Ascendance of a Bookworm

Chapter 117: Interior Decoration of the Italian Restaurant (1)

As an attendant, Rosina starts to work on her weak points: calculation and paperwork. Delia, who does the rough work alone, purses her lips discontentedly. But Rosina is almost an adult and can read and write, and thus she can relieve Fran of some of his work. So Delia does not complain about her.

I know Delia is happy for her time of playing Fespiel is guaranteed. I also notice the fascinated look on her face when she is gazing at the Fespiel. "How about asking her to teach you?" I said to Delia. "No! Geeze!" She snarls though, I know she must have no time.

Besides, as Wilma told me, I pay attention to correct my behavior carefully while learning from Rosina.

However, every of my actions is different from hers. Rosina has a deliberate manner, and even walks at a light and elegant pace like she was dancing. She does not move fast, but is always unhurried like floating clouds and flowing water. It\'s an unbelievable pace.

Even her ways of tilting her head and holding a pen, the lower hem of her clothes… each and every detail of her move is elegant. However, it makes people feel utterly natural, not haphazard at all.

"Is Rosina\'s deportment acquired by learning?"

"Calculation is more difficult than deportment. How did Miss Maine acquire the ability of calculation? Could you please tell me?"

She looks at me and grins. Only practice can overcome weaknesses.

As Rosina admonishes us, Delia and I began to pay attention to our own behaviors. Because Delia\'s goal is to become a mistress, I find her learning faster than me.

This day, I receive the invitation from the Head Priest for lunch. The appointed time is 10 days later. The invitation says "Please take the musical instrument with you. I want to know how your Fespiel training goes on." After the special training with Rosina, I complete the first task which the Head Priest imposed on me - to be able to play the Fespiel fluently within 3 days.

… The goal and the deadline give me the actual feeling of growth.

I present a suit of clothes for going out to Rosina, my Fespiel tutor, as the reward, and a pile of paper to Wilma, who have finished their cards, for her to sketch.

"Mr. Benno, when will you introduce me to the ink workshop?"

Because I want to make ink before winter comes. First, I want to visit the ink workshop before making the ink. On my way to the temple, I drop by the Gilberta Company and ask Mr. Benno. He shakes his head slightly.

"The ink workshop visit can be postponed. It\'s about the time to finish the restaurant. I want to talk with you about the interior decoration."

I think he will bring me to the ink workshop. However, in some way, he brings up the topic of the Italian restaurant.

"How are things going on with the restaurant?"

"The exterior engineering is completed. We will finish the interior work next. I need some advice on the tapestry and art decoration which copy the nobles\' area of the temple. Please do bring along Fran."

It seems that Mr. Benno wants to know Fran\'s advice, so I seem redundant. Because I know little about the interior decoration for the nobles, I have nothing to say.

Thinking about this, I suddenly recall one person. Among my attendants, there is another one who may know the details about the work of art and interior decoration.

"… If you need some advice about the work of art, why not bring along Rosina? Though she is my new attendant, she was highly appreciated by a noble who likes art. She is a gray-robed priestess who behaves more noble-like than the lower-class nobles. I think she may have some advice from a female noble\'s perspective."

Fran gets good educated from the Head Priest and knows how the nobles should behave. But he is a prim person, who has little flexibility. The Head Priest doesn\'t like futile endeavors and tends to the thought of "the simpler, the better."

On this point, Rosina is well educated by an art priestess, so she has a recreational instinct on anything. Besides, she has a good taste for arrangement of things and their presentation. Since Rosina comes, there are more flowers in our rooms. Things are not only stored in the cabinets, but are also displayed orderly.

"Well, that\'s good. Tomorrow afternoon, there will be a horse cart to the temple. So let\'s go to see the restaurant by it. Then Hugo will also go to the restaurant. The rest people should be in charge of tomorrow\'s meals."

"Ok."

I\'m disappointed for my request for visiting the ink workshop was unanswered. But it is a happy thing that the restaurant will be ready soon. "I cannot wait for it." Lutz and I reply together. Then we decide to go to the temple and tell others the plan for tomorrow.

"Tomorrow afternoon, Mr. Benno will send a horse cart to catch me. He wants me to visit our restaurant. Will Fran and Rosina come with me?"

"Ok," Fran and Rosina nod.

"Besides, Hugo will come together to see the kitchen. Please tell Hugo to go to the Gilberta Company and he need not work tomorrow. … How is the new cook?"

