Chapter 9

Human corruption can happen in an instant.

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“Such... this is the power of futon...”

I was in a fluffy bed.

Bathed in the pale winter morning sun, I awoke, intoxicated by the soft, warm comfort of the futon.

Even when I was first commanded, “Never sleep on the floor again. Sleep in a bed,” I used to wake up in a panic from dreams of falling. Yet, in just five days, I had grown accustomed to this fluffy, warm, and clean bed. If asked if I wanted to sleep on the floor now, I would have to say “No.”

(...I’m also hungry.)

Even though I had three full meals and even sandwiches as snacks yesterday.

Perhaps my body, accustomed to luxury, naturally gets hungry on a regular schedule.

While thinking about this, I got up and tidied the bed.

Then, to muster my energy, I washed my face with cold water and got dressed. Today, I changed into a simple white dress. Although the initially flashy dress suited me, the simple dress also looked good, which shows that beauty is truly amazing.

Just as I was doing this, there was a knock on the door. It was time for the meal.

Thinking about what today’s meal might be, I opened the door with a naturally smiling face and greeted Claude, who had a stern expression.

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“C... Claude-sama. This is...!”

“...You said you wanted to eat, didn’t you?”

Claude-sama said, lowering his gaze to the meal he had placed on the table.

There was a white, hearty milk soup, thickly sliced bacon, and a salad of fresh vegetables. And there was bread, cut thick and beautifully golden brown.

On top of the golden-brown bread, a golden liquid flowed smoothly.

“This is a French toast drenched in honey. Since you said you wanted to eat it, even if you say you don’t want to...”

“I’ll eat it!”

Before Claude-sama could change his mind, I hurried to take my seat. Claude-sama seemed slightly taken aback by my eagerness.

“R... Really, can I eat it? I’ll eat it, you know? If you take it away the moment I try to eat it...”

“What do you think I am?”

Claude-sama frowned, looking offended.

“There’s no way I would do such a thing. ...Hey, what are you doing? Stop that right now.”

When I instinctively tried to offer a prayer of gratitude to Claude-sama, he made a very displeased face, so I quickly stopped. I decided to eat it before it cooled down.

I cut a piece of the French toast with a knife, being careful not to let a single drop of honey overflow, and cautiously put it in my mouth.

The moment it entered my mouth, the aroma wafted up my nose, and a rich sweetness spread throughout my mouth.

“…………!!”

It was incredibly delicious. I was surprised that something so delicious existed. Happiness welled up inside me.

But more than that, what filled my heart was nostalgia.

‘—You’re a big eater, aren’t you? Here, have a spoonful.’

‘This isn’t just an ingredient. Eating something sweet helps your brain work.’

‘Hehe, that’s right. Eating something sweet also gives you energy. —Sophia, remember this. There are many things in the world that can give you energy. So, even if something sad happens...’

A slightly low, gentle voice echoed in my ears.

No matter how many times I tried to remember it, I couldn’t.

“...Violet”

Called quietly by Claude-sama, I looked up.

“Why are you crying?”

I realized I was crying when he said this with a look of great surprise.

“S... Sorry, I accidentally became happy after eating something sweet...”

I hastily wiped my eyes and tried to explain. Claude-sama looked even more confused and muttered, “Crying from happiness...?”

“I feel... more energetic... I was just thinking about my mother from the past...”

As soon as I said this, my lips trembled, and tears started to fall uncontrollably.

Even when I furrowed my brow and bit my tongue tightly, they wouldn’t stop.

How clumsy of me. After my mother’s funeral, I couldn’t cry no matter how sad I was. And now, after thirteen years, I’m crying. How disrespectful.

And in front of someone, no less.

Feeling ashamed, I cried and apologized, and after a moment, he said, “I didn’t see anything.” Then, he gently placed his hand on my shoulder and quietly left the room.

◇

After eating the honey and crying my heart out, I still carefully savored the remaining French toast and finished all the breakfast. It was really delicious. In my heart, the head chef of this tower is the person I most want to meet to express my gratitude and affection.

After crying and eating, I felt completely energized and was working hard on the new medicine with slightly puffy, swollen eyes.

Today, my usually sluggish brain seemed to be working normally.

Just as my mother said, eating something sweet helps your brain work, and ideas that I couldn’t come up with before started popping up. The power of sweets is truly amazing.

“The solution of boiled Serachin leaves and Gurselun decoction... Yes, the approach is correct. Next, I need to find the optimal hardness by repeating the trial and check if there’s a difference in the melting temperature... The compatibility with the actual ingredients is also important. Whether to use powder or a boiled solution...”

“...Hey, Violet”

“!”

I turned around in surprise to see Claude-sama standing there. Looking at the clock, it was past noon, thanks to the honey, I had lost myself in my work.

“S... Sorry, I didn’t hear the knock.”

“...No”

Claude-sama frowned slightly and looked at the numerous small pots I was struggling with.

Incidentally, this makeshift kitchen was something I desperately asked for, despite Claude-sama’s reluctance, because I couldn’t give up using fire for making medicine. At the time, my desperation made Claude-sama say, “When you beg me in a lowly manner, it’s creepy,” with a truly creeped-out expression. I’ve caused him so much trouble that I can’t even face him to sleep.

“What are you... making?”

“Yes! This is... After listening to Mr. Neil yesterday, I thought about what I could do. I realized that the background issue might be food inequality, and the first step to solving it would be to...”

“...This is going to be a long story. It’s fine to eat while you talk.”

Saying this, Claude-sama looked at the table where two servings of food were set.

“...! Claude-sama”

“Neither of us wants to see each other’s faces, but having a meal together once a day might be good.”