Why Potatoes?

Thump, thump.

In a situation where every second felt like a year, my breath was caught in my throat.

My heart was pounding like crazy.

“Why on earth is she here…”

I was told she would only be lurking on the third floor.

Then who is this person right in front of me?

Honestly, I knew this situation would eventually come.

As the noble lady, there’s nowhere in this mansion she can’t go.

If she wants to go somewhere, no one would dare to stop her.

During the seven years I’ve been working here to save up for my own shop, I thought we’d never cross paths.

That was just wishful thinking, I guess.

Yes.

I knew someday it would happen.

But I didn’t expect it to be on my first day of work.

“…Still, we didn’t meet face to face.”

I wanted to pat myself on the back for speeding up to plan A for five days.

If I hadn’t lowered my head immediately, I might have made eye contact with the northern noble lady.

Step by step—

When I heard faint footsteps from the other side, I involuntarily tensed up.

As the footsteps grew closer to me, instinctively, my head lowered even further, and my heart began to beat louder and louder.

I rolled my eyes fixed on the ground to the side and looked at the black ring on my left index finger.

The chance was slim, but if an emergency arose, I would have to use magic tools to escape, even if it meant using teleportation.

If there’s a shadow, teleportation is possible.

Even if she’s the northern duchess, there’s still a good chance of escape.

But fortunately, it seemed like there wouldn’t be a need for that.

Step by step—

The noble lady walked towards me and lightly passed by without a glance.

Then, along with the sound of the refrigerator door opening, I heard something rustling.

The noble lady closed the refrigerator door and walked away without a care, as if nothing had happened.

Confirming that she had passed, I cautiously raised my head.

Considering that it would be eight years when the original work begins, I thought she would be younger, but her appearance was even smaller than I expected.

Her hair, whiter than snow, stood out remarkably.

But what caught my eye the most was the object she held in her hand.

…That’s it.

“Potatoes…?”

What the northern duchesss came all the way to the remote food storage for was a raw potato, unpeeled.

***

And thus, after the commotion with the northern noble lady passed…

The dining hall in the underground dormitory, slightly away from the mansion.

After finishing my day’s work, I was having dinner here.

Whether the maid’s claim of providing noble-level meals was an exaggeration or not, the dishes in front of me displayed a remarkably luxurious appearance.

Pasta exuding a nutty aroma and warm bread that seemed to have just been heated.

Normally, I would have finished every last bit without leaving any, but… if I did that now, I felt like I might actually choke, so I just picked at the pasta with my chopsticks.

“What? You ran into the noble lady?”

The senior maid who had left me alone in the food storage and walked away widened her eyes in surprise.

“Yes.”

“Ah, gee… You really have no luck from day one. You did well to run away.”

…This person.

Would she say that in front of the person she abandoned?

Of course, as a newly arrived novice, I couldn’t say such words out loud.

In the end, I sighed inwardly and took a bite of bread, and someone sat down beside me.

“You’ve worked hard today, Alice.”

“Oh. Hello, senior.”

It was the maid who showed me around on my first day here.

She had a calm appearance accentuated by her thick black hair.

She was one of the few good seniors I could remember.

“Was the first day tough for you?”

“No, not really. Everyone was kind and helpful, so I was able to learn quickly.”

The senior with black hair chuckled softly, then leaned in close to my ear and whispered.

“Tomorrow should be a bit easier. They tend to be a bit tough on newcomers on the first day to instil discipline.”

So that’s why it felt excessively difficult at first.

Still, knowing it would ease up from tomorrow made me feel better.

“But still, you managed to work diligently without any complaints, right? Everyone praised you a lot.”

“I’m grateful that they see me in a positive light.”

“Hehe… Who knows, you might even become the ace.”

The senior patted my head as if proud.

Feeling awkward from the unexpected praise, I scratched my cheek and looked at the senior.

“Um, senior. May I ask you something?”

“Sure, you can ask me anything.”

