Volume 3 Chapter 8 Crispy And Creamy Tarte Tatin
Me, Francois, Sir Stefan, Eir-Eir, and Dad (Arjuna) brought Famine back to Lobelia Diner House using Sir Ciel's teleportation magic.
Father (Feldur) and Sir Ciel stayed behind at the Great Temple to clean up and handle the chaos in the brōtḥel town.
Famine looks even smaller now.
Just a little while ago, she looked like an old lady, but now she seems unable to keep a human form.
She has fluffy black fur growing on her face, and her back is hunched.
Triangular ears stick out from her head. It seems like Sir Roxas took her time, and now she's returning to a form like Eir-Eir.
When I sat her on a chair in the kitchen, her body shrank even more.
Her arms and legs are covered in golden fur with black stripes, and she has paws and claws.
She has a pointy nose and red eyes.
Famine, looking like a mix between a person and a beast, stares blankly into space as if her soul has left her.
"Sister, this monster ate my mom... why are we helping her?"
Francois glares at Famine, and Sir Stefan shakes his head lightly.
"Right now, she seems harmless, but we don't know when she might hurt someone again."
"Pumpkin."
Eir-Eir shrinks down in front of Famine.
I can't tell if she's worried or feeling something else.
But Eir-Eir wants to help Famine──and so do I.
I feel like we have to do it.
"...I think it's necessary. If Mrs. Soiree and my mother Tiansa are inside Famine, then if Famine disappears, our mothers will disappear too..."
"Holy beast. Is that okay?"
"If that's Lydia's choice, I won't say anything. I'm just someone who stays close. I won't interfere with the human world... It was special when Tiansa asked me to seal Lydia's power."
When Sir Stefan asked, Arjuna said this and curled up on the stool.
"So, useless."
"Watch your mouth, Francois. I haven't forgotten the cruelty you've shown me for a long time."
"I don't care. That wasn't me. Only my sister helped me. Only my mom and sister are on my side."
"Francois, I want you to get along with everyone..."
"Sister, call me something like that round dumpling too. More like a little sister. Call me FraFra."
"FraFra."
"Yes!"
Francois, now FraFra, looks really happy and smiles.
Little sister, so cute.
But this isn't the time to be doting on a little sister.
"I thought of making food that would make the old lady feel better... but she's not an old lady. Famine is a tiger cat...? If she's a tiger, then meat; if she's a cat, then fish... but if she's a woman, then sweets..."
I muttered while looking around the kitchen.
This is the real Lobelia kitchen, not the magically summoned one.
Real is definitely better. I'd rather eat real tempura sushi than the concept of tempura sushi.
"Lydia, the salmon rice balls and tempura sushi from earlier were delicious."
"The peach sorbet you made for me was even better."
"Pumpkin pudding!"
Salmon rice balls, tempura sushi, peach sorbet, pumpkin pudding.
"The shrimp tempura was wonderful too... Next time, I want to enjoy your cooking in a more relaxed setting."
"Sister, I want to eat more. I want peaches, big sister."
"Pumpkin pudding!"
Shrimp tempura, peaches, pumpkin pudding.
"I'm sorry, but could you please be a little quiet for a moment?"
I held Sir Stefan's hand, patted Francois's head, and poked Eir-Eir.
If this continues, we'll end up with salmon, shrimp, peach, and pumpkin pudding. It doesn't sound very tasty.
"Ah, yes, Lydia... I understand."
"Yes, Big Sister."
"Pumpkin."
I checked the ingredients I had in stock in the kitchen again, now that it was quiet.
I can't shorten the cooking time since Sir Roxas isn't here, and I can't ask Sir Ciel to freeze the ingredients at the perfect hardness.
I want to take my time and cook properly, but if the people rioting in the brothel town are under the influence of Famine's magic, I can't afford to be too relaxed.
"I have apples."
I remember that we received a lot of apples from our customers recently.
It seems that everyone is sharing them because there are a lot of apples that can be picked in the mountains at this time of year.
I peeled the apples and cut them thinly so that they would cook more easily.
I put a lot of sugar in the frying pan and put it on a low heat.
When it started to bubble and turn caramelized, I added chunks of butter.
"Something sweet. Women like sweet things. And we have some pie dough."
I was planning to make a dessert because we had received apples.
It's not because we didn't have any meat or fish in stock.
I put the apples in the caramel sauce made with sugar and simmered them on a low heat.
In the meantime, I took the pie dough I had made in advance out of the ice magic stone storage and preheated the oven.
I coated a deep cake mold with butter and neatly arranged the apples that had melted into a soft texture.
The sweet aroma began to fill the kitchen. Francois was watching me cook next to me.
Sir Stefan was watching Famine, but Famine was still in a daze.
"Big sister, apple."
"Apple."
"I like apples."
"FraFra likes fruit."
"Yeah."
I wonder how long Francois has lost her time.
She speaks like a young child.
I put the pie dough on top of the neatly arranged apples and put it in the preheated oven.
All I had to do now was wait for it to bake.
While waiting for the baking to finish, I put milk in a pot and boiled it.
I then added tea leaves and cinnamon sticks and made cinnamon milk tea.
As I was pouring the milk tea into cups, the fragrant aroma of the baking apples, pie dough, and butter began to fill the restaurant.
(...I have to do what I can)
I'm worried about Great Temple and the brothel town, and whether my father and Sir Ciel are safe.
There are many things I'm concerned about, but... this is probably necessary.
Deep down, I feel like someone is telling me that I have to do this.
By the time I had arranged the tea in the cups, the pie dough in the oven had puffed up nicely.
I carefully took the cake mold out of the oven.
Then, I placed a large plate over it and turned the cake mold upside down.
The round cake came out of the cake mold smoothly, and the apples were neatly arranged on it.
"It's done, crispy and creamy tarte tatin!"
"Pumpkin pudding."
"Tarte, tatin...?"
Francois repeated the name of the dish in a puzzled tone.
"Yes. Long ago, a woman named Tatin tried to make an apple pie, but she overcooked the apples. She tried to cover it up by putting pie dough on top and baking it, and that accidental apple pie is called tarte tatin."
"I like the sound of accidental apple pie better."
"It doesn't sound very appetizing to call it accidental apple pie, so it's tarte tatin."
I took the finished tarte tatin to Famine.
Then, I cut it into slices and served it on plates, and gave some to Francois, Eir-Eir, and Sir Stefan.
I took a fork and pushed a piece of tarte tatin into Famine's mouth, which was now completely tiger-like.
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