# 34
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Although he heard from Amelia that the head maid Patricia had been fired, Dunswell did not get the details.
Of course, this doesn't mean Dunswell doubts Amelia. He simply concluded that she must not have known the details either.
“If you had clarified the situation, Differin would have increased the budget.”
“I would have done so if it had been necessary. But the present household expenses were sufficient.”
Dunswell felt a rare sense of satisfaction with Evelyn's actions. While this alone could not define Evelin's character, it greatly reduced his biases.
Since Dunswell wanted to see every nook and cranny of the interior, Evelyn continued to guide him around the palace even after lunch.
“Well done, Evelyn. I would like to rest in my room now.”
Evelyn smiled warmly and accompanied Dunswell to his bedroom. Although it had not been long, the awkward atmosphere seemed to have improved greatly.
Once Dunswell disappeared, someone approached Evelyn, who was now alone.
It was Harry, Dunswell's servant. lout.
“Good day, Lady Evelyn.”
Evelin looked at him briefly before asking.
“What's the matter, Master Harry?”
"The Duchess has ordered me to inform you of something regarding tonight's dinner. If that's all right, can we talk briefly?"
He came.
Evelyn nodded.
"Good."
Harry rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a small note. As he opened it, the names of some dishes and what appeared to be the name of a restaurant were written on it.
“This is a list of the restaurants that the Duke frequents in the capital. The Duchess has ordered you to get meals from here for dinner tonight.”
Evelin glanced at the note. Veal steak with red wine sauce from Ranelli, fish and chips from Caerphilly, and crab bisque from Talbot Green.
Evelyn snatched the thickly written note from Harry.
“Understood. I just need to prepare all the dishes mentioned here, right?”
Harry's hand, which was holding the note, hovered awkwardly in the air. His expression looked somewhat confused.
"…Yes."
“If this matter needed preparation, you should have told me in the morning.”
“I apologize. It was a long flight, and I made a mistake.”
“I didn't say that to get an apology. There's only a few hours until dinner, so we need to move quickly.”
Evelyn muttered as she looked at the note. Harry hesitated before speaking again.
“Can you return the note if you finish examining it?”
Evelyn looked up to meet Harry's eyes. Then, as if to return the note to him, she folded the note and put it in her pocket.
“I'm not very good at remembering things. I think it's best if I keep a diary to avoid any mistakes.”
Harry frowned and said,
“I will write it to you separately.”
“Is this note so valuable that it is worth such an effort?”
“...No, it's not.”
“So what's the problem?”
Evelyn asked indifferently. Harry looked like he had bitten something bitter.
“The Duchess doesn't like her handwriting getting anywhere.”
“I'll tear it up and dispose of it properly after I get food.”
He replied reluctantly,
“…Understood. Then please ensure that you prepare the exact menu the Duchess mentioned.”
When Harry disappeared, Evelyn smiled wryly.
But she quickly returned to her usual expression and called Merlin, asking her to buy the dishes listed in the note.
* * *
Fortunately, the maids were able to purchase all the dishes listed in the note before Dyffryn's return and before dinner time.
As expected from famous restaurants, the dishes exuded an aristocratic air, and the crab bisque was particularly impressive.
The cream soup, with finely shredded crab meat, didn't look like crab soup at first glance. It had a strong scent from the generous amount of herbs used. Upon tasting, it revealed a luxurious umami flavour, likely enhanced by the finely shredded crab meat.
Evelyn prepared a big feast by pairing the dish with bread, salad, and drinks.
At that moment, Merlin approached and whispered softly in Evelin's ear.
"As you told me, ma'am, Sir Harry searched your bedroom while you were gone. Even the trash."
Evelin's eyes turned cold. Perhaps he was looking for confirmation that she had torn up the note, but the note was still intact, hidden in her sleeve.
Evelyn nodded and ordered Merlin to step back.
As I sat down, Dunswell looked at the table in astonishment and said,
“It must have been difficult preparing all this.”
“Not at all. Most of the dishes were bought from restaurants.”
“Even buying them is not an easy task.”
Evelyn and Dunswell engaged in a somewhat friendly conversation.
