Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 29 - Chapter 5.1

Group Performance: The Girl from the Castle and the Girl from the Forest’s Edge

1

Odifia’s day began with the bell for the upper third hour.

The girl was a deep sleeper, though, so even with her window open, she had never once actually heard that bell. But when that time arrived, her wet nurse would always come in and mercilessly shake her awake.

“Good morning, my lady. Your bath has been prepared for you.”

Those were the first words Odifia heard as she sat up and rubbed her sleepy eyes, just like every other morning.

Soft indoor shoes were placed on her feet, and she was led to the nearby bathhouse. Ever since she had turned five, her wet nurse had stopped holding her hand, so she had to take care not to trip, no matter how tired she was.

The door to the dressing room was opened for her, and two lady attendants in light attire were waiting for her within. Their graceful fingers swiftly stripped away Odifia’s night clothes.

Now fully undressed, she was led into the bathroom, which had a stone floor and walls and was filled with white steam. The air within smelled of herbs and flowers. As Odifia drowsily took in the aroma, the attendants began cleansing her body with soft washcloths.

Once she was good and clean, she was made to sit in a bathtub filled with tepid water that had a large number of flower petals floating on its surface. Odifia moved her arm around, causing those petals to swirl about. She didn’t find that to be particularly fun, but she didn’t have anything else to do until the attendants finished washing her hair. She wouldn’t have bothered, if not for the fact that she felt like she might drift off to sleep if she just sat there silently in the water. And so, Odifia once again focused her efforts on making those petals dance about, an important job that served to fend off her drowsiness.

Around the time when her arms were starting to get tired, the attendants announced that they had completed their work.

After the three of them returned to the small room outside, her attendants toweled her off, combed her hair, and applied perfumed oil all over her body. Odifia wasn’t all that fond of the perfume smell, but if people in Genos didn’t use it, their skin would burn and tan.

What’s wrong with that, though?

Odifia’s grandfather Marstein had very tanned skin, but she didn’t think that made him look bad or anything, and a lot of men had skin like that. Maybe men didn’t put on perfumed oil?

But then there were men like Odifia’s father Melfried, who had pale skin. But she remembered hearing that that was because his mother was a pale-skinned person born farther to the north.

Melfried’s mother—Odifia’s grandmother—had passed away before the girl was born, so she didn’t even remember the woman’s name. But judging from the portrait hanging in the palace, she certainly did seem to have been very pale and pretty.

That woman also had pale gray eyes, which was where Odifia and Melfried got their eye color from. Whenever she saw her grandfather, the man would smile and rub his cheeks up against hers while telling her she was starting to resemble that lady more and more.

“My apologies for the wait. I shall now lead you to your mother’s chambers.”

While Odifia’s mind had been wandering, her attendants had finished getting her ready for the day. Her perfumed body was now dressed in white clothes with lots of decorative frills. Since her mother Eulifia was fond of white, that was the color Odifia usually wore.

As she walked down the hall between her wet nurse and a maid, they didn’t pass anyone but female attendants. They were within the inner palace of Genos Castle, which men were forbidden to enter as a general rule.

“Good morning, Odifia. I see you have another lovely outfit on today,” Eulifia said with a smile as soon as she laid eyes on her young daughter.

Odifia grabbed the decorative frills that came up to around her knees on her dress and replied, “Good morning, mother.”

They were in the antechamber in front of Eulifia’s room. Her mother was lounging atop a couch with an infant in her arms—Odifia’s younger sister, who had turned two in the prior silver month. However, the child had been born in the indigo month, so she was still very small. Before taking a seat, Odifia took a good look at her sister’s face. She was a little baby with a round face. Her skin was pale just like Odifia’s, but her eyes were light brown. She had gotten them from her mother.

“May I touch her?”

“You may, but be gentle. She’s being nice and quiet today.”

