𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗: 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤
While inspecting the ingredients in the kitchen, I discuss with Florenci what we should prepare.
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“Okaa-san, we have lots of beautiful mushrooms!”
“Really? They seem to be abundant around here, don’t they?”
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The fresh mushrooms in the basket are all thick and resilient.
Around the royal capital of Vulcano, urban development has progressed, and the trees in the forest have been logged. The suburbs are not conducive to mushroom growth, so mushrooms from rural areas are sold here.
Most of the mushrooms for sale are dried, and even if there are fresh mushrooms, they are shriveled and not tasty.
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“Okaa-san, why don’t we try cooking a mushroom dish today?”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
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We have milk in the fridge, so let’s make cream stew with potatoes and mushrooms.
I instruct Florenci to wash the potatoes.
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“Um, where can I find the water to wash the potatoes?”
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I realized that I had to explain this to him.
Until now, whenever Florenci said, “I’m thirsty,” a maid would prepare water for him. He doesn’t even know where the water is.
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“In Vulcano, we bring water from a well.”
“A well, you say?”
“Yes. Within the mansion’s property, we have a device that drills for groundwater and draws it up for use.”
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If you drink the well water of the royal capital as is, you will get an upset stomach. Therefore, you have to boil it once and let it cool before drinking.
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“We shouldn’t drink well water?”
“It’s not just well water, you can’t drink water from rivers or lakes either.”
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Even though the water in rivers and lakes looks clean, it is contaminated with animal feces and urine, and there is a risk of infectious diseases.
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“If you boil such water thoroughly and properly disinfect it, you can drink it.”
“I, I didn’t know that!”
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Florenci, who was learning for the first time where water comes from and how it becomes drinkable, seemed to be surprised, covering his mouth with his hand.
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“When I said I was thirsty in the middle of the night, the maid would go to the well, get some water, boil it, let it cool, and then bring it to me!”
“Well, the water brought to you in the middle of the night is probably cooled boiled water made during the day, so I don’t think she’s starting from fetching water from the well.”
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Even a glass of water is not simply clean water that springs up by itself, but it becomes drinkable through human hands.
This is the situation with water in Vulcano.
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“Okaa-san, could I make cooled boiled water too?”
“Of course. Let’s try it next time.”
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It seems there was something I had to teach him before cooking.
However, I heard that wells are obsolete in Binemöer.
That’s because Binemöer treats water with magic, has water pipes running throughout the city, and provides drinkable water at any time just by turning the faucet.
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“Ren, in Binemöer, you can drink clean water just by turning the faucet in the kitchen.”
“Wow! How do they do that?”
“They use purification magic, I hear.”
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Binemöer, which has retained so much magic in a world where magic is declining, is truly marvelous.
About five hundred years ago, a great sage suddenly appeared and organized life within the country.
There seem to be artificial cores in various places in Binemöer, storing magical power supplied from the huge magical stone known as the moon.
The core’s magic power is used to make the water drinkable.
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“Wow, what an amazing technology!”
“Yes. But it seems that the artificial cores in Binemöer were not favored by spirits and fairies.”
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It is said that the fairies and spirits fled to Vulcano, which has a natural core.
If I had been born and raised in Binemöer, I probably wouldn’t have met Ga-chan.
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I’ve been rambling for too long. Let’s start cooking now.
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“So Ren, please wash the potatoes with tap water.”
“Got it!”
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Florenci gripped the large potato and scrubbing brush with his small hands and washed it with earnestness. Meanwhile, I proceeded with other tasks.
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First, I cut a variety of mushrooms and sautéed them with garlic and anchovies. The potatoes that Florenci had washed were peeled, sliced into rings, and boiled until a skewer could pass through.
The boiled potatoes were added to a pot and covered with milk. Some flour was added to thicken it while simmering. Once the flavor was adjusted with salt and pepper, the creamy stew of potatoes and mushrooms was ready.
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Florenci, in front of the dish he cooked for the first time, was showing an excited look.
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“Okaa-san, I want to be able to cook by myself someday!”
“Well, let’s do our best.”
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Florenci must be happy to have a new goal. He talks with a hopeful expression.
Studying to become a Duke is important, but finding what you want to do is also crucial.
From now on, I’ll make his wishes come true as much as possible.
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“Now, shall we eat?”
“Yes.”
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We offer a prayer of thanks for the food and enjoy the meal we made together for the first time.
I watched him eat first.
Florenci filled his mouth with the oversized pieces of potato.
At that moment, his eyes sparkled.
After munching and swallowing, he spoke with joy.
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“Okaa-san, this food is so delicious!! You have to try it!!”
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His enthusiasm surprises me. Perhaps because it’s the first time he made it, it feels all the more delicious.
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As encouraged, I eat the potato.
It’s fluffy, and the creamy sauce is well entwined. The slight saltiness of the anchovies is also nice.
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“It really is delicious.”
“Yes, it is!”
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I enjoyed the meal with Florenci.
It was a moment when I thought there couldn’t be greater happiness than this.
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What I taught Florenci was not just cooking.
Things like how to bathe, dress and undress. There are countless things necessary for life.
He had been practicing a little since he was in Vulcano, but it seems the butler had been helping him a lot.
Even undoing and fastening buttons takes time.
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“Ugh. . . . . .I don’t know anything, and I can’t do anything.”
“Everyone starts that way.”
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I didn’t know everything from the beginning either.
If you do it many times, you will gradually be able to do it.
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“It’s all about practice.”
“I understand.”
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Ideally, I wouldn’t have raised him in an environment where he needed such life skills.
But Florenci wanted to learn things around him, and you never know what will happen in the future.
Having these skills won’t hurt.
With that in mind, I taught Florenci how to fasten buttons.
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