Shomin no Aji - Chapter 645, 646, 647

All that effort up until now... What was it for? (Self-inflicted)
I can’t just pull an apron out of my inventory as usual, so I asked the Head Chef to fetch a spare one from the room we usually use for meetings.

After all, it’s best to keep my rare inventory ability a secret from people of other nations.

Quickly donning the apron, I turn to face Idika.

“Well then, shall we give it a try?”
“Alright, what should I do?”

… Wait, Prince Kaldor, why are you rolling up your sleeves and standing beside me?

“Prince Kaldor, could I ask you to take a seat over there?”

When I gesture to the table and chair I had prepared, Prince Kaldor shakes his head.

“No, if I’m going to be present, I should at least help out somehow.”

Prince Kaldor’s initial impression wasn’t great, but now that I’m speaking to him normally, he seems surprisingly reasonable.
Still, I can’t very well treat a guest, let alone a royal guest, like a servant...

“But...”
“I told you not to worry about that, didn’t I? I won’t be offended, so really, feel free to put me to work.”
“I wouldn’t dream of making you work...”
“Oh, I’ll just enjoy the breakfast I missed, then?”

While I was being caught off guard, Tika-san casually took a seat and started eating the breakfast laid out on the table.
Hey, attendant! Aren’t you being a little too relaxed!?

“Tika, really... Well, I did send you out early this morning. In exchange, I’ll work you hard later.”
“No way, I already get worked hard all the time! Oh, this is delicious!”

Prince Kaldor watches Tika-san, satisfied with the omelet, with a mix of exasperation and amusement.
Their interaction feels like something I shouldn’t interrupt—it must be their usual dynamic.

As I smiled at their banter, Prince Kaldor seemed to notice my gaze and cleared his throat before turning back to me.

“Let’s set aside the useless attendant and get started.”
“... Understood.”

Seeing that he wasn’t going to back down, I relented.

I had the Head Chef prepare a spare chef’s coat for Prince Kaldor and began by thoroughly explaining hygiene practices.

While researching the Samonar Kingdom, I came across information about its population.
Though births were relatively high, the mortality rate among young people was also high, with many succumbing to epidemics.

Even though they cultivate spices with medicinal properties, I suspected hygiene was still an issue.
When I pointed this out, Prince Kaldor seemed delighted and said, “I’ll propose this to His Majesty when I return!”

Tika-san, while helping himself to seconds of the omelet, was dutifully taking notes, proving he was at least somewhat competent as an attendant.

“Now that we’ve covered the basics before cooking, let’s begin preparing the Idika.”
“Oh! Finally!”

Since the burlap sack was too large to carry, I poured enough for today’s use plus a little extra into a tub and positioned myself at the prep table.

“First, what I’ve prepared here is rice consumed in my country.”

I showed him small plates containing unhusked rice, brown rice, and polished white rice.

“The shape is clearly different, but other than that, they seem similar?”
“Yes, but if prepared the same way, the results will be quite different.”
“That’s true... Also, it doesn’t end up looking this white. How does it become so white?”

Prince Kaldor inspected the polished rice intently.

“This is what it looks like after removing the husk, and this is after further polishing.”

I explained step by step, from husked to brown to polished rice.

“You can cook with the brown rice, which contains more nutrients beneficial to the body, but for flavor, the polished rice is the best.”
“To begin, we remove the small stones and sand mixed with the husked rice.”

The unpleasant crunch of biting into a stone is unforgettable...

Spreading the husked rice over a sieve, I shook it to remove sand and carefully picked out visible stones.
Once that was done, it was time to polish the rice.

“Using a mortar and pestle, we grind the rice.”
When I first regained memories of my past life, I tried using bottles to polish the rice, which took ages since I started with husked rice.
Then I experimented with a mortar, which worked surprisingly well.

Grinding away, husks separated from the brown rice, and using wind magic, I blew away the husks.

“Wow, that’s amazing!” came Tika-san’s voice from behind, while the Head Chef added nervously, “Please note that not all citizens of our country can use this method…”

Oh, right. Most people don’t use magic so casually, let alone for cooking. Whoops, my bad!

“Hearing that is reassuring. I was worried it couldn’t be done without magic. Could I give it a try?”

Prince Kaldor’s eager expression said it all.

He might talk about national duties, but it seems he genuinely enjoys hands-on work.
After getting him his own mortar and pestle, he enthusiastically started grinding the husked rice.

Switching off with Idika, the rice polishing continued. After finishing, we decided to take a break.
Sitting at the now spotless table where Idika had eaten breakfast, we enjoyed tea and freshly baked apple pie.

