Chapter 11: A New Beginning, Unforeseen Encounters

The second day since her transmigration was also the second day she missed her sister, and the first day she longed for her parents.

Wang Xiaole rose early. Donning the uniform provided by the church for its employees, she made her way to her workstation: the kitchen.

Her duties involved preparing generous, nutritious meals for the church’s residents and for the impoverished citizens who would arrive for relief lunch at noon. Of course, Wang Xiaole wasn’t expected to handle this alone; the nine other chefs assigned to the kitchen were all there to assist her.

“So you’re the new recruit?”

“I didn’t expect such a young lady.”

“I can barely imagine someone so beautiful working here with us.”

The senior chefs noticed Wang Xiaole immediately, gathering around her one by one.

“Please take care of me, seniors.”

Wang Xiaole forced a smile onto her face. Though it appeared somewhat unnatural, she had done her best to convey goodwill.

“Ah, leave it to us!”

“We’ll take good care of our junior.”

“By the way, are you free this weekend?”

Despite the inclusion of a rather peculiar question, Wang Xiaole felt confident that these people had already accepted her as one of their own.

“Good morning!”

A cheerful voice rang out from behind her. Turning around, Wang Xiaole saw Cai standing there. Her dark circles were quite pronounced, indicating a restless night.

What Wang Xiaole didn’t realize was that it was precisely because of her arrival that Cai had been too joyful to sleep a wink all night.

“Sacred… Cai, you should get more rest.”

Just as the wrong title almost escaped her lips, Wang Xiaole keenly observed the Sacred Maiden’s brow furrowing rapidly. Then, as she spoke her name, the tightly knitted brows relaxed.

Unwilling to dwell on the topic of rest, Cai had only come to see Wang Xiaole and inform her:

“You don’t need to eat lunch in the refectory. Here is the key to my dining room; please go there at noon.”

With that, Cai handed over the key, clearly not expecting Wang Xiaole to return it.

“This…”

“You can have breakfast in the kitchen. Use this time to get better acquainted with your seniors.”

“I…”

“As for dinner, please feel free to eat wherever you wish.”

After delivering her instructions, Cai bid farewell to Wang Xiaole and slowly walked out of the kitchen.

‘Why did she specifically arrange my lunch location?’

To her embarrassment, before her transmigration, Wang Xiaole had never been treated with such kindness by any girl other than her sister. Lacking experience, she truly struggled to discern Cai’s true intentions.

“That’s the Sacred Maiden taking a liking to you; she hopes you’ll spend more time with her.”

As a seasoned veteran of romance, the mustachioed uncle saw through it all with keen insight. The other chefs, hearing his words, nodded in sudden comprehension. They didn’t doubt the married mustachioed uncle, as such men’s pronouncements often stemmed from personal experience.

‘Taking. A. Liking. To. Me?’

Repeating these words several times, a chill suddenly crept up Wang Xiaole’s spine, spreading throughout her entire body. The shock visibly stiffened her movements as she slowly turned her head to face the mustachioed uncle. Her voice trembled slightly:

“Could it be… Cai is actually a cross-dresser?”

“You little girl, you’re into that sort of thing?”

A long-haired uncle nearby stared at Wang Xiaole, seemingly finding her sexual orientation rather peculiar.

The mustachioed uncle was simply baffled. “A cross-dresser? Who said that? The Sacred Maiden is, of course, a woman. Why else would she be called the ‘Sacred Maiden’?”

“But you just said she took a liking to me…”

At her words, the mustachioed uncle looked utterly perplexed. “Is it strange for the Sacred Maiden to fall for you, another woman?”

As he spoke, the mustachioed uncle even tilted his head to glance at his colleagues. Their reactions mirrored his; they all found Wang Xiaole’s response rather odd. One female colleague even addressed her directly:

“What’s so strange about two women falling in love and entering into marriage?”

‘Am I the weird one?!’

When everyone else reacts the same way, the sole differing individual can’t help but feel out of place. Influenced by this sensation, Wang Xiaole began to suspect that the problem lay with her.

The female chef genuinely didn’t understand. “You’ve come all the way to Dibilis; how can you still react with such disbelief toward love between women?”

Those four words, like a keyword, prompted Wang Xiaole to search her mind for information about the Dibilis Empire. Upon completing her mental retrieval, she finally understood: compared to other nations, Dibilis was a veritable haven for ‘lilies’ – a country where female same-s*x relationships flourished. Here, marriage between women was entirely legal, and the corresponding societal views were deeply ingrained.

What Wang Xiaole still didn’t realize was that while not all the chefs hailed from Dibilis, they had already embraced the empire’s unique customs before settling there. From an ideological standpoint, they were all considered ‘progressive individuals.’

From an outsider’s perspective, after a moment of silence, Wang Xiaole’s expression suddenly shifted as if she ‘understood everything.’

‘(Even if Cai accepts same-s*x love, the uncle’s earlier conjecture… is still wrong.)’

