NOVEL NEXT Chapter 355
The handling of the Ice Worm larva was simpler than I had anticipated.
I asked Mary for help; right after thawing it, we chopped off its head to drain the blood, stripped away its shell and skin, and then split its belly open to remove the innards.
At that point, the Ice Worm larva looked just like an eel. A bit too thick to be considered an eel, though.
What I didn’t expect was that even the bones resembled those of an eel.
The bones were thicker than an eel’s, but once the spine was extracted, it would come off easily. However, as we peeled it away, the ribs were quickly separating.
That being said, eating the bones like an eel was out of the question; they were about as thick as fish bones.
In the end, Karem diligently used tweezers to extract the bones.
“Contractor comrade? What are you doing with that sword?”
“Just as it looks. I’m extracting the bones.”
“Um… Can I help with that?”
Without hesitation, Karem passed his task to the brave Kikimora, Vanya.
Banya, who had come out in frustration, was delighted, while the other Kikimoras looked on with envy. In the meantime, Karem decided to recreate the eel sauce.
‘Ah, I didn’t want to think about this.’
When it comes to clearing your mind, simple labor is best. But as soon as I offloaded that simple labor onto the house fairy, distracting thoughts returned— like Catherine or hot springs.
“Focus, focus.”
Though we didn’t have katsuobushi, we did have the Ice Worm larva’s head as a substitute, along with the other ingredients and their replacements.
‘This might not mean much after all.’
I shouldn’t get ahead of myself here.
Anyway, the pot that had started boiling right in front of me was what mattered right now.
Adjusting the stove to medium heat, I began simmering.
“Contractor comrade, I think the rice is done.”
The Kikimora, who had been focused on the pot cooking rice, sniffed the air eagerly.
“Shall I prepare it right away?”
“No, it needs to rest in that state.”
“Uh… even though it’s not steak?”
“Precisely.”
While I said it needed to rest, let’s be honest, it’s steaming.
When cooking rice, both the amount of water and heat control are crucial, but if everything else is done right and the resting doesn’t go well, the taste of the rice can completely ruin. Just like cooking steak to perfection with residual heat, rice is no different.
‘An eel rice bowl made with long-grain rice…’
If it had been in my past life, no one would have tried that unheard-of combination. Since reincarnation, I had only come across long-grain rice, which finally made me want to try it.
By the way, enjoying an eel rice bowl in a hot spring; what a luxury…
“Contractor comrade! Contractor comrade!”
“Hm? What’s up?”
“The pot! The pot!”
“Oh, wait—”
*
*
*
“Huuuuu—”
A moan escaped Catherine’s lips as she soaked in the hot spring, clad only in a thin robe.
“…Is it that good?”
“I can’t live without it. Ugh—”
Catherine replied with a groan to Karem, who was rigid and immersed beside her.
Ever since she chose to specialize in ice magic, her body temperature had decreased as her magic matured, and now, her body maintained a constant coolness.
In response to that, Catherine’s desire for hot bathing and hot springs had grown day by day.
The warmth that comprehensively stimulated her entire body.
With that, the waves of water, heavy with a sense of weight, rhythmically massaged her stiff muscles, which were locked into a solid stance.
Some might say this heat was prickly, that it might burn them, but for Catherine, that was precisely what she enjoyed.
With a body that was always cool, such an unbearable heat was just right for her.
However, at this moment, she couldn’t fully enjoy the hot spring.
“So, I prepared dinner.”
Catherine, slightly flushed from the heat of the spring, turned with a bewildered expression.
Similarly, Karem was holding tightly onto his eyes, also flushed from the heat of the spring.
“Really?”
“…I still think dinner should be eaten…”
“…”
“…Say something. It’s awkward since you’re so quiet.”
“No, I’m just dumbfounded.”
Right. Catherine was baffled.
If this guy’s sensitivity was on par with Mary from last year and the year before, she could understand, but he was not that kind of guy who would come to prepare dinner!
Or was he hinting at something? That dinner, which was more important than everything else?
Plop—
“…It is important. Indeed. Yes.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing. So, what did you prepare? Ice Worm barbecue? I smell soy sauce.”
“Specifically, it’s a rice bowl.”
And Catherine found herself more baffled.
Why? Because the moment she opened that wretched box, the aroma hit her, and she was taken aback by her own desire to devour it right away!
It was like a tamed monster that all perked up when they heard the feeding bell—it was utterly ridiculous!
“…Haaaah.”
Catherine’s deep sigh rippled across the surface of the hot spring.
“Everyone’s turned into an idiot.”
“Katherine? Is there a problem?”
“No, nothing’s wrong.”
“Idiot? Me?”
“I said it’s definitely nothing.”
