The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1343: Chapter 187: Little Black Tells a Tale

As evening descended, the mayor’s house was ablaze with light, candles flickering, the hall filled with the scent of candle wax mingled with roasting meat.

Though the dining room in the mayor’s home was not spacious and could not compare to a high-class dining establishment, everywhere in the details were signs of careful arrangement.

In the center of the oak dining table was a large silver candelabrum, with five candles inserted high, their flames dancing gracefully, illuminating the food and the faces of the guests at both ends of the table.

On the brocade tablecloth, the cutlery was neatly arranged, the material clearly of high quality, with each plate shining with a peculiar luster, and the edges of the knives and forks glistening brightly.

The plates were exquisite blue porcelain, decorated with elegant gold rims and intricate floral patterns, arranged with today’s first dish—a seemingly meticulously prepared cold platter featuring thinly sliced beef, pickled cucumbers, and steamed egg yolks.

The meat slices were neatly cut into thin pieces by the cook, the cucumbers cut into uniform round slices arranged around the plate, with each piece lightly sprinkled with a layer of olive oil and spices, appearing especially sumptuous, regrettably lacking the most basic rustic flavor.

The second dish, brought out by the cook herself, was hot soup. The soup bowl was adorned with a layer of gold trim, complementing the silver cutlery, with warm steam rising, offering considerable warmth on such a cold winter day.

However, according to the authentic gourmand standards of the Great Dumas, this seemingly rich mushroom soup actually had a mediocre taste, the soup’s color dull, seemingly devoid of special seasonings, with the scant aroma being merely superficial opulence.

Arthur placed his fingers on the edge of the soup bowl, lightly flicked it, feigning an air of savoring, then wiped the corners of his lips with a napkin, as if silently performing some peculiar habit owned only by individuals of high society.

The mayor, with a reverent expression, lifted his cutlery, accepted the tray from the servant, and softly said: ”Colonel, Your Excellency, today’s dishes were specially prepared for you, what do you think?”

Arthur slightly furrowed his brow, gently lifted his knife and fork, picked a bit of the cold platter, but clearly was not in a hurry to eat.

He surveyed the room, his gaze lingering on each dish briefly, his eyes carrying a touch of affected scrutiny.

”Hmm...” He said mildly: ”The taste is good, but clearly the ingredients here can’t compare to the banquets in St. Petersburg. Your use of spices doesn’t seem bold enough. At the capital’s banquets, every dish needs to have a strong aroma. But as I said, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. By Druiysk’s standards, this is absolutely excellent,”

The mayor quickly nodded: ”You’re right, Your insight is truly impeccable. Our cook, although striving to imitate the styles of St. Petersburg and Moscow, was still seen through by you in an instant.”

The mayor’s wife curiously asked: ”After all, you’re a distinguished guest from the capital, but when you were in St. Petersburg, did you dine in restaurants more often, or did you prefer eating at home?”

Arthur made a pretense of analysis: ”Madam, whether to eat at home or in a restaurant is mainly determined by one’s status. When I was still a Ninth Grade official, I mainly dined in restaurants, because as you know, that meager salary couldn’t possibly allow me to afford a French chef. Though my parents wanted to support me with some money, so I wouldn’t live too frugally, I am an independent young man, how could I let others gossip behind my back that I was living off my family background? Precisely because I had this ambition, with such a mindset, that’s why I climbed faster than others. Ever since becoming a Colonel, my salary increased considerably, although as a Beijing official, unlike local officials, we don’t have many sources of wealth, but relying on my salary, allowances, and occasional tributes from local places, it’s more than enough to maintain a coachman, a French chef, a playful monkey, and afford several household tutors’ salaries.”

The mayor’s wife lifted the sleeve of her blue silk dress, covering her mouth in surprise: ”You keep a monkey at home?”

”That’s a little hobby of mine.”

Arthur seriously analyzed: ”You see, monkeys are wise creatures, there’s no animal smarter than a monkey in the world! Moreover, the monkey I keep is the smartest of them all. Sometimes you might even suspect he’s just like a human, eating with a knife and fork, enjoying going to the theater to watch plays, appreciating beautiful ladies, and from time to time holding up a newspaper on the sofa, as if he could read it. If you dressed him in a tuxedo, he could practically pass for a college student, tossing around quotes from Shakespeare and Byron, and even mix well enough to become a civil servant.”

The mayor’s wife laughed until tears came out at Arthur’s earnest expression: ”You’re really good at telling jokes, no matter how smart a monkey is, it couldn’t possibly be that smart, right? You’re teasing me for being a naïve country woman, deliberately using tall tales to fool me.”

Arthur replied solemnly: ”Oh, madam, although the countryside indeed can’t compare with St. Petersburg, one look and anyone can tell you’re from a prominent family, just look at your attire, this blue dress is the epitome of Parisian fashion, a naïve country woman couldn’t possibly have such good taste.”