12 Learning to Make Connections (Pt 2)

I went to the kitchen of Lady Beatrice's manor and started cook.

Crack the eggs, whip up the batter and into the oven (at the perfect temperature) it goes.

The oven was not like the ones I had back on earth, it was big and tall with coal blasting underneath for the heat.

While waiting for the cake to bake, I looked back to the audience that was watching me in the kitchen. They had their eyes wide open surprised that I actually know how to bake.

I gave them a look that said, "That's right. Surprise, surprise, the noble lady can bake?"

Soon the cake was ready and I took it out of the oven, the smell of the cake had people practically drooling. This took me more than a hundred times of failed practice cakes in my small apartment, but I perfected my recipe.

I frosted the cake with frosting and cut the strawberry into a cute little heart shapes. Cutting the cake I put one on a small plate and took off my apron to give the cake to the chatty little noble girl that clearly didn't like me.

'Here you go. Ready to lose?', I gave her the cake and a small spoon. She quickly took the spoon from my hand and took a little bit of the cake using the spoon. Her eyes light up after she took a bite and I think she moaned a little.

Everyone else ran to take their own spoons and took a little bite of the cake I made. Their eyes sparkled at the taste of it. Those hours baking alone in my little apartment really did pay off huh.

I know I'm inside a romance book, but these people really do act over the top don't they?

'Fine I do have to give it to you. Your cake is good. Here's the money,' she handed me and IOU for the money to get from her house at a later date, 'But this still doesn't change that you're still such a liar.'

She then left and so did the rest of the tea party members. Wow she looked like the villainess right then and there with people following her every move.

Why can't I have henchmen like that as well?

'Looks like you're more than meets the eye, Lady Elaine,' Lady Beatrice said to me with a twinkle in her eye.

'But if you want people to support you, might I suggest something? Learn more about the world of nobles, meet more people like you did today and maybe, just maybe you might be a force to recognize with people by your side,' with that she too turned and left me in the kitchen thinking about my situation.

Clearly I don't have a good reputation or at least Elaine didn't. But I still have time to make that change before the big events start a year from now.

I left the kitchen and went back to my carriage with Lisa following behind me.

'I didn't know you could bake, where did you learn that?', she asked me. Of course she's confused since I never baked once at home and suddenly I could do better than the chef here. I don't know how to explain it to her so I kept it ambiguous.

'Sometimes when I'm bored I bake, with no one around of course,' hopefully she buys that lie. She said nothing afterwards so I'm hoping she did.

We went inside the carriage and went back to home.

ᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢ

After I arrived back at the manor, my lessons on etiquette continued. But this time I'm more invested than before and I had my own questions.

'Who holds the most power in the kingdom right now?', I asked the tutor.

'Well currently of course the king holds the most power, next to him is is the three dukes; Duke Magnus, Duke Fern and Duke Sanford.'

So there are two other Dukes besides Duke Magnus. Does that mean they are also in line for the throne?

'Are their children also in line for the throne?'

'Well Alex Magnus is first in line and Duke Fern has no children yet, but Duke Sanford does have a younger son who is second in line for the throne. His son's name is Milton,' that was interesting. So there are two people in line for the throne, but nothing happens to Alex, as far as the book shows he lived happily ever after.

But still, being in line for the throne means he does have some power. Maybe if Alex isn't in line for the throne, he won't have the power to sentence me to death anymore.

Besides, who kills someone for being a bully, I was rooting for Anastasia before, but now I feel like she is such a damsel in distress. And she just let someone die for being a bit mean to her, how is that fair?!

I feel like there is a noose on my neck and just at any moment, it could be pulled and I would stop breathing. But right now, I should just do what I can right now. First, let's make money and maybe if I get close to Cedric later on if I do get the death sentence, someone will fight for me.

I concentrated back to the lesson at hand and today I made sure to give the tutor a normal hot cup of tea.

The next day, I went out again, but this time I made sure to tell Elaine's mother in advance that I was going out. I wanted to see if Cedric decided to accept the deal I proposed. I knocked on his front door and her opened the wooden oak door to greet me.

'Hello Lady Elaine, I was wondering how long I have to wait to meet you again.' He welcomed me inside his home. I sat back down on the white couch in his living room again as I did before.

He sat across from me putting one leg over the other and had both of his hands leaning on the couch as well.

'I've been thinking about your offer and I'm afraid I won't accept it,' he said while smiling still.

'What? Why? I gave you such a good price for it, it's basically double what you paid for the shop!,' I was surprised at his response. He doesn't know that the store was suddenly going to do well in the future, right now, it should not be earning money at all.

'Exactly. Why would you give me that much money? Unless you know something, you should tell me now, I won't go into business with you if we're not going to be partners who trust each other.'

Well, that does make sense. But how do I tell him that I know what's going to happen in the future?