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I forgot! Thank you for the coffee, Lola! XD
Thanks to Sebastian-san’s help, the table was all set.
I was a little nervous at the thought of cooking for two members of the royal family, let alone my two partners.
“Everyone, I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting. The food is ready, would you please come this way?”
I was so engrossed in the cooking that I didn’t notice that Hector-sama and Douglas-san were still quarreling. Not fighting, but discussing.
However, it seemed that Hector-sama was letting Douglas-san’s one-sided anger slide by.
“Oh, Chika, are you done already? That’s fast.”
“Yes, Sebastian-san showed up out of the blue and helped me out.”
“That old man was here!? And he was cooking!? You can’t be serious. I didn’t see any sign of him at all!”
“Doug, if it is Sebastian, he’s capable of doing that.”
“Ugh, Doug’s loud voice is hurting my ears. Sorry Chika-chan, but may I ask you to show me around?”
“Oh, yes. This way, please. Theo-sama too, this way, please.”
When Theo-sama looked back at me, his face was still bright red. But he still nodded his head and followed me.
On the dining table in the living room, Sebastian-san and I had our creations lined up in different places.
Of course, there were more than this. There was still a mountain of extras piled up in the kitchen.
Then I suddenly realized that this size of dining table is certainly disproportionate to a house for three people. I wondered if Sebastian-san had anticipated this much…
No, let’s not think about Sebastian-san anymore.
I just have to accept everything.
Everyone took their seats and I took mine.
Today, I was sure it was Douglas-san’s turn. So, I went to his feet and tried to climb up, but he lifted me up first and then put me on his lap.
Theo-sama was staring at the spectacle.
Then I realized that I had already unconsciously chosen to sit on the lap of my two partners instead of on a chair.
Once I realized this fact, I suddenly felt a rush of shame, and my face grew hotter and hotter.
“What, I thought you’d rather sit on my lap, but you still prefer the two of them? I feel a little lonely.”
“Of course! It’s natural because Chika and we have feelings for each other. It’s upsetting enough to have him on your lap occasionally, and I don’t think we can tolerate it when we eat together.”
“I am sorry, Hector-sama. This is a very important agreement between the three of us, so please forgive us.”
“It can’t be helped then. Well, we enjoyed tea together on my lap today, so I guess it’s all good. But I didn’t expect Chika-chan to act so lovey-dovey on your own initiative.”
Oh… Please stop… Please stop…
It was really unintentional.
It was already so natural that my body just did it on its own!
“How envious…”
I heard Theo-sama murmuring to himself in a whisper as he looked at me.
I realized once again that Theo-sama truly likes the human race.
Indeed, Cyril-sama and Alec-sama are also human, but I guess a blood-related family is a different thing.
He said that he had no other opportunities to come in contact with other human race. I wonder if he would want to touch a poor human race like me just because I am a human race member.
Maybe it is the same feeling of love that I have about Gail-san and Douglas-san’s beast forms and fluffy things.
If that is the case, I would like to fulfill his dream.
“Umm, Theo-sama, would you like to touch another human being besides your family? If you are all right with me, you are welcome to touch me after dinner as much as you like. Oh, was that rude to Theo-sama who’ll be the next king…?”
“Chika-dono! You really don’t mind if I touch you?!”
I was a little surprised at how excited he was.
“Eh, yeah, as much as you want, if you’re okay with me. Right, if the human race is rare, I think you would want to touch even someone like me. As for me, it would be really hard if I couldn’t touch Gail-san’s or Douglas-san’s beast form anymore.”
“No, Chika-dono… You shouldn’t say that to just anyone, but… Ah, but I think that’s fine at this point. Thank you, Chika-dono!”
“Yes, it’s my pleasure.”
I smiled back at Theo-sama who turned bright red again.
I looked around at the other three and saw that they had complicated expressions on their faces as if they were biting down on a bitter bug.
[Theo] “Chika, are you serious about that? Nah, I’m sure you really mean it because it’s just like you. Are you usually this dull– no, more to… unaware? I wonder if it’s just how it is with the human race.”
