"Huh, what's going on? When did I get so good at chopping vegetables?"
Natsuki Subaru stared at his hands in a daze. This sudden exquisite skill left him both surprised and confused.
Although Rem's vegetable chopping was already professionally standard, his own knife work had reached an artistic level, completely surpassing the scope of ordinary culinary skills.
It was even more exaggerated than a Michelin chef from his previous life.
"Wait..." A flash of inspiration struck Natsuki Subaru. "Could this be the effect of the Advanced Dagger Arts skill?"
"It must be, that's right."
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but grin, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
He hadn't expected the combat skill given by the system to be usable in this way.
If he couldn't make it in the future, perhaps he could open a restaurant in the Royal Capital and become an excellent chef.
"What are you grinning foolishly about?" Ram's voice suddenly came from behind, startling Natsuki Subaru so much he almost dropped the kitchen knife.
The pink-haired maid, Ram, had appeared behind him at some point, holding a basket of fresh potatoes.
"Stop daydreaming and come cut these potatoes. We need to make salad tonight."
"...Got it." Natsuki Subaru took the potatoes, a smug arc forming on his lips. "Ram, would you like to admire my knife skills? I guarantee it'll be an eye-opener~"
Although he was still a bit clumsy with other household chores, not comparable to professional maids like Ram and Rem, at least with the enhancement of Advanced Dagger Arts, his knife skills were quite decent.
After all, it was his first day as a servant; he couldn't be completely looked down upon.
"A mere newbie dares to show off in front of Ram?"
Ram said this, but she couldn't help but move closer to the cutting board.
When she clearly saw those radish slices, thin as cicada wings and almost transparent, her wine-red pupils visibly contracted, her voice carrying a rare trace of surprise:
"Huh? Each slice is very uniform in thickness, and they're cut very thinly too."
"Right?" Natsuki Subaru was instantly energized, picking up a thin radish slice and saying to Ram, "Look, you can see light through it. It would be a waste if I didn't become a head chef in the Royal Capital with this skill~"
Ram took the radish slice, her slender fingers gently rolling it, then looked up at Natsuki Subaru with the expression one would use for an idiot:
"That being said, how are you going to cook with radishes cut like this? They'll dissolve immediately if stewed, and they'll be too crispy if stir-fried."
"Ah..." Natsuki Subaru's smile froze on his face. "Well, about that..."
Oops... Miscalculated...
I was so focused on showing off, I forgot about practicality.
"Just showing off some flashy but useless little tricks." Ram casually tossed the radish slice back onto the cutting board. As she turned, her pink hair drew a graceful arc in the air.
"Remember to cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, no more of this useless stuff."
Watching Ram's retreating figure, Natsuki Subaru pouted and muttered softly:
"Tch, doesn't know how to appreciate art."
But soon, his attention was drawn to a scene at the other end of the kitchen.
Rem was intently stirring a soup pot. Amidst the rising steam, her blue hair swayed gently with her movements, her profile appearing and disappearing in the mist.
"Forget it... Now is not the time to think about these things. It's more important to first improve Rem and Ram's favorability towards me."
Natsuki Subaru quietly clenched his fist, cheering himself on inwardly.
You know, the first step to surviving in this other world, the immediate priority, was to win the trust of Ram and Rem.
Natsuki Subaru didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the original work, like that unlucky Natsuki Subaru, being repeatedly executed by the twin sisters several times.
Absolutely avoid the BAD END!
This time, he must take the perfect route!
Natsuki Subaru silently formulated a favorability improvement plan in his mind.
First, perfectly complete every work task assigned by Ram and Rem. Second, proactively share the burden of miscellaneous tasks.
Then, carefully observe their preferences, offer warm care at the right time, and prove his worth through actions.
Finally, become a trustworthy partner, or even further, develop a romantic relationship...
"Ahem... I'm getting a bit carried away." Natsuki Subaru muttered to himself, shaking his head to force his wandering thoughts back. "Still, let's start from the basics..."
"All in all, take it slow, can't rush things..."
Natsuki Subaru took a deep breath, gripped the kitchen knife again, the sharp blade drawing beautiful arcs on the potatoes, each cut astonishingly precise.
This time, he was determined to be a model servant!
To make Ram and Rem look at him in a new light.
But, speaking of which.
Isn't using Advanced Dagger Arts to chop vegetables a bit too extravagant?
Well, whatever, it's not like the skill costs anything to use.
...
In the shadows of the hallway, Ram leaned quietly against the window frame, her wine-red eyes slightly narrowed, watching Natsuki Subaru busy in the kitchen.
"Subaru, this guy..."
Ram's gaze followed Natsuki Subaru's kitchen knife intently, the fluid movements causing her to frown unconsciously.
Potatoes quickly turned into neat chunks under the blade, each cut incredibly precise.
"Such knife skills... It's impossible without decades of practice."
What concerned Ram even more was that Natsuki Subaru, who claimed to be an ordinary young man, could actually slice radishes into such paper-thin pieces.
"That is by no means a skill an ordinary person can achieve."
Thinking this, Ram's gaze shifted to Natsuki Subaru's hands.
There were no calluses on his hands, nor did they look like those of a rigorously trained warrior.
"Could it be my imagination? Is he really that gifted?"
Ram's fingertips unconsciously tapped the window frame, her pink short hair fluttering slightly in the breeze.
This strange young man who had suddenly appeared at the mansion seemed to be hiding some secrets.
Should she tell Lord Roswaal?
Or should she continue to observe for a while longer...
...
...
"~Phew... I'm so exhausted..."
With a sigh, Natsuki Subaru collapsed onto the soft, large bed in a spread-eagle position.
After a full day as a servant, even with his Strength attribute increased by 2 points, his body felt overwhelmed.
"Roswaal's mansion is ridiculously huge. Just cleaning the courtyard outside felt like running a marathon, not to mention there are over three hundred rooms inside."
Natsuki Subaru stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar ceiling, the exaggerated scale of the mansion appearing in his mind.
Of course, these weren't the main problems.
The problem was, such a massive mansion was actually managed by only two maids, Ram and Rem.
Right, including Frederica who resigned before he arrived, there were only three maids.
Thinking of this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but complain about Roswaal, the master of the mansion with the exaggerated makeup:
"Seriously, that Roswaal guy is such a black-hearted capitalist, really knows how to exploit his employees!"
_____
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