LRAB Chapter 278 A Feast That Couldn't Begin
Chapter 278 A Feast That Couldn't Begin
Am I being too jumpy today, to the point of becoming paranoid?
As Qi Na tidied the dishes and utensils on the table, folding each napkin into a swan-like shape, she began to reflect on herself.
It's described as a graceful swan dance, but the folding method isn't actually that complicated. It just sounds nicer; the shape actually looks more like a banana with its skin peeled open. After all, the material is just a soft towel, offering virtually no room for artistic expression... No, no, that's not what we need to reflect on.
Qi Na placed a napkin down and shook her head like a rattle-drum.
I'm starting to overthink again... I have this feeling that ever since that famous Sinnoh champion stepped into this mansion, my work has become very strange. Not only am I careless, but I also become nervous even when I see everyday things.
Especially when Miss Venetian pulled her into the room to help her choose an outfit, this ominous feeling was particularly intense. When she heard strange noises coming from the walls, she subconsciously imagined the most terrifying scenarios...
Oh dear, there shouldn't have been such a panic.
I'm a maid at the Mori Mansion now, and my job is to clean all the rooms in the mansion. Hearing the noise coming from the master bedroom next door, I should have been the first to think about the layout behind that wall. How could I be so slow to realize it? That's really not right of me.
It seems my professional skills still need improvement...
While reflecting on her actions, the maid kept busy with her work. After setting out the tableware, it was time to prepare the drinks.
Just after everyone left the manor owner's room, Manager Ah Ying was given a few instructions by Mr. Hayden. Afterwards, he went out of the manor and brought back a bottle of red wine that looked very expensive from the luxury car outside. He said he would drink it at the banquet, probably to celebrate something.
Gossiping has been an occupational hazard for maids since ancient times, and with no one to talk to, Zina could only let her imagination run wild—
That might be related to the research that the curator of Meidan was conducting. The reason he hadn't directly presented the wine as a gift before was probably because Hayden didn't know the specific progress of the research at the time. Therefore, it wasn't until after talking with the curator and learning the details that the big boss finally decided to present the wine as a congratulatory gift.
It's clear that Professor Medan and Mr. Hayden have a really good relationship. They were laughing and joking in the curator's room earlier. Is this what they call friendship between classmates? I wonder what the two old men looked like when they were young?
Forget it, these are not things that Zina needs to consider right now.
The maid, who had placed the red wine in the center of the table, carefully crossed her arms and thoroughly inspected her "masterpiece." The tablecloth was neat, the napkins were upright, and the wine basket and flower arrangement complemented each other perfectly. Just as she was admiring herself, she immediately noticed a oversight and went back to the cupboard where the tableware was stored.
This time, she presented a glass vessel with a wide base. The entire container was about the size of a vase, resembling an inverted funnel with a long, narrow neck designed for easy pouring.
When Qi Na first arrived at the Forest Mansion, she spotted this thing. At the time, she didn't know what it was for and had to secretly search for it online on her phone to find out. Now, it's finally going to come in handy.
The label on the bottle of red wine Hayden brought clearly stated that it was a vintage aged for many years. Therefore, if the drinker is particular about its quality, it needs to be left to stand for a while before drinking to separate the wine from the sediment such as fruit skins and yeast, and to allow the red wine to oxidize slightly so that its aromas can be released—this is the purpose of the glass decanter in front of us.
Whether Mr. Hayden and his family will use it or not is another matter, but it's always good to put the decanter on the table first. It will make the maid look much more professional. Only professionalism earns genuine respect and appreciation from others.
"I wonder how the giant vine is doing in the kitchen. With so many unexpected visitors, even though the mansion has plenty of ingredients, cooking for so many people, plus the amount of Pokémon they brought, the kitchen must be in a frenzy... no, should I say the vines are flying everywhere?"
Stealing glances at Professor Medan sitting in the main seat in the hall, Venusa bickering with her father, Cynthia, the Sinnoh champion carefully flipping through an ancient book, Officer Officer Jenny looking around in her uniform, Neil curiously observing the Pokémon beside the champion, and Mr. Hayden and his bodyguard leisurely appreciating a painting again... The maid was overwhelmed. How did these visitors, each with a more terrifying identity than the last, manage to gather in this mansion in just one day?
