Chapter 20.1

I took off my jacket and re-did my hair, and as I stood in the kitchen, Gilbert-sama sat on a chair by the large cooking table and watched me.

The king of a country is supposed to be busy, but Gilbert-sama probably has too much time on his hands.

He doesn’t seem to want to leave my side for even a second, so I decided to leave him alone.

A narwhal hare is lying on the countertop. Other wildflowers, nuts and mushrooms are soaked in water in a large tub to remove dirt.

Well, the narwhal hare in front of me is recognized as a third-class dangerous species in my country and is targeted for subjugation.

The meat we eat in my country is mostly cattle, horses or birds. They are raised on farms and processed and sold in butcher shops. Fresh meat is considered a luxury because it does not last long and is hard to find.

Dried meat or gutted meat dipped in herbs and salt is more common, and those wishing to obtain fresh meat often go directly to the ranch to buy it.

People who cross ruins and forests infested with dangerous animals as a hobby are called adventurers.

Because narwhals can attack livestock in packs and are highly fecund, lords with forests or mountains in their breeding grounds sometimes request adventurers to take them down.

I told Gilbert-sama that I would run away with the narwhal, but that was a lie.

The narwhal is about the size of a large wolf, and I can only lift it with both hands.

It is called a rabbit because of its long ears, but it has a slit mouth, a row of fangs and four long legs that are more like a horse. It is heavy when lifted, and its long legs make it difficult to hold.

Gilbert was with me earlier, so I took the easy way out, but usually, I set a trap to catch them. The reason is that narwhals act in packs, so if you kill one, they will retaliate together.

If there are five or so, I can probably handle them on my own. But If there were more than ten, it would be impossible. I secured the meat in anticipation of Gilberto-sama’s help.

In case you are wondering, they are not generally distributed and are rarely eaten.

However, adventurers often eat the narwhal that they have killed.

I have eaten narwhal because Mr. Noir, who was the sword master of my brother and I, told me about it.

Noir-san was an adventurer who was for a while my father’s bodyguard, and even though he was my father’s bodyguard, he didn’t seem to have much to do except when my father went out, so he would teach my brother and I swordplay to pass the time.

He often wandered into the forest whenever he said his arm was getting tired, so I accompanied him there a couple of times. He used to take me around a lot, calling me an interesting young lady because of my interest in flora and fauna.

When I was over ten years old, he went back to being an adventurer, saying something about interesting ruins. He was a good brother, lively and a good swordsman. I haven’t seen him for a long time. If I remember correctly, he must be nearly 40 years old now.

That’s why I know how to trap and handle the narwhal.

“I think, Gilbert-sama, it’s not very pleasant to watch the meat being processed before it’s cooked. You can go back to your room. I will call you when it is ready.”

I think I was probably just over six years old when Noir-san showed me how to butcher in the forest.

I was shocked, because up until then, I had only known processed meat from the butcher’s shop or fresh meat from the duchess.

And I was impressed by how delicious the meat tasted when it was cooked over a fire in the forest, and how wonderfully Mr. Noir could do everything.

But that’s just what I thought, and of course there are those who don’t like the sight of it being processed.

“What do you people eat for?”

“To live… I would say, but if it’s just to live, you don’t have to pay attention to how it’s cooked or how it looks to make it taste good. It would be more correct to say that it is for enjoyment. A good meal makes you happy. I put into my body the sincerity of the chefs who cook for me every day, who want to serve me delicious meals. In other words, when Gilbert-sama eats my home-cooked food, he is accepting my heart into his body.”

“…You don’t really like me, do you?”

“Oh, you say the prettiest things. By the way, are you really going to watch?”

When I tilted my head and asked, Gilberto showed a dissatisfied expression.

Somehow, I feel spoiled.

Maybe he wants loving words from me.

It’s true that when I first met Gilbert-sama, he gave me the impression of being crude and lazy, and I thought the stray cats in my area were still prettier than him. Now, maybe not. Gilbert is prettier than those stray cats.

Even so, to receive precious words of love from me, you need to express your affection accordingly.

If he thinks he is going to get an immediate “I love you,” from me, then he is mistaken, only young children or animals are allowed to be so sweet.

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