Chapter 07 : Let’s Survive First
“It’s because of the way she’s always behaved.”
The Sorfel Duke, who had long since closed his heart to his stepdaughter—the one who caused trouble wherever she went and dragged the ducal family’s reputation through the mud—didn’t believe a single word she said.
First…
She had to win over the Sorfel Duke.
No matter what that bastard Ravi did, she had to make sure none of the filth he stirred up splashed onto her.
But how?
He’d already lost every ounce of affection he might have had for her.
[Hey.]
I’m not even his real daughter.
Even if it had been his biological daughter causing that kind of scandal, he’d probably have thrown her out. How much worse was it when she was just a stepdaughter with no blood relation, ruining the family’s reputation?
[Can you not hear me?]
I’d hate me too.
Why did she have to get into hair-pulling fights with noble ladies in the first place?
[Look at me for a second.]
And at a party with that many people watching.
[Hey! You can hear me, can’t you? You’re listening, right?]
Isn’t there some good way to fix this?
Should she just kneel down and beg for forgiveness?
[You definitely made eye contact with me before. You can see me, can’t you?]
“My lady! So what if I can? What are you going to do about it?”
She was already overwhelmed enough as it was!
Unable to ignore him any longer, Camilla finally responded to the old man who had been following her around and talking to her nonstop for days.
I was trying to ignore him until the very end!
She already had far too much on her mind. Having someone constantly chattering beside her made it impossible to concentrate.
[I… I knew it!]
The old man dressed as a chef—Perol—began trembling violently as if he’d just received the greatest shock of his life.
“I’m not helping with anything.”
Seeing the emotional look in Perol’s eyes, Camilla immediately drew a clear line.
Nothing good ever came from listening to ghosts.
“I’m not passing on messages, solving unfinished business, or helping spirits move on. I won’t do it. I can’t.”
Do I look like I want people throwing rocks at me?
Trying to grant ghosts’ wishes without being branded a lunatic was mentally and physically exhausting.
Ignoring them was almost always the best option.
[Y-You can really see me?]
“I said I won’t. I can’t.”
[Amazing! Incredible! You can really see me! And you can hear my voice too?]
He’s not listening at all.
Watching the old man become excited all by himself without paying the slightest attention to what she’d said, Camilla slowly shook her head.
Now is really not the time for this.
She forcefully pushed him out of her mind.
At this rate, she herself might end up wandering the world as a ghost before long.
Somehow…
She had to win over the Sorfel Duke.
“Ugh! How am I supposed to know what the Duke likes or dislikes? I don’t know anything! What am I supposed to do?”
Camilla had hardly interacted with the Duke.
The only times they ever really faced each other were after she’d caused trouble and was being scolded.
Naturally, she had no idea what he enjoyed or what pleased him.
[The Duke’s favorite things?]
At that moment, Perol spoke again.
He had somehow moved close to her without her noticing and smiled warmly.
[That, Miss Camilla… I know very well.]
“…!”
[I’ve worked here ever since our Duke was just a baby.]
Camilla, who had been sitting there dejectedly, shot to her feet.
“Elder!”
Chapter: Let’s Survive First
“Hmm.”
Early the next morning, the Sorfel Duke went out for a walk for the first time in a long while.
His official duties had kept him so busy lately that he’d barely had any free time.
Now that he finally had a peaceful morning, he intended to enjoy it to the fullest.
It’s been a long time since I came here.
His destination was the garden filled with blooming baby’s breath flowers.
The countless white blossoms spread across the garden like a sea of morning mist, creating a breathtaking sight.
Hm?
Just then—
As he leisurely admired the flowers glistening with the dawn dew, his eyes widened slightly.
Camilla?
He spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
Standing in the middle of the baby’s breath garden was Camilla, apparently doing something.
The Sorfel Duke’s brow immediately furrowed.
Don’t tell me that girl is at it again…!
Something similar had happened before.
Camilla had once dug up a perfectly fine rose garden, leaving it completely destroyed.
Just as always, she’d kept her mouth tightly shut and offered no explanation whatsoever.
He had assumed she’d simply done it for no reason.
Back then, he’d let it go.
A rose garden could always be replanted.
But this place…
This garden was different.
“Camilla!”
Calling out in a somewhat harsh voice, the Sorfel Duke quickly strode over.
He grabbed her firmly by the shoulder as she repeatedly bent down and stood back up.
Rustle.
“…!”
Startled by the sudden contact, whatever Camilla had been holding slipped from her hands and fell to the ground.
They were baby’s breath flowers.
“Ah…”
Looking slightly surprised, Camilla glanced up at the Duke before immediately turning her gaze toward the fallen flowers with obvious regret.
She quickly bent down and carefully picked them up one by one.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was picking flowers.”
“Flowers?”
After gathering every last flower, Camilla stood back up.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she met the Duke’s puzzled gaze.
“I wanted to decorate your room with them, Father.”
“My room?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“When I saw your office the other day, it felt far too bleak.”
