Chapter 438 (2/2)
「I want you. I want to…… gobble you up.」
「……」
My sudden s.h.i.+ft in treatment made Pamela flinch, though she eventually gives in and rests her head on my shoulder.
I go back to being gentle and support her back while gently guiding her into my personal tent.
「Hsh, hsh…… the older lady fell.」
「Pst…… even determined women don't stand a chance against Lord Hardlett…… pst.」
「Well I mean, his range of acceptable partners is so big……hsh, hsh…… she's actually an old h-……」
I hug Pamela, who turns red from the soldiers' gossip and remember what happened in the past.
That time, I was also going from Roleil to Trisnia, huh? The situation now is completely different though.
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Flashback – Goldonia Central Plains Northern Region, Shortly After Unification――in Trisnia
「Pamela-san. She was really pretty!」
Miti says as she skips backward.
「Yes. A woman has to be beautiful no matter how old she gets……paying no attention to age.」
Mel also grins in amus.e.m.e.nt.
Coming along with me on this mini vacation is Maria, Miti and Mel.
There is a reason why these specific members were chosen.
「I-it's a bit complicated for me. I mean I'm happy for my mother…… that she could find a new husband at her age……and it's the well-known owner of the general store. Now that I think about it, he tried to woo her when I was a kid too. ……remembering back, I think he asked me out on a date too.」
Maria really looks troubled.
We came to Roleil to attend Maria's mother's, Pamela, wedding ceremony.
Pamela is a mere woman who cuts and serves food in her thriving business in Roleil, the Little Bird Pavilion, and is no more than an average person. Her wedding wasn't that formal either, with only a few close friends gathering and celebrating the occasion.
And I, being a person with over-the-top t.i.tles, will ruin that atmosphere by bringing my people to the event.
So, aside from Maria who is the bride's daughter, we limited the other guests to the girls who are often around her like Miti and Mel.
Nonna wanted to secretly follow us, but when she heard about pottery made by a famous artist in Rafen, she gave up. Carla wanted to ensure Nonna didn't buy anything at exorbitant prices and decided to watch over her.
Myla was going to come too, but just before, she heard about some outlaws talking about selling unknown drugs, so she quickly led her security unit to deal with it.
The sisters, Kuu and Ruu, said that they didn't feel good right before the ceremony.
I actually think they probably wanted Mel to enjoy her vacation without worrying about them.
Celia actually ended up in bed with a stomach ache after eating something bad.
Thus, the wedding ceremony proceeded without complication and Pamela went on a summer retreat with her new husband, so the four of us decided to wander around Trisnia before going back home.
「I've never been to Trisnia before. I also never saw a big boat before…… ah, there's one!」
Miti, as an orphan, never got an opportunity to go out much, so she is in high spirits from the fresh experience of seeing s.h.i.+ps completely different from the cargo s.h.i.+ps and fis.h.i.+ng boats found in the ports of Goldonia.
「Hey now, don't get too excited―― ah, see!?」
Miti was too absorbed with the s.h.i.+p that she neglected where she was stepping and tripped.
Maria scolds Miti while brus.h.i.+ng the sand off her clothes.
「Ufufu, it can't be helped, she's young. And Maria-san, don't get too upset.」
Mel pushes a pear, which she bought without my knowledge, to each of their cheeks.
It was likely chilled by well water, which made both of them shriek, and that was enough to interrupt the lecture.
I watch the three of them peacefully and smile.
It's rowdy and harmonious at the same time; a nice atmosphere.
Miti, Maria, and Mel are of different ages so that's why they can act spoiled and touch either without much concern for invading each other's personal s.p.a.ce.
The relations.h.i.+ps between Carla and Nonna, and Celia and Myla are also fun, but I think this relaxed atmosphere is beautiful right now.
「Hey, aren't you hungry? Auu…… my stomach just growled.」
「Well it's noon already~ It's a little troublesome to go back to the inn…… shall we go around to food stands~?」
「Ufufu, it's appealing sometimes to be a little less refined.」
I have no objections and allowed the girls to decide where we go.
We enjoyed the staple skewers and corn, were pleasantly surprised by a delicious but ugly-looking roast fish, and shrieked at the horrible-looking and tasting boiled insects…… the fun tasting continued.
「Alright, come all and see! This is rare grain that comes from the far reaches of the Garland Empire! Not to mention the husk has been taken off, so this isn't something you'll find anywhere! Hey, come and buy some!」
I take a peek at the goods being recommended by a loudly shouting street stand owner and see a pot filled with lots of grain that I've never seen before.
At first glance, it appears to be top quality barley, but it's whiter in color and somewhat translucent.
「This is grain harvested from the wetlands west of the Empire! The Central Plains don't make this at all so if you miss this chance, you'll never get to taste it again. It's magic grain that goes well with meat or fish, and if you cook it, it becomes soft and has a unique sweetness……」
Seeing we are interested, the stand owner keeps appealing to us.
Miti and Maria both smile sheepishly.
The reason is…… the price. It's more than ten times the price of the highest quality wheat.
They're the ones who usually work in the kitchen. Their rational mind is probably stopping them from buying something this expensive.
「Alright. I'll take all of it.」
That's where I come in.
Since we're on vacation, I don't want us to be held back by money, I want us to eat what we want.
The grain we bought quickly became cooked by the chefs that prefer street vendors and appeared before us.
「O-oh my……」
The food served by the girls includes the grain we bought earlier, b.u.t.ter, shrimp, cream and cheese, which was then baked.
Mel's eyes widened after she took a single bite and she couldn't help quickly taking another bite.
She had to open her mouth and fan the insides because it was still too hot.
「I-it's delicious……」
Maria served a dish covered in tomato sauce with the usual meat and seafood scattered throughout.
It looked a little soupy compared to Mel's dish, but it must be pretty tasty considering she is a good cook herself and she didn't say anything after those initial words.
「……」
Miti doesn't say anything and is just shoveling food into her mouth.
Similar to Maria's dish, her dish consists of the grain mixed with tomato sauce and finished with an egg on top.
It's a little odd to watch the three women eat silently.
「Here, we have something for the master too!」
My dish has arrived.
I have quite high expectations after seeing their reactions――
「Hey.」
The dish in front of me is nothing but the grain.
Even someone like me who knows nothing about cooking can tell. They served the grain to me as is.
A heap of the pure white, glimmering grain was served in a bowl and steam was rising up from it, showing how fresh it was.
No other ingredients or spices were added.
In other words, they simply cooked it and served it.
「You better be ready for the consequences.」
If I ordered a grain dish and they gave me boiled grain, I would flip the table.
This stuff isn't cheap either.
「No, no, this goes with it!」
The chef presents a plate with plenty of meat that seems to be fried in oil and then chopped into small pieces.
So they have some sort of meat to go with it.
Still, this is far from a proper dish.
If I was Nonna, I would storm into the kitchen with my b.o.o.bs bouncing around and yell at the chefs.
However, I'm not Nonna, so I quietly bring a bite of the roughly-put-together meal to my mouth.
「……」
Then, I proceed to empty the bowl without making another comment.
It was tastier than I imagined.
Rice, huh……west of the Empire means that place is oppressively hot even if we travel by boat.
The climate is completely different, so we probably can't obtain it easily in the Central Plains. How unfortunate.
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