Volume 1 Chapter 71 Warm Mashed Potatoes And Meatballs With Cranberry Jam
I put a chunk of pork into the meat grinder and started turning the handle to make minced meat.
As I cranked it, the meat squished out, reminding me of the times I cried while making sausages every day.
It felt refreshing to turn the meat into mince.
I was putting all my grudges and frustrations into that meat.
Now──still, when I turn the handle, I remember Mr. Lucian, and anger bubbles up inside me.
Yes, this is anger.
Mr. Lucian has his sad reasons, though.
Speaking of which, I was attacked because of Mr. Lucian, and I was hung upside down in front of him, exposing my underwear. Just like that.
"Ugh... Mr. Lucian... you said you would marry me, but you're a liar, a womanizer, a liar..."
"Marry... me...!?"
For some reason, Sir Roxas almost fell off his chair.
Since Sir Roxas is going to be a Duke, I think he should stay calm.
"Did Lucian say he would marry Ms. Lydia?"
"That's a serious matter, princess. Other lies are fine, but lying about marrying someone is not okay."
Sir Rail and Sir Ciel said this while peeling potatoes.
Peeling potatoes is quite tough, so I appreciate their help.
"That's right, it's terrible. I showed my not-so-nice underwear, so I can't get married anymore, and then Mr. Lucian said he would marry me..."
A large bowl full of minced pork was ready, so now I started on the minced beef.
Making mixed minced meat is similar to the process of making hamburgers.
The hamburger recipe was taught to me by Mr. Tsukuyomi.
In the Bernard Kingdom, minced meat is mainly used for sausages. Meat itself isn't very cheap, so commoners don't eat it much.
When it's made into processed meat like sausages, it lasts longer and becomes more affordable.
Fresh meat is often grilled and eaten as is. Minced meat is usually for long-term storage.
So, I thought it was rare to use minced meat for anything other than sausages.
"Princess, I'm starting to feel like we don't really need to bring Lucian back."
"Yeah, that's true."
Sir Rail and Sir Roxas nodded in agreement.
Sir Ciel quietly said, "We still need to make him apologize."
Since the minced meat was done, I peeled the potatoes and boiled them in a large pot of water.
While they were boiling, I added salt, pepper, and spices to the mixed minced pork and beef to remove the smell and adjust the flavor.
For hamburgers, we add binders, but this minced meat only has meat and spices, so I kneaded it well in the bowl to keep its shape.
I kneaded it firmly, rolling it into bite-sized balls and placing them on a large plate.
"I... completely forgot about it, but. The time I was seen in my underwear and Mr. Lucian's sad story. Sir Ciel, is memory-erasing magic commonly used...?"
After rolling the meatballs, I heated a frying pan, added oil, and started frying the meatballs.
Round shapes are hard to cook through, so I take my time to avoid burning them.
In the meantime, I put the boiled potatoes into a new bowl and start mashing the soft potatoes with a pestle.
It's fun to see the once hard potatoes turn soft, easily breaking apart with just a poke of the stick.
"Oblivion magic... it's some kind of curse, but it's very rare. It falls under mental manipulation, but normal mages usually can't or don't use that kind of magic. Mental manipulation can destroy a person's mind, and making someone forget something specific is really difficult."
"Sir Ciel's story is complicated, and I don't really understand it well... So, Mr. Lucian is an amazing mage, right?"
It feels strange that he's muscular but also a mage.
I add salt and the cream I brought in a jar to the mashed potatoes, making them smooth.
If I add too much, it gets watery and mushy, but if I add just the right amount, it turns into creamy mashed potatoes.
"Lucian must have some magical power, but even if he is a mage, I wonder about the oblivion curse... It feels like it might be some other kind of power."
"Some other kind? Like the power of a Kirschtein mage? Since he can control monsters, he might also be familiar with curses."
"It would be troublesome if it comes to a fight. Lydia, if I ever forget you, please force-feed me your cooking."
"Y-yes... force-feed it to you..."
I imagined myself bullying Sir Roxas and shoving mushroom tempura into his mouth.
It seems tough, but can I do it?
"W-Well, if something happens to me, please force some food into my mouth, okay..."
That's true. I once lost my memory.
It might happen again.
When I asked, Sir Roxas fell off his chair. I wonder if that means he's really worried about me.
I piled mashed potatoes high on the plate and arranged the baked meatballs on top.
In the frying pan where I cooked the meatballs, I added butter to the leftover meat juices, and then added heavy cream to make a white sauce.
I seasoned it with salt and poured it over the meatballs.
To finish, I added some of the cranberry jam I had made before and sprinkled dried parsley on top.
I want Mr. Lucian to eat it again.
Mr. Lucian, the leader of Leonsroar, who said he would marry me and came to eat with me every day, is my Mr. Lucian.
That might be different, though.
But I don't know how to deal with sad, painful, or tough things.
If he could at least think, "I want to eat again" after having a meal, I would be happy.
If I could heal his sad heart even a little.
I hope he looks for other ways, not just with a sword.
"I'm done! Warm mashed potatoes and meatballs with cranberry jam!"
"You put jam on the meat?"
"Yes! It's a dish Mr. Lucian asked me to make before, and I thought sweet and sour jam would go well with the meat, and it's delicious!"
Sir Rail stared intently at the meatballs covered in bright red lingonberry jam and pure white whipped cream sauce.
"Lingonberries are a specialty of Kirschtein. You don't really find lingonberry jam in the kingdom, so it must be a Kirschtein dish."
"Jam on meat, huh?"
Sir Ciel remarked, looking curiously at the bright red jam.
Sir Roxas also came over from the corner of the kitchen.
"In the kingdom, we usually have apple jam or strawberry jam, but lingonberry jam is sweet and sour and really tasty. Plus, it looks cute, right? So red!"
I'm sure it turned out delicious.
Now, all that's left is for them to try it.
I don't really have the confidence that anything will change, but I think it's definitely better than doing nothing.
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