The Italian Restaurant’s Interior Decoration
“Benno, when do you think you’ll be able to take me to an ink workshop?” I wanted to try making ink before winter came, and I wanted to do research at an ink workshop before starting anything. I stopped by Benno’s store on my way to the temple to ask about this, only for him to shake his head.
“The ink can wait. Construction on the restaurant should be done soon. I want to talk about the decoration a bit more,” Benno said. “The outside of the restaurant’s all finished. The interior comes next and I want to hear about what kinda tapestries, art, and so on are used in the nobility’s section of the temple. Bring Fran with you, no matter what.”
Benno’s tone made it sound like he wanted Fran’s opinion first and foremost, with me just being an afterthought. I couldn’t blame him; I wasn’t particularly well versed on what kind of interior decoration nobles liked.
Suddenly, it hit me—I had another attendant who was probably well-informed about decoration and aesthetics. “Benno, should I bring my new attendant to talk about decoration? Her name’s Rosina and she’s a gray shrine maiden who was especially favored by an art-loving noble, to the point that she had an upbringing more privileged than a lot of laynobles. I’m sure she’ll be able to provide the kind of perspective a noble woman would have.”
Fran had been educated by the High Priest and knew much about the nobility’s proclivities, but suffered from a lack of flexibility. The High Priest himself had a tendency to dislike the unnecessary, his mindset embodied by the phrase simple is best. In contrast, Rosina had been showered in the culture of an art-loving shrine maiden. She had a playful air to her tastes and had a knack for presentation. The number of flowers in my chambers had grown ever since she arrived, and they were becoming increasingly presentable to visitors.
“Sounds good. I’ll bring a carriage to the temple tomorrow afternoon and we can go check out the restaurant. I’m gonna be sending Hugo there too, so do something about tomorrow’s food with whoever’s left.”
It hurt that he completely ignored my ink problems, but I was glad the restaurant was finally getting finished. Lutz and I headed to the temple, chatting excitedly before arriving and telling everyone our plans for tomorrow.
“Benno will be sending a carriage tomorrow afternoon so that I might visit his restaurant. Fran, Rosina, would you be so kind as to accompany me?”
“Of course.”
“Furthermore, he would like Hugo to see the restaurant’s kitchen. Please give him tomorrow off and direct him to the Gilberta Company. Will the new chef be fine on his own? Todd, I believe?”
“I believe he will be fine, with Ella’s assistance.”
I conveyed the plans to the chefs through Fran. Todd seemed uneasy, but I figured he could manage since Hugo had been fine with just Ella up until now.
The next day, after lunch, I had Fran and Rosina change into their outside clothes while Delia helped me take off my blue robe and get me into my long-sleeved, noble-looking blouse. Given that Hugo would be at the restaurant, I needed to dress and act like a noble.
“I wish I could go too. Geez! I’m always the one left behind.”
“My apologies, Delia. I need Rosina’s informed opinion this time.” I tried to appease Delia as best I could while she helped me prepare with a vexed look in her eyes. Bringing Delia to the restaurant wasn’t in the cards, since I didn’t know just how much she would tell the High Bishop. Not to mention that Delia seemed to be conveniently forgetting that she was always left behind since she didn’t want to go to the orphanage and she would rather hone her skills than go to the forest, but oh well.
“Perhaps I will need to prepare a reward for your service in minding my chambers while I’m absent,” I said meaningfully, before heading to the carriage Benno had prepared with Fran and Rosina.
Fran was wearing his normal brown outfit, while Rosina was wearing a moss-green dress with a dark-green bodice covered in lined embroidery. It matched her wavy chestnut hair perfectly, and any way you looked at her, she was the model image of a rich young lady. I complimented her and she gave an embarrassed curtsy, saying I praised her too much. ...She acts super cute even when embarrassed. Can I mimic that? No, definitely not.
During the carriage ride, I explained to Rosina what the Italian restaurant was and what our job would be. “We want the Italian restaurant to feel like an eatery for nobles. Our intended demographic is the rich owners of large stores, so the interior decoration needs to be classy. I would like to hear your and Fran’s opinions on it, with the understanding that it should be similar to a dining hall nobles would use.”
“May I think of it as if I were decorating Sister Christine’s room?” asked Rosina, and I nodded. I asked Fran to think of it like he was decorating for the High Priest or the High Bishop.
“In that case, please take care not to provide any opinions of your own,” Fran warned. “Hugo will be there, and it would be best if you spoke through us.”
Things always got heated and foul-mouthed when Benno and I had business discussions. It seemed I would need to write my thoughts on my diptych today. ...I really don’t want to become a noble girl. They don’t even get to talk when they want to.
The bouncing, shaking carriage finally reached the restaurant. The outside construction had indeed been finished, and we found Lutz waiting for us at the entrance. I had to act like a noble, and he had to act like a merchant apprentice doing business with a noble. We both kept our backs straight and our eyes level. The fact that we didn’t just grin at each other was commendable, if you asked me.
