Chapter 37

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Having calmed down, Horun prepared black tea, then presented it to Iris.

Being told 「Thanks」 with a smile, Horun was happily bashful.

「…delicious. It has the same taste as Lapis’s.」

「I’m glad to hear that. Lapis is my pupil.」

Furthermore, Horun happily gave an explanation.

As if to acknowledge that statement, Iris nodded and had another sip. Then, she let out a sincere ‘hah’.

「It really is delicious. If it is this tea, I’d drink it everyday.」

「! Heh, hehehe」

Responding to Iris’s natural airheaded lines, reminiscent of a proposal, Horun laughed.

Understanding everything, Sera tenderly watched over them.

However, in that span, a small event occurred. Not having had lunch yet, Horun’s stomach growled out.

In the quiet room, that sound strangely echoed out. Horun’s face blushed a deep red.

「U, um—」

「My apologies, Iris-sama. Due to some circumstances, we haven’t had lunch yet. Would it be permissible to have lunch now?」

In place of Horun, Sera spoke out. With her eyes, Horun silently sent her gratitude.

「…my bad, should I come back at another time?」

「No no, you don’t have to trouble yourself with that. You’re free to read anything in the study… if you’d like, would you also join us?」

「Fumu, that also works. I am also intrigued by Lapis’s teacher’s skills. I suppose I’ll be in your care.」

Confirming Iris’s response, Sera met Horun’s eyes. Here, there long years together allowed them to converse with eye contact.

「(Horun-san, this is your chance. Win over Iris-sama with your delicious cooking.)」

「(I, I shall do my best. I’ll make it with my spirit!)」

「(It is fine to take your time, I’ll buy you some time.)」

「(Thank you, Serafi-sama!)」

Ending their eye contact, Horun bowed, then headed to the kitchen.

The other two saw her off. Iris’s eyes were, rather than gentle, adoring, while Sera’s were like a parent’s? Or such.

Having become curious, she tried asking about it.

「Iris-sama, you somehow seem happy.」

「Oya? Does it seem that way?」

「Yes. Rather, it was as if you were watching over your beloved person.」

「…you’re sharp.」

Iris shrugged.

「Saying so myself might be inconstant, but I do think that she is cute.」

「Inconstant, meaning?」

「Ah. One month ago, I confessed to your sister and got rejected.」

「Eh? But, Ane-sama hasn’t said…」

「Probably. I said it as a joke to uplift myself. Anyhow, back then she already had a splendid lover.」

「…Lily-neesama」

「It’s like that. Seeing those lovers match each other better than myself, I’m not so tactless to but myself in-between them. After that, I went on a broken heart trip, came back and finished up some business. Having reached a stopping point, I figured that today I’d bring over souvenirs.」

「Ane-sama wouldn’t have ill feeling— rather unpleasantness over that?」

「Naturally. However, dragging this out longer isn’t good, right? So, I came today to settle my feelings, but… I don’t know how things will turn out.」

Iris smiled with a sigh. Her gaze once again chased after Horun.

「Ah, sorry. From your view as a younger sister, it’s only a nuisance to have a woman like me over, huh.」

「No, it’s not like that. I don’t think bad of people that like, rather they leave a favorable impression.」

「…Serafi, you really like your sister, huh,」

「Right♪I take pride in being the world’s number one siscon♪」

「I, I see… Ah, that’s right, I brought souvenirs. I brought a portion for two, but it seems that there are more of you now. There are reserved ingredients, eastern clothes and hair accessories, and such included. There’s a lot, so share it between yourselves.」

「Thank you for your consideration.」

Iris retrieved a sack from her magic bag and lay it horizontally. Immediately checking the contents would be rude.

「…you are quite courteous, are you perhaps a young lady from somewhere?」

「Former, but a crown princess.」

「…prin…cess?」

「Yup♪」

「…」

「?」

「…」

「??」

「…Basically—」

Iris swallowed.

「—Your sister, Lapis is also a princess?」

「Like I said, former. Ane-sama quit together with me.」

「…ah, I see. That time when I heard about the disappearance of Princess Lapislazuli, that was about Lapis…」

「Without a doubt. Well, it was just a trivial problem.」

「If you don’t have any regrets, then I won’t say anything.」

Eloquently smiling, she finished her black tea.

Exactly then, Horun entered, carrying the food.

「Sorry for the wait, I have brought the food.」

「Ara? So quickly?」

「Yup, my specialty genre is to quickly finish it up with strong firepower.」

「Is that so, I’m looking forward to it.」

The cooking was lined up, one by one. Having made such an unbelievable quantity of food in a short time caused Iris’s eyes to sparkle.

「Amazing, everything looks delicious.」

「It’s an honor, as a chef, to be told that. Let’s eat before it cools down.」

「Umu, let’s eat.」

「Thanks for the food.」

The three of them began to eat.

Horun’s menu included fried rice, mapo tofu, twice cooked pork, pepper steak, and fried gyoza.

All of them were dishes that you can’t find in this country.

「This is great. This is quite the strange cooking, which country’s dishes are these?」

「Shin」

「The major power to the east, huh. To think that such delicious food would be from there」

「Ah, it’s slightly different.」

While eating a gyoza, Horun inserted a remark.

「This is certainly Shin cooking, but it isn’t completely only of Shin origin.」

「? What do you mean?」

「This is, an evolution of Shin cooking by the eastern island country. The people of the eastern island country aren’t good at creating new things, but they excel in developing and improving already existing things. These foods, following their roots, were just spicy foods without any appeal, you know?」

「That is surprising.」

「That’s the first I’ve heard of it, as well.」

Horun proudly continued.

「That’s why, if you eat this food, then want to eat the real Shin food, you’d be better off not. I’m the one saying it, but my Shin cooking is 100 times better.」

「Ah, it certainly is delicious.」

「Horun-san, is there still rice left?」

「There is, do you want another serving?」

「Yes. This mapo tofu, I have taken an extraordinary liking to it.」

Standing from her seat, Sera went to serve herself another helping.

Seeing that, Iris thought how unlike a princess it was. That sort of thing was normal for nobles and royalty. However, seeing that Horun, sitting next to her, didn’t stop her from going, she collectedly continued eating. No, reconsidering that having servants at the same dining table was, in itself, weird, Iris shook her head.

「? What’s wrong, Iris-sama?」

「No, nothing. I’m just stumped with my narrow-mindedness.」

「??」

Having received this house’s “normal”, Iris continued eating.

With a calm atmosphere, their late lunch ended.

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