Chapter 96

"I will not break our engagement, you know." Now available from Ichijinsha! Thank you very much for your support!

"I want to learn how to cook..."

Ten-year-old Cerea, who had just quietly held a wedding ceremony with Shin at the church in the middle of the night, thought this. She had been thinking, even as a child, about what she could do for Shin, who had done so much for her. In the game, which was typical of a dating sim, food-related events often came up. Various sweets and bento boxes were essential for date and picnic events. Moreover, they were very effective for the love interests. Cerea had seen many such events where the heroine won over the handsome men by capturing their hearts through their stomachs. Even an antagonist lady could not go wrong by learning how to cook.

First, she consulted with her maid, Bell, about this matter, but when asked, "Do you have any experience with cooking, Miss?" she was at a loss for words. Cerea, who had been raised as a duchess's daughter with all the attention and pampering since childhood, had no interest in cooking before regaining her memories. Moreover, cooking was not considered a necessary part of a lady's education, so no one had taught her. At most, she knew the proper way to pour tea, and even in her previous life, where she had been hospitalized repeatedly, she had never cooked.

Cerea's father, Duke Hearst Collette, was currently absent, having returned to his territory, and the current head of the Collette family's townhouse in the capital was her older brother, Servis, the eldest son. When she consulted with her brother about this, he surprisingly agreed.

"Cerea, you probably don't remember much about your late mother... She used to make sweets and special meals for the family, and she loved cooking. I remember how happy she looked when we all enjoyed the food she made."

Cerea felt a bit envious of Servis as he spoke fondly of the past. The only memory of her mother in this world was a portrait hanging on the wall.

"Many noble ladies think that cooking should be left to the servants, but Mother was not one to care about such things. I think she would be happy if Cerea learned to cook. I'll ask the head chef to teach you. I'm looking forward to it. When you can make something, I'd love to taste it. Before any prince, of course!"

Upon reflection, it made sense. The person she would be serving her cooking to was a prince of a country. She couldn't afford to serve anything subpar. Her brother would be checking it in advance, which was a significant responsibility.

Starting the next day, Cerea began receiving lessons from the head chef. In the mornings, she received princess education at the palace, and in the afternoons, she had other lessons, so this cooking lesson was added to her already busy schedule. Of course, a ten-year-old Cerea was equipped with a chef's uniform, apron, and scarf to tie her hair back, so as not to interfere with her work.

"Miss, are you serious about learning to cook? Do you want to learn to make everything from scratch?"

"Yes!"

"Understood. If that's the case, I'll do my best to help you. Cooking is about controlling fire. Humans are the only creatures in this world that can eat only cooked food. Only when you can control fire can you truly be a human and a cook. Let's start by making a fire in the hearth."

"Wh... What about a gas stove?"

"What are you talking about? Let's start with making a fire."

That's right. In this world, knowledge from her previous life was often useless. There were no matches, lighters, or gas stoves in this world.

"Is that okay? First, we stack finely chopped wood, grass, and kindling in the hearth. Then we use a flint to ignite it. Now, try using the flint."

Click, click, click. Sparks flew when the flint and iron were struck together.

"Wow, like Oshimasan in Zengoro Heiji."

"...Who is that? The sparks are still too small! Now, practice making big sparks until they fly today!"

In the corner of the kitchen, which was starting to get busy with dinner preparations, Cerea practiced making sparks with the flint, facing a difficult journey ahead.

"We need to start the fire soon, or dinner will be late. Miss, please ignite the kindling."

After striking the flint against the hearth a dozen times, sparks flew onto the kindling, and a small flame ignited.

"Now, don't let it go out. Transfer the flame to the twigs!"

Transferring the flame from the kindling to the twigs... to the twigs... The small flame on the kindling went out without transferring to the twigs. Cerea was disappointed.

"Haha, you won't get it right away! We can't delay dinner, so I'll show you. Watch carefully."

The head chef quickly struck the flint and skillfully transferred the flame from the kindling to the twigs, making the wood catch fire. Cerea realized how difficult it was to master this skill, which was essential for cooking in this world.

"The flame is not just one. From the burning wood, it eventually turns into charcoal and embers. For boiling soup, grilling meat, searing, and simmering, different types of flames are used. You must consider the cooking process and use all of them. That is what it means to control fire in cooking, and only when you can do this can you truly be a cook."

"Wow, that sounds hard..."

"All the ladies in the world do this three times a day as a matter of course. There are no exceptions, even for nobles. Now, observe carefully how we chefs use fire."

A week later, Cerea's next challenge after learning to make a fire was the frying pan.

"Next, we'll make a plain omelet."

"...Tamagoyaki?"

"Tamagoyaki contains the basics of all cooking. You need to cook the easily burnt eggs quickly and evenly over high heat. It takes years of practice for a chef to master this. I don't expect you to be perfect, but you'll learn the basics of using a frying pan by making mistakes."

