Chapter 6

The sound of a bird chirping, "Hou, hou," could be heard.

The sky visible from the window was cloudless, and the large moon was beautifully visible.

Thanks to this, the air was sharply cold, and I sniffled a little. I tightly closed the collar of my pajamas with my cold hands and slipped my feet into my fluffy slippers.

Then, I gently opened the door of the bedroom and stepped out into the dark, chilly hallway.

My sister and I moved from the palace to our home after I started cooking the meals.

To be honest, it was a great help to consider things like meal preparation. The home is quite far from the palace.

That's why I'm at home tonight...

Stealthily, I tiptoed.

The house is old, and if I'm not careful, the floorboards creak immediately.

I descended the stairs from the second-floor bedroom, trying not to be noticed by my sister.

Finally reaching the first floor, I slowly opened the old, wooden door at the end of the narrow hallway.

With a creak, the rusty hinges of the old door made a sound.

I was startled for a moment and listened carefully, but there were no signs of my sister waking up.

I let out a small sigh and entered the room.

In the pitch-black darkness, I felt around for the switch. After a few flickers, the old incandescent bulb lit up the room.

This room is called the pantry in our home. It's also known as a storeroom. It's where my grandmother had accumulated dried goods, canned foods, root vegetables that keep well, and the alcohol that my grandfather and I had collected. Among the clutter, there were quite old items, and the room had a slight musty smell.

I moved to the back of the room, where various things were haphazardly placed, and rummaged through the shelves.

After a while, I found what I was looking for, and with a mischievous smile, I quietly left the room.

The kitchen, where the heating had been turned off for the night, was still quite cold, even though spring was approaching. I pulled out a small electric heater and turned it on. I didn't plan to stay long, so this should be enough.

...But it was still a bit chilly, so I also pulled out a cotton robe and put it on. Yes, my nose was cold, but it was a bit better.

I pulled out a "fire starter" from the back of the cupboard and put in a few pieces of charcoal left over from last year's barbecue, which I had brought from the pantry.

The "fire starter" is a tool with a wire mesh bottom, mainly used to light charcoal on a stove.

The hibachi was already ready.

I let out a mischievous laugh again.

My sister was asleep, and Mr. Jade had gone home.

With no obstacles, I was about to...

Enjoy a secret nightcap alone.

I've always loved having a secret nightcap with my grandfather, who was a longtime drinker, while hiding it from my grandmother and sister. We would sit across from each other, chat about nothing in particular, drink, and enjoy the snacks I made.

It was just that, but the time with my grandfather was very comfortable. The thrill of hiding it from my grandmother, who always worried about his health, might have been part of the appeal. Thanks to being made to drink various kinds of alcohol with my grandfather during our secret nightcaps, I became a drinker myself.

After my grandfather passed away, I had a nightcap once. Drinking alone while looking at the moon felt lonely, so I stopped after that.

Returning to this house after a long time, the smell of the house brought back memories. Maybe I subconsciously thought I could go back to those days. For some reason, I decided to have a secret nightcap tonight.

I turned on the gas stove.

As the fire hit the charcoal in the fire starter, a pleasant sound of "chirri, paki" could be heard, and the charcoal crackled.

While this was happening, I washed the taro I had brought from the pantry.

It was very cold outside, so the water was extremely cold.

I warmed my red fingers with my breath and worked hard to remove the stubborn mud.

Once they were clean, I put them on a plate, loosely covered them with plastic wrap, and microwaved them for about 3 minutes.

In the meantime, I prepared and finely chopped the garlic. I also put it on a plate and covered it with plastic wrap. I prepared miso, mirin, sake, and sugar, and mixed them together.

When the microwave beeped, I was a bit startled. I listened carefully to make sure my sister hadn't woken up, and then carefully swapped the plates of taro and finely chopped garlic and microwaved them for 30 seconds.

"Hot, hot, hot!"

The microwaved taro was soft and fluffy. I peeled the skin off with my bare hands, and it came off easily.

It was quite hot, so I alternated between my right and left hands to cool it down.

Once I finished peeling, I prepared a small pot and warmed the miso mixture I had prepared earlier.

I was careful not to let the sugar burn, and when the edges started to bubble, I added the garlic.

