Chapter 163

Japanized Western Dish [Part 2]

When they arrived at the kitchen, Ume gave Melsa a piece of clothing with white sleeves.

"Your clothes might get dirty, so please use this."

"My, you have a coverall apron! I'll use it without reservation."

Melsa wore it without hesitation and started working busily. She boiled water and sorted out the vegetables. Then, she processed the meat, pasta, and seasonings from the piles of ingredients with a long shelf life that Imperial Japan had received as food aid. Then, she started the preparation work of cutting and boiling the ingredients.

"So, in the end, what was it? Why did it turn out like this?"

While leaning against the wall to not put pressure on his legs, which were still numb, Oliver asked Melsa irritatedly.

"I said that I wanted Imperial Japan's staple food in return for the food aid, but they told me that they couldn't give it because the people were not used to eating the Kingdom's food. Then I replied that I would make a dish that would suit the taste of the Imperial Japanese people using ingredients from the Kingdom."

"You... you want to take the staple food of a country suffering from a food shortage... Are you a demon?"

Aren't the Kingdom's people not used to Imperial Japan's staple food either in the first place? So why does she want it that badly? Oliver couldn't figure out what Melsa was thinking at all.

chop chop chop chop chop

Melsa's deft knife work when she started cutting the onion didn't seem like that of a former Duke's daughter or the Countess of the current wealthiest noble family in the Kingdom.

Noble ladies don't usually cook. No, they shouldn't.

The Melsa Oliver knew of had never cooked either.

"Why in the world do you know how to prepare food? Isn't that just weird? What did they make you do when you married and moved to such an awfully remote countryside?"

Leonard's face suddenly came to Oliver's mind. He had always found him annoying from long ago.

If she had married me obediently, I would never have let her prepare meals. I would have given her beautiful dresses, exquisite jewels, and delicious wine. I would have taken her to high-class banquets... and indulge her in every luxury.

Why does Melsa have to do a servant's work, like cooking?

Isn't that weird?

Melsa shouldn't be doing menial work. She is a woman who deserves to be above that.

I can treasure her more dearly. If only she chose me...

"Eh? Amazing! The fire and water all came from magic stones?!"

"Yes. In Imperial Japan, every house uses magic stones with fire and water magic to cook. When night comes, we will turn on lamps powered with magic stones that contain light magic. We also wash clothes using a box embedded with water magic stones that can produce a water current and dry the clothes with wind magic stones."

"H-How convenient..."

As Melsa chatted with Ume and listened to her stories while cooking, she could tell that Imperial Japan was definitely more technologically advanced than the Kingdom. The devices Ume had just talked about were like a lineup of home appliances from their previous life, but they were all supplied with magic-imbued magic stones instead of electricity.

"The Kingdom doesn't have these?"

Ume asked, looking a little surprised. Because the Kingdom was the second-largest country after the Empire, she had thought that it was much ahead of Imperial Japan in every aspect.

"No. But I heard that noble mansions used those devices around 30 years ago..."

Melsa didn't expect Imperial Japan to be so abundant in magic stones that literally everyone could use them.

"You mentioned earlier that there are no wizards in the Kingdom, but in Imperial Japan, magic stones that are pre-charged with magic are commonly sold. These magic stones can even be used in the Kingdom because, unlike barrier magic, you don't have to apply the magic on site."

"...That's really amazing... Maybe I shouldn't have said that I don't need magic stones..."

Magic stones that already contain magic are normally sold in Imperial Japan... How can food shortages occur when they have such an advanced magic stone culture... Melsa thought strangely.

"It is not too late now, you know? We won't mind if you change your request to magic-imbued magic stones instead of rice."

Ume's eyes glinted as soon as she heard what Melsa said.

"Umm, no. This and that are different. Rice is a must."

Melsa smiled bitterly in reply to Ume as she sautéed the ingredients. Despite the expression on her face, she was actually very impressed internally with Imperial Japan's kitchen. She could even adjust the heat level because there were stoves for low, medium, and high heat.