Ch.350Chapter 350 – Breakfast with the Young Noble (2)

As I entered the kitchen, I felt the heat.

The fire, which would normally be kept somewhat restrained as a precaution, was blazing at full power with a massive pot boiling above it.

And there was Serra, vigorously stirring the contents with a large ladle.

She was effortlessly handling a ladle that would seem challenging even for a grown man, and soon she lifted it with both hands.

Then, adjusting her posture slightly, she held the ladle with one hand and took out a small spoon to taste a bit of the broth.

“…It’s ready! Take this!”

After Serra called out cheerfully and came down, two men immediately moved in to carry away the pot she had prepared.

They trembled slightly from the effort as they carried the pot away somewhere, while Serra took over some large pieces of meat that a cook had been grilling and began to grill them herself.

On the other side, Beatrice was stirring a large pot similar to Serra’s.

Of course, it was much smaller compared to the pot and ladle Serra had been using, but it still seemed a bit strenuous for regular cooking, as evidenced by the magic circle floating beneath the pot.

Inside was something thick and yellow melting away, and Beatrice dipped a spoon similar to Serra’s into it and lifted it up.

The thick substance could be seen following the spoon upward.

‘Cheese, perhaps.’

It wasn’t just cheese alone; judging by the solid pieces visible inside, it seemed like something had been simmered with other ingredients.

Beatrice tasted it and then called out to a nearby cook.

“This is done too! Take it and serve it!”

“Thank you!”

The cook exclaimed excitedly and began to carry away the pot Beatrice had prepared.

Like with Serra, two men carried it, but they didn’t look as unsteady as the ones who had carried Serra’s pot.

Beatrice then began preparing another dish with what looked like freshly caught fish.

‘They look natural.’

That was my thought as I watched Serra and Beatrice cooking so naturally among the cooks.

And then I belatedly realized something was off.

“Why are those two helping with the cooking here?”

It had seemed so natural that I hadn’t noticed it right away.

Meanwhile, I saw Sia putting down a heavy sack she had been carrying and stretching her back.

Then she noticed me.

“Oh, you’re here.”

Sia, wearing a hood and apron like Eve, walked over casually.

Like Eve, she didn’t appear to be directly involved in cooking, but judging by the sack she had just carried, she seemed to be helping with simple chores.

“Why are they cooking over there?”

“Serra said it was to celebrate.”

Sia said this while glancing briefly at Chris and me.

‘No way.’

Are they causing all this commotion, even cooking for the crew themselves, to celebrate Chris and me sleeping together?

If that’s the case, it means Serra and Eve are fully aware of what happened yesterday.

‘…Are they feeding us well before scolding us later?’

I became a little scared.

Chris seemed to have reached the same conclusion, as his face had turned slightly pale, and without a word, we both took a step back.

“…I don’t know what strange misunderstanding you two have, but the celebration isn’t what you’re thinking.”

“Then what are they celebrating?”

Sia smirked at my question.

“Serra said it’s to commemorate our arrival at the fourth seal today.”

“Ah.”

That was our first destination on this voyage.

Although we didn’t feel the strain of a difficult journey since we’d arrived much earlier than scheduled, a destination was still a destination.

“Sailing is hard on everyone aboard the ship. Even though we arrived much faster than expected, the crew is still tired, so this is partly to comfort them.”

“When did they decide this?”

“Yesterday.”

And after discussing it with Diana, the cooks were informed early this morning.

Like a thief feeling guilty, I had been needlessly afraid that they were making a big fuss about Chris and me.

“That’s a relief…”

Chris said with slight relief.

Then Eve smiled brightly and said:

“Ah, Kay. Of course, I’m well aware of what happened last night.”

“……”

“Let’s have a little chat later, including Miss Chris.”

Chris’s expression changed slightly at Eve’s smile.

Watching her reaction, I asked cautiously:

“…Are you angry?”

“No.”

Eve said with a smile.

“I don’t mind at all. There were some unavoidable circumstances yesterday, so I just hope Kay will play with me longer at night next time.”

Eve said this while looking at me somewhat seductively.

Those eyes somehow made me feel like she was going to devour me, and I trembled slightly.

“My, I have no intention of devouring you.”

Eve said, lightly licking her lips.

But her eyes remained seductive, making me feel like I might be led into making a big promise without realizing it.

‘…Honestly, it wouldn’t be bad.’

Still, I was conscious of our surroundings and thought I should change the subject.

