Volume 3 Chapter 43 Loaded Crab Cream Croquette
Elgard crabs are pretty smooth, both their legs and shells.
Rough crabs can hurt your hands when you try to take the meat out, but Elgard crabs aren't that painful.
"Lydia, if you snap the leg in the middle and twist it, the meat will pop right out."
"Elder Brother Chrisrain, you're really good at taking crabs apart."
"Of course. I don't usually cook much, but in the Elgard Kingdom, I'm one of the food masters, which means I'm really good at cooking."
"Food master?"
"In the Elgard Kingdom, there's a big food festival called the Cooking Coliseum that happens once a year. It's like a competition where people cook against each other. The winners get different ranks based on how good their cooking is. The highest rank is called the food master. They say there are only 4 food masters in Elgard, and the top one is called the food emperor."
"That's amazing...!"
"Well, as a prince of Elgard, I've been trained in cooking since I was little."
"So, Lord Chrisrain is better with a knife than with a sword? It's true, when I followed your way to take apart the crab, the meat came out easily. That's impressive."
Sir Stefan and I lined up the crabs that had thawed on the counter and started taking the meat out.
Sir Stefan was impressed as he carefully removed the soft meat from the shells.
Before long, a bowl was filled with a mix of white and red crab meat.
We put the empty shells in another bowl to save for later to make broth.
"Yeah, I'm not good with swords. Fighting is pointless. Of course, we have knights to protect our country, but we also have diplomacy and conversation to avoid war, right?"
"That's true. Your way of thinking is right. We should try to avoid pointless fights."
"Fighting ruins the land. If magic is used, the vegetables and animals that we've worked hard to raise could turn to ash in an instant. The people of Elgard live with the belief that it's better to work the fields than to shed blood."
"I see... I hope our country can be like that too."
"You'll be fine, right? Even though there have been some tough times, you're a good person, and you have cute Lydia with you."
"Yeah, brother. I'm sure it'll be okay."
"Elder Brother, it'll be okay. Because you have me, Elder Sister Emilia, and Lyd-Lyd with you."
Lady Emilia and Lady Anna were cheering up Sir Stefan, who was focused on taking apart the crab.
I nodded while removing the crab shell.
"Sir Stefan, I can only cook, but if you ever feel overwhelmed, please take a little break and come to me. I'll make you food."
"Thank you, Lydia. ...Can I come even when I'm not tired?"
"Yes, of course! You like the food from restaurants, right? ...You told me that before. I think I remembered it, and that's why I named the restaurant Lobelia Diner House."
"Lydia..."
"Sir Stefan, you've been my guiding light when I had nothing. You always have been, and you always will be."
"...That's a big responsibility. I need to make sure I don't mess up for your sake."
"Yes...! But please don't push yourself too hard. I wonder if it's okay to live freely like Mr. Tsukuyomi or Elder Brother Chrisrain."
I feel like Sir Stefan has always been very serious.
He's always tried his best.
He's always tried hard to connect with me.
But sometimes, I worry about him. I think he could relax a bit more.
"Yeah, look at me. I'm always free. I came here because I wanted to see Lydia's face, and I thought dealing with the king was a hassle, so I just left it all to Ignis. But I'm not a hermit or anything; I live elegantly in the palace. Well, working isn't really something a noble like me should do."
"I think Sir Chrisrain should work."
"Lord Chrisrain, that seems a bit much."
"Everyone calls me an elegant single noble. But I'm not just a noble; I'm a prince."
Lady Emilia and Lady Anna are giving Elder Brother Chrisrain a side-eye.
Ms. Famine is sleeping on Lady Emilia's lap, while Eir-Eir is staring at the crabs on the plate with a serious face.
"Well, it's fine that I'm an elegant single, but Lydia really does have the blood of us Elgard people. You handle crabs wonderfully."
"Crab handling."
"I feel like if you took the crab peeling certification test, you could get a first-class rank."
"First-class crab peeler..."
Thinking about this unfamiliar qualification, I arranged the crab shells on the plate.
They're full of crab meat. Looks delicious.
I chop onions finely and sauté them slowly in butter until they soften.
Once they're soft, I add a lot of the peeled crab meat and season it with white wine.
I add some flour and stir it on low heat, gradually adding milk.
When it thickens and comes together, I season it with salt and pepper.
The filling for the crab cream croquettes is ready, packed with lots of luxurious crab meat.
