A dinner for two.
I took Mariel-chan to a room where Otousama and Okaasama were having tea so she could greet them.
“Miss Mariel, thank you for coming. Please, feel at home.”
“Ah, umm, thank you very much for your precious time the other day! Father was very joyful.”
“No need to mind it. Those weren’t bad conditions for us after all.”
Mariel-chan said hello nervously. Otousama is handsome, but the expressionless face he keeps to maintain dignity may look scary. Even though it’s fine to give Mariel-chan a small warm smile since she’s scared.
“I was able to get into charity work, so I appreciate it. Please, convey my thanks to your father from me.”
Okaasama smiled. Okaasama is usually close to expressionless, but her sociability is good at times like this. It’s one of the social life skills. I have to learn from her example.
“Y, yes! I will make sure to convey your message!”
Mariel-chan replied with a blush.
Okaasama is a gorgeous beauty when she smiles after all. Her entire face turned red from being smiled at by such Okaasama. I have no doubts that Mariel-chan is screaming internally “Uooh, I was smiled at by a beauty! A sight for sore eyes!”.
“Otousama, Okaasama. It’s about today’s dinner, but I am thinking of having it with just the two of us.”
“Oh my, you won’t be dining with us?”
“It’s Mariel-san’s first time staying over, so she’s nervous. I would like her to eat at ease.”
“I see. That’s true.”
“Yes, it’s regrettable, but it can’t be helped.”
We enjoyed a conversation with the two after getting their approval and excused ourselves.
“Haa… that was tense. But, the beautiful couple was a sight for sore eyes!”
Hou, Mariel-chan said in satisfaction while letting out a sigh. As I thought.
“Otousama and Okaasama aren’t people you have to be nervous around though. Still, today’s dinner is Japanese cuisine, so it’s better if we eat alone, right?”
“Yeah… wha, Japanese cuisine!? There is!? I got to know about rice thanks to Cristea-san, but surely not?”
“How about pork, rather Orc miso soup, tamagoyaki, umeboshi, and tsukemono?”
“Eeeeeh!? That many!? Is that fine? Rather, you did well discovering them!?”
“Fufufu, Yahatul resembles Japan well… no, the ingredients are exactly the same.”
“Yahatul… the island country, was it? I think I heard from Father that a branch store of Bastea Company has recently started selling Yahatul products in the Capital?”
Oh! As expected of a merchant. He’s got the information down.
“Yeah, the main branch of that very Bastea Company is in our fief, that’s where I found it.”
“Whoa! Wow! I have to go there the next time! Ah, but I have no people who could cook it…”
Mariel-chan’s tension got beaten up to the dejection.
“Mariel-san, how is your cooking?”
“I have been devastatingly poor since my past life… I haven’t cooked at all since then. Rather, you know? It’s unusual for a Duke’s daughter like yourself to cook, Cristea-san!”
Indeed. I had it tough at the beginning.