NOVEL NEXT Chapter 371
The commotion in Winterhome had come to an end.
Richard’s joyride with Alicia on horseback had let out a sigh of relief that echoed throughout Winterhome for a while.
It was a matter concerning none other than the Duke’s Family. Specifically, the emotional feud between the beloved youngest child and the head of the family, the former Duke, was a cause for concern.
No one expected that the sparks would fly to the point of physical harm or damage to property.
After all, there are sights in the world that make your knees weak and your heart race just by looking at them. Boldly, Richard’s antics had that effect.
Thus, the peace of Winterhome returned.
But it wouldn’t last long.
“Eventually, this day has come. Ah, I wanted to stay until Alicia 2 arrived.”
“Father, Chief Baston will be coming to visit.”
“Hmm, that won’t do.”
“Hello, grandpa!”
“Our little baby bear! Make sure to write to grandpa!”
With a brief stir, Richard departed.
At last, at last, the peace of Winterhome returned.
However, not everyone could fully enjoy that peace.
“Damn it, when are the pigs arriving?”
“The initial grilling is done, so I’ll be off!”
“After all that time I gave you, this is all you got for onions!? Do you know how many stalled parts there are because of you!?”
The chefs of Winterhome were in a frenzy.
From the underlings to the head chef.
They were gearing up for the approaching festival.
Memorial Day.
A holiday to honor the ancestors and the departed of Iceland, akin to Halloween, Samhain, and Día de Muertos.
Alfred would be inviting guests to pay homage to the ancestors of the Felwinter Family, hence the kitchen of Winterhome became a battlefield.
Karem was not able to escape this fate either.
Originally, he might have been able to.
“Me? Why?”
“Did you think the sacred smell would waft throughout the castle and no one would notice?”
“…Did the barbecue smell really spread that much?”
The early autumn Memorial Day was approaching.
The sacred aroma that filled the entire castle, the scent of meat.
The mysteriousness of its origin.
All of it had instilled a sense of expectation in the people of Winterhome, and Karem’s guilt was precisely that.
“I just want to ask, what if there’s no barbecue served on Memorial Day?”
At the slightly anxious question, Zigmeser’s smooth smile glowed brightly.
“Your reputation would take a hit.”
“Honestly, that doesn’t really matter to me.”
“And the Duke’s Family’s prestige would suffer a small blow as well.”
“Oh dear, I’m in trouble.”
*
*
*
The Wizard’s Tower, lounge.
“So, you were supervising just until a moment ago?”
“Yeah. If I had known, I would have made something else for Lady Alicia. Now it’s a hassle.”
“You’re the one who chose to take on this hassle.”
Catherine chuckled, not taking her eyes off the adult-sized, cloudy yellow stone sitting on the pedestal.
“It feels much busier than around this time last year.”
“It can’t be helped.”
Anyway, it was all his fault, so there was no one to blame.
With that rant dismissed, Karem set down the plates in both hands.
Catherine’s gaze darted excitedly at the unfamiliar yet familiar, sacred smell, and she lit up.
“Pizza, it’s been a while.”
Catherine’s words spilled over without end.
On the dough spread with tomato sauce, cheese sprinkled on top, thin toppings layered like fish scales.
Starting with calzone, the combination of tomato sauce and cheese, now enhanced by the addition of unfamiliar yet familiar toppings, exuded a spicy aroma.
“Is this salami? No, it has a spicy smell.”
“This is pepperoni pizza.”
“I thought you would like it.”
Catherine’s eyes were glued to the pizza Karem was cutting with a knife.
“I heard that an merchant from Servianus brought a sample of a new product, so I hurried to grab some.”
“A new product from Servianus, huh.”
“They say that’s why the price of ruby hands has skyrocketed.”
That was kind of expected.
Servianus, following the advancements of the Palatino Empire, was historically recognized as the finest culinary nation in Europa.
People cheered for spices that made their local cuisine even more delicious, and the merchants from Servianus competed fiercely to secure supplies.
“Well, that’s not particularly my concern.”
“Stop with the trivial chatter.”
“Sure thing.”
Karem immediately extended a slice of pizza with both hands, and Catherine gladly accepted it.
The chewy cheese and tangy-sweet tomato sauce formed an undeniably sacred combination.
In between the layers, pepperoni sneaked in.
Catherine had to reassess her thoughts.
It paired with the pepperoni, which was beyond her expectations, was far too well-matched with Servianus cuisine. Excessively so.
The crispy edge of the oven-baked thin pepperoni complemented the pizza’s chewy texture perfectly.
Most importantly, the chewy center burst with the unique flavor of salami, and each bite popped with a spiciness that took hold of the pizza’s richness and delicateness at once.
The insatiable saltiness threatened to strip away every last bit of moisture from her tongue.
The intense flavor of the sausage broke through the barrier of saltiness and was felt with every bite.
As Catherine savored a bite of pizza, she rested her hand that had been covering her mouth on her cheek.
“I never thought it would match this well…!”
Thanks to that, Servianus was bustling with the progressive and conservative factions of cooking, but looking at Italy now, it was easy to predict who would come out on top.
“Let me… have a bite too. Wow…”
Karem marveled with his mouth stuffed full of pepperoni pizza.
There’s a saying that all chefs can relate to.
In a kitchen, the only thing above a chef is the ingredients.
