“How is that? Does it feel good?” she asked me.
“Feels amazing... Your ears are so soft and fluffy, Tigaro. They’re appealing enough for me to want to keep petting them forever.”
“P-Pet them forever, huh? Does that mean...that you want to always be together?”
“Of course I’d like to always be together. Wow, Tigaro. Your ears really are the best...”
“R-Really? If... If you say so, Kaito, I wouldn’t mind staying by your side...” Tigaro said. She turned her face, now bright red, downward. Seeing how much I was enjoying her ears, Oltea and Frieze enviously joined us on the bed.
“You can touch my ears however much you want too, you know,” Oltea said.
“You like mine too, right, Kaito?” Frieze asked.
“Yes, I love both of your ears. Can I pet them?”
“Of course,” they each said in turn, happily nodding their heads. I rubbed their ears, alternating between each set now available to me. Ahh, if only I had three hands, I thought to myself. If I did, I would be able to touch the ears on all three of their heads at the same time...
As I was enjoying the lovely moment, someone’s stomach made a little growl. Oltea, finding the noise amusing, let out a chuckle.
“That was quite the noise. Who was that?” she said.
“N-Not me, but...?” said Oltea.
“It was me...” An embarrassed Frieze raised her hand. “Actually, to tell the truth, we came in here to ask Kaito if he wanted to get some food with us.”
“Aah, so that’s why you were wandering around in the hallway,” I said. Frieze had been the first one shown to her room, so she didn’t know which chambers the rest of us had been assigned. Oltea must have retrieved her and shown her the way here when she decided to come to my room.
I was pretty hungry myself. We’d prepared for the long trip with a hearty breakfast but hadn’t yet eaten anything for lunch. The sun was sinking in the sky; we probably had about one hour left before it set. It was too late for lunch and slightly too early for dinner. No matter which way you sliced it, eating right now would be a bit of a half measure. Even so, there could be no abandoning Frieze to her hunger.
“Well, shall we go and eat, then?” I said.
“If we’re having a meal, I think we should have Monstro cook it for us,” Tigaro said as we all stood up from the bed. “He said he’d show us hospitality, right? Food is just about all he’s capable of in that area.”
“Is Monstro’s cooking good?” Frieze asked. Tigaro reacted to her expression of interest with a muddled expression that reflected her mixed feelings.
“I don’t like Monstro at all, but even I’ve got to admit that he’s a good cook. That’s the one thing about him I do like. Sometimes there’s leftovers from the dish he serves to that old man Beelzé, and while it’s not food made for me...it’s really delicious. There were even times when some of the maids cried tasting his food because it’s so good.”
“Food that’s so good it can make you cry...”
“I would absolutely love to try a taste of that...”
Oltea and Frieze were both now desperately curious to try the man’s cooking. Listening to Tigaro’s answer had made me hungrier and hungrier the more she spoke. And then, as if on cue:
Knock, knock came the sound of someone’s knuckles on the door.
“Come in,” I said, and Chestnut opened it.
“Ah, so this is where you all were. Preparations are complete for tonight’s meal. Your presence has been requested in the dining room,” she said.
“Yes, I’ve been waiting to hear that!” said Frieze, her voice buoyant with anticipation. Together, we made for the first-floor dining room.
An appetizing scent was in the air as we entered the dining room to see the night’s meal lined up on a lengthy table. Tender-looking steak, generously garnished salad, vividly green potage, a beautiful arrangement of fruits bursting with color—
“This all looks delicious!”
“It’s incredible!”
Just seeing all the gourmet cuisine on offer, stuff we’d never find in the cheap food halls we frequented, put Oltea and Frieze in high spirits. They immediately took their seats, grabbed their forks and knives, and gazed out at the spread with stars in their eyes.
Monstro was watching them from the corner of the dining room. One would have expected a chef in his position to feel blessed, but, on the contrary, Monstro wore a pained, bitter expression while he took in the scene. It was difficult to understand why he would look the way he did while his work was receiving praise... Was he just tired?
“Monstro, did you make all of this yourself?” I asked.
“Yes, I am responsible for all of the cooking here,” Monstro replied.
“Making so much food every single day must be quite the burden.”
“Even if I had a mind to, preparing food is the one task I am unable to entrust anyone else with.”
Hybrids, unable to use magic, would certainly have a harder time making use of a kitchen. Even so, that obstacle could be overcome by hiring humans. The fact that he was unwilling to do even that suggested an obsessive particularity with the quality of his food.
“Please, enjoy it while it’s hot. I hope it suits your tastes...”
“Well, it certainly looks delicious!” said Frieze.
“Let’s dig right in!” said Oltea.
“Absolutely. Let’s eat!” I said, putting my palms together. I decided to start with the meat. When I slid my knife through the steak, it parted gently, requiring no pressure to cut. I put a piece in my mouth and it melted atop my tongue. It was exquisitely seasoned, and before I even knew it, I was on my second bite.
“This is remarkably delicious...” I said.
“This one is excellent too,” Oltea said. Taking her recommendation, I tried a bite of the potage. Is this...spinach soup? I thought. It was creamy, with a velvety smooth texture and none of the bitterness that usually comes with spinach. The rich, mellow flavor filled my mouth as I ate.
“Tiga was eating food like this every single day...” Frieze said.
“She led a life of tremendous luxury, didn’t she?” Oltea said.
“Well...at least as far as food was concerned, sure. You don’t normally get to have food this good,” Tigaro said, savoring a spoonful of potage. She seemed to genuinely enjoy Monstro’s cooking even though she hated him personally. Her mouth curled into a smile and she murmured, “It’s so good...” in a small voice.
Tigaro wouldn’t be convinced to return to the mansion, but Monstro’s hospitality had nonetheless been a great success. One would think seeing it all come together would have him smiling, but his expression remained downcast. His cooking was being praised to no end, so why hadn’t he shown even a hint of pleasure since our arrival? Perhaps, I thought, it had to do with his poor health.
“Is something wrong?” I asked after a pause.
“A-Ah, no. Nothing. Oh, right, there is wine as well,” he said.
“Ooh, there’s wine too? I’d absolutely love to try some!” Oltea said.
“I’ll take you up on that!” said Frieze.
“Don’t you two have your Great Forest survey tomorrow?” Tigaro pressed them. Reminded by her inquiry, they both looked a bit dejected at the thought.
“Monstro went through all this work to prepare everything for us. We ought to enjoy some of the drinks. It’ll be fine,” I said. The only person who would be going out on the survey tomorrow was me. I’d stealthily use Cure Beam on myself before leaving, rendering the potential hangover a nonissue.
“If you say so, Kaito!” said Frieze.
“If I’ve got the okay, then I’m drinking!” said Oltea.
Their voices were buoyant with excitement at the knowledge they’d be allowed to drink.