Chapter 7: Spicy Tomato Stew
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: Spicy Tomato Stew
“Haah, it’s noisy.”
Since dawn, the clattering of dishes and the sound of people moving about had been drifting from the hallway into my room.
I sat up in bed, listening to the guests outside bickering over their departure times.
When I headed down to the dining area, the knights were already eating breakfast. The senior knight, who was the first to lock eyes with me, scrambled to his feet and bowed his head.
At that signal, the rest of the knights stood up in unison to greet me.
“We greet Her Highness the Consort!”
‘Please! It’s embarrassing, so just stay seated and eat!’
Having to stand up in the middle of a meal was an incredibly uncomfortable gesture to receive. However, since it was proper etiquette, I couldn't exactly tell them to stop. I simply accepted the greeting with a gracious smile.
“Good morning. Did everyone rest well?”
Perhaps not expecting me to strike up a conversation, the senior knight replied with a hint of fluster.
“We rested well, thanks to your concern.”
The senior knight’s attitude was quite different from yesterday. His expression was still stiff, but his tone had become noticeably softer.
‘Did he become more generous just because we shared one meal together?’
“I’m glad to hear that.”
I turned my gaze toward the table where the knights were seated.
“That smells wonderful. What’s on the menu?”
“It is tomato stew.”
The spicy yet sweet aroma wafted into my nose, making my mouth water.
“If you wish, I shall have them bring a meal up to your room,” the senior knight said, noticing where I was looking.
‘Actually, I was planning to go for a morning walk, but...’
Come to think of it, wasn't this the perfect opportunity to talk to the knights without any superiors around?
“May I eat here?”
“Pardon?”
“I thought it would be nice to eat with all of you, if possible.”
I expected the senior knight to make an excuse to decline, but he nodded readily.
“If you tell me what you would like, I will have them prepare it.”
“I’ll have the tomato stew as well, please.”
At those words, the knights exchanged subtle glances.
“It is a humble dish, perhaps too meager for Her Highness to consume.”
“It’s fine. I’ve been wanting to try it.”
Though flustered by the Grand Duchess’s sudden decision to join them, the knights quickly cleared a spot for me in the center.
Silence hung over the table while I waited for my portion.
I told the knights who were already eating to continue, but they had all set their spoons down completely. Apparently, eating before me was considered impolite.
‘I suppose I’m the one who has to break this silence...’
“By the way, I don’t even know your names yet. What is yours?” I asked the senior knight sitting stiffly beside me.
“It... it is Johas.”
“Sir Johas, it’s a pleasure. And yours?”
And so, just one day after meeting them, I began introducing myself to the knights. Though they were hesitant, they stated their names quite clearly.
“And you are Sir Leon, correct?”
“Ye—Yes! That is correct!”
Leon, who was the last in line, turned bright red when I mentioned his name first.
“It is an honor that you know my name!”
“I remembered because you ate so well yesterday.”
“Pfft.”
I couldn't exactly say I remembered him because he had taken my side, so I used a different excuse, but it seemed to sound like I was teasing him. Laughter burst from the other knights like sudden sneezes. Leon’s face instantly turned as red as a tomato.
“I—I meant it as a compliment.”
“...It is still an honor!”
Leon was clearly quite embarrassed, but thanks to him, the atmosphere softened considerably.
Soon, a bowl of steaming tomato stew was placed in front of me.
“It’s made Blenheim-style, so it might be quite intense. If it’s too difficult to eat, please let me know. I’ll whip something else up for you immediately.”
The innkeeper gave a friendly smile and quickly excused himself.
‘Blenheim-style?’
As I looked back with a curious expression, Johas added an explanation.
“In Blenheim, we usually eat spicy tomato stew the day after a banquet. The innkeeper said he could make whatever we wanted, so I requested this.”
Ah, so it was hangover food.
The stew didn't have much in it besides large chunks of meat and a few pieces of tomato. A familiar spicy scent wafted from the reddish, slightly thick broth.
“It will be much spicier than what you are used to.”
Johas watched me with anxious eyes. He seemed worried that the Grand Duchess might get an upset stomach from eating the stew.
“I happen to like spicy food, so it’s fine. Everyone, please eat comfortably.”
At my word, the knights made a show of picking up their spoons, but they kept glancing over as I lifted my own. They all seemed curious about my reaction.
‘I feel like a foreigner trying kimchi for the first time.’
I took a large spoonful of the stew and put it in my mouth.
‘This is amazing!’
I couldn't remember the last time I’d tasted something this sharp and refreshing. I took another huge bite.