Wang Xiaole refused to believe she could be liked. After all, apart from her looks and figure, she possessed no other discernible advantages. The Spatial Pouch was a gift from Cai; the 120 gold coins in her hand were also a year’s salary paid in advance, yet today marked only her first day of work. She was practically penniless. Meanwhile, Cai, as a Sacred Maiden, was the second most powerful figure in the Papal State, second only to the Pope, and she was also exceptionally beautiful…

‘There’s nothing about me that could genuinely attract Cai.’

The mustachioed uncle, seeing Wang Xiaole shake her head, understood her lack of self-confidence. Logically, a Sacred Maiden would never fall for a mere cook. As for appearance, it wouldn’t be difficult for someone of high status and power to find attractive individuals of either gender. Yet, despite this, the mustachioed uncle chose to place a hand on the junior’s shoulder, patting it a few times to encourage her:

“Don’t worry! You must believe that true love can overcome the limitations of worldly status!”

The others shared his sentiment.

“Just go ahead and allow yourself to be loved.”

“How will you know it’s impossible until the very end?”

“Even if you get rejected, I’ll be here with you…”

Though another peculiar comment slipped in, Wang Xiaole genuinely felt the goodwill of her seniors.

Looking at these people who were cheering her on, she felt too awkward to voice her true thoughts. The words that never found their way out were:

‘Perhaps, my seniors have misunderstood?’

Chatting endlessly wouldn’t do; it was, after all, working hours. After dividing their tasks, the ten individuals busied themselves. Everyone’s breakfast consisted of steamed buns prepared right there in the kitchen. Wanting to leave a good impression on her seniors, Wang Xiaole quickly finished her meal and proactively offered to deliver breakfast to the refectory.

During her brief stay in the refectory, Wang Xiaole became acquainted with some of the nuns and monks who had come to eat.

On her way back to the kitchen, Wang Xiaole pondered something that had left a deep impression on her.

‘(Observing things so far, the number of women far outnumbers men.)’

If Wang Xiaole were to describe the feeling the church gave her, it was like entering a liberal arts class after choosing her academic track—a class with significantly more girls. As a first-year high school student, Wang Xiaole had never actually been in a liberal arts class; she had only heard older students mention it, which was why she thought of it that way.

It was nearing noon, and the kitchen’s work was gradually coming to an end. The head chefs reserved braised pork as the grand finale, ensuring diners would enjoy piping hot, steaming, delicious, and juicy braised pork straight from the pot – a thought that alone brought happiness. With clear divisions of labor in the back kitchen, Wang Xiaole, as a newcomer, was only tasked today with assisting, processing ingredients, and familiarizing herself with the work environment. Currently, she was responsible for cutting meat.

Washing the large cuts of meat, she skillfully divided them into smaller, uniform pieces, and then into cubes. Wang Xiaole wielded the knife with practiced ease, dissecting the meat into neatly squared blocks. A rhythmic thudding filled the air as the chopping board resonated with her precise movements. Before long, all the meat was cut.

Her seniors cast astonished, appreciative glances her way. In their eyes, this was no mere girl; this was clearly an experienced master chef! In terms of culinary skill, there was practically nothing left for her seniors to teach her. However, some of them could still play a role, albeit in matters unrelated to work.

“The annoying fellow is here!”

The long-haired uncle’s shout drew everyone’s attention. Even from the kitchen, the long-haired uncle could know what was happening elsewhere. A nun working in the cathedral was his girlfriend. Upon returning from her duties, his girlfriend had encountered an unwelcome individual. Out of annoyance, she informed the long-haired uncle, who then relayed the news to his colleagues. While others might not matter, the uncle wanted Wang Xiaole to temporarily leave the kitchen.

The reason was simple:

“The pest who’s been pestering the Sacred Maiden has appeared! He’s in the main hall of the cathedral; perhaps you should go take a look!”

Hearing this, Wang Xiaole immediately put down her ladle and quickly sprinkled spices into the pot.

“Then I’ll be off first, my apologies!”

She swiftly untied her apron and hurried towards the location the long-haired uncle had indicated.

“Good luck!”

The seniors unanimously wished their junior well.

****

At the same time, in the main hall of the cathedral.

An unwelcome group of guests had arrived. The man, clad in purple robes and a scarlet cloak, was tall and imposing, with handsome features. Yet, his eyes were deep and profound, as cold and aloof as a winter pond. Now, this man was intently staring at the current Sacred Maiden of the Papal State!

“This is a gift for Miss Sacred Maiden.”

A trusted aide, standing close by, took a silk handkerchief from his master. He stepped forward and presented the gift. Inside the handkerchief was the man’s offering: a pair of ice-jadeite bracelets, undoubtedly top-grade judging by their clarity.

*Smash!*

The sound of them shattering upon impact was rather satisfying!

The moment Cai threw the bracelets, her face bore a ‘textbook expression of indifference.’ She didn’t even blink as the precious treasures shattered before her eyes.