The Sorfel Duke looked at Camilla with an incredibly complicated expression.
She’d been picking flowers…
To decorate his office?
What had gotten into her all of a sudden?
She was never the type to do something like this.
“Would that be all right?”
Holding an armful of baby’s breath, Camilla looked at him cautiously.
For a long moment, the Sorfel Duke couldn’t say a word.
Finally…
“Do as you wish.”
He gave her his brief permission.
“Thank you very much!”
Camilla’s face instantly lit up.
Watching her smile, the Duke’s expression became even more unreadable.
“I’ll arrange them in a vase and bring them to you soon!”
With that, Camilla hurried away.
As she left the flower garden, the smile on her face grew even brighter.
“So it’s true that the Duke likes baby’s breath?”
She murmured quietly.
Someone answered her.
[Yes, Miss Camilla.]
It was Derin, the butler’s ghost, whose agile figure made him seem far too lively to be an old man.
Not long after she’d spoken with Perol, Derin had sought her out as well.
Having already heard everything from Perol, he’d immediately offered to help.
He volunteered to tell her all the useful information he knew.
According to him, there was no reason not to help when Camilla—who had always been treated like an outsider within the ducal household—was finally trying to earn her father’s approval.
The very first thing Derin told her about…
Was this baby’s breath garden.
[The late Duchess loved baby’s breath more than anything. She personally cared for this garden herself.]
The “late Duchess” referred to the mother of the current Sorfel Duke, who had passed away many years ago.
[Because of her, His Grace has always held these flowers especially dear.]
Listening to Derin, Camilla quietly nodded.
It didn’t seem like he was lying.
The way the Sorfel Duke had looked at her just moments ago had definitely been different from usual.
For the first time…
The indifferent eyes he always turned toward her had shown the slightest ripple of emotion.
That alone was an important first step.
I’ve managed to open the door.
Now…
Time for the next step.
* * *
“No.”
The moment she entered the kitchen, Zelard stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
Camilla clicked her tongue.
This really reminds me how the old Camilla was treated around here.
She was still the Duke’s daughter.
Not by blood, perhaps—but his daughter nonetheless.
Couldn’t he at least pretend to think about it?
At her request to borrow the kitchen, Head Chef Zelard shook his head without even a second of hesitation.
Judging by the fire burning in his eyes, he clearly still held a grudge over the time she’d criticized his cooking and thrown him out.
“Why?”
“It’s dangerous.”
“What’s dangerous?”
“The kitchen is full of dangerous tools. Hot oil can splatter and cause burns. This is no place for a young lady.”
He claimed it was for her safety…
But the look in his eyes clearly said:
“Who do you think you are to come in here?”
To him, the kitchen was sacred ground.
The thought of someone who knew absolutely nothing about cooking barging in was unbearable.
Which was why—
“I need to use it.”
“It’s dangerous.”
He kept repeating the same line without a trace of creativity.
“There’s a dish I absolutely have to make. Move.”
“If you tell me what it is, I’ll prepare it for you.”
“It’s something you don’t know how to make.”
“…Pardon?”
The confidence on Zelard’s face instantly disappeared.
His cheeks flushed red.
For a while, he could only open and close his mouth in disbelief before finally speaking again.
“Are you saying there’s a dish I can’t make… but you can?”
“Yep.”
“Ha…”
Now he openly sneered.
There couldn’t possibly be a dish in the world that he didn’t know how to make.
Well…
Maybe there was.
But there was absolutely no way Camilla could make it.
…No.
Unless she meant some garbage that commoners ate.
Perhaps she intended to cook something she’d eaten back when she lived in that backwater village.
“I see.”
Having reached his own conclusion, Zelard stepped aside from the kitchen entrance.
He had no idea what she intended to cook.
But he fully intended to laugh at her when she failed.
“Go ahead, then.”
Leading her toward a workstation lined with cutting boards and knives, Zelard silently signaled the other kitchen staff with his eyes.
Don’t help her.
That was the unspoken order.
In a kitchen this large…
Could she even find the ingredients by herself?
Though honestly, even without his warning, no one here would have lifted a finger to help Camilla.
“…”
Camilla slowly examined one of the knives lying beside the cutting board before picking it up.
The blade was exceptionally sharp.
She liked it.
Shing.
“This one’s nice.”
“I’m glad you—… Why are you coming over here?”
Seeing Camilla stride toward him with the knife in her hand, Zelard instinctively stepped back.
Wait…
Is she planning to threaten me with that knife?
Or stab me?
Considering how she’d behaved in the past, it wouldn’t be out of character—
THUNK!
“…!”
Contrary to Zelard’s expectations, Camilla slammed the knife straight into a nearby wooden board.
The loud impact froze him in place.
Then she looked directly at him.
“Let’s make a bet.”
“A… a bet?”
“Yeah.”
“Whether or not I can make a dish that you’ll want to learn.”
“You…?”
His initial shock quickly turned into ridicule.
A mocking smile spread across his face.
Was she actually serious?
