CH 75

First, I returned to the knights’ building and brought onions, block bacon, milk, grated cheese, and a large amount of dried noodles from the food storage to the kitchen.

“Shina-san, what are these dried noodles?”

“Ah, I got it when I went to the market to buy things before Shizuku-chan came, but it’s basically pasta.”

“Pasta. . . It’s not like spaghetti.”

“Yeah. Fettuccine in Japan.”

Shizuku-chan wondered at the dried noodles in a large glass bottle.

Yes. The pasta I bought at the market is about 6 mm in flat noodles.

The sauce is easy to get mixed in, and the chewy texture is delicious.

“Then let’s boil the water.”

With both hands, I lifted up the pot that I just got from the point exchange.

Well, it’s nice to have a big sink! I don’t have to put water in the pot at an angle because the whole pot will fit inside. Impressive.

“Shina-san, I’ll help you.”

“Then, Shizuku-chan, could I ask you to cut the onions and bacon?”

“Yes!”

A large cutting board on a large countertop.

It doesn’t extend to the sink. I’m impressed. Shizuku-chan didn’t get in the way even if I was standing next to her. It’s impressive. Even if you put a cutting board, there is space were you can put ingredients and cooking utensils. Really impressive.

“Shina-san, I should peel the onion, right?”

“Yeah. Then it should be sliced into thin slices, and the block bacon should be cut into about 1 cm cubes.”

“Thinly sliced. . . cut into cubes. . .”

“Ah, let’s try.”

Shizuku-chan was thinking about my words, so after moving the pot to the stove, I received a kitchen knife from Shizuku-chan and tried it out.

“Cut the onion in half and put the cross section down. That way it won’t slip. It’s about 3 mm thick, but it doesn’t matter if it’s a little thicker or thinner.”

“Ah, then it seems possible.”

“If you bring your face too close or look from directly above, your eyes will tear up, so be careful.”

“Yes.”

I hand over the knife to Shizuku-chan.

“Tell me again when the onion is cut.”

I stood in front of the stove while being pierced by Shizuku-chan who was working hard.

Then, press the switch on the stove. . .

chi chi chi chi chi

“Ah. . . this, this sound. . . the sound of a gas stove. . .”

This sound could not be heard with the electric pot plate.

I’ve already been very impressed.

The evolution of the kitchen and Shizuku-chan’s cuteness filled my heart with emotion. . .!

“Shina-san. . . Um. . .”

While I was looking at the flames from the gas and grinning to myself, Shizuku-chan stopped cutting onions and looked up at me timidly.

Yeah? Tilting her head, Shizuku-chan tried to find her words as she whispered.

“A little while ago, the dragon knight. . . . erm, Zezgard-san said to Shina-san, ‘You’re having fun!’. . . . ”

“Yes.”

“. . . Um, even now, un, it looks like it’s going to be really fun. . . I thought. . .”

I see. You understand!

You know!

“Yeah. Because it’s really fun to be with Shizuku-chan!”

. . . Now that the two of us are making food, it’s the most fun.

That’s why, when I answered with a smile, Shizuku-chan’s cheeks blushed a little and she looked embarrassed.

And she starts chopping onions again.

Seriously, like before. But that mouth is looser than before. . .

It feels so good.

I can feel that Shizuku-chan’s heart is getting more and more untangled.

“Shina-san, how should I do this?”

“This is easier if you cut it vertically first and then cut it horizontally.”

“Shina-san, it’s become too think. . .”

“It’s okay! If you split it in half like this, it’s mostly the same.”

And so, I proceeded with the preliminary preparations.

After Shizuku-chan cut the onions, I showed her how to do the same with the bacon.

In addition to the onions and bacon, I also had the garlic minced.

In the meantime, I did small tasks such as measuring the milk and moving the cut ingredients to the plate provided by the kitchen.

“Then, Shizuku-chan, the preparations are over, so let’s use the stove from here.”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to boil the pasta on this stove, so I want Shizuku-chan to make the sauce on the other stove.”

“Are we going to do it at the same time?”

“Yeah. I want the sauce to be ready when the pasta is cooked, and I want to be able to mix it with it.”

Yes. This is the real thrill of a two-burner stove!