Defrin was equally astonished. It was not the abundance of food that surprised him, but the fact that the previously awkward relationship between Evelyn and Dunswell had improved greatly in the few hours they had been apart.
Although he was confused, the feeling was not unpleasant. In fact, he leaned more towards the positive.
“Dad, please sit down.”
Defrin felt unfamiliar with the situation, and spoke somewhat rudely. However, Dunswell continued to chat and laugh with Evelyn.
Before Dunswell picked up his spoon, Evelyn asked,
“The day after tomorrow is the day of the equestrian competition, right?”
“That's right. Tomorrow we plan to drive the horses to the competition ground.”
Since there are often cases where people give their horses drugs to ensure victory, the association brings all the horses to the competition stables the day before for justice.
“I'm sure you'll do great.”
“This time, I have to win.”
After saying that, Dunswell looked at Dyffrin and Evelyn in turn.
“Everyone must be hungry. Let's eat.”
“Wait a minute.”
When Dunswell was about to raise his spoon, Evelyn intervened. Dyffryn and Dunswell looked at her.
“I realized I hadn't served the dishes yet.”
It is customary for the host to briefly present the dishes to the guests at a banquet. Although this step is usually skipped between family members, Evelyn insisted on doing the introductions.
It was Harry, the attendant, who tried to stop her.
“…Miss Evelyn. Everyone should be hungry, so it’s okay to skip the introductions.”
“That wouldn't work. Even if we were a family, it would be impolite. The Duke is an important guest in our house.”
“But still...”
Harry hesitated, looking uncomfortable. Evelin looked 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 eventually pushed aside, and Evelyn methodically began the introductions.
“The main course is veal steak with a sweet, tangy red wine sauce. The side dish is fish and chips made from cod caught from the nearest coast...”
Evelin's gaze stopped at the crab soup.
"And this is crab bisque. It may not appear to contain crab meat at first glance, but the crab is finely shredded to maximize the umami flavour."
Evelin spoke lightly about the last dish. Despite her cheerful tone, the atmosphere in the dining room quickly became tense.
asked Dunswell with a stern face,
“Did you say crab soup?”
“Yes. I heard it's a very popular dish at Talbot Green.”
Devrin exhaled and rubbed his forehead.
“Evelyn, my father is allergic to shellfish.”
Evelin widened her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand.
“Oh my God! I had no idea...”
"You didn't know, so this is inevitable. But please be careful next time. Even a small amount can cause swelling in his throat and difficulty breathing."
Evelin spoke softly, shaking her head with a grim face upon hearing Devrin's words.
“But it's strange. The Duchess herf specifically asked for the crab soup...”
The first to react was Dunswell.
"What do you mean?"
“As I said. The Duchess ordered me to buy crab soup, veal, fish and chips for the banquet.”
"...This doesn't make sense. Amelia knows better than anyone about my sensitivity."
At that moment, Harry interrupted.
“That's right. It seems there was some misunderstanding on Lady Evelyn's part.”
"You were the one who handed me the note, Master Harry. I saw the contents as well."
“I don't really know what you're talking about...”
While Harry tried to feign ignorance, Evelyn pulled the note out of her sleeve and opened it. Harry's eyes widened.
Evelyn read aloud the words written on the note.
“Crab bisque from Talbot Green.”
Then she turned the note over to show it to Dunswell.
“Isn’t this the Duchess’s handwriting?”
Dunswell focused his attention on writing. His pupils twitched slightly.
It was actually his wife's handwriting.
He wondered why Amelia had given such an order. She knew better than anyone about his severe allergy to shellfish.
If he had eaten a little of this 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 smell of herbs masked any smell of crab.
This subtle deception made him feel even more uncomfortable.
“I think the Duchess must have forgotten for a moment. When there are so many things to worry about, even very important things can sometimes be overlooked.”
After reassuring Evelyn, Dunswell forced himf to ignore the no
His relief.
He couldn't keep pouting during a rare dinner with his son and daughter-in-law.
“…Yes, it must be so.”
Dunswell could hardly reply, but his mind remained disturbed, as if something sticky stuck to his fingertips, and his discomfort continued until the end of the meal.