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Reincarnated in Another World at the Age of 82!? - Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23
🕑 Added 2024-11-21 10:37:13 +0000 UTCTest (1)
Today’s weather is lovely, perfect for tea time on the terrace.
With Abe’s help, I carried everything to the terrace.
Clatter, clatter, clatter...
Pushing the cart like this makes me feel like one of those vendors on a bullet train~
“Tea, bento boxes, snacks, souvenirs—anyone?” I felt like calling out. By the way, why are those bullet train ice creams always so hard?
Thinking about such random things, I finally arrived at the terrace.
It was time for the test.
"Thank you for waiting. Today, I’ve made three types of cookies and some dried fruits."
"Hoh~ three kinds of cookies? That sounds delightful!"
"What’s dried fruit, I wonder?"
"This is Joanes first homemade cooking. I can’t wait to try it!!"
"Hurry, hurry!"
Ugh~ my heart is pounding!
"W-well, p-please enjoy."
"Hehe, Joan, you’re too nervous."
Mother chuckled, but I felt like my heart was about to leap out of my chest!
"Let’s start with the plain cookies. Crunch... Hmm, these are delicious. The butter is prominent, but they’re not too heavy."
"Yes, they’re very good."
"I could keep eating these forever."
"Tasty, yummy! I like these better than the ones sold in shops."
I’m so relieved. The basic plain cookies are a hit.
Next are the more unique ones—the tea-flavored and salted cheese cookies.
"And what about these cookies?"
"These have tea leaves mixed in."
"My, tea-flavored cookies? That’s a first for me."
"Same here. I’ve only ever thought of drinking tea, not eating it."
Crunch. "This is good. The sweetness of the cookie pairs nicely with the slight bitterness of the tea leaves."
"And the aroma of the tea that lingers as you eat is delightful."
"Mm, delicious!!"
"So tasty!"
I’m so happy! I was a little worried since it’s a flavor they hadn’t tried before.
"And finally, these are salted cheese cookies. They’re a bit saltier compared to the others."
"Salt and cheese in cookies? I can’t even imagine it."
Crunch. "This is amazing! It works great as a snack, but it would also pair well with alcohol."
"Indeed, I could see this going perfectly with wine."
"This is nice in its own way."
"This one’s my favorite! Jo, I want to take these back to the dorm!!"
"Hehe, alright. I’m glad you like them. I’ll have them ready for you and Brother Gene by tomorrow."
"“Yay!!”"
They even high-fived—they liked it that much~
Now for the dried fruits.
I hope they will enjoy them too...
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Test (2)
"Here are the dried fruits."
I arranged small portions of the grapes, oranges, blueberries, and bananas on a plate.
"So, these are dried fruits…? Just dried fruits? Isn’t that a mistake?"
"Can you even eat dried-up fruits?"
Neither Father nor Brother Gene seems convinced.
"Yes, of course, it’s not a mistake, and yes, they’re edible."
"Joan, what’s the point of drying fruit?"
Ah, good question, Mother.
"Well, by drying fresh fruit, the flavors and nutrients are concentrated, and they can be preserved for a long time. Depending on the type of fruit, it can also help prevent wrinkles, aging, and even be suitable for diets—"
"What? Wrinkles? Anti-aging? Diet-friendly?"
Wow, Mother practically lunged at the plate, her eyes glued to the dried fruits.
"Y-yes. For instance, brapes promote healthy skin, milanges help with fatigue recovery, pluberries reduce eye strain, and nababas are good for relieving constipation."
"”Fatigue recovery..." “
Father and Gray seem particularly interested in that part.
"Healthy skin!?"
Mother, you already look young enough, though...
"With this, my eye strain might improve. Maybe I can even ditch my glasses."
Brother Noel, you’re such a bookworm. But sadly, it only helps with fatigue; it won’t restore your eyesight.
"Constipation relief..."
Brother Gene, just like ulcers, that’s because of your lack of vegetables.
"Now, please try them."
Chew, chew. "”””!!!"”””
