Lady of the Lord From the East

[Edited] Chapter 12

The two maids didn't bring breakfast for Wei Wei because people in this place typically only eat two meals a day, with nobles having their first meal at ten in the morning.

However, Qin quickly realized that Wei Wei was different from the nobles they were accustomed to. She woke up early, indicating she might be hungry.

Upon realizing this, Qin immediately offered to go to the kitchen and have the chef prepare breakfast for Wei Wei.

"Don't be so troublesome, don't we have to go to the kitchen now?" Wei Wei replied, lifting her skirt and standing up. "If the chef doesn't mind, I'm afraid I'll have to borrow the right to use the kitchen for a long time today."

The chef, upon seeing Wei Wei, seemed a little frightened but didn't mind her request to use the kitchen.

The kitchen was situated next to the back door of the castle, offering a view of the moat outside and an unpleasant smell. It was a place seldom visited by the masters or guests, who usually communicated their needs directly to the servants.

This was the first time the chef encountered a guest in the kitchen, making him uncomfortable.

Especially during this time, it was breakfast time for the servants in the castle, so when Wei Wei arrived in the kitchen, she naturally encountered everyone having their meals.

Initially, Wei Wei didn't think much about it, but as she saw the people in the kitchen hastily stand up and salute her, she realized that she might have come at an inconvenient time.

Eventually, the butler who was also dining approached her, asking, "Miss Weiwei, do you need anything?"

"Good morning, Butler Patton," Wei Wei greeted him politely. "I apologize for interrupting your mealtime. I made a promise to Lord Earl to prepare meals, so I've come to check on the kitchen."

Butler Barton was both flattered by Wei Wei's respectful attitude and surprised by her promptness.

He had been present at dinner the previous night and was aware of Wei Wei and Felix's arrangement. He had already informed the chef, but he hadn't expected Wei Wei to arrive at the kitchen so early.

Glancing at the chaotic scene in the kitchen with some embarrassment, he wasn't sure whether to allow Wei Wei inside and ask everyone else to leave or to request her to wait a bit since the kitchen was currently in a messy state.

Wei Wei resolved the dilemma for him: "However, I'm feeling a bit hungry right now. Could I ask the chef to prepare something for me? I'd like to dine in the garden."

"Of course, dear lady," Butler Barton replied.

Wei Wei then looked at the partially eaten table and gave her order, "I'd like some bread and salad, along with a glass of hot milk, please."

"Very well, miss."

Wei Wei opted for a simple breakfast in the garden, away from the castle's odorous interior. The fresh air and floral scents were a refreshing change. Her meal arrived swiftly, consisting of familiar white bread and a light salad, sans heavy vegetables. However, the freshly squeezed milk had an overpowering scent that Wei Wei couldn't ignore.

She suggested to her maid, "Next time, you can add some fresh juice to the boiled milk to make it taste better." Initially, she thought about recommending tea leaves for flavor enhancement but realized their scarcity and likely high cost in the West.

The maids noted her preference for the future. After leisurely finishing breakfast, Wei Wei returned to the kitchen. It was tidy, with Chef Bob and a few servants present. Outside, cured meats and sausages from yesterday's wild boar hunt hung, though the sight made her turn away, possibly due to their strong flavor.

Chef Bob guided her through the kitchen's ingredients, revealing a surprising variety. They had eggs, milk, cheese, butter, assorted vegetables, and fruits like apples, pears, lemons, and leftover wild berries used for jam.

Apart from meats, including marinated mutton and pork, some of which had developed mold due to storage issues, fresh live chickens and fish had been recently delivered. Although the kitchen lacked refined flour, it had ample barley, wheat, oats, rye, beans, and various spices, both native and foreign, like rosemary, sage, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves, albeit in small quantities carefully handled by Chef Bob.

In addition to what she had already seen in the kitchen, Wei Wei also noticed several bottles of jam, a jar of wild honey, and some sun-dried fungi stored away. Despite the variety of food available, she reflected on how only nobles could indulge in such luxuries, leaving ordinary people with limited options.

Wei Wei sighed inwardly about the privileges of nobility. She resolved to embrace her noble status fully; being a commoner would subject her to persecution and limitations. Deep down, she felt reassured by the system's promise to rectify her identity issues.

Refocusing on the kitchen, Wei Wei inquired about any food preferences or taboos within the Earl's family. The cook informed her that the Count preferred meat over vegetables, while Miss Dolores disliked flavorful vegetables like carrots, onions, celery, and coriander. As for Miss Caroline, she was still young and primarily consumed milk, which made Wei Wei concerned about her nutritional intake.

Observing the flour, Wei Wei noticed it wasn't as refined as modern flour, containing traces of wheat bran, affecting both its color and taste. She then asked if anyone in the kitchen knew how to make pasta, but their puzzled expressions indicated unfamiliarity with the concept.

The system reminded Wei Wei about the origins of pasta on Earth, originating from ancient Rome or brought to Europe by Marco Polo from China. However, in this world, Marco Polo's existence was uncertain, and pasta likely hadn't made its way to the West yet.

The world Wei Wei found herself in differed significantly from Earth, with divergent historical developments, geographical features, and cultural aspects. Her knowledge of Earth's history proved increasingly irrelevant in this context, leaving her to improvise and adapt to the unique circumstances she faced.

Wei Wei requested Qin to fetch an apron for her, and after adjusting her sleeves, she was ready to work in a tidy manner. Realizing that her capabilities alone were limited, she naturally took charge in the kitchen.

The long kitchen table was taken outside for a thorough cleaning, with several servants diligently scrubbing away oil stains and grime until it met Wei Wei's hygiene standards. Following this, everyone was instructed to wash their hands thoroughly, trim their overly long nails, and ensure there was no dirt in the gaps.

Although some were inwardly displeased, including Chef Bob, they complied without protest and proceeded to wash their hands.

Next, Wei Wei spread flour on the cleaned and dried table, mixed it with eggs, and began kneading the dough. Despite her limited experience in the kitchen, her dough-making skills seemed flawless to onlookers. Soon, a well-formed mass of yellowish dough took shape in her hands, impressing the nearby servants.

Wei Wei then divided the dough into portions slightly larger than her fist and instructed the others to knead along with her. She also sent someone to the bakery to fetch a few rolling pins.

The kitchen staff, accustomed to strenuous work throughout the year, found kneading dough to be a simple task. With Wei Wei's guidance, everyone quickly mastered the technique and worked together on the same dough.

After kneading, the dough needed time to rest. Lacking plastic wrap, they covered it with a clean linen cloth and set it aside for a while.

During this resting period, Wei Wei utilized her time to prepare other dishes with the assistance of her servants.

Author's note: Wei Wei humorously remarks, "If you can't handle dark cooking, you'll have to make your own food!" In essence, she's emphasizing the importance of following recipes properly.

Regarding the origin of pasta, the text opts for the version where Marco Polo brought it back from China. In this context, Marco Polo exists but hasn't traveled to China, creating a blank spot in his biography for the story's purposes.