Volume 2, 3: I received a crazy request.

Volume 2, Chapter 3: I received a crazy request.

“Marriage, huh…”

After going home, Risa rolled onto her bed and thought about Helena’s words.

Although Risa had wanted to marry some time into the future, she had never really thought deeply into it. As such, she did not know what she could say to help Helena.

However, Helena seemed much more refreshed when she went home after sharing, as if talking had lifted the burden off her chest.

“Of course she would feel complicated about it.”

Risa also sighed as if she was infected by Helena.

“Are you troubled too, Master?”

Basil peeked down at Risa, who was lying face up. Basil was a small spirit who had always been by Risa’s side ever since Risa had come to this world.

“It’s no use for me to worry about it, but I can understand why she would think that way.”

“About marriage?”

“Marriage… more like the relationship between two people, I guess? I feel like I can understand where Helena was coming from when she said you can’t always get what you want.”

Risa also had a similar experience.

Risa met with her last boyfriend less and less after she graduated from vocational school and got a job. Not only that, but his opinions and the topics he cared about as a college student were too far removed from Risa, who was in the working class. Small things piled onto each other, and they broke up in the end.

She didn’t hate him. After they broke up, they stayed friends. However, they simply couldn’t continue as lovers.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault, either. Small differences stacked upon each other, small wounds festered and grew larger, and both of their hearts were hurt.

In Helena’s case, even though her boyfriend’s harsh words were the last straw, the differences probably began to show when Helena began working at the café.

There was less time to meet, and Helena slowly moved her top priority from her lover to her work. Although she did not mean to ignore him, it was true that his importance had decreased in her heart, according to Helena.

Although Risa’s situation was different from Helena’s, she understood how unbearable it was.

“… It’s hard to be human.”

Basil said, tilting her head in confusion, to which Risa laughed wryly. Spirits could not understand the concepts of marriage and love.

“Yeah. It’s hard to be human.”

Not knowing that such a hard problem would fall upon her soon, Risa went to sleep.

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The next day. As always, Risa sat down across from her step parents Gilford and Anastasia at the breakfast table.

“Good morning.”

Anastasia, who was drinking her tea before breakfast, and Gilford, who was reading the newspaper, murmured their replies.

They were the kind couple that had taken Risa in and adopted her when she had collapsed in this world.

Gilford was the head royal magician and held the title of marquis. His hair color was a recognizable brown from Risa’s previous world, and his silver grey eyes were always crinkled with amusement.

Sitting next to him was Anastasia, with shockingly pink hair impossible in Risa’s previous world and violet eyes. Although she was in her forties, her looks and her personality made her seem much younger. She was also the owner and designer of the famous clothing store, Sheryl Merry, and the object of many women’s admiration. Her family ran the large merchant company, the Ashley Company, and she had helped Risa negotiate the café’s ingredient supply chain with them.

Once Risa sat down at the table, the maids brought in breakfast and the three of them began to eat. When they began to talk about their plans for the day, Gilford remembered something with an “Ah.”

“That reminds me. Risa, tomorrow is the café’s regular holiday, right?”

“Yes, what about it?”

“Do you have any plans? It’s really fine if you do.”

“Nothing in particular. What is it?”

Hearing that, for some reason Gilford slumped back in his seat. Risa and Anastasia looked at each other, confused by his actions.

“That damn Royce, he said he had something to talk about with you so he’ll be coming tomorrow…”

“Mister Royce?”

Royce Warlock was the Secretary of Civil Affairs and Gilford’s friend. He was also one of the few people who could rein in Gil, who either hated or loved his work.

While they bickered whenever they met, they had been friends since the academy so they got along quite well.

“He refused to tell me what it was about, though. Somehow I can’t be convinced that it’s nothing dubious…”

“If he’s talking with me, it must be a request like that time with the international royal conference, right?”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure about that.”

“Anyways, since there’s no choice but to ask him about it and I haven’t met him in a while, why don’t we invite Mister Royce for lunch as well?”

Anastasia suggested brightly, to which Gilford let out a “whaaaaaat” with a whine. However, Anastasia looked at him, all smiles, and replied “Hmm?” Gilford reluctantly nodded.

Catching a glimpse at their power dynamic, Risa thought to herself, there’s a lot to do even after getting married, huh.

_______________________________________________________________

As per usual, Risa window shopped through the market at the central plaza on her way to the café. The market closed at noon, and provided fresh vegetables, fruits, and seafood harvested and caught the day of.

She could find special seasonal ingredients or rare imports every time she went by. It was fun to chat with the storekeepers about them as well, and ideas for new recipes would pop up in her head.

Usually, the ingredients used at the café were supplied by Anastasia’s family, the Ashley Company. However, limited ingredients produced by farmers could be purchased at the market.

After buying some vegetables and fruits, she continued to the café and met Helena along the way. “Thank you for staying so late with me yesterday,” Helena said with a smile. Risa sighed in relief.

Not only that, Helena had already moved on. “I’ve got to find a new boyfriend!”

She couldn’t help saying something unnecessary like “If you don’t hurry up, Miss Risa, you’ll miss your chance, you know~” after that, though…

Zeke, who came to work right after they reached the café, also looked relieved to see Helena back to normal.

That day, the café closed without Helena breaking a single dish.

_______________________________________________________________

The next day on the regular holiday, Royce visited the Claude mansion.

He wore a simple white dress shirt with a tie under a close-fitting black jacket. His long, navy hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and his almond eyes peeked out behind silver frames. He was led to the drawing room by the butler, Reid. Ignoring Gilford’s grim expression, he greeted Anastasia.