"This is delicious. Even though it’s dried, it’s perfectly moist and has a more concentrated flavor than when fresh."
"Healthy skin, healthy skin, healthy skin..."
Mother, you’re scaring me.
"I can eat these while reading books."
"Yum! The nababa is so crispy and tasty!!"
Does this mean I’ve passed?
"Phew. Joan, this is excellent. The cookies offered a variety of flavors, and the dried fruits are great as both snacks and accompaniments for drinks."
"Joan, you worked so hard to make all this. Every dried fruit was delicious."
"It was amazing, Jo. Not only is it handmade by my beloved little sister, but it’s also incredibly tasty. I’m so lucky."
Brother Noel, shouldn’t you be saying that to your girlfriend?
"Really, it was so good. Jo, can you make more cookies for tomorrow before I head to the academy? Oh, and I’d love some dried nababas, but… that’s probably impossible."
Brother Gene, just eat your vegetables.
He really shares Ruta’s (grandson) dislike for vegetables.
"Gene, of course, it’s impossible. The sun’s already setting, and there’s no way she can dry them that quickly."
Oh, right, I didn’t mention using my skill.
"Actually, um… I didn’t sun-dry these. I used my skill."
"WHAT~~~~!?"
"What do you mean, Joan?"
"How did you do it? How is that even possible?"
Brother Noel’s intensity is overwhelming.
"Ah, then I’ll show you. Please wait a moment."
I fetched a bunch of grapes from the pantry.
"Dry.… and it’s done."
"An extraordinary skill..."
Father has gone into full "Gendo pose" mode.
"Amazing, Joan! My sister is the best!!!"
Brother Noel, there’s no need to shout and stand up like that...
"So, Jo, can I have those dried nababas after all?"
"Yes, I’ll have them ready by tomorrow."
With both the cookies and dried fruits receiving rave reviews, our afternoon tea ended successfully. Father also gave me official permission to continue cooking.
Afterward, I mass-produced dried fruits for the family and the servants who had caught wind of the treats.
Little did anyone know, the dried fruits I made would lead to something much bigger down the line…
----------
Report
Afternoon tea had ended, and I hurried off to the kitchen.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter…
"Young lady! No running, please—wait up!"
Bang! I flung the kitchen doors open with all my might.
"”””Whoa!!!"”””
"I... I passed! They approved~~~ I’m allowed to cook again!"
"Oh, well done~ Young lady! I’ll teach you everything I know."
Abe patted Joan gently on the head as he spoke. Despite his stern look, he was incredibly kind.
Hug.
"Congratulations, Young lady. I’m so happy for you."
Arthur warmly embraced me as he congratulated me, but… Abe smacked him.
"Young lady, we can cook together again, can’t we? That makes me so happy!"
Annie smiled as she gently squeezed my hand, making me feel even more grateful.
"I’ll keep training you rigorously, Young lady!"
"Yes, Master. I’m counting on you."
"Haah, haah… Young lady, I told you no running! You’ll get scolded by Mr. Gray!"
"Ah! S-sorry! I won’t run anymore, so please don’t tell Gray!"
I definitely don’t want to be reprimanded by Gray.
"”””Ahahaha~”””"
---
—Meanwhile, in Stanley’s office.
"Hey, am I the only one who thinks Joan’s changed?"
Chomp, chomp. "No, Stan, I feel the same. She’s different from before. She doesn’t throw tantrums or demand things anymore."
Chomp, chomp. "It’s not just that. Her attitude toward us, and the servants has changed too. She says thank you and even bows her head now. Before, she treated everything we did as a given."
Chomp, chomp. "Exactly. Ever since she fainted during the baptism ceremony, something about her has been different. Though… it feels like a positive change. But where did she even learn about cookies and dried fruits that even we didn’t know about?"
Chomp, chomp. "Sarah said she claimed to have learned it from books, but our mansion’s library doesn’t have anything like that. You haven’t bought any, have you?"
Chomp, chomp. "Nope."
Chomp, chomp. "And don’t you think her way of speaking has changed? She used to say ‘watashi,’ but now it’s more casual. And she always says ‘Itadakimasu’ before meals."