Odifia’s sister would start crying frantically over any little thing. That was something Odifia herself had witnessed many times during morning teatime. She most certainly didn’t wish to make her sister cry, so she took care to be gentle as she stroked the girl’s cheek, which was very soft and pleasant to the touch. Fortunately, that didn’t result in any crying. The infant simply stared blankly back at Odifia.

“You have hardly ever cried, Odifia, even when you were a baby. You really are so much like your father,” Eulifia remarked with a joyful smile. Odifia was often told she was more similar to her father than to her mother. She hardly ever cried, but she hardly smiled either, which was apparently similar to how he was.

“Isn’t it a bit abnormal, to barely smile or cry at such a young age?” Odifia had heard people whisper. She hadn’t had many opportunities to interact with children around her age, but supposedly, normal children would do those things quite frequently.

That wasn’t something she really understood. Even Odifia felt happy when things went well and sad when things were difficult. And it wasn’t as if she was trying to hide that either. Her face simply didn’t express those things as strongly as other people’s did.

“What is the matter, Odifia?” Eulifia said.

“Why do you ask?” the young girl replied, causing her mother to laugh.

“You usually just sit down right away, but today you have remained standing, and you keep tugging on your cheek. Are you trying to check whether yours or your sister’s are softer?”

“It’s nothing,” Odifia said, taking a seat across from her mother. It would seem that she had started to act oddly while she had been thinking about how inexpressive her face tended to be.

“Your father and I can read your emotions perfectly well. There is no need to force yourself to express them.”

Odifia hadn’t said a word, but her mother had seen right through her.

“Well then, let us have our tea. Would arow tea be fine for today?” Eulifia asked.

“Yes.”

Her mother’s maid, who had been waiting in the corner of the room, promptly started preparing some arow tea for them, making a bittersweet aroma fill the room.

“It seems your father is busy again today, but for the first time in a while, he said that he should be able to have dinner with us tonight.”

“I see.”

“I must step out myself for a bit after finishing our noontime snack. I believe I will be back by the lower third hour, but you must be certain to see to your studies properly.”

“I will.”

It was a scene that played out almost without change every morning.

As they talked, the bell indicating that it was half past the lower fourth hour rang out.

“It seems it is time for your studies. I shall see you again at noon.”

“I understand.”

Odifia then departed, and was escorted back to her own room by one of the maids who had been waiting in the antechamber with them. The older woman who served as her teacher was standing outside of her room when they arrived.

“Good morning, Lady Odifia. Today, we shall practice writing characters.”

“Understood. I am ready to begin,” Odifia said, returning the noblewoman’s bow before following her inside.

Odifia had been taking lessons like these ever since she had turned five. As she was now six and it was already near the end of the yellow month, that had been a year and a half ago now. Most of her lessons were on how to read and write. Lately, though, her teachers had started adding mathematics to the mix on occasion. Once she could handle reading and writing without issue, she would study the history and laws of the kingdom as well.

She studied those academic topics in the morning, and at midday she would be instructed on proper manners within the palace. When she was older, she would also learn sewing, dancing, and totos riding. However, totos riding was not seen as a topic that was truly necessary to learn. It was essential for men, but among young women, only half of them would study it.

Despite that, totos riding was the subject that Odifia was looking forward to the most. Not for any special reason, though. She simply found it more enjoyable to use her body rather than her mind, and she thought that totos riding sounded more fun than dancing.

Eulifia also rode totos when she had the time. Though noblewomen couldn’t go out and ride totos in the open, supposedly the activity was very good for maintaining your health. When she saw her mother dressed in clothes like what men wore as she gallantly rode about in the castle’s interior plaza, Odifia thought she looked very striking, and that it seemed like a lot of fun too.

“Now then, on to the next characters. Do you remember how these are read?” the old teacher asked, pointing at some example writing. The words there said “totos,” “karon,” and “kimyuus.”

