I stand in the kitchen in place of Lilia-san, who rather than being unable to cook, she has no experience in cooking itself.
First of all, I quickly sliced the meat of the boar, but this seems to be pretty good meat, as I was able to cut it quite well without the knife getting stuck in its tendons.
Lightly sprinkling the sliced meat with salt, I put it aside for a while to let it adjust with the seasoning, and in the meantime, I start preparing the vegetables.
Since I intended to fry them together with the meat, cutting them too small would blur the taste, so I cut the vegetables a little larger and threw them into the pan, starting with the ones that are hard to cook.
While stir-frying the various types of vegetables, mixing them together, I throw in the meat when it’s time, and the sound of popping oil gives off a fragrant smell in the air.
When the color of the meat changes, it’s to do the finishing touches…… I took out the “yakiniku sauce” that I bought from a shop and seasoned it a little bit.
……This completes the Poor College Student’s Specialty Cooking: Stir-Fried Meat and Vegetables…… No, I didn’t cut corners in any way at all.
To be clear, improvising with the current ingredients is too difficult for me….. But it should be fine if I fry them all. If I fry it and pour the sauce on it, it should generally be delicious.
After that, I decided to prepare a soup as well since eating just a stir-fry feels too lonely…… Taking out the “soup Sieg-san made for me” from my magic box, I nonchalantly transferred it to a bowl.
No, it isn’t like I’m cutting corners…… This is just the best option, given the circumstances. Even if the heavens and earth are turned upside down, there’s no way that the soup that I would make, using ingredients I’m unfamiliar with, could ever be a match for the delicious soup made by Sieg-san. In fact, it isn’t even worth comparing them…… So, this is a decision based on wanting Lilia-san to eat good food, and it isn’t like I’m bad at making soup or anything like that, okay?
And while I, a Japanese, would like to eat some rice, Lilia-san…… or rather, the people of this world don’t really like rice that much, so I’ll just take out some bread here.
Of course, the bread I took out are those delicious ones I bought from a “bakery”. No, I won’t bake bread or anything like that…… It takes an awful lot of time to bake, and the last time I tried so hard to bake on my own, I created a demonic substance in the form of a black apple pie. Let’s just leave the baking to the professionals.
Unnn, I know I was condescendingly saying to leave the cooking to me, but I feel like the only thing I’ve made is just the vegetable stir-fry…… But well, let’s just leave the trivial details behind.
O- Of course, what I made may be my specialty, but I don’t have all the ingredients I know for making it wasn’t on hand…… By the way, I’m really good at making sandwiches and fried eggs. Saying that makes me embarrassed though……
[Lilia-san, it’s ready.]
[Already!? Amazing…… Kaito-san is an amazing cook huh.]
[…………..]
She started looking at me with honest, admiring eyes!? Just receiving those looks is impossibly making me feel like running away, you know!? I’m sorry, all I did was just the stir-fried meat and vegetables!
Cooking is something that will require practice in the future, but anyway, now that our meal is ready, I sit down at the table with Lilia-san and begin eating.
Lilia-san takes a sip of the soup first, and gives me a lovely smile.
[It’s so delicious. It’s almost as delicious as the soup our chef made.]
[T- That’s great.]
I’m sorry, I didn’t make that…… The person who made that was the one who’s a very good cook.
And next, Lilia-san reaches out for the vegetable stir-fry that I made, and seeing that made my anxiousness reach its peak.
This is bad, this is really bad…… I mean, no matter how I think about it, compared to Sieg-san’s soup, my vegetable stir-fry is a few steps inferior in taste.
As a noble, she’s used to eating good food, so it might not be to Lilia-san’s taste…… It’s not that I would be troubled if she found out, but even though I was condescendingly said to leave the cooking to me, I feel embarrassed if she knows that I asked for the help of Sieg-san’s cooking.
Without realizing my anxiety, Lilia-san brought the fried vegetables to her mouth…… and tilted her head.
A- As expected, she didn’t find it tasty……
[U- Ummm, Lilia-san?]
[……It has an unusual flavor. It’s the first time I’ve tasted something like this.]
[……Eh?]
[It’s a little salty and has deep flavors, but it’s really dangerous.]
[……I- Is that so……]
Lilia-san had never had yakiniku befooorreee!? Indeed, there are yakiniku shops in this world, and yakiniku sauce is widespread but…… Thinking about it, Lilia-san is a former princess and currently a Duchess…… She’s a full-fledged noble lady, and what should I say…… This might be the first time eating something like this whose flavor is being brought by the sauce.
A- At least, it doesn’t seem like she dislikes it, as Lilia-san proceeded to eat her meal somewhat happily.
……What can I say, unnn…… I feel relieved.
After finishing our meal and putting away the dishes, I guess it’s a good time for me to take a bath.
[Lilia-san, would you like to take a bath first?]