[Douglas] “As I thought, I felt a little sorry for Theo, too. I don’t normally want anyone to touch him, but it’s your lucky day, Theo. You can touch him all you want. But don’t let your rationality fly. Gail, are you okay with that?”
[Gail] “Yes, Theo-sama. Chika is as you see. So, please be gentle with him.”
[Theo] “Of course!”
[Hector] ” Poor… how poor of you. Theo, I will definitely find you your destiny. So you can relax.”
It was strange that my two partners accepted it so easily, but I’m glad to see that we’ve come to an agreement.
More importantly, the meal was going to get cold, and freshness is the key to fried food!
“Well then, please enjoy it before it gets cold. The fried food here is not pork. It’s, uh…”
“Forest pig, I presume.”
“Yes, that’s right! This dish is called tonkatsu1Japanese word of pork cutlet., which is made with forest pig meat. It is seasoned with dashi. And this one is called katsu toji. I think these two dishes go well with rice, so please enjoy them together. We have also prepared a pork cutlet sandwich. It’s a sandwich, but it’s filled with these pork cutlets, so it’s very thick! I hope it is to your liking.”
First, everyone reached for the pork cutlet and took a piece for their respective plates.
You don’t have to take so much at one time, there are still plenty of it…
Douglas-san, it’s overflowing from your plate.
“Oh, that’s right. Try this seasoning on your pork cutlet. I’m sure you have your preference, so use whatever you like. This is the one that Sebastian-san made when he heard about my request, and this is the one that I improved based on his recipe.”
I offered them a bowl of Worcestershire sauce, tonkatsu sauce, and soy sauce.
Each person poured their choice of sauce and brought it to their mouth.
“I never knew there was such a way to eat forest pigs. They’re a type of plain meat that won’t taste good unless it is sauteed and served with a rich sauce or cheese, but this one has a batter around the meat that keeps the flavor and juices inside. Every time I bite into it, the juices are released after the crispy texture.”
As one would expect from Hector-sama, he has a discerning palate and his criticisms are very detailed.
“Hyaahh… Chika’s cooking really amazes me every time I eat it. The cutlet itself is delicious, but the sauce goes well with it. I prefer the thickest sauce. It goes well with rice.”
“Oh, by the way, Hector-sama and Theo-sama, do you like those white grains, a specialty of Fishreed2Reference to manga chapter 1 in translator note. Fishreed is the country where the merfolks reside. Yep, It’s near the ocean. You can read the manga on mangadex., which I call rice?”
[Hector] “I’ve eaten it a few times at Fishreed, and I’ve never tasted anything this sweet and tasty. I wonder if it’s because they cook it differently.”
[Theo] “Chika-dono, even though this is the first time I’ve had this, I think it’s very delicious. The combination of this natural sweetness and the taste of tonkatsu is wonderful.”
I’m relieved to hear that it was palatable.
If it’s different from Fishreed’s, does that mean they cook it differently?
I’ll look into it next time I get a chance.
I glanced over and saw Gail-san bringing the katsu toji to his mouth.
[Gail] “Chika is really wonderful. I was surprised by the tonkatsu and its sauce, and now this. The surrounding flavor is relatively light, but it has an indescribable deliciousness. It soaks into the batter and makes the taste of the forest pig stand out. I can’t stop eating rice with it.”
[Hector] “What? Which one is it? Let me try some too.”
Encouraged by Gail-san’s words, the remaining three people also reached for the katsu toji.
[Hector] “Hmmm, how wonderful. As Gail said, the seasoning is not too strong, but what is this flavor? I’ve never heard of deep-fried food being boiled, but the batter and the eggs wrap it up in a moist, mild flavor.”
When it comes to flavor, perhaps it is the power of the dashi3Japanese broth stock made from konbu (edible kelp) and bonito flakes (katsuobushi)..
The cuisine of this world is also delicious, but it is basically over-seasoned, and many of the flavors are the result of the sauce or seasoning itself, rather than the delicate taste of umami or the flavor of the ingredients.
[Chika] “I am a little embarrassed to receive such high praise. Oh, please let me know if you need more rice. Also, please eat the salad as well.”
They are all carnivores, so let’s just remind them in advance.
