The kitchen occupied the heart of the estate's ground floor, larger than most common rooms in smaller homes. Copper pots hung from iron hooks along the walls, their surfaces gleaming despite years of use. A massive hearth dominated one wall, with smaller ovens built into the stonework beside it. The air carried layers of scent—fresh bread, dried herbs, woodsmoke, and something sweet that might have been honey.
Anna bustled ahead of him, her energy infectious despite the early afternoon hour. She wore a simple brown dress covered by a flour-dusted apron, her auburn hair tied back in a practical bun that had come slightly undone during the morning's work.
"Now, Master Aldric, you mustn't feel obligated to be kind about this," she said, pulling a loaf from one of the smaller ovens. "Cook says I'm too ambitious with my experiments, but I think that's the only way to learn anything worthwhile."
The bread looked perfect to Ryo's untrained eye. Golden brown crust, even color, the right shape and size. But when Anna cut into it, he saw what she meant. The texture looked dense, heavy. Not quite right.
"I've been trying to get it lighter," Anna continued, cutting a thick slice and offering it to him. "Cook uses the same recipe her mother taught her, but the merchant who brought those new spices mentioned bread he'd eaten in the capital that was soft as clouds."
Ryo accepted the slice and took a careful bite. The flavor was excellent—complex, with hints of herbs he couldn't identify. But Anna was right about the texture. It sat heavy on his tongue.
"It tastes wonderful," he said honestly. "But you're right about the texture. What have you tried changing?"
Anna's face lit up. "Well, I thought maybe more kneading? Or less? And Cook said maybe the yeast isn't fresh enough, but we just bought it from the miller last week."
She pulled out a wooden stool and gestured for him to sit while she gathered ingredients on the work table. Ryo found himself genuinely interested as she explained her process, demonstrating how she mixed the dough and describing the different techniques she'd attempted.
"The thing is," Anna said, flour dusting her hands as she worked, "I don't really understand why any of it works. I just follow the steps and hope for the best."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, why does yeast make bread rise? Why does kneading change the texture? Cook knows how to do everything, but she doesn't know why it works. She just learned from her mother, who learned from her mother."
The question struck something in Ryo's mind. In his previous life, he'd understood systems, processes, the underlying mechanics that made complex things function. Maybe those skills could translate.
"Can you show me exactly how you made this loaf?"
For the next hour, Anna walked him through her entire process. She explained how she judged water temperature by touch, how she tested the yeast's vitality, how she knew when the dough had been kneaded enough. Her knowledge was entirely tactile, intuitive, learned through repetition and observation.
Ryo watched her hands work, noting the small details she probably didn't realize she was doing. The way she turned the dough at specific angles while kneading. How she tested its elasticity by pressing gently with her fingertips. The subtle signs she used to determine when it had risen properly.
"Your technique is actually very good," he said when she finished. "But I think the problem might be in the proportions."
"What do you mean?"
"You're following a recipe designed for different ingredients. The flour here might absorb water differently than what the original recipe assumed. Or the yeast could be more or less active."
Anna paused, a handful of flour halfway to the mixing bowl. "You mean I need to adjust based on what I'm actually working with?"
"Exactly. Treat the recipe as a starting point, not a rigid formula."
[Passive Growth System - Activity Detected]
New Skill Discovered: Cooking
Current Level: 0.1
Growth Rate: Active (Teaching/Learning bonus detected)
Cross-Skill Synergy: Analytical Thinking (+15% skill growth)
The notification appeared and faded without disrupting his focus. Ryo found himself studying the ingredients with genuine curiosity, thinking about the chemical processes Anna had described without understanding.
"Let's try something," he suggested. "Make a smaller batch, but adjust the water content based on how the flour feels."
Anna's eyes widened. "You want to experiment? With me?"
"Why not? The worst that happens is we waste a little flour."
For the next two hours, they worked side by side, testing different ratios and techniques. Anna's enthusiasm proved infectious, and Ryo discovered that the systematic approach he'd learned in his previous life translated surprisingly well to cooking. Each small adjustment provided feedback, data points they could use to refine their next attempt.
