Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Five: New Menu Item 2
“Curry, you see, has quite a powerful aroma, so there are people who just can’t handle it. I’m relieved you’re able to eat it, Fiene.”
“I had no idea such a dish existed.”
The effectiveness of the panacea didn’t differ from person to person. But she needed to explain about curry made by people other than Karen.
“I’ll teach you the recipe later. Curry sometimes contains spices that pregnant women shouldn’t eat, so be careful when eating curry other than this one. The recipe I’m teaching you is a safe one! Oh, but I plan to sell the recipe, so don’t share it publicly until it goes on sale.”
“You’re teaching me a recipe you plan to sell?”
“It’s my celebration gift. Both a wedding gift and a pregnancy gift.”
“All bundled together? Well, it’s much better than suddenly being handed a medium healing potion.”
Karen laughed at the timid Linus, who patted his chest in relief.
The look on their faces when they later discovered what they’d been fed was a panacea would be worth seeing. Since Karen would never see those faces, she’d just imagine them behind her closed eyes.
“You can’t republish the recipe, but feel free to make and sell it! I’m looking forward to seeing curry fried bread lined up in the store!”
“That’s your goal, isn’t it, Karen?”
“But you know, the bread you say you want to eat is really delicious. And it sells well. So we’re actually grateful.”
“Well, even the fried bread you can eat now was originally Karen’s idea, right, Fiene?”
“Mm-hm. I bet this curry fried bread will end up helping us as well.”
“Hehe, maybe so.”
Karen spoke proudly.
Fiene’s morning sickness seemed to have been settled by the panacea curry, so she’d already helped them, but they would learn that another day.
Thinking of that day, Karen’s smile clouded.
“…This will probably be the last time I come here.”
“I thought so.”
Fiene’s voice showed understanding.
“Even though Linus wrote in his letter that I wasn’t feeling well, you, who are always so considerate, still said you’d come, Karen. I even told you not to bring any potions because I wouldn’t accept them, but you insisted on coming anyway. That’s when I realized… this must be your only chance. You came to say goodbye.”
Although Karen had planned to casually make them eat the panacea without raising suspicion, Fiene’s guess was half right, and Karen offered an explanation:
“It’s not like I stopped thinking of you as friends just because our ranks became so different, okay?”
At Karen’s flustered response, Fiene smiled softly.
“I was hoping that was the case. There’s some reason, right?”
“The potion I make have become something nobles want badly enough.”
“That’s amazing, Karen.”
“…It’s valuable enough that some people might think it’s worth kidnapping commoners and their families as hostages to force me to make it, and cover it all up with money to spare.”
“Ah…”
Fiene instinctively placed her hand protectively over her belly.
Urte and Aaron, along with Sepl’s family—the supporters Karen had hired—moved into an apartment next to Karen’s alchemy workshop. It was an apartment the Ehlertt family had purchased, and they’d even installed magical tools and knight guards.
However, neither Ehlertt Earldom nor Karen had the reach to protect Fiene and all of Karen’s commoner friends.
“I’ve made enemies of an organization that’s a bit dangerous to turn against. Honestly, I think I’m disliked by both the Queen and the First Consort.”
“Are you okay, Karen?”
Without asking why such things had happened, Linus simply worried about Karen.
Karen narrowed her eyes, smiled, and nodded.
“I’m okay. I am… So, I’m sorry. Today will be the last time I come here. This will also be the last time I mention that we’ve been close friends since commoner school.”
After meeting a Child of the Dark Night, Karen realized how naive she had been. This world had darkness beyond what she could imagine. Karen personally believed she would cut through even that darkness and press forward. But she couldn’t involve her friends.
A large palm ruffled Karen’s head as her eyes grew moist.
“I’ll make you a delicious curry fried bread, Karen.”
“We changed to new oil. It’ll fry up really delicious. Look forward to it.”
At Fiene’s parents’ words, Karen nodded vigorously while tears streamed down her face.
Fiene and Linus drew close to Karen.
The curry bread dough balls, gently placed in the oil, sizzled as they fried to a fox-brown color. Fiene’s father flipped the curry bread, watched it intently, then quickly lifted the bread onto a rack, drained the oil, placed it on a plate, and set it before the crying Karen.
“Karen, how about this? I’d be happy if you’d taste it.”
“Itadakimasu.”
Karen picked up the piping hot curry fried bread. First, one bite with a crunch. That one bite reached the tightly packed curry filling. The deliciousness of the filling with meat fat softened and melted by heat, and the bread’s deliciousness. While enjoying the crispy texture of the fried coating, Karen continued with a second and third bite.
“Mmm!”
As Karen made her cheeks bulge while crying, Fiene and Linus gulped.
“Dad, I want to eat some too. Fry some for me!”
“F-Father-in-law, may I have some too?”
“Little Karen eats so deliciously. I want to eat some too, so I’ll fry mine—what about you?”
“Make two for me… no, actually three.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea, Mom. Then I’ll have three too!”
Linus seemed hesitant to ask his father-in-law for more and mumbled.
“Delicious!”
Fiene, handed the curry fried bread her father had fried for her, took one bite, and exclaimed.
“I think I could eat as many of these as I want!”
“This is good enough to decide on as a permanent menu item. Depending on the cost, though.”
To Fiene’s mother, who had demolished one curry fried bread in two bites, Karen said earnestly with reddened eyes, leaning forward:
“The spices are expensive, so I’ll teach you thoroughly later about the ingredients used in the spices so you can gather them in the dungeon! Actually, I brought the pre-ground stuff thinking I’d use it as teaching material.”
“Karen, you’re pushing a bit too hard… but I get it. This is incredibly delicious.”
“Hmm. I feel like there’s room to make it even more delicious?”
“Really?! Then please add your creative touches and make it a permanent item!”
Karen’s eyes sparkled at Fiene’s father’s words.
At Karen’s appearance, both Linus and Fiene let out warm laughter.
“Can’t be helped. Then I’ll gather these spices or whatever in the dungeon.”
“Then I’ll make the curry!”
She hadn’t yet publicly announced her promotion to B-rank alchemist or the panacea that led to it.
But eventually, Fiene and her family would learn what they had been eating. That said, since they hadn’t confirmed it by appraisal, they’d never know whether this curry had been a panacea or not. The truth would stay in their bellies…
“Oh, the baby moved!”
“I hope the baby thought it was delicious too.”
“Karen, want to touch?”
“Is it okay?”
“Of course—it’s you, Karen.”
Fiene took Karen’s hand and guided it to her belly.
The moment Karen placed her hand on Fiene’s belly, she felt a faint vibration from inside.
“Good job greeting Mommy’s friend.”
Fiene seemed to feel it too and gently rubbed her belly through her clothes.
Karen also gently stroked it.
Fiene placed her hand over Karen’s hand, touching her belly.
“Even if we can’t talk, even if we can’t call each other friends… I’ll keep making delicious bread for you, Karen.”
Karen smiled again with moist eyes.
“Thank you. I’ll have my apprentice Harald come buy some, so please take care of him!”
At Karen’s words, Fiene, her parents, and Linus nodded with smiles.
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