City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 91: Difficult

“I will inform you of my decision soon, Lewis,” I said to the middle-aged man. “I will be waiting, Adviser Silver,” said the man with a fawning smile.
 
I smiled and walked away with Carla and Jill.
 
Adviser, it had been nine days since I have become the adviser of Lord Lancel Wilstein of House Ravenheart. Everybody knows about it since the papers had published the news and the public had taken it better than I had imagined.
 
It had also come with a lot of privileges. Like when I was looking for an office property to rent, the owner himself had come to show them.
 
The job is not easy, it could be said that bastard Lancel is trying to make it hard as possible for me. 
 
It turned out he had chosen someone else, but Count Darrow had chosen me for him. He is angry about it and acting spoiled. Making the job extremely difficult, even hell. 
 
So, I could quit on my own. Well, that will not happen.
 
I had been awake the whole night, going through the directories of taxes, because he needed advice on one very particular issue of a particular case. I wish it was the only night I had not slept, but it was not. 
 
It is the fourth in nine days.
 
I have never been so grateful for my reading skill as I am feeling nearly every day since I got the job. It had helped me tremendously and since I am using it so extensively, nearly all the resistance had vanished.
 
It was not easy to bend the skill, but I did and now I am reaping the benefits.
 
“What do you think about it?” asked Carla. “The one on the seventh floor with the view is good. I think I will take it,” I answered. I have watched over fourteen office spaces today, and three in the building I had been to.
 
“Good. I will inform him of your decision by evening.” Said, Carla. 
 
I am looking for office space. It is not something the Count or that bastard Lancel had asked, but something I am doing on my own.
 
I have become an Adviser to Lancel, who will one day rule this city. I can’t operate from the brothel, even though I am a whoremaster.
 
I need an office in the administrative district. Closer to the palace and the city hall.
 
It is also the reason I am staying in the house every other day or trying to when Lancel isn’t asking me to burn the midnight oil for petty things.
 
Though it is frustrating, it is also enriching my knowledge, and it helped in the multiple meetings I had with Count Darrow and his advisers.
 
Soon, we reached the establishment, and Jon opened the door after the carriage stopped.
 
“You should sleep,” said Carla. “I will, but first I have to do a job,” I said and Carla turned.
 
“Hugo, ask Drev to come to Master Silver's office in ten minutes,” said Carla. Most of the time, I did not need to tell her things. She understands on their own.
 
I had decided to hire Drev Eshton more permanently because there was no choice. 
 
He had elevated the experience of the establishment, taking it to the next level. So, I needed to hire a chef, at least good as him, a seemingly impossible task.
 
I was able to bring a level 30 chef from Inam, but even he was no good as Drev. Who is becoming better every day. People have praised the food of the establishment Margaux and Carla, but also me. 
 
Even I got used to the delicious food made by him.
 
That left me no choice but to hire him. The man who burned restaurants, till I find a good replacement.
 
…

Drev 

“You can go in, Chef Eshton,” said the young girl, sounding a lot older than she is. “Thank you, jill,” I said to the young girl, who likes sour things.
 
“Don’t worry. It is not bad,” she said softly, seeing my nervousness, and immediately I felt relieved. 
 
While he extended my employment by a week, two days ago. Seeing him calling me to his office suddenly. I assumed the worse, but her words assured me it is not.
 
I nodded my thanks and walked inside the office, past Shaun and Stena, who were guarding the door.
 
“Mister Silver,” I greeted the young man as I entered inside. “Take a seat. Chef Eshton,” he said. 
 
“Thank you. Mister Silver,” I said and sat beside enchanting Carla, whose beauty is enthralling.
 
“I am planning on extending your contract for three months, but before that. I need to know about a few things, and I hope you will answer them truthfully,” he said.
 
Clearly stating if he is not satisfied. He might not extend my contract. 
 
“I will answer them to the best of my abilities,” I said, not promising anything. He did not seem angry by the vagueness of my answer, seeing he smiled instead of getting angry.
 
“I will start with the most important question then. Why do you burn the two restaurants you were working in Teveb?” he asked.
 
I had expected. It is the most common question all people had asked when I went to seek the job.
 
“Technically, I had only burned one restaurant. I only burned the kitchen of the first one,” I replied, but he did not seem amused by my smart-ass answer, seeing him staring at me, without change in his expression.
 
“As for why I had burned the restaurant. I was experimenting with magical ingredients,” I answered.
 
These experiments had destroyed my career, but they were also the reason I had leveled up so quickly. Burning of ‘Haler’ was the worst day of my life, but it is also the day I leveled up twice.
 
From Level 23, I reached Level 25. 
 
“You should have stopped, or at least controlled yourself, after the first incident.” He said the same thing Liam had said. 
 
“I wanted to, but I couldn’t,” I replied, feeling ashamed. “Why not?” He asked, and I opened my mouth to speak the same words I had spoken so many times when I was asked this question.
 
I tried to speak, but no words would come out.
 
I first thought it was some sort of skill that was trying to stop me from speaking a lie, but it turned out to be me. My heart is telling me a lie would be bad. I should be truthful.
 