I decided to ask the senior about the curiosity that had been lingering in my mind since earlier.

“I saw the noble lady in the food storage today, and she was carrying raw potatoes. Does she often come to the food storage?”

If that’s the case, I felt like I should avoid handling ingredients as much as possible.

Just encountering her briefly made my heart race, and if such situations kept repeating, my heart might not survive.

The senior glanced around for a moment, then spoke to me with a flustered expression.

“Um… It’s best if we all try not to talk about the noble lady. Nothing good ever came out of anything related to her.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I asked a pointless question.”

“No need to apologize… um… okay.”

The senior moved closer to me, almost whispering so softly that no one else could hear.

“I’ll answer you as a special exception because I like you. But don’t go around talking about it casually, okay? You won’t end up in a good position if you speak carelessly about it to the higher-ups.”

I nodded solemnly, looking at the senior with serious eyes.

“Yes, I won’t say anything.”

The senior, upon hearing my confident answer, spoke again.

“In truth, the noble lady doesn’t have separate meals. More precisely, she doesn’t eat food prepared by others.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Could it be that she doesn’t eat food prepared by others because it’s of poor quality?

Considering her personality mentioned in the novel, it could be possible.

“She once ingested poison during a meal twice. The first time was really dangerous, so since then, she never touches food prepared by others.”

“…..I see.”

The unexpected answer left me blinking blankly.

Poisoned?

Who did it?

The northern duchesss?

Does that mean someone poisoned her meal?

Who on earth would do such a thing?

She’s a noble lady.

Not just any noble, but the only daughter of the powerful Duke Valaxar, next in line after the royal family.

“But who would…?”

“I don’t know either. But according to rumours, assassins have visited her at dawn several times.”

The bizarre story that followed left me feeling perplexed.

It doesn’t make sense.

Although it had little significance in the novel, the Valaxar family is a renowned lineage that has fought against countless monsters on the frontlines of the north for many years.

Sending assassins to such a family… Even if they did not fear retaliation, anyone with a shred of common sense wouldn’t dare to do such a thing.

So who on earth would dare to provoke the Valaxars?

Was there really an assassin who came?

I wondered if it was just a false rumor spreading.

‘Ah.’

Around that time, a sudden memory popped into my head.

Why had I forgotten about it?

The northern duchess at the end of the novel was missing one arm.

And the writer clearly described her losing her arm in an ambush by an assassin.

So, that meant there was a crazy group actually attempting to assassinate the northern duchess.

Perhaps because of her high position, there were hostile forces.

But… But still…

‘Even so, she’s still too young…’

I recalled the fleeting image of her back that I saw earlier.

She looked like a little child, barely even ten years old.

Could it be that she had been under the threat of assassination since she was a child?

I felt a pang of pity for such a cruel reality.

Although I had a rough idea of the situation, there was still one thing I didn’t understand.

“Wouldn’t the Duke do something about it?”

Arvian Valaxar, the current ruler of the North and known as its guardian on the front lines.

Although he never directly appeared in the novel, there were mentions of him as a just hero.

Wouldn’t he, who is the father of the girl suffering from assassination threats, do something about it?

“…The Duke.”

The senior maid glanced around for a moment, then stood up after delivering her last words.

“The Duke doesn’t show any interest in the noble lady.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“That’s it! There’s nothing good for you if you know more.”

The senior clapped her hands once with a bright smile.

Instead of resolving my curiosity, her words only made my thoughts even more tangled, but it seemed like the senior had no intention of saying more.

After a short sigh, I shook my head to clear away all the thoughts inside me.

“…Yeah. The senior is right.”

Even if I delve further into it, it would be meaningless. Isn’t that right

Even if I brought various plots as a reincarnation, they were all trivial things obtained by minor villains.

It’s just enough power to survive from the pack of wolves.

If I interfere with the original story, I’ll just end up being crushed without being able to make any noise to the countless strong ones.

