After my market trip, I returned to the castle with Tom, who was carrying the fruit and sheets I had bought.
"Leave me some fruit please," I said before Tom handed me five firefruits.
"Of course, miss. Enjoy your fruit," Tom said with a smile.
"Thank you, Tom. You're very kind," I said, returning his smile.
I went straight to my room to leave the fruit there. I lay down on my bed in the hope of finally getting some rest, but the door opened.
"Leora, you're back " said Zara, jumping on top of me.
"What's the matter, Zara?" I asked as I set Zara down on the floor. She was skinny but she was heavy.
"Well, I told my dad about you and your cooking and he said he wanted to meet you," she said, and I don't know why I started to stress. But I was up for the challenge.
"Well, let's go and meet him," I said, as I got out of bed and stretched a bit. I couldn't see what could go wrong. I had nothing to hide, and I had nothing to fear.
"He told us to meet him directly in the kitchen," Zara said, taking my hand. She was eager to introduce me to her father;
"I remember where the kitchen is, you don't have to hold my hand," I said, but Zara squeezed my hand even tighter.
"No, I want to hold your hand," she said, before dragging me with incredible speed to the kitchen door.
I sighed heavily, before putting my hand on the door handle.
"Here goes nothing," I said, before opening the door.
I was surprised, because I saw that Zara's father looked just like her, with the same blue eyes and blond hair. It was as if he had copied and pasted all his children. But what surprised me the most was that he too was super skinny, he only had skin on his bones.
He was sitting at a large table, surrounded by plates and bowls of food. He was eating with a fork and knife, but he didn't seem to enjoy it. He looked bored and unhappy, as if he was forced to eat.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said, almost getting down on one knee. I wanted to show him respect, and gratitude.
"No, don't bother, get up Leora. I've heard you cook better than any of the chefs my wife has hired," he said, with a look of regret on his face. He sounded disappointed, and dissatisfied.
"Yes," I said, politely enough. I didn't know what else to say. I turned my head, and saw the chefs who had been there the first day, all glaring at me. They looked angry and jealous. But it's not my fault if there food taste bad.
I took a deep breath, and decided to accept the challenge.
"Master, I would be honored to cook for you. What would you like to try?" I asked him, with a smile.
I walked towards the kitchen counter with a resigned sigh. I saw a large pot of water boiling on the stove, and a basket of vegetables on the side. They looked fresh and colorful, but I knew they wouldn't be enough to satisfy the master's appetite. I decided to make a simple soup, using whatever ingredients I could find in the pantry.
I grabbed a knife, and started chopping some carrots, potatoes, onions, and celery. I tried to make them as small and uniform as possible, hoping to create some texture and flavor in the soup.
I added some salt, pepper, and herbs to the water, and then threw in the chopped vegetables. I stirred the soup gently, and let it simmer for a while. I hoped it would thicken and become more hearty, but I knew it was a long shot.
I glanced at the master, who was watching me with a bored expression. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and eyes half-closed. He didn't seem impressed by my cooking skills, or by the soup I was making.
He probably expected something more elaborate, or more exotic. Something that would match his refined taste and lavish lifestyle. Something that I could never provide.
"Is that all you're going to make?" he asked me, with a hint of disdain in his voice.
"Yes, master. A simple soup, but with a lot of flavor," I said, confidently. I knew that my soup was good, even if it looked plain.
Anyway, even a dish to be heated would be better than one of these cooks' dishes.
"Hmm, we'll see about that," he said, skeptically. He picked up a spoon, and scooped some soup from the pot. He brought it to his mouth, and tasted it.
His eyes widened, and his mouth curved into a smile. He looked surprised, and delighted. He took another spoonful, and then another. He slurped the soup loudly, and licked his lips.
"This is... this is amazing!" he exclaimed, with genuine enthusiasm. "This is the best soup I've ever had in my life! How did you do it?"
I smiled, and felt a surge of pride. I had won him over with my simple soup. He must have eaten only bad food.
"I just used fresh ingredients, and seasoned them well. Nothing too fancy, just good cooking," I said, modestly.
"Well, you have a gift, Leora. A gift that none of these chefs have," he said, gesturing to the other cooks, who looked stunned and envious. "You have a talent for making delicious food, with whatever you have at hand. You are a natural cook, Leora. And from now on, you are the main cook of this castle."
He stood up, and walked toward chef Sebastian and took his badge before giving it to me. That's what you get ofr being mean to me on the first day. I thought watching Sebastian with a smirk.
"Thank you, master. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I won't let you down," I said, sincerely.
"No, thank you, Leora. Thank you for making me happy, with your wonderful food. And please, call me Leo. You are the best cook here." he says, patting me on the shoulder in a friendly manner.
"You won't have to work as a servant any more, and you can even spend all your time in the kitchen if you like," Leo said before walking out of the kitchen and Chef Sebastian looked at me angrily.
" Don't look at me like that, I'm the new top chef here." I said with a smirk and that made Sebastian even more angry.
"Just because the boss gave you my role doesn't mean you're going to be liked here," said Sebastian, but to his surprise all the chefs in the kitchen approached me.
"Please teach us all about your technique," they all said at the same time, begging me.
"Why not", I said with a big smile, I wasn't used to cooking with other people but it could be interesting.