Chương 113: Gift

"Master! Master Ben please wait!"

Shouts came from a group of servants that was running at Ben. Ben turned around to face the newcomers, but seeing who they were made him smile. These were the good things he's done ever since he came to this world. These were the servants he bought from Relet.

"Tilly, Howee, why all the yelling?" Ben laughed when he saw their fluttered expressions when they came closer.

"It really is you, master Ben. Welcome home, master Ben." Tilly was overjoyed when truly the man standing here today was the same person to take her out of captivity.

"Of course it's me, if not, who else would it be? Hahaha." Ben laughed. But her words made him realize that this wasn't really his home, he's from a duchy two duchies from here, so no, this is not home.

"But master, you look more... handsome." Tilly's face became beet red, however she was lucky she wasn't the only the only person blushing. The other maids were as well. Thankfully her words made him step out of his revere.

"*Hah* Well, come on in, I'm about to see this portrait I'm hearing about." Right after when Ben's voice fell all the servants before him bowed while the maids performed a courtesy. Ben was quite amazed. Ben waved them in as they made their way towards the dinning hall. He was beginning to worry if his outworldly handsomeness would cause some kind of trouble.

Many of the maids and guards who didn't know of Ben began whispering to themselves if he truly was the real master of this mansion. Many were in doubt while others felt this Ben was the son of the Ben in the portrait.

....

Meanwhile Vivi was trying as much as possible to be fast enough to organize the restaurant before rushing to the mansion, yet the task took her more than thirty minute to arrange things at her quickest pace, then another ten minutes to reach the mansion with a mount. She didn't forget to tell all the staffs of The Golden Heart to come to the mansion in three days time.

'Has he arrived?' she asked herself after seeing only one guard on post duty which is not meant to be so. "Did anybody come this way?"

Seeing that it was his Miss, Vivi, the guard dropped on one knee and spoke. "Yes, miss Vivi, someone did come," he then looked at her and asked. "Miss, is he really master Benjamin?"

"Yes, yes. He indeed is," she looked at the direction of the mansion before asking the guard, "Has my bother returned?"

"Not yet Miss."

"Okay, I'll meet with Ben." Vivi left without another word.

When Vivi many servants came all bearing the same question, 'Was that really master Benjamin Williams?'. She became so tired that she never knew the ride from the gate to the mansion could be so long.

(AN: The interaction between master and servant in the book may sound strange to some people. This will be answered soon The relationship is like this because the two masters - since Ben wasn't around - were very nice to their subjects, ultimately drawing the distance between both parties close. The servants can be ordered around without complaints but, that doesn't mean they will be maltreated. Ben ensured that.)

Vivi made her way to the dinning hall after asking the maids on the way for Ben's location. The closer she got she could hear the laughter and happiness in the air.

"You know, the more I look at this portrait the more it makes me look like some bloody master who doesn't care one bit about the lives of people. Who made this? I'll need to have a talk with him." as Ben dramatically berated about the painting the servants chuckled.

"And what's wrong with the painting?" Vivi's voice came in when the doors to the dinning hall opened. Vivi stood with her hands crossed over her chest.

When Vivi stepped into the place the servants who all sat round the long dinning table stood up from their seat and bowed. "Welcome back miss Vivi." Vivi only replied with a nod.

"Ah, I knew you hated me but I didn't know it was this much. Now everyone who sees this will hate me too, you're too evil Vivi. What a wicked world we live in, Hah!" all the servants around couldn't help but stifle their laughter as hard as they could.

Vivi looked at the servants before ordering them out, once they were all out she walked up to Ben and gave him a hug. "Welcome home Ben." Ben replied with a hug of his own.

"If you continue I might start blushing." Ben said in a whisper.

"Ahh! You are so mean, the first thing you do is to tease me." Vivi screamed blushing profusely. She looked like a tomato.

Ben laughed then took a seat and sat followed by Vivi, "Where's Stephan by the way?" Ben asked. He hadn't seen the frail looking youth in a while.

"Oh, he's working at the Hunters Guild off the post of Barnat, he has bee working there for some time now." she smiled with pride at his achievements.

"Haha! Anyway I've got something for you, that's why I asked you to close the restaurant for now.".

"Really?! What did you bring for me?" her face lit up when she heard she would be getting a gift.

Ben groaned when he learned he must have misspoken. "It's nothing really, just something to boost the shop."

"Oh, what are they?" Vivi asked out of curiosity.

"Recipes."

"Recipes?" Vivi asked back. Her expectation which was souring to the high heavens crashed in less than a second hitting the hard cold grounds of earth.

"Yeah, recipes. It can make the dishes at The Golden Heart improve."

"So you're saying my cooking is not good enough?!" Vivi yelled visibly displeased Ben's statement.

"What?! I never said that!"said Ben in defense.

"Then my food doesn't need any improvement."

"Believe whatever makes your body floats. Go through the recipes, if there's any you don't understand ask me." Ben threw out a thick book that heavily landed on the table. Reluctantly Vivi picked it up.

During his journey back verb has Ben using Lucy and his memory of Earth to put down some exotic dishes. He didn't try putting those super exciting dishes served to royalty in Earth though, he certainly wasn't ready to bring trouble to himself.

He believes Lords, Barons, Dukes, would come knocking at his door. The thought alone made him shudder. Vivi on the other hand was so confused by some methods stated for certain dishes, like why would they put butter in rice or why a food will stay on low heat for more than four hours. It makes no sense! And then there's what they call Egg Bread. What astounded her the most is that add water to the egg while beating before frying. It is s stated that once fried the inner texture will be like that I'd bread, giving it the name Egg Bread.

It was just too much for her, but this book has widened her scope in catering. She kept going through every dish with great interest, gasping from time to time at new findings.

Ben had to leave Vivi to herself when he realized she was too deep in concentration with the book of recipes. Ben went out and moved around the compound. While Ben was walking about he realized something, the majority of the workers don't know him and surely he can see the doubt in their eyes.

Ben was a little worried something bad could happen because they aren't familiar with him but he didn't mind. He went over to the servant quarters to see how things were. He wouldn't like to stay in grandiose luxury while his servants would still remain in abject poverty under his roof.

Going through the place he realized it was a good place without troubles. However unknown to him, he had entered the female quarters. Since it was still high in the afternoon servants would hardly be seen in their rooms. Ben didn't go into any rooms though, but anyone who saw him go in their would think otherwise, and that is exactly what happened.

Some guards that were on patrol happened to pass by the area when Ben went in the female quarters. And like normal their imaginations began to go haywire.