The northern lady seemed to have some sort of backstory, but as just a lowly maid, it felt overwhelmingly burdensome for me to handle.

Perhaps ignoring it would be the best I could do.

I should just focus on my goal, to gather enough funds to establish a cafe in the capital city of the empire and leave.

Yes… That should be the solution.

But for some reason, I couldn’t shake off this uneasy feeling.

Why Potatoes?Thump, thump.In a situation where every second felt like a year, my breath was caught in my throat.My heart was pounding like crazy.Why on earth is she hereI was told she would only be lurking on the third floor.Then who is this person right in front of me?Honestly, I knew this situation would eventually come.As the noble lady, there's nowhere in this mansion she can't go.If she wants to go somewhere, no one would dare to stop her.During the seven years I've been working here to save up for my own shop, I thought we'd never cross paths.That was just wishful thinking, I guess.Yes.I knew someday it would happen.But I didn't expect it to be on my first day of work.Still, we didn't meet face to face.I wanted to pat myself on the back for speeding up to plan A for five days.If I hadn't lowered my head immediately, I might have made eye contact with the northern noble lady.Step by stepWhen I heard faint footsteps from the other side, I involuntarily tensed up.As the footsteps grew closer to me, instinctively, my head lowered even further, and my heart began to beat louder and louder.I rolled my eyes fixed on the ground to the side and looked at the black ring on my left index finger.The chance was slim, but if an emergency arose, I would have to use magic tools to escape, even if it meant using teleportation.If there's a shadow, teleportation is possible.Even if she's the northern duchess, there's still a good chance of escape.But fortunately, it seemed like there wouldn't be a need for that.Step by stepThe noble lady walked towards me and lightly passed by without a glance.Then, along with the sound of the refrigerator door opening, I heard something rustling.The noble lady closed the refrigerator door and walked away without a care, as if nothing had happened.Confirming that she had passed, I cautiously raised my head.Considering that it would be eight years when the original work begins, I thought she would be younger, but her appearance was even smaller than I expected.Her hair, whiter than snow, stood out remarkably.But what caught my eye the most was the object she held in her hand.That's it.Potatoes?What the northern duchesss came all the way to the remote food storage for was a raw potato, unpeeled.***And thus, after the commotion with the northern noble lady passedThe dining hall in the underground dormitory, slightly away from the mansion.After finishing my day's work, I was having dinner here.Whether the maid's claim of providing noble-level meals was an exaggeration or not, the dishes in front of me displayed a remarkably luxurious appearance.Pasta exuding a nutty aroma and warm bread that seemed to have just been heated.Normally, I would have finished every last bit without leaving any, but if I did that now, I felt like I might actually choke, so I just picked at the pasta with my chopsticks.What? You ran into the noble lady?The senior maid who had left me alone in the food storage and walked away widened her eyes in surprise.Yes.Ah, gee You really have no luck from day one. You did well to run away.This person.Would she say that in front of the person she abandoned?Of course, as a newly arrived novice, I couldn't say such words out loud.In the end, I sighed inwardly and took a bite of bread, and someone sat down beside me.You've worked hard today, Alice.Oh. Hello, senior.It was the maid who showed me around on my first day here.She had a calm appearance accentuated by her thick black hair.She was one of the few good seniors I could remember.Was the first day tough for you?No, not really. Everyone was kind and helpful, so I was able to learn quickly.The senior with black hair chuckled softly, then leaned in close to my ear and whispered.Tomorrow should be a bit easier. They tend to be a bit tough on newcomers on the first day to instil discipline.So that's why it felt excessively difficult at first.Still, knowing it would ease up from tomorrow made me feel better.But still, you managed to work diligently without any complaints, right? Everyone praised you a lot.I'm grateful that they see me in a positive light.Hehe Who knows, you might even become the ace.The senior patted my head as if proud.Feeling awkward from the unexpected praise, I scratched my cheek and looked at the senior.Um, senior. May I ask you something?Sure, you can ask me anything.I decided to ask the senior about the curiosity that had been lingering in my mind since