Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 11 - Chapter 2.3

3

This is no joke! I can’t keep playing along with this farce any longer!

That was pretty much all that was whirling about in my head, even after being returned to the room.

It was good news that Cyclaeus apparently had nothing to do with this plot. However, that didn’t change the fact that I couldn’t possibly endure five whole days imprisoned here in this manor.

Just what was that Lefreya girl thinking? Had she heard of my skill from Diel and decided to go ahead with this ridiculous plan? No matter how much I might have to give in to them, and even if I was willing to overlook how they hurt people to make this happen, I absolutely couldn’t accept the way she went back on her word and was continuing to hold me against my will.

It seemed like maybe she didn’t get along well with her father, Cyclaeus, but I couldn’t care less. They could go settle their family squabbles however they pleased, as long as they did it far from me.

At any rate, I was good and pissed off. And the one to timidly call out to me as I smoldered with rage was Chiffon Chel, who was assigned to watch over me.

“Sir Asuta, are you alright...? Shall I bring you something to drink before you fall asleep...?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Well then, how about something to eat...? Now that you are to be staying here at this manor, it would be better to eat something before sleeping...”

I felt like shouting, “I’ve got no intention of staying overnight!” but it wasn’t like she had done anything wrong, so I stopped myself.

“Um, could I ask you a question, Chiffon Chel?”

“Yes? What is it...?”

“Are there any eastern-looking guys among the soldiers or servants working at this manor?”

“An easterner, is it...?” Chiffon Chel repeated with a troubled tilt of her head.

Is that something she can’t answer either? I thought, but it seemed it was more that she was searching her memories to come up with a proper reply.

“I am uncertain... At the very least, I do not believe there should be anyone like that living at the manor...”

“So there could be one among the employees who commute here?”

“No... As a general rule, both soldiers and servants who work here are to live within the grounds... The cooking assistants and the like who have other work reside elsewhere, but even when I have visited the kitchen to taste for poison, I have never seen anyone with such dark skin...” Chiffon Chel replied, but then she tilted her head the other way. “However... It is not uncommon for guests from Sym to visit to discuss business with the master. They generally return when the sun is still high in the sky, though, so I have never had the chance to entertain them...”

“I see. Thank you.”

In that case, even if Sanjura had ties to this manor, he wasn’t close enough to them to be offered a place to stay here.

His involvement was the one thing I still had doubts about.

It seemed Sanjura’s “employer” he had mentioned was Lefreya rather than Cyclaeus. But then, what was he doing serving that childish tyrant, exactly?

Had he been under some sort of orders when he first approached my stalls? And were his smile and gentle demeanor all just an act to get me to let my guard down? Such thoughts were just stirring up even more anger and frustration in me at the thought that I had been betrayed by someone I trusted.

Still, this is no time to be worrying about stuff like that, I thought with a big shake of my head, clearing those concerns from my mind.

“Chiffon Chel, I’d like to put my trust in you and ask one more question...”

“Yes? What is it...?”

“I’m planning on trying to escape from this manor shortly. Is that something you could overlook for me?”

I was well aware that it was absurd to ask such a thing. If she betrayed my expectations and was actually loyal to her employer, my plot would be ruined on the spot.

But if I was going to escape I had to do something about this girl who was sharing a room with me. And I wasn’t confident in the least that I could restrain her without those soldiers on the other side of the door noticing.

“That is... Even without my interference, I do not believe such a thing is possible. There are a great number of soldiers keeping watch about this manor...” Chiffon Chel replied, not looking overly surprised.

“I figured I wasn’t likely to succeed, either. And would they kill me if I failed, too?”

“No... They would not be able to do something so distasteful as to take your life. After all, Lady Lefreya is still but ten years old...”

“But like I’ve said again and again, I was threatened with knives and taken here against my will. And that little lady of yours is the one who ordered that.”

“Even if that is indeed the case, I believe Lady Lefreya would only have ordered that you were to be invited here to this manor. I am unaware of how that would have resulted in such crude methods being employed, though...”

I thought back to that officer with the stupid-cow face who served under the girl in question. Was it his decision to interpret his employer’s orders in that way?

“In that case, if I screwed up I’d just be whipped? I think I can scrounge up enough courage to risk it.”

“Sir Asuta, the risk is far greater than you realize...” Chiffon Chel replied, getting down from the bed and grabbing my arm. Rather than looking shaken, though, she seemed more like she was trying to calm an unreasonable child or something. “Being whipped is not so light of a punishment... Fortunately, I have only faced it a handful of times myself, but it was painful enough to make one want to give up on living...”

