The Fisherman's Daughter
Victor wrapped up his meeting with Lily, the maid from the Nagumo household.
As he paused for a smoke, an unexpected encounter awaited.
Man, I'm beat.
That Lily girl from the Nagumo house was quite the beauty,
but she had this unsettling vibe, like she wasn't your ordinary maid.
Well, yeah, makes sense—she's the envoy sent to a noble, so she can't be some nobody.
Anyway, time for a smoke, some good tea... seriously, why doesn't this world have coffee?
Mentally drained, I decided to take a break in the courtyard of the Western-style mansion serving as the provisional governor's office.
"Hey, buy 'em! They're super fresh!"
"But come on, we can't serve mackerel or sardines to nobility."
What? Mackerel? Sardines? Fresh ones?
On my way to the gazebo in the courtyard, I overheard some bickering.
I headed over to check it out.
"Ehhh? Nobles don't eat mackerel or sardines? What a waste—they're delicious!"
"That's just what us common folk say, kiddo."
A healthy, sun-tanned, short-haired spitfire of a beauty was going head-to-head with what looked like the mansion's head kitchen lady, a middle-aged woman.
Listen, kitchen auntie, I love mackerel and sardines.
I strode right up to them.
The kitchen lady spotted me and dropped into a kneel.
The tanned girl stared blankly, then turned to me.
"What're you doing, girl? This is nobility!"
"Huh?"
"Girl! Do you have any idea who this is!? Show some respect!"
Knight Rosen—Linda—barked from behind me.
"Knight Rosen, stand down. No need for formalities from you either."
The kitchen lady rose and bowed.
"What happened? Care to explain?"
"Yes, sir. This girl's come peddling fish."
Sure enough, the cart the tanned girl had pulled was loaded with lively-looking mackerel and sardines.
"Hmm, girl, these are some nicely fattened mackerel and sardines, aren't they?"
"Y-y-yes, sir."
Where'd all that spunk go? She could barely speak now.
"No need to be scared, girl. Did you catch these yourself?"
"Y-yes, I did. Got nets too, but..."
"Oh? Couldn't sell 'em at market?"
"It was a huge haul today. Everywhere was the same—leftovers piled up..."
"I see. Do you have eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs?"
I asked the kitchen lady.
"Yes, we do."
"Good. Girl, can you fillet the mackerel three ways and butterfly the sardines?"
"Of course! I'm a fisherman's daughter—that's child's play."
"Girl! Mind your tongue!"
Linda snapped again.
"Ah, sorry!"
"It's fine, you're forgiven. What's your name?"
"I'm Miku. And you, milord?"
I waved off Linda, who was trembling with rage.
"I'm Victor von Togo."
"Eh? Viscount Victor von Togo? Wait, you're the provisional governor!?"
"That's right. You knew?"
Miku hit the dirt in a full prostrate, shaking like a leaf.
"S-s-sorry! I had no idea you were from House Togo... the governor himself..."
"It's fine, forgiven. For now, prep one mackerel and one sardine. Depending on how it goes, I'll buy the lot."
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Lend her the kitchen. Get those ingredients ready, and heat some oil in a deep pot."
"Right away, sir."
Miku handled the fish with expert precision.
I dusted her fillets with flour, dipped them in beaten egg,
coated them in breadcrumbs, and tossed them into the bubbling oil.
"Can you cook too, young master?"
Linda watched the process and asked.
"Yeah, a bit."
Miku and the kitchen staff eyed my work curiously.
As far as I knew, fried mackerel didn't exist in this world.
Fish was just grilled or boiled, right?
"About ready."
I plated the golden-fried fish and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
"Give it a try."
Miku, Linda, and the kitchen ladies took a bite.
"Crispy outside, fluffy inside—so good!"
"Delicious, young master."
"Huh, this is tasty."
Yeah, good reactions all around. Miku's food review wasn't half bad.
"Um, Governor, what dish is this?"
The kitchen lady asked timidly.
"Mackerel fry and sardine fry."
Miku gazed at me with sparkling, fervent eyes.
"So, can we serve this to House Togo folks, myself included?"
I asked the kitchen staff.
"Yes, Governor. No issue at all."
"Good. Miku, as promised, I'll buy the whole batch. How much?"
"Uh... ten copper coins!"
In this world, one gold coin feeds a commoner for two months—about 400,000 yen from my old life.
One gold equals twenty silvers, one silver fifty coppers. So a copper's roughly 400 yen.
About twenty fish left—not a rip-off.
"Fine. If you prep the rest, I'll pay one silver. Deal?"
"Eh!? Even prepped, it wouldn't fetch that much!"
This girl's refreshingly honest.
"Call it me taking a shine to you. Sound good?"
Miku's sun-bronzed cheeks flushed.
"If the Governor says so... I'll gladly take it."
Linda's glare from behind her was getting intense.
Ignoring it, I spoke up.
"Right, I'll share a sauce recipe. Pairs perfect with the fry."
No tonkatsu sauce from memory, but tartar sauce's doable without mayo.
I taught the kitchen ladies how to make tartar sauce.
I invited Miku—who'd finished prepping her catch—to the gazebo and poured her tea as a reward.
Taking a drag, I asked,
"How old are you, Miku?"
"Fifteen."
"Live nearby?"
"Yeah, you can probably see it from here."
"Oh? Where?"
Smoke in hand, I peered over the low brick wall with her.
"See that beach before the cape? That's my Onahama Village."
"Ah, Ona Cape. Village on the beach nearby—Onahama, got it."
Ona Cape marked where Uncle Robert's squadron forced entry into Halzy Bay.
"Yep."
"Heard there's a hot spring near Ona Cape?"
"Yes, behind the village. We use it every day."
"Ah, that explains your smooth, flawless skin."
"Ehehe, maybe."
She blushed again. Cute kid—definite harem list material.
"Miku, I'm a huge bath fan. And your village intrigues me. Come back tomorrow morning. Show me around?"
"Sure! I'll tell the village head."
She beamed.
"Good."
I puffed my smoke and drained my tea,
sensing Linda's prickly, murderous stare.
The plucky fisherman's daughter, Miku.
Her encounter would bring Victor even deeper ties.
Another page in continental history (lol)