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Chapter 151
Chapter 151. I Can Do It — If It's Me! (4)
Penelope knew it too. Jurgen's ultimate goal was, in the end, the Culinary Revolution.
Penelope, of course, supported that dream.
Everyone at Y&P Trading Company was like family. And among them, Jurgen was no mere colleague.
But Jurgen had gone and done it.
'Well, won't it be fine? Personally, I find myself rather looking forward to it.'
She never imagined he would say that and then do absolutely nothing until the very opening day of The Golden Mermaid — a competitor he didn't even recognise as such!
In the meantime, The Golden Mermaid had smoothly raked in investment funds and successfully recruited a Chef all the way from the capital. What was he thinking, standing by and watching while Marianne could be up to anything?
'It's so frustrating I'll run out myself!'
And so Penelope had grudgingly taken on the role of scout at this gathering, where open side-eyes and cutting remarks were guaranteed.
Thus the banquet began.
"The first menu The Golden Mermaid will present is a Sea Bream Consommé, which Chef Gabriel spent three full days simmering and cooling."
The hall lights dimmed slightly. Like stage lighting, beams of light fell only over each table.
The footmen, with disciplined movements, set down the first appetiser — the Consommé.
"What you see in the centre is Almas, transported from the Eastern Demon Realm — premium Caviar obtainable only from Albino Sturgeon aged sixty to eighty years or more. Please enjoy it alongside the soup."
Penelope studied the dish placed before her with careful eyes.
A Golden Consommé, clear and transparent beyond measure. A spoonful of Caviar glimmered with a lustrous light. And scattered lavishly around it, gold dust.
At the very least, it looked the part.
"You can tell a great deal of care went into this. It's exactly the sort of thing that'll send old folk like me into raptures. What do you think, Lady Penelope?"
"This is Britannia's style of fine dining, after all."
Nothing to be newly surprised about. In this kingdom, high-class food culture ultimately came down to how rare an ingredient was used, and how beautifully it was presented.
Hadn't Penelope experienced that reality firsthand when she borrowed the capital's kitchen for the Royal Culinary Competition not long ago?
"Even so, the essence of cuisine is taste."
"Ha ha ha, that's it."
Almas Caviar and all that grand talk aside. Honestly, it was just Caviar, wasn't it?
On top of that, it had been shipped in from the East over at least a fortnight. Any freshness would have been lost in transit, salted down until nothing remained but a briny flavour.
Penelope idly scooped up the Consommé and Caviar together and put it in her mouth. Baron Keystone brought his spoon to his lips as well.
"……!"
And then silence fell.
Penelope's spooning motion faltered. She glanced to the side and met the eyes of Baron Keystone, who wore a similar expression.
"Hmm…… this is, surprisingly. Quite good. It's very clean."
"Y-yes? The balance is very well matched."
The taste exceeded expectations.
First, the Sea Bream-based stock was remarkably clean. Then, filling in the slightly mild flavour of the stock was the Caviar. Not a simple saltiness, but the fragrance of the fresh sea and a concentrated, rich oiliness that wrapped around the tongue.
"Oh ho! This is delicious!"
"To think Caviar could carry this kind of depth of flavour!"
"As expected of the Blanchards, I suppose!"
Even so, Penelope had eaten plenty of food in her time. She could tell that this Almas Caviar was not particularly different from any other Caviar.
But this Consommé. It was far tastier than anticipated.
It wasn't the dazzling kind of flavour with delicate touches like Jurgen's or Brigitte's cooking. Chef Gabriel had employed almost no technique whatsoever.
And yet, the reason such a taste emerged was the ingredients. The freshness of the product surpassed imagination by a staggering margin.
"It seems they paid extraordinary attention to the quality of the raw ingredients."
Penelope's voice stiffened.
"The next dish is Scallop, seared with beurre arrosé, accompanied by White Asparagus."
"Steamed Sea Bass with a Sea Urchin Cream."
"The next dish is Sea Bass en Papillote, finished with a Basil Sauce. The white fish is wrapped in parchment, gently steamed……"
The dishes that followed were identical to the Consommé and Lobster.
The Chef's technique was kept to a minimum. The sauce was merely an accompaniment; the plating was elaborate but never impeded the taste. All of it existed for one single purpose — to assist the freshness of the raw ingredients.
Was this what Jurgen sometimes referred to as the beauty of negative space?
"Good heavens, I've never seen a Scallop this large!"
"The fish is almost like a steak! Bluefin belly? What on earth is that?"
"The fragrance is absolutely wonderful. They say Chef Gabriel's reputation in the capital is extraordinary. And indeed."
"Far more delicious than I expected. It seems the Blanchard Count Family has come sharpening their blades."
"At this level, the New Year's gathering…… is there really any need to hold it at Royal Kitchen?"
Penelope's expression hardened like stone. Baron Keystone, who had been teasing Penelope with barbed remarks at the start, could now only clear his throat with a gruff ahem.
Jurgen had been wrong. This truly was a crisis!
