As Kilian walked away from the dining room, the sounds of his family slowly fading behind him, his mind was already racing.
He needed information, and he needed it now. He'd been thrown into this body, into this world, with no idea what was going on.
He had to figure out who he was, what this "Noxhaven Kingdom" really was, and what had happened to the original Kilian.
He knew just where to start. His personal maid, Elara had just unexpectedly vouched for him in front of his family.
She seemed scared but also genuine. She was his best bet for answers.
"Elara"
Kilian said, turning to her as they walked down a quieter hallway, his voice soft, almost hesitant.
He saw her flinch slightly, probably expecting an order or a harsh word.
"Thank you. For what you said back there. It... it helped."
Elara looked up, surprised, her eyes wide.
"Of course, Young Master. It was the truth."
Kilian looked at his maid, a serious expression on his face.
"Elara, about that breakfast... when you bring it to my room, please make sure it's enough for two people, and dont forget to bring an extra set of plate, untensils and cup."
Elara looked a little confused, but quickly nodded.
"Yes, Young Master."
She then turned and left him for a moment, heading towards the kitchen.
"The Young Master must be very hungry"
She thought, a small, hopeful smile touching her lips.
"He looks a lot thinner right now. Good thing he's eating a lot again."
"But what's with the extra set?"
---
Kilian reached his room and closed the door behind him.
A wide, satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Time to get some answers from my cute maid" he murmured to himself.
He then gave himself a small pat on the back.
With a plan he just came up, he figured he could fix at least a little of what the stupid original Kilian had done to the poor maid, while finally getting some answers to his questions.
"What a great way to hit two stones with one bird," he said, then paused.
"Wait, did I say that right? Hmm, who cares." He laughed while shaking his head.
"Ha! ha! ha!"
"Tok, tok."
At that moment, a gentle knock sounded on the door.
Kilian flinched, startled by the sudden interruption to his thoughts.
He quickly approached the small table with two chairs inside his room, pretending to be checking it as he composed himself.
Kilian cleared his throat with a small cough, then called out while trying to sound natutal.
"Ahem, who is it?"
"It's me, Young Master"
Elara's soft voice answered from the other side.
"I've brought your breakfast."
"Ah! Come in, come in! The door is open."
Elara pushed the gleaming room service trolley towards the small table in the center of the room.
With practiced grace, she began to lift the gleaming domed covers from each dish.
As the covers came off, a symphony of rich aromas filled the air; the savory scent of freshly cooked bacon, the sweet fragrance of warm, spiced pastries, the crisp, clean smell of exotic fruits, and the comforting aroma of brewing tea and rich coffee.
She moved efficiently, setting down porcelain plates rimmed with gold, arranging delicate silver cutlery, and placing crystal glasses beside them.
Each dish was a small work of art: plump, sizzling sausages nestled beside perfectly poached eggs on fluffy toasted bread.
There was a silver basket overflowing with warm, flaky croissants and golden-brown sweet pastries, dusted lightly with powdered sugar.
A crystal bowl shimmered with an assortment of sliced mangoes, glistening purple grapes, and vibrant red berries.
Alongside these were small pitchers of fresh, thick cream and maple syrup, and a butter dish holding a golden, perfectly molded pat.
A steaming pot of aromatic black tea and a glass container of rich, dark coffee completed the morning meal.
After setting everything down, Kilian looked at all the food on the table, his eyes wide.
He then turned to Elara, his face showing clear surprise.
"Wow! That's a lot of food for a breakfast."
Then Kilian asked,
"Elara, are you sure that's only for two people?"
Elara looked a bit embarrassed.
"I might have taken a bit more than just for two people, Young Master" she admitted softly.
"I thought you needed to eat more."
Kilian chuckled, shaking his head.
"Elara, I can't possibly eat all this by myself."
He then pointed to the other chair across from him, looking at her with an inviting smile.
"Come on, sit and join me."
Elara's eyes widened, and a look of absolute panic flashed across her face.
Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and she immediately began shaking her head vigorously, her hands flying up in a frantic, dismissive gesture.
"Oh, no, Young Master! I couldn't possibly! That's... that's not allowed! I'm just a maid!"
She stammered, clearly distressed by the suggestion.