earlier.I saw the noble lady in the food storage today, and she was carrying raw potatoes. Does she often come to the food storage?If that's the case, I felt like I should avoid handling ingredients as much as possible.Just encountering her briefly made my heart race, and if such situations kept repeating, my heart might not survive.The senior glanced around for a moment, then spoke to me with a flustered expression.Um It's best if we all try not to talk about the noble lady. Nothing good ever came out of anything related to her.Oh, I'm sorry. I asked a pointless question.No need to apologize um okay.The senior moved closer to me, almost whispering so softly that no one else could hear.I'll answer you as a special exception because I like you. But don't go around talking about it casually, okay? You won't end up in a good position if you speak carelessly about it to the higher-ups.I nodded solemnly, looking at the senior with serious eyes.Yes, I won't say anything.The senior, upon hearing my confident answer, spoke again.In truth, the noble lady doesn't have separate meals. More precisely, she doesn't eat food prepared by others.Huh? Why not?Could it be that she doesn't eat food prepared by others because it's of poor quality?Considering her personality mentioned in the novel, it could be possible.She once ingested poison during a meal twice. The first time was really dangerous, so since then, she never touches food prepared by others...I see.The unexpected answer left me blinking blankly.Poisoned?Who did it?The northern duchesss?Does that mean someone poisoned her meal?Who on earth would do such a thing?She's a noble lady.Not just any noble, but the only daughter of the powerful Duke Valaxar, next in line after the royal family.But who would?I don't know either. But according to rumours, assassins have visited her at dawn several times.The bizarre story that followed left me feeling perplexed.It doesn't make sense.Although it had little significance in the novel, the Valaxar family is a renowned lineage that has fought against countless monsters on the frontlines of the north for many years.Sending assassins to such a family Even if they did not fear retaliation, anyone with a shred of common sense wouldn't dare to do such a thing.So who on earth would dare to provoke the Valaxars?Was there really an assassin who came?I wondered if it was just a false rumor spreading.Ah.'Around that time, a sudden memory popped into my head.Why had I forgotten about it?The northern duchess at the end of the novel was missing one arm.And the writer clearly described her losing her arm in an ambush by an assassin.So, that meant there was a crazy group actually attempting to assassinate the northern duchess.Perhaps because of her high position, there were hostile forces.But But stillEven so, she's still too young'I recalled the fleeting image of her back that I saw earlier.She looked like a little child, barely even ten years old.Could it be that she had been under the threat of assassination since she was a child?I felt a pang of pity for such a cruel reality.Although I had a rough idea of the situation, there was still one thing I didn't understand.Wouldn't the Duke do something about it?Arvian Valaxar, the current ruler of the North and known as its guardian on the front lines.Although he never directly appeared in the novel, there were mentions of him as a just hero.Wouldn't he, who is the father of the girl suffering from assassination threats, do something about it?The Duke.The senior maid glanced around for a moment, then stood up after delivering her last words.The Duke doesn't show any interest in the noble lady.Huh? What do you mean?That's it! There's nothing good for you if you know more.The senior clapped her hands once with a bright smile.Instead of resolving my curiosity, her words only made my thoughts even more tangled, but it seemed like the senior had no intention of saying more.After a short sigh, I shook my head to clear away all the thoughts inside me.Yeah. The senior is right.Even if I delve further into it, it would be meaningless. Isn't that rightEven if I brought various plots as a reincarnation, they were all trivial things obtained by minor villains.It's just enough power to survive from the pack of wolves.If I interfere with the original story, I'll just end up being crushed without being able to make any noise to the countless strong ones.The northern lady seemed to have some sort of backstory, but as just a lowly maid, it felt overwhelmingly burdensome for me to handle.Perhaps ignoring it would be the best I could do.I should just focus on my goal, to gather enough funds to establish a cafe in the capital city of the empire and leave.Yes That should be the solution.But for some reason, I couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling.