Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Mysterious Summons

The man who stepped forward first in front of me representing the figures surrounding me was unexpectedly very polite. He first took off the hat he was wearing and bowed to me.

"Are you Mr. Jean-Paul Durand? I am Harold."

"Yes... I am the person. What's the matter?"

This time too the status window didn't float. One of the limits of my status window, in places unrelated to cooking it often fails to confirm information with high probability. It means the status window isn't omnipotent either. So it was difficult to guess why these people are looking for me.

"Don't worry. It's not to cause harm. A certain noble person wishes to briefly meet, can you spare the time?"

"A noble person? Can I know that person's name?"

"Sorry, but there are many listening ears here so it's difficult to tell."

Do the high nobles of this country all ignore others' circumstances and act recklessly like this? Damn pre-modern society.

But even so there was nothing I could particularly do. Rather than running away for nothing and getting caught after only losing strength like last time with the Duke of York... It's better to just give up.

In fact I did ponder a bit. Because I saw a few cavalry loitering far away. If I shouted loudly here they might chase and save me.

But well, at a glance it really didn't seem like they had thoughts of causing harm so I decided to just be dragged obediently.

Who knows? Like last time with the Duke of York I might receive a sovereign gold coin. So I just nodded.

"Thank you. Then please come this way."

The man guided me to some carriage with a satisfied smile. That was... a very luxurious carriage at a glance. It looked two or three grades higher than the Earl of Derby's exclusive carriage.

"Heh..."

What surprised me was the moment I tried to get on the carriage. Following the man's signal the cavalry who were standing far away approached the surroundings all at once.

Neigh!

"...Hmm."

They were the same group. Pulling such a luxurious carriage in the middle of London, and even using cavalry as escorts?

Curious how noble a person would openly commit such unreasonableness I quickly opened the carriage door and flung it open.

Creak.

And my gaze met straight with the elderly man in his late years holding a cane sitting inside.

"Come in. It's chilly so close the door."

"Uh, um, hello?"

"Thanks to you I'm not well."

It was an old man who looked very stubborn at a glance. The Earl of Derby's first impression wasn't that good either, but here it looked 100 times worse than that.

Startled I carefully closed the door and sat opposite. The old man's mood looked very uncomfortable, and the reason could be known right away.

"It's really hard to see your face once. I sent letters five times and sent people three times but you rejected all of them."

"...Yes?"

What is that sound? But there was a part that pricked my conscience.

Recently with the success of peanut butter lucky letters also surged along, so I completely entrusted letter review to Emily. Honestly speaking it's true that because it was annoying I told her to throw away everything except bills.

In that process did the invitation this person sent also get swept away...? But what about people? I haven't particularly chased people away?

"Sorry but by any chance the name..."

"Call me Frederick. Lord Frederick."

"Ah, yes, Lord Frederick. Thank you."

Lord. It can be attached to all nobles, but usually a title used only for high nobles of earl or above. But in 1901 Britain right now even high nobles rarely call themselves Lord. It meant he was that picky about etiquette.

"Anyway I apologize for the rudeness. I committed an unsightly act from broad daylight. I'm saying it in case of misunderstanding."

"Well... It's fine."

I've already experienced it once. At that time I was almost kidnapped and dragged, so this level was quite gentlemanly.

After finishing speaking Lord Frederick took out a pocket watch from his bosom and checked the time.

"Just in time it's elevenses time. Will you drink tea? There's Twinings (*Twinings, top-grade Earl Grey brand). The refreshing fruit aroma is excellent."

"No, it's fine."

"Then eat even the cookies in front of you. It's just baked so the taste won't be bad."

Do nobles even take care of tea time in carriages? Anyway he didn't seem to have thoughts of hurriedly saying the main point. While Lord Frederick poured tea from the tea set he had put on the alcohol lamp, the carriage slowly started moving.

Rattle rattle.

Like that the old man who for a while looked out the window and savored the aroma of the tea without saying anything suddenly opened his mouth.