“Is that so...?”

“Would you like to view my back...?”

“No, I’ll pass,” I replied, backing away from Chiffon Chel as all sorts of emotions simmered in my heart. “Even so, I can’t bring myself to just quietly accept my fate. I won’t push you to cooperate, but could I at least ask you not to say anything?”

“Why do you feel the need to place yourself in such danger...? Once five days have passed, you will be able to return home without needing to do such a thing, will you not...?”

“Because I don’t exactly trust that promise. Once your true employer returns from the castle and learns of his daughter’s careless actions, there’s no guarantee he won’t decide the best thing to do would be to erase me entirely.”

Those words were ultimately met with a sad, silent smile. It seemed she couldn’t quite bring herself to say Cyclaeus wouldn’t do such a thing, either.

Apparently the image I had of the man wasn’t far off the mark. How very reassuring.

“In that case, even if it’s reckless I feel I need to put my life on the line and give it my all to avoid that fate. So, will you look the other way?”

“Yes... However, the door is locked from the outside, and is watched by guards day and night...”

“Right. And that’s why I was thinking of escaping through the window instead.”

I confirmed just a little while ago that there were large windows on the other side of the partitioning screen. And they even had some sort of fabric curtains dangling from them, too. Though this room was on the second floor, as long as I was willing to take the chance, using those curtains to climb down the wall was definitely possible.

“I’m sorry, but if you’re willing to keep quiet about my actions, I was thinking I would tie your wrists together to make it look like I forcefully escaped. But is there a risk you’ll still get whipped even so?”

“My... You are thinking of such matters even when preparing to put your own safety at risk...?” Chiffon Chel questioned with an amused grin. “If I am whipped even so, then that is simply how it shall be. That is nothing for you to worry yourself about...”

“In that case... How about you run away with me?” I proposed, leaning back in toward Chiffon Chel. “I know that maybe I shouldn’t be asking this... But if you’re going to be whipped either way, then why not bet on that slight chance?”

“No... Unlike you, Sir Asuta, if I were to attempt to escape and fail, I would surely be beheaded... Not by Lady Lefreya, but by my master who shall be returning five days hence...”

“I see...”

Apparently I had really underestimated how badly they treated slaves. And I’m sure Chiffon Chel thought I was a huge idiot about now.

“If you have firmed up your resolve that far, then I can no longer stop you. Please, follow your own path as you feel is proper... I shall remain here and pray for your success...”

“But you may end up getting whipped as a result, right?”

“Please, do not worry yourself about that... However, I must admit that I was a bit excited when I heard that you would be staying here in this manor for five days. That is my one regret...” Chiffon Chel said before shooting me another smile.

It was a fairy-like smile, and I found it difficult to read just what exactly was behind it.

“You truly are a mysterious man, Sir Asuta... There are southerners and westerners who would sympathize with my circumstances, but no one has ever been as kind as you...”

“I’m sure that’s because I come from a country where slavery doesn’t exist... and because I’m a person of the forest’s edge. They’re a persecuted people because they changed gods. While I don’t understand a single thing about the conflict between the north and west, I just can’t accept the idea of discriminating against someone because of their birthplace.”

The same look still fixed on her face, Chiffon Chel whispered, “I see...” I had no way of knowing whether she was feeling resignation, or just keeping her gaze fixed on the distant future.

“Well then, sorry about this, but I’m going to go ahead with my crazy escape plan. If it seems like it really is impossible, I’ll try to make it back before the lookouts spot me... and then you won’t have to be whipped.”

“I will be praying a path opens for you to succeed, Sir Asuta...” Chiffon Chel stated.

Since I was escaping on my own while leaving her behind, I definitely felt more than a little guilty. Even more so since I had essentially no chance of succeeding.

Still, I didn’t feel like just obediently pulling up the blankets and going to sleep. Lefreya’s behavior was much too self-centered, and besides, there was no guarantee that everything would truly be settled in five days. And so, I had to struggle as best I could.

“Are you truly alright, dressing without my assistance...?”

“Yes! Please don’t peek, alright?”

First off was changing into my original clothing, which I had Chiffon Chel bring here to this room. I put on the white t-shirt and boat shoes I had brought with me to this world and the additional clothing I had received from Ai Fa, then wrapped my seriously wrinkled towel around my head to complete the outfit. As for the shining silver coin I had been forced to bring back to this room, I placed it atop the clothes I had just finished taking off.

