Chapter 12 – What I Have To Do
“Sorry, Son, are you thirsty? I’ll make you something to drink first.”
Theodor’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
“Theodor’s drink? Will you make it yourself?”
“Of course! I’ll become my son’s bones and flesh.”
I nodded, got up from my seat, and to the maid waiting next to me I said.
“Please guide me to the kitchen.”
The bewildered maid’s jaw dropped. After all, she had never seen or heard of a noblewoman making a drink herself.
“I, I…”
“Hurry!”
As I rushed her, the baffled maid noticed the old maid standing in the middle of the dining room. The older maid approached me.
“I am Darian, in charge of the meal service. Please come with me.”
She took the lead and I followed her towards the kitchen. Of course, I didn’t forget to reach out to Theodor. Theo ran like a chick and took my hand and said,
“Are you reaaally going to make one for Theodor?”
“Sure.”
Theodor’s voice fluttered as if he was walking on clouds, and as he spoke, Darian looked back and smiled at him; when our eyes met, she bowed lightly and walked a little faster. She opened the door with a ‘bang.’
“Your Highness the Grand Duchess and the Grand Prince are entering!”
Her voice reverberated as if she had given strength to her stomach. The kitchen servants, busy working, looked at us and dropped their tools and bowls. Some even missed the vegetables they were chopping.
It was understandable for them to be dumbfounded, the Grand Duchess and the Young Master entered the kitchen without even finishing the prepared meal.
Of course, some stopped what they were doing instantly and bowed their heads politely.
I picked up an onion that had rolled to my feet and placed it on the countertop. And as I was about to ask a nearby servant for water, I remembered the muddy lime water I drank at the banquet, so I stopped myself.
‘I’m going to make a water purifier first.’
I couldn’t make Theodor drink that foul water, so perfect for making a stomachache.
“Go and wash fresh vegetables and fruits and bring them back. Prepare a grater and cotton cloth.”
“Pardon?”
The servant stuttered with a bewildered expression.
“Is it hard to understand? I’m telling you to bring vegetables, fruits, grater, and cotton cloth.”
That was then.
“I see the Grand Duchess and Grand Prince. I am Chef Lucio.”
A large red-haired man walked over, wiping his hands on his dirty apron, wondering what was going on.
I frowned. The chef was filthy, head to toe. I noticed the kitchen, which was supposed to be clean, was also filthy.
‘I’ll have to do an inspection.’
“What’s the matter?”
There was no time to answer the chef’s grumpy question. Theodor’s throat must be as dry as a rice paddy in a summer drought.
“You, you! Hurry up!”
With my fingertips, I urged the servant and maid, who was standing next to me looking at the chef. Then, as if he had no choice, the servant ran out of the kitchen.
‘He’s probably going to the grocery store, right?’
The younger maid opened the kitchen cabinet and brought a cotton cloth and a grater. The chef looked at the busy young maid and spoke indifferently.
“Look here, I don’t think the Grand Duchess knows…”
I raised my eyebrows at the chef’s interference.
That was then.
The kitchen door swung open and a blonde beauty around the same age as Gerard came in displaying a look of displeasure.
‘Who is she to act so rude?’ I looked at the woman curiously.
“Waahh that Molli!”
Shrinking himself to the size of a chestnut, Theodor hid in the width of my skirt.
The woman must have heard him, but casually inserted herself between the chef and me. And she looked at me defiantly.
“What are you doing, Grand Duchess?”
I immediately responded, staring at her in the same way.
“Who are you?”
“Ah.”
Only then did she bend her knees and bow as if she had just remembered, introducing herself clearly.
“I am Count Molli Darius, Grand Prince Theodor’s nanny. I’m in charge of the Grand Prince’s food and diet.”
‘Are you trying to show off by announcing your position with those haughty eyes? That’s funny. But you won’t get the better of me!’
“So?”
“Yes?”
I shook the cotton cloth the maid brought in her face and wiped her grater with the cloth.
“Get out. From today on, I’ll be taking care of the Grand Prince’s diet myself.”
Molli seemed offended by my command, but she calmly reacted like a noblewoman.
“How could the Grand Duchess take care of the Young Master’s meals? The Grand Duchess must do her work.”
“Work?”
“Yeees.”
“My number one priority is caring for my son so he can grow up healthy. Managing my son’s diet is also important to me.”
For a moment, silence fell in the kitchen.
Theodor crossed his legs like a puppy about to pee, grabbed one of my thighs like it was a tree trunk, and buried his face deeper.
‘How did this shy kid turn into a devil?’ I won’t let it happen, that would never happen.
Each cell of Theodor’s body will receive and eat my full love so that he can grow up nice and kind.
“Here are carrots, radishes, apples, and tomatoes.”
The servant who ran out earlier placed the washed fruits and vegetables on the table.