When Professor Mei Dan gave the order, everyone thought the banquet was really about to begin and rushed downstairs, only to find that the number of guests had suddenly tripled, and dinner would have to wait a while. Fortunately, everyone was quite understanding, and apart from Professor Mei Dan's usual cold laugh, no one urged them to hurry.
The mansion had plenty of Pokémon food, so the Pokémon didn't have to worry about going hungry; it could be a nice appetizer. Cynthia Champion's Roserade, Mr. Hayden's Corviknight, Officer Jenny's Staraptor, and all sorts of other Pokémon hopped out from their trainers in twos and threes to grab a bite to tide them over. It seemed that the wait made them even more excited for dinner.
Zina couldn't help but worry about her partner. While an empty stomach is the best seasoning, excessive anticipation can also increase a guest's pickiness about the food.
It wasn't that she didn't want to go into the kitchen and lend a hand, but just imagining the scene of the kitchen becoming like a "hardened plant" when the giant vines were cooking, with vines whipping everywhere and pots and pans making a cacophony of noise, she knew that if she went in now, she would only make things worse...
Besides, Zina's cooking skills are not very good; at best, she can only bake tree fruit bacon as a dessert.
Actually, to be precise, although the maid had a Poké Ball in her pocket that could retrieve the Giant Vine, the Giant Vine wasn't actually one of Sina's Pokémon. It was more like a colleague of Sina's.
Although Zina can cook, as a young woman in her early twenties, no matter how much kitchen experience she has, her cooking skills could not possibly be good enough to earn the approval of a business tycoon like Hayden.
Therefore, when she took on the job at the housekeeping service center, she simply rented a capable work partner at the same time.
It was that giant vine that was currently making a racket in the kitchen, bustling about like a thousand-armed monster.
This type of rental service is actually very common at the service center where Qi Na works.
No one is perfect. No matter how capable a maid or housekeeper is, it is impossible for one or two people to handle the workload of managing the entire mansion. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on the power of Pokémon.
Raising Pokémon is no easy task, and getting them competent enough to perform specific household tasks is even more difficult—more challenging than getting them to fight. It requires specialized teachers, facilities, and a systematic teaching system; only professional institutions with structured instruction can provide this. Therefore, Pokémon schools have emerged to address this need.
Many Pokémon that have had conflicts with their trainers or have been forced to be released for other reasons end up in such institutions through Pokémon Centers. Furthermore, Pokémon that haven't been adopted for a long time in breeding houses are often sent here for selection. From this constant influx of new Pokémon, various institutions conduct rigorous screening, keeping only those with sufficient talent and personal interest for further training, allowing them to coexist with human society in a different way. Those rejected continue the process of being released back into the wild.
Tangela is the kind of Pokémon with exceptional culinary talent. Whether it's Gym Leader Medan or Vinissa and Neil, who occasionally visit the Forest Mansion, they all rave about it. The two even mistakenly believed Tangela was Sina's Pokémon, and consequently, they held her in much higher regard.
Just as the maid was lost in her fantasies, she saw the huge, blue-green figure in the kitchen extend a vine outwards and beckon in her direction.
"Huh? What's going on?"
Qi Na followed, puzzled, and saw another vine fly up from beside the giant vine that was plating the appetizers, pushing a large vegetable basket in front of her.
"Not enough ingredients? We need some berries and Moo Moo milk? Are we preparing a meal for the Pokémon?"
Hearing her coworker's humming, and with the vegetable basket in hand, Zina instantly understood what he meant. The giant vine happily waved its whip, pushing Zina in the opposite direction of the kitchen—it was urging Zina to hurry back.
"Okay, okay, I'll go."
Zina soothingly touched the thick blue vine, which felt a bit like a sweater. She really didn't know how the giant vine could operate so many kitchen utensils at the same time with such a clumsy "arm".
Without pausing, he followed instructions and quickly made his way up the stairs to the attic on the roof.
This time, she didn't have any wild thoughts, and she wasn't even startled when she walked past that strange painting.
The Sinnoh Champion and the League Police are both here. Even if the ominous mansion wanted to be haunted, it wouldn't dare to show its face at a time like this.
The night was deep, and dinnertime had long passed. The giant vine's feast was finally ready to be served, just waiting for Zina to return and plate it.
Just then, a horrifying scream came from above the roof.