Chapter 15: “Lemon Meringue Cake”:
By the time Lili had become accustomed to her work at the hotel and grown close enough to Summer to confide in her, a new daily routine developed for her in the kitchen.
“Looks like some fresh little mice have entered the kitchen.”
Chef Budino said with a smile, handing over a small piece of cake.
He adored Lili like a daughter.
Even back when she worked in the laundry, Lili had quietly washed and neatly ironed his clothes without complaint.
As a token of gratitude, he often gave her leftover food.
Unlike the other maids who grimaced at the chef, Lili always thanked him and complimented the taste, which delighted him even more.
“Here, take it.”
Moreover, as Summer had started dating the kitchen assistant, Martin, Lili naturally became a sort of shield for the couple, which led her to spend even more time in the kitchen—and grow closer to Budino.
“What’s this cake for?”
“It’s a sample for the garden party. I wasn’t sure which one to pick, so I waited to ask you.”
Lili lightly took a bite with her fork.
“Which tastes better, Elizabeth?”
“Hmm… it’s hard to decide, but… the lemon meringue cake.”
“Good. That’s the one I was leaning toward too.”
The chef winked, making Summer frown.
“Why are you only kind to Lili, Chef? It’s heartbreaking to watch.”
“Think about it—while you’re joking around with Martin, Elizabeth is helping me.”
The chef clicked his tongue at the chaos of the kitchen. Judging by the mess, it seemed Martin wouldn’t be able to go on dates with Summer for a while.
“This time, we have a lot to be careful about. Wounded soldiers are being invited to Miss Cecil Hobert’s party. They’re respectable people, but the war seems to have been quite brutal.”
“Summer said it would be a light party, but I guess I was deceived. Is the war really that bad?”
Lili asked worriedly. The chef explained at length, as if trying to reassure her.
“Elizabeth, if she’s the daughter of Prime Minister Hobert, shouldn’t she be a patriot? And in times like this, with so many injured, it’s all the more reason to hold such an event.”
Lili took another bite of her lemon meringue cake.
“Will Lord Belmore and Cecil Hobert’s wedding be held at the hotel too?”
“It will, unless Lord Belmore buys a castle. His family was never very prominent anyway.”
Lili was slightly surprised at the chef’s blunt words.
“I thought you liked Lord Belmore.”
“I have opinions. We’re not slaves.”
Though the chef’s laughter and relaxed tone seemed gentle, he often offered surprisingly sharp criticism.
“Have you ever met Lord Belmore in person?”
“He’s been a regular at my restaurant. I’ve known him since he was little.”
The chef had worked at the finest restaurant in Londinium. Unfortunately, he had no interest in management, so it had failed spectacularly—but his skill was unmatched.
“Even as a child, he was more gentlemanly and handsome than any other young noble.”
“So you do like Lord Belmore, Chef,” Lili said, noting the nostalgic expression on his face.
“He saved me when I was drowning in debt, but he could throw me out any time if I slipped up.”
“From what you say, the girl marrying Lord Belmore must feel quite pitiful.”
The chef chuckled dryly.
“The most pitiable girl in Londinium worrying about Cecil Hobert.”
He kneaded dough with a serious expression and continued.
“Elizabeth, people tend to gather with their own kind. It makes sense if Cecil Hobert worries about you, but you worrying about her is nonsense.”
He frowned further.
“Summer’s smarter. She knows freckled Martin is clearly flirting with her…”
When the chef began grumbling about Summer, Lili quickly changed the subject.
“You’re saying this because Chef spoke harshly, right? By the way, will it rain tomorrow? The sky looks cloudy.”
“It’ll clear up. My left shoulder is aching right now. If it rains hard tonight, there will be a rainbow on the day of the party.”
“That’s fortunate! Seeing a rainbow makes my heart flutter. Something good will happen.”
The chef smiled, agreeing.
“Exactly. If the rain clears, it’s also a sign my shoulder won’t hurt.”
As he predicted, that night the rain poured heavily. The storm rattled the shutters all night.
Awakened in the middle of the night, Lili glanced at Summer’s bed. It was empty, with no signs of her having slept, but too drowsy to care, Lili fell back asleep.
The next day began, as always, with preparations for the party.