"...So, it's expected that I'll fail?"

"No one can do this perfectly from the start. Now, let's give it a try."

Cerea watched as the head chef melted butter in the frying pan, spread it, added the beaten eggs, and shaped them with a spatula to make a beautiful, yellow plain omelet. The delicate and continuous movements of his hands were truly an art. Even a simple tamagoyaki could be a feast when made by a top chef.

Cerea tried it herself, but was told, "Miss, time's up. Now, just mix it up!" and was instructed to give up on the final shaping. Cerea's first dish... turned out to be burnt scrambled eggs.

"Tamagoyaki that fails and turns into scrambled eggs is a common solution. Did you notice why I interrupted you?"

"...Because it wasn't half-cooked?"

"That's right. The outside should be nicely cooked, and the inside should be fluffy and runny. Once it's overcooked, it's too late. Speed and efficiency are the essence of a plain omelet. You'll keep practicing until you get it right."

"It keeps sticking!"

"There's no such thing as a non-stick frying pan!"

Of course, all the frying pans were made of iron, and there were no non-stick Teflon pans in this world, which were a distant memory for Cerea.

When Cerea's first dish, the burnt scrambled eggs, was served at dinner, her brother Servis burst out laughing. It was obvious that a child had failed at making an omelet and tried to pass it off as scrambled eggs.

"The salt is a bit too much. The pepper is fine. It's overcooked and hard. There shouldn't be any burnt spots."

Despite this, Servis happily ate everything, which made Cerea feel good. Since she would eventually be serving the prince, there could be no compromise or flattery. Cerea understood that her brother was taking on the role of the critic for her sake. She thought about how to improve for her brother, who cared for her.

"...Using only a spatula is almost impossible. I need to be able to do more delicate work. If only I had a pair of cooking chopsticks..."

Cerea remembered her mother in her previous life always using cooking chopsticks. It was a memory from her life as a Japanese person.

"I can probably make something like cooking chopsticks. I'll ask the gardener, Edward."

Chopsticks could be made from a piece of wood. Bamboo would be ideal, but it would do.

"Edward, do you have any bamboo?"

"Wh-what is it, Miss, all of a sudden?"

The middle-aged gardener, Edward, was flustered to be suddenly called. He had never been spoken to by a young lady since he was hired in this mansion. Gardeners were usually treated as if they didn't exist.

"Bamboo?"

"Bamboo, about this long."

"Hmm, hmm."

"About this thick."

"Hmm, hmm."

"I need two of them."

"What are you going to use them for?"

"For cooking."

The first bamboo sticks Edward made for her were too thin. It seemed he had mistaken them for skewers for barbecues.

"I need them for chopsticks, not skewers."

"Chopsticks? What are those?"

Right, there are no chopsticks in this world, Cerea thought. It was something she hadn't noticed until it was pointed out. With Edward's help, the bamboo sticks were trimmed to the right length and thickness for a ten-year-old to use.

Before going to bed, Cerea practiced using the cooking chopsticks, remembering her previous life, and brought them to the next day's tamagoyaki lesson.

"Miss, what are those?"

"Cooking chopsticks. They're a cooking tool from a foreign country."

"...Cooking chopsticks, you say."

The head chef was surprised.

Cerea cracked the eggs into a bowl and stirred them with the chopsticks. Previously, she had used a whisk, but using chopsticks to cut the eggs without incorporating air was faster. She then used the chopsticks to add a bit of butter to the heated frying pan, which saved a step compared to switching to a butter knife. She quickly poured the eggs into the frying pan before the butter burned, used the cooking chopsticks to shape the omelet while it was still half-cooked, folded it, and flipped it, shaking the pan to shape it along the curve of the pan. She served it on a plate before it browned, without switching to a spatula.

"Excellent! Wonderful! Well done, Miss! The way you use those cooking chopsticks is impressive. Miss, where did you learn to use such a tool?"

"I saw them in a foreign picture book..."

Cerea didn't know if there was a Japan or China in this world, but she assumed there must be something similar and used it as an excuse.

The head chef tried using the cooking chopsticks from Cerea, but of course, he couldn't use them well on his first try.

"...No, this is truly remarkable. I want to learn to use them too. It requires incredible dexterity, but..."

When Servis saw the omelet on the dinner table, he was surprised.

"Well... I thought you were improving a little every day, but your skills have suddenly improved. Did you get the hang of it?"

"Yes, Brother!"

Servis's recognition made Cerea respond happily.

"Then, shall we consider this the end of your omelet lessons?"

The head chef, who was present at the dinner, asked the head of the household, Servis.

"Yes, this is good enough to serve to the prince. I'm looking forward to the next dish."

"Then, as a graduation gift for your omelet lessons, I'll give you this."

The head chef handed Cerea a small, old, blackened frying pan.

"Hey, that's a pretty old frying pan to give to Cerea, isn't it?"

Servis thought it should be a new one.