[Eh? A- Ahh, y- yes. I- I- I guess so!?]
[……Lilia-san?]
I thought what I said was a very normal thing for me to say to her, but for some reason, Lilia-san looked very flustered and her face was getting redder and redder.
[……P- Please wait for a bit. M- My heart isn’t ready yet……]
[……E- Errr…… Yes?]
She’s just going to take a bath, why does she need to ready her heart?
Not understanding the meaning at all, I tilted my head…… And with a face so red that it looks like steam is about to come out of her ears, Lilia-san spoke.
[……H- How about…… K- Kaito-san go in first?]
[Eh? Huhh…… that’s fine with me but……]
[I- I’ll try my best…… n- n- n- not to keep you waiting…..]
[……Unnn?]
What is this? I really don’t know what Lilia-san is talking about.
Even though I’m still wondering why, since she asked me to take a bath first…… I don’t really mind that, so I agreed and quickly got ready.
Meanwhile, Lilia-san looked down with a bright red face and seemed to be mumbling something but…… when I tried calling out to her, she was so flustered that she couldn’t hold a conversation at all.
So, for the time being, I decided to just talk with Lilia-san after she calms down, while I head for the bathroom.
It isn’t as large as the one in Lilia-san’s mansion, but it’s large enough for one person to take a bath in. The wooden bathtub has a nice atmosphere, which is very attractive for the Japanese me.
I’m sure that this wood is different, but it feels just like the bathtub made of cypress wood I bathed in back in Rigforeshia…… How should I say this…… it feels like a wonderful Japanese style bath.
Washing myself clean, I then soaked in the bathtub and relaxed, stretching my arms and legs.
Ahh, that feels great…… It feels like lately, I seem to be prone to encountering problems while I’m in the bathroom, so I was always feeling flustered while I’m taking a bath.
It started with the mixed bath with Isis-san and Kuro…… In Rigforeshia, Rei-san and Fia-san would use all types of strategies just to try and get me and Sieg-san to bathe together…… And in the Divine Realm, that mixed bath with the four Goddesses.
Well, thinking back on those times again, I don’t know how I was able to endure it.
However, in that regard, it’s Lilia-san who is with me today…… If it’s the modest Lilia-san, she wouldn’t think of bathing together, even if we’re lovers already, so I don’t need to worry……
[……U- Ummm, Kaito-san……]
[Eh? Lilia-san? What’s the matter?]
As I was thinking about this, for some reason, I heard Lilia-san’s voice from the other side of the door.
Asking her back, wondering if she had something urgent to say, a brief of silence passed before Lilia-san replied with her voice trembling.
[…..I- I’m sorry t- to keep you waiting…… I- I’m finally ready……]
[……Ready? Ummm, Lilia-san…… What in the world are you……]
[E- Excuse my intrusion!]
[Wha!?]
As I was having a bad feeling about the conversation that shows unusual signs around it, the door was opened and Lilia-san appeared, a single towel wrapped around her body.
Eh? What is this? What the heck…… is happening now?
Dear Mom, Dad——– The first night at the summer resort with Lilia-san, we finished our meals that were seasoned with a hint of deceit on it, and I’m now taking a bath but…… for some reason, Lilia-san also came inside. I don’t really know why, but could it be that it was just as I thought——— Isn’t it that my baths are cursed?
<Afterword>
~~ A certain act, in a certain place ~~
L-san: [Listen, My Lady. You have become Miyama-sama’s lover, but undertaking such a relationship also entails you with things that you must do.]
Naive: [Things that I must do……?]
Prankster: Yes, My Lady has never been in a relationship before, so I could understand why My Lady doesn’t know about it…… But this is an act that has always been done between lovers since ancient times.]
Love Experience Zero: [W- What in the world could that be……]
Idiot: [……It’s mixed bathing.]
Innocent: [……Mixed…… bathing…… Eh? Eeehhhh!?]
Soft-shell Turtle: [I understand your surprise, However, if you don’t do this, you can’t truly say that the two of you are lovers!]
Moon: [N- No way…… Is that the case……]
Mimidoshima: Yes, all the lovers of the world go through this actions and even deepened their relationships through this…… I heard from my mother that she also went through this.]
Pure: [……Is…… that so…… W- Well then…… I- I will also……]
Devil: [There’s no need to rush…… but you mustn’t let an opportunity escape it presents itself! It’s an ordeal you’ll have to eventually overcome…… So, when the times comes, bring out your courage!]
Angel: [……I- I understand…… I- I will do my best.]
(T/N: Tsuki to Suppon / The Moon and the Soft-shell Turtle is a phrase that means when someone is as different as day and night. In Japan, the moon is a symbol of beauty, whereas it’s said that the soft-shell turtle have an ugly face.
Mimidoshima refers to a young woman with a lot of superficial knowledge about sex.)
T/N: 86/237