Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Special Report

Honestly speaking, I didn't want to become more famous in London than now.

A feeling that now is exactly the maximum I can personally handle?

It's not that I haven't experienced fame. Even in modern times I was one of the well-going star chefs. Often appeared on broadcasts, and the YouTube channel was also quite big.

But modern times was a much more advantageous society for protecting my private life and privacy.

Movement by car, main activities in spaces blocked from the public, unpleasant comments or DMs just not looking is enough.

Moreover since people as famous as me overflowed in each field, interest was naturally dispersed. Even eating at a restaurant signing a few times and taking photos they withdraw tactfully that was the basic etiquette of modern society.

From the start I also in modern times had no particular interest besides cooking and money so only thought of earning money tightly with fame and didn't care about other aftermaths!

But 1901 Britain was different. Here fame itself was a society that makes daily life tired.

First the concept of celebrity privacy almost not existing in this era is a problem from the start.

First wherever moving one is absolutely exposed to the public. Whatever trying to do interference by people who recognized is basic. In modern times even staying stuck at home one somehow lives with delivery and shipping but now one absolutely has to move outside for social life to be possible.

Moreover handwritten letters pouring every day if severe over 100, among them over 10% are content one can't ignore so just replying became a sufficiently troublesome situation.

"Royal Ascot horse racing competition? What is this again, inviting Jean-Paul Durand the great pioneer of London art and culture? Did they see the wrong person?"

Pioneer of art and culture? Is there a namesake in London? Of course it was a joke. Because the letter sender properly knew my name.

In Britain London invitations with the word 'Royal' entering can never be taken lightly. Just with the name 'Royal' alone it already implied a formal high society event.

Fortunately it seemed an old letter with the deadline long passed. The date is June... No, wait. This isn't a passed date? It's next June?!

Somewhere I heard from Mr. Henry. High society events of nobles or international social competitions it's customary to circulate invitations a few months in advance so one can coordinate schedules in advance.

Moreover to high prestige attendees they send at an earlier time, making the fact of being invited itself a bragging matter. Still sending 8 months in advance seemed a bit over, but well I just let it be.

Other things were all like that too.

"Wimbledon tennis competition and Henry Royal Regatta?"

These two were also sports competitions held between next spring and summer. One tennis, one boat race. All quite famous competitions I've heard somewhere!

Do I have to reply right away this?!

Besides that meeting the November social season concert, opera, garden party invitations poured in every day so I was really at the point of going crazy.

"New York? Paris? Berlin? Even from here sending invitations to me?!"

Yes, I get it. Now I also sufficiently recognized that I can't live as an ordinary chef.

But invitations flying even from other countries is a bit excessive, right?! From the start I can't even go?

That was obvious. Because in high society this was a natural custom.

If a celebrity one naturally has to attend various events and maintain honor and connections, and if absent or showing a passive attitude rather treated as a rude figure, such irrational treatment is common sense in pre-modern society!

Only high society? 20-30 percent of the remaining letters were also ultimately invitations or support requests from charity organizations, begging or petitions written in detail.

"Why sending bridge repair petitions to me?! Do they think I'm a member of parliament there?"

But if indifferent to such social requests, one can immediately be branded as a cold and selfish figure, so virtually no different from a trap.

For example even local churches or small village organizations requested sponsorship and participation from celebrities, at this time the reply the celebrity sent often became the organization's bragging matter so one couldn't easily ignore recklessly that was advice heard from Mr. Doyle.

If even a little out of the public's eyes, there was also a possibility of suffering terrorism like Mr. Doyle's hometown house window was hit by stone baptism.

In the end just deciding which requests to accept and which to reject among letters pouring every day was tired that sound.

While I was typing replies one by one with a pre-modern typewriter without a monitor Mr. Doyle entered my office.

He looked at my office that became a mess with hundreds of letters and teased.

"Haha, Teacher Durand. In the end you also got hit by letter bombs. I warned, right? Lombard Street middle is too eye-catching so you have to move residence."

"No, in the end unless changing the restaurant location it'll obviously become like this again. Tease to your heart's content. I also gave up now."

Originally I made Emily throw all away, but after almost having a big problem throwing His Majesty's invitation I was just catching a day and inspecting in bulk like this if possible.

Why are lucky letters still being sent?!

Mr. Doyle seeing the document I pulled out with the typewriter was surprised and said.

"Surely, are you replying to all one by one?"

"No. That's the same as carrying firewood and jumping into a campfire. Only important letters are piled like that."

"The example seems a bit strange... If hard how about just ignoring all?"

"Is it okay even if doing so?!"

"Well, the worst is hometown house glass window hit by stone and breaking degree, right."

This was the realistic testimony of a real victim who suffered letter bombs for over ten years!

But my case was a bit more complicated. I lived long as lower class so even going to Baker Street everyone knows my hometown house address, and parents are still doing Chicken and Chips business.

If someone does terrorism even there what to do?!

That was the practical danger I cared about most. From the start since my roots are in the French dynasty, someday republicans might attack me.

In fact after knowing the secret of bloodline becoming more careful was an unavoidable matter. From the start I also didn't forget the memory of being kidnapped several times in broad daylight.

So last time I tried persuading parents to move residence to my manor, but the result was firm rejection. There was no method. Only responding directly to public opinion like this.