The service concluded through to the final dessert. At the moment Penelope's anxiety peaked —
On the opposite side of the hall, Marianne, who had been introducing each menu from the podium all this while, smiled.
"Huhuhuhuh……."
Everything was going to plan. Praise erupting from every direction. Marianne realised her vision had landed with perfect precision.
And yet, there was a place her gaze fixed upon with relentless intensity.
The Co-Representative of Y&P Trading Company. Penelope Rosemore, seated at the most tucked-away corner of the hall.
Penelope was perfectly expressionless. Even so, seeing her sitting there with lips pressed tightly shut, she appeared to have grasped the gravity of the situation.
Marianne, savouring the ease of a victor, moved with graceful steps.
Following that gaze, the eyes of those around her shifted as well.
In truth, a clash between these two was the sort of matchup that could captivate anyone in the Social Circles.
On one side, a Young Lady who had been cast out from her family and barely returned — versus on the other, a Countess who had inherited her family. The owner of Y&P Trading Company, which had been leading the food and beverage business — versus the owner of The Golden Mermaid, which was showing every sign of a massive success.
Whichever way it went, wasn't it a most entertaining fight to anticipate?
"My, Lady Penelope. I sent an invitation, but I truly didn't think you'd actually come."
Marianne manufactured her most affectionate voice on purpose and stepped up to Penelope's table.
"Was the meal to your taste?"
"It was a splendid meal. Quite an impression."
A stiff tone that showed no trace of composure whatsoever. Well, with her future so plainly laid out before her, the mere fact that she hadn't gone white in the face and fled deserved praise for its courage.
"I'm relieved. I was a little worried. Y&P does aim for mass appeal, after all……. The culinary philosophy of our Golden Mermaid is a touch different in character, isn't it?"
To translate the hidden meaning within Marianne's words……
'You actually came because I said to come? Well? Feeling a little rattled?'
'It was to your taste, you said? You specialise in commoner food. What would you know?' — That was roughly the gist.
Blatant provocation and a Power Struggle.
"Oh."
"How delightfully tense."
Every gaze in the hall turned toward Penelope.
But who was Penelope? She had a track record of holding her ground, face brazen as iron, even while being cursed at from behind.
Such a halfhearted provocation couldn't leave a scratch on her.
"It seems Y&P has finally found a worthy rival. Congratulations. Countess Blanchard — this venture feels rather different this time."
Penelope smiled and replied. The meaning was: 'You're just reaping what we've sown, aren't you? You've flopped at every business until now, and you've finally seen the light?'
"My! Thank you! I suppose it's because I invested sufficient capital—"
"Indeed. I do hope Y&P Trading Company finds good investors as well. Regrettably, I have yet to inherit any land myself."
"Ho ho ho, that can happen. Incidentally, I'm dreadfully sorry — it seems I'll be stealing a few guests for your New Year's banquet."
"We were fully booked to begin with."
"What a relief! Then please continue championing the people on behalf of Y&P Trading Company next year as well. I've always been rooting for you — it truly seems like such a meaningful venture."
As the two faced each other, smiling like masks without yielding an inch—
"Ahem. Oh dear, it's gotten rather dry in here."
Baron Keystone, as though parched, kept tipping wine down his throat.
***
After the opening of The Golden Mermaid concluded successfully.
Marianne grumbled.
"Ha, that Penelope. Did you hear her earlier? She's got absolutely no manners."
"Were you not the one who provoked her first, Countess?"
"No, the fact she came here at all was her way of saying she wanted to have a go at me."
Marianne flung off the uncomfortable shoes she had worn throughout the banquet and lounged imperiously in the most expensive velvet chair.
On the outside she was muttering away, but inwardly she was euphoric.
Today's opening had been a genuine success, after all.
"So how did the reservations turn out?"
"Reservations have been booked through the next two weeks."
"Two weeks? That's all?"
"It is rather difficult to source the raw ingredients we handle in stable supply. If we accept reservations too far in advance……"
Marianne clicked her tongue in frustration.
"That was a pointless thing to do. Send letters around quickly and bring them back in."
"Pardon?"
"How can you let precious guests walk away like that?!"
"I did explain it to you! The very ingredients we deal in are difficult to supply on a stable basis……"
"I'll sort that out myself."
"But if we take further reservations in this state, there is a chance we may be unable to serve guests the dishes we have promised."
"Then you pay more and get them! In business it's about timing, timing! Today, people were lining up to invest! Leave the money worries to me."
Marianne snapped.
"Bernard kept saying it couldn't be done, it couldn't be done — and I proved it could, didn't I?"
Bernard had nothing to say. For the time being, that was the truth of it.
Marianne patted the shoulder of a silently brooding Bernard.
"I know your loyalty, Bernard. I'm always grateful. Regardless — send the letters out straight away. Accept two more weeks. Understood?"
"Yes, Countess."
"I need to rest a little. Goodness knows how many nights I lost sleep over this."
"Have a good evening, Countess."
Left alone, Bernard gazed at the costly dessert plates — barely touched by guests who had eaten only a single bite and abandoned the rest.
"Haah…… Is this really the right thing……"