Even as she felt a hint of foolishness within herself, Catherine signaled with a nod.
“Let’s get to that dinner you prepared.”
“Then… um…”
Pulling her arm out of the hot spring, Karem took out a lunch container from a basket beside him and swallowed nervously.
“Um.”
Catherine gathered her long golden hair, which was swaying freely like a guppy tail in the spring.
Karem had unconsciously closed his eyes, but the scene from just moments ago had been firmly imprinted in his mind.
The robe, which was originally white, now clung to Catherine’s body, accentuating her form, reflecting her flushed skin from the hot spring heat.
As she gathered her hair to one side, the silhouette of her body was faintly revealed within the loose folds of the robe.
Through the gap, the damp, rosy skin and shadows were clearly visible.
It was a more provocative and stimulating appearance than her outfit in Winchester Castle, making Karem squeeze his eyes shut.
“What the hell are you doing not opening the lid? Why are you closing your eyes too?”
“…Uh, can you… tidy up your robe…?”
“…Hah, are you serious?”
“What’s wrong?”
Catherine laughed playfully, covering her mouth and chuckling.
“No, it’s just that your robe is practically see-through due to the hot spring water, and you’re saying to tidy it up.”
“Hey, do you think I’d just sit back and watch that happen at the bench?”
“Are you kidding me? You think I’d just watch it all unfold?”
With a flushed face, Catherine giggled mischievously. She didn’t seem to hold any thoughts of closing up her robe, as she hugged one knee, letting more water surge into the folds.
Karem, who had momentarily twitched his eyes open, closed them again.
“Where’d the person saying the meal is more important go?”
“Right here.”
Catering to her, Karem moved closer to Catherine and refocused his mind.
As the rippling water noise caught her attention, Catherine tentatively opened her eyes, finding Karem with a serious expression, bravely offering a spoon.
As the surroundings grew dim, the hot spring’s glow began to illuminate, revealing the contents of the spoon and dish.
Lush, white rice infused with a dark sauce, the aroma wafting from the grilled Ice Worm was intoxicating.
As it drew nearer, the delicious aroma made Catherine dive in without hesitation.
“Wow.”
And she couldn’t help but exclaim.
She had to admit it.
“The grilled Ice Worm skewer wrapped in straw last time was nothing compared to this.”
“Right?”
The Ice Worm, with flesh and oils resembling eel.
Now what she was currently eating was pointless compared to the massive adult Ice Worm; it was so small you could hardly call it anything.
In fact, because it was smaller than the adult, it resembled the size of a conventional eel. No, in truth, it was much more fleshy and plump than any eel she had eaten in her past life.
As a result, the sweet and salty sauce had beautifully permeated the empty space created by the dripping oil.
Unlike regular eels, the flesh had no bones.
It was soft and dense, releasing juice and oil with each bite.
Contrary to the outer meat, which soaked up the seasoning, the thick inner layer boasted a flavor and aroma that rivaled that of land-dwelling animals.
And beneath it lay the rice.
The flavor of the most basic grain.
‘This taste, this texture… bread could never replicate it.’
Unlike bread, which is lumped into one dough, rice is precisely a collection of numerous grains.
In other words, the density was different.
In contrast, bread, which becomes soaked in juices, oil, and sauce, rice maintained its characteristic flavor intact while absorbing the shredded meat, juices, and seasoning.
As luck would have it, since the rice was long-grain, it had a soft chewiness that melted in her mouth.
It was even softer than grilled eel.
Though rice is still rice. Each individual grain fell apart, soaking in the rich juices, oils, and seasonings.
Four layers of Ice Worm barbecue.
Four layers of sauce-coated rice.
With the harmony of seasoning, flesh, and rice, Catherine couldn’t help but concede.
Catherine had indeed eaten rice dishes before.
But this simple combination.
A mere rice bowl with the grilled meat placed on top.
This straightforward dish was tastier than any rice dish she had eaten up until now.
It was the result of careful cooking.
“This… it’s definitely rice that’s the answer. You can’t achieve this flavor with bread or pie…”
“Grilled eel should definitely be enjoyed with rice.”
“Exactly. Risotto is great, but this isn’t too shabby either.”
Her mouth had already cleared. As Karem drew closer with the spoon, Catherine beamed with satisfied delight, swallowing mouthfuls of joy.
Yet there was one little disappointment.
“I wish I had some alcohol…”
“I anticipated that and prepared some.”
“Oh, you?”
Catherine’s eyes widened in surprise.
She hadn’t expected that.
“When did you start having alcohol?”
“You’ll regret it if you enjoy this without beer.”
“Beer? You?”
“You’ll know as soon as you take a sip.”
From the basket came a kettle. As he poured into a wooden cup, a frothy stream of orange liquid flowed down.
