CH 115

A Feast for Everyone

The eventful cooking session somehow ended safely without incident.

Or, perhaps, “safe” was the wrong word.

The mysterious liquid that Jornwerner had been stewing in eventually turned a hideous pink color, causing everyone around him to scream. For a time, the nightmare of the technique competition unfolded once again.

Sheila was already exhausted from the cleanup, but she perked up as soon as dinner was ready. After all, there was no better feast than the annual turkey.

In the center of the table, the main dish, a turkey, stood proudly, and flatbreads were divided between each seat. Along with the salad and soup made by Zechs, and fried potatoes made by Cody, there was even a cake she didn’t recognize for some reason.

“…. Did the liquid that Jornwerner-sensei was making undergo a dramatic evolution or something?”

Clauschezade dismissed the theory she managed to squeeze out of her tired head.

“There’s no way that could have been converted into food, are you really that stupid?”

“Well, it’s possible, isn’t it…?”

Sheila glanced up at him. If it wasn’t anyone in the kitchen, then there was only one person who fit the bill.

Clauschezade affirmed it without any pretense of embarrassment.

“Of course, I bought it. I’ve forced you to do the troublesome cooking, which you all performed amazingly well. It is the least I can do to apologize.”

“Eh? Did Clauschezade-sensei go out of his way to buy this pretty cake? A man entering a cake shop with a cute interior alone?”

The shop must have been crowded with young girls. It was strange to imagine this rugged man amid such a crowd. Sheila wondered what was the reaction of the people around him. It must have been quite a spectacle.

He glared at the grinning Sheila.

“Are you deliberately provoking me?”

“I’m just kidding. There is no shame at all in a man liking cake.”

“Please don’t make the mistake of thinking I have a sweet tooth. But you like them, don’t you?”

Caught by surprise, her teasing smile disappeared. Sheila herself was puzzled by the heat that slowly rose up her cheeks.

“…. Is that for me?”

She tried to ask nonchalantly.

The cake was definitely prepared for a number of people, but he bought it according to Sheila’s taste.

‘Somehow, I… feel happy about that.’

Clauschezade, not paying attention to his student’s face, headed for the table.

“Eat quickly or it will get cold.”

“R-Right.”

Prompted, Sheila took her seat with a feeling of relief. If she had kept talking like that, she was going to make some terrible blunder.

Everyone soon took their seats. Sheila spoke to Cody as if to distract her mind.

“Cody, you made a lot of fried potatoes. It must have been hard to peel and fry such a large amount, right?”

Looking at the heap of potatoes, she could see how hard Cody was working. It had been a long time since he had held a knife, but his skill seemed to have not dulled.

“I’m sorry, I really could only peel potatoes… That’s why I could only make fried potatoes.”

Cody shyly scratched his chestnut hair.

“But I’ve tried to be creative. I tried to make it so that everyone could enjoy different flavors.”

Just like he said, the fried potatoes were served with a variety of dipping sauces ━ the standard ketchup, mayonnaise, chili, and basil sauce. Cody poured the most unusual of these, a sloppy brown liquid, over the selected fried potatoes.

“Eh, is that not a dipping sauce?”

“The others are easier to eat if you add them yourself, but this one needs to be used quickly or it will harden.”

“It will harden…?”

Sheila was startled by the sweet aroma that wafted across her nose.

The aroma was rich and mellow, yet not at all overpowering. She had tasted the same thing only once before, at Felix’s mansion.

“I-Is that chocolate, by any chance?”

“Yes, I found it in the ingredients section.”

Cody was unperturbed, but Zechs, who was sitting next to him, was twitching his cheeks at the action.

Chocolate, which grew in warmer climates, wasn’t produced in the Kingdom of Steitz. It had to be imported, and it was very rare and valuable. Therefore, the price was too high for commoners to afford.

“How can you pour such expensive ingredient that a commoner could never see in their life over deep-fried potatoes….”

“It’s surprising that Cody would make such an aggressive dish…..”

“Eh? What? I don’t know what you mean by aggressive. Why do you both look so blue?”

Cody usually depicted himself as a low-ranking aristocrat, but he reminded them once again that an aristocrat was still an aristocrat. A commoner could never imitate the idea of melting such fine chocolate and pouring it over fried potatoes.

However, perhaps because it was still too eccentric, even Clauschezade had a strange look on his face. No matter how you looked at it, the food combination was too wrong.

Sheila reached out with trembling fingers and picked up a chocolate-covered fried potato.

“Oi, Sheila?”

“I can’t let such fine food go to waste!”

Sheila shook off Zechs’ warning and threw it into her mouth. She closed her eyes tightly against the sweetness of the chocolate. The crispy, browned sweet potato asserted its saltiness with each bite.

“… Hmm? It tastes better than I expected.”

Sheila tilted her head. She was prepared to swallow it up no matter how bad it tasted, but if it tasted like this, it seemed she could finish it without difficulty. Rather, she wondered if there would be enough.

“It’s true. The sweetness of the chocolate and the saltiness of the fried potatoes mix perfectly.”

“You ate it without any hesitation, Jornwerner-sensei.”

Was there nothing that scared him?

The other members of the group also began to eat, encouraged by Sheila who was reaching for the turkey. The turkey was done by Clauschezade.