"First, do not act rashly. Do all actions calmly and carefully."

"Yes?"

What on earth is this ghost eating rice sound? But the old man only sipped tea without additional explanation. Then he suddenly threw another word.

"Second, absolutely do not show your back. Always face your body forward."

"..."

"Third, do not make eye contact. Always place your gaze on the floor."

If you don't notice even after hearing up to here you're a fool. The anxiety I felt recently started rapidly approaching reality.

"Fourth, touching is rude. Only receive when He first requests a handshake. Fifth, do not speak first. Maintain silence until you receive a question. Sixth, at the first meeting be sure to bow your head and show respect. No other special greetings are needed. Did you remember all?"

"...Yes."

"Good. In fact I don't have great expectations. Just be sure to keep the first one."

Why on earth did no incident happen for three months? Because everything flowed without trouble it bursts all at once like this.

The law of total incident volume. It seemed hard to avoid fate.

Lord Frederick finally threw one word. And that was a perfect death sentence to me.

"Ah, there's one more thing I must not forget. To all answers be sure to attach the words 'Yes, Your Majesty.' Because that is the basic etiquette in the royal court."

No it's not even playing twenty questions why is the main point always at the back?

Damn it, I stepped wrong. The one who called me wasn't the stubborn old man in front of my eyes but the real king of this country.

###

Time never stops. So the carriage also doesn't stop.

This was an absolute immutable law that I couldn't change no matter how much tremendous ability of the status window I have.

Made restless by Lord Frederick keeping silence I desperately tried to organize my head before arriving at the destination.

What am I recalling? Of course the glorious biography of the current monarch of the British Empire, His Majesty Edward VII. I have to stuff something in my head and go so I don't get flustered in front of that person, right?

Being intoxicated by the recent success of peanut butter and briefly staying away from newspapers and magazines would be this fatal! A newspaper seller staying away from newspapers, I was thoroughly paying the price of doing a stupid thing myself.

"You seem to have many worries."

"Yes? No, it's not."

"Don't worry. His Majesty is a monarch as considerate and generous as rarely seen even in Europe, so there will be no particular matter."

In fact rather than worries... I was just confused because I couldn't grasp at all why His Majesty called a lowly chef like me.

Last time with the prince it was like that too, why are father and son doing the exact same thing?!

'...By any chance is it because of my peanut butter? Telling me to increase production?'

But the peanut butter matter had already left my hands long ago. If urging production it's a matter of scolding Mr. Henry or Mr. Pitton, unrelated to me an ordinary working class.

Anyway the information I barely recalled by digging through memories is as follows.

His Majesty Edward VII. After the late Queen Victoria passed away this spring he succeeded the throne, but hasn't held the coronation yet, and is usually at Buckingham Palace as far as I know.

The prince of high society who swept high society even before ascending the throne, to the extent that there's talk that the Duke of York inherited the personality of enjoying jokes from his father he usually enjoys jokes and wit.

Moreover according to the rumors heard he is that... a 'big eater'?

Surely?!

"We've arrived. This is Clarence House."

The carriage didn't go as far as expected. While immersed in thought we arrived at the destination somehow. I wondered if it was going to Buckingham Palace but it seems that wasn't it.

What is visible in front of my eyes is a huge white mansion surrounded by a garden of red roses. Even if not as much as Buckingham Palace, it was a quite luxurious building.

His Majesty Edward VII is waiting for me here...?

"Wait, before having an audience with His Majesty let's first check the attire. Follow me."

Is there something wrong with my clothes?! Sniff sniff, by any chance is there an oil smell from Chicken and Chips?

Anyway led by Lord Frederick's hand the place I headed was a small reception room full of suits.

There stood a genuine butler gentleman who looked like he popped out of a 20th-century silent film.

"Nice to meet you. I am Master Tailor (*Tailor, tailor) Horace. First I'll measure the measurements. Will you stand comfortably?"