It rather amused Odifia, seeing as she had just been thinking about the large riding birds. The old woman didn’t seem to notice at all, though, so Odifia simply replied to the question.

“Yes, correct. You are quite brilliant, Lady Odifia.”

Everyone within the palace was always kind to Odifia. Even the words she occasionally heard that sounded decidedly unkind were spoken where they thought the young girl wouldn’t overhear. Even the people who said such things were nice when speaking to her directly.

This old woman might well have spoken ill of her in secret at times. Still, that didn’t make Odifia sad. She only felt that way when she heard people saying cruel things about her family.

Her younger sister was still so little that not much was said about her. People sometimes complained that she cried too loudly, but that was all. No, the family she was thinking about were her parents and grandfather.

Eulifia is selfish.

Melfried is coldhearted.

Marstein is a despot.

Though only occasionally, Odifia had heard people saying things like that. She hadn’t known what words like “coldhearted” and “despot” meant, though, so she had asked Eulifia about them. What she had learned had made her feel incredibly sad.

“I’m sure that people fail to realize you are there because you are so small. Still, you needn’t worry yourself about such things, Odifia,” her mother had said, gently stroking her hair. “Your father needs to be strict in order to protect order here in Genos, and your grandfather must do the same to safeguard the town’s prosperity. Sometimes that causes issues for a few people, or they lose wealth because of it, so they complain about it when they think we cannot hear them.”

“What are you protecting, mother?”

“Well, in my case, the complainers may be right. Perhaps I am somewhat selfish,” Eulifia replied with an amused smile.

However, Odifia just felt more sad when she heard that.

“If they can make themselves feel better by speaking ill in secret, then that is not truly a problem,” her mother continued. “Your father and grandfather are simply carrying out their duty as members of the ducal house of Genos, so they do not pay such gossip any heed.”

Odifia remained silent.

“My, it seems you are still not satisfied. Then allow me to ask, who did you hear such comments from?”

“I don’t know... I heard it at a banquet at the castle.”

“Were they nobles? Or pages and maids?”

“Nobles.”

“I’m not surprised. Your father and grandfather are not the sort of people who would make their servants say such things. If what you overheard was nobles gossiping and complaining about the two of them making proper decisions for the sake of Genos, there is even less reason to pay any attention to those words. They may grumble about the duke and Melfried if they want to, so long as they follow the house of Genos’s orders properly,” Eulifia said, breaking out in a smile. “I feel the same way when it comes to gossip about me. I would be rather sad to hear the pages and maids call me selfish, but that is not what you heard, correct?”

“Yes. Only nobles said bad things about you.”

“Then simply leave it be. Any noble who would call me selfish is undoubtedly far more selfish than I am, after all,” Eulifia said, hugging Odifia tight. “Nobles, you see, must wear separate faces in public and in private. And as long as they do not share bonds of friendship, they will only ever show other nobles that public side of themselves.”

“I understand.”

“No matter what one who only knows your public face may say about you, it is no different than if they were to complain about the banquet clothes you are wearing. As long as I am loved by my family and friends, that is enough for me.”

It was a little difficult to understand what Eulifia was saying, but even so, Odifia felt her sadness receding a bit. However, another doubt arose in her mind to take its place.

Odifia tended not to show much in the way of facial expressions. Didn’t that mean that her true personality would be hard for others to see? The members of Odifia’s family all understood her. Her parents and grandfather would always notice how she was feeling. Even though she didn’t get to see her grandfather all that often, he could still pick up on her moods easily.

When she became an adult, would she be able to properly smile and cry then? That was the thing that concerned Odifia the most.

“It seems our time is up. Fine work today, Lady Odifia,” the old woman politely stated after the bell indicating it was half past the upper sixth hour rang out.

Her study time had amounted to two hours in total, with three breaks in the middle. The old woman gave a bow before exiting the room, and when she was gone, Odifia immediately flopped down on top of the table. The maid who had been watching from her seat along the wall giggled at that and stood up.

