NOVEL NEXT Chapter 380
“Looks like you enjoy it. It’s nothing special.”
“Um, that’s true, but grandma says this one is tastier. Alicia finds it delicious too!”
“Your Highness, there’s nothing you don’t find tasty.”
Honestly, it gave me a strange feeling.
There are various moments that bring joy to a cook, whether it’s having high-quality ingredients in hand, cooking well, or even purchasing good tableware.
If I had to choose the one that brings the most joy, most cooks would point to the clean, licked-empty bowls and satisfied guests.
“So, another bowl!”
“Understood.”
But, to have such a reaction for just beef soup? Even if I wanted to be happy, something felt off.
Karem stared intently at Alicia, who was eating the refilled beef soup, which had bits of meat in it.
“What’s wrong?”
Catherine, soothing her insides with the hot broth, asked.
“Your expression has changed.”
“Did it show?”
“Yeah. You’re happy, but it seems your feelings are complicated.”
Her commentary was very accurate. Nodding, Karem turned to Catherine. Although her reactions were slower compared to Alicia, she was savoring each spoonful, both the broth and the ingredients.
“How should I put it…”
Karem scratched his head.
“Thanks to Alicia, you’ve probably sampled a ton of other dishes, yet you’re satisfied with just this soup. As a cook, I feel…”
“Well, I’ve never seen such a soup either.”
Vegetable soup is a symbol of the common folk and the poor.
“At this rate, it should just be called beef soup instead of vegetable soup.”
“Uh… that’s true.”
Still, while the main ingredient and side ingredient seem reversed, it’s nice that everyone says it’s tasty.
“More importantly, how’s work going?”
“At the workshop?”
“Yeah.”
Catherine nodded.
“I hear there’s chaos in Kingsland.”
Karem thought that no matter how premium they might be, the three types of sauces derived from fermented soybeans shouldn’t cost that much, yet prices in Kingsland were soaring every day.
It was unsurprising chaos.
Demand was overflowing while supply was limited.
It’s like a brand new phone released with many wanting it, yet resellers buy them all to resell at more than 1.5 times the price, and there are still buyers.
The difference was that in this case, supply was genuinely limited. Even with the magic tool called ‘100-fold magical container,’ there’s a limit due to its capacity for production.
Still, this incident and all these shenanigans would soon come to an end.
Soon, the workshop would officially open for business.
“So, prices that seem to soar to the heavens should stabilize around that time. But—”
There was one thing that bothered him.
“Is it okay to say this?”
“What do you mean?”
Karem silently pointed to Alicia. Amidst it all, Alicia, who had received another bowl, was getting a refill from Mary.
Catherine silently flicked her fingers in the air.
While it was insufficient as a response, Karem understood.
“When did you deploy the soundproofing magic?”
“If it’s related to them, it’s natural you’d need safety.”
“Isn’t it dangerous to ask such things here?”
In this context, it was obviously referring to the Dragon Lord, Wales. They were using the (former prison) villa of Wales while going back and forth between Bendleig.
“Is the price the same?”
“It’s the same. Well…”
“That’s… I feel strange too.”
The fee for using the lair of a Red Dragon, no less a Being like a Lord, is merely one plate of Pork Belly BBQ. Of course, it’s plenty for a few servings, but it felt outrageously underpriced.
Even if the plate was a bit larger.
“Oh, Kiti and Karem are all lovey-dovey!”
[Do tell us more about that.]
Alicia’s words startled Rosetta, who had been caught off guard and showed keen interest.
[It seemed the two were in an unusual relationship, but could they really be dating?]
“Plus, they exchanged rings.”
[Rings too! Since when?]
“Alicia believes it started last winter. People were super interested in it.”
[Even Granny is quite curious. A romance between a master and a servant.]
“That’s one thing. But a love that transcends the status of a serf?”
[Of serf origins.]
Snap! Just as Catherine flicked her finger to dissolve the soundproofing magic, Rosetta looked at her with a mortified expression, covering her mouth.
[Um, I’m sorry. It’s just that, Iceland was so boring, I tend to get excited every time such a story comes up.]
“Was it boring, you say?”
Rosetta firmly nodded at Karem’s question.
[Of course. All we heard was who died and what collapsed, and anything related to the weather. How interesting could that be?]
“If that’s all the stories you heard…”
[That’s why travelers, outsiders, and merchants were so popular.]
“Because they knew about the outside world?”
[Of course, once they settled in Iceland, they quickly became ordinary Icelanders, eagerly waiting for new news.]
“There are bards for stories, aren’t there?”
[They also need material to work with.]
Even if three people could be loud enough to break plates, such noise wouldn’t last forever. When the conversation material ran out, awkward silence would prevail.
In fact, Iceland barely had any interactions with the outside world before Alfred’s time, so brief visits from travelers might have been welcomed.
[More than that, Atanitas was definitely referred to as a sage, right? The age difference in this pairing is quite substantial.]
“That’s right? Alicia believes Karem is now twelve years old.”
[Wait, age difference… huh? Twelve years old?]
Rosetta, who had been happily clapping, froze and blinked.
[What do you mean by that?]
As Rosetta’s transparent, pale gaze began to mix with joy and excitement, Catherine quickly stood up.
“Oh dear, I just realized something I forgot.”
