It was only natural to wonder.
The stew sold here was on a different level. It wasn’t something just anyone could make. A lot of people had tried to copy it and open their own shops, but they all shut down within a few months.
Didn’t Mark himself say it took him years to learn how to recreate that flavor?
Seeing Skal’s confusion, Jay replied by putting emphasis on each word. Her voice carried an unmistakable pride.
“My lady is the one making it.”
“My lady?”
Just as Jay said, the one currently running the kitchen was none other than Ceres.
“Why are we closing the shop?”
“Pardon? Mr. Mark said he’s in no condition to cook the stew...”
“If someone can make it, that’s all that matters, right?”
“Well... yes, but...”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Someone besides Mr. Mark can cook? Who?”
“Me.”
“...What?”
Jay had reacted the same way at first. When Ceres said she would cook, Jay could only stand there in stunned silence with her mouth open.
Did she really hear that right? Instead of hiring another cook, Lady Ceres herself was going to take over the kitchen?
“My lady, one more bowl!”
Even as Jay followed along to help, she couldn’t shake her unease.
This was a shop with a long-standing reputation. She was worried about what might happen if the customers were disappointed and chose not to return.
“Over here, we will have another bowl as well.”
“Yes!”
However, as if her worries were unnecessary all along, not a single customer complained about the stew Ceres made. In fact, many said it tasted better than usual and continued to place additional orders.
“The stew is ready.”
Ceres, dressed in an apron and holding a ladle, looked surprisingly natural in the role. She filled each bowl with practiced ease, and Jay quickly carried them out to the dining area.
“Is that everything?”
After sending out the last of the extra orders, Ceres finally had a moment to breathe. She glanced out of the kitchen, watching the customers enjoy her stew, and nodded in satisfaction.
...This is fascinating.
Ceres watched the stew bubbling softly over low heat, her expression thoughtful.
When she first arrived at the shop and saw the customers enjoying the stew, she was genuinely surprised.
The aroma was far too familiar.
With a sense of disbelief, she took a taste and became certain.
This... is the stew I made.
It was from long ago, back when she lived as Grace.
Among those who came to her for treatment, quite a few required long-term care. Because of that, many stayed for extended periods in separate residences while they received treatment.
This was the stew she used to serve long-term patients. She had spent a great deal of effort creating a recipe that would restore their strength without side effects while still tasting good.
And yet, this shop was selling stew made from that very recipe. She had no idea how it ended up here, but at least, it meant she could cover for Mark’s absence.
I even added the one ingredient that was missing.
There was only one difference from her original recipe. She used to add seasonal herbs that changed depending on the time of year, but the stew here didn’t include any of that. Just adding those herbs would deepen the flavor noticeably, and they were better for the body as well.
Ding.
The shop door opened and someone stepped inside. Thinking it was a new customer, Ceres leaned out of the kitchen, then sighed softly.
She recognized the girl immediately. Just like always, she had come to the shop again today.
“Young Miss Julia.”
When Jay called out to her, the girl kept scanning the shop in silence until her gaze fixed on one spot.
“Ceres.”
The moment she spotted Ceres peeking out from the kitchen, she ran toward her in quick, eager steps.
“A-ah!”
Julia tripped over her own feet, stumbled, and fell forward.
Thud!
The sound rang out loudly across the shop.
Whoosh!
“Are you hurt?”
In an instant, someone lifted the child to her feet. It was Ceres. Julia quickly wiped her eyes and pointed at her knee.
“Here.”
“......”
Fortunately, it wasn’t anything serious. Seeing the faint redness on her knee, Ceres let out a small sigh and scolded her.
“Didn’t I tell you not to come here?”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because I missed you.”
“......”
With those bright, earnest eyes saying she came just because she missed her, what more could Ceres possibly say?
“Come on, let’s sit over there.”
Julia nodded and took Ceres’s hand before heading toward a corner of the shop.
Watching them, someone smiled quietly. It was Colin, the family’s butler who had brought Julia back from the academy in Jay’s place.
She’s still soft when it comes to Miss Julia.
As soon as Ceres noticed the child fall, she rushed out of the kitchen before Colin could even react.
It was surprising to watch Ceres now. Ever since losing her memory, she had become sharp and decisive in everything.
Could a person really change that much?
Even so, it seemed her affection for her little sister hadn’t changed at all. Just like now, she would scold her, yet give in so easily after Julia’s clumsy attempt at acting cute.
“...Did you see that?”
“See what?”
Meanwhile, someone else was also watching Ceres as she led Julia to another seat, unable to look away.
“You didn’t see it?”
“All I can see right now is my miserable future being picked apart by the other guild leaders.”
Ignoring Vice Guild Leader Lot’s whining, Skal kept his gaze fixed on Ceres. The way she had moved just now to help the child wasn’t ordinary.
From the moment she rushed out to when she reached the child, there hadn’t been any wasted movement.
“Waiter.”
“Yes?’
At Skal’s call, Jay hurried back over to him.
“Do you need anything else?”
Another bowl...?
Though Jay kept a polite smile on her face, she was startled inside.
“Is she the new cook?”
Following his gaze, Jay saw he was looking at Ceres and shook her head.
“She’s not the cook. She’s the owner.”
“...The owner?”
The one who put up that new policy? He had heard the owner was a woman, but... that young?
Skal’s eyes filled with surprise as he looked at Ceres.
***
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m much better. It’s all thanks to you, my lady.”
Mark forced a smile. His right arm was splinted and wrapped in bandages, and his face was still marked with bruises.
“The medicine you gave me worked really well.”
After taking and applying the medicine Ceres brought him, the pain eased and the swelling went down. The bruises across his body already began to fade over the past few days.
“Good. That’s a relief.”
She could’ve healed him instantly using her power to reverse time, but she couldn’t reveal her ability. That’s why she settled for prescribing medicine instead.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to cause any trouble for the shop.”
“Then take this chance to get some proper rest.”
Since Ceres’s parents passed away, the shop never closed once. Mark had been running it by himself this whole time. Honestly, it was about time he got some rest.
“So.”
“Yes?”
“Who did this to you?”
“...Pardon?”
At the sudden question, Mark’s eyes wavered wildly.
“I... I told you, I fell down the stairs...”
“I don’t like repeating myself.”
Ceres clicked her tongue softly.
Since she had spent years as a healer, she could easily tell the difference between a fall and injuries inflicted by someone else. The break and the bruising didn’t match a simple tumble down the stairs.
“Who was it?”
“......”
Mark couldn’t bring himself to speak. He looked at Ceres with anxious eyes before lowering his head. Though he stayed silent for a long while, she didn’t press him for an answer.
That didn’t mean she intended to let it slide. To prevent this from happening again, she needed to know the cause and find a way to deal with it.
“...I’m sorry.”
Mark lowered his head further, his voice trembling.
“I tried to endure it alone somehow...”
After struggling to speak, Mark slowly began to explain everything that had happened.
“It’s about the place you borrowed money from, my lady...”
“...The place I borrowed money from?”
Ceres understood the situation almost immediately. There had already been something that felt off.
Loan sharks.
If they were squeezing interest out of the house and land as collateral, why leave the shop untouched?