“This is good. The cinnamon gives it a nice kick.”

Prince Kaldor smiled.

“Agreed! And when you pair it with this cold dessert, the hot and cold contrast is awesome!”

We had also prepared vanilla ice cream, made using vanilla beans purchased from a stall. It was well-received, which was great to see.

“Still, the process to make it edible is quite labor-intensive.”

Prince Kaldor stretched and let out a sigh, clearly worn out. I couldn’t agree more.

It reminded me of my efforts back then, motivated by the desire for delicious rice… though those days are behind me now, thanks to our skilled cooks. How wonderful life is.

As I reflected on the blessings of being a duke’s daughter, the head chef brought in a large magical device with the help of his apprentices.

“Prince Kaldor, while today we followed the traditional methods to experience the effort involved, we typically use this magic tool.”
“What?”

What’s that?

“Ah, Cristea-sama, you weren’t informed yet. Apologies for the delay. This is a magic tool capable of adjusting the degree of polishing from brown to white rice.”
“Huh?”

A rice polishing machine? You made one!?

“When I requested more staff for rice polishing, the master entrusted the task to a smith in the territory, who collaborated with a magic craftsman to create this device.”
“I... see.”

I have a very strong suspicion about who that smith and magic craftsman might be.

Sorry, Head Chef! This is something I should have handled before leaving the task to you...
I guess I’ll have to make it up with new recipes since asking Otousama for bonuses or raises is unlikely to succeed.

----------

It’s finally time to cook!
Thanks to the newly crafted rice milling magic tool, the process of polishing rice has become much easier—though I do wish it had been introduced earlier!

Even though body enhancement magic had made rice milling somewhat more efficient since the beginning, pressing a button to do it quickly and effortlessly is obviously a better deal.

“Oh… So, in the Doristan Kingdom, they’ve even developed a magic tool specifically for milling rice?!”

Prince Kaldor, seemingly weary of the repetitive and mundane labor involved in milling, gazed at the magic tool with delight.

“Um, well… rather than saying it’s from the Doristan Kingdom, it’s something specially commissioned by the Ellisfeed Duchy. Because our consumption of Lars is significantly higher than elsewhere, we had this custom-made. The rice milling machine isn’t something that can be mass-produced or sold at an accessible price for the general public, so it’s not currently available on the market. One was just recently presented to the royal palace, though.”

Head Chef hastily clarified.

Well, that figures—this rice mill was the result of a collaboration between Galvano Ojisama, the legendary blacksmith, and Owen-san, the obsessive magic tool craftsman. Of course, it would end up being expensive.

Whenever I request cooking tools or magic implements, I always prepare to pay a premium, but Uncle never charges me more than the bare minimum, and Owen-san’s obsession with rare magic stones means he enthusiastically takes on even the most complex commissions if they involve intricate magic arrays. So, I can’t really gauge how much these things actually cost.

Besides, Uncle only forges weapons when he’s in the mood, and Owen seems to abhor the monotony of producing mass-market items, preferring instead to pour all his passion into creating new magic tools.
He even told me as much during our first encounter, between bouts of nerdy tool talk.

“… I was hoping I might be able to purchase one, but… well, if it’s so costly and can’t be mass-produced, it seems pointless to try.”

Prince Kaldor slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

“It is undoubtedly expensive, yes. Regarding mass production, the designs and specifications have been registered with the Magic Tools Guild, so anyone who purchases the plans can produce them without restrictions.”
“Oh, in that case…!”

Hope flickered in Prince Kaldor’s eyes as he perked up at the chef’s explanation.

“… However, I’ve heard that when the guild staff reviewed the submitted specifications, someone shouted, ‘Who on earth created such a perverse magic array?! It’s too complicated to make!’ or something to that effect…”
“… It seems best to let this one go for now.”

I deeply apologize for the eccentricities of the magic tool artisans from my domain…
The next time I see Owen-san, I’ll have to ask him to make the design more mass-production-friendly.

“In the meantime, how about milling rice with a waterwheel? If I recall correctly, after the method for cooking Lars spread through the trade guild, waterwheel milling gradually became more common.”

Waterwheel milling works slowly, without generating heat, so the flavor doesn’t deteriorate.

“Oh, that’s a good idea! Why didn’t I think of that?”

A lively discussion about rice milling ensued before we finally turned our attention to cooking.

“Alright then, let’s try cooking some Idika rice.”
“Yes, please go ahead, Miss Cristea!”

