CH 24

Outside, there was a constant buzzing of thunder nonstop.

No matter how severe a thunderstorm is, it could stop after a moderate amount, but it has already been an hour.

Even if lightning struck only around the castle, the garden was almost in a state of destruction. It is said that a tree that was struck by lightning fell down, and the flower bed that Olivia maintained as her hobby was also ruined.

In this situation, I was making potato pancakes.

Sizzle, sizzle.

A fragrant smell spread along with the sound of oil splashing.

“You use a lot of oil.” Chef Bilt took notes.

I suddenly took the furnace away from him, but he wasn’t offended in the slightest. Olivia pointed out that he was a talented cook and a culinary researcher. Before building up his pride, he seemed curious about a new dish.

In fact, there would be no such thing as a dish called potato pancake in this world, so he was just interested.

I flipped the pancake and answered.

“Yes. I like fried pancakes instead of regular ones.”

“What is fried pancake? I think I understand the concept of ‘pancake’ a little now…”

“It’s a pancake pan-fried with plenty of oil. That makes the edges crisper.”

“Hmm…” Bilt took notes diligently.

Calib, who was sitting at an improvised simple table in the corner of the kitchen, snooped, caught my eyes. It seemed that he was also interested in the new name of ‘fried pancake’.

I piled up a few fried potato pancakes and brought them to the table where Cedric and Calib were waiting.

“Huh?”

Calib’s eyes widened when he saw the steaming potato pancakes.

“It’s like a bunch of french fries!”

“That’s right. When I was in the hut, I used to roast potatoes, but this time I tried something new.”

The potatoes were sliced without being grinded ​​and fried.

As Calib said, it looked like fried potatoes.

The reason for choosing this method was simple. In this world, there is no soy sauce, instead there is ketchup.

But maybe it’s just because it didn’t look like the ones he was familiar with already?

Calib hardly raised a fork in front of the potato pancakes that he had been waiting for so much. Cedric was just watching.

“Hmm, that looks strange.”

He was looking at the potato pancakes with a very serious face. It was like a person struggling because he didn’t know how to eat.

Huh? No way.

I quickly turned to Calib. Unsurprisingly, he, too, was only rattling his fork as if he didn’t know what to eat.

Come to think of it, in the hut, I tore it up and he ate it at his will.

There was no one watching, so he was free, but this is the Grand Duke’s Castle.

Cedric as well as the chef were watching Calib.

“Would you like me to cut it?”

“H-Hm?”

“You taste potato pancakes by tearing them up and eating as you please, but potato pancakes like this are difficult to do so.”

It’s a bit vague to use as an example, but if you buy chives, won’t you cut it into squares?

“How do I cut it?” The quick-witted Bilt quickly brought the knife.

“You just need to cut it into squares so that it’s easy to eat. It’s not a particularly classy kind of food.” I shrugged.

As if it was made by me, who is a ‘commoner’.

Nevertheless, is it because he has discovered a new food thanks to me?

To Bilt, the fact that I was a commoner didn’t seem so important.

He cut the potato pancakes into squares with a very serious face.

“I heard that the most attractive thing is that the edges are crisp, so I saved it.” Bilt said proudly.

“As expected, you also have a good sense.”

At my praise, Bilt put his hand on his chest and was proud of it.

I moved the two edges and the inner square potato pancakes to Calib’s plate.

“Come on, try it.”

“Yes. Thanks, Ellia.” He smiled brightly. Then, straight away, he forked a piece with a fork.

“Huff, huff.” After blowing a breath to cool the potato pancakes, Calib ate the potato pancakes with excitement.

How can he eat so well?

I looked at him with a happy expression while he was chewing on the long edge, like a rabbit eating hay.

Bilt, who seemed to be amazed at the completely childish Calib, quickly came to his senses.

“Please eat, Sir Cedric.” He transferred the potato pancakes to Cedric’s plate. It was the same composition I had placed on Calib’s plate.

“Hm…”

Cedric looked at the greasy potato pancake with a subtle expression.

To be honest, I think I’ll give the potato pancakes’ smell 60%.

This savory, oily smell stimulates the appetite first, but the problem is that Cedric has lost his sense of smell. He had lost his sense of taste, so for him, potato pancakes would be nothing more or less than just fried food.

Too bad, I wish Cedric could taste it too.

