Chapter 92 : Chapter 92
Chapter 092
A short while later, the dish was finished.
At first, I had been planning to make something based on soy sauce, but there happened to be a sauce with a flavor similar to gochujang, so I used that instead.
The kitchen filled with a spicy-sweet aroma.
Before long, the chefs who had been finishing up the cleanup began gathering one by one to watch what I was making.
“What in the world is that?”
“I’ve never seen a dish like it before. What region is it from?”
“It looks rather spicy.”
The murmur of voices grew louder. Of course they had never seen it before. It was the kind of dish you would only expect to find in the instant-meal corner of a convenience store.
If I had to give it a name, it would be ramyeon stir-fry.
The noodles had to be made thicker, more like udon than thin ramen, so the texture would be a little different, but in any case, it was a perfect dish for stimulating the appetite.
This was one of the representative instant foods I had often come across during my many years of living alone.
At first, I used to microwave it exactly as it came, but later I started making it myself because I wanted a new flavor. That was how I developed my own personal recipe, and the result was this dish.
“This is a food people in my hometown enjoy often. It’s spicy and salty, with plenty of savory depth, so there’s nothing better for whetting the appetite.”
A wave of admiration followed my explanation. One of the older chefs stepped closer.
“I’d like to taste it once.”
“It would be best if you waited until I’ve finished plating it and then tried what’s left. This is for the Young Lady, after all.”
“Of course, of course. I heard the Young Lady hasn’t been able to eat a thing today. Hurry and prepare it!”
I bowed once in acknowledgement and turned back to the pan.
I poured the appetizing ramyeon stir-fry onto a white plate. Then I scattered leaves and herbs over it for appearance and sprinkled a little spice on top. The aroma became even better.
Lastly, I wiped the sauce that had splashed onto the rim of the plate with a cloth and prepared a fork.
Gulp.
I could hear the chefs swallowing from all the way over here. Had none of them eaten dinner?
At that point, only a few strands of noodles and some sauce remained in the pan. I invited the chefs to try it. They rushed in with small tasting spoons.
“Hmm?”
The eyes of the chef who tasted the sauce first widened at once.
But that was only the beginning.
A chain reaction began, like dominos toppling over one after another.
“T-this is!”
“Oh...... magnificent. What an original taste.”
“How can a flavor like this even be made?”
At once, all their eyes turned to me. The message in them was obvious.
I want more!
If Sapiela refused to take the dish, I could simply bring it back and let them eat it, or I could show them my skill here once. They had fed me plenty of good food in the meantime, after all.
If word spread that I was skilled at cooking too, things might become troublesome. Chef Ramsay would surely try to recruit me.
Still, it felt good.
“Now then, everyone, calm yourselves for a moment. I’ll deliver this dish to the Young Lady first. When I come back, I’ll prepare more for you all.”
“Is there anything we should get ready in advance?”
“It would help if you could make some noodles...... though I doubt it’ll be easy to reproduce the same texture.”
“What? You think too little of our skill! Surely we can make noodles better than a mere apprentice. In any case, go on and return. We’ll have an extraordinary batch of noodles waiting for you.”
“Then I leave it in your hands.”
Smiling brightly, I turned away with the plate.
Of course, I couldn’t very well tell them that I had used Mana while kneading and boiling the noodles. However they tried, they wouldn’t be able to reproduce the texture of noodles made that way.
Just like that, I headed to Young Lady Sapiela’s residence with the dish in hand.
Arwen was still standing guard outside. Her legs looked a little swollen, and she seemed rather tired.
“Dilen. You really cooked something?”
Arwen asked in surprise the moment she saw me. Sir Lancelot, too, looked interested.
“I don’t know whether the Young Lady will eat it, but as a butler, I have to do what I ought to do. There’s a world of difference between not making something because she says she won’t eat, and making it anyway even if she says she won’t.”
“Ah......”
Only then did Arwen seem to realize she had been too thoughtless. She lowered her head with an expression that looked almost repentant.
“So your loyalty is truly as impressive as I’ve heard. What kind of dish is it?”
Sir Lancelot asked from beside her. Naturally, I couldn’t open the iron lid to show him. This wasn’t food for anyone else to eat. It was meant for the Young Lady.
“It’s a simple but delicious dish made by stir-frying noodles in a special sauce.”
“The smell alone is murderous. My stomach feels like it’s twisting because of you. I’ll have to eat a late-night snack later.”
“Late-night eating is bad for the health.”
Smiling, I stepped closer to the door and called out loudly.
“Young Lady. It is Dilen.”
I waited for an answer. My hearing had already been enhanced with Mana, and I could hear every sound from inside.
Shrrk.
I heard bedding shift. She had likely risen from the bed. But after that, I heard nothing else. Was she thinking?
So I spoke again.
“I heard that you haven’t eaten. I’ve brought you something. Skipping meals is bad for your health. You’ll soon have to travel a long distance, and I’m worried your noble body may suffer for it.”
Shff. Tap. Shff.
I heard the sound of her feet touching the floor. Then the soft rustle of something being brushed against. I could picture the Young Lady sitting at the edge of the bed and slipping on her slippers.
Serving food really isn’t easy.
So I played my final card.
“It may be clumsy, but I prepared this myself with my own hands. I wished to serve it to you especially, Young Lady.”
The two people beside me wore doubtful expressions. After all, even Marquis Chronos, the head of the house, had been unable to open this door. How could a mere apprentice possibly manage it...?
“Come in.”
