CH 223

I returned to my assigned guest room after the dinner and asked Miria to prepare a supper and tea. There, Otousama and Okaasama came over. As I thought~

「Would you like to eat something?」

「Yes, please. Because I got used to eating your cooking, that was a little bit…」

Okaasama replied while sighing.

I thought so…

I was already overwhelmed with salt, so I was worried about the menu and took out a potato salad sandwich in the end. I put carbohydrates temporarily aside as I was powerless before hunger. Just a little bit should be enough to make us feel satisfied. Let’s go with pickles as palette cleanser.

「Haa… this is what I’m talking about. It’s delicious…」

「Umu. As expected, Cristea’s cooking is exquisite」

… Aren’t you acting too dotingly? I’m happy about that though~!

「However, I believe it wasn’t this bad in the past…」

「Yes. I think the dishes weren’t this salty」

「Is that so? I recall having something similar even at our home though…」

I tried recalling the meals before the return of my past life’s memories. Well, I think it wasn’t this salty, but…

「Umu. It wasn’t season as delicately as now」

Delicately…? Ahh, there was no culture of using dashi as seasoning after all…

「I heard that the meals of the nobility considerably improved… starting with the French toast, your recipes quickly spread around. I heard that when there are new recipes, the chefs immediately want to purchase them to study」

… When did something grand happen?

「… That’s my first time hearing about it」

「Because I did not tell you」

「… Otousama?」

「… Sorry」

Good grief!

「The nobility’s meals have improved, but the commoners still…」

A little bit cruel, wasn’t it?

While talking about that, the town mayor came.

「I heard everyone is here after asking around… ahh, I’m truly sorry. As I thought, it didn’t suit your tastes…」

The town mayor hung his head down after seeing the sandwich on top of the table.

「Ah…! T, this is…」

Awawa, does he see us as gaudish now? Even though he was hospitable to us…

「No, it was to be expected. I’m truly sorry. I have told my wife to use less seasoning, but…」

「… What do you mean?」

Otousama asked suspiciously.

「My current wife is the second wife, but it wasn’t this bad before. However, unawares, she steadily increased the amount of seasoning. Presently, it became like that…」

The town mayor replied while wipping his sweat. His blood pressure must be high after eating that every day… is he all right?

However… perhaps?

「Umm…? Did Okusama perhaps lost her sense of taste?」

I timidly tried asking.

「…! How do you-!? Certainly, she finds the flavors I think are just right too thin, but…」

Hmm… isn’t that a taste disorder? Recalling Okusama’s state at the dinner, I somehow think that might be the case.

I thought she was just nervous because of our presences…

「From the time the flavors became strange until now, have any difficult events happened to Okusama?」

I heard that taste disorders might be caused because of stress too, so…

「Difficult events… it’s the shame of my relatives, but… after my Mother collapsed, her everyday needs have fallen upon my wife… she has expressed that it’s difficult to take care off all these things, but I’m also busy at work, so I wasn’t of any help… come to think of it, it started getting strange since then…」

O, ou… the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law issue, huh.

It’s possible that her taste buds grew dull from stress…

I remember that my past life’s friend got diagnosed with taste disorder from work stress and she had to supplement her Zinc with medicine.

「Umm you see, because your Okusama was continuously exposed to mentally tough situations, her sense of taste might have been dulled」

「What!?」

「If possible, please employ a maid to take care of your Okaasama and make it a little more comfortable for your Okusama」

After that, I chose nuts, sesame, meat, soybeans and other foods that include Zinc in this world and told the town mayor to make her eat balanced meals with other ingredients. The town mayor was half-convinced, but he received a pile of ingredients, so he cooperated.

「If possible, please speak some words of appreciation to your Okusama who is doing her best every day, okay?」

「H, haa…」

Ugh… to think I would crash into the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law issue here…

Madam, I hope she will get better…