“Good job. Water to wash my hands…”
The maid quickly brought a basin of water to wash. I washed her hands clean with soap. As I prepared in earnest, Molli spoke again.
“If you’re planning a menu, I will do it.”
Molli’s proposal didn’t seem so bad, but I didn’t like her attitude.
“It’s fine.”
I peeled the already washed carrots and grated them. Then, I put the grated ingredients in a cotton cloth and wrapped long wooden sticks at both ends, and twisted them tightly. Orange carrot juice poured into a glass.
Before I knew it, Theodor freed himself from my skirt, climbed to the table, and putting his elbows on it, rested his head on the backs of his hands while watching with anticipation and excitement.
After I finished with the carrots, I grated the apples and ground them in the same way.
Theo shifted his weight from foot to foot, licking his upper lip with his tongue. For sure, a child was a child.
“Wait, Theo.”
I was sorry I made him cry earlier, so I wanted to make the most delicious drink.
“Honey!”
Someone offered a container to me and placed it on the table. I added honey to the juice and stirred it with a fork.
I knelt and held out the glass to Theo.
But Molli grabbed it first. I couldn’t help but look up at her since she was standing next to me.
‘What? What’s with this cheeky attitude? How dare you do something like that to the Grand Duchess when you’re a mere nanny?’
I definitely felt the need to subdue her and establish my lead. Furthermore, Theodor’s thirst must be quenched quickly.
“Let go.”
“It could be dangerous for the Grand Prince.”
“Are you… doubting me right now?”
“It’s just a matter of following the procedure. We should taste what the Grand Prince would eat first.”
Since the Emperor and the Owens had ordered the child’s death, this tight security seemed desirable. Nevertheless, these boundaries were unpleasant.
“Do you do a poison test just before every meal?”
“…!”
Molli’s face shook lightly. The hand blocking the glass lost strength. I had to be even more firm.
‘Would you be lost if I talked for a moment about ‘The History of Toxicology’ class I took in my sophomore year of college?’
Well, the Emperors of ancient China were called ‘Cheonja,’* but were the top high-risk occupational group exposed to the risk of assassination. Although there may be differences in statistics depending on the point of view, the professor said that a total of 180 Emperors in each successive dynasty were killed.
There was a very high probability that our Theodor, too, would face such an unnatural death.
It was actually what His Majesty desired.
But!
In fact, only about 14 monarchs were poisoned in China because the threat of poisoning was so great that a solid system was created to manage and stop it …
‘Seeing all this fuss, Shlezen Castle is not like that too? Does it mean that you want me, as a senior, to quibble, right?’
Given my modern college education and determination to be recognized as Theodor’s mother, I decided to meticulously critique everything, piece by piece.
‘Now, shall we start with a system check?’
“Theo’s dry, frizzy hair is evidence that he hasn’t eaten nutritious food in some time. Does this mean that you didn’t feed him due to suspicious circumstances?”
Molli removed her hand from the glass, and Theodor, who was very thirsty, quickly tilted it and drank the juice.
“Young Master!”
Molli was startled, but Theodor drank it all first and then answered brightly.
“Ngh, Nanny often doesn’t feed Theodor.”
Molli’s face turned red.
“That’s because it takes time for the poison to spread…”
“Last time, Theodor didn’t eat for two whole nights~” Theodor pouted.
“Some poisons take days to appear.”
I was stunned by the callously ignorant answer.
“It’s very rare that it takes more than a day for a poison to spread. Unless you intend to and continuously administer small amounts of poison. Usually, poison consumed as food appears within an hour and a half at the earliest and at least six hours at the latest.”
Molli hastily tried to interject something, but I gave no room.
“Am I more suspicious of you though?”
“Pardon?”
Molli trembled, but what was it?
Wasn’t it abuse to not feed Theodor? Gerard left the child with these people and stuck himself inside his study to break the curse.
‘Haaa, what is the life of this Grand Duke?’
I remembered having to work only with Tutors A and B to consult with the parents of a student from a semi-chaebol family when I was a part-time teacher.
When I remembered that child’s face full of pretense and hungry for affection, I felt sorry for Theodor.
“In the end, our Theo either starved or ate only food grown cold because of your ignorant tactics.”
Theodor nodded his head vigorously, and Molli groaned, trying to excuse herself.
“Because safety comes first.”
I sighed. Arguing with this arrogant and stubborn noblewoman will only hurt my jaw.
I pictured my Theodor growing up without knowing delicious food. My poor little boy was shaking his empty glass with his head upright and mouth wide open to capture the last drops.
“Would you like more?”
At my question, Theodor put down the glass and nodded his head brightly. I started to grate fresh tomatoes for the second round.
But Molli caught the tomatoes on the grater. I glared at her blue eyes, which were bursting with anger.
——
Cheonja: (天子) Emperor/Son of the heavens.