She then served a fragrant cup of tea. It was brewed by the lady herself. The maid, Maureen, stood guard at the door like a sentinel. Garda thought that Jill must belong to an old noble lineage. Her mannerisms suggested someone who cared deeply about tea.
Suppressing his thirst, Garda chose to speak before drinking the tea.
“You said your name was Jill, right? I’m Garda, a leatherworker.”
“Yes, welcome to my home.”
“I don’t know much about you. All I’ve heard from Matthew is that you enjoy making clothes and hats, live in a forest mansion, and now want to try your hand at leatherworking… Is that right?”
“Yes, I asked Mr. Matthew if he could find someone to teach me about leather.”
Garda folded his arms and frowned at Jill’s words.
“I’m sorry, but it’s hard to teach someone who isn’t a disciple or even another craftsman. This applies to any other craftsman as well… No, to be honest, just hearing about it might make some yell at you.”
“I see… Well, I thought it might be difficult.”
Jill responded lightly, without showing much disappointment.
“I’m not saying this to be mean. It’s just that half-hearted work could cause problems.”
“Half-hearted?”
“If someone imitates and creates something impressive, I might be okay with it. It’s common for craftsmen to steal techniques by observing others. But if someone half-heartedly imitates me and then goes around saying they learned it from me, producing poor-quality work, it would ruin the reputation passed down to me by my master. I’d have no choice but to hang myself out of shame.”
“Hanging yourself is not a good idea.”
Jill calmly responded.
Jill was unwavering.
Garda felt a bit out of sync with her.
But he had to say what needed to be said.
“…That’s why, if I can trust that you won’t tarnish the reputation, I might be willing to teach you.”
“Really?”
Jill was so surprised that she stood up from her chair to look at Garda’s face.
Garda, feeling a bit embarrassed, turned his face away.
“Well, I can’t teach you everything. There are many things I can only teach a disciple.”
“No, that’s perfectly fine!”
At that moment, Matthew interjected.
“Garda, what do you mean by ‘trusting’? And besides, there’s something we need to discuss, isn’t there?”
“This young lady was the one who first asked for a favor, right? Then it’s only proper to address her request first.”
“You know…”
Matthew sighed in frustration. But Garda wasn’t willing to back down here. Whether seeking help or offering advice, he wouldn’t team up with someone he couldn’t trust.
“So, what do I need to do to earn your trust?”
Jill asked, undisturbed by the tension between the two men.
“You get straight to the point.”
“So do you.”
Jill smiled defiantly.
Garda thought she had a good face for such a challenging tone.
But Garda hesitated. At first, he thought he would judge by looking at the clothes and hats Jill had made. But that would only show her skill, not whether she was trustworthy.
Garda had become a master craftsman at a young age, encountering many other craftsmen along the way. He knew from experience that some people had genius-level skill but a terrible personality.
What Garda wanted to see was whether Jill respected the craft and whether her newfound skills held any conviction.
The hint to this lay in the tea.
The moment he sipped it, he felt it was delicious.
At that moment, Garda came to a realization.
This woman, Jill, clearly had some connection to the “previous owner of the mansion.”
Garda decided to trust his instincts.
“All right, I’ve made up my mind… Make me a Pepe.”
◆
A little before Garda and the others visited the mansion.
Jill decided to take the day off.
Although, to be precise, Jill hadn’t even opened her general store yet. A day off was simply a day she decided to rest. Moreover, now she had a reliable ally in Maureen.
Even though magic could greatly streamline cleaning and laundry, the mansion was large, and it had been difficult to manage it alone. But now, Jill could take rest days, read books, feed Karappa, cook, and spend her time leisurely. Though she asked Maureen for help with various tasks, it seemed Maureen actually found the workload a bit underwhelming. Maureen was even seriously considering learning how to ride Karappa out of sheer boredom.
“Well then, let’s spend the day relaxing… Maybe I’ll make some sweets later and have tea with Maureen.”
“The forest is receiving visitors. One of them seems to have an invitation.”
However, Jill’s freedom was interrupted when the “Book” announced the arrival of guests.
The pages turned on their own, revealing the image of two figures standing at the mansion’s front gate.
“Oh, it’s Mr. Matthew.”
“The man who came the other day is bringing another man with him.”
“Could it be about the leather?”
“I cannot say for sure.”
“Well, that’s fine. Acacia, please open the gate.”
Jill used the Acacia Book to remotely open the front gate.
The unfamiliar man was visibly startled by the gate opening on its own.
At a glance, he appeared to be a commoner.
He was a rugged-looking man with black hair, exuding an air of a craftsman.
