it was going with the nobles.
Gunther came in late and exhausted. He had spent the day hunting shumils and zantze around the fields while the knights took care of the fetze and flying shumils.
They were pushing for the fields to be cleared as the priests should arrive by the end of the week.
The next morning went in a flurry. Lady Ludovica had arrived by the end of the morning with the rest of the household. As she was in Nestor’s office writing and it had a small window, Myne had the chance to see them land with their flying mounts in the courtyard. A dozen nobles accompanied her and her son Ortensio. The servants coming back from their mansion in the capital would arrive in the following days by carriages.
They went to join Giebe Fraistein who had come down the steps of the estate to welcome them. Myne felt relieved that there seemed to be a nice atmosphere. She remembered from her readings that in medieval society, marriages were often more business than romance and tensions could be quite rife.
The soup and the fluffy bread would be fine dining to cheer for the arrival of the lady of the estate. With the other courses, Myne felt confident the meal would receive her approval.
Early afternoon after they had all finished their meal, Lady Cominia came back to the kitchen and asked Myne to follow her after she fussed over Myne’s clothes and hairdo to make sure she was perfect to present to Lady Ludovica.
They entered a nice tea room, and Myne presented her greetings after being announced.
Lady Ludovica sat serenely in a nice looking green dress with a beautifully decorated golden belt from which hung a few leather pouches. Her eyes shone with anticipation, but she maintained a composed stance. Lady Emelia was standing behind her mistress, diptych in hand.
“I am glad to finally meet the young sprout that has brought much upheaval to our quiet village.” Ludovica started while giving a motherly smile. “The meal was excellent. The soup in particular was a delight with the soft bread. I will wait with impatience for each meal from now on.”
“You are too kind, Milady. I am grateful that you shared with me your appreciation of the cook's efforts.”
Myne noticed Lady Ludovica’s eyebrow rising in surprise at her articulate response. Emelia leaned forward and whispered something in her ear that Myne could not catch.
“It was brought to my attention that you would like for the cooks to learn to read and write. Is that really necessary?”
Myne gave again a spiel about the advantages of having a literate workforce, especially the preservation of knowledge and discoveries. She added that while she understood that protecting knowledge was important to keep an edge, too often a master would die without imparting all he had learned to the next generation so they had to discover again what he knew.
She hung her head full of sorrow for what had been lost.
“You brought really good points that would apply to any aspect of our society, I must say. I will speak about it to my husband.” She closed this discussion, before changing the subject. “Our younger children will arrive before the end of the week, and they will be accompanied by important nobles from the capital. I was wondering what ideas you could have for the reception we will hold for their arrival.”
Myne took a little while to ponder the question before answering.
“Are you looking to hide our culinary trends from the capital nobles or do you want to advertise them, Milady?”
“The knight, Lord Theodemir, is the husband of a Lady we are already in contact with and wish to improve our links with. He is accompanied by Lady Mildiane, a close attendant of his wife. As such, we want to show them the best we have to offer. The soup you had prepared today would be a good start, wouldn’t you say?”
“Oh yes, the consommé is sure to be a crowd pleaser. If the goal is to show the spread of our culinary brilliance, rather than a normal meal, we could offer on that day a gastronomic experience.”
Myne took a moment to gauge the reception to her proposition but she was mainly looking at puzzled faces.
“By gastronomic experience, I mean that, rather than offering a few courses during the meal, we will offer smaller portions but in a wide variety of courses to present the range of different recipes we have here. The portions will be smaller so the guests can enjoy as many as they want without being burdened by the quantity. I think it would be a decent idea to showcase the skill of our cooks.”
“Would it be possible to make this gastronomic meal for tonight to see it before offering it to Lord Theodemir?”
“If at all possible, I would advise to have the test meal tomorrow for lunch as the kitchens are already working on tonight’s dinner. I will have to see with master Nestor to settle all we can make to offer a wide range of flavours. That way we are more likely to have something our esteemed visitors appreciate.”
She bowed to apologise for not acquiescing to the noble order.
“Fine, it should still be two or three days before their arrival. Cominia, please report on the menu when it is finalised.”
“Of course, Milady.”
“Myne, we will speak further once the spring ceremony is finished and things are settling down.” Lady Ludovica finally said before Cominia led Myne back to the kitchens.
“You did well while talking to my mistress, Myne. But always be careful in the way you word a refusal to a noble. Some can be less understanding.” Cominia commented while they were walking.
“I thank you for your advice, Lady Cominia. I will make sure to pay attention and be mindful.”
Myne spent most of the afternoon with Nestor and Cominia. First Myne detailed her idea for the gastronomic meal. Nestor was pointing out what was doable and even dared to ask Lady Cominia for some of the servants to help in the kitchen with simple tasks. She took note and reassured him he would have enough help available.
After deciding on the menu, Myne spent some time talking with Cominia about the presentation of the plates for the meal. She stressed out that it was vital for it to be a success as more than a meal it was like a culinary journey and the plates should tell the story of this journey.
It really lit a fire in Cominia who said she would talk to the other attendants about it in the evening, and that they would be on hand the following morning to make preparations.
Myne went home tired but happy that her first meeting with the Lady of the House went well. She spent part of the evening talking to Tuuli about what happened and what Lady Ludovica was wearing. She hinted at Tuuli that making embroidered clothes pouches for noble ladies would be a good idea to think about. She was sure her talented older sister would run with the idea and make something beautiful.
Before they went to bed, Tuuli asked Myne if it would be fine to make a pouch for her diptych as a sample, and Myne beamed at Tuuli while nodding her agreement.
The morning passed by in a heartbeat as the kitchen was full of people, between the extra servants roped in to help in preparing the food. Then Cominia and the other attendants hovered by and were decorating the plates that would receive the food samples.
The atmosphere was quite feverish as everyone was caught up in the challenge. In a few days, Myne’s cooking had won over the staff and the nobles alike. And Lunch would be a joyous affair, be it in the fine dining rooms or in the mess beside the kitchen.
The cooks received the compliments of the Giebe for their hard work after a successful meal that lasted 2 bells. Lady Ludovica sent word through Cominia that the gastronomic meal would be perfect for the reception to come.
The following day, Myne spent it fully writing recipes on boards with Cominia.
“Are you not tired of writing so much, Myne?” Cominia asked, having clearly reached her limit.
“I would never, writing is the second best after reading.” Myne beamed at the attendant. “I could spend days reading. And you would too, if, say, there were books about fashion with pictures of all kinds of different designs and books about all the things you like. Would you not?”
“Maybe. But I do not think I will ever have your thirst for written material.” She said, letting out a soft chuckle. “But I am sure you will have a grand time with the scholars when they start teaching you.”
Myne gave her a smile of pure happiness.
“I cannot wait to start. I’ll work really hard and I’ll read all the books necessary.”
“Oh, I am sure you will. I am not sure the scholars will know what hit them.” Cominia snickered before restoring her noble mask.
Myne pouted at being basically described as a danger, before joining her fingers in front her mouth and letting out a chuckling muahaha.
She was in high spirits going home. The kitchen reform was going well and soon she would get her fill of reading.