Next up came the preparations for my escape.

To start with, I circled around to the rear of the partitioning screen and removed the curtains from the windows. Through some serious effort with my teeth and hands I managed to tear them vertically, then tied them together while testing their strength. By removing three curtains from the two windows, I was able to prepare a sufficient length of makeshift rope.

With the leftover cloth, I went ahead and bound Chiffon Chel’s arms. And once again, I felt incredibly guilty as I did so.

If she gave a single shout for help to the guards outside the door at this point, she would surely be able to avoid getting whipped, but she refused to do so.

“I ask that you please gag my mouth as well... Then I shall act as if I had lost consciousness, which should surely aid in lightening my punishment...”

After doing as she asked, I went ahead and laid Chiffon Chel atop her personal bed on the other side of the partitioning screen. With that, I gave her one last nod, then extinguished the lantern and opened one of the windows wide.

The world outside was awash in shadow. Though the moon and stars were shining faintly, everything was still completely dark. But at least the darkness made it easy to tell there were no lantern-carrying guards in the area.

It would have been better had I checked while it was light out, but there seemed to be a vast courtyard stretching out below. And if I kept heading straight through there, I would eventually hit the stone walls surrounding the grounds. Though the castle town itself was already walled in, this manor had an additional layer of protection around it.

Even assuming I managed to somehow make it all the way there without being spotted, it was possible there was no way at all for me to make it over that wall. And even if I did, what lay on the other side was the castle town, which remained a complete mystery to me.

Could I make it back to the post town without a pass? I was attempting this escape without even knowing that crucial fact. Honestly, my hopes of success might well have been nonexistent. And if I failed, even if I was lucky I would face a whipping as punishment. Before thoughts of just how downright stupid I was being could spoil my drive to move forward, I went ahead and tied my handmade rope to the foot of the bed.

Even when I went ahead and leaned out to look to the left and right, I found that the windows to all the other rooms were shut tight. And so, with that confirmed, I tossed the end of the rope out the window.

Alright, here goes.

It was time for a bit of unsanctioned rock climbing.

It was around four meters to the ground, so it wasn’t like I would die even if I fell. But since it was stone paving down below me, I could definitely end up breaking something. At any rate, I moved outside the window, trusting in the strength I had built up through the harsh lifestyle of the forest’s edge.

As I put my full body weight on it, the rope went taut and made a tightening sound. And with that, I went ahead and placed my feet on the wall and began slowly, steadily descending.

It didn’t take long at all for both my arms to start trembling. And in spite of the pleasant night breeze, my whole body was coated in sweat. I couldn’t help but feel that I really should have replenished some calories before trying something like this after all.

Still, I ultimately completed my rock climbing journey and made it to the hard ground below without anyone finding me, having my hands slip, or running out of strength midway down.

The first thing I did out there in the darkness was fall to my knees and catch my breath.

The world around me was wrapped in a bluish darkness. But as my eyes adjusted, my surroundings vaguely started coming into view. The stone pavement only circled around the building itself, and five meters or so out there was what looked to be a sprawling lawn that was kept cut short.

I really don’t see any light anywhere. Just how far does this courtyard stretch, exactly...?

At any rate, no light meant there shouldn’t be any guards keeping an eye out. Perhaps any guards about were focusing their watch outside the walls rather than inside.

With that thought, I prepared to finally step forwards... only for a window about a meter away from me to creak open.

I rushed to press myself against the wall. Though I had just managed to calm my heart, it was now pounding away like a jackhammer.

Was this just a coincidence, or had I made a sound without realizing it and given myself away...? At any rate, all I could do was desperately pray that whoever opened that window didn’t peek out.

Those hopes turned out to be in vain, though, as a girl’s pale face soon appeared from inside.

It wasn’t Lefreya, though. No, it was an older girl, though she was definitely still young.

And when I saw how pretty her profile was, I was shocked again.

Her face was stunningly beautiful. Her nose was slender and perfectly shaped, and the lines of her profile from her chin up through her cheeks were so smooth.

On top of that, her skin was pure white. Though Lefreya had also been pale, this girl’s skin was practically transparent. With the pale blue moonlight shining down on her, she almost looked like a glass sculpture.