“You too, Catherine? I felt the same.”
The two servants rose from their seats almost simultaneously.
“Is this snack sufficient for today?”
“Yeah. Mary, you will assist Princess Alicia and Countess Rosetta until they leave.”
“Of course. Understood.”
Mary answered with her mouth covered, an enigmatic gesture implying she knew everything but wouldn’t say a word.
Normally, she would have had a quip, but at present, the two servants prioritized exiting and left the kitchen without looking back.
As the rattling from the swinging door gradually diminished, Mary silently watched Rosetta.
“I could tell you what happened, but are you interested?”
[You better spill it quickly!]
A noblewoman would never pass on such an exciting tale.
While Mary entertained the romance in the kitchen, the main characters of that romance had retreated to their newfound room, gradually getting used to it.
They were cautious, just in case anyone might follow, but there were no signs of that. Finally at ease, Karem pulled out the pot from Eranosa from his spatial pocket and poured himself some cola.
“Phew, that was a scare.”
“Bring me a cup too.”
“Sure, give me a moment.”
Karem took a new glass from the shelf, filled it with cola, and brought it to Catherine, who had just sat up from bed.
Glug-glug—
Catherine drained the glass in one go, flopping back down with a sigh.
“Ah, I thought my heart would drop.”
“It’s been a while since I saw you so flustered.”
“With the Duchess putting me through so much pressure.”
Trembling from the sacred carbonation, Catherine leaned back, exhaling deeply.
“Can’t have that again here.”
“By the way, you had tea time again today, didn’t you?”
“Haha, you wouldn’t know yet since you weren’t invited.”
Fortunately, with Memorial Day’s schedule in place, and thanks to the just-returned pregnant woman, there wouldn’t be a tea time with Alicia-Rosetta and Elizabeth.
Not yet.
“Wasn’t that just postponed for later?”
Considering Elizabeth’s personality, she wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip past her.
“…To be honest, I’d like to ignore that until after Memorial Day.”
“May I share my thoughts?”
“…Go ahead.”
“Before it ends, you’ll definitely be invited.”
Catherine exhaled a groan reminiscent of a geyser. Her limbs, spread out on the quilt, conveyed a clear sense of reluctance.
“Even if you dislike it, I bet tea time will come in a few days.”
“You think I don’t know? This is simply out of dislike.”
“Well… just trying to see if it worked.”
Karem refilled the empty glass with cola and sat down next to the sprawled-out Catherine. Suddenly, his eyes landed on the Giant’s Heart on the table.
“So, have you thought about what to do with that?”
“What do you mean?”
“That. That one.”
Catherine merely lifted her head following the direction of Karem’s finger, spotting the Giant’s Heart.
“Oh, that.”
She promptly lowered her head again.
“Some divine power, magic from the earth, massive life force—is that its essence.”
This was a treasure that might never be obtained, even if they completed an S-rank request, a prized object that might incite actual theft if its existence became known.
“If it were to create equipment, it would be the optimal material to exceed its worth.”
“Well… it’s not particularly special.”
Does that thing even understand that it’s valuable enough to trade a life or two?
He had definitely mentioned it, yet she seemed unable to empathize.
“If push comes to shove, you can just use it.”
Catherine, who had been lying there blankly, shot Karem a glare. Given that she uttered such words, it was certain she didn’t have a clue.
Even she, who generally might not care, had subconsciously nurtured some desire about it, but hearing such a statement made that feeling vanish instantly.
“…Hmph, fine. I’ll handle it myself and turn it into something you can use.”
“I said just use it.”
“Cut the nonsense.”
Rolling over, Catherine silently patted the empty space beside her.
Karem briefly pondered the meaning of that gesture, then placed his glass down and moved closer to her bed. He gently tidied her disheveled hair and lay down beside her.
“Arm.”
As he opened his arms, Catherine wriggled closer and poked him in the side.
“Gah—”
“I’ve told you time and again, right? To live a little greedily.”
“The biggest aspiration of my life was fulfilled long ago.”
In response to such a serious warning, the answer returned was filled with pouting.
“What? When did you say that?”
“…”
A gaze lingered awkwardly.
Catherine, who had made momentary eye contact with Karem, slowly turned her head to the other side.
Yet, even so, her reddened ears were clearly visible through her hair.
“…Hmph, times have certainly changed.”
“Just out of the blue?”
“Nothing at all.”
Suddenly dodging the conversation?
“I said it’s nothing at all.”
“Nothing at all, huh?”
“I definitely—Wah?!”
With a sudden rush of speed, Catherine couldn’t help but let out a high-pitched sound. With her two arms pinning him down and her head having shifted positions, it now lay underneath him.
…
…
Though her racing heart slowly began to stabilize, filled with anticipation, Catherine asked Karem, who was taking deep breaths with his eyes squeezed shut.
“…So, what’s next?”
“Um… could you give me a moment? Let me calm down a bit.”
“What do you mean by ‘moment’?”
She had already given ample consideration.
As the right hand resting on Karem’s chest began to flex, each finger slowly traced the surface of his chest. As Catherine’s gaze met his while slightly opened, she turned her head aside and bit the back of her hand.
“You started it first, didn’t you?”
“Eh? No, wait—”
Catherine provocatively whispered while moving her hand.