"I see. You seem to have lots of interesting experience......"
It was unusual to see Tullius react as if he saw something special. This was the first time he had seen another person who would be considered weird. But this was nothing to be pleased about. It only made Linus feel sick.
"Commander, such a topic at a dinner table is not appro......."
"What's wrong with talking about food while eating? Mmm, also that lizard didn't taste bad at all. Fortunately, I had a stockpile of salt, so I ate it with a sprinkle of salt—"
"LEA—DER?"
"—What is it, Al? You look scary."
Fortunately, the sensible vice commander cut off the conversation. Linus patted his chest in relief.
"Eh, you're really weird, Miss Elisha."
"Too weird......"
Simone's bewilderment was evident in her voice, and Linus' sigh echoed it. Once again, it was rare to see consensus being made from this chilly couple. However, for Linus, it was nothing to feel happy about.
"It is very hot. Please be careful."
Delayed by the knights who had finished their appetisers, Uni then brought Linus and the rest their soup. For a moment, his eyes met those of Uni. Her eyes were as emotionless as ever, but there was a faint hint of dislike. Even if her slave collar had been removed, she was the woman who sent her father to hell and came back to avenge her mother. She would never stop hating a person who fought on the other side from her master.
It was mutual for Linus. If he could, with his own hands, he wanted to strangle the person who as a slave had served the ‘Slave Murderer’ and who had crushed his marriage ploy.
He switched his attention to the plate in front of him, trying to hide the bone chilling emotions he was trying to conceal.
The reddish soup that filled the plate was steamy enough to make one think that it had been boiling up to the point before it was served. He scooped it up lightly and let it cool a little on the spoon before taking a sip. It was thick and a little quirky, but the taste was rather pleasant. When he saw the steam billowing out of it, he thought it might be overcooked, but then he realised it was the kind of food that was tastier the hotter it was. If possible, he would like to try it in winter, but this was in the highlands where it gets cold at night, so eating it during the summer was fine too.
(I didn’t know......)
Linus muttered under his breath, sweating lightly as his body warmed up.
He had no idea that this cold-looking woman could cook food with such warmth. No, he heard that she had often slayed people who insulted her Lord. Thinking from this angle, she might be a passionate person at heart. Although her passions might be excessive.
On the other hand, the other woman with a voracious appetite,
"I'd like a refill, if that's okay."
She had already emptied her bowl.
Just like with the appetiser, she ate too quickly. And yet, her gestures were not completely rude, so she was quite a curious person in that sense.
Uni bowed slightly.
"That's fine, but there will be more from the main course. Are you sure?"
She was right, they still had a fish dish and a meat dish for the main course. And of course, dessert. Even though it was a soup, too much of it in the stomach would be a problem later. But Elisha dismissed her fears with the wave of her hand.
"No problem. The more I eat, the hungrier I get. Soup doesn't count as a meal. It's more of a side-dish. I'd like to have more of it."
"Missy's gluttony is well known in the Order......"
"Hah, totally man."
"......stop spreading our shame around."
"As you wish, Lady. I will bring it to you immediately."
As the vice commander grumbled to the excited knights, Uni went to get a replacement bowl.
…...Some time later, the main course was brought out.
Poisson was the main dish. Linus had no complaints about the taste of any of the dishes served, to say the least. In fact, if he hadn't known who made them, he would have praised them with open arms.
The only thing that bothered him was that the other main dish was ‘St. Gallen style hamburger steak with brown sauce’. It was tasty, but food from a barbaric neighboring country was a bit unpleasant. The reason why these knights were sent here was also because of the unrest stemming from that country.
They ate it without a care in the world, and Elisha even put three steaks in her stomach.
Finally, dessert was served.
"We have prepared a chocolate cake for dessert tonight."
"Chocolate? I'm not familiar with it... it's not something weird, is it?"
To Linus' concern, Tullius blinked his eyes in surprise.
"Oh, you haven’t heard of this? It's a popular confection among the Canales merchants these days. It is made with imported beans from another continent. The beans are grinded, roasted and then mixed with sugar. It can also be used as a confectionary if it is cooled and hardened."
"Imported from another continent…...?"
Linus could not get a good impression from that explanation. There was nothing good that came from the other side of the ocean. Among them were potatoes and other bulky crops that had a cheap taste and were poisonous when sprouted. Linus hated those. He heard that they were hardy plants that grew well on infertile land, and were used as an experimental crop to help the common people.
In direct contrast to her husband, Simone’s eyes sparkled with innocence.
"You keep coming up with these new delicacies. I can't wait to try more."
"Thank you for that. As for me, I hope it's not just unusual, but also palatable to sister-in-law and others."
No sooner than he said, the dessert plates started to appear on the table.
The chocolate cake was a mixture of regular cake with a brownish hue and a slab of pastry on top as an accent. Taking a closer look, it could be seen that the cream used for decoration was also brown. Then this color must be because of the chocolate or something. The aroma mixed with the sweet smell of the cream was quite fragrant, and it gave his stomach, which was supposed to be full, an appetite for more.
As a matter of course, Elisha was the first to put her fork on it.
"Hm. Chew, chew..... Oh, this is a sweetness I've never experienced! You say it's made from grounded beans, so I was expecting it to be bitter?"
"Yes. It's bitter without the sugar. Though the bitterness can be enjoyed as well by controlling the sugar."
Tullius explained with a self-satisfied look.
To Linus’ chagrin, he became somewhat interested. Linus also took a bite.
"......sweet."
It was so sweet that it almost made his tongue fall out from his mouth, and yet it had a depth that was not all sweetness. The addition of sugar and cream to something that was originally bitter brought out the sweetness further.
"Really, it's so sweet and delicious! ......But if it's this sweet, I might be worried about the amount of sugar."
Simone spoke of her very feminine concern. There were many aristocrats who indulged in extravagance and consumed too much sugar, becoming fat like pigs. So they might not be able to enjoy the dessert too much if there was an excessive amount of sugar in it.
"Don't worry. We've considered that, and used a little salt to enhance the sweetness."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yes. The human tongue is a strange thing, and it's easier to perceive sweetness when it's mixed with something a little salty. Of course, even though the amount is reduced, it still contains a lot of sugar, so it is not good to eat too much of it......There should be no problem unless it is eaten daily."
Tullius spoke as if it was nothing. But should he be so quick to divulge the secrets of pastry making? Making sweet pastries was a huge money-making venture. If one could save on sugar, which was a luxury commodity, it was even better. The confectioners of the aristocracy would drool over these ideas.
At any rate, Simone seemed to be relieved. She happily started on the cake again.
"And yet—"
Elisha, who already had the cake in her stomach, spoke up.
"This dinner is quite excellent. It's not every day you get to see such an array of delicacies, even in the palace. I am very impressed, Lord Tullius."
"Why, I’m very grateful for your kind compliments, Lady Balbastre."
The amused gaze of the female knight clashing with the amiable smile of the dinner host.
"For such delicious food, you must have gone through a lot of trouble to prepare them?"
