Something smelled good. And spicy.
I’d dozed off, but the fragrance pulled me back to consciousness. My eyelids fluttered.
“Ah, Evelyn, you’re awake,” Lady Mamaropa said. “Did you sleep well?”
“Fwyeah,” I mumbled with a yawn.
My memory felt a bit hazy.
Um... Right, so we met Lady Europa’s mother at the lake, then it started raining, so she let us take shelter in her tent...
Quite some time must’ve passed since then, as it’d grown completely dark outside. I couldn’t hear the rain anymore; it must have stopped at some point.
Lady Mamaropa’s cream-colored tent was quite spacious and solidly built too. The attached tarp had done an excellent job of fending off the elements. I remembered borrowing a chair that had been sitting under the tarp—I must’ve fallen asleep on it.
Wow, what a wonderful smell, I thought, sniffing the air.
My eyes snapped open. I recognized that enchanting smell! That knowledge knocked the sleepiness right out of me.
“It’s nothing special,” she said as she placed a pot onto a stove made of stacked stones, where it began to simmer. “It’s hard to make anything elaborate outdoors...”
It’s curry!
I gazed longingly at the bubbling pot. I’d only eaten curry once, when it was served for dinner back at the Manilas estate. It was a delicious stew, made with expensive spices. Since I wasn’t good with spicy food, Mr. Ruto, the family’s private chef, had prepared a mild roux specially for me.
Now that incredibly appetizing aroma was wafting through the air, overwhelming the scents of rain and earth. My mouth was watering. I swallowed.
“I made curry using spices imported from Tarinyan,” Lady Mamaropa explained as she ladled some of the roux onto a plate to taste it. “I’m not good at hunting, so I procured meat, vegetables, and rice from a village at the foot of the mountain. I also used mushrooms and wild herbs I foraged from the woods.”
Her posture was impeccable. Her profile was sharp. Her apron, worn over her gown, was frilly. I was simply overwhelmed by how elegant and smooth a noblewoman could be even while doing something as menial as cooking.
Kira poked his head out from inside the tent. He was wearing a frilly apron too—probably borrowed from Lady Mamaropa. Cute...
“Hey, the salad’s done,” he announced.
“Thank you, Kira,” Lady Mamaropa said. “Could you bring it to the table?”
“Sure.”
As I watched their exchange, it hit me—I’ve just been snoozing this whole time!
I’d been sleeping peacefully while Lady Mamaropa and Kira were cooking!
“I-I’m so sorry,” I stammered, about ready to prostrate myself before them. “I was out like a light while you two were hard at work!”
It’s just... It’s just...!
It might sound like an excuse, but this space was just so calming. The sounds of raindrops bouncing off the tarp, the pot bubbling, the veggies being cut... Listening to all that had made me drowsy, and I’d ended up flopping onto the chair and passing out.
“You must’ve been tired,” Lady Mamaropa said, gently shaking her head. “I hope you were able to rest a bit.”
“She was definitely beat,” Kira agreed.
I shrank back. I mean, it’s true I barely slept...
Fighting with Lord Theodore had been a first for me. Last night, my annoyance at him for not understanding me had mixed with my guilt over my own unpleasant attitude, and before I knew it, the world had grown bright outside my window.
“Besides, I was getting a bit bored camping alone,” Lady Mamaropa continued. “Kira helped me with cooking, and having you sleeping peacefully nearby made me happy.”
She’s on a whole other level...!
Her words had made me bashful. I was so flattered! Even though all I’d done was sleep...
Lady Mamaropa lightly clapped her hands and said, “Now, the rice is done as well, so let’s have dinner! Tonight we’re having mushroom-and-lamb curry!”
“Mushroom-and-lamb curry!” I echoed excitedly. I couldn’t resist the siren’s call of food. I loved mushrooms and I loved lamb.
Lady Mamaropa’s gaze softened, and she ladled a generous serving of curry onto a plate piled high with rice.
“We have plenty more if you want seconds,” she said.
“Thank you so much!” I exclaimed.
On the table, illuminated by lamplight, three plates of curry were neatly arranged along with a colorful salad and various small side dishes.
“Enjoy your food, everyone.”
The steaming curry was practically begging to be eaten. I scooped some up with a wooden spoon and brought it to my lips.
“!!!”
The curry, infused with the umami of sautéed meat and vegetables, danced mellowly on my tongue. Such depth of flavor, and yet such simplicity! Everything converged into a single point of deliciousness. This was what comfort food was all about.
“It’s amazing!” I said.
The curry I’d eaten at the estate had been great. This mushroom-and-lamb curry was equally great. They were both impeccably great!
“It’s sooo amazing, Lady Mamaropa!” I insisted.
How frustrating that my vocabulary was too limited to convey my emotions! Nevertheless, I wanted to express my heartfelt appreciation.
Lady Mamaropa chuckled. “I’m glad it’s to your taste.”
“And Kira, your salad is great too!”
“All I did was chop up vegetables,” Kira muttered with a scoff.