“Thank you for graciously accepting our invitation, Sister Myne.” Lutz and I finished our farcical greetings, then stepped past the large, ornately carved wooden doors into the restaurant. Inside was a smallish hall that resembled the first floor of my chambers.
“This is the reception and waiting area. To the left is the kitchen and to the right is the dining hall,” explained Lutz while pointing to the left and right. The right side of the hallway had a rectangular opening in it, which I could imagine would be the future location of a door. Behind it was Benno, who came this way after noticing us.
“Thank you for coming, Sister Myne. This is the restaurant’s dining hall.” Benno also greeted me politely, as he would with a noble. The dining hall seemed to be based on my orphanage director chambers, since that was the noble abode he was most familiar with, but the result was an overwhelmingly white and featureless design.
“I intend to run a wainscot along the walls, but the one I ordered with fanciful reliefs carved into it has not yet been completed. It seems to be taking some time to finish.”
Unable to reply, I wrote “delivery date of wainscot” into my diptych.
“I have already decided on the wainscot and display shelves, but I do not know what art to display on the shelves. Sister Myne, I would be extremely grateful to hear your thoughts on what tapestries, art, sculptures, plants, and so on I should buy, as well as how to arrange them.” Despite saying he wanted to hear my thoughts, Benno looked straight at Fran and Rosina.
“What kind of display shelves do you have in mind?” asked Fran
“The contents of the shelves will depend on their height, width, and color,” added Rosina.
Benno answered their questions in stride. He knew what was popular among nobles since he regularly did business with them. But as expected, Rosina dominated the discussion when it came to art and how to present it. Then Fran would offer cheaper alternatives to her suggestions while gently holding her back when she suggested something too extravagant for a restaurant. Still unable to participate, I just dotted notes down on my diptych while listening to their discussion. An onlooker would surely struggle to tell which of us was the master.
“Sister Myne, what would you suggest we add?”
“...Only one thing comes to mind. Nothing would complete the restaurant aesthetic more than a bookshelf in the corner.”
Benno’s eyes shot open and, after stifling a scream of “You idiot! How much money do you think that would cost?!”, he glared at me.
“Sister Myne,” chided Rosina, “I do believe books are too expensive to buy for decoration.”
“If placed in the dining hall, the smell of the ink would carry over to the food.”
My shoulders fell as both my attendants rejected my idea. I knew it was unreasonable before I said it. But he asked what I suggested, and I wanted to be honest with my thoughts. If honesty wasn’t appreciated here, I would have to just shut my mouth and let my attendants do all the talking.
“Given that you intend to open the restaurant in the spring,” began Rosina, “perhaps you would be better off focusing on the carpet rather than tapestries? Noble rooms will always have carpet, so as to stifle the sounds of footsteps and serving carts.”
“It will be difficult to find thick carpet suitable for pushing serving carts over, but it will be well worth the price.”
They provided advice not only from the perspective of nobles, but from the perspectives of those serving the nobles. Benno and I both wrote down their thoughts in our diptychs. The conversation advanced smoothly, with the number of tables, number of chairs, leftover space to be kept in reserve, and so on all getting discussed.
“Regarding the tables,” said Fran, “I believe that removing the tablecloths and using napkins instead is an important step towards feeling more like somewhere a noble might eat. Napkins are like tablecloths cut into small squares so that diners can wipe their hands individually, and as of late the nobility use them almost exclusively.”
Fran’s words made my face light up. Tablecloths here weren’t used for decoration like they were back on Earth. They were used to rub food off your hands, to wipe your face, and even to blow your nose. A new tablecloth might look nice, but after repeated usage the filth became too baked in to remove. It was so unhygienic that it was actually causing dysentery and other diseases to spread.
“Fran, that is a spectacular idea,” I said. “Filthy tablecloths will only ruin the high-class atmosphere. With napkins sized for individual use, it will be trivial to replace dirty ones once they become impossible to clean. A restaurant must prioritize cleanliness above all else. Some diners will clean themselves on the tablecloths if given the opportunity, so our best option is to remove the tablecloths entirely and prepare napkins in their place.”
Benno nodded and stroked his chin in thought. Meanwhile, Rosina tapped my shoulder and signaled for me to stop talking. Did I get too excited? Sorry, but I just hate the dirty tablecloths here. So, so much.
Once we finished discussing the dining hall, we moved to the kitchen. It was largely identical to the one in my chambers, but larger. I looked around and saw Mark and Hugo talking. I had Fran ask how their discussions on the cooking tools, ingredients, and firewood had concluded.
“We have decided to order the same tools I have grown used to using in Sister Myne’s kitchen,” answered Hugo. I heard him loud and clear, but Fran repeated it to me before asking my thoughts.
“It’s good to prepare tools you’re used to using. But think carefully about how many of them to buy. For some tools, it’s better to buy many extras for when you’re too busy to clean them.” I whispered my thoughts Fran’s ears, and after he repeated them Hugo’s eyes shot open wide in shock, as if he had never considered that option. Mark was taking notes in his own diptych, which they had apparently made at some point.
