/
Rich cream and the savory scent of high-quality milk.
Bananas were said to grow only on islands across the wide sea, and this fruit had such a unique flavor.
How could it taste like this when combined with chewy caramel cream frosting on top and crispy cookies at the bottom?
‘Yummy
!’
Radis was entirely hooked on the magnificent taste of banoffee pies.
And seeing Radis like this, whose eyes would crinkle up with every bite she took of the pie, Berry’s legs stomped minutely countless times beneath her skirt.
‘Lady Radis! You’re so so so cute
!’
After taking only a few bites of the banoffee pie, Radis put down her fork, thinking that it was a waste to scarf it down, then took a sip of her tea.
Then, she said in a very calm voice.
“This dessert is really good, Berry. Can you give my compliments to Brendon?”
“I shall do that, Lady Radis!”
After closing the door behind her, her steps giddy, Berry squealed.
“What do I do
?!”
The marquisate was originally a place that had the best working conditions for the maids here at the mansion.
Aside from the generous salary and the satisfactory benefits, the biggest advantage was that there were fewer people to serve.
The usual marquisate was like this—there was the marquis, the marchioness, the couple’s sons and daughters. Then, there’s also the concubine of the marquis, the children of the marquis and the concubine, and then the marquis might have also sired sons and daughters outside the household with some other mistresses.
It’s bound to be gruesome. In a family like that, whale fights would inevitably break out every day, and it would be common for employees to be squashed under them like shrimps who’d end up busting their backs several times a day.
On the other hand, the family lineage of House Russell was simple.
It was just Marquis Russell alone.
And more than that, the marquis was so busy that it was difficult for the employees to even see his face.
He was an employer who gave a generous salary, satisfactory benefits and a leisurely working environment without the throes of house politics!
It was already a great workplace, but Berry liked it even more when Radis became part of her everyday life.
Expressing her joy by hopping down the stairs with a lilting step.
“La-dy-Ra-dis! She’s-so-ve-ry-cute!”
As she arrived in front of the kitchen, she peeked into the open door and shouted.
“Mister Brendon! Lady Radis absolutely loves the pie!”
While kneading some bread dough, Brendon smiled broadly and shook off the flour from his hands.
“Isn’t that a relief? I think she can eat more, so please give her another piece!”
With his nose twitching from the fluttering flour, Brendon replied.
“My word, with a kid as skinny as her. I can’t imagine it.”
Hehe, Berry giggled, too.
When the marquis said that he would bring home a lady, everyone got nervous.
The employees’ imaginations grew rampant, and what they thought wasn’t that different from what Mariel had assumed.
Everyone thought that Marquis Russell had fallen for some lady and brought her home.
In other words, a marchioness candidate!
But in fact, the person who appeared was a beautiful-looking boy who seemed somewhat downcast.
Of course, it was quickly revealed that Radis wasn’t a boy. Even so, Radis’ lonesome-looking appearance was enough to catch the attention of the sympathetic maids.
What else should they think when there was a skinny, short haired girl who looked like a boy, and had sad eyes?
‘Treat Lady Radis kindly and gently!’
That gorilla, Allen, usually didn’t look like he cared that much about Radis whenever anyone saw them together, but it couldn’t be denied that he looked like a doting grandmother looking at her grandchild, especially with the way Allen made such requests from the other servants.
For that reason, the people of the marquisate, including Berry and Brendon, were desperate to give something extra to Radis, just as though they were treating a baby kitten that had been shivering in the rain.
‘We have to treat her really well!’
A happy smile tugged up on Berry’s lips as she placed another slice of banoffee pie on the tray.
Even if it wasn’t Allen’s request, Berry liked Radis.
Her red hair looked so sweet like strawberry jam, and her black eyes looked like glimmering onyx gems. Such features were rare in these parts, so she looked so pretty and wonderful in Berry’s eyes.
‘I’ve seen a lot of pretty and cool people while working in the Marquisate, but Lady Radis is the best. Won’t she become such an incredible beauty in the future?’
Berry had a dreamy look in her eyes.
Berry adored pretty people, that’s why she had wanted to go to the third prince’s birthday banquet that was held in the annex not too long ago.
She wanted to see Prince Olivier, who was rumored to be a strikingly beautiful man. Even if it was just from a distance.
But then Berry lost the rock-paper-scissors match that day, so she was stuck at the central mansion and was tasked to arrange the dishes.
It was Radis who healed Berry’s slighted eagerness due to the missed opportunity.
Radis was like a red rose whenever she stood still, an angel whenever she smiled.
Whenever she was lost in thought, she looked like a handsome boy who had his own crosses to bear. She even sometimes took a night walk alone, and had a dangerous charm like a simmering fire.
Really. Berry’s eyes were in delight.
Excitedly, Berry knocked on Radis’ door.
“Lady Radis, there’s one more pie
!”
After opening the door, what Berry saw before her eyes gave her no choice but to cover her lips in shock.