Chapter 33

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Well, it seems that the matter with Maria has been resolved satisfactorily, and she went home in a good mood.

After greeting Viktor again, I handed him the gift of "cold dashi-steamed eggs," and he seemed to be very pleased. We then had tea time at the living room table.

With a smile, Viktor asked Mr. Romanov.

"Ah-tan, I've been thinking about your lessons. How about starting two months from now?"

"Yes, when I get back, I'll let Mr. Rottenmeier know."

"Eh... You'll give me lessons?"

Wow, to have lessons from a court musician is amazing.

But what about the tuition and transportation costs?

If I bring the embroidered handkerchief to Roland, maybe I can earn enough.

I could see his eyebrows furrow, but Viktor, who was sitting across from him, rubbed his forehead with his finger.

"Don't worry about the tuition and transportation costs, Ah-tan."

"Ah, but..."

"It's okay, Phoenix. Vitya wants something more from you than monetary compensation."

"Something you want?"

What could it be? The only things I have are embroidery skills and gardening skills.

Tilting my head, Viktor's lips curved up slightly.

"I want you to transcribe and play the songs from the other world that you learned from the princess. Is that okay?"

"The songs from the other world...!?"

"Yes. The song you sang just now is from the other world, right? I've memorized it, so I can play it. But these are the songs you learned from the princess, so I can't play them without permission, nor can I transcribe them. That's why I want your permission."

It's like a boat coming just when you need it.

The princess would probably wave her fan and say, "Do it quickly."

When I agreed to get the permission, Viktor nodded happily.

How should I put it, but only Mr. Romanov and Viktor know, are elves all friendly?

When I asked, they looked at each other and shook their heads simultaneously.

"Alyosha and I are considered odd among elves."

"Yes, there's one more, and the three of us were called the 'three fools who favor humans.'"

"Ah... I see, I shouldn't get my hopes up, then."

"That's right."

Well, even among humans, there are various differences in skin color and birth, so there must be even more among humans and other races. It's best to get along, but not to force it.

While sipping the tea that was served, Viktor put down his cup and stood up.

"Well, shall we go?"

"Yes, thank you."

What is it?

As I watched the two of them, Viktor chuckled.

"Since we're in the capital, why don't we go sightseeing? You met the 'best singer in the capital' quite early, didn't you?"

"Yes, Vitya will be our guide."

"Is that so? Thank you very much!"

Wow, this is my first outing outside of home and Kikunoi.

Feeling excited, Mr. Romanov took my hand.

"The capital is much more crowded than Kikunoi, and the streets are winding. If you don't hold hands, a small child can easily get lost."

"That's true. I often see lost children crying."

"Oh, that's terrible."

Gripping Mr. Romanov's hand tightly, Viktor took the other side.

Thinking about it, the only adult hands I know are Mr. Romanov's, Mr. Rottenmeier's, and the hands of the people who work in the mansion, all of which are working hands.

Viktor's hand is soft and supple, and it feels a bit like Regulus's hand.

Maybe he takes good care of it because he plays the piano.

When we were led out through the wide door, a cobblestone path appeared.

The empire is a blend of Eastern and Western cultures, and the streets have a unique atmosphere.

There are buildings that look like mosques, Western-style buildings like the Rokumeikan, and buildings that could be called samurai residences or townhouses, with cobblestone paths running between them. People, horses, carriages, and hand carts loaded with goods were passing by.

On both sides of the main street, there are not only shops but also street vendors.

They sell not only vegetables, meat, and fish, but also fabrics, beads, and flowers, making it very lively.

"My house is on a street where the market is held, and it's quite lively."

"Oh, a market, you mean?"

"A market...!!"

Everything seemed to be wrapped in vibrant colors and glittering.

The shopkeepers trying to attract customers, the people shopping with baskets in hand, all engaged in lively haggling.

While watching the street vendors, I suddenly smelled something I had never smelled in this life but had smelled many times in my previous world.

It was stimulating, yet it whetted my appetite. Despite being quite far away, it was so nostalgic.

In the baskets displayed in front of the shops were various seeds shaped like leaves or rugby balls, mixed with cinnamon, ginger, and saffron!

"There are so many spices!"

"Oh, that's rare."

"I've only started seeing them recently."

Pulling the two of them, I ran to the street vendor, and a man with a dark complexion smiled.

"Plenty of spices here! Cinnamon, parsley, cloves, saffron, cardamom, bay leaves, chili peppers, saffron, ginger, star anise, nutmeg, and more!"

"Alright! Please give me as much as the money in this pouch can buy!"

The man peeked inside and, with a satisfied look, started filling bags with spices. As a bonus, he showed me vanilla beans.

Vanilla beans are really expensive!

It became quite a load, but I put them one by one into my waist pouch and thanked him. Then, the man showed me a wooden tag with a string.

"I come to the capital to trade from time to time. Please take care of me, young man. My name is Jamil. I'm a member of the merchant guild, so if you show this tag to the guild, they can contact me immediately."

"Thank you very much!"

I tied the tag to the bag of vanilla beans and put it away. After thanking Viktor and Mr. Romanov, we left the shop.

At such times, Mr. Romanov lets me do as I please and doesn't force me to explain. Following his lead, Viktor didn't say anything either.

So, I stopped in a less crowded area.

"Mr. Romanov, with these spices, we might be able to create a specialty dish at Kikunoi."

"A specialty dish?"

"Yes, it's called curry rice. Have you heard of it? It's a dish where you cook vegetables and meat in a spicy broth made from a blend of spices and serve it over rice."

"Is there such a dish...?"

"I've traveled a lot and even been to the spice-producing regions, but I've never heard of such a dish."

If that's the case, there's hope.

More than anything, I want to eat curry!

Clenching my fist, Mr. Romanov smiled slightly.

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