With eager anticipation in his voice, Prince Kaldor turned to me, joined by Tika-san’s cheerful attempts to liven up the atmosphere.
T-this is… a little nerve-wracking.

“Well, first and foremost, let me emphasize that while Idika resembles Lars, the cooking methods are likely different.”
“Indeed, it seems that way.”
“Therefore, I’d like to try a different preparation method.”
“Yes, please do.”

After confirming Prince Kaldor’s nod, I moved to the water station with the milled Idika.

“First, we wash the Idika rice in water. Ideally, you’d rinse until the water runs clear, but a slight cloudiness is fine if you’re pressed for time.”

Just like Lars, it’s crucial to pour out the initial water immediately to prevent any musty odor.

“Next, soak the rice in water for about fifteen minutes. This is a batch that’s already been soaking.”

The batch I had prepared earlier with Head Chef during tea time replaced the freshly rinsed one.

“Ohhh!”
Prince Kaldor and Tika-san cheered as if they were watching a cooking show.
Their honest reactions were endearing, but also a bit embarrassing.
Time to refocus and move on to the next step.

“Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the soaked Idika rice. Stir occasionally with a spatula as it simmers. Once the grains become translucent and plump, strain them in a colander.”

This method is known as the “boiling method.”
When cooking long-grain rice on the stovetop, this approach is the most reliable way to ensure it turns out well.

As the rice drained, I quickly cleaned the pot.

“Return the drained Idika to the rinsed pot, and heat gently while stirring until you hear crackling sounds from the bottom of the pot. This removes excess moisture.”

When the crackling started, I removed it from the heat, covered it with a lid, and let it steam for about ten minutes.

Since this was my first time cooking Idica, I’d need to experiment to determine the ideal steaming time, but for now, this should suffice.

The aroma wafting from the pot… Could this be similar to jasmine rice, a fragrant high-grade long-grain rice from my previous life?

“Hmm… It has a rather unique fragrance.”
“Yes, quite different from Lars, isn’t it?”

As the rice steamed, even the cooking staff who had been busy elsewhere began to gather, drawn by the enticing aroma.

“This looks about ready.”

With a sense of anticipation, I lifted the lid.

Ahhh… What a heavenly scent.
While the aroma of cooking Lars is nostalgic for my former Japanese self, this is something else entirely!

“Is this… truly Idica?”
“No way… It smells amazing!”

Prince Kaldor and Tika-san leaned in, sniffing the fragrant steam as if in disbelief.

After fluffing the rice with a spatula, I scooped up a portion to taste.

“… Yes! It’s a success!”

The Idika turned out beautifully, distinct from Lars yet retaining its own delightful qualities.

“Hey, no fair—let me try it too!”
“Yeah, I helped carry it; I deserve a taste!”

Laughing, I handed out small portions for everyone to try.

Prince Kaldor and Tika-san stared at their plates, hesitant at first.
Were they reluctant because Idika had once been considered livestock feed?

“… Alright, here goes.”
“Right.”

They each cautiously took a bite.

Well? How does it taste?!

----------

I demand compensation!
I watched as Prince Kaldor and Tika-san silently chewed on the Idika for a moment.

"So, how is it? I thought it would taste good, but..."
"… It's delicious..."
"Yeah, this is really good!"
"Ah, this works!"

Seeing the two of them enjoying it, I felt relieved.
I had been worried. Even though I emphasized that this was different from Lars and required a different cooking method, there was a chance that upon tasting it, they might say, "This isn't as good as Lars! You lied!" and get upset.
What a nerve-wracking experience.

"I'm glad it suited your tastes. Since we've gone this far, would you like to try cooking the Idika yourselves using the ones we washed and soaked earlier?"

While I'd shown them the entire process up to the finished dish, there's a lot you can only learn by doing it yourself.

Prince Kaldor could explain, and if Tika-san could then demonstrate, it would be ideal.

"Indeed, let's give it a try."
"Wait, Prince Kaldor, you?"

I never thought he'd take it this far, even though he said he’d help earlier.

Tika-san, aren't you supposed to step in here and say, "I'll handle this," instead of clapping your hands like an enthusiastic cheerleader behind him?

When I shot Tika-san a sharp look, he stopped clapping and raised his hands in surrender.

"Well, you see, His Highness is better at handling delicate tasks. I'd probably burn it after a few tries, haha..."

Is that really okay? Aren’t you his attendant?

"I won't let him touch it; it'd waste the precious ingredients. He's incredibly careless. Don’t worry, once I master it, I'll drill it into him."
"Ahhh... Miss Cristea, please teach me kindly instead! His Highness is way too strict and overly meticulous!"
"Shut it! For now, just observe carefully."
"Ouch! Ugh... Fine, I got it."

