Chapter 23

※The recipe I referred to will be posted in the afterword of tomorrow's post with a URL.

The cafeteria has about five tables.

Jill spread a tablecloth on one of them and invited three people to sit down.

"Hey, Master, I want to help..."

"It's fine, it's fine. I wanted to serve Moirin a meal too. It's an order. Please join us."

"Bro, say something."

Moirin, looking weak, sought help from Matthew.

But Matthew was beginning to find the situation amusing.

"Oh, oh, as a maid, you should obey your master's orders, shouldn't you?"

"Hmm... Really."

Jill, listening to the siblings' unreserved conversation, quickly began preparing the meal.

She finished the preparations in the kitchen in less than ten minutes and served the dishes to the three of them.

"Um... is this, Peppe?"

Garda muttered, confused.

Jill, though she knew it wasn't what Garda had expected, replied with a cool expression.

"Peppe with a little bit of... it's a cold tomato soup called gazpacho."

The dish contained a bright red soup.

A cool breeze wafted from the bowl.

"Peppe is probably a short form of the former master's favorite dish, penne all'arrabbiata. It's called Peppe for short, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"But that's also a shortened name. The full name is 'aglio e olio e peperoncino.'"

"Huh, really?"

"Yes. In a foreign language, aglio means garlic, olio means oil, and peperoncino means chili pepper. Did you not know this?"

All three were surprised.

As Jill had expected, they didn't know the origin of the name.

"Well, I didn't know that... but still, to call this dish Peppe..."

"Of course, I'll make it properly. Please wait and eat this in the meantime."

"I see, so it's an appetizer."

"Something like that. By the way, um..."

Jill hesitated.

She was unsure whether to speak frankly.

"Huh? What is it?"

"No, it's just a bit difficult to say..."

"It's fine, go ahead."

Garda said seriously.

Jill, feeling pressured, nodded.

"Um, Garda, you smell a bit of alcohol... and your face doesn't look good. Are you hungover?"

"Uh..."

Garda blushed at Jill's words.

"Since the dish uses a lot of garlic, at least try to settle your stomach, or you'll feel even worse."

Garda was speechless. Matthew, perhaps ashamed of bringing a bad friend, put his hand on his forehead and sighed. Moirin, on the other hand, laughed openly.

"Come on, Matthew and Moirin, please don't hesitate."

"Really, I'm sorry... Hmm!?"

The moment they took a bite, everyone's expression changed.

Garda ate mindlessly.

Matthew tasted each bite carefully.

Moirin savored it with a blissful expression.

Seeing the differences in their personalities, Jill felt a warm feeling.

Actually, this gazpacho was slightly adapted for someone with a hangover.

The original gazpacho is a cold soup made by blending tomatoes, other vegetables of your choice, bread, wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and garlic. However, Jill reduced the olive oil and completely omitted the garlic.

The reduction in oil made the dish less rich, but Jill added a small amount of sautéed onions to enhance the sweetness. She also added ginger and powdered chili pepper instead of garlic. While it lacked the strong, bold flavor, it was a rich and flavorful dish that could be enjoyed even with a weak stomach.

Furthermore, she used magic generously when blending and filtering the ingredients, resulting in a creamy texture that rivaled any restaurant.

"Master... this isn't something you should serve as a casual lunch."

Moirin said, clearly impressed.

"Hehe, I'll take that as a compliment. Now, I'll make the Peppe... I mean, the aglio e olio e peperoncino."

◆

Jill returned after about twenty minutes.

Penne all'arrabbiata was one of her specialties, and she prepared four servings efficiently.

In fact, it was the only dish she could make better than Conrad.

Jill had a unique technique that Conrad couldn't replicate.

However, that was also Jill's concern.

"Here, the penne all'arrabbiata is ready. ...By the way, is it really okay to serve just this, with no other ingredients?"

Jill placed the four plates, including her own, on the table while voicing her doubts.

"This is what you wanted. Just the penne all'arrabbiata."

"Well, you'll have to try it to find out if it's just penne all'arrabbiata."

"Huh? That's deep."

Jill didn't answer Garda's question, but smiled.

She also stopped Moirin, who tried to stand up and help with the serving.

She had originally planned to invite Moirin for tea today.

"Master, at least let me serve the drinks."

"Nope. You're a guest today. I'll have you help with formal dinners or tea parties."

"Come on, Moirin, just give up."

Matthew laughed and scolded Moirin.

Just as Moirin finally gave up, Jill clapped her hands.

"Let's have lunch then. Itadakimasu."

Jill raised her index and middle fingers of her right hand and moved them in a circular motion.

This gesture, common among the people of Algenes Island, signifies "itadakimasu." Food is like a cycle. It expresses gratitude for the opportunity to eat and a wish that no one goes hungry.

After the prayer, the four picked up their forks and began to eat.

"…This, this is..."

"No! It's definitely penne all'arrabbiata. But... what is this...!?"

"This is amazing... maybe even better than that restaurant..."

The quiet lunch suddenly became noisy the moment everyone took a bite.

Jill was surprised and looked at everyone's faces.

She had expected some surprise, but not this much.

"Is, is something wrong?"

"It's not bad, it's good!"

"Oh, r-right."

Jill was relieved by Garda's words and started eating her own portion.

For Jill, who was used to the dish, it was a comforting "yes, as usual" rather than a surprise.

She even envied the others' surprise.

"How did you make it taste like this...? It's a simple flavor of olive oil, chili pepper, and garlic. It's definitely penne all'arrabbiata. But it's so rich... the texture is different. Is it the oil?"

"Indeed. It clings to the pasta. It has a deep flavor without using any umami ingredients."

"I sometimes make it, but it never turns out this creamy... what's going on...?"

All three continued to eat with serious expressions, savoring each bite.

"Shelrand people have such refined palates..."

Jill recalled that a girl who had wandered in before was also very expressive.

She had a vague idea why.

Conrad had probably introduced various dishes to this town, and they had become part of the culture.

Garda, too, must have a special attachment to penne all'arrabbiata.

Thinking about this, she didn't mind being suddenly asked to cook.

"Are you curious?"

"Of course I'm curious... are you going to tell us?"

"It's fine. It's not a big secret."

"Huh?"

Jill's words left everyone speechless.

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