Volume 1 Chapter 61 Healing Heart With Grilled Mushrooms
I can hear the crackling sound from the firewood.
Mr. Lucian built a simple stove with big stones to keep the flames from spreading. He put in dried wood and leaves, and then he used his magic to start the fire.
I never thought Mr. Lucian would use magic, but he said, "I can use magic about as well as ten average people, though not as well as Ciel."
He usually doesn't use it much, he said, because it's faster to cut down monsters with a sword.
By the clear, beautiful stream filled with transparent water, there are many round, flat stones on the shore, and soft sunlight filters through the trees.
I washed the mushrooms in the stream.
While Mr. Lucian was starting the fire, I secretly washed my feet, which felt sticky from being licked by a man-eater.
(It feels like words are stuck in my throat...)
I'm worried about Mr. Lucian, but I don't know what to ask.
It seems like Mr. Lucian is trying not to mention what happened earlier.
Like, what happened? Who attacked me?
It feels like touching a part of Mr. Lucian's heart that shouldn't be touched.
──I hesitate.
The water in the river is cool and refreshing.
There are no fish in the clear water. There are also flat, smooth stones in the river.
When they touch the bottom of my feet, they feel bumpy and nice.
"...Lydia, are you okay? The river is shallow, but it can be dangerous if you get caught. You shouldn't go too deep."
"Hyah...!"
I was rolling up my skirt and taking off my shoes and socks to get into the river when Mr. Lucian spoke to me.
I was surprised.
I must have been so deep in thought that I didn't notice Mr. Lucian coming closer after finishing the fire.
"Are you okay? Lydia, be careful not to fall."
"I'm fine... um, please don't look too much. It's embarrassing..."
I hurriedly got out of the stream.
My feet, which felt all muddy, were now clean, but a little cold.
I sat down on a dry rock, took out a handkerchief from my skirt, and wiped my feet before putting on my socks and shoes.
Mr. Lucian had finished washing and brought over a mushroom he placed on a leaf about the size of my face, moving it close to the fire.
"You must be cold. Come here. It's warm by the fire."
"Y-yes..."
Mr. Lucian took off his vest and laid it on the rock for me.
Feeling sorry and standing still, he said, "Sit down. It's okay, you can just wash your clothes."
I sat down on the black vest he laid out for me.
Sitting by the glowing flames warmed my cold body.
"...Is cooking mushrooms by roasting them on a stick really considered cooking? But roasted mushrooms are delicious. I have salt too, and if I sprinkle some, it becomes a dish, right?"
I shook my head, holding the long stick I had washed in one hand and the small bottle of salt from my pocket in the other.
Mr. Lucian sat next to me and looked at my hands in surprise.
"Lydia, do you have salt?"
"Y-yes. I usually carry salt with me. You never know when you might need it... It's tastier when you bite into vegetables with salt."
"That's true, but carrying it with you..."
"Salt is important, Mr. Lucian."
The taste of carrots and cucumbers is completely different with or without salt.
I don't carry the small bottle of salt every day, but it often ends up in my clothes pocket along with the jewels Sir Ciel gave me.
"I'm going to grill some mushrooms now. I'll specially grill the biggest Takeri Matsutake for you, Mr. Lucian. This will be our lunch. When we get back to Lobelia Diner House, I'll make mushroom rice, mushroom hot pot, and mushroom tempura. It's delicious!"
"...Ah. Thank you."
I picked up the thickest and most impressive Takeri Matsutake from the washed ones.
It's so thick and cute that I want to rub my cheeks against it. Mushrooms are cute.
They are round and have a cute shape at the tip. I pierced the thick stem with a stick.
Mushrooms don't taste good unless they are cooked well, so it seems like it will take some time to grill them.
I made a few with the stick and fixed them near the fire, making sure they don't get directly burned.
Grilling on a net is delicious, but I think grilling over the flames is also tasty.
It's my first time grilling over a wood fire, but as soon as the surface is roasted, a nice aroma starts to come out.
I sat with my knees hugged, staring intently at the flames and the mushrooms.
Mr. Lucian also said nothing and just watched the fire.
I glanced at Mr. Lucian, and his profile looked tense, his expression blank.
"Um, Mr. Lucian."
"What is it?"
"Earlier, there was a man with the monsters, right? The creepy guy in the black robe... He won't come after us, will he?"
"Ah. Probably, we're fine. He threatened me, saying he would kill me if I touched Lydia... I'm not good at dealing with humans. It's much better for me to fight monsters. If I kill them, no one will complain."
"Mr. Lucian, you seem the most energetic when you're fighting monsters."
"Yeah. It's simple, and I don't have to think. It's just a straightforward job of cutting down the threats in front of me. I can swing my sword as much as I want."
"Do monsters not have any will?"
"I've never thought deeply about monsters, but the ones that fall from the red moon seem to only think about eating humans. They're like animals. Animals will attack if their territory is invaded. That's a defense instinct. Carnivores attack their prey out of survival instinct. Monsters might have similar instincts."
"The man-eater tried to eat me."
"Yeah. It was trying to eat Lydia."
"But I'm not tasty."
"Between me and Lydia, Lydia probably looks softer and tastier."
"Um, Mr. Lucian... You and that man know each other, right?"
"Lydia, that's... something I can't say."
My voice trembled.
It takes a lot of courage to ask Mr. Lucian about what he wants to hide.
Mr. Lucian shook his head.
"I made you feel scared, Lydia. ...I'm sorry. I promise this will never happen again."
"I-I'm okay. Mr. Lucian protected me..."
"But I... Lydia, we should go home. This past 6 months, being with you and eating your cooking... it felt like a dream, it was so fun. I might have been poisoned by Maboroshi Akadake all along. It was a nice illusion. I guess it's time to wake up."
"...Mr. Lucian, the mushroom is burnt...!"
Feeling Mr. Lucian about to stand up, I tightly grabbed his arm.
Then, I held the lower part of the stick that was poking the fire and pulled it out.
The mushroom was hot, but I could hold the long stick from the bottom.
"This is a super thick Takeri Matsutake roasted to perfection that will make you feel great even on tired days! It's delicious...!"
I sprinkled a little more salt on top.
The surface of the well-roasted Takeri Matsutake had little bubbles forming.
It smelled really good and looked tasty.
I pushed the roasted Takeri Matsutake towards Mr. Lucian.
He stared at the roasted Takeri Matsutake for a while.
Then, he let out a small sigh and opened his mouth wide to take a big bite.
"...It's delicious."
Mr. Lucian smiled with a face that looked like he might cry, so I reached out to him and gently stroked his shiny golden hair.
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