บท 22: Dinner With Elleard
After she finished bathing and getting dolled up, Elena stepped down from her room into the dining room where Elleard was waiting for her to have dinner. Since the mansion was huge and she was still unfamiliar with her surroundings, Elena just followed where Greta took her.
They took the elevator down to the ground floor and into a very large dining room with high ceilings overlooking a large fish pond filled with dozens of koi fish.
TAP
TAP
Every now and then Elena lifted her face and then looked down again to concentrate on her steps looking at the clear high heels she was wearing at Greta's suggestion.
Her two intertwined hands looked graceful as they walked. The mansion staff was impressed to see the change in Elena's physical appearance.
She entered the mansion wearing a simple thin shirt and jeans with a pair of sneakers. Now she came down to the dining room wearing a very expensive-looking pink dress and beautiful shoes.
Greta was still walking with her and directing Elena toward the dining room. The huge double doors was swung open by two staff to let Elena into the dining room.
Once the doors opened, Elena could see how huge the room was. It was equipped with a long dining table with six fancy white chairs with soft paddings.
Elena approached Elleard who sat at the end of the long table. They both smiled at each other.
"Turn around!" Elleard ordered her with a soft voice. Elena knew the man wanted to see her in her outfit, so she turned around once.
Elleard nodded in satisfaction. "You look beautiful."
Nervously hearing the compliment, Elena squeezed her hand and then said. "Thank you."
One staff came forward and pulled out a chair for Elena to sit beside Elleard.
"Tell me, what do you think of this house?" asked Elleard casually.
"Mm…" Elena leaned slightly and replied, not wanting the staff to hear her voice. "To be honest it's the first time I've seen a mansion this big, sir. I've also been treated very well by Greta."
Elleard smiled seeing Elena's innocent excitement. The two were still whispering to each other before Elena pulled her body slightly as she heard someone open the door. Turned out, the chef came in and brought the food.
"Let's eat," Elleard motioned Elena to sit properly. She nodded, trying so hard not to look nervous. They had hors d'oeuvre for starter. Using a small spoon, Elena began to enjoy the food served in really small portions.
It tasted really good on her tongue, but it was too little. Elena didn't realize she was actually really hungry. She could only look helplessly when the food was immediately gone and there was no more.
"We'll have more," Elleard said with a chuckle. He waved at the chef and told him to be quick with the food. "Madam is hungry. We can save the proper seven-course dinner for next time."
Elena was so embarrassed because her hunger was so obvious to Elleard, but at the same time, she was grateful that he seemed to understand her well and didn't feel upset at her lack of gracefulness or table manners.
"Thank you," she whispered to him quietly. Elleard didn't say anything.
It wasn't long before the chef came back in. Soup, appetizers, and salad were served together and Elena was so happy to munch on more food than before.
"Usually, each dish comes with its own wine," Elleard casually mentioned. "I'll get you used to eating properly next time."
Elena munched on her food and nodded. "I will learn. If you teach me, I will be a good student."
Elleard shook his head. "No, I don't have time for that. You will have to learn with an etiquette teacher. I'll hire one."
"Oh..." Elena nodded. She should have understood that Elleard must be really busy.
After the appetizer and entree, the main course was finally served. They had wagyu steak served with red wine sauce. As soon as the dish entered the dining room, Elena could feel her mouth water.
When the meat was served before her, Elena started to feel confused. There were several forks and knives next to her plate that looked similar. She didn't know which one to use for this steak.
Earlier, she just used the same fork for all the dishes, but when she turned to see Elleard, she realized the man had been using different cutlery for different dishes. Immediately, she felt embarrassed for being so uncultured.
"You're not going to eat your steak?" Elleard commented.
Elena smiled sheepishly and nodded. "I-I will..."
Being stared at by Elleard, Elena took the biggest knife and awkwardly was about to cut the steak in front of her. Elleard immediately stopped Elena's movements.
"Baby. Watch me." Elleard raised the knife with his right hand, not too high.
Elena immediately took the same knife from the table and followed Elleard's movement. She raised the knife and fork and then slowly sliced her steak, looking graceful. Elleard smiled faintly seeing Elena being so obedient to him.
He was happy that the girl was trying to learn to fit in. It didn't matter if Elena came from a lower class and didn't understand table manners. Those things could be taught.
He would be upset if Elena was too ignorant or stubborn and wouldn't listen to his advice. He made a mental note to ask his assistant to find an etiquette teacher to train Ellena.
Feeling watched, Elena blushed. She bit her lower lip and asked shyly. "Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing. You look adorable," Elleard said casually as he again cut his meat and started eating.
Elena decided that it would be safer for her to observe everything Elleard did and learn from it. As Elleard twirled his wine glass before drinking, she also grabbed her glass and shook it slightly before drinking its contents.
Ahh.. she felt so graceful when she was doing that. It felt like being a real princess. They continued eating quietly. Several times, Elleard would also teach Elena how to eat the dish properly when he saw her struggling.
Elena was very grateful to the man. Elleard understood very well that she was not used to the manners of the rich and was very patient with her. Elena secretly promised that she would try to learn so that she could perform well and not embarrass Elleard.
All the dishes were served and they ate everything happily. The last one was dessert. There was a difference between Elleard's and Elena's desserts. Hers was creme brulle followed by tea while Elleard only had black coffee.
When the creme brulle was served, the chef used a torch to burn the sugar on top of the creme to form a caramel coating that made it look very appetizing. He did it in front of Elena and made the girl gasp.
"This way, the caramel is fresh and tastier," said the chef with a smile. Elena couldn't wait to try it.
"This creme brulle is delicious," Elena commented after tasting it. She turned to Elleard who was enjoying his coffee. "Do you not like creme brulle?"
Elleard shook his head. "I have to limit my sugar intake."
"Oh…" Elena felt sorry for Elleard when she heard his answer. The creme brulle was really delicious. Unfortunately, Elleard couldn't have a taste. She wondered if Elleard had more health problems that made him have to watch his food.
"I'm glad you like it," said Elleard. He then asked, "What about the other dishes?"
"I really like all the dishes tonight. I've never had food so good," Elena gushed. "What about you—"
Elena's question was interrupted when the dining-room door was suddenly opened without knocking first. Elena immediately turned towards the door and was very surprised to see who came.
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From Missrealitybites:
I'm sure you can guess who is coming ^^
By the way, it's 3 am here. I will try to fix my sleep and be a normal human once again. I will write more for my other books after I wake up. I miss Rowena, Leland, Rune, and everyone!
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