"Because Ella is with him, there won\'t be any problem for him to carry out his work."

Fran goes to inform Hugo and others. The new cook looks nervous, but he will make it. Because Hugo once worked with Ella to be in charge of cooking and they did everything very well, I think there will be no problem this time.

The next day, after lunch, Fran and Rosina get dressed. I take off the blue robe with the help of Delia, and put on a noble-like blouse with broad cuff. Because Hugo will go to the restaurant as well, it\'s necessary to wear formally and behave gracefully.

"I want to go there too, geeze! I don\'t want to stay alone at home."

"Excuse me, Delia. We need Rosina\'s advice this time."

I meet the piteous look of Delia, who is helping me prepare the visit. I don\'t know how much information the Temple Chief has learnt, I just cannot bring along Delia indeed.

Besides, I leave Delia alone at home because she doesn\'t want to go to the orphanage and would rather improve herself alone than go to the forest. She seems to have forgotten that completely.

"Do I need to give Delia a reward for staying at home and doing the housework?"

After speaking with Delia, I get on the horse cart sent by Mr. Benno with Fran and Rosina.

Fran is in light brown as usual. Rosina wears a moss green one-piece and a dark green bodice embroidered with geometric patterns. It fits her fluffy chestnut hair so well that she looks like a girl of noble birth.

When Rosina served Miss Christine, she only wore the gray-robed priest\'s clothes when going to the temple. When I praise Rosina, she tugs at the train of her skirt blushingly and says, "I\'m over praised."

… Her shyness gives me a gentlewomanly impression. It\'s lovely, but I doubt if I can imitate that manner. No, I don\'t think I can.

Inside the horse cart, I introduce the Italian restaurant to Rosina and tell her the work today.

"We are going to create an atmosphere of the nobles\' cafeteria in the Italian restaurant. Because I consider the guests to be the rich class like the bosses of those big retail stores. So I want to pay more attention to its interior decoration. As I suppose that the nobles will come for dinner, I need Fran and Rosina\'s advice."

"… May I take it as preparing Miss Christine\'s room?"

I nod at Rosina. I also ask Fran to give advice as if he is preparing the rooms of the Head Priest or the Temple Chief.

"So, we will tell our opinions. I hope Miss Maine do not speak too much. Because Hugo will be here, please express your opinion through us."

"… Alright."

Since I have the business relationship with Mr. Benno, somehow we get familiar with each other. So, I always talk a lot. I must have what I want to say today noted on my tablet.

… I don\'t want to be a well-off girl. I cannot even talk freely…

When the horse cart approaches the exterior-completed restaurant, Lutz is waiting outside. Today I pretend to be a noble, while Lutz acts as a merchant apprentice who is ready to serve a noble responsively.

"I am glad to see you."

"Thank you for your hospitality."

After finishing the farce-like greeting with Lutz, I follow him in. We restrain ourselves from laughing at each other\'s stage face.

When we enter the big decorative wooden door, we can see a small hall like the one of the first floor of my house.

"This is the lounge for ushers and check-out. The left area is the kitchen, and the right one is the dining hall."

As Lutz is speaking, he points at right. The door may be installed later. Then we see the white wall with holes at the four corners. Mr. Benno is inside the cafeteria.

"Miss Maine, I am glad to see you. This is the dining hall of our restaurant."

Mr. Benno also uses the formal words for greeting.

Mr. Benno says the interior is decorated according to my room, because it\'s the first accessible room as a model.

"… It\'s out of taste."

"Of course, the retaining walls will be built. But the carved retaining walls have not been delivered yet."

Because I\'m limited in speaking, I can only note "delivery time of the retaining wall" on the writing board.

"Things like retaining walls and decorative shelves have been decided, but the art objects to be displayed on the shelves have not been decided yet. We have chosen some tapestry, pictures, sculptures and plants. How and where should we display them? I wish to hear your opinion."

While Mr. Benno is saying so, Fran\'s gaze focuses on Fran and Rosina.

"What kind of decorative shelf will be placed here?"

"It will be different according to the size, width or color," Mr. Benno answers.

He is a merchant who often deals with the nobles and knows their latest fashion elements. However, as expected, the art objects, decorations and art taste are entirely Rosina\'s things.

Besides, Fran submits an alternative plan of Rosina\'s for lower cost. Thus, we cut those unnecessary and over-luxurious items.