And her dark brown bangs gently hung down over a beautifully white forehead. The left side of her face was the one facing me, and from what I could see, she had a stylish silver accessory shining away in her hair.

She had her hands on the window frame, and was actually leaning quite far forwards. So much so that I could see the thin, pale nightgown she had on.

And since her hair was short, the white of the back of her neck was even visible.

Yes, this girl had a truly angelic appearance.

However, her eyes were filled with a great sorrow as she stared off into the dark.

Those perfectly-crafted lips of hers let loose a sigh... and then in the process of pulling back into her room, she casually glanced my way.

Instantly, her large eyes adorned with fine eyelashes shot wide open in shock.

“Asuta...?! What are you doing in a place like this?!”

I was completely taken aback too.

Until a moment ago, that face had an angelic calm about it that looked almost sculpted, but now it had taken on a more down-to-earth expression and shifted into a very familiar girl’s visage.

“D-Diel...? It was you...?”

As I stood there frozen in shock, Diel glanced about the darkness in a panic.

Then, with a look of irritation she said, “Ugh, whatever! Just hurry inside already! If you stand around in a place like that, this manor’s guard dogs will maul you to death!”

“G-Guard dogs?”

“Yeah! We were told to never go outside since they let guard dogs loose in the courtyard at night. What, do you not know what a dog is? They’re pretty common down south, but... Agh, never mind! Just get in here!”

I was even more flustered than Diel, so I ended up stepping over toward her practically without even thinking. With that, she grabbed me by the nape of the neck and pulled me into the dimly lit room.

“Ugh, that was a shock... Don’t go scaring me like that! Seriously, what are you even doing in a place like this?!” Diel wailed, and then she suddenly clamped both hands over her mouth. In the next moment, there was a knock from outside the door opposite the hallway.

“Did you say something, Master Diel?”

It was Labis’s voice, which I hadn’t heard in a while either.

“It’s nothing! I was just talking to myself! We’ve got work tomorrow morning, so we should hurry to sleep, right?”

“I wish you good dreams, Master Diel...” Labis responded in a blunt tone that made it hard to tell what he was thinking, and then he went silent.

Apparently this room was adjoined to another one through that door, and that other room had been assigned to Labis.

“Diel... So you were in this manor after all, huh?”

“What do you mean ‘after all’? And besides, what are you even doing in the castle town, Asuta?” Diel whispered back as she gently closed the window.

And then, she went, “Ah!” with another look of surprise. “Um, could it be... that you’re the one who made the meal we just ate?”

“Ah, yeah, you mean the one made with karon milk and kimyuus meat? If so, then yeah, I made that.”

“I knew it. That was seriously delicious,” Diel said with a truly satisfied grin. It honestly made her look like an angel again, but in a different way entirely compared to before. “I mean, that meal was so delicious that I thought of you somehow when I ate it. In fact, I was wondering how you were doing and if you were asleep yet, when I opened the window and then suddenly there you were! Seriously, I was so shocked I almost keeled over!”

Then Diel was thinking of me when she had that sad look in her eyes before? That felt kinda embarrassing, somehow.

On top of that, thanks to the lantern’s flame lighting the room, I could now see Diel clearly. Her unusual speckled hair and her beautiful sparkling eyes like jade were fully visible... as was that outfit that was utterly different from what she usually wore.

It was a thin bit of nightwear, sure enough. Aside from the frills adorning the collar and cuffs, it was a very simply designed gown.

And it only came up to a bit above her knees, so her surprisingly pale legs were plainly visible. Then there was the silver hair clip holding back her bangs, revealing a bit of her forehead. But that was enough to make her like an entirely different, totally adorable person.

No wait, if we were just talking cuteness, she already had that in spades to start with. So that wasn’t it. No, it was more that she looked more girlish and charming than ever before. Seriously, what was wrong with my eyes that I mistook her for a boy when we first met?

“So...? What are you doing making food here in this manor? Didn’t you say the people of the forest’s edge and folks from the castle town didn’t exactly get along?”

I knew it was dangerous to just hang out with her, but this chance encounter was one heck of a relief. Still, I went ahead and covered just the key points, as quickly as I could manage.

“Eh?” “Really?” “Whoa!” Diel exclaimed as she listened, her expressions shifting like a kaleidoscope all the while. “So... In other words, I was the cause of all this when I bragged to Lefreya about your cooking?” Diel sadly asked once I finished. “I’m so sorry... I really do bring you nothing but disaster, huh...?”