“I’m sorry to bother you on such a busy day.”

Anastasia silenced Gil, who complained behind her, “you should be,” with a glare and welcomed Royce with a graceful curtsy.

The four of them sat on the sofa, and they made light talk about recent events. Anastasia and Royce led the conversation, and time gently passed.

Seeing Gilford calm down a bit, Anastasia changed the subject.

“So, I heard that you had something to talk about with Risa! What could it be? Would it be better if Gil and I headed out?”

“It would actually be better if you stayed and listened. A few days ago, the parliament actually decided to increase the programs at the National Academy.”

“Ah… I think I’ve heard something about that.”

Gil said, remembering, and Royce nodded.

“When you say programs, you’re referring to something like the Magician or Chivalry Department, right?”

Risa dredged up what little knowledge she had and asked. Feliformia National General Magic Academy, or the National Academy, was a school where people learned magic theory and application. They learned the foundations in the Elementary Department from ten to twelve years old, then they specialized into programs from thirteen to fifteen years old.

“Yes. Currently, we have four programs—Magician Department, Magical Tool Department, Chivalry Department, and General Education Department. This time there was discussion about creating a Culinary Department.”

“A Culinary Department?”

Risa echoed in surprise. Royce continued.

“It was brought to the table after the royal conference. The dinner party and ball were a great success due to Lady Risa’s contributions. Afterwards, many of the other countries proposed to have their chefs study food abroad at Feliformia.”

“My, is that so!”

Anastasia also widened her eyes in surprise.

Although there were many chefs who came to the café asking to be taught, Risa had no idea such petitions had grown to the international level. At the same time, the face of a boy who began to come to the café regularly a few months ago emerged in her mind.

The boy who begged to be taught cooking.

She had promised she would find some path for him if his heart hadn’t changed when he graduated from the Elementary Department. If the academy created a Culinary Department, she would be able to keep that promise.

“But the kids in the programs will be thirteen to fifteen years old, right? Wouldn’t it be a little too early to have them learn cooking at that age?”

Anastasia said worriedly.

She was right, Risa thought. The boy she was thinking of was only eleven, but his intelligence well surpassed his age so he would be fine.

However, if she thought of his childhood friend who was close to the average child their age, it was too early for her to learn cooking.

Then Risa remembered her own school years. The students in the programs were around the same age as middle school students in Risa’s previous world.

When Risa was a middle schooler, she had applied cooking classes. Not only that, but the older years in elementary school also did simple food prep. It felt more likely to create a specialized program for cooking at the National Academy based on that.

“I think it would be fine as long as the teachers took proper precaution.”

Risa talked about her cooking classes with the full attention of the other three.

“I see. It would be fine to deduct from your story that the academic institutions in your previous world mandated that their students learn from many disciplines, then?”

“That might be true. I never thought too deeply about it…”

“That is very interesting. I would love to hear more, but we should stop there for now. I came here today to ask your collaboration in creating the Culinary Department. We would be overjoyed if you were to serve as our consultant on the project, Lady Risa.”

“W-what? Me?!”

Amidst her shock, Risa worried whether there was no other suitable person for the job.

“I did approach Head Chef McKinnies, who refused on the grounds that you would be a better fit. He said to ask you first.”

Royce said, as if he read Risa’s mind.

“Personally, I agree with Chef McKinnies. Not only that, but you have experience with food preparation in a class setting. We had also considered asking you to become a teacher after the department accepted students. Please, we would like you to accept this.”

“W-w-w-wait a second! I still have the store to look after, that’s impossible! We already have too much to do for three people, much less two!”

“Yeah, Royce! Don’t just move the conversation forward on your own!”

Risa panicked and Gilford jumped to her aid, though he seemed more eager to pick a fight with Royce himself than the topic at hand.

He was immediately yelled at by Anastasia—”Honey, hush.”—and he grew quiet.

“I know this is a lot to think about, and I expected you would say that. It is all right if you don’t answer right away. After all, the Culinary Department would be established the year after next earliest. That would be a little less than two years from now.”

Risa’s shoulders relaxed upon hearing that it would be just short of two years later. Although it was a new department, it wouldn’t happen overnight.

“That’s true. The class material needs to be decided from scratch, and equipment and facilities also need to be acquired.”

“Yes. I am not well versed in cooking, so I cannot say anything about the class material. However, we will be rebuilding a new building in place of one of our old, unused buildings. The budget for that has already been decided as well.”

“My, you’ve finished all the preparations.”

“You probably stole it all with your silver tongue.”

“Rather than put it into work that won’t produce harm or health, the money would do much more when put into education for the children of the future.”

Royce replied nonchalantly to Gilford’s bitter words.

He really did take all of it… Risa and Anastasia smiled dryly.

“Anyway, please consider the offer.”

Royce said, wrapping up the conversation.

_______________________________________________________________

Afterwards, they had dinner with Royce.

Gilford had cheered up by then, and they chatted pleasantries over the meal.

Royce asked various questions about the education system in Risa’s world, and Gilford and Anastasia took the chance to ask about Risa’s childhood as well.

In return, Risa asked about Gilford and Royce’s student days.

They didn’t talk about the Culinary Department over food, and time passed happily and peacefully.

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I’ve changed the term “course” to “program” to make more sense in English. It might just be my experience, but I’ve come to associate “course” with specific classes rather than the “program” that takes three to four years to complete.