Exposed!
"Yo, looks like the Idika matter is resolved, huh?"
"Leon-sama... Please don't startle me like that. Also, could you refrain from barging into the kitchen?"
"Sorry, sorry. So, is there something tasty to eat?"
He asked, glancing around. Listen to people when they talk!
"... We're just about to start cooking. Please wait with Otousama in the other room."
"What? I can't be here even though there are foreign royals around?"
No, you can't.
Honestly, having a foreign prince in our kitchen is bad enough, but having our nation's Sacred Beast joining in? That's even worse...
"... Leon-sama?"
"Huh? … Oh."
Prince Kaldor and Tika-san were looking at Leon-sama and me with puzzled expressions.
Oops... In front of them, I was supposed to call him by his alias, Leo.
"Leon... The same name as the Sacred Beast of Doristan Kingdom's founding... And Miss Cristea addressing an ordinary adventurer with -sama... Could it be—"
"N-no way... Are you the Sacred Beast Leon himself?!"
Seeing their astonishment, Leon-sama grinned mischievously, as if his prank had succeeded.
"Busted, huh?"
“"Whaaaaaaaat?!”"
Their shocked exclamations echoed through the kitchen, needless to say.
"… This is just too much."
"Your Highness, this must be a thing in the Doristan Kingdom. Nobles' daughters cook meals and have lunch with the Sacred Beast. It must be a custom."
"Is... is that so?"
No, it's not.
Prince Kaldor glanced at me, and I subtly shook my head.
"Prince Kaldor, the Ellisfeed Ducal House has historically had many ties through marriage with royalty, so we maintain a close relationship with the Sacred Beast Leon-sama."
"Otousama!"
Apparently drawn by the commotion in the kitchen, Otousama arrived.
"No, that’s not what I meant..."
"Isn't that right, Leon-sama?"
"Uh, yeah, that's right. Yeah, exactly."
Wait, he backed down surprisingly easily?
"Well then, Leon-sama, why don't we wait in another room until the dishes are ready?"
"Sure, let's do that. Ojou, take your time cooking."
"Sigh."
As I watched Leon-sama follow Otousama out, I noticed something...
The butler accompanying Otousama was holding several bottles of Otousama's prized collection of rare liquor...
Catnip for cats, fine alcohol for Leon?
It seems Otousama's precious collection has become the noble sacrifice of the day...
"Well, let's get back to work, shall we?"
"Y-yeah."
"R-right..."
I spoke to the dumbstruck Prince Kaldor and Tika-san to get them moving again. Slowly but surely, they snapped out of it.
"There’s a ton I want to ask... but for now, what are we making?"
"Yeah, there’s a lot I’m curious about, but I feel like I’ll regret asking. Let’s just start cooking."
Yes, please keep it that way. It would help me a lot if you didn't ask anything.
"Alright then... Let's start with a simple fried rice."
"Fried rice?"
"Yes. It's similar to a dish made with Lars, where cooked Idika rice is stir-fried."
I asked Head Chef to prepare eggs, chicken, onions, carrots, and other root vegetables.
We need plenty of ingredients to make it filling enough—not just rice.
"If we had side dishes, simple fried rice with just eggs, green onions, and pork (or bacon) would be delicious too."
"We'll use pre-cooked, cooled Idika. The ingredients can be anything, but chop them finely to match the size of the Idika grains as closely as possible."
Following my instructions, Head Chef swiftly chopped the vegetables.
Other cooks removed the chicken skin and diced it into tiny pieces.
Meanwhile, I called Shin over and asked him to start preparing the ingredients for the next dish.
"Heat a frying pan, coat it with oil, and stir-fry the ingredients in the order of what takes longest to cook."
With a sizzle, the finely chopped ingredients danced in the pan as Prince Kaldor and Tika-san watched intently.
Tika-san, in particular, was furiously taking notes without even looking at his paper.
Is he actually writing properly?
"Once the ingredients are cooked, transfer them to a plate. Add more oil, then pour in beaten eggs."
As per my instructions, the chef poured the eggs into the pan, and they began to solidify with a satisfying sizzle.
"While the eggs are still semi-cooked, add the Idika rice and stir to coat the grains with the egg."
Head Chef swiftly grabbed the plate of Idika and poured it into the pan.
"Return the cooked ingredients, mix everything well, and then add soy sauce—ah, this is a Yahatul condiment, but fish sauce works too. Pour it around the edge of the pan to infuse the flavor. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste, and it's done."
The aroma of soy sauce caramelizing tantalized the senses. The result: a hearty fried rice!
"If timing the egg mixture is tricky, pre-mixing the beaten egg with the Idika works well too."
This method creates the so-called golden fried rice.
I like both, but for Lars cuisine, pre-mixing tends to make the grains fluffier and more separate.
"Wow..."
"That looks so good!"
"I'm planning to serve this for lunch, but let's have a taste now."
Head Chef served small portions on plates for everyone.
"The first-ever Idika dish... fried rice... Thank you for this meal."
"Time to dig in!"
The two immediately scooped up a bite with their spoons.
Well, I'll try it too.
Ah, it's perfectly stir-fried, with the egg evenly coating the rice. Delicious!
"Wow... this is amazing."
"Is this really made with Idika?"
Their eyes sparkled as they stared at the fried rice.
I took a bite too.
Ah, as expected, the chef's skill makes a difference—even with body reinforcement, their stir-frying technique is superior.
And the aroma is phenomenal.
This rivals the high-grade jasmine rice from my past life, or maybe even surpasses it.
"This is fantastic. I’ll recommend incorporating Idika into our household menu to the Duke."
Hearing the Head Chef’s praise, Prince Kaldor and Tika-san exchanged looks and nodded.
"Alright, Miss Cristea! Let’s move on to the next dish!"
… Wait, they're really into this now?
The pressure to make the next dish equally delicious is immense!
What do you think about this chapter?
