"Wow, would you look at that visual. This is exactly the kind of plating I see on Insta, isn't it?"
The lavishly crafted tableware, the perfectly arranged tablecloth, and the mouthwatering dishes immediately caught my eye.
And that wasn't all—the delicious aroma that could whet the appetite of someone who had none!
"Just from one glance, it screams Michelin."
As I stared around with wide eyes at the astonishing sight, I felt sidelong glances coming from here and there. Embarrassed for no reason, I quietly closed my slightly parted lips.
"But… this is incredible!"
I knew the household was well-off thanks to the Emperor's favor, but I hadn't imagined it would be to this extent.
The ducal family's dining table was, quite literally, filled with delicacies from land and sea. Even though I couldn't tell what was what, there was one thing I was certain of.
The ingredients on this table probably cost as much as my meager monthly salary used to.
My affection for Edmund deepened even further. Face, body, wealth—there wasn't a single thing lacking in him. My heart could barely handle it.
"I'm a duchess. A noble duchess. Don't fangirl. Don't overreact. Act refined, elegant, dignified. Aristocratic."
"This meal is perfect for a wedding anniversary dinner. It's absolutely to die for—… I mean, it looks truly splendid. Hoho."
Whether it was because of the food or my dazzling husband's good looks, I swallowed the saliva pooling in my mouth as I spoke.
Unlike my pleasant smile, Sasha's face was filled with obvious confusion.
Just moments ago she had been wrinkling her nose at the smell, and now here I was praising it as delicious. Watching her master speak so sweetly made her spine tingle.
"She's not going to suddenly flip the table over, is she?"
Ha-ha… After a brief pause, Sasha scratched her head awkwardly with a sheepish smile.
Soon, a man wearing a chef's hat began introducing the prepared dishes one by one.
"Red currant salad, tomato farci stuffed with pico d'honneur cheese, grilled shrimp with red pepper, and veal cutlets roasted with mushrooms."
The moment I faced him, I instantly knew who he was.
The head chef of the Randolph ducal house, Letin Coco. In the original story, he was someone who loved the food he made and took great pride in it.
Praise can make even a whale dance. So I decided to make use of Coco's shining self-love.
It would take quite some time to earn Edmund's trust. Therefore, if I wanted to live comfortably here, becoming close to the servants was my top priority.
"Tarragon omelet garnished with green beans, cuttlefish grilled in hazelnut butter, and for dessert, raspberry purée, and—!"
"Wow, it's so abundant I can't even count the dishes. You must have worked hard preparing all this, Letin. I'll enjoy it."
I smiled prettily at Letin, who was going on endlessly about the menu. At the same time, the burly man's eyes began to glisten with moisture.
Deeply moved for some reason, the man trembled all the way to his lips before speaking.
"To hear such words from Your Grace… I'm deeply touched. You used to say my food always smelled off and would often scold me. Sniff."
"So it's trendy here to say everything with a smile, huh?"
Letin's broad shoulders shook as he wiped away tears over and over. I felt pricked by guilt, as though I had somehow become the villain. In the awkward atmosphere, I forced the corners of my mouth upward.
What kind of life had this woman lived? I couldn't even begin to imagine. Being so moved over something so small… It was embarrassing, but rather convenient.
Thanks to the original Chloe's misdeeds, my future actions would shine all the brighter.
"What are you talking about, Letin? After preparing such wonderful dishes. Eating food made with so much of your care every day—why, that's truly a happiness."
"Y-Your Grace…!"
Chef Letin covered his mouth with his fist, eyes brimming with tears. Despite his rugged appearance, his face was a mess of tears and snot. I nearly burst out laughing but barely managed to hold it in.
"Oh dear. Letin, your face will be a mess. Here, use this."
I handed him the handkerchief from my sleeve. Sniffling quietly as if overwhelmed, Letin finally broke into full sobs.
"Uwaaah! I had no idea Your Grace was such a warm-hearted person."
Watching him carefully wipe even his runny nose with the flower-patterned handkerchief I'd given him, I smiled silently.
"All right, that's one completely won over."
Just as I patted Letin's shoulder to finish securing my victory, Edmund—who had been quietly observing—spoke curtly, his expression stiff.
"That's some impressive acting."
Then he twisted one corner of his mouth in a scornful smirk.
Damn, did he catch on?
My throat went dry. Cold sweat gathered in my clenched hand.
"No. It can't be. There's no way he'd know that the person inside this body isn't the real one but an outsider. Stay calm. Breathe. It's fine."
I tried to steady my pounding heart at the duke's pointed remark. Then, pretending not to understand at all, I responded lightly—
though my voice trembled pitifully.
"A-Acting?"
"I hear you used to constantly berate the chef for serving food you couldn't stomach. If it doesn't suit your taste, you don't have to force yourself to eat it."
My wavering gaze slowly turned toward Letin. Holding a handkerchief in one hand and his crumpled chef's hat in the other, he lowered his eyes quietly.
"It is my fault for failing to satisfy Your Grace's palate all this time. I can only apologize to you both."
"N-No, that's not it. It really does look delicious. I must have been a bit out of my mind back then. Haha."
Seeing Retin so utterly crestfallen made me anxious, as if the tower I had painstakingly built was about to crumble. I quickly bit my lip and put on an awkward expression.
"If there's anything you need, please just tell me. If it would make you both happy, I'll prepare it with all sincerity, to the best of my ability."
Unlike the smoldering Retin, Edmund seemed annoyed by the situation. He gave a perfunctory nod and gestured for me to go ahead.
"Let's eat. Go on in. It'll get cold."
His unusually gentle words, delivered in a pleasant low voice, rang in my ears. It seemed the provocation in the study earlier had had some effect after all.
'Whew, calm down. It's not time yet.'
Looking at his subtly flushed cheeks against his well-tanned skin, I felt an urge to flip the dining table on the spot—but forced myself to ignore it.
Hiding my dark thoughts behind a bright smile, I answered briefly, "Yes." Then I turned my gaze back to the elaborately set table.
'Hmm, what are all these? This is extremely harmful. So it's not just the food that comes in large quantities?'
At the same time, my brow twisted miserably. My lavender eyes, which had been freely shifting colors from red to blue, trembled faintly.
Facing the countless forks and knives lined up on both sides of the central plate, my whole body tensed and I swallowed dryly.
The small fork and spoon placed above the plate, along with the various large and small glasses of unknown purpose set to the right, made me feel dizzy.
"Ha… wasn't this supposed to be a K-romance fantasy?"
I let out a low groan and muttered irritably. Immediately, I felt Edmund's cool gaze settle on my skin.
"Is there some problem?"
"Haha, no."
His sticky gaze finally withdrew. My stiff expression reflected faintly in the tall, transparent glass.
'Stay calm. Calm down. There's nothing to panic about. I'm okay.'
I gulped down the water in front of me to steady myself. I'd thought there would be just one fork and one knife for a meal. I never imagined it would be this textbook formal.
'Is the one right next to the plate for the main course? Or the one beside that? Or maybe that tiny little fork?'
My large eyes darted back and forth in search of an answer. But my mind was as blank as a pristine white canvas.
'Damn it, I have no idea no matter how I look at it!'
The more time passed, the deeper I sank into the mire. At this moment, I felt like the crane from Aesop's fable—faced with delicious food right in front of me, yet unable to eat it.
A strange sense of betrayal welled up, along with the shame of my ignorance soon to be exposed to the world. My lips trembled.
'No. A Korean with unbreakable will. This kind of trial is nothing.'
I couldn't give up on the steaming, mouthwatering dishes before me.
Therefore, the answer was simple—
I would spy on the others.