Volume 1 Chapter 82 Let's Get Back To The Mushroom Party
I sifted the flour and mixed it with eggs and cold water, stirring it around to make sure there were no lumps.
Clatter, swirl.
The frying pan on the stove was filled with plenty of oil.
I dipped the mushrooms in the batter, coating them well, and gently placed them into the hot oil with my chopsticks.
Sizzle, pop.
The moisture inside the mushrooms bubbled and burst, and the big bubbles slowly got smaller as the mushrooms floated up.
I picked them out with my chopsticks and placed them on a tray lined with a net to drain the oil while I fried the next batch.
Sizzle, hiss.
"Ouch...!"
A drop of hot oil splashed onto my arm.
Frying food can be dangerous like that.
But it's delicious.
Frying makes everything taste good. Mushrooms, vegetables, meat, seafood──everything is tasty.
"Are you okay, Lydia...?"
Mr. Lucian took my hand from behind.
I had one hand holding the chopsticks and the other holding a bowl of mushrooms waiting to be fried, so I couldn't move.
Being hugged from behind felt a bit too close for comfort, even though Mr. Lucian and I were friends.
"Ah, you're turning red. The oil is dangerous. Let me take over."
"N-no, I'm fine. Oil splashes, that's normal... a little splash is okay, and I heal pretty quickly from injuries..."
Mr. Lucian is such a worrywart.
He went back to being the captain of the Leonsroar knights.
Mr. Noctis and the other knights didn't seem to notice or say anything.
Judal, who was captured, would be dealt with by the Moon Soul Cult, but since Sir Roxas had turned him into an old man, he couldn't even speak properly now.
Sir Ciel said that after talking with Mr. Wilshark, he believed Mr. Wilshark would start actively working towards ending discrimination, so everything should be fine.
"Even if it heals quickly, an injury is still an injury. Let me help."
Sir Ciel touched my hand and used healing magic to fix the red spot.
"Thank you, Sir Ciel. Um, Mr. Lucian, please step back from the frying... it's dangerous..."
"Ah, I'm just worried. You're so small, Lydia. You fit right in my arms."
"Mr. Lucian is the big one. Both you and Sir Ciel are much taller than me."
"Lucian. If you're going to bother Ms. Lydia, I'll kick you out."
"I'm not bothering her. I'm just concerned about her injury, as a friend."
"No need to worry. I'll take care of Ms. Lydia's injury, as a friend."
Since Mr. Lucian let go of my hand, I resumed frying the mushroom tempura.
I'm preparing the dipping sauce with grated daikon for the tempura mushrooms, along with some salt and soy sauce.
Mr. Tsukuyomi, who likes salty things, seems to prefer soy sauce over the light dipping sauce.
Eating it with a little salt is also delicious.
"Lydia, is Lucian also a friend? Am I not a friend anymore?"
The kitchen where I'm frying is dangerous, so just in case Sir Roxas tips over the pot of oil, it could lead to a serious injury.
That's why I've asked Sir Roxas to sit quietly at the counter. Sir Ciel and Mr. Lucian are helping me; Sir Ciel is arranging the fried mushrooms on a plate, and Mr. Lucian is carrying them.
Mr. Tsukuyomi is drinking sake with Mx. Margaret at the table, and today Sir Rail is joining them.
Sir Rail said, "A hero is supposed to be bold, so they should be strong with alcohol too." Mr. Tsukuyomi replied, "A hero doesn't drink, right?" and they started a lively discussion about the differences between heroes from Wakoku country and Bernard kingdom.
"Sir Roxas is... a kind acquaintance."
"Why just me?"
"Because the Duke and I are of different statuses..."
"Lydia, you are the eldest daughter of the Rest priest family and a saint with the power of Alexandria. By status, I should be lower than you, right?"
"...I am a cook at Lobelia Diner House."
While frying the tempura, I glared at Sir Roxas with teary eyes.
For some reason, Sir Roxas blushed and looked away.
Even though I was glaring, he seemed to enjoy being glared at by a woman. Does he have a hobby like that?
"Yes, Ms. Lydia. Just as I am a mage of Saintwise, you are also a cook of Lobelia."
"That's right, Lydia. Just as I am the captain of the Leonsroar knights, you are also a cook of Lobelia."
"You guys are too sweet on Lydia. Especially you, Ciel. You're the heir of Wisteria, right? I've heard from your father in the Girard family. The Lord Wisteria only had a child with Bianca."
"But, but, Sir Ciel has siblings..."
After a sigh of exasperation from Sir Roxas, who is on my side, I looked up at Sir Ciel in confusion.
"I do have siblings. My brother is the one who will inherit the Wisteria family."
"To be precise, he is adopted. The Lord Wisteria only had Ciel as a child. That's why he adopted orphans. The adopted children are Wilshark and the current Lord Wisteria. They grew up like brothers, but technically they are cousins and do not share blood."
"It's complicated... So Mr. Wilshark is a cousin, but feels like a brother, right?"
"Either way is fine, Ms. Lydia. To be precise, he's my cousin, but since we've always lived in the same house, he feels more like a brother to me."
"A mean brother, huh?"
"Just like Ms. Lydia."
Sir Ciel smiled gently, so I smiled back.
Francois is also a mean sister.
Just like Sir Ciel.
"Anyway, it's strange to say I can't be friends because of the different statuses."
"But Roxas, you're full of ulterior motives, after all."
"Yes. To call you a friend is a bit much. I mean, you have this hobby of dressing her up in a maid outfit and taking her around."
"So, it doesn't feel like you're his friend, does it? Maybe it's a matter of having a relaxed heart."
Sir Rail, Mr. Tsukuyomi, and Mx. Margaret were whispering to each other while looking at each other.
While they were talking, the mushroom tempura was all finished frying.
"It's done! Today's special is the super thick Takeri Matsutake tempura! Great job, everyone!"
On the plate, the beautifully fried, crispy Takeri Matsutake tempura was shining.
Since we fried them whole, they were quite large.
It might be hard to eat, but I thought it would be nice to try frying them whole.
Mushrooms taste better when you eat them whole without cutting them too much. It feels like all the flavor is locked in.
"They're so big that they barely fit in my mouth... but I think they're delicious..."
To make room for everyone to sit, I placed the mushroom tempura on the table that had been moved to the center, and Mr. Lucian and Sir Ciel came over to join me.
"Princess, let's eat together."
"Yes!"
Encouraged by Sir Rail, I took my seat.
We all offered a prayer before the meal. When I opened my eyes, right in front of me was a little round thing with black ears, like a white bird or a rice cake, sitting there.
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