Rubbing the back of his head where Prince Kaldor had smacked him, Tika-san reluctantly complied.

The soaking time for the Idika we prepared earlier was just right, so Prince Kaldor began cooking with it.

Just as Tika-san had said, Prince Kaldor appeared to be the type to handle tasks deftly.
He cooked the Idika so skillfully that my advice was barely needed.

Of course, Tika-san kept chiming in with things like, "Oh, you need to do this now," or "Lower the heat a bit more." The prince countered with, "Quiet! I know what I'm doing!"—to the point that I hardly got a chance to interject.

Tika-san may not be great at hands-on work, but he's definitely observant.

"It's done! … Right?"

Prince Kaldor glanced at me to confirm.

"Yes, I believe it’s ready."
"Not bad for your first attempt, Your Highness!"
"And why do you sound so smug about it?"

Are they always this comedic with their banter?

By the way, the Idika cooked by Prince Kaldor was delicious.

"Now that we’ve mastered the basic cooking method for Idika, eating it like this alone might feel lacking. I’d like to think of some recipes that use it."
"Huh?! Are you sure?"
"Seriously? Just making it edible is more than enough!"

What? Isn't it better to enjoy it in a tastier way?

Oh, you’re hoping I’ll give you the recipes, right?
Actually, I was planning to send you back to your rooms so I could experiment further...

If I just hand over the recipes for free, isn’t that being way too generous?
I can’t backtrack now, but wait—aha, I’ve got it.

"Of course, I’d be happy to share the recipes, but my recipes come at a price."

I flashed them a refined smile, playing the role of a poised lady.

Behind them, the chefs gasped audibly.
Well, of course—they’d be shocked to see me selling recipes to a foreign prince.

Normally, I’d avoid such a hassle, but I’ve worked so hard this time.

Starting with creating a recipe for the state banquet, responding to Prince Kaldor’s impromptu requests, and teaching him how to cook today—I think I’ve earned a little compensation, don’t you?

"… Considering Miss Cristea’s efforts, it’s only fair to pay her. How much do you want?"
"Your Highness, don’t agree so easily!"
"She may be young, but leaving her contributions unrewarded would be unjust. I’ll pay from my own funds, so it won’t burden the kingdom. Don’t worry."
"That’s not the point… Argh, whatever!"

Knowing how stubborn Prince Kaldor is once he’s made up his mind, Tika-san relented.

Their master-servant relationship is entertaining, but I shouldn’t trouble them further.

"Ah, by compensation, I don’t mean money."
"What?"

Both of them froze, looking confused.

"I’d like two things: priority for my—no, the Duke Ellisfeed’s—family in the trade of spices and medicinal herbs, and for you to keep my personal involvement with the recipes as quiet as possible."
"… That’s all?"
"Yes."

Sure, it may not seem like much, but having priority access to rare spices and herbs is a big deal.
It means I can cook freely without worrying about running out of stock—pure bliss!

Plus, I’d rather not have rumors spreading about how I caused another diplomatic incident right after shaking off the “Repulsive food-eating Lady” label.

And I certainly don’t want them demanding more recipes directly from me later.

"… If that’s all, consider it done. I promise to send the best our territory has to offer to the Ellisfeed family. As for the recipes, I won’t inform the royal family directly, but the truth may come out eventually."
"Yeah, I think so too."

Please don’t look at me like I’m being unreasonable.
It’s fine as long as they don’t know I’m the one behind it.

The last thing I need is for word to get out and have demands like, “Bring Lady Cristea of the Ellisfeed family to our country to create more recipes.”

If that happens, Kurogane and Mashiro wouldn’t stay quiet about it.

"As long as my name doesn’t come up, I’m fine with that. I haven’t even made my debut in high society yet, so I’d rather not stand out unnecessarily."

Exactly. If I hadn’t run into Prince Kaldor, none of this would’ve happened.

"If you’re satisfied with that, then so be it. But bringing Idika back to our kingdom is worthy of a reward, you know?"
"No, thank you! I absolutely decline!"

Accepting something like that would force the Doristan Kingdom to act.
I don’t want to draw unnecessary attention!

"… I see."
"Seriously? What a waste."

No, it’s not. It’s perfectly fine.

"… So, now that everything’s settled, is dinner ready yet?"
"Eh...? W-wah?! Leon-sama?!"

I couldn’t help but raise my voice in a most unladylike manner. But who wouldn’t?
Leon-sama had suddenly appeared behind me!

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