The story follows Aurea, a five-year-old girl living in the opulent Montverde Count's mansion in the capital. Her parents, Guillermo and Leticia, are employed as the gardener and parlor maid, respectively. The narrative begins with Aurea overhearing a gossipy conversation between the cook, Luigi, and her father, discussing the Count's inability to produce an heir with his current wives and concubines, and the potential implications for his eldest son, Herman, who lacks magical skills. This situation is critical because magical abilities are essential for noble succession in their country.
Aurea, however, is not an ordinary five-year-old. She possesses memories from two past lives as Japanese women, granting her adult comprehension of the adult conversations. The impending "Appraisal Ceremony" at the church, where all five-year-old children receive a skill, is a major event. In this world, magical skills are a prerequisite for nobility, and the Montverde family's predicament stems from both Herman and the Count's daughter, Fatima, lacking such abilities. The Count's desperation for a magical heir has led him to engage with skilled maids, a fact Aurea is aware of.
The Montverde mansion is a sprawling estate with distinct floors for the Count's family, guests, and servants. Aurea, being a child of servants, lives a secluded life, her interactions limited to her parents and the adults. She finds solace in secretly exploring the library. Her parents, concerned about her future, are planning for her Appraisal Ceremony. They have arranged for her to travel to their hometown, Ponta Village, with an adventurer party led by Milko, a childhood friend of her father. This plan is a contingency should Aurea receive a magical skill, as they fear she might be exploited by the Count or his family.
The Appraisal Ceremony takes place at the grand cathedral. Aurea, accompanied by her mother, undergoes the ritual. To her surprise and the astonishment of the priest, she receives "Cooking Magic" as her main skill, along with four sub-skills: Ingredient Appraisal, Cooking Storage, Cooking Tool Crafting, and Ingredient Cultivation. The priest, focused on the unusual "Cooking Magic," fails to notice the presence of sub-skills, which are exceedingly rare.
Upon returning to the mansion, Aurea reveals her full skill set to her parents. Her parents are overjoyed by the potential of her skills, which offer numerous career opportunities outside of noble service, a path they wish to avoid for her. Recognizing the danger if her sub-skills are discovered, they decide to proceed with the plan to send her to Ponta Village immediately. Aurea, understanding the necessity, bids a tearful farewell to her parents and the sympathetic household staff. She is entrusted with a letter for her grandfather and a knife, and is to travel with Milko's party. Milko, a spirited adventurer with a boyish appearance and unconventional attire for a woman of this era, greets Aurea, impressed by her maturity and understanding of the situation. The chapter ends with Aurea embarking on her journey to Ponta Village with Milko and her party, leaving the Montverde mansion behind.