“I wonder if this seal thing is really worth throwing such a feast.”

Kara spoke up with good timing.

“Perhaps there’s another reason for all this?”

“You’re perceptive. Would you like to guess the real reason?”

As Eve responded with a slight nod, Kara fell into thought for a moment.

Then, as if realizing something, she let out a small exclamation.

“I see. It’s because of him.”

“Me?”

I was momentarily confused by Kara’s words.

Then Eve clapped her hands once and spoke again.

“Standing here any longer might be disruptive. Shall we go in and eat now?”

“Go call everyone. We’ll go ahead.”

At Eve’s words, Sia nodded and headed toward Serra and Beatrice, who were cooking.

Soon they nodded and could be seen preparing something else.

“Kay, let’s go.”

“Sure.”

Since I saw Serra gesturing that she would follow soon, we turned and left without waiting.

As we exited the kitchen and passed through the crowded dining area filled with crew members, I could see everyone eating and chatting happily.

‘Everyone’s enjoying their food.’

The menu consisted of the dishes Serra and Beatrice had been preparing.

The crew members were devouring the food the two had cooked in large quantities. Some were even eyeing others’ plates longingly after cleaning their own.

“We’re here.”

We arrived at our designated dining area as Eve announced.

“Now, would you mind waiting a moment?”

“Aren’t you eating with us?”

Eve shook her head at my question.

“Of course I’ll eat with you, but someone needs to bring the food, right?”

She added that it would be too much to leave everything to Sia, Serra, and Beatrice.

“Then I’ll go too.”

“Kay, please just sit down. Everyone else too. We volunteered for this, so you don’t need to help.”

With those words, Eve promptly left, giving us no chance to object.

After a short while, Eve and the others could be seen approaching with carts.

“…There are so many dishes!”

Since our group wasn’t particularly small, I could see various foods loaded onto the carts.

The group skillfully began serving the food, and soon the large table was filled with dishes.

“…That meat looks delicious…”

Meanwhile, I noticed Chris preparing to lose her mind over the steaming meat dishes.

Looking back at the table, I saw salads, bread, and fish dishes in addition to what Serra and Beatrice had been cooking earlier.

Considering we were at sea, salad might seem like a luxury, yet they served it without hesitation.

‘I hope the crew doesn’t resent our diet.’

I glanced at the crew members with slight concern, but none of them seemed bothered.

Seeing this, Beatrice grinned and said:

“The crew doesn’t complain about different diets, so don’t worry.”

“It still seems a bit extravagant.”

Beatrice chuckled at my words.

“They understand the difference between necessity and choice. Honestly, this side has guests, superiors, and the ship’s owner. It’s natural to serve higher-quality meals here, but the main dishes are actually the same. They’ll be happy that we’re being so considerate.”

“Really?”

It didn’t quite resonate with me, but judging by Beatrice’s words, this seemed to be common sense among the crew here.

Beatrice smiled and said:

“So don’t worry about the crew and focus on the food in front of you, Togu. Isn’t it rude to Serra and me otherwise?”

“I see.”

Indeed, it would be disrespectful to the two of them if I focused elsewhere after they had prepared all this food.

Looking back at the table, I said:

“There are some dishes I’ve never seen before.”

“What you haven’t seen before are dishes from Firenze and the Kingdom.”

Beatrice interjected, poking her head forward.

“We didn’t even have time for a proper meal there, let alone sightseeing, right? They had lots of good cheese, so I took the opportunity to show off my skills.”

“Come to think of it, did you know how to cook?”

Beatrice nodded at my question.

“Why couldn’t I? Do you doubt me?”

“It just doesn’t match with your usual self.”

When Serra prepared meals, Beatrice usually lazed around.

Sometimes she even cut corners because she found it bothersome.

Beatrice sighed briefly with an incredulous expression.

“Is this why they say everyday conduct is important?”

“Of course.”

If she had helped regularly, it would be different, but to feel wronged now…

As I thought this while looking at Beatrice, she nodded quietly as if reading my mind and said:

“This won’t do. I’ll have to prepare meals for a few days to stop you from saying such things.”

“…What if you suddenly get bored and quit? Serra might get angry.”

“Oh, that won’t happen.”

Serra smiled quietly.

But her expression suggested she’d rather not hear such comments, as Beatrice might indeed quit soon.

