CH 21

「Ha~ Good grief. I somehow managed to escape from Miria’s monitoring」

Cristea walked in a pitch dark passage while illuminating the way with life magic spell called Light.

「I have been lately skipping all the manners studies, so even Miria has gotten desperate…」

Taking the precaution of the often disappearing Cristea, Miria has been keeping a close watch.

「Hmm… can’t be helped. I should make time somewhere else and properly start receiving the manners studies lessons…」

If you can do that, do it from the start! Inserting Shin-like tsukkomi, she arrived at the place of her destination

This is a secret passage on the Ellisfeed House’s premises. That passage has been enchanted with magic so the specific people can safely escape and lose pursuers during an emergency. The specific people being the Duke, his wife, and children. As for the other people such as maids, a key will be given to an authorized person during the evacuation only she can use. Only the head of the family and the trustworthy authorized person are aware of this passage.

It was really only a coincidence that Cristea noticed this passage, but once Cristea who loves mysteries thoroughly investigated the passage, she has been using it as a secret escape route.

「Achoo! … Na~… as I thought, it’s a bit cold in here」

It started becoming hot day by day outside, but the hidden passage is dark and chilly.

「Now then, let’s do it!」

Funnu! a pot was in front of Cristea who was rolling up her sleeves. She opened the tightly closed lid as if familiar with it. Cleaning her hands from fingers to elbows with magic, she thrust her hand into the pot.

「N~… there it is」

After rummaging through the pot, Cristea found what she was looking for and pulled it out.

「… Ehehe~ it’s pickled finely…」

What she took out was a cucumber. However, it was far from the freshly picked cucumbers she has been picking up just a while ago, and it had a peculiar fragrance.

Right, this was… Nukazuke.

After that, she took out eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, one after another and once she took everything out, she took out the vegetables she has picked this morning from her inventory, placed them inside the pot and tightly covered it with the lid again.

「Uwaa~… I did well coming this far…! I had to throw out many badly pickled vegetables, but after a long pickling journey, I have finally managed to come this far…」

Overwhelmed with emotions, she was lost for words. I have eaten deliciously pickled vegetables from Obaachan in the past life, but no one here knows how to pickle… it’s far off from Obaachan’s Nukozuke, but I will improve it from now on. Un.

Cristea decided to store the complete pickled vegetable in her inventory and wait for the right chance to stealthily eat it.

「Let’s secure salt musubi next time」

Inventory is great… Cristea left the place while skipping.