“It would be wise to secure three separate avenues from which to buy fresh, good-tasting ingredients. You will also need a lot of wood to run the ovens, correct? Start securing a stockpile of it as soon as possible, without forgetting the possibility of ordering it from other cities.”
After finishing our discussion in the kitchen, we all got into the carriage—except for Mark and Hugo—and headed for the Gilberta Company. There we could discuss matters without reservation.
As soon as I entered the store, I tossed off my noble girl facade. Rosina winced, but if I had a business discussion with Benno like a noble, I would have no idea if he was understanding me or not. I raised a hand, my diptych open and ready.
“Okay, Benno. I’m going to ask about some things. You implied the wainscot was late, but when is it actually going to be finished? Isn’t it essential for the restaurant’s decoration? I don’t think you’ll be able to put up the art or display shelves without it.”
“The workshop’s hurrying, but it’s definitely not gonna be finished before winter. Can’t say I’m surprised, they’ve gotta do the doors and window panes too.”
Something about Benno’s elaboration seemed odd to me. I furrowed my brow in thought. “Ummm, wait, are you saying you ordered everything from the same workshop?”
“Naturally. You gotta stick with your partner workshop.” So he said, but it seemed to me that asking one workshop to make doors, window panes, wainscots, and so on—each with ornately carved reliefs—was just going to end up with them being overworked.
“Why not just split the orders between different carpentry workshops? It’ll take way too long if you ask one workshop to do everything. You would save a lot of time if you asked one workshop to do the wainscot, one to decorate the door, one to decorate the window panes, and another to make the display shelves.”
Apparently, it was normal to do what Benno did and form a partnership with a workshop that would do everything, no matter how long it took. I saved a lot of time setting up my workshop since I just bought materials that had already been made, which gave me a biased perception.
“I’ll trust that you know what you’re talking about, Benno. But most craftsmen will be able to do this kind of thing if you give them detailed instructions, so I think you’d be better off forming connections with multiple workshops.”
“...I’ll think about it.” Benno started writing something on a wooden board and I used the opportunity to check what was next on my list.
“What about tableware? Nobles don’t use wooden tableware much at all.”
“I’ve ordered some pewter plates, but they’re gonna be a while too. Takes a lot of time to make that many of the same thing. No helping this either, nobles don’t share.” In cheap restaurants it was normal to eat with your hands instead of utensils, and plates were made of hard bread. People even shared their utensils and plates when they had them, though less in recent times than before.
But nobles? Nobles were different. To match the style of nobles you needed tableware for each individual customer, which meant you had to make a bunch from scratch. Which was exactly why he should have split the orders between workshops to speed the process up.
“What if you used a different workshop for each table’s worth of tableware, maybe changing what kind you use depending on the price of the food...?”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself.” It seemed that ordering from multiple workshops at once really was frowned upon. With Benno glowering in front of me, I changed my suggestion.
“In that case, why not order silver and porcelain tableware as well, so it’s not all from the same kind of workshop?”
“That would be too expensive,” Benno said with a grimace.
“You can use them exclusively for higher class customers, to make them feel special. The plates and such can be put on display for decoration when not in use.”
“...That’s a good point. What do you two think?” Benno looked at Fran and Rosina. Fran spoke first.
“I believe that Sister Myne’s suggestion would be fairly effective. Even nobles use different plates when serving guests of honor. However...”
According to Fran and Rosina, nobles brought their own utensils and cups with them when dining with others. They would brag about their quality, and some of them were family heirlooms passed down for generations. Tableware was a reflection of one’s fortune. And apparently, most importantly of all, it was commonplace for nobles to bring even their own plates to lower the risk of being poisoned.
“Commoners definitely don’t do anything like that,” observed Benno.
“That’s fine, we can be trend setters here and spread noble customs to everyone,” I said. “The restaurant will have its own tableware just in case, but what if in your invitation you told the first people eating here to bring their own utensils and cups? If they’re rich I’m sure they have tableware they’re proud of, and some people might buy new ones just so they can brag. Do you have any tableware you could show off, Benno?”
Benno groaned a little. “...I do. I get the feeling that if I kick off a battle of people showing off their prized tableware it’ll never end, but I do have some tableware I would want to bring if someone told me to bring my own.”
“Okay. The restaurant won’t need many utensils if you have people bring their own. And you won’t have to worry about expensive tableware being stolen by customers.” Benno had said that his greatest concern about decorating the restaurant like a noble’s mansion was customers stealing or destroying things. I personally couldn’t imagine stealing something from a restaurant, but apparently it wasn’t uncommon.
“Oh yeah, speaking of which. You said you knew a way to cut down on theft and people leaving without paying their checks, yeah? What is it?”
I puffed out my chest with confidence and answered.
“Simple. Introductions only.”
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