Dessert time.
Miria quickly prepared the tea as I instructed. Way to go, Miri!
A capable maid really makes a difference!
The tea I prepared was, of course, chai. And as for the dessert...
"... What is this black, translucent lump? A black slime? … No, it seems different."
His Highness looked at the dessert as if it were some kind of mysterious creature.
How rude, to compare it to a monster.
"This is kahii agar. That black, translucent substance is made by extracting the liquid from coffee beans with hot water and then solidifying it with agar."
Yes, today’s dessert is coffee agar. I wanted to make coffee jelly, but I thought agar would be easier to handle this time.
I found some gelatin, but the quality wasn’t very good...
"Kahii agar? And what is this white liquid poured on top?"
His Highness held up the glass containing the coffee agar and examined it from different angles.
It may look unfamiliar, but it's not poisonous, okay?
"It's fresh cream. Please enjoy it with the agar. The drink is a milk tea spiced with spices, called chai."
At my signal, Miria served everyone.
"Oh... this milk tea has a unique aroma. Mmm, it's delicious."
Oniisama drank the chai and broke into a smile.
It seems the flavor was to his liking.
"Hmm? It's easier to eat than I thought. Though it doesn't really look like food, it's refreshing and perfect for after a meal. This tea also has an unusual flavor, but it's tasty."
"My! Despite its ominously black appearance, it has a fun, jiggly texture. It has a bitterness to it, but it's well-balanced with a solid sweetness, and the creaminess of the fresh cream enhances that nicely. As for the tea... it has a slightly grown-up taste. The complex aroma and flavor are quite interesting."
Alicia-sama provided a detailed review of the food. She’s so earnest!
"What do you think? I’m planning to come up with more recipes, but I was worried if today's dishes would even be well received..."
I tried to offer a variety of dishes with a focus on spices, but maybe there could have been a bit more coherence.
That said, probably only Mariel-chan and I would notice if there was coherence, so maybe it's not such a big deal. Hmm.
I end up getting a bit confused by my past life's sense of taste, so I can't be sure of the right answer.
"Of course! I want these recipes to be available at the palace soon! Also, the curry croquettes are so delicious, I’d love them to be offered at the academy's cafeteria!"
His Highness snuck in a request, but too bad! Curry powder is expensive, you know.
It’s probably not feasible to serve it in the cafeteria. Mwuhaha!
"Your Highness, curry is a secret recipe of our family. Even if we were to offer it, it would only be a premixed spice blend for a limited time, you know."
"Ah, that's right... What a shame."
His Highness drooped his shoulders in disappointment.
No need to be so down about it.
I really should have thought more carefully before introducing His Highness to the addictively alluring curry.
At that time, I just wanted to leave him speechless and never expected he’d manage to conquer the extremely spicy version for advanced tasters.
What a major miscalculation!
"Your Highness, even without the curry flavor, croquettes are delicious. Why not serve that at the academy's cafeteria? I recommend having them with a rich sauce."
Plain croquettes are made mostly from potatoes, which are relatively cheap, so they make you feel full easily.
Also, high-calorie dishes are said to help recover magic power, so fried foods are perfect for students who use up a lot of magic during their practice.
"That's true. In that case, would you be able to provide the recipe?"
"The basic croquette recipe is registered with the Merchants’ Guild, so you can purchase it there."
Haha, croquettes are one of the most popular recipes at the Merchants’ Guild.
Since they require a lot of oil, they’re mainly sold to nobles and wealthy merchants.
But when I first registered it, it sold quite well, probably because it was easier to approach than rice-based dishes.
"Ah, I see. Then I shall quickly instruct the cafeteria to purchase the recipe."
Thank you for your patronage!
Yay, some extra pocket money!
… But more importantly, let’s get back to discussing the tasting.
"Considering that the mix of curry spices is a secret, perhaps it’s best to avoid serving curry croquettes."
"What! But I think they should be served."
Your Highness, that’s just because you want to eat them, isn’t it?
"True. If the curry croquettes become popular and the recipe for the spices is demanded, it would be difficult for Otousama to refuse..."
Honestly, since I worked hard to create blends of other spices as well, I wouldn't want to hand over the recipes so easily.
"That's a good point... The recipes, including the spices, are the property of the Ellisfeed Household—or rather, Miss Cristea herself. It would be hard to ask for them to be handed over."
His Highness looked up to the sky with a troubled expression.
"While I could register it with the Merchants’ Guild, the recipe cost and ingredient prices would likely be quite high."
Curry powder is like magic dust that makes everything taste delicious.
There’s no way I’d sell it cheap!
"Cristea-sama, we can’t do that. If the spices are sold under the claim of being inspired by the recipe, and if a dishonest merchant adds other ingredients and sells a low-quality product, it would damage your reputation!"
Mariel-chan objected to my suggestion.
I see, there’s that possibility too.
Since it's expensive, it would be problematic if people accused us of fraud or exorbitant pricing and spread bad rumors.
As expected of Mariel-chan, being the daughter of a merchant family!
"If you're worried about shady merchants selling it, how about having it exclusively sold by Miss Mariel's family business? If I recall correctly, Miss Mariel's family runs the Mayor Company, right?"
His Highness snapped his fingers as if he had a brilliant idea.
"Huh!? M-My family's business?"
Mariel-chan was so flustered by His Highness’s sudden proposal that her voice cracked.
But it’s actually not a bad idea!
"That's a great idea! Mariel-san, how about we discuss this with Baron Mayor and our family at a later date?"
"E-Eh...? Yes, um, okay..."
Alright, I'll leave the issue of the spices, including curry powder, to Otousama and Baron Mayor.
Problem solved!
Hm? Is Mariel-chan muttering something?
"N-No way... If I add any more work, Tousan will yell at me, saying, 'Are you trying to work me to death!?'..."
... Mariel-chan, hang in there!
What do you think about this chapter?