The aroma of garlic mixed well with the fragrant miso, creating a wonderful smell. Since the garlic had already been cooked in the microwave, it didn't need to be cooked much longer.

I tasted it, and if it was just right, the garlic miso was complete.

I put the taro on a separate plate and the garlic miso in a small dish.

I also took out "that" from the hanging cupboard and placed it on the tray with the other items.

By then, the charcoal in the fire starter was just right.

I carefully transferred the charcoal to the hibachi, being careful not to burn myself. The warmth of the charcoal gently caressed my cheeks, and the red-hot charcoal fueled my anticipation for the nightcap.

Again, I tiptoed.

I slipped from the kitchen into the living room and out to the veranda. It was a rule with my grandfather to drink on the veranda on such a clear, beautiful moonlit night.

Of course, the shutters were closed, so I only opened two of them.

As soon as I opened the shutters, a gust of wind hit me.

I held back a cry of "It's cold!" and stomped my feet to warm up, then dragged the kotatsu (heated table) from the living room. I quickly turned it on to warm it up.

Suppressing the urge to dive into the kotatsu immediately, I brought the tray with the hibachi and ingredients.

I placed a grill on the hibachi and put the taro on it.

The soft, sticky surface of the taro was grilled, gradually becoming crispy.

I swallowed my saliva and spread a spoonful or two of garlic miso on it and grilled it again. The smell of the miso burning spread quickly, creating an indescribable, wonderful aroma.

—Alright!

I stood up quickly and rushed to the kitchen. I reached the refrigerator at the maximum speed possible without making a sound.

There were a few bottles of premium beer in the refrigerator.

I grabbed one of them and a ceramic beer glass that was good for foaming, and rushed back to the veranda at maximum speed.

I quickly slipped into the kotatsu, popped open the can, and poured the beer into the glass.

The fine bubbles swelled up invitingly, and I sipped them with slightly pursed lips, then took a big gulp of the golden liquid.

The carbonation fizzed in the back of my throat. The refreshing bitterness licked my tongue for a moment before disappearing into the back of my throat.

I exhaled, and it was indeed cold.

I quickly picked up a piece of taro with my chopsticks.

Grilled taro with garlic miso.

I blew on it to cool it down, then took a big bite. The sticky taro and fragrant miso gently warmed my mouth, which had been chilled by the beer. Hidden in the miso was the minced garlic. The uncrushed garlic asserted itself a little after being grilled. The aroma of garlic wafted from my mouth to my nose, bringing a bit of guilt for eating such a thing in the middle of the night.

Then, I took another sip of beer.

"Ah..."

The sound that escaped my mouth was from satisfaction or guilt.

Either way, my face was relaxed, and it didn't seem like it would return to its usual state anytime soon.

My feet were warm from the kotatsu, and my body was cozy in the cotton robe. My face and hands were cold, but the heat from the hibachi was pleasant.

I was in a good mood and started grilling the cuttlefish I had taken out of the cupboard earlier.

Then, a voice I didn't recognize said, "Hey, miss. What a nice night, isn't it?"

I felt the warmth inside me suddenly drain away.

The man who suddenly appeared, ignoring my surprise, said, "Hey, that looks delicious. Miss, can I have a cup?" and casually threw his heavy metal boots onto the yard and slipped into the kotatsu.

Chirri, chirri.

The tentacles of the cuttlefish curled up from the heat of the hibachi.

The rich smell of the sea wafted from the grilled tentacles, and I swallowed my saliva.

—If I don't hurry, the cuttlefish will dry out from the heat.

Grilled cuttlefish that has cooled down becomes hollow and isn't tasty. Therefore, it's out of the question to take the cuttlefish off the hibachi once it's been placed on it. It must be eaten while it's hot.

I glared at the man, who couldn't stop smiling.

I exhaled a white breath from the cold and rushed back to the kitchen to get more alcohol and glasses.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

"Hey, miss, have some more!"

I looked at the man, who acted as if he were the owner.

In front of me, the middle-aged man was stuffing his mouth with the additional taro I had prepared.

The moonlight illuminated his armor, which indicated he was a knight. However, unlike Mr. Jade, his armor was pitch black.

The taro on the hibachi disappeared into the man's mouth in no time.