An exclamation of admiration escaped my lips involuntarily. Unlike the bland soups I had been eating at the Marquis’s estate since coming to this world, this was a familiarly bold taste.
“Does it suit your palate?”
“It’s delicious! I feel like my chest is clearing up.”
In that moment, the knights’ faces brightened as if by magic.
It seemed my reaction was quite satisfying to them.
The knights each added a comment as if they were the chefs themselves.
“Anyone from Blenheim loves this stew.”
“To think Her Highness understands the feeling of one's chest clearing up!”
“Many outsiders can’t even touch it because it’s too spicy for them.”
From then on, the atmosphere became quite harmonious.
It was as if by eating the spicy tomato stew, I had passed some sort of test; everyone’s attitude became remarkably generous.
‘I guess tomato stew is the soul food of Blenheim?’
Even the knights who had been quiet until then began pouring out random tips, like how it tasted better if you dipped bread in it or that it was a delicacy even when eaten cold.
I scraped the bottom of the bowl with my wooden spoon.
“Could I have... one more bowl?”
“In—Innkeeper! Another bowl of tomato stew here!”
“Me too!”
In the end, the chef had to cook up another entire pot of stew.
*
The knights changed gradually, but steadily.
Even after passing through the Gate, we had to travel by carriage for five more days. During that time, I always shared my meals with the knights. It was the same even when we had to eat in the forest instead of an inn.
Since there were no other maids or servants from the Marquis’s estate, it was only natural.
And that fact seemed to contribute significantly to breaking down the knights’ guard.
The knights, who at first only spoke when prompted, eventually began to strike up conversations with me quite naturally.
I didn't miss this opportunity and did my best to gather information about the Grand Duke.
Despite being a power player on par with the Emperor, the Grand Duke had never stepped a single foot outside of Blenheim.
Because of that, rumors were rampant in the capital—claims that he was a gruesome demon who ate the flesh of monsters, an ugly man who couldn't show his face, or a monster with a gloomy disposition.
While such rumors were clearly clichés, it was true that I knew nothing about him.
“What kind of food does the Grand Duke like?”
“Well... he’s the type of person who eats everything as if he’s chewing on a twig...”
“Any hobbies?”
“Beheading monsters?”
In truth, the knights’ answers weren't particularly helpful.
“What is the Captain’s personality like?”
To my question, which I threw out today without much expectation, Johas scratched his head and spoke.
“If I had to say, he’s on the blunt side.”
“Just 'on the side'? Isn't there a time he didn't open his mouth for a whole day?”
“I’ve never even seen him smile.”
Hearing Leon’s words, one of the knights shook his head.
“Be glad he doesn't. If our Lord smiles, that’s the day of your funeral.”
“You mean last winter, right? I thought my heart was going to freeze solid then.”
“There’s even a saying. If you turned the ice walls of Blenheim into a person, they’d look exactly like the Captain.”
The knights, who were laughing excitedly while chewing on lamb jerky, fell silent when Perel gave them a look.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duke might not be as gentle as the young lords in the capital, but in his own way... he is a good man.”
Perel, speaking as if to soothe me, shot a look at Johas to quickly back him up.
“Of course. Our Lord—I mean, the Captain is...”
Johas rolled his eyes and cleared his throat with a look of grim determination.
“He is the youngest Sword Master, having reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship at the age of fifteen. He protects the North by personally leading the vanguard in monster subjugations.”
Perel frowned as if that wasn't the point, but the other knights nodded enthusiastically and began pouring out the Grand Duke’s brilliant achievements.
“Of course, Duke Kyle is also a Sword Master, but he is certainly different from the Captain, who experiences actual combat every day.”
“In the Empire, the Captain is probably the only one who can cut down a monster with nothing but Sword Aura.”
No, this is more than enough.
“He doesn't take good care of himself, but he looks after his subordinates meticulously. There isn't a single person among the residents of the territory who doesn't praise him.”
“You could say he is the perfect lord, possessing wisdom, virtue, and physical prowess.”
However, seeing them chatter away as if competing with each other, I couldn't bring myself to cut them off.
Alright.
The Grand Duke eats anything, has incredible martial prowess, is blunt, and is terrifying when he smiles.
And there was a very high probability that he would despise me, coming from the Frais family.
He wasn't an easy target to win over.
But who was I?
Was I not a slave to tenacity who would cling to even the most vicious advertising clients that others avoided until I secured a contract?
Besides, even the team leader who hated me so much couldn't manage to kick me out of the team.
‘I’ll find a way to get close to the Grand Duke, no matter what.’
I chewed on my lamb jerky among the knights, hardening my resolve.