The Kitchen was so spacious with different sections. The floors were covered in marbles and the wall were made of bricks with flower patterns imprinted on it, there were also a lot of cabinets, a big pot was at the corner on a large stove. A halfbag of charcoal was leaning on the wall beside the stove and its surroundings were neat, not a single charcoal on the floor.
The windows were thin and tall, the glass panels were opened outward letting enough light in, The room had a smell of freshly baked bread. There were tables lined at a side and a large table that a man in white robes was busy chopping vegetables and the way he was slightly bent, Kamigani could tell he was old, the woman that brought her to her room was dressed in dark brown robes drying the plates and arranging them neatly in a roll, the third person was also dressed in white robes standing at a table decorating a cake. They were all busy they didn't even turn to look at them.
"Lets see, work is almost done here." Winter told her grinning like she was glad there was nothing to do.
Kamigani could see the kitchen was indeed sparking and she could guess it wasn't time to make lunch yet. Her stomach grumbled at the thought of food.
"Oh my bad, you haven't eaten, come..." Winter opened a cabinet and brought out two bowls, she opened one and the aroma was enough for Kamigani to feel faint, she doesn't want to drool and quickly collected the bowl when Winter handed it to her.
It was some type of croquette Kamigani had never seen. The other plate was filled with chicken soup.
"They will be cleaning the dinning now, lets sit over there." Winter pointed to a table.
They took their sit on a stool and Kamigani started eating, Winter placed a jug of orange juice on the table.
The meal was so delicious, she continued eating it even though she was filled up. She almost laughed when her mind drifted to Ayante cutting her head off if she sees the amount of food she was eating. The orange juice was fresh and it was the best meal she ever tasted.
"Thank you." She said when she was through.
"No problem." Winter took the plates, Kamigani on her trail. The woman drying the plates collected it and started washing it.
"I can help her dry the plates." Kamigani suggested as soon as she spotted the pile of plates that were still wet and she looked around for a cloth she can use.
"Oh no." Winter collected the cloth she took from the rack. "That will be a bit difficult because Madame is deaf and dumb, we don't even know her name we just call her Madame and for you not to see someone with her it means she wants to do it alone, she has two servants assigned to her." She explained.
"Okay..." She nodded and turned to the oldman. "I can cut vegetables." Kamigani told her a little proud she knows how to cut vegetables even though she doesn't know how to cook since Ayante said they were not required to know how to cook.
"Him?" She gestured to the oldman chopping vegetables. "Oh no no no he is called Goldman like old man not his real name, he refused to retire even after his Majesty gave him a house and lot of amenities but still he insisted on chopping the vegetables his Majesty will eat and making wine out of grapes for him. Do you know what happened after that?"
"What?" Kamigani was a bit interested.
"His Majesty sent him home and boom he started crying and refused to eat, his children got tired and had to come to the palace to beg for his Majesty to take him back, his Majesty doesn't have a choice and allowed him to continue chopping the vegetables and making wine, he even supervises the carrot field, come." She led her to the table the oldman was, sitting on a stool and cutting the vegetables slowly. His hands steady.
Kamigani eyes widen when she finally noticed the beautiful way he was dicing the carrots in beautiful square shapes without one diced carrot being bigger than the other, Some were rectangle shapes and Kamigani knows it wasn't possible for the King not to notice the shapes of these carrots. This was an art mastered.
"Winter, you brought a friend." He said slowly rasing his head to smile at Kamigani. He had a friendly warm smile.
"Yes she is new here." Winter told him grinning as she gave him a quick hug.
Kamigani bowed. "I am Kamigani."
"A rear name." He said. "Bring that jug Winter, I just famented some grapes, a non alcoholic one"
Winter smiled and took the jug, she poured a small content in a cup and gave it to Kamigani. "Here drink it and tell us how it taste." She said eagerly gesturing for her to drink.
Kamigani collected it and took a sip. She closed her eyes and could almost see herself in a field of grape trees and bright sunflowers surrounding her. It was bliss. "I want to learn!" she blurted out as soon as she opened her eyes. Her cheeks reden in embarrassment as she realised what she just said. "Sorry." She muttered handing over the cup to Winter.
"Wait till this evening, I will make a cup for you." Goldman smiled pleased with her reply.
"Thank you." Kamigani smiled. It was hard not to smile in presence of these people. It was weird she was smiling willingly but she was a little happy at how nice things were going.
"Why don't you help him." She suggested and pointed at the man busy decorating the cake.
"I don't know how..." Kamigani trailed off, it was a bit embarrassing for her to admit she doesn't even know how to make a decent meal and knows nothing about cakes.
"Don't worry he is my brother Aenti and quite a gentleman, he is a chef and clearly works here, he spends most time here." Winter said and walked up to the table and beckon for Kamigani to come closer.
Kamigani moved towards the table and she almost gasp. The cake was dressed in a simple white fondant and Aenti was busy placing yellow flowers made in shape of roses made out of fondant in different sizes on it along with tiny silver wraps at the end of a long silver sticks.
It was simple and so beautiful that Kamigani wanted to imprint this beautiful image in her memory.
"Winter have you seen Quotos?" He asked without turning to look at them as he inserted a silver stick at the center of a flower.
"Yesterday." Winter replied. "She was set free but I doubt Lord Daminas will allow her walk freely without monitoring her movement." She told him and carefully picked the only fondant shaped in a star.
"Don't touch that." Aenti told her.
"Winter when will you go and get the basket of walnuts at the King's market." Aenti said but didn't turn look at to them.
"Oh gosh..." Winter rolled her eyes and turned to Kamigani. "Am sorry I have to run but Aenti here will take care of you, just stay here and I will be right back." She said before running off and it wasn't long before she came running back.
"I don't need anything." Aenti said as he placed the biggest flower at the center of the cakes and took another one.
"Not you.." Winter said as she took a deep breath turning to Kamigani, she grabbed her shoulders. "Stay here and remember if anybody ask you to like come with them just tell them you are his Majesty's personal maid." She said and ran off.
Aenti stopped abruptly and turned his mouth opened in shock. "His Majesty's....?"
Kamigani turned to him only for the flower he was holding to fall on the floor and his cheeks was tinted with a hint of red which spreads to his neck.
Looking at him no one could doubt he was Winter's brother, they had same facial features except he had a more defined jaw and sharp hawk nose, he was also lean and tall.
"Hi... hmmm hi... am.. Aenti... my Lady." He said awkwardly like he wasn't the one talking freely to Winter. His eyes darted everywhere and he folded his hands in front of him.
Kamigani frowned. "I am not a Lady." She corrected. "I am the...." She doesn't know whether to tell him she's just a servant or the King's personal maid. "A maid." She concluded and picked up the flower he dropped.
"So sorry...." He said but made no move to collect it from her, it was already a waste.
"I will just throw this out." She concluded and could see Aenti's face was abnormally red as he scratched his ear nervously.
She doesn't know why he was acting weird and since it was getting weirder she quickly left the room only to almost collide with Winter.
"I changed my mind, my brother has a weak heart to pretty women so you are coming with me." She said breathing hard as she tried to catch her breath.
Kamigani was glad to find a way out of the room. She doesn't know how to survive with someone acting so odd suddenly.