I transfer it to a tray and put it in the ice magic stone storage to chill.
While it's cooling, I fill the crab shells with crab meat and a little soy sauce.
Then, I place them on a grill over the stove to make grilled crab shells.
"...This is definitely something Mr. Tsukuyomi and Mx. Margaret would like. They say it goes well with sake... It really does. Sir Stefan, do you drink sake?"
"Lydia, I don't really like alcohol that much."
"Sir Stefan, I think it's okay if you like sake... But I feel like tea suits you better."
"Well... thanks, Lydia. I want to show you a reliable and cool side of me, but I've already gotten drunk once... again."
"I think it's okay to get drunk sometimes..."
"What's wrong with getting drunk? I often drink and wake up in the morning without realizing it. Good food includes good drinks too. One of my life goals is to try delicious drinks from all over the world. Sometimes I wake up completely n*ked."
Elder Brother Chrisrain spread his arms and said dramatically.
He looks glamorous and beautiful, but the topic isn't really that fancy.
"Please don't drink sake and end up n*ked, Elder Brother Chrisrain."
I was surprised when I found my dad n*ked in the bathroom, but I think I'd be even more shocked if I woke up to find Elder Brother Chrisrain n*ked.
"Don't worry, my n*kedness is beautiful. Getting drunk and taking off is a trait of the Elgard royal family, Lydia."
A nice smell is coming from the grilled crab shells.
The crab meat is melting a bit, mixing with the soy sauce and a little sake, bubbling away.
It looks delicious.
While grilling the crab shells, I heat oil in a pot.
I make a batter by mixing breadcrumbs, eggs, and flour, then take out the chilled crab cream croquette filling.
I shape it into little balls, dip them in the batter, coat them with breadcrumbs, and fry them.
They make a sizzling sound that sounds really good.
"I wonder if I'll take off my clothes when I get drunk..."
What should I do? I'm worried.
I've never had sake, but if I drink it, will I end up taking off my clothes?
That would be a big problem for a lady.
"Lydia, that's not good. I think it's better not to drink."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll be careful. It would be a problem if I took off my clothes."
"Ah, it would be a problem in many ways if you did."
"Maybe it's okay to take it off. My n*ked body is beautiful, but I'm sure Lydia's n*ked body is beautiful too."
"Elder Brother Chrisrain, it's not about whether it's beautiful or not... I can't be n*ked without a boyfriend... well, even if I had a boyfriend, being n*ked isn't good!"
"Lyd-Lyd, isn't it fine since we're both girls?"
"Lyd-Lyd, it's not a problem since we're both girls."
In the Kingdom of Bernard, you can drink alcohol when you turn 18.
But I've never had liquor before.
Lady Emilia and Lady Anna encourage me, but I still think being n*ked is not good, even if it's with another girl.
"How did we end up talking about being n*ked... But, grilled crab shells would go well with liquor. Since we have it, let's serve liquor too. So, here it is! Grilled crab shells that go perfectly with liquor, and a fancy crab cream croquette filled with lots of ingredients!"
The crab cream croquette is made with expensive ingredients, so it's a bit too pricey for a restaurant menu.
But since we got a lot of crabs, we're making a special dish from the Christmas festival to the New Year festival.
So, we ended up with a really delicious crab-themed menu.
We brought the finished crab dishes to the restaurant's table.
Lady Anna praised the crab cream croquette, saying it was "the most delicious in the world~desuwa."
Eir-Eir was munching on the crab cream croquette, and Ms. Famine was happily eating the grilled crab meat.
I wonder if Ms. Famine likes seafood or just fancy ingredients.
It's hard to tell.
After eating one crab cream croquette, my dad curled up in front of the magic stone stove, saying, "I guess I won't be allowed to drink."
Lady Emilia, Sir Stefan, and Elder Brother Chrisrain ended up drinking the good liquor that Elder Brother Chrisrain had stored with his space magic.
Sir Stefan was hesitant at first, but Elder Brother Chrisrain told him, "Not drinking good liquor with a delicious meal is an insult to the food," and he agreed.
I was happy when Elder Brother Chrisrain said, "Lydia is a great cook. You could be a food saint!" and when Sir Stefan smiled and said, "So delicious, thank you, Lydia," while drinking liquor.
I really love cooking.
I'm glad I could cook after a long time and that everyone got to eat it.
I have worries and troubles, but being able to cook here makes me happy.
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