Simultaneous work that cannot be done with one burner. I’m impressed.

So, I put the pasta into the boiling water.

Currently, five members of the Knights Oder, Hurst-san, Ryleigh-kun, Zezgard-san, Gyabussh, me, and Shizuku-chan are participating in the hot spring making.

It would be nice if I could make everything all at once, but in my current kitchen, it’s more efficient to make it half at a time, and I don’t think I’ll make any mistakes.

That’s why the first pasta I put in was for five people.

“Then put olive oil in a frying pan and add minced garlic. I’ll put more and more ingredients in it, so please mix Shizuku-chan.”

“Yes!”

The frying pan emits a nice aroma of garlic, and when you add onion and bacon, it makes a sizzling sound.

Lightly season with salt and fry.

“Shina-san, I’m really hungry and it smells. . .”

“Yeah, I know.”

Garlic, onions, and bacon are deadly weapons.

“Ah, it looks like it’s fried, so I’ll add milk and fresh cream.”

Bacon with melted fat and semi-transparent onion.

Add the milk that’s been measured and the fresh cream that was exchanged for points.

“Is it a cream pasta?”

“Yeah. The milk here is delicious, and I think it’s good to have the taste that everyone is used to eating.”

Yes. This time I’m making creamy pasta. Perfect for fettuccine.

If you use plenty of fresh cream for the sauce, it will be rich and delicious.

But this time I used more milk and less cream. However, if you use only milk, it will be too dry, so fresh cream is essential. This time it’s 3:1.

“After that, it’s ready after simmering once. . . Ah, the pasta looks good too.”

I left the frying pan to Shizuku-chan, and when I looked at the pot, it was just the right time for the pasta.

So, transfer the pasta to the boiling sauce and mix it while turning on the heat.

The pasta mixes well with the sauce and looks delicious.

When I was fascinated by the workmanship, the kitchen table glowed white. . .

“Wah. . . plates?”

“You’ll be surprised. In this kitchen, when the meal is ready, the plates will be served.”

“It’s great.”

“Yeah. I always think so too.”

It’s perfectly ideal.

“Then let’s fill it up.”

I took over the frying pan from Shizuku-chan who blinked in surprise and put it on the prepared plates.

This time, it prepared five pasta plates and two trays with them.

In other words, it would be okay if Shizuku-chan and I each brought our own. . . . . . . . . I like it.

“Ah, Shizuku-chan, I want Shizuku-chan to do the finishing touches.”

“Are we finished?”

“Yeah. Lots of grated cheese and black pepper, please.”

While calling out to Shizuku-chan, I piled up pasta for one person.

I sprinkled plenty of grated cheese that I had prepared there, and then scraped black pepper.

“Like this, a lot.”

“Understood.”

When I put the pasta on the plate, Shizuku-chan finishes it off with grated cheese and black pepper.

Shizuku-chan and I watched the finished meal together.

“Yeah. It looks delicious.”

Yellow fettuccine and pure white soup on a white pasta plate.

Plenty of grated cheese is sprinkled over the steaming sauce, and the grains of pepper stand out.

Perfect!

“I thought cream pasta would take more time. . .”

When I nodded while looking at the finished product, Shizuku-chan let out a sigh.

Her cheeks are slightly red, perhaps from excitement.

“. . . It looks really delicious.”

Shizuku-chan smiled softly.

I smiled at Shizuku-chan.

“Shizuku-chan, this is not the end.”

“Eh”

“If you crack a hot spring egg onto this and mix it with grated cheese, it becomes carbonara.”

Yes. This is cream pasta, but it’s not the end.

It’s going to be a carbonara with an egg in it.

The original carbonara is made by mixing cream, cheese and eggs in a frying pan to make a thick sauce, but this time we have each person do it on their own plate.

If you like it thicker, mix it up a lot.

Feel free to choose whatever you like!

“Then, Shizuku-chan, is it okay if you hold a tray with two plates over there?”

“Yes!”

“I have this. . .”

Hold hands with Shizuku-chan.

. . . Milk Carbonara with hot spring eggs.

“‘It’s done’!”

Sometimes it feels like there is more romance between Shina and Shizuku than there is between Shina and Hurst-san. I need to see the romance!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!