Extra Story:
Toppo, a Man with a Rich History
“IT’S DELICIOUS! I’VE NEVER HAD SUCH A DELICIOUS vichyssoise!” I exclaimed. Lord Kyros, who was sitting next to me, and the servants nodded.
To celebrate Kyros’s return, he and I were having dinner with the servants who weren’t busy at the moment—namely, Mio, Tunica, Thomas, Johan, and even Toppo, the head chef. The dining table was livelier than ever.
“This is from your homeland of Fralia, right, Toppo?” I asked. “The intense sweetness is very interesting.”
“I’ve had vichyssoise in Fralia before, but they don’t make it quite like this over there,” Lord Kyros said. “Toppo’s version is the best I’ve ever had.”
Toppo let out an adorable laugh at Lord Kyros’s comment. His large body shook as he wiggled in his seat and puffed his rosy cheeks.
“In addition to the pan-seared green onions, Toppo added a bit of regular onion and slowly sautéed it in butter to bring out the sweetness!” Toppo explained. Then he added, “If you keep praising Toppo, his cheeks will grow bigger!”
“I don’t think that’s how cheeks work,” Mio quipped. Of course, her misgivings weren’t stopping her from spooning up more and more of her soup.
Tunica, Thomas, and Johan also praised Toppo, who seemed very pleased. He was so elated, in fact, that he decided to share the almond jelly he’d made for his late-night snack with everyone. I’d never had it before, but it was apparently a Shainese dessert. Of course, it was delicious too!
“You’re amazing, Toppo,” I said. “You can make anything!”
“Tee-hee! Toppo has traveled through many countries before coming here. Toppo’s taste buds have recorded dishes from all over the world, as well as the local cuisine of Fralia.”
“Before you came here… Speaking of that, when did you start working in this castle, Toppo?” I asked.
“It’ll be twenty years soon.”
Whoa! That’s amazing! He’d probably been among those who had worked here the longest in that case.
Actually, many of the others seemed surprised too.
“It’s been that long?” one of the servants asked.
“Twenty years ago? That would be around the time when our lord was just starting to form memories,” another said.
“Say, why did you come to the Dilts Kingdom in the first place?” Tunica asked in between two spoonfuls of almond jelly. “Fralia is a country of gourmets, with a cuisine renowned the world over. Isn’t Dilts behind on that front?”
“Come to think of it, that’s a very good question,” Lord Kyros said. “I heard that, in Fralia, the chefs of the palace are given wealth comparable to counts. With your skills, you could have aimed for that position, right, Toppo?”
Everyone’s attention was on Toppo, and he knitted his brow, embarrassed. “Well, um… Toppo…fled. Toppo can’t ever go back there…”
Huh? Did he mean to say he was a refugee? Fralia was an advanced country where those who knew a trade could find work easy. I couldn’t see why he’d need to seek asylum elsewhere. Is he on the run from debtors?!
An unsettling silence came over the room until Toppo at last shook his head and declared, “It wasn’t Toppo’s fault! They just put Toppo’s name on the wanted list!”
“What do you mean, they ‘just’ put your name on the wanted list?!” I squealed.
“If Toppo goes back to the royal capital of Fralia, execution probably awaits him.”
“E-e-execution?!”
“But Toppo is okay,” he tried to assure us. “Madam Liu Liu helped Toppo out! And Toppo isn’t his real name.”
“Wait, you’ve been using a false name this whole time?!” Lord Kyros jumped to his feet with surprise.
A cacophony of alarmed chatter broke out in the dining room. I clearly wasn’t the only one who’d been caught off guard by this sudden revelation. Toppo, on the other hand, was perfectly calm, and he poured himself another cup of jasmine tea before sitting back down and having a casual sip.
Huh? Isn’t he going to share any of the details?! I’m so curious… But he looks like he doesn’t want to elaborate…
We all looked at one another in confusion. Finally, Mio sighed and spoke up. “Don’t you think this is a good opportunity to tell everyone about your past and your true identity?”
What incredible secrets has Toppo been keeping from everyone?!
Toppo closed his charming blue eyes for a moment to collect himself. When he opened them again, they’d been overcast by a dark shadow I’d never seen in them before. He removed his chef’s hat and set it down on the table, which gave me a better look at the lemon-yellow hair framing his face.
“You’re right… We’ve welcomed a new member to this family with the madam’s arrival, so perhaps the time has come—the time for me to share my story with all of you.”
I was already shocked enough by the sudden change in tone that I was bursting with questions, but I didn’t dare interrupt and instead listened closely.
With all eyes on him, Toppo started recounting his story calmly, “A long time ago, I was one of the chefs of the royal palace of Fralia…and the princess’s fiancé.”