As the foamy liquid approached her mouth, Catherine’s eyes lit up as she drank.
Gulp—
The cold beer, contrasting with the hot spring, washed away the oiliness and flavor in her mouth and flowed down her throat with a sharp, tingling sensation from the soft foam.
The harmony of the hot spring warming her body and the beer cooling her from within made Catherine marvel again.
“Wow… I never thought there would be such a pairing.”
“The original is eel, though.”
“Right, you did say it was eel.”
“But surely, this tastes better than the original.”
As Karem scooped up a hefty bite of the rice bowl, he nodded with his mouth full.
“Eels don’t have bones this thick or this much flesh, no matter how big they are.”
“By the way, how did you handle the tiny bones?”
“I pulled each one out.”
“Every single one?”
Catherine’s eyes widened in shock. No way, he casually said he pulled all those bones out one by one?
“I was going to do that, but a Kikimora couldn’t stand it and jumped in.”
“That makes sense.”
“So, without hesitation, I passed the task to her. She did well, though.”
“She said she felt guilty using her appearance to take advantage?”
“Humans adapt; it’s a fact of life.”
Karem had simply accepted it as a matter of course.
Having eaten Ice Worm rice bowls for a while and drinking beer, Catherine peeked at Karem, who still couldn’t look her in the eye.
“…So, are you still not used to it?”
“If I adapt, it feels like more problems will pop up.”
“You awkward goof.”
“Just leave it be.”
“Well, for now, let’s move along. Um… are we done eating?”
The container and spoon were now empty. With the lingering taste and feeling in her mouth, Catherine licked her lips, looking at the basket.
Karem’s side was out of her view.
“So, what’s the next dish?”
“Uh… ah. Hold on.”
“…What’s that reaction?”
“Honestly speaking. I forgot.”
“What? You forgot?”
Karem frowned as he turned his head. A different heat was rising that wasn’t from the spring.
Predictably.
“Let me guess, you got shy and forgot?”
“That’s correct.”
“…Are you a kid?”
“I’m still only 12.”
“You’re a thirty-something if you count reincarnation!”
This seemed too much for her, prompting Catherine to stifle her laugh and smack Karem on the back. Although he could dodge, it wasn’t possible to avoid it.
Even in an environment where situations transcended sensory perceptions, the sensation of the palm hitting him would only heighten awareness.
With the inner divine power circulating, she barely managed to calm herself.
“Please don’t tell me there’s no dessert?”
“Well, there’s something Mary gave me partway through.”
“Mary… that’s a relief.”
“I just received it, so I need to check it.”
“Let’s see what it is. Hm? The box is quite… big.”
As Karem brought the basket over, he and Catherine fell silent for a moment.
Inside a small box was certainly a dessert.
A sphere-shaped treat with a rough, rocky surface, not much larger than a thumb, and an intense dark brown color.
“It’s Rocher.”
“Right.”
“……”
“……”
Silence continued between them as neither of the two servants could discern the expressions they wore. If they looked at one another, it felt like they would both have the same expression.
Still,
“…It’s been quite a while.”
The master took the initiative to break the ice.
“…Catherine?”
“I’m glad there’s dessert. What are you staring into space for?”
“Alright… understood.”
Catherine moved closer, her robe brushing against the water.
Crisp—crisp—crisp—
Karem began feeding her Rocher one by one.
Crisp—crisp—crisp—
One, two, three, four, five, six, and there— one layer.
Having eaten far more than recommended, Karem hesitated, but Catherine leaned against the edge of the hot spring, looking up at him.
Gulp—
“More.”
“Are you eating more than normal?”
“Today just feels like it.”
“……”
“Aren’t you having any?”
“…Then I will too.”
To be honest, Karem felt the same lack.
He had simply momentarily forgotten due to his embarrassment.
Crisp—crisp—
With two of them eating, it was only natural that the rate at which the box emptied increased.
So they continued with the second, third, and finally the last Rocher made its way into Catherine’s mouth.
“Definitely feeling a bit short.”
Catherine murmured with a crumpling voice. She stood up, splashing water, and moved to sit atop Karem.
The translucent, heavy robe, and her silken hair enveloped him like wet wings.
The weight of the wet fabric was greatly intensified, but the warmth of the hot spring was very clearly felt.
In reality, the robe had lost all meaning, along with a single towel.
The familiar yet unfamiliar, moist, smooth sensation of her thigh and body against his shoulder.
With a flood of sensations overwhelming him, Karem felt the touch at the back of his neck, as Catherine drew closer.
Her lips felt soft like pudding, denser than a moistened castella, yet smoother.
The second taste was nutty and sweet in flavor.
The sounds of the water and the splashes caused the Kikimoras to hurriedly take their leave.