As I was thinking about it, Calib said in a high-pitched voice.

“Wow, Ellia! I love this one too!”

“Really? I’m glad.”

“Yeah, the one I ate at the hut was chewy and good, but what is this… It really tastes like french fries.” He said so and blinked, asked for another. I wiped the oil off his lips and put the pancake on the plate again.

Cedric picked up a fork after watching him for a long time as he deliciously ate so much.

Unlike Calib, he cut the long edge to make it easier to eat. Then he ate it without any ketchup. As if either way, he didn’t feel the taste, so he didn’t need the sauce.

But it was then.

“…Ugh!”

Cedric suddenly covered his mouth and turned forward.

“Uh, huh?”

I was about to take a bite of potato pancakes after slipping my hair behind my ears, but I was stiffened.

“Cedric?”

“Brother?”

Bilt and Calib were also surprised.

“Ugh…”

He was nauseous like a man who ate something disgusting.

I had the illusion that the temperature of the heated kitchen with the fire pit had rapidly cooled down.

“M-Maybe poison…!”

When Bilt staggered back as he spoke, Calib glared at him.

“Don’t say nonsense! I’m fine, though!” He reacted sensitively for fear that I might be framed.

Olivia, who was quietly waiting behind me, exclaimed urgently. “I’ll call the doctor!”

“We don’t know, just in case, make sure everyone else stays in the kitchen!” 

It was at this time that Bilt spoke quickly.

Cedric lifted his hand that was holding his table.

The kitchen, which had been buzzing with people, suddenly became as quiet as a dead mouse.

Crunch, crunch, crunch…

All I could hear was Cedric chewing the potato pancakes.

Then he slowly lifted his head, which had been lowered down.

“…Phew. Bilt, can I get a cup of water?”

“W-Water?”

“Yes.”

Bilt quickly brought water.

I watched as Cedric shrugged and drank water, still stiffened.

The person who caused this commotion again took the potato pancakes with a fork with a nonchalant face.

Then, this time, he dipped ketchup and put it back in his mouth.

“Sir Cedric, that’s…!” Bilt widened his eyes and looked at Cedric, who was eating potato pancakes.

He was the one who was so disgusted that he was like someone who had eaten poison a while ago and made us didn’t know what to do.

Yet how did he eat potato pancakes again with such a calm face…?

Me and Calib only turned our eyes as we were bewildered.

In the eyes of everyone, Cedric ate ​​all the potato pancakes that Bilt had put on his plate.

“…Ha.” He let out an inexplicable sneer.

Then, the calm hydrangea-colored eyes looked back at me.

In another sense, I froze, unable to move, and caught his gaze.

Cedric said. “Ellia.”

“Yehs… Ehem. Yes?” I was so startled that my voice jumped out. I quickly cleared my throat and asked again, and then I stiffened.

“…Gasp.” And Calib, who was alternately looking at us with surprised rabbit eyes, swallowed his breath.

Because Cedric, not anyone else, was smiling brightly!

The hydrangea-colored eyes, which had always been expressionless, were curved like a crescent moon to the point where they couldn’t be seen. When his stiff lips opened in an arc, a peaceful atmosphere like an afternoon on a rainy day was oozing.

He was smiling so harmlessly that he couldn’t be considered as himself at all.

He also looked at me!

Deg.

Eh?

I looked at Cedric’s brightly smiling face and touched my chest in surprise.

But my heart was at peace.

What was that just now?

I tilted my head inwardly and looked at Cedric, who was still smiling like a fool.

He said. “It tastes like oil.”

“Uh, yes?”

Cedric got up from his seat, approaching me.

“And the taste of the potatoes, the taste of the pepper and salt inside.”

He stood in front of me and burst into a happy smile again.

“The taste of ketchup, so it tastes good. Ellia!” Cedric hugged me like someone who had just heard the good news.

“Uh, uh…” I couldn’t understand Cedric’s words at once, so I blinked with a bewildered expression.

“It tastes good, it tastes good!”

He even started to smell, he grabbed me and lifted me up.

“C-Cedric!”

Startled, I held his shoulder tightly, and he looked up at me with a smooth smile. Cedric, who wasn’t lying and looking at me now, had honey dripping from his eyes.

Perhaps this was just my own misunderstanding, I could hear Olivia’s exclamation from behind.

“What’s going on…”