“The urges or the curiosity, if you call them. Wouldn’t let me rest in peace unless I try.” I said finally and looked at him.
 
To my surprise, he just nodded as if understands what I am feeling and not called me crazy, as most people have.
 
“I will give you an offer, Chef Eshton. Do your work, without any incident, for three months and I will not only extend your contracts for a longer period but also construct a separate kitchen and fund your experiments with magical ingredients,” he said, shocking me to my core.
 
It took me more than a minute before I was able to think straight.
 
“You are not joking, are you?” he asked. “Why would I joke?” he asked back seriously. 
 
“You are an excellent chef and if you could craft the food from magical materials. It will be favorable to my business,” he explained.
 
“That makes sense,” I said, while still shocked by what he said.
 
I tried to not let the excitement fill me. It might be just an empty promise. As what he had promised will cost huge money. Many people will think twice before committing to something like that.
 
Still, if it happened. I will be able to explore my lifelong dream.
 
“Here’s the contract. There will be no changes in it,” he said and slid a contract at me. It is a lot bigger than a one-week contract I had signed twice. 
 
I begin to read the contract, and immediately, a surprise appeared on my face. Even though he said there will be no changes, I had planned to haggle for a salary, if it seemed less, but seeing the number, that desire had vanished.
 
It is better than what I would have asked him.
 
As I read the contract further, a bigger smile appeared on my face. As finally, I will get the freedom a head chef should have.
 
Till now, I did not have the freedom to change the menu. I have been cooking what the previous chef had decided, but now, I get complete freedom. 
 
I could now change the menu and also ask for any tool. I might need to cook the dishes. 
 
Thankfully, the reward clause is present in this contract like in the previous contract, where I will have all tips that the customer gives specifically in my name. It differs from the tips servers get.
 
The establishment does not keep any commission like my previous restaurants used to do.
 
Though there is a stipulation that I much share it with the kitchen staff. I have been doing that, sharing 60% of it with the kitchen staff, even though only 50% is required by the contract.
 
I couldn’t help but feel excited as I read it. I have many ideas about the menu. The menu the previous chef had created, is quite bland, to be honest. There was no creativity or spirit in it.
 
Though, all the changes need to be pre-approved, and, like always. I could not cook without the presence of at least one guard around me.
 
Those bastards are always watching my every movement. Even when I am not in the kitchen. 
 
I read the whole contract twice in case I had missed anything, but everything was good. So, I took the pen and signed it and immediately felt its binding effect.
 
“Welcome to the establishment, Chef Eshton,” he said as he shook my hand. “Thank you, Mister Silver,” I replied, before walking out of the room.
 
….
 
Senar
 
I was sitting in the garden bathing in the moonlight when I saw a beautiful young girl coming out of the spa.
 
She looked radiant, her skin glowing under the moonlight. She used to feel jealous of that. She feels jealous of her even now, but the feeling has diminished.
 
She was walking toward the establishment when she noticed me and turned.
 
“It is a beautiful night, isn’t it,” said Elah as she sat beside me. “Yes, it is,” I replied. Beautiful or not, I loved the garden and the serenity it brings me.
 
I have come here every night for at least an hour since I had come to this amazing place.
 
“Your skin is looking quite radiant. What treatment did you take?” I asked her.
 
The evening time is for them; after five, the working girls prepare for work, while we trainees, as they called us, get to enjoy the spa. In these eleven days, I had gone to the spa four times, getting six treatments that had transformed me.
 
“Hesla flower bath,” she said, and I nearly sucked my breath. It is one of the most painful treatments, but the result it produces is also amazing. 
 
“You look nice too,” she said, and I couldn’t help but feel my cheeks reddening. It feels strange to be praised for my physical appearance. I was always called ugly and an abomination by some.
 
I looked at my hands with smooth, glowing skin. Even when I used my skill, I did not get such smooth, glowing skin.
 
It is on a completely different level.
 
It is not just my skin that had transformed, but also my hair, nail, and other things. My frizzy hair became silky and shiny, and cut to the shoulder from long.
 
When I look at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t recognize the person standing in front of me for a whole second, before realizing it’s me.
 
“Have you decided on the classes?” she asked after a few seconds of silence. “No, I am still trying different things,” I replied, feeling a little ashamed.
 
It is another thing; I am jealous of her. She knew what she wanted and started lessons on it. While I am still trying on different classes, to see which one love.
 
Till now, I have found anything that interests me.
 
“Don’t worry. You will find it soon.” She said reassuringly. I smiled. We sat in silence for a few minutes before I got up. It is time for my last class today and I don’t want to be late.
 
I got up and was about to leave when I suddenly stopped and turn to a young girl.
 
“Thank you. If it hadn’t been for you. I would have missed the greatest opportunity of my life,” I said to her. 
 
Feeling genuinely grateful to her.
 
“You shouldn’t thank me, sister Senar. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even have been alive,” she replied, and I couldn’t help but sigh when I remember that horrific incident.
 
I still bore the scars of it.