Chomp, chomp. "True. What’s with that ‘Itadakimasu’ thing anyway? Let’s keep an eye on her for now."
Chomp, chomp. "Agreed. Let the staff know to report anything unusual about her. Please, Gray."
"Understood, Madam."
"But Maggie, aren’t you eating too much?"
"Well, it’s for my skin! Plus, it’s supposed to help with constipation. I can’t not eat it, can I? Besides, you two are eating nonstop too—especially the milanges . How tired are you both trying to look?"
"I mean, we are tired. Right, Gray?"
"Don’t involve me. I wouldn’t be so exhausted if you and Stan just got your work done. Having said that… get back to it, you two!"
This trio—Stanley, Margaret, and Gray—had a unique dynamic. Stanley and Margaret were nobles, while Gray was a commoner. Stanley and Gray had been childhood friends and remained close. They’d even fought alongside each other in expeditions as part of monster-slaying and magic units, with Margaret also part of their circle. They were comrades-in-arms.
So while they maintained formal roles in public, in private, they reverted to their old ways, speaking and acting as old friends.
----------
Making Dinner (1)
"Wow, this is really great news, Young lady.”
Abe said, sharing in my joy as if it were his own.
"Yes, and it’s all thanks to everyone here."
"Not at all. None of us would’ve thought of things like tea-flavored cookies, salted cheese cookies, or dried fruits."
"But still, I’m grateful you let me use the kitchen so willingly."
"Fair enough. How about we let you pick what’s for dinner tonight?"
"Yay! In that case, can I make something I want to cook?"
"What can you make?"
"Let me take a look in the fridge and pantry first, okay?"
"Sure thing. Annie, show her around."
Arthur and Ben were on their break, leaving only Abe and Annie in the kitchen with me.
I started with the fridge. Though called a fridge, it was more like a small cold storage room.
"Let’s see... meat... there’s pork and chicken. Eggs, ham, bacon, sausages—oh, shrimp too! Annie, where is the vegetable section?"
"Young lady, no need to use formal speech with me! The vegetables are over here. Root veggies are in the pantry."
"Really? Thanks, Annie."
(Search) Tometo, cyabbage, lettusi... (The names here are so close yet so off, just like with the fruits...)”
"Young lady, what are you planning to make?"
I’d love to be called by my name too, but a lady and a servant can’t break that barrier, can they? Being called “Young lady” just feels like a wall between us.
"Well, after checking the pantry, I was thinking of making tonkatsu, salad, and shrimp soup."
"Tonkatsu? What’s that?"
"It’s pork coated in breadcrumbs and fried."
"Breadcrumbs? What’s that?"
"... I’ll show you when we start cooking."
We moved to the pantry to scout more ingredients.
(Search) Jagato, carrojin, tamaon... (At this point, the name differences are just funny.)
Alright, I’ve decided.
"You’re going with the tonkatsu you mentioned earlier?"
"Yep. Tonkatsu, jagato salad, and shrimp soup."
"Alright, let’s let the head chef know."
"Mr. Abe, I’ll make tonkatsu, gagato salad, and shrimp soup for dinner... err, if that is okay."
I nearly slipped into casual speech with Abe because I’d been talking casually with Annie.
"Young lady, you don’t need to use formal speech with me either. I don’t use it with you, do I? Haha!"
"Alright, thanks, Mr. Abe."
"Sure thing. So, what’s this tonkatsu thing? I’ve never heard of it."
"Well, it’s pork coated in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, then fried. Oh, breadcrumbs are just crushed pieces of bread."
"Huh. Well, if you know how to make it, I trust you... but is it good?"
"Of course, it’s delicious!"
I could say that with confidence. I bet Abe, who seems to like hearty meals, would love it.
"Ahaha, alright then. Let’s do it."
“"Ohh~!!””
Annie and I shared a laugh.
"Oh, Young lady!"
"Hey, what’s all the fun about here?"
Arthur and Ben had returned, so we all got to work together on making dinner.
