Chapter 26

"Sorry, Melfie. I burned them a bit."

The duke, having finished the first batch, showed me the zanas tempura that had turned a burnt brown, looking dejected. They weren’t completely black, just a bit too dry from the excess moisture, but they were still edible. Besides, there were only four of them. The remaining twenty or so, which we made together with Muuran, were beautifully golden.

"Few people can do this well on their first try. Duke, could you please put this darker zanas in my mouth?"

"These are the ones I burned."

"That’s not true. The crispy tempura looks delicious. My hands are all sticky from the batter..."

I was dipping the zanas into the batter and putting them into the oil, so I would need to wash my hands to taste them. I opened my mouth and urged the duke.

"Duke, I need to taste-test this."

"Umm... but..."

"Since it’s just out of the fryer, it would help if you could blow on it to cool it down."

"Alright, it’s hot, so be careful."

The duke skewered the burnt brown zanas and blew on it to cool it down. After checking the temperature with a light touch, he turned to me with a serious expression, as if he were about to face an important moment.

"Here we go."

"Yes, Tiede-sama."

"Ah, you call me by my name so naturally at times like this!"

The duke, saying something mysterious, put the zanas into my mouth. Since it wouldn’t fit in one bite, I took a moderate bite. It might have looked a bit unladylike, but it was for the taste test, so it couldn’t be helped.

"Mm, it’s hot!"

The outside was cooled by the blowing, but the inside was still hot. I made a "huff huff" sound while biting down. There was no fishy smell. However, the texture was incredibly bouncy. The crispy, salty tempura and the chewy flesh were a perfect match. The crispy texture was emphasized because the moisture had evaporated, but the ones that were fried well should be even fluffier.

"How is it?"

The duke, seemingly eager to see my reaction, stared at me with a serious face.

"The bouncy texture is irresistible! There’s no fishy smell, and the zanas’ flavor comes out when you bite into it. I’ll eat the rest..."

In the middle of my sentence, the duke threw the remaining piece into his own mouth. My half-eaten piece... my half-eaten piece?!

"Mm, you’re right. This bouncy texture is satisfying. I think a bit more salt would be good."

"Duke, I need to taste-test it."

"Don’t worry about it. Rather, let’s try the ones that came out well."

The duke picked up a smaller zanas, threw it into his mouth, and then, without considering my thoughts, picked up another one and ate it.

"These... both are hard to choose."

"What do you think?"

"Well, the ones that came out well have a rich flavor from the zanas’ fat and a fluffy texture, but the burned ones have a mix of crispy and bouncy textures that are also delicious."

The duke picked up the well-fried zanas, cooled it, and offered it to me. I took a bite and compared the textures. Indeed, the well-fried ones were fluffy, and the flesh crumbled when bitten. They were delicious. The flavor was something I wanted to keep putting in my mouth, one after another. However,

"You’re right... I want to eat both the fluffy and the bouncy ones."

"Right? Muuran, try them. I think it’s a matter of personal preference. I think we should make both."

It’s a good idea to let people try their preferred ones. We have plenty of zanas, and the crispy ones might be easier to carry. Muuran also compared the two and said, "I like the fluffy ones, but the crispy ones are good too."

With the taste test done, the duke and I decided to make both the fluffy and crispy zanas. The work was endless, but cooking with the duke while chatting was very enjoyable.

"Please bring the fried ones to the dining table."

"Understood."

I asked Muuran and the knights who had finished cleaning up to bring the crispy, well-fried zanas to the dining table. We could have eaten them outdoors, but the bread and side vegetables I had ordered from the Little Fort’s chef were prepared in the main hall. After frying the last fillet, we finally took a break and thanked each other.

"Alright, that’s it. Thank you, Duke."

"No need to thank me. Aren’t you tired from standing all this time?"

"This is nothing. It was very enjoyable with the Duke here."

"That’s good. If you enjoyed it, that’s fine. But oil cooking is quite challenging..."

The duke, who was trying it for the first time, was a bit flustered at first but soon got used to it and fried a large amount of crispy, delicious tempura. During the process, the zanas’ moisture caused the oil to splatter, and we almost got burned several times, but that’s the nature of oil cooking. Both the duke and I occasionally dipped our hands in cold water while cooking, so our bodies were hot, but our hands were cold.

"We should be grateful to those who cook for us. Duke, let’s go eat a delicious breakfast."

"Right. I’m even hungrier after the taste test."

The duke, putting his hand on his stomach, joked. The duke had done everything from capturing the zanas to preparing them and making the tempura. Moreover, he hadn’t slept, which I found concerning.

"Duke, the oil will cool down eventually. It’s fine here, so you should go eat first."

"No, but..."

"Muuran, please take the Duke. The greatest contributor deserves the best meal."

"Understood, Melfieira-sama."

Muuran bowed respectfully and unceremoniously took the duke’s arm.

"Hey, Muuran!"

"If you don’t eat first, we won’t get to eat either."

"Melfie, you too."

"I’ll finish cleaning up the oil and then come. Oh, and adjust the salt to your taste."

With Muuran holding onto his arm, I watched the duke being dragged away. I put out the fire in the stove and started cleaning the charcoal.

Thinking about it, the duke hadn’t had much rest since the festival. He came to the Marshall Raid territory right after the festival ended, returned to his own territory, and then came back to fetch me. The knights accompanying him also had their own tasks in their territory. Perhaps that’s why Chaos wasn’t here. The duke must have entrusted the Galbreath territory to Chaos and then came to fetch me.

(I’ve been so self-centered... As a duchess, I need to consider the whole picture more.)

I reflected on my behavior, which had been quite excited after seeing the unfamiliar monsters in the unfamiliar land. I needed to be more composed.

Just as I was about to replace the duke, Ambry and Zeph came to help with the final cleanup.

"Thank you, but I could have done it alone."

"Three is better than one. Let’s finish quickly and enjoy a hearty meal."

Ambry, wearing thick gloves, lifted the round-bottomed pot with the oil. He then poured the oil into a ceramic jar. I had planned to scoop it out with a wooden ladle, so this was very helpful.

"Hey, Ambry, Zeph. Would you like to try this?"

I offered them the belly part of the zanas, which I had placed with the oil residue. This part was too fatty to fry properly.

"Is this also zanas?"

Ambry picked one up and examined it closely. It was wobbly and oozing fat, looking quite suspicious.

"It’s the belly part. It’s not suitable for frying, so I thought I’d offer it to you."

"Hmm, it looks delicious. I’ll try it, Melfieira-sama."

Zeph, who had developed a taste for monster food, ate it without hesitation. It shouldn’t be bad, but the high fat content might be a concern.

In the end, my worries were unfounded. Zeph seemed to enjoy the zanas’ fat and kept eating. Ambry, after a moment of hesitation, put it in his mouth and said, "This would be even better with some sour fruit juice!" and kept eating, not to be outdone by Zeph.

"Sour fruit juice... Ambry, didn’t you order some fruit for breakfast?"

Zeph seemed to remember something. There are various fruits that produce sour juice, but I couldn’t think of any that were in season here. I wanted to try the sour juice, so I was eager to see it.

"Ambry, Zeph, let’s go quickly. Before the fruit is gone! It should go well with the normally fried zanas too."

I had just resolved to be more composed, but the prospect of delicious food made me forget. I know I should stop, but I can’t. However, Ambry and Zeph had already finished cleaning the pot and stove and were looking at me with expectant eyes... I’ll start being more composed from tomorrow.