Volume 1 Chapter 55 Satsuma is Ready! II
'Oh, my legs are going numb... I can't feel them...'
"Elder Sister Alice? Ah, my legs have gone numb and it's starting to hurt?"
"Did you do something? Cain?"
Alice turned a freezing gaze on Cain.
"N-No, I didn't do anything."
Cain, feeling terror, numb legs, and his own foolishness, sat seiza-style next to Gardy against the wall of the mess hall.
"Why, how did this happen?"
He remembered what happened just an hour ago.
Cain and Gardy had enjoyed some roasted Satsuma and put out the fire.
After that, they carried the Satsumas they had harvested to the workshop to finish ripening them.
Since they were covered in mud from farm work, they washed off at the well before entering the mansion.
Upon entering, they encountered Alice walking down the corridor.
"Elder Sister Alice, are you on break?"
He started to approach her for a hug while talking.
A bit embarrassed, but since it became a habit every day and Alice seemed to like it, he continued.
"Yes, I just got a break, so I'm going to have some scented tea. What have you been up to, Cain?"
"Yes, I was doing farm work. Harvesting will be soon."
"Let me have some too when you harvest them."
"Of course!"
This was the point where their casual sibling conversation should have ended.
Why did he tell that trivial lie at that moment?
The thought of wanting to let her try the Satsumas that had sweetened after finishing ripening was not a lie.
But lying was wrong.
"Oh? Cain, is that a sweet scent I smell from you?"
"Eh! I-it's just your imagination, right?"
Again, he made a fatal mistake.
If only he had been honest at this point...
"Hmph, then what's that sweet stuff around your mouth and on your clothes, huh? Gardy! Tell me what you and Cain ate!"
There stood Alice, enveloped in a burning aura, demanding an answer!
After that, the details got fuzzy. Cain showed Alice the way to the workshop, pointed out the mountain of picked satsuma, washed some for everyone at the well, and ran around gathering up leaves and firewood to make roasted satsuma for the whole crew.
Sure enough, while they were working, someone from the manor spotted them, and Alice ended up doing the talking.
Everyone who listened to the explanation shot the two of them the coldest stares.
Eventually, Lydia heard the commotion herself and rushed over to see what was happening.
Of course, Lydia fixed a frosty glare on Cain, too.
For some reason, it sent shivers down his spine.
Once Head Chef Lloyd took over roasting the satsuma, Cain had to kneel in formal seiza while explaining himself, waiting for the roasted treats to finish.
"Cain. Even if you're waiting for... what was it, 'ripening'? to finish, that doesn't mean you can just lie about it."
Lydia scolded him, poking Cain right on his aching forehead.
"And you know, happiness is best when everyone shares it, right?"
She smiled down at him with the kindest eyes, but Cain couldn't even appreciate it──his legs were so numb he was about ready to cry.
"Still, Cain, if they're... 'ripened,' was it? How much sweeter does that actually make them?"
Alice asked, sounding a lot calmer now.
"With these satsuma? At least twice──no, 3 times sweeter, I think."
He stared down at his legs──couldn't feel them anymore, they'd gone past pain into a weird burning heat──as he forced out an answer.
Right on cue, Chef Lloyd brought in the roasted satsuma, and Luke, Randolph, plus a bunch of other manor folk, all walked into the dining hall together.
"So, Lydia, what's happening here?"
Luke glanced around at the crowd, directing the question straight at Lydia.
"We're about to have a satsuma tasting──Cain grew them himself. Figured everyone should get a try. Alice came up with the idea."
Hearing herself praised, Alice blushed and looked away.
"Well, fine! Everyone's busy, so let's dig in already!"
Cain took the piping-hot roasted satsuma he'd been handed, split it in half, and tried a mouthful.
"""""Mmm! This is amazing!"""""
After that, everyone ate like they hadn't seen food in days──focused, silent, completely absorbed.
When it was over, they all just sat there, looking dazed and blissed out.
Lydia was the first to snap back to reality.
"Randolph, you make sure to keep this Satsuma safe until our New Year's party. And then, we'll all enjoy it together!"
"Waaah~ Waaah~" the cheers rose up.
Cain, whether satisfied from seeing everyone's happy faces or because his legs had finally given out, collapsed right there on the spot.
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