"Indeed, I understand. Current teacher's popularity is abnormal to the point of wondering if someone deliberately inflated. Too fast, and burst too big. But that's entirely teacher's responsibility."

"Yes? Why is that my fault?"

"That is, you scratched the part London citizens were most dissatisfied with. Until now there was no one who influenced the quality of London cooking, but teacher is the first in history to do that. Even comparing all European history there would be no such person. From the start someone even received knighthood for inventing golden syrup."

There was already an ominous premonition that such results would come out as the change degree rises. A feeling of my private life evaporating and gradually becoming the public property of London citizens.

So I tried to hide using the peanut butter business as a shield, and tried not to release modern knowledge carelessly. I tried to attack the change degree quest with only Nutella and refrigerator and less highlight my existence but...

In the end it was useless!

Britain's number one influencer, Mr. Arthur Conan Doyle was infinitely circulated in citizens' mouths and in the end even absurd rumors like 'lived wearing gold clothes for a week in the Chinese imperial court' stuck, I was also destined to become so.

Even just now outside what sound I heard, my fish ball is food of wizards received by summoning the ancient magician Merlin with spiritualism such absurd words!

Damn, at this rate someday they'll say Jean-Paul Durand created all sandwich and pasta, pizza, hamburger, steak, soup, salad, gratin, risotto, omelette and even eggs Benedict!

"Please don't say such words. At this rate before receiving knighthood I'll receive earl or marquess title!"

"Haha, then don't forget my contribution, and give even one manor to me a friend."

What I was most wary of until now was slanders and absurd rumors people would attach.

Like Mr. Doyle unable to go anywhere freely without a Scotland Yard carriage, excessive fame was no different from shackles. Even if that brings wealth and fame.

But as a result of repeatedly observing for a while, it didn't feel the situation would become serious to that point.

London citizens sincerely thanking me was fact, and in a situation where His Majesty and Chairman Balfour firmly backing there seemed no need to watch eyes anymore.

Anyway the things already committed had to be handled. And if I even receive knighthood, I'll become an outstanding great person the first 20s chef in British history to receive knighthood. Now one couldn't even reverse.

Since it became like this the conclusion was ultimately one.

Just give up and accept this fate.

Anyway people are animals of adaptation. Even if surrounding people endlessly praise me, if just deciding to enjoy somehow it would work, right?

So the autobiography ghostwriting proposal that came to me I also just folded into a paper airplane and threw into the trash can.

Autobiography? Now I don't know either! If wanting write! Only that was a matter to think after Nutella debuts all over Europe once!

Like that processing the piled letters in bulk at once, Mr. Doyle looked at me with a somewhat startled expression.

"I've been curious for a while, but why don't you have a secretary? If suffering from letters like this shouldn't you have had a secretary long ago?"

"Secretary?"

"I well knew that teacher processes work faster and more skillfully than others, but still someone assisting is a completely different problem. Corresponding every day like this will have no end. To become comfortable please definitely employ at least one secretary!"

This was clearly a result of my modern person's sense and Mr. Doyle's pre-modern sense colliding.

As for me well I experienced fame even in the previous life so I could endure up to this point without particular thought, and from a past person's position it might have looked like a superhuman?

But his advice was a part sufficiently worth considering. Yes, now I'm not a simple chef so let's try employing even one secretary.

"Is there someone worth recommending? If possible a person who does 3 languages well and even accounting possible."

"Then I'll look into—"

Bang!

The moment the office door roughly opened and Mr. Henry burst in holding a newspaper in his hand.

"No, what is everyone doing here! Did you read this newspaper article?! Department of Food Innovation! Moreover a department coordinating London's food culture?!"

"Ah, did you see now? That's the morning newspaper?"

"Jean! But... why are you so calm? I thought you'd be the most absurd?"

"Well just so. Feeling refreshed."

"What did you organize so many letters again?! You surely..."

"Surely?"

"Somewhere quietly alone without sound trying to leave and organizing surroundings..."

"Hey, not so. My house is here where would I go."

I said those words and gulped the completely cooled black tea placed on the desk.

"Wait, hearing Mr. Henry's words somehow Teacher Durand's reaction is suspicious today. Like a broken person somewhere..."

"Mr. Doyle, that's also slander."

"Thinking about it I also came here because curious about that newspaper content. What on earth? Department of Food Innovation, isn't it a new secretary of state level department?"

"Ah, thinking about it it's not the usual visiting time. Somehow today you came a bit early. Are you curious?"

"Of course curious. And if my intuition is correct, besides this restaurant there seemed no place to hear the accurate inside story of that news."

"As expected accurate."

Current British government secretary of state level departments are not even 20.

From the start the position of minister itself corresponding to the peak of civil servant society, giant organizations worthy of filling that position aren't easily made, and there was also fierce competition between existing organizations not to miss enormous budgets and interests.

Also government systems between European countries were relations of borrowing other countries' systems to some extent, and especially regarding the British Empire that early introduced the parliamentary system then successfully settled in the industrial revolution and became the world's number 1 country it even became the target of analysis almost no different from benchmarking.

America, France, Germany were exactly stepping on the completely same path.

So around now, probably even at each country's embassies the sudden transformation of the British government wouldn't have been reported to each country's leaders as special reports.

As for me well I noticed. And now changing to resignation mode like this was also actually a matter that occurred in advance in that process.

To explain that in detail, one had to turn time to yesterday.

The start was from the visit of an unfamiliar guest.