“I hunted this deer myself just a little while ago,” the duke said proudly. “The meat’s still fresh, so enjoy to your heart’s content.”
We were at the dinner table. The main dish of the night was deer sauté, and indeed, the steam rising from it was enticing, the smell mouthwatering. Before even tasting it, I could tell it was going to be delicious. Suzume’s and Seele’s eyes were both sparkling as they gawked at the food. It seemed the two were more partial to meat than I’d expected.
Many other dishes were lined up on the table as well. Sheep stew from the duke’s own personal livestock, steamed and seasoned shellfish from the waters of Ad Astera, a medley of trout from Lake Toya and in-season vegetables, a red-meat oriental melon with walnut sauce, and much more. Perhaps the bread had been made with some super high-quality wheat, because it was gleaming white like a jewel. The soup looked plain but was packed with so much flavor from the broth of the vegetables that I’d probably never get tired of eating it.
There had been luxurious food at the royal palace during the banquet after the recognition ceremony, but it had been too extravagant for my palate. This food, however, had clearly been prepared to fit a commoner’s tastes. I guessed they normally probably had five-course meals with an appetizer, soup, fish, meat, and dessert, but they had probably limited it tonight so as not to intimidate their guests. “Enjoy to your heart’s content,” the duke had said, and I was certainly grateful for his hospitality. They’d even been thoughtful enough to prepare vegetarian options for Lunamaria. It was no wonder they were such a highly regarded family in Kanaria.
And so, amid feelings of anticipation and awe, our evening meal began. Everyone, including me, enjoyed the food with relish. The bread and stew were delicious together, and the walnut sauce on the melon was so good it was almost criminal, causing me to reflexively murmur in approval. Beside me, Suzume heard and nodded vigorously in agreement. Once her plate was empty, she stared wistfully at it, as though hoping food would magically appear on it again. We’d been instructed to eat our fill, but it seemed the demonkin found calling the maids over for seconds too high of a hurdle. I sympathized with her, so I raised my hand to summon a maid—when the sharp sound of tableware shattering on the floor rang out through the dining room.
I turned to look in the direction of the noise. Claudia was doubled over onto the table, holding her chest in pain. At her feet were the shattered remains of a porcelain plate and the shellfish dish that had been resting upon it.
“Clau?!” Astrid, who’d been sitting next to her, leaped up to help her sister with a pale face. The duke and the maids wore anxious expressions as well.
“S-Sorry...” Claudia said in a weak, trembling voice, addressing everyone at the table. “M-My hand...just slipped a little... Agh!”
But before she could finish speaking, her thin body jolted upward as she let out a cry of pain. Then it happened a second time. Then a third and fourth. She tried to cover her mouth in desperation, but moans of intense pain and agony leaked through her fingers all the same.
At the sight of this, Astrid’s face became paler, and she tried to lift her sister off her chair, perhaps intending to bring her back to her room. But before her hand could touch her...
“Guh...guhhhh...” Claudia’s body bent forward at a ninety-degree angle, and a strained scream issued from her throat. That was probably her last effort to resist the pain that had suddenly assaulted her. But her resistance was hopelessly crushed, because in the next moment, her subdued scream became a full-blown, earsplitting shriek.
“GAAAAHHH! IT HURTS, IT HURTS, PLEASE, MAKE THE PAIN STOOOP!”
“Clau! Claudia! Please, get a hold of yourself!”
“AAAAAGGGHHH!”