Invitation for sampling of the dishes!
The invitations for the tasting event, sent to both Oniisama and Prince Raymond, were promptly delivered by Miria. Shortly after she returned, their responses arrived just as swiftly.
Wow, that was fast! Both Prince Raymond and Oniisama replied with, “I’ll be there no matter what.”
Even though they’re students, the Crown Prince has various duties and official tasks, making him quite busy.
Normally, invitations for tea parties require sending out invitations well in advance to coordinate schedules. But this time, they seemed to have rearranged their plans for the event.
I feel a bit guilty for making them go out of their way, but both of them mentioned looking forward to it. I hope we can at least repay their effort with some delicious food.
For dinner, we kept it simple and divided the task of cooking the already-tried dishes among everyone. I stored them in the inventory afterward.
The remaining dishes with spices were, of course, already prepared as well.
I immediately stored them in the inventory because these dishes were meant for tomorrow’s tasting event. Everyone protested, but I explained that if we were to taste them now, it would only be a small sample, and anyone who tasted them would not be allowed to join tomorrow’s event. That quieted them down.
After all, if everyone had already tasted everything, there’d be no point in having a tasting event, right?
Originally, I planned to invite only Alicia-sama, Prince Raymond, and Oniisama to the tasting, but everyone wanted to participate, so they’ll have to bear with it.
Also, we can't keep mixing spices repeatedly.
If not for clear magic, the spice aroma would have permeated everything with how much grinding we’ve been doing with the pestle.
I need to finalize the recipes soon and hand them over to the head chef and Shin... I mean, pass them on.
And so, the next afternoon, a bit later than tea time, I invited Alicia-sama, Prince Raymond, and Oniisama to our usual room in the salon building.
Since it’s a tasting event rather than a tea party, we’ll be sampling various dishes, even if it’s just a little bit of each, so I set the time earlier, thinking of it as an early dinner.
Alicia was already waiting in the room, not wanting to arrive later than the prince.
She brought some tea as a gift, so I thought about serving it later.
If it goes well, I might make chai for a comparison with regular tea.
Oniisama and Prince Raymond arrived with flowers as a gift. I asked Miria to arrange them on the table and guided the two of them to the room where the food was being prepared.
“I'm glad to get a chance to taste your cooking, Tea. I didn't expect we’d be able to do a tasting so soon after requesting it.”
“Y-Yes! That’s right! As expected of Cristea-sama. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of dishes will be served!”
“I hope it’s something that pleases our guests. First and foremost, I’d like to make sure that we, ourselves, find it delicious.”
“Leave it to me! I’m used to eating spicy curry. I’m not worried about dishes full of spices! Speaking of which, is curry going to be on the menu this time?”
Prince Raymond asked, sounding excited.
As expected! I had a feeling he might ask since I mentioned that curry uses plenty of spices.
“Curry is a secret family recipe, so we can’t share it with the royal chefs.”
“Ah… I see. That’s unfortunate. I’ve been wanting to taste that addictive spiciness again. Sometimes I recall that flavor and crave it. It was that good….”
Prince Raymond said, sounding genuinely disappointed.
As someone who regularly craves curry, I completely understand how he feels. But if it’s that addictive, it’s probably best not to make it too available.
Yeah, let’s keep it that way. It’s a dish that costs quite a bit, after all.
Even though, in my previous life, it was a common meal...
In that sense, this tasting event, where we’ve been freely using spices, is bound to be quite an expensive affair too.
As soon as I opened the door to the room with the dishes, a burst of spice aroma filled the air.
Wow, that’s quite potent.
I’ll have to use clear magic on the entire room after the tasting event ends.
“Whoa, that’s quite a fragrance.”
“Yeah, it’s different from curry, but has that distinctive spice aroma.”
Greeting by the intense aroma, Prince Raymond and Oniisama entered the room, sniffing the air.
“Hello, Miss Alicia.”
“Prince Raymond, Norman-sama. It’s been a while since the tea party. I’m honored to join you again today.”
“There’s no need for formalities. Let’s enjoy the tasting together.”
“Thank you very much.”
As expected of Alicia-sama, always graceful!
She performed a beautiful curtsy with elegance.
Mariel-chan, standing behind her, tried awkwardly to mimic her, attempting a curtsy.
… Well, yeah. Starting today, we’ll be practicing curtseys. Otherwise, she might fail her etiquette lessons!
Sei greeted them with a knightly salute.
Well, he’s a foreign exchange student and not a subject of the Doristan Kingdom, so Prince Raymond and Oniisama didn’t seem to mind.
The Sacred Beasts, as per our orders, stood by the wall, waiting. They might have snacked already if I hadn’t restrained them!
Since I kept everything in the inventory until just before everyone arrived, all the dishes were still piping hot.
The Sacred Beasts, eagerly waiting by the wall, were fully focused on the food, ignoring the prince, causing both him and Oniisama to chuckle.
How embarrassing… These gluttonous Sacred Beasts!
“Today’s tasting will be in a buffet style. Please help yourselves to anything you’d like to try. Next to each dish, there’s a description and a small bottle with the spices used, so feel free to test the aromas as well.”
As soon as I said that, everyone eagerly rushed to the table.
Seeing that, Prince Raymond and Oniisama hurried to the table too, which made me laugh.
“Everyone, there’s no need to rush! There are plenty of seconds!”
I gently took Alicia-sama’s hand, who looked unsure of what to do, and led her to the table.
What do you think about this chapter?
