A 25-year-old man with black hair, black eyes, thick eyebrows, and a neatly trimmed beard. —He is often evaluated as having a likable appearance.

His name is Marcel Mercier.

A Vichy native, he was born in Vichy and has lived there his entire life.

He works efficiently, but as a person, he is harmless, soft, and closer to a laid-back romantic type. Usually, he shows dramatic changes in expression, but strangely, he remains stoic regarding his work.

Has he resigned himself, or is he simply keeping silent?

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Regarding Cooking

He entered the culinary world at the age of 13 as an apprenti (apprentice) at L’Aulne d’Argent upon a relative's recommendation. Before the war, he became a Saucier (sauce chef), responsible for all sautéed dishes and most sauces. His culinary skills are excellent, and he has received much praise from gourmets. He also possesses a certain level of confidence and pride in his cooking.

He thought this restaurant, to which he had devoted half his life, would ruin due to food rations... But surprisingly, it is thriving as a black market restaurant. He hears stories about the high-ranking officials frequenting the dining hall, but staying only in the kitchen, he dismisses them as mere gossip.

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Heart

He knows that what he is doing is wrong, but there are too many things tying him down to flee. The primary reason is his responsibility for his family's livelihood. For the sake of his young younger sister and his ailing mother, he cannot stop this work. ...He wants to leave, if only he could do so safely.

But he can never leave.

This is largely because senior German officers, captivated by the cuisine of L’Aulne d’Argent, are protecting the core kitchen staff as exempt from STO conscription; if he leaves, he would immediately become subject to forced labor.