I ran around to offer refills to the bowls that were being emptied one after another. Everyone told me that I didn’t have to do that, instead, they would do it themselves. But I refused, saying that this was my job.
However, I was surprised that even Hector-sama and Theo-sama, who are members of the royal family, said they would do it themselves.
Later, I heard that the royal family of Leonidas basically handles what they can do by themselves, so they do not have many servants at their side.
“Uncle, please try this cutlet sandwich. Is Chika-dono a genius? I’ve never had a sandwich as good as this one.”
I noticed that Theo-sama was reaching for the cutlet sandwich.
At Theo-sama’s urging, Douglas-san took a bite of the cutlet sandwich.
[Douglas] “Yummy… Theo, you are not wrong. Chika is a genius! The balance between the crunchiness of the vegetables, the sauce soaked in the batter, and the delicious meat is unbelievable. I’d still love Chika even if he couldn’t cook, but he really got my stomach.”
[Hector] “Eyy, give me some of that! You just gobbled it up without even tasting it. Do you know how precious this food is? It’s absolutely outrageous.”
[Douglas] “What the hell are you doing, damn old geezer?”
Hector-sama knocked off Douglas-sama’s hand that was reaching for the cutlet sandwich one after another. He then took the cutlet sandwich for himself and ate it.
[Hector] “It’s delicious! It’s a bit vexing, but I must agree with Doug. Chika is a genius! The sauce soaking into soft, chewy bread! And these shredded vegetables to accentuate it! The sauce soaking the batter that wraps the juicy meat has a slightly tingling secret taste. The balance between the two is simply amazing! God, I never prayed before, but thank you for sending Chika to me.”
[Douglas] “Not to you, father! How many times do I have to tell you that Chika is ours!”
[Gail] “I am afraid it is not aimed at Hector-sama. Chika is ours afterall.”
[Chika] “Um, I didn’t invent the cutlet sandwich, so it’s not me who’s amazing…”
Hector-sama raised his cutlet sandwich to the sky.
I wonder what people who see Hector-sama as “The Quiet and Wise King” would think if they saw this figure…
I think I am actually witnessing an extraordinary sight.
“Thank you. It was worth making. I don’t think I could have prepared this much without Sebastian-san’s help, though. By the way, this cutlet sandwich is made with regular sauce, but this one has spicy seasoning mixed in with the sauce.”
“I see. So that’s the reason. I thought the taste was somehow different. As you say, that cutlet sandwich has a spiciness in the sauce that soaks into the cutlet batter, which is also excellent. I prefer it that way.”
Gail-san told me as he ate his cutlet sandwich with his big mouth.
Each piece of a sandwich was quite large. The size was about if you eat it, it will only take about three bites to fit in your stomach.
“Chika-dono, thank you very much for giving us such a delicious meal.”
Theo-sama thanked me for giving him such a delicious meal. He must be a really serious person.
After that, the usual scene was played out.
Gail-san and Theo-sama accurately put the right amount of food on their plates and put it in their mouths one after another.
Hector-sama and Douglas-san, for some reason, kept aiming at the same dish and fighting over who should eat it.
I was able to savor the food that Douglas-san was put aside for me. I sipped the miso soup, ate the rice and salad, and took my time to savor the food.
I watched the overwhelming scene of the beasts eating, unfolding before my eyes.
As expected, all the food we had prepared was gone.
Though everyone seemed satisfied as expected, the pork cutlet sandwiches were unexpectedly well-received.
When Hector-sama said that he would make a restaurant specializing in cutlet sandwiches with Chika-chan’s brand and make it as Leonidas’ specialty, I did my best to stop him.
When I told Hector-sama that I would be happy to make him a cutlet sandwich anytime, he seemed to be reluctantly convinced. Though he was mumbling about the cost-effectiveness, the economic effect, and the specialties made by the human race all by himself.
I have a bad feeling about this, but I’ll leave it to Douglas-san to deal with it.
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1Japanese word of pork cutlet.2Reference to manga chapter 1 in translator note. Fishreed is the country where the merfolks reside. Yep, It’s near the ocean. You can read the manga on mangadex.3Japanese broth stock made from konbu (edible kelp) and bonito flakes (katsuobushi).