Chapter 3: A Trial at Magic School?!
A rapping on my window and the loud, energetic chirping of birds stirred me from my slumber.
“Mm…” I groaned.
I rolled over in bed, unable to get up, when the rapping turned into pounding. A bird was using its wings to get my attention.
“Okay, okay, I’m getting up…” I grumbled.
I slowly sat up, grabbed a bit of rye bread from a table nearby, and blearily opened the window. Colorful birds had gathered on the windowsill. I outstretched my arm, but no bird was friendly enough to land on me for a little chat, as I’d often seen depicted in fairy tales.
To be fair, I wasn’t all that popular with animals in my past life, so I guess this is the harshness of reality, I thought. That reminds me of that young man I spotted in Vizer’s courtyard and at Marquess Leviathan’s house surrounded by squirrels… He must be so happy to be surrounded by furry friends… I started to grow envious of him.
Unfortunately, animals not being naturally drawn to me was one thing out of my control. I felt a bit hollow inside as I tore off pieces of rye bread and scattered them on the ground. The birds happily pecked away at my offering. I actually had a deal with these birds. They’d wake me up every morning in exchange for some bread. They were smart enough to take requests, such as waking me up by the crack of dawn or when the sun was rather high in the sky. I lovingly called them my alarm clock subscription service.
Since I wasn’t confident I could wake up on my own, we had a monthly agreement. And they’re really useful. I think I’ll subscribe next month, too.
“Mm!” I groaned as I stretched my limbs. Gem copied me and used its two appendages to stretch too. “Thank you for being my bed last night, Gem,” I said. “Was I too heavy for you? Was it uncomfortable?”
Its round body jiggled happily as though to tell me it was all right.
“Thanks to you, I slept very well,” I said, petting its body.
Gem flickered happily, and I loved to see it. I went to brush my teeth and wash my face. The water was cold in the morning, and the iciness made me nearly cry out, but I endured the biting temperature. After I put on a thin layer of makeup, I tied my hair up with a ribbon, and I was ready for the day.
My stomach growled, so I decided to prepare some breakfast. Professor Whipp had ingredients prepared for me, so I had no shortage of food. I could eat at the cafeteria, but it cost money, and that was an expense I didn’t want. It was far cheaper to cook for myself every day. Bread was also readily available at the school store, but I heard rumors that it was expensive and hard to buy—everyone went nuts for it. I’ll just have a nice, relaxing breakfast here.
I peeled some potatoes, chopped them up into thin slices, and placed them in water. While I boiled some macaroni, I decided to make tomato sauce. All I needed to do was put a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot and add some diced tomatoes. Once they were cooked, I added bacon, diced chili peppers, and chopped oregano from the garden. After the tomatoes were stewed into a watery paste, I added salt and pepper to taste. I actually wanted to add plenty of garlic cloves as well, but since I had classes later in the day, I had to hold back—I didn’t want to reek of garlic. I ladled some boiled macaroni into my sauce, and I was done.
I took out my potatoes, removed the excess water, and dusted them with potato starch. I had a pan with plenty of oil and thinly laid the potatoes to fry them until they were golden brown, turning them over every now and then. And with that, my potato galettes were done. I could sprinkle some salt over them if I wished, and if I added some baguette slices, I’d have an extravagant breakfast.
I would’ve loved to have some soup on the side, but there weren’t any consommé cubes in this world, and I didn’t have time to make stock in the morning before classes. I happily poured a cup of tea, eager to eat, when the birds outside began to tweet and chirp loudly again. Confused, I opened the door and saw an uneasy Prince Rena standing there, surrounded by the birds.
“Oh, good morning,” I said.
“Good morning, Misha,” she replied.
I asked if anything was the matter, and she said that she was waiting for me so that we could head to class together.
“I came early so that I wouldn’t get surrounded by the usual people,” Prince Rena said.
I wondered if that was the proper thing to do, but Prince Rena beamed proudly and triumphantly—I didn’t wish to rain on her parade. Maybe she thought of them more as guards or watchdogs, and I could see how exhausting it would be being surrounded by people like that all the time.
“I see,” I said. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Nope.”
“Then would you like to join me?”
The prince shook her head.
“Why not?” I asked. “You won’t have energy if you don’t eat breakfast. Or are you not hungry?”
Prince Rena’s stomach growled in response to my question.
“Looks like your body can’t lie,” I laughed.
“Er, well…” the prince muttered. Her face turned bright scarlet with embarrassment as she quietly said, “Recently, the more I eat, the bigger my chest gets, so…”
“Well, of course. You’re still growing. Skipping a breakfast or two won’t stop your body from maturing, so I suggest you give in.” I took the prince’s arm and dragged her into my house. The tea was just about ready anyway. “Do you have any dislikes or allergies?”
“None,” Prince Rena replied.
“Thank goodness.”
I was glad that I fried more potato galettes than usual. I had enough for her share, and I gave her plenty of macaroni as well. There was some whipped butter for the baguette, too.
“Think you can eat this?” I asked.
“Yeah, this looks scrumptious,” she replied as she glanced around the cabin.
“Is anything the matter?”
“I wondered if you had a dorm parent or something.”
“Nope, just me.”
“Then did you make this meal yourself, Misha?”
“I did.”
I’d never cooked just for myself in this world before, but I still retained my memories from my past life and made do.
“Go on, dig in,” I urged.
“R-Right.”
She looked quite troubled, and I wondered if something was still on her mind. Wait, I didn’t taste-test it yet!
“I’ll take a bite first!” I told her. “I assure you it’s not poisoned or anything!”
“N-No, I’m not worried about that,” she rushed to assure me. “This is the first time I’m eating a meal that a friend made. I’m just a bit…moved.”
“Oh? Well, I’m glad you think that way!”
She still sat there, frozen, so I decided to take a bite first. The macaroni was nicely boiled and had picked up a lot of sauce. Delicious! Prince Rena saw me eat and took a forkful of macaroni too.
“This is delicious!” she echoed my thoughts perfectly.
“It is, isn’t it?” I replied.
Apparently, whenever she ate, someone would always taste-test to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. By the time the meal was ready to serve, it was cold.
“I didn’t think piping hot meals were this delicious and satisfying,” she said.
“I’m glad it suits your tastes,” I said happily.