"Uhm, yes. Nice to meet you."

"Please raise your arms high. Don't exhale largely. Please lift your chin toward the front. Good."

He only repeatedly sighed while applying the tape measure in his hand here and there on my body. Measuring the circumference of arms and wrists, confirming head size, carefully groping the shoulder blades and disappearing somewhere in an instant.

Soon what Mr. Horace brought was a shirt and vest mixed with white and brown, and pants with a sophisticated stripe pattern. He took off my wrinkled clothes, and kindly helped me change. There he even sprayed perfume of a subtle scent so it was really perfect service that can't be experienced except in this era.

Even the dark brown Oxford shoes he finally handed fit my feet perfectly. Wow, wearing it like this a person looks completely different?

However he made a slightly unsatisfied expression.

"It's regrettable. Really regrettable. The body is firm and the balance is very good, but the prepared size is not perfect. If you have an opportunity later please visit 'Horace and Tucker' on Savile Row. I'll alter it to the exact size. Since your face is also handsome, then you'll become a wonderful gentleman that any noble family's daughter will fall for."

"What, it's sufficiently good even now. Really thank you."

Is having wings on the body exactly this? What I was wearing previously was also a quite expensive suit for a commoner to wear, but the luxury of the clothes I'm wearing now was on a different level. Just touching the cotton material I know. This is a top-grade handmade among handmade.

And if I make myself more handsome here what do I do? Even now I was sufficiently troubled by noble family stalkers. Just handling one Earl of Derby is overwhelming! Rather I have to nerf even the existing charm?

Lord Frederick who was sitting on a chair in the corner watching the situation also nodded as if satisfied. He spat the pipe he was holding in his mouth and exhaled smoke.

"You've worked hard, Sir Horace. As expected the skill is outstanding."

"Not at all, Your Lordship the Lord Chamberlain. Thank you for calling me."

Ugh? The tailor uncle even had a knighthood?! And that grandfather is the Lord Chamberlain of the British royal court?! Introduce a bit in advance!

Speaking of Lord Chamberlain, one can think of a light image of a royal butler that appears in fantasy novels of my previous life, but the Lord Chamberlain of early 20th-century Britain had completely different power.

An existence like the final boss of all administrative work such as royal protocol, operation, and ceremonies.

In modern terms it meant a high-ranking person of the level of Minister of the Imperial Household. So my waist also automatically shrank.

"Now hurry. His Majesty is waiting."

"...Yes. Understood."

What kind of bolt from the blue is this? Instantly kidnapped from the roadside and dragged to the mansion where the king resides and receiving etiquette education, and even having clothes changed.

Don't they make me bathe and purify? Sweat on my spine is a bit uneasy.

Anyway I followed Lord Frederick up to the 3rd floor. A large door was visible in front of my eyes. When Lord Frederick signaled with his eyes, the two guards who were guarding in front slowly opened the door.

Creeeak.

Soon the room of a neat size revealed. I thought it would be tremendously splendid, but it wasn't to that extent. Rather the room of the Duke of York I saw previously looked more expensive.

And the man standing inside the room gazing out the window with his hands behind his back. A bushy beard and a quite huge physique, white hair with insufficient volume and a middle-aged appearance looking around late 50s. Very deep double eyelids and drooping eyelids, a small but sharp nose.

A familiar face I often saw in newspapers. The current king of the British Empire with the widest territory in human history spanning from Canada to South Africa, India, and Australia (His Most Gracious Majesty King).

His Majesty Edward VII. Undeniably the person himself.

As soon as I identified him I quickly bowed my head and prostrated on the floor. On the back of my head His Majesty's clear voice rang out.

"Frederick. Is this the chef? The one who delayed the publication of the new Holmes series I've been so eagerly awaiting for several years by a full two months?"

In that nuance even a slight irritation was soaked.

Oh my god. His great Majesty is clearly having some big misunderstanding! What do I do now?!