......And yet I could.
After all, the chance to taste my cooking was not something that came often. She must have been curious.
Not only Arwen, who had been watching from the side, but Sir Lancelot as well looked thoroughly startled.
“Well then, I’ll be back.”
“I can hardly believe it.”
Leaving Sir Lancelot’s mutter behind me, I opened the door and stepped inside.
The room was rather dark. Aside from two or three candles, every light had been extinguished. The windows had blackout curtains over them, so not even the moonlight could enter.
In the middle of it all, Young Lady Sapiela stood beside the bed, looking at me. Her expression was not very good.
At times like this, pretending not to notice was best. If I tried to open my mouth out of pity, it would only backfire.
“I greet the noble Young Lady.”
I offered a proper bow, then set the dish down on the table. After that, I pulled back the chair slightly so she could sit more comfortably.
She walked over slowly and took her seat.
“You cooked this yourself, Dilen? That is unexpected.”
“I hear that quite often. There are many dishes I used to make for myself when I lived alone, and this happens to be one of my favorites. I believe it will suit your taste.”
As I said that, I politely lifted the iron lid. A burst of steam rose up, carrying with it a spicy-sweet aroma.
It was the kind of marvelous smell that could make even a person with an upset stomach suddenly hungry.
At that moment, Sapiela’s eyes sparkled.
And yet, rather than the food itself, she seemed more focused on the fact that I had made it. Even holding the fork, she kept looking down at the dish instead of eating.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”
“No, it isn’t that, but......”
“Then please, eat slowly. I’ll step outside for a moment. I’ll have Arwen attend to your meal and ask her to prepare tea as well.”
“No. You are to remain here.”
“As you wish.”
I took a few steps back and watched as Young Lady Sapiela ate. She wound the noodles around the fork, placed them into her small mouth, and chewed quietly.
What kind of verdict would come?
I felt more tension than when facing a powerful opponent in battle. Just as one must never lose sight of a blade path, I did not miss a single flicker in the subtle shifts of the Young Lady’s expression.
She closed her eyes once, opened them again, and looked at me.
“......It’s quite good.”
“It is an honor.”
That was the highest praise Young Lady Sapiela was capable of giving with her mouth. She was not the type who could simply say something was delicious.
That day, Sapiela emptied the plate completely.
Whether it was because the food had truly been delicious, or because it was my cooking, I did not know.
But when I returned to Rosetta and treated the chefs to the ramyeon stir-fry, their reactions were extraordinary.
Even the chefs who had already eaten a late dinner, and even those who did not handle spicy food well, devoured the ramyeon stir-fry until they were on the verge of bursting.
“Urgh. That was incredible!”
“It’s absolutely marvelous! It felt like I’d stepped into a new world. The way the taste was simple yet came in strong and sharp was superb.”
“Couldn’t we somehow get one more bowl?”
By then, though, we had run out of ingredients. To make more, we would have had to fetch things from the storeroom, so tonight it simply wasn’t possible.
“Eating too much late at night is bad for the health. Let’s leave it here for today, and I’ll treat you again another time.”
“A pity, but it can’t be helped.”
The middle-aged chef who ranked just beneath Ramsay wiped his mouth with a napkin and continued.
“I think Rosetta ought to add this to the menu. We’ll call it Dilen-style noodle dish. What do you think?”
“You’re joking, surely?”
“No, I’m serious. So hurry and pass the recipe on to us.”
Trying to steal the very foundation of another man’s business, were they?
I only smiled and let it slide.
***
After finally escaping the chefs, I went to Rohan’s room and dealt with him just as planned. I didn’t use force, of course. I simply gave him a sharp tongue-lashing.
“Life as a butler has been comfortable lately, hasn’t it? Well?”
“W-what kind of thing is that to say? That’s hurtful. I’m always doing this and that for your sake, bringing you information and—”
“That’s enough. I’m warning you, stop spreading strange rumors. Unless you want to see me kicked out of the mansion.”
“Ugh.”
If nothing else, even he did not want to see me thrown out of this place. That was why he couldn’t argue back.
I was smiling as I spoke, but I was serious. If nothing else, I needed to be careful when it came to women. If the Young Lady misunderstood again next time, even my cooking would not be enough to smooth it over.
I had already given Eluna separate instructions on this point as well. If possible, she was not to appear in person, but to send a letter instead.
Both Eluna and I knew how to handle Mana. With a simple device, we could hide the contents, so even if someone opened it halfway, it would cause no real problem.
“But really, you aren’t involved with her at all?”
“I’m telling you, no. We just know each other.”
“Then I suppose I’d better spread even more rumors.”
When I glared at him, Rohan hurriedly waved both hands and added,
“A rumor that you aren’t involved with that woman at all! Everyone would love that. There are plenty of girls with a crush on you, so that rumor would spread even faster.”
“Just do it properly. Make sure I don’t have to worry about you.”
“Who are you calling brother? Tsk. Annoying bastard.”
Just then, the door opened. James, one of the apprentices I’d been spending time with lately, stuck his head inside.
“So you were here after all. Dilen, a letter came for you. I left it in front of your room, so go check it.”
“Who sent it?”
“There was no name on it. Only yours. They said it had just arrived.”
“At this hour?”
There weren’t many people who could send me a letter. And once you added the condition that it carried no name, the possibilities narrowed to exactly one person.
Eluna.
And if she had sent a letter, there was a very high chance it was good news. If it had been bad, she would have come in person.
I got to my feet at once.