“That’s not true at all. The real root of this trouble is that spoiled little brown-haired brat. If she had a normal sense of morals, she’d never do something like this.”

I found it even harder than normal tonight to see Diel looking like a dejected puppy.

“Still, I figure Lefreya got all worked up because your cooking was way tastier than she had been expecting.”

“‘Worked up’? What do you mean?”

“Right, well, actually, she had two dishes made with karon milk and kimyuus meat brought out. And then Lefreya said we should eat them both and compare which one was better,” Diel said, her expression growing more and more apologetic. “So the other dish must have been prepared by the chefs working in this manor. That boiled kimyuus meat with karon dried milk was pretty good too, but the soup with all the vegetables in it was way better. That was the one you made, right, Asuta?”

“Yeah.”

“I knew it! It was such a mysterious dish! Anyway, my old man and I didn’t know any of that and were going on and on like, ‘That soup dish is so delicious! That’s a manor that prides itself on its cooking for you!’ So I’m sure Lefreya was none too pleased with that.”

Apparently the three dishes worth of stew I made went into the stomachs of Lefreya, Diel, and Diel’s father. I had heard her dad was a metalworker visiting from Jagar, and that Cyclaeus was an important business partner for him.

But putting that aside, I still wasn’t fully satisfied with that explanation.

“So she didn’t like the fact that the chef she abducted by force had the better dish? I don’t get it at all.”

“No, Lefreya probably never expected you to put out a dish that good. After all, she was always insisting that stuff made by chefs in the post town didn’t even qualify as proper food.”

I could recall Diel having said something like that before. In fact, she had said she wanted to bring my cooking back to the castle town in order to prove her point.

“Thinking back on it now, Lefreya looked seriously displeased after having us try the dishes. She must have been expecting us to heap praise on the other meal, then call me to your room later to show me up.”

“Whoa, that’s an awfully sneaky game she’s playing there!”

“I’d say it’s more that she just hates to lose... Well, I do too, but to think that she’d go and do something this crazy...”

“There’s nothing for you to worry yourself over, Diel. Still... just why exactly did she decide to keep me confined longer, then? Does she want me to keep on cooking till my dish loses her competition?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s more that she just plain took a liking to your cooking? I mean, she really chowed down on your dish too. Though, her eyebrows had this really steep angry slant the whole time.”

Like father, like daughter, I guess. Couldn’t she show her appreciation for my skills in a more normal way?

“So her father really doesn’t know about any of this, right? Or maybe I should say she went ahead with this ridiculous plan now because he wasn’t around to interfere?”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s the case. Whenever I talked about your cooking, that old man just gave a disinterested smirk. There’s no way he would’ve let Lefreya do something so stupid,” Diel replied, and then she leaned her face in close. “So, you were planning to escape on your own because you weren’t satisfied with Lefreya’s words?”

“Yeah, though I know it’s reckless.”

“It sure is! Like I said before, they let guard dogs loose in the courtyard, and the stone walls around the place are huge. And it’s not just the dogs, since there are definitely guards patrolling those walls too. I mean, this is the manor of possibly the most powerful noble in all of Genos, other than the duke.”

“Right...”

“And let’s say you do make it out by some fluke. Even then, you still wouldn’t be able to leave the castle town. They raise the drawbridge at night, and during the day you need a pass to get through. And if you try to force your way through, you’ll definitely be treated as a criminal.”

Apparently it was completely hopeless.

I gave a disappointed shrug of my shoulders, while Diel reacted with a worried furrowing of her brows.

“I’m sorry, Asuta. This is all my fault... Still, your cooking skills really did beat a chef from the castle town after all! What about working here in this manor for real? Then you could earn enough coins that you’d be set for life, right?”

“I could never do that. There’s no way I could serve someone who’d do something like this, and I’ve got no intention of abandoning the forest’s edge, either.”

“I see... It still feels like a waste for someone with your skill to just be doing business in the post town, though...” Diel replied, looking earnestly disappointed. I guess for a merchant, doing business near the seat of government really was an honor.

I had no intention of arguing against her way of thinking, but I was raised in an eatery aimed at the general public. And so, I wanted to cook food for the townsfolk rather than nobles. No matter how much power they might possess, I really had no interest at all in being a personal chef to someone like that.

“Hey Diel, would it be possible to have you try to convince Lefreya? I really would like to return back home to the forest’s edge as soon as possible.”

