Thunderous Applause
While the main dishes were cooking, I made a small omelet and candied twisted-plum carrots. Then I carved the mini tomatoes and the milangi into decorative shapes. I added those to a one-plate arrangement along with the small menchi-katsu I’d made, teriyaki-style luf-bird steak, and spaghetti with tomato sauce.
“Joan, what’s that?”
“A kids’ plate. For Tony. One adult-sized dish would be too much for him, but if I make everything small, he can try lots of things.”
“That’s true. Did you change the seasoning on the steak too?”
“Yes… Do you want to taste it?”
I said that, then handed out bite-sized pieces of teriyaki luf-bird to everyone.
““““So good!!”””” “It’s delicious.”
““““Delicious!””””
The teriyaki flavor was a huge hit with everyone.
By the way, Brother Aran and Ryuk were on guard duty, so they couldn’t sit at the table—much less eat in the same place as the person they were guarding. So in the kitchen they had already eaten menchi-katsu sandwiches, teriyaki sandwiches, and napolitan dogs made with roll bread. They did that while feeling the burning, resentful stare of Prince Albert boring into them…
＊＊＊＊＊
“Thank you for waiting. Everything is ready, so please move to the dining room.”
At Gray’s words, everyone in the reception room got up. Once everyone had taken their seats, I explained the dishes. Of course, the fact that Prince Albert had helped surprised everyone—including my father. They had all thought he was just out for a walk.
“… And the dish in front of Tony is the kids’ plate.”
“Whoa, amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Is this just for me?”
“That’s right. A special version just for you.”
“Thank you!”
Tony looked at the kids’ plate, eyes sparkling, smiling from ear to ear.
White-tiger pretty-boy smile acquired!!
Too cute.
“Please enjoy your meal.”
As soon as everyone started eating, they all said it was delicious. Of course Tony did too. As expected of beastkin, the group from Ania—except for Tony—had seconds and polished off the equivalent of three servings each.
Good thing I’d asked Gator how much they usually ate~
After the meal, we had tea out on the terrace in the courtyard.
Why in the courtyard where the Giga Treant was? Because the schemer suggested it. He said he wanted to see it.
Naturally, everyone except my family, who had already seen the Giga Treant, was utterly shocked. I did explain before we went out to the courtyard, though~
(Welcomeee~ This waaay pleaseee~)
Anyone would be shocked if the Giga Treant talked to them like that.
“Why does it speak that way?”
Marquis Eden asked, and everyone except my family nodded.
“Oh, our youngest children—twins—used to play with it ever since they were little… One game they used to play all the time was pretending to run a restaurant…”
“I see…”
They all accepted my father’s explanation.
“Miss Joan, are you not going to contract with this Giga Treant?”
“Well…”
Prince Albert asked, and I couldn’t answer right away. When I glanced at my parents, my father looked away and my mother only smiled…
“What about you, Giga Treant? Do you want a contract?”
(I desire a contract. I want a name.)
It declared that it wanted one, staring right at me.
“Miss Joan, why not just contract with it?”
“Uh… I’ll think about it a little more.”
(Please consider it positively.)
“Ah, okay…”
Where did it learn phrases like that…? Hu? Ly?
Either way, I couldn’t do something like that in front of people from another country.
Don’t stir things up, schemer.
“By the way, where are your familiars, Miss Joan?”
“I’ll go bring them. Please wait a moment.”
Saying that, I left the courtyard and returned to my room.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone. Let’s go.”
(Joan, are you really sure it’s okay?)
Pearl asked anxiously.
“It’s okay. I’ll protect you, Pearl.”
(I’ll protect you too.)
(Me too!)
(Thank you, everyone.)
When we came back, the Giga Treant and the little birds that had flown in from outside were singing together. The birds were the humming accompaniment.
“Brother Aran, is this…?”
I asked Brother Aran, who was standing guard at the entrance, in a whisper.
“It’s a little entertainment until you got back.”
“But how do they even know this song?”
“They said they heard you singing it… A song from your previous life?”
“Yeah. A group I liked used to sing it.”
♬ Oh〜
La-la-la〜
Beyond a brand-new age
La-la-la〜
Let’s walk forward〜
In my previous life, my favorite group sang that song together with their senior and junior groups. It had a refreshing melody, and the lyrics carried a message like “Let’s keep moving toward a bright future and open a new era together.” I loved that song.
And it was the song I’d been watching the music video for right before I died…
The Giga Treant was singing it as a ballad. And surprisingly well. And not haltingly—fluently.
“But it’s impressive it remembered it.”
(Oh? You hum it all the time.)
(You even sing it as a little tune.)
Pearl and Rosso chimed in.
“Huh? Seriously?”
(Big Sis, you had no idea?)
Meteor said he’d heard it too.
Clap clap, clap clap.
(Apologies for soiling your ears.)
“No, it was very good.”
“Yes, and the birds’ humming was beautiful.”
Everyone gave the Giga Treant thunderous applause.
Oh wow… no way to make an entrance now…
What do you think about this chapter?
