“And that is how Toppo found himself in this castle.”
You could hear a pin drop by the time Toppo finished his story. We’d all been gathered around him and listening with rapt attention.
“Um, so… How do I put this…?”
“I’m not sure what to comment on first either…”
“Oh, let me have a go. ‘Bartolomeo’? Seriously?” Tunica jabbed.
“I’m more curious about the reason behind his fake name. Why Toppo?” Mio added.
The servants were continuing to whisper to one another, but I let out an impressed hum and said, “What an amazing story! There’s more to people than meets the eye, huh?”
“Lady Marie, please don’t tell me you believed that ridiculous tale,” Mio said.
Huh? Why are they all staring at me now? “W-was there something strange about it?”
“Every single part of the story was strange,” Mio said. “I can believe he might have been a chef in the palace, but the rest makes no sense. Besides, the person in his story had an entirely different personality than the Toppo we know.”
“She’s right. And there’s no way his name is Bartolomeo,” Tunica reiterated.
“Y-you think so? But…I was in tatters just a month ago, and now I’m about to marry a count. People’s lives can change in the most unexpected of ways, so you never know…”
“There’s no way,” the two said in unison, shaking their heads with impressive synchronization.
I-is that so?
“Hmph! Toppo didn’t lie!”
Hmm… I looked to Lord Kyros, but he was eating his almond jelly nonchalantly. Since I had no idea what he thought of Toppo’s story, I decided to ask for his opinion.
“Well… There were a couple parts that made me raise an eyebrow, but I think we can at least all agree that he was most likely very popular with the ladies,” Lord Kyros reasoned. “After all, he’s gotten you to let your guard down around him, yet you still won’t with me…”
“She’s just wary of you specifically, my lord,” Tunica clarified.
Lord Kyros pressed his head against the table and groaned.
Mio nodded. “I think the part about him being able to use a sword is true. The way he moves shows he can fight. As for the rest? I have my doubts.”
“Who cares about the sword fight?” Tunica interjected. “What matters is what he looks like.”
“The way he spoke was totally different too,” Thomas added. “The Bartolomeo I picture even has a different voice.”
“And he is not called Bartolomeo,” Tunica insisted.
Toppo winked and stuck out his tongue. “Toppo might have put on a little bit of weight since coming to Dilts.”
“Did you do all that in another dimension? Like, you died once, got reincarnated into a world where bread flies and people fight in the sky, and then found your way here?” Tunica asked. I wasn’t sure I understood how she thought the world worked.
There was no way to verify Toppo’s story, but I didn’t think it mattered either way. If he had lied, it probably just meant there were things he wanted to hide about his past. I didn’t want to pry beyond what he was ready to share; I was simply grateful for what he had decided to share.
“Thank you, Toppo,” I said.
“What for?”
“For coming to this castle. It’s thanks to you we get to eat delicious meals every day. Regardless of the circumstances that brought you here, I’m very thankful.”
Toppo’s expression, lemon-yellow eyebrows and all, softened into a warm smile. “Toppo is happy too,” he answered. “Toppo gets to use a great variety of ingredients and has learned so many recipes from all over the world. Every day is a chance to learn something new, and Toppo enjoys that very much. Toppo will do his best to become even better at cooking! And Toppo will be even happier if you all find the new dishes he comes up with tasty!”
Toppo’s beaming grin surprised the rest of the servants, but they all smiled right back. His background didn’t matter—what mattered was that Toppo was here now, and that he seemed happy. That was more than enough.
The first to speak amid this soft, happy atmosphere was Mio. “I still really wonder what prompted you to choose that name. What does Toppo mean?” she asked.
Toppo lifted his plump index finger—which resembled a bread roll—and wagged it from left to right before replying, “Heh heh! That’s a secret!”