“Elizabeth!”
Lili was checking the carpet she had carefully laid out when someone lightly pushed her shoulder.
“Yes?”
The push was hardly gentle; the territorial behavior toward Lili had yet to ease.
“The chef’s in a frenzy. He’s grabbing Summer like catching a mouse, and she’s just crying. You should go help.”
Startled, Lili rushed to the kitchen.
She could hardly believe her eyes. It was understandable that the kitchen would be chaotic on the party day, but she had never seen it like this.
“This can’t be…”
Someone had left the window near the counter open, letting rainwater pour in and collect.
The bigger problem? Cakes were set out on the counter.
“Who the hell left the window open!”
Martin and Summer stood pale and pressed against the wall. The chef waved his rolling pin like a club.
“The party’s this afternoon!”
Lili stepped toward the terrified Summer.
“Chef… please calm down for a moment.”
“Calm down? Do I look like I can calm down? That blasted Belmore almost hit my neck and hung it at the hotel entrance!”
The chef presented Lili with soggy, ruined cakes.
“Are you really telling me to calm down after seeing this?”
Lili swallowed hard. The cakes were a disaster, but she had to speak.
“Let’s buy some desserts from Madame Clément’s shop to supplement.”
She gestured at Summer, who nodded.
“If Clément finds out, she’ll brag endlessly.”
“Even if we order from Clément, it won’t damage your reputation, Chef. Not fixing this situation is the real fault.”
The chef scratched his cheek, pacing.
“That’s not enough! Nobles eat so many desserts!”
“We’ll make up the deficit from now.”
His voice rose again after calming for a moment.
“Child, we don’t even have the ingredients! Do you think these blasted… cakes happen in an instant?”
“But we have chocolate.”
“Chocolate? What do you plan to do with it? There’s not enough, and we can’t bake all these cakes at once!”
“It’s not cakes, but we can make enough cookies. I baked them often in the convent. They’re fragrant, with butter…”
But Lili’s words did nothing to calm him.
“You expect me to serve such cookies to nobles? They’ll think they’re for the poor!”
The chef erupted again. Even Summer opened her mouth, ready to protest his harshness.
“You said wounded soldiers from the Moro war are coming, right?”
“So?”
“Cookies shaped like medals will have meaning.”
“Medal-shaped?”
For the first time, the chef lowered his rolling pin.
“I’ve seen the Queen award medals. It’s even in the newspaper. If we model them after that, it won’t look rushed. They’ll have special significance.”
Lili explained patiently, and the chef said nothing. Instead, he tossed an apron toward her.
“Since it was your idea, you’re responsible for helping.”
Lili nodded brightly.
“And you! Go straight to Madame Clément’s shop!”
At his command, Martin hurried out.
Lili sketched the medals she had seen in the newspaper.
“They’re octagonal stars, with a round center.”
“Thistle medals, huh?”
The chef sniffed, recognizing the design.
“The outer part is blue, and the center is filled with red jewels. We can replicate that with colored icing.”
“Wow, how did you know the medal colors?”
“I went to war when I was young. I just don’t want to remember it.”
Now fully at peace, Budino spoke quietly to Lili, who held a measuring cup.
“You’re really a strange child.”
Lili frowned mid-sprinkle of almond flour.
“Even you say that to me, Chef?”
“Who else would? Don’t listen to idiots who say things like that.”
The chef grumbled. He seemed embarrassed to thank her and chose instead to blame someone else.
“You just said it yourself.”
Lili widened her eyes, feeling a bit wronged.
“I was complimenting you.”
“Why is that a compliment?”
Yet the chef did nothing to ease her indignation.
“A young lady like you should meet men who praise you for being lovely or beautiful. If she were my daughter, I wouldn’t let her meet that guy.”
He pounded the dough. Then, suddenly shouting in a strained voice:
“Hey! Do I need to watch if the cookies are burning?”
Startled, Lili ran to the oven. She opened the door and the fragrant smell of butter filled her nose.
“Chef! They’re perfectly baked! Look at this!”
“I don’t need to see.”
He sniffed, satisfied.
“Can I take a few cookies with me?”
Finally, the chef smiled.
“Sure, dip them in milk before bed. You’re too thin. You need strength to endure this work.”