"No, Brother. An iron frying pan is something you cultivate. By burning the surface of the iron and letting oil soak in over a long period, it becomes a non-stick, rust-resistant pan. This pan, cultivated by the head chef, is worth more than a new one!"

"Is that so?"

"That you understand this is impressive! You truly are a remarkable young lady!"

The head chef was so moved that he sobbed.

"You have a talent for cooking! You learn quickly and have a good palate. You will become a great cook!"

"Well, I don't think a duchess's daughter is expected to have a talent for cooking..."

Servis was worried that the head chef might be going overboard.

"Next, we'll move on to meat."

"Meat..."

"For noble cooking, meat is essential. And it's not just about cooking it. You'll need to master this thoroughly."

"Wait, meat right away? How about vegetables or sweets first?"

"First, let me show you our kitchen's storage room."

In the dim, chilly underground room, freshly butchered beef and pork hung from the ceiling, and Cerea almost screamed in terror.

"Meat is the result of slaughtering animals and taking their lives. Sometimes, the lords and young masters go hunting and bring back deer, rabbits, and birds. The delicious meat dishes we enjoy are the result of taking the lives of living creatures. Please do not forget this."

"...Yes."

"Actually, freshly butchered meat cannot be eaten immediately."

"Really?"

"Fresh meat becomes tough and dry when cooked, with no flavor. By aging it in a cool, dark place for a few days, it becomes tender and flavorful."

"Will it rot?"

"Of course, it will. We don't have refrigerators like in the northern countries. But it's only the surface. The meat is at the point of rotting, which is when it's ready to eat."

"Ugh... I might get sick."

"That's why cleaning is necessary. Let's go."

The head chef returned to the kitchen with a large piece of beef, and Cerea followed.

"From this piece of meat, we'll cut out the edible parts. We'll remove the blackened surface and leave only the red meat. This process is called cleaning."

"Will the removed parts be thrown away?"

"They become food for the lord's hunting dogs."

"That seems cruel for the dogs to eat."

"It's a feast for them. Now, let's try it."

Cerea was given a shorter butcher's knife to use and began the task of cleaning the meat. If there had been a refrigerator, this process might not have been necessary, she thought, remembering her previous life.

"The piece of meat is made up of several muscles, which can be separated. Use the tip of the knife to separate the muscles."

"Y-Yes."

"The surface of the muscles has a thin, white skin. Try to remove it as thinly as possible."

"Y-Yes..."

"For a first try, you're doing quite well, Miss."

"Y-Yes..."

For Cerea, who had always thought of meat as just meat, this task of recognizing that it was the body of a living animal was truly painful.

"The king of meat dishes is, of course, steak. Steak is the ultimate way to enjoy the true flavor of meat. Cooking a delicious steak is the most important job of a chef!"

Despite the fact that some nobles died young from vitamin deficiencies due to a diet heavy in meat and lacking in vegetables, the head chef was stubborn in this regard.

"Steak is a luxury reserved for the nobility. While commoners cut and cook meat, only the nobility can afford to have large cuts of meat like steaks. Usually, we use ribeye, but today, since we practiced cleaning, we'll use this sirloin."

Actually, Cerea didn't like steak. As a ten-year-old, she had cried when she couldn't eat a "rare steak" that was practically dripping with blood. Since then, her loving father and brother had never served her steak again.

Since regaining her memories from her previous life, Cerea couldn't accept the idea of a rare steak and still found it difficult to eat.

Regardless, the head chef, who was heating the frying pan, said, "This is a cooking lesson, and since you're now eleven, it's time to learn the basics of cooking."

He seared the steak on high heat, flipping it when it was browned...

"Now, please try it."

What was served was the very "bloody steak" that Cerea had cried about as a child. What she had thought was blood was actually meat juice, but when cut with a knife, the surface was burnt while the inside was still raw and cold.

"It's soft and in the best condition. Please try it with salt and pepper while it's still hot."

...It was soft, but Cerea couldn't chew it and found it completely unappetizing. The raw smell in her mouth made her want to vomit. Why did people find this delicious?

Cerea wondered if the people in this world had some major flaw in their taste or an unshakable misconception.

After the princess education at the palace, during the afternoon tea, Cerea boldly asked her fiancé, Prince Shin, about it.

"Steak at the palace is always well-done."

Shin easily dismissed the idea of rare steak.

"Raw meat can make people sick. There's also a risk if the meat isn't cooked properly. To avoid any accidents, the royal family only eats thoroughly cooked meat. It's not as overcooked as well-done, nor as rare as medium. It's a well-cooked steak. That's why I rarely eat rare steak."

"I don't think it's a good idea to eat it. I don't think it can even be called cooking."

"Even you, Cerea... Is that from your previous life's memory?"

In Asian countries like Japan, grilled meat is usually thinly sliced. Since meat is a solid block before it's cut, the idea of grilling it as a steak must have existed. So why do people in the East prefer to cut it