"Still, phew, it's hot, huh. This is delicious. I've never eaten a taro like this. It's sticky and interesting. And this... miso? It's got garlic, it's salty, and the slightly burnt parts... gulp, gulp, gulp... phew, it goes perfectly with this beer!"

The man slammed his glass on the kotatsu, and there were already three empty cans in front of him.

—My beer.

Feeling frustrated, I bit into the tentacles of the cuttlefish.

The thin tips of the tentacles, grilled, snapped easily. The crispy tentacles were like a snack. The thicker parts were chewy, with the suckers being crunchy and the flesh firm. The more I chewed, the more the taste of the sea spread in my mouth, and the saltiness called for more alcohol.

I couldn't stop chewing and drinking.

"That looks delicious, too."

The tentacles disappeared from the hibachi.

The man, who was enjoying the cuttlefish, said, "Mmm, delicious," and smiled.

The man introduced himself as Dajiru.

He had gray hair, and his eyes, which were hard to see in the dark, were light in color. Despite the dull color scheme, his sharp eyes and the fine scars all over his face hinted at a tumultuous past. Every time he reached for the taro, his sturdy, muscular arms were visible, as if boasting of his strength.

—What is this person?

Despite feeling curious, I wasn't afraid of him and could drink leisurely. Perhaps it was because of the deep laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. Every time he drank beer, his sharp eyes narrowed, and the laugh lines deepened, reminding me of my grandfather when he was young.

I quickly grilled my favorite part of the cuttlefish, the ear. It became hard quickly when grilled, so I only warmed it slightly.

I tore it with my fingers and shared it with Dajiru.

When I silently handed it to him, he laughed and accepted it.

He put it in his mouth and said, "Mmm, delicious," with a smile.

Dajiru's eyes were gray, and his face, though dimly lit, had a sharp gaze and fine scars all over, hinting at a tumultuous past. Every time he reached for the taro, his sturdy, muscular arms were visible, as if boasting of his strength.

—What is this person?

Despite feeling curious, I wasn't afraid of him and could drink leisurely. Perhaps it was because of the deep laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. Every time he drank beer, his sharp eyes narrowed, and the laugh lines deepened, reminding me of my grandfather when he was young.

I quickly grilled my favorite part of the cuttlefish, the ear. It became hard quickly when grilled, so I only warmed it slightly.

I tore it with my fingers and shared it with Dajiru.

When I silently handed it to him, he laughed and accepted it.

He put it in his mouth, and the intense saltiness of the cuttlefish, more than any other part, made his cheeks pucker. I swallowed the remaining beer along with the saliva that overflowed.

Enjoying the aftertaste, I looked up at the large, round moon. Despite being in a different world, the moon looked the same, and I couldn't help but hum a children's song, feeling a bit childish but also good in the cold night air.

Dajiru clapped and sang a verse of a song from his unknown world.

Then, we both felt good, and we continued drinking leisurely until the charcoal in the hibachi burned out.

The next morning.

I was very surprised to see Jade with a sour face and Dajiru with an unusually cheerful smile come to greet me.

Dajiru turned out to be the leader of the knight's order that Jade belonged to. He had happened to pass by my house after work and saw me having a nightcap alone.

With a hand on my shoulder, Dajiru warned me that drinking alone during the thin security hours at night was dangerous. "You are a guest of this country, and you might be targeted," he said.

I froze. Was I not allowed to have a secret nightcap?

—My midnight pleasure.

Dajiru, looking flustered, said it would be fine if someone else was on guard duty.

He even offered to take on the guard duty himself.

I sighed in relief.

Then, for some reason, Jade, with a full smile, said,

"Akane, please call me next time."

"But... Jade's shift ends, and we spend the whole day together. Why at night?"

"It's fine, please call me."

"Look, you need to rest."

"Please call me."

"...Okay."

His eyes weren't smiling...

For some reason, Dajiru was laughing loudly in the background.

After that, my sister, who heard the story, warned me not to drink with strangers and not to let them follow me.

Incidentally, my sister apparently knew about the secret nightcaps with my grandfather. She said she pretended not to know because it was an important time for the two of us.

...My sister was more mature than I thought.

Since then, when we had a nightcap, Dajiru and Jade would come.