Still, the rabbit-shaped apple pieces arranged on the edge of the plate were so cute that his tsundere act had zero credibility.
“Since you’re both still young, I erred on the side of mildness,” Lady Mamaropa explained.
“I appreciate it!” I said. Even though I’m actually twenty-eight years old!
But I was genuinely grateful for the mild seasoning.
“If you’d like it spicier, try adding just a little bit of this wild herb,” she suggested.
“Can I?” asked Kira, who liked spicy food.
“Yes, absolutely.”
He immediately picked up the jar of chopped wild herbs.
After swallowing, I asked Lady Mamaropa, “Do you cook often?”
“Yes, both savory foods and sweets,” she replied. “Not many noblewomen in this country would work in a kitchen, but I enjoy the change of pace.”
“Wow, you make sweets too?” I asked, impressed.
She was such an outstanding woman! I had nothing but respect for her.
Lady Mamaropa looked up, as if seeing the sky through the tarp. “I can only make curry like this thanks to Saint Evelyn.”
I choked hard.
“Drink this,” Kira said, handing me a glass of water.
Thank you, Kira! I thought as I gulped it down.
“Here,” he said, handing me a handkerchief.
I love you, Kira! I thought as I vigorously wiped my lips with the white cloth.
“What do you mean by ‘thanks to Saint Evelyn,’ Lady Mamaropa?” I asked.
“It’s thanks to her that trade with Tarinyan is flourishing,” she explained. “She was cleansing the miasma from not only Snasile but Tarinyan as well. I hear the number of demon appearances there has been steadily declining.”
“I-I see,” I stammered. My identity seemed safe, so I breathed a sigh of relief.
“The prices of spices are also gradually dropping. The day when they become commonly available isn’t far off. But that’s one more thing that I fear may go awry if my Europa isn’t carrying out her duties...”
“I think you don’t need to worry. Lady Europa’s power is truly astounding.”
Her magical power was, in fact, stronger than mine. I hadn’t heard any stories of demons appearing around the capital or Semme, so she had to be diligently seeing to her prayer rituals daily.
“It reassures me to hear you say that,” Lady Mamaropa said, her eyes crinkling in a warm smile. “By the way, are your parents devout followers of Evelynity?”
Thanks to my popularity, the number of people in Snasile named Evelyn had increased dramatically in recent years. It was only natural that Lady Mamaropa would assume I might be one of them.
I don’t even know what “Evelynity” is like.
All I knew was that Lady Europa had made a name for herself as the foremost devotee of that religion.
“Um, right, yes. Perhaps so...”
My eyes darted around nervously. As long as there was even a sliver of a chance that Lady Mamaropa might transform into a monster like Lady Europa, I didn’t want to reveal my true identity.
But, as far as I could tell, Lady Mamaropa was indeed an upstanding lady.
Maybe she has no interest in me whatsoever!
Was I perhaps being overly wary? Plus, considering how nice she’d been to me, it seemed rude to hide my identity.
I decided to probe a little. “Lady Europa claimed she was the commanding general of the saint’s groupie honor guard,” I said. “What about you, Lady Mamaropa? Are you interested in such things?”
“Well, I have a weak constitution, and...joining my daughter in the honor guard, at my age, would be rather embarrassing.”
My eyes sparkled. Lady Mamaropa didn’t seem interested in me! In that case, perhaps I should come clean?
Wait.
Lady Mamaropa had placed her spoon on her plate and her cheeks had grown bright red as though she had a fever. Her condition was clearly abnormal. Was she going to pass out again?
“Lady Mamaropa?” I called out, panicked.
“But...”
Ah. I’d been entirely mistaken.
Lady Mamaropa, with glistening eyes, lowered her long eyelashes. Her lips trembled slightly.
“You see, I...adore Saint Evelyn just as much as my daughter does!”
She wore the pure and innocent expression of a maiden confessing her first love.
She... She’s so cute!
I could hear the arrow piercing through my heart. Perhaps it was rude to think of a lady older than myself as cute, but can you blame me? Lady Mamaropa was simply adorable.
Flushed with embarrassment, Lady Mamaropa brought her hands to her cheeks. “I-I feel as though I’ve confessed to you, Evelyn. I’m so sorry!”
“Oh, not at all!”
I wished she wouldn’t apologize. The flutter in my heart was priceless.
“O-Oh! My, it’s so late already,” she said. “Please, stay the night.”
“I wouldn’t want to impose—”
“I told you, I enjoy having you both here. I’d like to keep camping together forever.”
Her words hit me right in the feelings. She’s such a kind person...
Lady Mamaropa’s kindness was akin to the gentle flame of a candle—lighting up the surroundings and seeping into the observer’s heart.
“Your guardians must be worried,” she said. “Hopefully you can return home tomorrow.”
“Ah, yes...”
“Now, Evelyn, shall we resume our meal? Eat as much as you like. Grow big and strong.”
“Ah, yes...”
The curry’s flavor really soaked into my very being. And then again. And then again. Three times on account of the three helpings I had.
It was good, okay?!