Chapter 37 (1/2)

Translator: Jawbrie

I bit into the skewered dumpling.

There was some hesitation over possible rudeness with the first bite, but then I noticed that such hesitation would result in the syrup running down my mouth and making my face filthy. The second bite was bolder, as I swallowed the whole thing. After that, I had mastered the technique and finished eating the last bite.

As I enjoyed this most memorable first item, Leon, who had finished much quicker than I, asked for my review.

“How was it?”

“It lacks subtlety.”

I said honestly, as I chewed on the dumpling that was still in my mouth.

There was something sloppy about the sweetness of the brown sugar syrup. The texture of the dumpling itself was rough. In the first place, it was most annoying to eat a chewy dumpling off a skewer. I think I would have preferred it on a platter with toothpicks in every single piece.

“I suppose it was a compromise of less time and effort and also being decent enough for people to eat. That’s what it is. It is so thoughtless and flawed in both taste and presentation. But, I see. So this is what commoner food tastes like.”

“Hey, are you mocking me?”

I ignored Leon as he squinted upon hearing my review. I needed to do something about this syrup that was on my hands and mouth. I couldn’t possibly wipe it on my clothes or sleeves. As I was thinking this, a towel was presented to me from the side.

“That is basically what stall food tastes like.”

“Hmph. I suppose so.”

Mariwa said it with a knowledgeable air, but she herself had not even eaten it.

She probably did not want to dirty her hands and mouth with syrup either. I accepted the towel gratefully and wiped myself.

One person who was not happy about our conversation was Leon, who had guided us to that stall.

“As a friend of Christina, you probably eat very well too, but…”

Mariwa shrugged as Leon narrowed his eyebrows.

“It is fine though. It is not as if we have come here to evaluate the best delicacies. Isn’t that right, my lady? Never mind the taste, isn’t this so much fun?”

“Yes, it’s so fun!”

The taste was third-rate indeed, but the very act of shopping was most enjoyable. Using money for the first time, eating foods I had never seen before, the freedom of not having to be so polite.

I was swayed by the joy that all of those things brought, and hurried Leon on.

“Now, Leon. Let’s go to the next one. To the next!”

“…Alright.”

I ordered him in the way I would usually order a servant. He smiled wryly as if he had no choice but to obey.

“Is there anything in particular that you want to eat?”

“Anything that’s not sweet.”

“Hmm… Okay, then let’s go over to the street then.”

I had just experienced the crudest sweetness. I wanted to enjoy a different flavor now. Having heard this thought of mine, Leon began to lead the way.

“The street? Is there none in the plaza?”

“There are drinks and sweets sold at the stalls here, but there isn’t much proper food. Now that I think of it, I wonder why.”

“It is because you can not get a permit to have a stall that uses fire in such a crowded area as the plaza. It would be quite the disaster if there happened to be an outbreak in so dense a place. Stalls that use fire to cook are only allowed on the larger streets and they must maintain a certain distance from other stalls.”

“Ahh.”

Leon had apparently not known the reason, so he was interested as much as I was.

“Well, I’m sure there are plenty of successful stalls that don’t use fire either way. But we might as well go down a street that has more variety.”