Within moments, Jack and Vanessa were in the kitchen, beginning preparations long before the event was due to start.
They weren't alone. Sil Bernard had personally selected a small group of maids, each trained to cook for nobility, to assist in the work ahead. But that being said.
Why did he bring all these women in? Does he think I'll mess up… or worse, run off because the work's too much?
Jack furrowed his brows, his expression grave as he considered the thought.
"Excuse me, sir, but we're awaiting your instructions to begin prepping," one of the maids said, stepping forward with a slight bow, her tone polite but firm.
There were seven maids in total, Vanessa included, though she seemed unusually detached from what was happening.
Jack let out a low sigh before muttering, "Oh, it's time already?" as he coughed softly to clear his throat.
After a brief pause, he asked again, his voice measured, "How much time do we have before the event starts?"
"Not much, I think about thirty minutes or less."
"That much? Then we have a bit of time before the food needs to be ready," Jack replied with a soft smile. "I'll step out for a moment and see if I recognize any of the guests arriving."
He started moving toward the door, but the maid quickly interjected, her voice cautious, "But sir, there isn't much time to spare. If the food is late to the tables, we could get in trouble."
Vanessa stepped forward, slightly tilting her head. "What seems to be the matter?" she asked, her tone calm but curious.
The maid shrugged. "Nothing, it's just that we don't have enough time to get everything ready before the main dish is requested."
Vanessa blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. She couldn't understand why Jack would plan to leave when they were already out of time. And why was he so calm about it, as if the entire event depended on nothing more than a stroll outside?
Jack straightened slightly, holding the bow a moment longer before rising.
"Excuse me, ladies," he said politely.
"Hm?" Vanessa muttered, looking at him with a small smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, her voice firm as she stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowing slightly. Jack remained at the door, poised and respectful, ready to leave the kitchen but clearly caught in her gaze.
"Nothing. I just thought it'd be a good idea to take a look around before everything begins, just like you suggested earlier," Jack said, casually throwing her own words back at her. But he'd overlooked one small detail,
namely, Vanessa had never actually shown him any of the places she'd been talking about in the first place.
Vanessa let out a soft chuckle, not knowing that she was about to be maneuvered by Jack.
"...You think so?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Yes," Jack replied with a calm yet certain voice. "If you'll excuse me," he continued, taking a measured step back before turning and going out of the kitchen.
All the maids stared at Vanessa, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief. They couldn't understand why she wasn't urging Jack to stay and take charge as head cook. Everything in the event depended on him, and without his supervision, they knew in their bones that everything was bound to fall apart.
The maid behind Vanessa parted her lips, then pressed them together again. Her eyes flicked to Vanessa, then down at the floor, and her shoulders stiffened a bit.
...And for a brief moment, the kitchen fell silent with everyone surveying Vanessa, who was wearing a carefree smile across her expression with a relaxed posture while facing the exit.
"Miss Vee," The maid murmured, referring to Vanessa, her tone slightly hesitant, knowing that there was no other way to sort out their current dilemma without Vanessa's assistant.
"What is it?" Replied Vanessa, her smile unwavering.
"Was it a good idea to let the head chef leave without leaving any instructions? ...I mean... What if the master decides to visit us and finds us doing nothing but staring at the dishes?"
Vanessa shrugged.
She's right… I didn't think that part through. But I'm sure Mister Jack knows what he's doing. I think…
She let out a low sigh and grimaced at the maid behind, unsure of what to do or how to proceed further.
"We'll just have to wait until he comes back," She said, lifting her shoulders in another small shrug. "He'll probably show up in a minute or so. We just have to be patient."
"If you say so... But I'm not convinced he'll be coming back in a minute. He just left, and what are we supposed to tell the master if he walks in? I—I don't mean to be rude, Miss Vee, but... Why do you trust Mister Chef so much?" The maid said, her voice edging into a wry tone.
"I... don't know. But, if I had to guess, it's probably because he smells a lot like Vikki." Vanessa admitted, her smile wavering a little as she straightened herself, trying to sound more confident than she actually felt.
"And don't worry about the master. I'll try to handle things for now." She added.
In truth, she had no idea what to do next after boldly claiming that she would "handle things." Besides, working with others had never been her strength; she was used to doing everything on her own, and the only reason she was even in the kitchen was that she wanted to watch a gentleman cook... Not to oversee the maids or anything.
Moments later, Jack was walking down the narrowing corridor, taking in the mansion's layout while keeping a discreet eye on one of the maids who had been trailing him ever since the moment he stepped out of the kitchen.
She'd been lingering outside the doorway earlier, cleaning a path of the wooden floor that didn't look dirty in the slightest. Maybe she really had been working, but the way she kept shadowing him made it hard to believe that. Every time Jack tried to glance back, she froze and shifted her gaze elsewhere, pretending to busy herself. But her expression said otherwise.
It's hard to tell what she wants. Is she lost, or is she suspicious of me for wandering around her master's house? If that's the case, she's doing a poor job of trailing me. Should I enlighten her on the proper way to follow someone? Or maybe I just leave her be.
That doesn't sound half bad. If I leave her alone, she might end up showing me all the important locations without me touching a single door.
Jack slowed his pace just enough to make the maid think he was about to stop at the next door ahead.
"...Uh huh?"
The maid, having fallen for his ruse, panicked and quickened her pace, trying to intimidate Jack that any misstep on his part would have a witness.
When Jack reached the door, he walked past it without so much as a glance. His hands slipped into his coat pockets, and a small, satisfied smile spread across his face, pleased that his plan was already unfolding exactly as he had intended.
The maid slowed her pace, and as she passed the door, she cast a quick, confused glance at it, wondering what the man was attempting. But it only took a few moments studying Jack's posture for her to realize that she was being unwittingly used to reveal all the important rooms.
She exhaled, relief softening her features. Then she nodded to herself, steeling her resolve. It was time to stop being played by someone like Jack, though she had no idea who Jack really was; she harbored only suspicions.
A few minutes later, it seemed the maid had stopped following him. Looking around, she was nowhere to be seen; in fact, the mansion almost felt deserted, the usual bustle of workers replaced by an eerie stillness. Yet, Jack had managed to secure a vantage point—a perfect spot to observe the guests as they arrived at the mansion.
It wasn't a hidden perch. Jack stood on a broad, open balcony that jutted from the mansion's upper floor, its polished stone railings gleaming in the sunlight. From here, the city stretched out clearly, every road and rooftop visible. Anyone glancing up could spot him, but the open air and elevated view gave him a perfect vantage to watch the arriving guests.
But he was slightly too late; even from his vantage point, he could see that several of the guests had already arrived, judging by the ornate carriages and polished vehicles parked at a distance.
"Sure, there'll be a lot of guests."
Jack exhaled softly, his eyes sweeping over the arriving vehicles and carriages below. From what he could see, five had already reached the mansion. If each vehicle carried two or three people, the total number of early arrivals might barely scratch double digits.