Chapter Thirty-seven: Will the Rapidly Rising and Falling Tides of Romance Resurface Again?
Until the sparkling star melody of the rice cooker signaled it was done, I eagerly listened as Ms. Aria shared how she and Mr. Ed first met, their dating stories, and more.
They met on the battlefield, as enemies! They fell for each other at first sight! Mr. Ed confessed his feelings first! They cut ties and eloped together!
What a delightful story!
“Yup! The rice cooker is perfect too!”
“…Uuuu… I did all the talking…”
“Hehehe… Only those prepared to have their own love story drawn out can broach the topic of romance!”
I pinch and discard the still-hot tomato skins, mixing the softened, juicy flesh into the freshly cooked rice. The slightly heavy, sweet aroma of cooked carbohydrates mingles with the lively, sweet, and sour fragrance of the heated tomatoes. Adding to this mix is the alluring scent of creamy butter and a touch of pungent black pepper.
Ms. Aria presses her flushed cheeks with her pale hands, puffing them out as she shoots me a slightly resentful icy glare… But when I offer a spoonful of the tomato rice for a tasting, she immediately smiles and happily digs in.
…Gah… this beauty is just too adorable…!
The sweet, freshly cooked rice is already enticing with just the buttery richness, but the tart tomatoes and black pepper cut through any heaviness, creating an irresistibly delicious combination that compels you to keep eating!
When paired with a spiced curry, this combination becomes the ultimate nemesis of dieters, as they’ll find themselves devouring an entire pot in no time!
…Ah, a seafood curry would be great too!! I should stock up on more tomatoes…!
“Delicious…! Even with veggies, the rice is delicious!”
“It’s packed with summer’s bounty! We could even serve it with ratatouille to create a one-plate lunch style, but then we’d be limited on portions.”
Ms. Aria polished off the tasting portion in no time, probably not realizing it contained three whole tomatoes!
One-plate lunches look stylish, but you can’t fit very large portions with the limited space. It wouldn’t suit our Gourmand party filled with big eaters like the high-metabolism Mr. Ville and everyone else including myself. A less flashy dining table, with a big plate of side dishes, is probably better suited for us! And hefty servings of the main course too!
"I’m back, Rin, Aria.”
"…Welcome.”
"Welcome home…! So, did you catch any shrimp?”
“Shrimp, huh… shrimp, uh…”
"Oh… We have the fish Ms. Aria caught, so we have protein!”
“…Sorry…”
Just as I was considering buying some large plates in town, the door I had left open revealed Mr. Ville’s return. He doesn’t seem to be carrying anything, so he must have been focused solely on patrol duty.
Still, I casually inquired about shrimp half-jokingly… but no, my bad.
It can be… challenging, right? Mentally challenging, that is…! I’m sorry for asking!
Wait… To get down about being asked… does that mean he was looking for ingredients during patrol duty too!?
Well, he probably could multitask, but still…
Seeing Mr. Ville’s shoulders slump dejectedly, along with the dejected looks of Mr. Ed and Mr. Xenon who must have returned together, I turned on the oven to start preheating.
I also took out fillets from the fridge to sauté them until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside!
Having lunch should perk them right up, so…
Let’s quickly finish up lunch for now!
Thank you <3
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