End of the Feast

Scared that Loraine would dislike her and would not want to get into contact with her again, Mira was a bit reluctant for a moment. Not sure if she should tell her the story, she was quite and thinking about the problems that would occur. However at this point she had no other choice than to trust in Loraine. Her mother's life was at stake.

As Mira was thinking how she would explain her situation to Loraine, Loraine got a bit irritated of the waiting. "Are you going you tell why I should hire you?" Loraine asked with a bored face. She was in the beginning intrigued, however seeing that Mira was not talking and looked as if she was trying to make something up, Loraine got irritated.

Sensing that the situation would become bad, Mira focused once more and decided to tell the story. "I am sorry. I wasn't sure if you would have a bad opinion about me after I told my story. Therefore I was a bit nervous. However as I really need this job, there is no need for me to hide it." Taking a breather Mira continued, "The reason I joined up in the competition is to earn enough money to pay for my mother's medical bills. A few years ago she got an illness, which was expensive. Because of this, I had to start working."

Mira started to tell her story. She first explained that her mother got ill due to some unknown reason. Because of that, she had to work and provide for her mother. However as the medical bills started to rise, she needed alternative ways to find money, so she started to work for the rats. Just before the competition started she had to work in a brothel, entertaining guests. As for her cooking skills, she had learned it from her mother. She used to be a known cook for a noble.

Hearing the story, Loraine felt pity for Mira. However, she was not in the proper situation to help her out. She run away from her house and also lost most of the influence she had. Therefore, even though she understood the situation, she could not start giving her short cuts.

After thinking for a moment, Loraine came up with a possible solution. "How much do you earn now? Or at least before you quitted your job?"

Hearing the amount, Loraine continued, "I can offer you a better income compared to the rats. However, I cannot give you the wage that I had planned to give to our cook. You will become the backup cook, given that Aiza will accept. It is like an apprentice task. Maybe you can even learn from her." Being silent for a moment, Loraine tried to read the expression of Mira. Seeing that her expression wasn't bad, she continued, "This is the best that I can do for now. However if you are able to prove yourself in the future, I will think about improving your position as well as wage."

Hearing the reason behind what Loraine said, Mira was delighted. She would earn more compared to working for the rats. Moreover, her work would also be less taxing for her as she would do it with passion. The short amount that she cooked pastries, she enjoyed. This was something that she was prepared to do for the rest of her life. She would inherit the business that her mother was in.

Before she left, Mira bowed and thanked Loraine a few times. It was clear that her goal was now a step closer. With the increased wage, paying for her mother's medical bill would become easier.

That night, some small event occurred such as a ball, where the nobles showed off their dancing skills. Loraine spent her time building up contacts with the local businesses and nobles. As she was planning to improve her reputation in the city, she had to gather some allies.

James did the same thing. However, he was forced to do so by Jacob. Jacob introduced him to various nobles as well as their sons. Most of the groups that James hanged out with were also knights. So to make things interesting, they decided to make a small competition to see who was the better one between them. It would become a friendly spar between the young nobles of Valencia.

As for Mira, after getting what she wanted, she did not stay long in the party. This was something that she was used to. Instead she decided to head home to share the good news with her mother. Her mother was delighted to hear that she was able to get the job. She was proud of her daughter. She personally had seen the competition and had some pointers to give to Mira to improve her cooking.

With that, the day finally came to an end.

…