“Well then, shall we head to the dining room? Or would you prefer to rest a bit first?”

“No, I’ll go.”

Somehow managing to lift her heavy head, Odifia rose from her seat. As she left the room and walked down the hall, her heart started beating faster. Would today be a lucky day, or no? She would have no way of knowing until she made it to the dining room.

“My, you certainly are early. Were you awaiting the meal that anxiously?” Eulifia remarked with a gentle smile, already seated in place. Most of the time, the two of them enjoyed their noontime snacks by themselves, with Odifia’s younger sister entrusted to the wet nurse. As a true tea lover, Eulifia was already enjoying a cup all on her own. “There is still some time left until noon, but shall I have the food carried out?”

“Yes.”

Eulifia turned to one of the maids. “In that case, could you bring my portion as well? And also a new cup of tea.”

“At once. It will be out in just a moment.”

Odifia had a seat in the chair that another maid pulled out for her, her heartbeat gradually speeding up. Seemingly noticing that, Eulifia brought a hand to her mouth and laughed.

“Only getting something once every few days is difficult, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be easier if you knew the specific dates when they would be coming instead?”

“No,” Odifia replied with a shake of her head.

The dates Eulifia was referring to were the ones when Odifia got lucky, and they were usually decided on in advance. However, there was never any guarantee that nothing would go wrong with the schedule. If some sort of unforeseen incident occurred, then those plans could be disrupted. That was why Odifia said that she didn’t want to know the dates. If she went to the dining room on a day that she thought was a lucky one only to have her expectations betrayed, that would be a tremendous disappointment. She had made up her mind to not ask about the dates in advance in order to avoid that.

Every third day was supposed to be a lucky one. However, occasionally the lucky day took four days to arrive. Apparently, there was something specific that caused those delays on a regular basis, but Odifia didn’t ask what that was either.

Today was the third day. As long as there hadn’t been any unforeseen incidents, today or tomorrow would be a lucky one. She tried to not let her anticipation get the better of her, but she wasn’t able to stop her legs from kicking excitedly.

That was when the maid returned, and the first thing she did was set a plate down in front of the young girl.

“My apologies for the wait. Today, I present you with a baked treat from Lady Toor Deen.”

It seemed that today really was a lucky one.

Odifia stared intensely at the treat laid out before her. It had a fluffy yellow crust with pink specks here and there. It appeared to have been made with fuwano and poitan, with dried minmi sprinkled over top.

“This dessert is meant to be eaten with this added on top.”

A small silver container was provided alongside the dish, filled with a thick dark-brown sauce. It was a sweet condiment that had been made using gigi leaves, and when she saw it, Odifia’s legs started moving about even more restlessly.

“My, how rare for her to use minmi. Does it perhaps pair well with the slight bitterness of the gigi leaves?” Eulifia wondered aloud as a similar plate was placed in front of her. Since she’d heard that the two of them generally ate their midday snack together, Toor Deen had prepared a portion for Odifia’s mother as well. “Well then, let us eat. The tea is chatchi, by the way.”

Odifia had already started pouring the gigi sauce over her dessert as Eulifia was speaking. The glossy sauce soon enveloped the fuwano and poitan treat. To the young girl, the sauce’s shine looked more beautiful than any gem.

Grabbing a knife and a three-pronged skewer, Odifia cut into the treat. Somehow, it seemed even softer than usual. Within the yellow cross section that she made, she could see even more sparkling pink.

With her heart rate picking up speed again, she popped the skewered piece of her bready treat into her mouth. The taste of gigi leaves hit her instantly. Supposedly, they were normally only used to make bitter tea, but the chocolate sauce that Toor Deen had prepared was very sticky and sweet. From what Odifia had heard, she used sugar, karon milk, and milk fat to make it. Gigi leaf sauce was a condiment that the young noblewoman especially adored.