Kilian's smile widened a bit further, still pointing at the chair across from him.
"Are you really going to make me say it, Elara?" he asked, his voice still gentle.
"S-Say what, Young Master?"
Elara asked, still panicking, her gaze darting between him and the inviting chair.
Kilian's smile stretched even wider, and his tone became significantly more playful.
"This is an order, Elara," he declared.
"I'm ordering you to sit there and join breakfast with me, or else..."
"You're going to make me sad."
He looked down, pouting slightly, though it was clearly, obviously fake.
Elara was shocked by her Young Master's words, her only reply a soft, bewildered "Ehhh?!"
Feeling utterly defeated and having no choice but to follow an order, Elara slowly took a seat in the chair across from him.
She looked up, only to find him looking straight at her, smiling.
That made her quickly look down again, her heartbeat getting faster and her face growing even redder.
Seeing her finally sitting down, Kilian's smile softened, a curious expression replacing his playful one.
"Elara," he began, gesturing vaguely at the spread.
"So did you... did you happen to cook any of this yourself?"
Still quite shy, Elara slowly lifted a hand and pointed towards the corner of the table where the sausages, eggs, and bacon lay. "I... I only started to learn how to fry food recently, Young Master," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. "It's because I'm tasked with cleaning duty, so that's the only type of food I know how to do."
"Is that so?" Kilian mused aloud, a hint of curiosity in his tone. He reached for a bowl of steamed rice and took a generous scoop, then, without hesitation, used his spoon to add a piece of sausage, a fluffy egg, and a slice of bacon to his plate.
Seeing him prepare to eat it, Elara quickly protested, her hands fluttering. "Young Master, you don't have to! It... it might not be suitable for your taste."
Kilian glanced at her, but didn't reply directly. Instead, he brought a spoonful of rice piled with a bit of everything to his mouth and took a bite.
His eyes widened slightly as he chewed. "Mmm!" he hummed, his expression genuinely pleased.
"It's really good, Elara! I think you could even start your own breakfast restaurant already!"
Elara's eyes grew wide with surprise, a happy smile blooming on her face, quickly followed by a flush of shyness.
"You don't have to lie, Young Master," she murmured, looking down.
"I'm not."
Kilian immediately countered.
He stood up slightly, leaning over the table and scooped a generous portion of rice, eggs, bacon, and sausages onto Elara's plate.
Then, he also took a warm, flaky croissant and one of the golden-brown sweet pastries from the basket, placing them carefully beside the savory items.
"Have you ever tried one of these before?" he asked, pushing the plate gently towards her.
"Here, try this with me."
He watched her, and when he saw her still hesitating, a soft smile played on his lips.
"Ah, don't make me order you again, Elara."
Hearing the same phrase from Kilian again, Elara finally picked up her spoon and fork, and slowly began to eat.
Even though she was eating slowly, still worried and unsure, seeing her finally take a bite made Kilian smile.
He then reached for the glass container of coffee, but Elara immediately stopped him, her hand gently touching his wrist.
"Please let me do it, Young Master," she said, her voice soft but firm.
"At least let me still do my job."
Kilian paused, then decided to put the coffee container back down.
"Alright then."
He said with a slight shrug.
"But make sure to help me finish all of this food, okay? I don't want to waste it, especially the ones you made."
Hearing this, Elara's smile brightened considerably, chasing away the last lingering traces of her earlier panic and shyness.
The worried crease in her brow smoothed out, and a more relaxed posture settled over her as she began to eat with a little more confidence.
A soft blush still dusting her cheeks but now with a hint of genuine contentment.
She seemed less like a maid forced into a situation and more like someone comfortable and genuinely enjoying a meal with him.
Some time passed as they ate, the initial awkwardness slowly melting away amidst the clinking of cutlery and the quiet enjoyment of the rich breakfast.
The plates were now mostly empty, save for a few crumbs and the remnants of fruit.
Kilian dabbed his mouth with a napkin, then turned to Elara.
"Hey, Elara," he said, his voice casual.
"Can you bring me to the library after breakfast?"
***
/Did you enjoy this chapter? Or was it not to you taste? Please tell me in the comments so that I can make this world a lot better!