“There’s no way she would listen to what I had to say... In fact, she’d probably just get even more worked up if I went and got involved.”

“Then could I maybe have you tell someone in the post town what happened? If you let one of my business partners there know, they should be able to get in contact with the people of the forest’s edge.”

“Hmm, I’m going to be busy for a while, and it doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to make it out of the castle town. My dad’s running around like mad trying to expand his business as much as possible while the count isn’t around. Apparently he’s been getting the feeling that it’s dangerous to be relying on that old man alone.”

“I’d definitely say that’s the right call. Still, even just getting a short message out to anyone in the post town would be plenty. I’d really like to put my family and friends who know nothing about what’s going on at ease.”

“By family, do you mean that nasty blonde woman?” Diel asked, puffing up her cheeks. But they quickly deflated and she took an apologetic expression again. “I get that, but it really does seem like it’ll be difficult... Even if I try talking about it with my dad, he’d just say there’s no way we could ever go throwing our lot in with the people of the forest’s edge and making an enemy out of a noble... And he took away my pass, too.”

“I see...”

But then I recalled Diel’s attendant, Labis. No matter how close I got with the girl herself, though, his unfriendly attitude had remained unshakable.

Generally, southerners viewed the people of the forest’s edge as nothing but traitors who abandoned their god. There were those who I met through my business in the post town and got close to, but otherwise they generally avoided or even discriminated against the people of the forest’s edge.

“Still, there’s no need to go all the way to the post town personally, right? Tomorrow or whenever, I can slip away from my dad and let the guards in the castle town know about all this! Even when we’re talking about nobles, kidnapping is still a clear-cut crime!”

“Ah, but don’t the guards around here ultimately fall under the militia? It’s not the ducal guard, right?”

“Hmm? I don’t really know the west all that well, but the ducal guard are the soldiers who protect the castle itself, aren’t they? But the guards are the ones in charge of both the castle town and post town.”

In that case, that was no good. After all, Cyclaeus’s younger brother was the captain of the militia. If word of Lefreya’s wrongdoing reached his ears, he would probably do everything in his power to cover it up.

“The people of the forest’s edge and the militia don’t exactly have a great relationship. Sorry, but could you avoid spreading information about this to just anyone in the castle town?”

“Huh? But I really don’t want you getting gnawed to death by guard dogs...” Diel said, a serious look on her face as she tightly grabbed my hand. Her grasp was strong, and also warm.

“I’ve got no intention of dying a pointless death, either. But I guess that means I’ve got no moves left to make, huh?”

There had to be a pretty significant commotion in the post town by now. However, there wouldn’t be any proof to be found there that it was someone related to Cyclaeus who had abducted me. And so, I figured neither the people of the forest’s edge nor Zasshuma could make a move with how things stood.

“Isn’t there anything at all I can do to help...? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this whole mess...” Diel said, her eyes brimming with emotion as they teared up.

Mustering up all my willpower, I shot her back a smile.

“I’d be incredibly grateful if you could try to get in contact with my allies from the forest’s edge if you happen to get time between your work. You’re the only one here in the castle town I can ask that of, Diel.”

“Got it. If I can manage to get any time at all, I swear I’ll do so!”

Apparently Diel’s voice had gotten too loud there again, as there was a reserved knock on the door.

“Master Diel, what exactly is going on...?”

“I was just talking in my sleep!”

“Is that so...?”

This clandestine meeting of ours may well have reached its limit.

And besides, the rope I had used to escape was still dangling from the window. If anyone realized, Chiffon Chel could easily end up getting whipped for nothing.

“Well then, I’ll head back to my room. Thanks for telling me all that.”

“Ah, hold on! Let me just say one last thing. Um, about Lefreya...” Diel cast her eyes down, looking like she was having trouble bringing herself to speak up. But before long, she resolutely stated, “I really, seriously hate nobles. If it weren’t necessary for business, I’d never want anything to do with them. But I can’t bring myself to completely hate that girl.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. It feels to me like she’s never been glad that she’s a noble, somehow. Her father’s always focused on work and gourmet food and never pays her any mind, and her days are filled with nothing but studies and practice, with no time to play... In a totally different way than her old man, that girl’s one bit of enjoyment each day comes from delicious food.”

Apparently there was a significant reason behind her growing up to be such an ill-tempered little tyrant.

“Does she not have any family other than her father? Isn’t the house of Count Turan one of the foremost noble families in Genos?”