“The turkey is quite well done, isn’t it? I’m very good at cooking meat.”

The cooking process was more delicate than it looked, as the meat was cooked with a mixture of bay leaves and other ingredients that eliminate the smell of fresh meat. Sheila herself considered it as a good way to prove that one was a good cook.

“Did you bake this thin bread, Sheila?”

“Yes. It’s the bread I used to eat in my village. It’s usually baked on a hot stone without fermentation, but this time I baked it in a frying pan.”

“It’s delicious and chewy.”

As Sheila answered Zechs’ question, Cody, who was also munching on the bread, complimented her.

After leaving Denan Village, she learned the deliciousness of fluffy bread, but she also missed the nostalgic chewy bread.

“And by the way, this soup tastes great too.”

“Soup is usually delicious if you throw in a variety of vegetables and simmer it slowly.”

The soup, filled with cabbage and carrots, was quite messy in appearance because the vegetables were of different sizes. However, with a pinch of salt and a savory flavor, it was surprisingly delicious.

“I’m not good at making small dishes like soups and salads, so I’m glad Zechs can make them.”

“Small dishes, huh?”

“Do you have any complaints?”

“No, not at all.”

“Let’s not fight over dinner, okay?”

Just as it was about to devolve into an argument, Cody, as usual, tried to calm them down.

Perhaps it was because of the special nature of Coming of Age Day. The banter was more enjoyable than usual.

The atmosphere was calm and cozy. Sheila couldn’t resist and her face broke into a smile.

“We are like a family when we sit around the table like this.”

Immediately, Zechs spurted out his herbal tea. He didn’t even wipe off the dripping water but instead stiffened up.

Sheila picked up a table napkin and wiped his mouth in disgust.

“Ah, geez, you’re so untidy. Even your clothes are wet.”

“I don’t care about that! You, what are you talking about! No matter how you look at it, the family structure is a disaster!”

Sheila blinked her eyes at Zechs, who suddenly started yelling at her vigorously.

“Is it? Cody is the firm oldest son. You’re the mischievous, rough, sarcastic second son, and I’m the third son. Yep, that’s it.”

“Don’t casually slip in bad words about other people. But, well, you sure do feel like the annoying and unpredictable youngest child.”

“You’re the one who’s being rude.”

Despite her displeasure, Sheila considered Lulu’s role.

Even though it was a setup, it would be too unfair to Cody if Sheila counted her as a sibling. He would be more pleased if she was the eldest son’s wife. After all, it was just a setup.

Everyone had a dumbfounded look on their face, but Jornwerner was the only one who seemed to be enjoying the conversation.

“If that’s the case, I guess Clauschezade is the hard-working father.”

“Then, Jornwerner-sensei is….”

“Don’t you think we’re a good match? A ‘mother’ who watches over her family with a gentle smile.”

The smiling Jornwerner’s words were rejected by everyone.

“I know it’s rude of me to say this, but I don’t think that’s a gentle smile….”

“I can only see a shady smile.”

“Please apologize to all the mothers across the country right now.”

“I’m deeply ashamed to be in a marital relationship with someone like you in the first place.”

Next to the kind Cody, who shook his head apologetically, Zechs spit out his words as if he was throwing up.

Jornwerner was accustomed to Sheila and Clauschezade’s rants, but his eyes blinked at the unexpected barrage of criticism. He soon smiled happily though.

“Wow~ we’re all getting along nicely, aren’t we?”

“Which part?”

Sheila was the only one who retorted, but no doubt it was the general consensus, except for Jornwerner himself.

The idle talk never stopped.

Sheila and Clauschezade soon moved on to the topic of the royal capital.

“The capital is a big place, isn’t it? I only go to places I’m familiar with, so there are many places I don’t know.”

“I suppose you frequent the restaurants.”

“I go to the pharmacy too, in case you’re wondering. Please don’t make me sound like a glutton.”

Sheila worked as a shop assistant and sold ingredients for medicines. Even though she herself knew she worked diligently, Clauschezade’s jokes were stabbing at her consciousness.

“Come to think of it, there’s a pretty big forest on the east side of the royal capital. I wonder what kind of plants grow there?”

Sheila had already become accustomed to the forests in the academy and the mountains where the herb garden was located, so she had a pretty good idea of what the vegetation was like.

She was interested in the forests she had never been to, but would her worrywart older brother allow her to leave the royal capital alone?

As Sheila was mulling it over while stuffing her mouth with a turkey, Clauschezade opened his mouth.

“You want to go there sometime?”

“Hmm?”

“Finish your food before you speak.”

He continued in disgust.

“It’s not as well-maintained as the academy’s forest, but it shouldn’t be too dangerous. I’ll get that person’s permission.”

The name was blurred out because they were in public, but “that person” was undoubtedly Felix. Clauschezade, who seemed to live only on loyalty to his master, seldom voiced his opinion. The rarity of the situation made her momentarily unable to think of a second thought.

‘W-Why do I feel so excited about that?’

After the surprise, happiness slowly overcame her. This was the first time she had ever been invited to an outing by Clauschezade.

Sheila hurriedly swallowed the turkey in her mouth.

“Uhm, by all means, please.”

Even though Sheila felt flustered and couldn’t comprehend her own words, she managed to nod back.