Volume 1 Chapter 18 A Relaxing Day After Something Annoying, Soft Omelette Rice
I returned to Lobelia Diner House with Sir Ciel.
Mx. Margaret's butcher shop was already closed, and the places open in the evening were mostly bars.
My restaurant also closes when the sun goes down.
The safety in the south district was never that good, but it gets worse at night.
Mx. Margaret, Mr. Lucian, and the peddler Tsukuyomi all say it's dangerous for a girl to run a shop alone at night, so I follow their advice.
I could hire a bodyguard, but I can't afford that.
Besides, I don't really trust men, and most bodyguards are men.
Sir Ciel set me down in front of the shop.
When I entered the store, it was quiet, and it didn't seem like any customers had come in.
I put out the "Closed" sign in front of the restaurant, closed the door, and locked it.
I lit the magic stone lamp in the dark store.
The orange light from the lamp softly illuminated the inside of the shop.
"For now, I'll change, so please wait for me."
"...Ms. Lydia, is there anything I can do?"
"Sir Ciel, can you boil some water?"
"I think I can manage."
"Then please do. I want to make some tea."
I showed Sir Ciel where the stove and kettle were in the kitchen, then went upstairs.
Upstairs, there was the bathroom and living space, as well as the bedroom.
This used to be Mx. Margaret's parents' house.
There are 2 beds in the bedroom, and I'm using the one by the window.
I took out my loungewear from the closet and changed.
When I go to the restaurant, I wear a blouse, a skirt, and an apron to be properly dressed for outside, but today, only Sir Ciel is at the restaurant.
I changed into a plain black dress with no decorations, and after tying my messy hair back, I went downstairs.
I think I'll cut up my worn-out apron and blouse to use as cleaning rags.
"Sir Ciel, is the hot water ready?"
"Yes, I think it should be fine. Also, I noticed the magic stone's power was low, so I refilled it."
"Eh? Ah, thank you... I thought it would take weeks to recharge the magic stone..."
"A magic stone master puts their own magic into the stones. The more stones there are, the more magic is needed, and it takes longer to refill. I... because I'm a gem person, I have more magic than regular humans, so it only takes a few minutes to recharge one stone."
"That's true, since you are the head mage, I guess that makes sense..."
"Ms. Lydia, I can handle things like this. If I can help you, just let me know anytime."
"Ah, thank you..."
Seeing Sir Ciel say that happily made me feel shy.
Calling the head mage to recharge a magic stone seems like quite a luxury.
I definitely can't do that.
"Well then, Sir Ciel, I'll make dinner with the remaining ingredients, so please sit and wait."
"Um... Ms. Lydia. If it's not a bother, can I watch you from nearby?"
"That's fine, but... you don't need to keep an eye on me anymore, okay?"
"I'm not really keeping an eye on you... I just really like watching you cook quickly, Ms. Lydia. The way the ingredients change shape one after another, and seeing you move around the kitchen... it somehow warms my heart."
"...I see, Sir Ciel, you enjoy watching me cook."
"Yeah, maybe."
"Then, we're the same."
I also liked sitting in a corner of the priest's kitchen, watching the cooks prepare food.
Even though I never got to taste it, everything looked delicious, and I would eagerly wonder what it tasted like.
The cooks seemed completely unaware of my presence. They didn't treat me as a bother or try to chase me away, nor did they look my way.
Since all the servants in the priest's household were the same, I never really thought about it.
But now, Sir Ciel is watching me intently. It makes me a bit nervous, but... it doesn't feel bad.
I took some onions, leftover realistic sausages, and a few eggs from the pantry.
I chopped the onions and cut the boiled sausages into small pieces.
I heated oil in a frying pan on the stove and sautéed the onions and sausages.
While waiting for them to cook, I put chamomile tea leaves in a teapot and poured hot water from the kettle that Sir Ciel had boiled.
"Sir Ciel, could you pour the tea into cups in a little while?"
"Yes. I understand. ...Ms. Lydia. This is fun. ...Usually, I'm stuck in the lab, or I go out alone for fieldwork for research, and my meals are just nibbling on solid food... But now, having this time to prepare a meal together feels special."
Sir Ciel gracefully poured tea into the cup he prepared.
While cooking, my heart should have been filled with sadness and anger, but today, even though I was upset by the terrible things Sir Stefan said, I didn't feel like complaining.
"...Something unpleasant happened. My ex-fiancé was the worst kind of cheater, but even worse, he was a person who discriminated terribly. ...Words can be like blades, hurting others. So, I'm sorry for everything, Mr. Onion, everyone..."
I apologized to the chopped onions that were sizzling in the frying pan, turning from white to transparent, and to the realistic sausages giving off a delicious smell.
This reflection might only last for today.
I might go back to being filled with resentment and sadness starting tomorrow.
But I think it's okay to have days where I reflect sometimes.
"Ms. Lydia. ...You're hurt too, aren't you? ...I'm sorry. I couldn't find the words right away. I seem to have gotten used to hearing things like that and become insensitive."
While pouring the tea, Sir Ciel said quietly.
I put the leftover rice from the rice cooker into the frying pan and started to stir-fry it.
Then, I reheated the leftover soup I made earlier.
I lightly stir-fried the rice, added salt and pepper, then mixed in some butter for flavor, and finally added dried parsley.
Once I took it off the stove, I put butter in a new frying pan to heat it up.
While the frying pan was warming, I shaped the fried rice into a round pile on a plate.
"Sir Ciel, I think you should be angrier, like me..."
It's funny for someone like me, who is always angry, to say this, but isn't Sir Ciel too calm?
If someone said such terrible things, it's normal to feel a bit upset.
He seemed like he didn't care at all.
Even if he's used to it or is an adult, I still think it's not good to hold back too much.
"...Is it okay to be angry?"
"Yes. Because, Sir Ciel, you haven't done anything wrong. The only bad thing you did was kidnap me, but you apologized for that. ...Since you're in a chosen position, I think it's wrong for someone to say things like that to you..."
"......Ms. Lydia. ...I..."
I poured the beaten eggs into the frying pan and quickly stirred them.
The runny eggs started to solidify and became gooey.
I poured the half-solidified eggs over the shaped rice.
Two servings.
Then I warmed up some pre-made tomato sauce in the frying pan and poured it over the eggs.
"All done! Sir Ciel, here's a comforting, soft omelet rice for a tough day, and a regular vegetable soup!"
Right now, I'm not angry.
Also, I'm not sad. I have no regrets.
So, the names of the dishes reflect that feeling.
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