"Try this one," Anna said breathlessly, pulling their fourth attempt from the oven.
This loaf looked different. Lighter in color, with a more delicate crust. When she cut into it, the interior revealed an airy, even texture that made their first attempt look like a brick by comparison.
Ryo tasted it and nodded appreciatively. "That's much better. What did we change?"
"Less water initially, but we added more during kneading when the dough felt too stiff. And we let it rise longer—I think the cool weather was slowing the yeast down."
"So you adapted the process to the actual conditions instead of blindly following the recipe."
Anna beamed. "Exactly! Oh, Master Aldric, this is wonderful. I never thought about cooking this way before."
As they cleaned up their workspace, Anna chattered excitedly about other recipes she wanted to experiment with. Her energy was contagious, and Ryo found himself genuinely engaged in planning future cooking sessions.
"Anna?" Cook's voice preceded her appearance in the kitchen doorway. "What's all this flour on the—oh, Master Aldric."
Cook was a sturdy woman in her fifties who'd run the estate's kitchen for over two decades. She'd always treated the family with professional respect, but Ryo's inherited memories suggested she had little patience for nobility who interfered with her domain.
"Good afternoon, Cook," Ryo said carefully.
"I see you've been helping Anna with her experiments." Cook's tone suggested this wasn't entirely welcome news.
"Actually, Master Aldric was teaching me about adjusting recipes," Anna said quickly. "Look how much better this bread turned out!"
Cook examined their latest loaf with a critical eye, taking a small taste. Her expression shifted from skepticism to surprise.
"This is quite good," she admitted. "Much improved from your usual attempts."
"Master Aldric explained about adapting to conditions instead of just following recipes exactly," Anna continued enthusiastically. "It makes so much sense!"
Cook studied Ryo with new interest. "I wasn't aware you had experience with cooking, Master Aldric."
"I don't, really. But I understand systems and processes. The principles seem similar."
"Principles?" Cook's eyebrow rose. "Cooking isn't some academic exercise. It's about feel, timing, instinct."
"Of course. But understanding why something works can help when intuition isn't enough."
Cook considered this for a moment. "Show me what you mean."
For the next half hour, Ryo found himself explaining his observations about their bread experiments while Cook listened with growing attention. He described how changing variables systematically could help identify optimal techniques, how understanding the underlying processes could prevent common failures.
"Interesting," Cook said finally. "Most nobles who visit my kitchen want to give orders or complain about meals. You're the first one who's tried to understand how things actually work."
"I'm learning that understanding things properly is more satisfying than I expected."
Cook nodded slowly. "Well, if you're genuinely interested, you're welcome to observe. But this is a working kitchen, not a classroom. You'll need to stay out of the way during meal preparation."
"I understand. Thank you."
As the afternoon wore on, Ryo helped Anna organize ingredients, watched Cook prepare dinner with practiced efficiency, and gradually began to understand the complex choreography required to feed an entire estate.
[Passive Growth System - Progress Update]
Cooking: Level 0.3 (+0.2)
Gardening: Level 0.2 (+0.1)
New Skill Detected: Observation
Current Level: 0.1
Synergy Bonus: Multiple skills developing simultaneously (+10% growth rate to all active skills)
The system notifications had become more frequent, but Ryo barely noticed them anymore. He was too engrossed in the immediate reality of learning, of understanding how things worked at a fundamental level.
When dinner was served, Lord Marcus commented on the improved bread without realizing his son had been involved in its creation. The small victory felt disproportionately satisfying.
Later that evening, as Ryo prepared for bed, he reflected on the day's events. Three months ago, spending hours in a kitchen would have felt like wasted time. Now, it felt like the most productive day he'd had in either life.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Master Aldric?" Anna's voice came through the door. "I wanted to thank you for today. I learned more about cooking in one afternoon than I have in months of trying on my own."
"Thank you for letting me help. I enjoyed it more than I expected."
"Would you... would you like to try again tomorrow? I have ideas for improving the morning pastries."
Ryo smiled. "I'd like that very much."
He was finally learning things that mattered to him.