Chapter 26

I Want to Make a Cocktail
When I suddenly woke up, I saw that everyone had finished their tasks and was sitting around me, enjoying tea.

Oh no, I must have fallen asleep without realizing it. How embarrassing.

"S-sorry..."

"Don’t worry about it. Isn’t this usually your nap time?"

"Oh, now that you mention it..."

"Huh? Young lady, did you forget about that?"

"Ehehe, I was having so much fun cooking."

"Are you sure you’re okay now? If you’d like, I can—"

*Whack!* For some reason, Arthur, who had opened his arms wide, got smacked by Abe.

For now, we fried one piece each of the tonkatsu and shrimp fry as a taste test before dinner. The tonkatsu, lacking sauce, was seasoned with salt, while the shrimp fry was paired with tartar sauce. We also sampled small portions of the potato salad and the shrimp bisque-style soup.

*Crunch.* "Delicious! Just breading and frying it keeps all the meat juices inside."

"The shrimp fry is amazing too. It’s so plump! With this tartar sauce, I could eat an infinite amount. Truly worthy of the name Devil’s Sauce!"

"Young lady~ This jagato salad is my first time trying it, but the texture of the onions and cucumbers is great. The mayonnaise is so addictive, too."

"Young lady, the soup is incredible. I can’t believe how much flavor comes from the heads and shells we usually toss. What a waste it was until now."

Yes, everything turned out delicious.

It’s been so long since I last made a bisque. I was worried because I usually use a blender or food processor for this.

"Did it turn out well?"

I asked cautiously.

"Of course! It’s a big success."

"Thank goodness~ That means dinner is ready. Now, there’s something I’d like to make..."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I want to prepare a cocktail for Father and Mother to enjoy with their after-dinner tea."

"Huh? What’s a cocktail?"

"Uhh, it’s a mix of alcohol and other alcoholic beverages or juice?"

"Mixing alcohol, huh?"

"Yes. I was also thinking of making a few appetizers to go with it."

"That doesn’t sound like a 5-year-old’s knowledge."

"Ehehe."

Of course, I can’t say it’s the knowledge of an 82-year-old. At times like this, it’s best to just laugh it off.

"Alright, let’s see you make one. First, let’s head to the cellar. Here we go."

*Whoosh.*

Abe picked me up with just one arm. As an 82-year-old internally, this was mortifying.

"I-I’m not heavy?"

"Young lady, you’re light as a feather. Before working here, I used to go monster hunting with the Master and Mr. Gray. So, this is no problem at all."

"Really? Even Gray?"

Abe seemed like the type, but Gray too? People sure aren’t always what they seem.

"Yeah, that’s right. Didn’t you know? There are others in the private guard and even among the staff who were former members."

"No way~!? I had no idea."

Wow~ so we have a private guard~ Well, it makes sense, being the house of a count and all.

I’ll have to ask who else used to be in the monster-hunting squad next time.