That day, I abandoned the village where I was born and raised.
There was nothing left there but corpses and burnt ruins. I could not even tell which corpses were my parents’.
“Are you worried, Pino?”
“No, not really.”
“I see. That is good.”
In the form of accompanying this girl, Belze, who claimed to be the third princess of the empire or rather, as if I were half-abducted—I left the village.
It was a walk to the main road.
I was exhausted halfway there, but the young lady trekked over the mountain path in nothing but heels, not even breaking a sweat. She is a monster.
It seems the original plan was to travel the main road on foot as well, but because I was completely worn out, we decided to use a horse-drawn carriage instead.
“I am sorry for being so weak…”
“No, it is fine. It was my oversight. If I am going to drag you along on a journey, I must also manage your physical strength.”
“Hmph,” she snorted proudly, seeming very eager.
Her expression remained as stoic as iron as always, but perhaps she is surprisingly innocent on the inside.
“……If I may ask, Princess Belze, how old are you?”
“Pino, how about you?”
“I have not counted since fifteen.”
“I am around there as well.”
Liar. You definitely know exactly how old you are.
Well, she is young, and surely she is not far from twenty… I will just assume we are around the same age.
When we arrived at a nearby city, I was guided to what was called Belze’s villa.
It was a magnificent mansion in the center of the noble district.
It seems she has one or two such villas in every city. I trembled, thinking that her story about being a royal might actually be true.
But before I could worry about that, I was met with terrifying murderous intent at the mansion.
“P-Princess Belze! You cannot do this, bringing such a suspicious person into the mansion!”
“That is right, and to say he is a cook, of all things…!”
The ones glaring at me were the cooks of the mansion. There were many of them.
It seems they were all cooks hired by her father specifically for Belze’s “Gluttony.”
They all appeared to be the elite of the elite, scouted from famous restaurants favored by the royal family—
Unfortunately, none of them suited Belze’s palate, so they were left at various villas around the country. That is a very luxurious situation.
“He is not a suspicious person, this is Pino. I chose him.”
“B-But why such a commoner! What will happen to our positions!?”
I completely agree with that sentiment.
I still do not understand why Belze chose someone like me.
Meanwhile, Belze sighed as if to say it was troublesome.
“Understood. Then, all of you, make something. If you are going to talk this much, I assume you can prepare something that suits my palate.”
“T-That is obvious! Leave it to us!”
“Good. Then Pino, you do it too.”
Are you serious?
So this is how it’s going to be.
“The task is one dish that goes well with wine. I will take the person most suitable as my own cook. Begin.”
The start was declared very casually.
The cooks were a beat late, then rushed into the kitchen as if they were panicking.
Belze glared at me.
I understood even without words. These were eyes that said, “If you lose, you will regret it.”
“Um, Princess Belze.”
“What?”
“The task is fine, but may I take a bath before that?”
The obsession with cleanliness cultivated in my previous life was screaming.
I wanted to wash at least my hands and hair.
To my request, Belze nodded.
“I understand. I will have someone guide you. However, the other cooks have already started preparing, so you will fall behind.”
“That is fine. Entering the kitchen with this dirty body is out of the question.”
“I see. You really are interesting.”
Her facial muscles did not twitch at all, but I suppose that was not a lie either.
I was probably brought along because I was seen as “interesting.” A whim of a princess. That is fine with me.
“I was thinking of taking a bath as well. Shall we go in together?”
Hey, what is this person saying?
Retracting my previous statement. Do not find me interesting in that way.
“It is a joke.”
When I glared at her, Belze smiled faintly.
Well, if it has come to this, it cannot be helped.
I will try my best to pass this task.
When I returned after borrowing the employee bath guided by the maids, the kitchen was enveloped in heat.
It was only natural, as they were lighting fires all over the place. Now, what should I make?
The first problem is the ingredients.
“Oh, the meat is completely gone.”
The ingredients in the kitchen are finite. Especially the meat and fish.
The tender parts with little unpleasant odor had already been used up, and all that remained were bones and internal organs.
As for the vegetables, all that was left were basic aromatic vegetables and herbs, which were too strong to be the main part of a dish.
“Did I not tell you that you would fall behind?”
“I know.”
Belze had returned before I noticed, and she was glaring at me with a damp, heavy gaze from outside the kitchen.
She was also dressed for after her bath. She left the care of her long hair to the maids and was elegantly observing the competition in a bathrobe. A comfortable position to be in.
Still, what should I do?
The available ingredients were all things with strong characteristics, like organs and aromatic vegetables.
“Princess Belze, do you prefer red or white wine?”
“White.”
I thought so. I suspected she would not like the bitterness of red wine.
Her picky eating habits did not betray my expectations.
Alright, I have decided.
“I will use liver.”
At my words, the air in the kitchen stiffened.
The cooks and maids who were eavesdropping around me—
And Belze herself looked at me as if her eyes would pop out.
“Y-You know I dislike that.”
“I know. But I will definitely make something that suits your palate.”
It was the first time I had seen Belze look so flustered. It was slightly amusing.
Anyway, I had made my decision.
When I went back to the depths of the kitchen to find an empty space, the cooks greeted me with mockery.
“Hey, stray dog.”
“……Are you talking to me?”
“Yes. I do not know how you deceived Her Highness, but this is the end for you.”
Deceived her, or am I the one being deceived?
“Animal liver is an ingredient with a strong odor that Her Highness dislikes the most. Besides, did you not hear? The wine Her Highness prefers is not red, but white! There is no way animal liver goes with white wine!”
Wow, as expected of elite cooks. That is correct.
There are various theories about the pairing of wine and ingredients, and one of those criteria is “color.”
Red wine goes well with red ingredients.
White wine goes well with white ingredients.
Well, there are many exceptions, but generally speaking, this is accepted.
Red liver does indeed go with red wine.
However—
“That is only the case if the liver is red.”
Ignoring the cooks who had question marks over their heads, I checked the countless piles of meat on the tables.
It was all high-quality beast meat that had just been butchered.
Among the mountain of discarded organs and bones, I found what I was looking for.
“Found it. W-h-i-t-e L-i-v-e-r.”
Compared to the general reddish-brown liver, it was a beautiful color, like a mix of milky white and pale crimson.
White liver.
Simply put, it is an animal’s “fatty liver.”
The liver, which is layered with fat that seems to melt away, has no unpleasant odor, is mellow, and holds a rich, buttery umami.
The liver of a goose that has been artificially fattened is called “foie gras,” but this kind of white liver can also occur in wild animals and livestock. It is a rare part that can only be found in one out of several dozen animals.
“Since this kitchen is stocked with only meat with good fat content, I knew it would absolutely be here.”
It was bird liver with crisp edges and undeniably excellent freshness. It will definitely be delicious.
Now, let us begin the cooking.