The Sleeping Devil

Vol. 1 - Chapter 20 - A Peaceful Day

It had been about three months since Hermes arrived.

Initially, he seemed to have planned to stay for two or three nights, but he said that he needed to monitor Sheriel's condition in the long term, so he hastily called for servants and assistants from the northern forest.

There weren't many belongings or staff, but it took about seven days for them to arrive by carriage, reminding me once again of Guri-chan's greatness.

"It seems Cork has procured some vegetables today. I can't serve them for breakfast, but it should be fine if you eat them secretly in the anteroom."

"Really? Could you let them know that I prefer a light breakfast?"

"Yes, understood."

When was the last time I had vegetables? Every day, it was just meat, meat, eggs, meat, meat, meat. Truly, nothing but animal protein.

Although flowers were added for color, they were clearly inedible.

And then, just bread. Fruits were also served, but my mouth got tired of them, so I wanted vegetables.

After breakfast, there was plenty of time until the afternoon class, so I immediately went to the usual servants' anteroom to play. It had become a familiar routine to come here with Didier.

"Are you really planning to eat grass and roots?"

"Even my big brother uses medicinal herbs, you know."

"That stuff is smelly, bitter, and I hate it. What's so enjoyable about eating useless grass and roots?"

Although he complains incessantly, he still seems interested. When Cork brought a wooden box with vegetables, he looked at each one with curiosity.

"Cork, thank you! This one, this one! This is what I wanted to eat!"

The wooden box contained various vegetables, including ones with dirt still clinging to them. Cork taught me about each vegetable he had discovered.

There were eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and even corn. It was good to have the same food as in my past life, but I noticed that there were some unfamiliar vegetables here and there.

"What's this?"

"It's called 'raza,' apparently a type of bean. I'm still studying, so I'm not very knowledgeable about vegetables."

It had a shape resembling a pink ribbon and clearly didn't look like food. Cork showed me what it looked like when split open.

There were beans in the middle, where the knot was, and the sides looked like petals. I decided to start by tasting familiar ones, leaving the unique vegetables of this world for later.

"I'll try these tomatoes and cucumbers."

I had them washed with a cleaning spell, ready to be eaten as they were.

"Are you going to eat them like that? I can at least cut them for you..."

"Munching on raw vegetables is the best part of eating them fresh."

I felt sorry for Cork, but... Honestly, I was worried about the hygiene in this world. After using knives and cutting boards, eating them without cooking made me uneasy.

Apologizing to imaginary Professor Margot in my head for my lack of manners, I took a bite of the cucumber first. It made a satisfying crisp sound, and its crunchiness and juiciness refreshed my mouth.

Ah, this is it. It's a bit lukewarm, but the taste is rich and delicious.

Next, I had Cork pick a small tomato for me, and I took a bite as well. The juicy flesh was packed with sweetness, resembling a fruit, and I couldn't taste any greenness.

Is it even more delicious than in my past life? Perhaps it's because it's been a while since I've eaten them.

"I can manage it. It's delicious. I would like to eat it every day, but is it possible to procure it?"

"Vegetables from your side are possible, but root vegetables like these can only be harvested in the northern region at this time of year."

"I see. Please get them for me when they are available."

"Is Sherry really in her right mind?"

"How rude. Brother, please try it too."

Didier seemed unusually cautious as he tried the cucumber.

"Eww... It smells... It tastes like diluted medicinal herbs."

Oh my. It may be difficult for him to accept vegetables when his taste buds have developed to a certain extent. If the people in this country have been living without eating vegetables all this time, there's no need to force themselves to eat them.

"Don't force yourself. It's true that people have different preferences for vegetables. Even in my past life, many children didn't like vegetables. They sometimes start eating them as adults."

For some reason, Didier looked annoyed and reached for the tomato. He washed it himself and took a small bite.

"Mmm, this one is good. It has a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity."

"I'm glad! Should we cook the ones that are not suitable for eating raw?"

We moved to the kitchen and had the ingredients brought over. However, a problem arose at this point.

"I'll separate the ones that can be eaten raw from the ones that need cooking for now..."

As I sorted the ingredients, I thought of something I had always wanted to eat.

"Please prepare chicken, carrots, potatoes, onions, milk, flour, and butter."

I had the ingredients cut by the staff, while the pots and seasonings were prepared. I gave instructions like a site supervisor, and the cooking progressed quickly, reminiscent of a cooking show.

"Let it simmer, and gradually add milk."

"I see, it's like milk soup! I've seen commoners eating it, but I've never had a thick soup with so many ingredients like this."

If vegetables could be eaten like this among commoners, then they shouldn't be harmful to the body. They said even magical beasts eat them, and if Cork procured them, they should be fine.

Thanks to the division of labor, the quick and easy stew was ready in no time. I had it served in small bowls and tasted it.

"Ah, it has a subtle flavor. It's delicious."

The seasoning was just salt, pepper, the richness of butter, the sweetness of vegetables, and the umami of chicken. But since I had only been eating spicy and oily dishes seasoned with salt and pepper before, it tasted particularly delicious.

After Sheriel tasted it, everyone else also had a sample.

"It's surprisingly not too milky, and it has a good sweetness. I think it's delicious."

"Yeah, even when I'm feeling unwell, I think I could eat this."

The staff didn't praise it excessively, but they seemed to accept it to some extent.

It's fine. As long as I can eat it. Now, where should I use my young lady's privilege instead of using it here?

"Hmm, not bad. If Sherry is eating it, maybe I'll eat it too."

"Really? Vegetables are good for your health, so if you can eat them, please do."

While discussing what other dishes could be made and sharing tips for handling raw vegetables, I mentioned that it would be good to have consommé for the stew, but it would probably be troublesome and I didn't know the precise steps. Well, as long as we have a broth, isn't that enough? That was my simplistic thinking, and I assigned the task to Cork.

"Normally, you throw away chicken and pork bones, right? Try simmering them together with the leftover vegetables from my stew to make a soup. Let's see, these are the vegetables."

I said that and selected mainly root vegetables. I also told them about things that could be used to eliminate the meat's smell, and the rest was left for them to try on their own.

"Since the scum will come out like when we simmered the stew earlier, you need to remove it and simmer it slowly. If you use that soup instead of the water in the previous stew, it will surely be even more delicious. I'll cover the cost of procuring the vegetables, so please feel free to experiment for a while."

"What! Are you really willing to go that far? I'm the happiest person in the kingdom."

"You're exaggerating, Cork."

They were going to prepare something separate just for me to eat. I didn't even need such special treatment, or rather, I was delighted.

"No, until now, I thought that the technique of butchering meat and controlling the heat was everything in cooking. But now, being able to take on the challenge of making new pastries and dishes, no cook can resist the excitement. Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity."

I see, that's how it is. Certainly, when a new framework for JavaScript was released in my previous life, I was obsessed with tinkering with it.

"Sherry, is it because of your obsession with food... Hehehe."

"Brother!"

As requested, a small portion of the stew we made for lunch was served for dinner.

"Sheriel, is that the thing we talked about?"

"Yes, it's a dish called stew made using that thing. It's like milk soup."

Since there were staff who didn't know about the circumstances of my past life, the conversation turned out like a risky experiment report. I thought only Hermes would show interest, but when I explained the advantages of vegetables, Dior and Sergio also joined in.

We quickly received portions for everyone, and unexpectedly, it turned into a tasting session with everyone.

"Yes, it suits an old man like me."

"I can eat it, too."

"Yeah, it's interesting."

Well, that's how it goes. It's fine. I just wanted to eat it.