“Well, she should have plenty of relatives, but Lefreya and the old man are the only ones living here in this manor. And all the servants and soldiers, of course. I figure outside of when guests like me and my dad are around, that girl doesn’t have anyone she can just have a carefree chat with.”

“I see...”

“That’s why she doesn’t care at all about making her father mad by doing something like this. She might even be thinking she’d be glad to just get his attention a bit.”

“Is that so? Well... if it weren’t for the circumstances, I could see myself feeling some sympathy for her.”

Still, I guess that didn’t really leave me a target to aim my anger at.

I really was just someone who got mixed up in a father-daughter squabble, huh?

“And I certainly can’t forgive doing something like this to you, but that girl probably can’t even imagine you’re feeling unhappy with the circumstances. After all, apparently it’s a great honor for a chef to be invited to this manor. So she’s probably thinking, ‘Why isn’t he more grateful for what I’ve done?!’”

“Hm. Well, we definitely have different perspectives, there.”

“Also, the one who decided to take you by force rather than making a proper request... was probably Mussel rather than Lefreya.”

“Mussel?”

“If you met Lefreya, then you definitely saw him too. That dark brown haired officer who’s stout like a karon.”

“Ah, him? Yeah, he was one of the men who abducted me.”

“I knew it! Apparently he’s been in charge of guarding Lefreya and constantly attending to her ever since she was born. It sounds nice and all if you just call him loyal, but he’s got a scary side to him, like he’d do anything if it was for her. In fact, he almost hit me when I was arguing with Lefreya. Labis stopped him, of course.”

“I see... So a spoiled rich girl and the blindly obedient officer serving her, huh?”

It definitely wasn’t an appealing combination.

I still didn’t get how Sanjura fit into the picture there, though.

However, one thing was clear: The key to all this was that man, Mussel.

Nail had in all likelihood seen Mussel’s face when he came into The Sledgehammer, pretending to be a customer. Maybe he was underestimating the matter and figuring he would never be identified as long as he just remained in the castle town, but if I could just inform Zasshuma, then it should certainly be possible to have Melfried make a move.

“Then Diel, if you happen to get a chance to make it to the post town, could I have you tell them about that Mussel guy too? If so, my allies may be able to get him indicted as a criminal.”

“Got it. I promise. But what about Lefreya...? The next time I see her, I may end up shouting my head off.”

“Ah, that would be dangerous. I think it would definitely be for the best if she never learns that we met like this.”

“Hmm, but I think she’ll probably start bragging about you before long. Like saying how she got a hold of the chef that I’m so fond of.”

“Huh? Wouldn’t doing that be like admitting to the kidnapping?”

“But she could hide that part and just say she was paying you or whatever, right? At the very least, I don’t see her just staying quiet, considering her personality.”

So, she was reckless enough to cause her own downfall, huh?

Whether that would create the gap in their armor we needed was up in the air, but at least for now, she certainly seemed to be making bad moves.

“I guess it would help if our stories matched up in that case... but what’s most important is definitely getting a message to the post town. So for that reason, it would be best to remain as cautious as possible.”

“Ugh, got it. I’ll try to bear it as much as I can. After all, I’m the whole reason things ended up this way. I really am sorry, Asuta...” Diel said, once more looking dejected.

I was no longer able to wring out a smile at this point, but I at least gave her a firm pat on the shoulder.

“Stop apologizing over and over like that. And now that I know you’ll be eating it too, from now on, my cooking won’t feel quite so futile and empty.”

“Yeah... I’m glad I get to eat your cooking too, Asuta,” Diel replied with a bashful smile and a nod.

I grabbed hold of the window, then after checking to make sure there weren’t any guard dogs or sentries prowling about, I repeated my rock climbing adventure in reverse. Once I pulled my sweat-drenched body back into the room, I found Chiffon Chel in the same position atop the bed, looking at me with a gentle gaze.

“It seems we meet again, Sir Asuta...” she said with a smile after I freed her mouth and arms. “I hope my saying so does not make you feel badly, but I am glad to see you return...”

There were all sorts of people here in this manor, too. And perhaps only a few of them were rotten to the core.

But even so, my heart was full of sadness, suffering, and a sense of powerlessness.

Two and a half months had passed since I had come here to this world... and I was finally spending a night apart from Ai Fa.

Just what was she thinking as this night passed?

As I stared out at the pale moon through the window, I desperately tried to hold back the crushing pain in my chest.