Jill could tell by his rough, calloused hands.
They weren’t the callouses of a swordsman.
These were likely the thick yet delicate fingers of someone who handled scissors or chisels.
“Good day, Mr. Matthew. Who is this gentleman?”
“Uh, hello…”
Matthew looked surprised.
Odd. It shouldn’t be that unusual for the gate to open on its own… Jill thought.
“Is something the matter?”
“No, it’s just that you’re dressed like a man, so I was a bit taken aback.”
“Oh.”
Jill was wearing pants instead of a skirt today.
She had on a pair of black culottes that were three-quarter length. The wide-leg design made the overall silhouette resemble a long, inverted triangle. She paired it with a white tunic, creating a chic and mature look.
However, in the culture of the Dailan Magic Kingdom, it was uncommon for women to wear pants. Jill had been browsing fashion magazines and had naturally come to accept “women wearing pants” as a given. In fact, she had begun to find it odd that women in this country—or rather, this world—didn’t wear pants.
“Oh, didn’t you know? These kinds of pants are all the rage in countries across the sea.”
“Huh?”
So Jill tried to play it off.
“I see… I wasn’t aware of that. My apologies for my ignorance.”
“And besides, they’re easier for riding horses, don’t you think?”
“That’s true. But wouldn’t it be better if the hem were tapered rather than flared? It could get caught in the stirrups.”
“Uh…”
“But this is, how should I put it… revolutionary. Conservative folks might push back, but on the flip side, it could gain support from reformists as a new fashion trend.”
“Right? Right?”
Yes, I pulled it off! Jill clenched her fist internally.
“In any case, let’s not stand here talking. Please, come inside.”
And so, she was introduced to a man named Garda, a leatherworker.
However, after speaking with him, Jill found him to be quite stubborn.
Garda declared that he had no intention of teaching anything to someone he didn’t deem trustworthy.
(Well, there are stubborn people like this. I understand how he feels.)
However, Jill didn’t take this as a bad impression.
In fact, she was even excited to see what kind of unreasonable demands he might make.
But the condition Garda set was something Jill hadn’t anticipated at all.
“Alright, I’ve decided… Make me a Pepe.”
“Understo—wait, Pepe?”
“Can you make it?”
For a moment, Jill thought he was joking, but Garda was completely serious.
Matthew, sounding exasperated, interjected.
“Garda, isn’t this unrelated to whether or not she’s trustworthy? Besides, you never mentioned such a condition!”
“I won’t back down on this. Teaching someone a skill, even if they’re not an official apprentice, makes them like a student. It’s my responsibility.”
It was likely something they hadn’t discussed beforehand.
Matthew, rarely showing anger, was confronting Garda with a stern expression.
“Why Pepe, of all things?”
“…If you live in this mansion, it’s a dish you should know.”
Garda was looking at Jill with a serious expression, not at Matthew.
He was expecting something from her.
“There used to be a restaurant here.”
“…So it seems.”
Jill quickly realized he was referring to Conrad from when he was still alive.
She recalled Conrad’s will.
(He wrote that he spent his days in the pursuit of beauty. He lived a happy life.)
So, what was the beauty that Conrad pursued?
After making several visits to the town of Shelland, Jill had come to understand this naturally.
It was gastronomy.
The dishes Conrad had prepared for Jill were all unique. They had no direct connection to the traditional recipes of the Dailan Magic Kingdom. Nor were they the same as foreign recipes from across the sea. Yet, they were too refined to be called purely Conrad’s originals. You could feel the rich culture and environment behind the cuisine.
Since Conrad’s death, Jill had thought she would have to recreate those dishes herself. But somehow, Conrad’s cooking existed in the cafes and restaurants of Shelland. The pudding, in particular, was a prime example.
And now, the dish Garda mentioned was also one of Conrad’s specialties.
“There’s debate about what the most delicious dish at the restaurant was. People could get into heated arguments about it. But when it comes to the basic menu, many would say Pepe. It’s the foundation of pasta dishes. Don’t you agree?”
Jill found herself agreeing with Garda’s words.
Conrad had said something similar.
“I understand. Please wait a moment.”
“Jill, you don’t have to agree to such a request…”
“Whether or not it’s a condition… Mr. Garda, you just want to eat Pepe, right? How about you, Matthew?”
“Uh… well, if I can eat it, I’d love to.”
Matthew nodded slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.
“What about you, Maureen?”
“Me too? If the mistress is cooking, then of course I’d be happy to join.”
Alright, Jill stood up.
“Let’s move to the dining room. I’ll go make it in the kitchen.”