True to that, the aroma of quality flour, cheese, tomatoes, and pepperoni suitable for supply to the Duke’s Family effortlessly overshadowed every pizza he’d ever eaten in his past life.
Naturally, a deep desire whispered from the depths of his heart.
Beer was a necessity.
“Servianus pairs pizza with wine, but this…”
“Goes better with beer, right?”
“Exactly.”
Amidst the harmony of richness, saltiness, and spiciness, Catherine looked around.
“But, Mary, what are you doing here—”
“Oh, it’s Mary?”
Just as she was about to respond, the door swung open, and Mary entered, silently setting down a cheesy pizza and a large kettle before leaving again.
“I asked for beer.”
“Good preparation.”
“Pizza calls for beer.”
It was practically labeled screaming to be enjoyed with beer, especially not just any pizza but a pepperoni one, rich, spicy, and strongly flavored with tomato sauce.
When she returned, she carried a small kettle and a cup.
“What’s this kettle for?”
“It’s milk.”
“Milk.”
“That’s right. Milk pairs perfectly with pizza.”
“You eat everything with milk, don’t you?”
“Isn’t that natural?”
It’s astounding how Mary can display such vibrant excitement with a completely emotionless face every time you see her. But, nonetheless, as she poured milk into a cup, she suddenly froze in place.
“…Karem, junior.”
“I know. I know. I was just feeding you because you were slow.”
With the pizza slice in hand, she finally felt pleased and took over the pizza-beer service combo from Catherine.
“Well, I was going to eat too.”
Before taking a sip of beer, Karem took a big bite of the pizza to coat his mouth with oil, saltiness, and spiciness.
In moments of repetitive delight from the pepperoni pizza, Karem gulped down the beer.
“Hmm, I prefer cola.”
Beer is fine, but the bitterness was a bit much. It wasn’t enough to break the flow and get up for, but Catherine chuckled and shook her head.
“You’re a big baby.”
“A baby? I’m an adult in this life and the last!”
“So then in your last life, did you enjoy drinking?”
“No. But I did drink cola.”
“See?”
While they bickered, Mary polished off three slices of cheesy pizza, finishing her cup of milk in one go.
“Karem, junior. It seems like you know one thing but not the other.”
“What do you mean?”
“Pizza should, of course, have, um. Ah, thank you. Contractor.”
Determined not to admit it, Mary couldn’t finish her sentence after Catherine waved her hand, wiping the milk mustache off her lips.
“Pizza should definitely come with milk.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Also, cheese pizza is undeniably the best.”
Mary firmly nodded her head.
“I will not accept any arguments.”
Surely, she must be a pizza purist.
It’s understandable for her, as cheese pizza has a very high ratio of cheese and flour, which brownies adore.
However, one thing she could not accept.
“Mary, I have to say.”
“I’m listening.”
“Even so, it wouldn’t be milk. Not milk.”
“Could you repeat that?”
Mary’s gaze narrowed, as if daring him to reconsider.
Naturally, Karem had no intention of backing down.
What exactly is pizza?
The very epitome of indulgent cuisine.
The richness of thick cheese, and the saltiness looming from the cheese and the tomato sauce below, exist solely to be washed down with a beverage brimming with carbonation and refreshment.
Much like the characteristics of cola and beer.
This applies to other greasy, salty foods like fried food or hamburgers as well.
Watching this unfold silently, Catherine deemed it all quite trivial.
“…Do you know that in the homeland of Servianus, it’s common to pair it with wine?”
“There’s no one from Servianus here right now.”
Karem shrugged.
“What does that even mean?”
“Huh?”
“I’m Servianus, you know.”
Karem blinked in surprise, having not thought about it nor having considered saying it before. He briefly locked eyes with Mary, as if to ask if she knew as well.
Nod—
Could it be that he was the only one unaware?
In that moment, Karem recalled Olivier’s words.
‘Katherina Calendula Athanatos’
A name that carried a hint of Latin. Surely, Olivier had called her that when he was upset. Overwhelmed, Karem forgot what he had intended to say.
Mary, perhaps taking it as a victory, continued to serve Catherine, leaving Karem with nothing to say as he quietly ate his pizza.
‘Well, I never mentioned being from Seophon.’
If he were actually Seophon, Catherine would’ve been drooling over the barbecue, much like Alicia. Given the reactions so far, it seems he was faring better than a true-bred Seophon. Ah, whatever.
With a clean mouth, Karem repeated the cycle of taking a bite of pepperoni pizza and sips of beer.
“Well, I don’t have many memories of my time in Servianus.”
“Why’s that?”
“How old do you think I was when I became a damn elder’s apprentice?”
“Ah-ha.”
After a while, captivated by the pepperoni pizza, Karem’s gaze inadvertently shifted toward the pedestal that Catherine had pushed aside.
“So, what do you think?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“That over there.”
Ah, that. Catherine’s manner softened, her eyes sharpened as the taste of the pizza and beer began to mesh.
The plate she had temporarily pushed aside for snacks.
It held a cloudy yellow stone the size of a human head.
That was the reward Richard had bestowed upon him,
A bribe to ensure that after appeasing Alicia’s wrath, he would behave well during such future occurrences.
“What on earth did you receive as a gift from Richard?”
“Remember that rock giant leading the undead army in Afterglow?”
“Oh, the golem-like giant?”
“Apparently it’s that giant’s heart.”
“Pfft!”
Catherine spat out her beer.
There’s a certain limit even to rewards, right!?