Today, though, she found an even greater surprise awaiting her. Just as she had assumed, the fuwano or poitan or whatever was even softer than usual. It melted in her mouth with hardly any need to bite into it at all. It was a dreamlike dish, as light as cotton and very sweet.

“My. The last time she sent us a baked treat was not all that long ago, but this one is remarkably more delicious,” Eulifia said in surprise. “It seems like it might be somewhat similar to that fluffy dessert that Varkas prepared before... No, she used normal fuwano and poitan in this dish... At any rate, it is truly wonderful, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“It seems that the minmi fruit was dried. At first, the flavor was hidden under that of the gigi leaves, but it lingered a bit longer in my mouth so I was able to appreciate it as well. Ah, is that why she used dried fruit...? If she left the minmi soft, it would have slid smoothly down our throats along with the rest.”

“Right.”

“My, Odifia, have you already eaten all of it? I have only had a single bite myself.”

True enough, Odifia had eaten the entire sweet in a flash. It was even softer and lighter than usual, which also meant it had disappeared incredibly quickly.

Somehow, she couldn’t help but feel terribly unsatisfied. She had been so happy, but an even greater sadness was now welling up inside of her. But then, the maid who had been waiting beside the table smiled softly at her.

“This sweet is not a very filling one, so two were prepared for each of you. Lady Toor Deen said that if it is too much, the rest could be saved for dinnertime, but would you like it now?”

“I want to eat it right away.”

“Very well. Hold on for just a moment.”

Odifia’s sadness up and vanished as if it had never been there to begin with. And seeing her daughter’s excitement, Eulifia once again smiled.

“You look so happy. Your eyes are positively sparkling, Odifia.”

“I am.”

“I do not think that the confections served in the castle are inferior to these, but the cooking techniques they employ certainly are quite different. The treats Toor Deen learned to make from Asuta are the ones that match your tastes the best, though, are they not?”

“Yes,” Odifia nodded, staring back at her smiling mother. “Mother, can we not invite Toor Deen to another tea party?”

“I am afraid not. As I said before, until the observers from the capital have come and gone, we will not be able to place people of the forest’s edge in charge of our kitchens. It is surprising that the end of the yellow month is near and they still have not arrived, though.”

“Hmm.”

“Be patient for just a little longer. I am certain that they will come in either the green or blue months.” Eulifia had said the same thing last month and the month before that. The observers had been expected to arrive soon after the end of the rainy season. Or, really, it was more like their arrival had been expected for a full five months now, and they still hadn’t shown up. “Do not look so upset, Odifia. You will make me sad as well,” Eulifia said, reaching out and stroking her daughter’s hair. “Now that I think about it, I heard that Toor Deen may be attending the special dinner that will be held at The Silver Star...”

“Huh?”

“Your father mentioned it yesterday. The event is meant to welcome some important guests from the east, and a few people of the forest’s edge will be invited as well. As Toor Deen is a passionate chef, Polarth said that she will surely wish to partake of Varkas’s cooking.”

“I wish to go as well, then.”

Eulifia’s eyes narrowed as she smiled. “Toor Deen will only be there as a guest, you know. You will not be able to eat her desserts, so do you still wish to attend?”

“Yes,” Odifia replied with a nod.

Eulifia stroked her daughter’s hair once again. “Very well. In that case, I shall ask your father and Polarth to make certain that I can bring you along. Varkas will be preparing spicy and bitter dishes as part of the meal, and you will be expected to eat enough of them so as not to be rude.”

“I know.”

Warmth seemed to be filling Odifia’s chest. She would be able to see Toor Deen for the first time in quite a while. The thought alone brought her the same sort of joy she felt when Toor Deen’s treats were placed in front of her.

Was the young chef from the forest’s edge doing well? Would she smile at Odifia once more with a gentle look in her eyes? That was what Odifia thought about until the second plate was brought out, her legs kicking excitedly all the while.