Then Beatrice grinned and said:

“No matter what, mass cooking on a ship for days on end is tough… Once we disembark, I’ll show off more of my skills. I’ll make you say you want to eat Beatrice’s cooking every day.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Though I said that, I had no intention of making Beatrice cook regularly unless Serra was struggling, since Beatrice was primarily our coachman.

However, Beatrice looked at me as if she had won something, cleared her throat, and continued:

“…Anyway, about showing off my skills, I felt it was a shame that you all didn’t get to try much of my homeland’s food when we were there. So I made a dish that people in this country eat often.”

She pointed to the cheese dish she had been preparing earlier.

Inside the melted cheese, there were scattered lumps that looked like flour dumplings.

‘So that’s a popular dish.’

In other words, a signature dish.

Come to think of it, Beatrice had mentioned that people from Firenze and the Kingdom enjoyed melted cheese dishes.

“It looks simple.”

“Honestly, even though I only watched from afar, I think I could make it myself.”

Serra said with a smile.

“If Kay wants, I can make it for you separately later.”

“…I can’t let that slide. Are you trying to steal what I’m good at?”

“Then try harder and make it more delicious than I would, Beatrice.”

Serra and Beatrice began to playfully banter back and forth.

After a while, Serra and Beatrice lightly laughed and settled the matter, then turned to look at me.

“Despite all these various reasons we’re giving…”

Serra said carefully.

“We simply wanted to feed Kay something more delicious.”

“After all that trouble in Firenze and the palace, you didn’t even have time to eat properly.”

Although Princess Gabriella had offered to host a banquet, we had declined and immediately set out.

Beatrice seemed to have felt bad about that.

“…So I suggested it. As a way to say please eat well and rest until we reach the fourth seal.”

“And since it would be unfair if only we ate well, we decided to serve as many people as possible.”

“I see.”

I smiled at the rarely embarrassed Beatrice and the smiling Serra.

“It doesn’t feel bad, right, Togu?”

“Right.”

They had worked hard since early morning for my sake.

While I felt a bit sorry for causing them trouble, honestly, I was happy.

“We don’t have alcohol or snacks, but shall we eat while hearing about what happened between Kay and Christina last night?”

“Khuph?!”

Chris, who had been tearing into meat as usual, looked at Eve with great surprise.

Eve smiled mischievously and said:

“Please tell us the hot details.”

“…But that’s…!”

Chris began to blush.

Watching her, I discreetly focused on my plate.

Deciding to quietly wait for the storm to pass, Eve immediately turned her attention to me and said:

“Kay, just so you know, many of today’s dishes are good for energy recovery and virility.”

“What?”

“You’ll need it.”

I looked up in surprise at Eve’s words to find Serra and Eve smiling brightly.

“I put my skills to good use.”

“Let’s fully recharge your strength while also hearing about last night’s treatment.”

Eve and Serra said with smiles.

Their eyes were those of hunters looking at their prey.

+

Fortunately, Chris didn’t end up describing the details of last night, nor did the others press the issue too far.

In truth, there were too many ears listening to tell everything, and since people like Sia don’t particularly favor such topics, everyone seemed content to just tease Chris and me a bit.

So when Chris vaguely deflected, they just laughed and moved on.

Eve and Serra continued to look at me with even more seductive eyes, but I deliberately ignored them and focused on replenishing my energy.

And in the midst of this noisy yet peaceful meal.

There was a slight change in the crew’s movements.

‘Suddenly things got busy around us.’

Judging by the direction, it wasn’t in the dining area but somewhere above, where people seemed to be running around.

“It’s gotten busy upstairs.”

Sia had noticed it earlier, and Eve, with a knowing expression, simply put down her utensils.

“It seems the inevitable has arrived.”

No sooner had Eve finished speaking than Diana, who hadn’t been present, entered the dining area.

“Lady Diana!”

“So everyone is here.”

Chris greeted her happily, and Diana raised one hand as she approached.

Her gaze immediately went to our group’s plates.

“You were in the middle of a meal.”

“Is it urgent?”

Diana shook her head slightly at Serra’s question.

“No. But I’d like you to prepare as soon as you finish eating.”

There was no need to get up immediately, but she wanted us to be ready right after.

It was easy to guess what Diana meant.

“We’ve arrived, haven’t we?”

“Yes.”

Diana nodded at my words.

“We’ve reached the place you asked us to go.”

“…Finally.”

Chris nodded quietly.

We had finally arrived at the location of the fourth seal.