[Eon’s POV: ]
"This… is not food, this is… this is heaven."
"Impeccable."
Elder uncle and aunt were praising my cooking right when the rest of the house’s chefs were there.
They all were obviously older and more experienced people who had made the sa things present on the dining table for more years than what I have been alive in this world.
They were experts, they were also masters of their fields that had studied the art of cooking extensively. They were great at what they did, so, when their lord was praising the cooking of their young relative, it did not go well with a few of them.
’Since I had made traditional dishes of the north that I had not even tasted before, from their perspective, their lords were simply exaggerating.’
Not all of them thought like that, at least. Not the ones who had heard about my cooking skills at least. But, there certainly were a few that believed that and did not feel well about this.
’I was making sothing I had not even learned. They were the ones that taught how many of these things were made in the first place, and yet their lords were praising as if they were eating sothing otherworldly.’
It was simply beyond them how they were doing that, but since they traditionally did not eat with their lords, they did not know how the things that they were eating actually tasted like.
’It was a tradition that the ones cooking the food would only eat it after the rest of the people, their lords especially, are done eating.’
The cooks and chefs took pride in this tradition and willingly abstained from eating with their lords as a show of respect.
But, even though their lords don’t usually force them…
"I will not repeat myself, everyone. If you wish to keep your posts, please, take a seat and enjoy this al with us."
Elder uncle was practically threatening them with a serious look.
Anna found that serious look pretty scary so she did not say anything even though she found his behaviour inappropriate.
She should not be forcing the others to do sothing they did not want to. It was wrong, but that look he had, surprisingly, made her a little worried.
’That was a new kind of reaction we were seeing on her. But those who had seen her around these two people, knew well how they were also pretty strict with Anna when it was needed.’
Much like Zoe, they also scolded her when she did wrong things, corrected her when she revolted when they were not in the wrong, and even advised her about a lot of things.
She was not afraid of what uncle might think of her if she talked back to him, she also wasn’t afraid of what she might beco in their eyes if she spoke her mind, the only thing that held her words back were the punishnt that the others would receive.
’It has happened in the past. The ones that she took the side of were punished just so that Anna learns a lesson.’
They had done that, at least before her, so she did not want the others to be punished just because she found his actions wrong.
"...yes, my lord."
The rest of them had no choice but to follow their lord’s order when the dignity of my food was on the line.
"You don’t have to serve yourself today either."
When they all had sat down on their places, Elder uncle used his powers to move the spoons and plates and other utensils to the chefs.
"My lord?!"
"You don’t have to do this, my lord! We can take-."
"Shut up, and just eat. See for yourself what the thing you were judging a mont ago actually tastes like."
His voice was deep already, but when he said it all with that serious tone, it almost seed like he was scolding so little children.
His orders were absolute to them, they should have been at least, but since they still tried to argue against him, he looked at them with that upset expression and simply finished serving them all.
"He may be young, but rember that he is the one who made all the ’special’ utensils that you use nowadays."
He even went as far as making a bite and feeding it to them directly. Sothing that would have been seen as an act of honour in any other part of the world, but here… in the north, it was almost a stain to their dignity.
’Not that elder uncle cared about it. He knew what he was doing, and since they were his trusted servants, he knew they weren’t going to hold any grudges against him.’
At least, not after eating those things…
"What?"
"This… this…"
"It tastes just like how… just like…"
"How mother made it…"
There were six of them, and of the six, two were speechless after taking that one bite. Find exclusive stories on empire
"He has been recognised by big nas that you admire so, before doubting his skills, test them."
He was not disappointed in them nor was he angry at them. He knew it was natural to think so kid like was not on the sa level as the rest of them… and I am not on the sa level as them.
"I am still learning and there is a lot that I wish to learn from you all. So, I hope you will teach for the ti we have together this ti."
There are a lot of things I want to learn from them: the cooking techniques of the north, the special dishes that are limited to the north, the traditional dishes like the ones that we made today.
This is my first ti in the north but not just the food that we eat here, but I want to go into the city and see all kinds of things that people eat. Try and learn how to make them, and go visit a few people that I had wished to learn from in the city area.
"That reminds …"
Elder uncle looked at his servants who were now speechless and silently eating my dishes with smiles, tears, or nostalgia in their eyes… and then he looked back at , and the rest sitting beside .
"What are your plans now? When are you going to visit the city? When are you going out to the shore and docks?
Is there anything you have planned specifically or would you like so suggestions from us locals?"
That question wasn’t directed at just , but for the rest of my companions and even Carla and Alf who, as he knew, were planning to just stay in and train as they usually do.
"Oh, we certainly have plans, Lord Luthor." Cradle knew about the small trip the President and I will have, but the rest of the people also had their own plans.
"I will be taking Quinny, Zoe, and Del shopping~. We are going to be shopping for the next three days~." Rein had her priorities sorted. She was going to have fun first before she started worrying about the crazy experint that we were about to conduct.
"There’s sowhere I have to go as well… though, it is for next week, I guess?" Chry also had plans.
"Next to next week Eon and I will be going to a nearby island with Elle and Cradle as well. Though, we will not be taking a boat so you do not have to arrange it, Master Thor."
As the president said, we would be going by ourselves and, since we aren’t telling them much, they are getting strange ideas.
"Is this a double date? Can we make it a triple-."
"You can’t co with us, mom." She was smirking even more now that I denied her request.
She knew we were going to do sothing in so place around here that also involved the headmaster, but she did not know what we were going to do.
’She was smirking right now but she knew Rein was worried about whatever we boys were up to. But, that worry simply made her even more happy.’
We were doing sothing our partners did not like or were unsure about, so whatever it might be, she knew this was going to be a good experience. And with the headmaster there, we would be fine as well.
"Don’t worry about Carla and Alf. We will keep these two nerds busy while they are here. However…"
I looked around the big dining table, at my entire family present here one by one.
"While we are here, you all should take a break as well. Play around a little instead of simply looking after your work and stuff."
We have holidays from the academy so we are free for the ti being, but it’s not the sa for the rest of them.
Mom, my two uncles, grandpa and grandma, even dad has his own work, not to ntion my two aunts who wouldn’t really have much to do here without their significant others.
They had work to do, but, since they were on vacation, they should take this chance and rest a little. Give themselves so selfish ti, and if possible, be with each other both physically and ntally.
"If I catch any of you overworking yourself, just rember Anna and I will make sure you don’t work at all for the rest of that week, ok?"
It wasn’t a warning, this was an order to all of them.
’Not just Anna and , all of us know how much they work so that we can have fun tis like this so, when they have this chance, they should enjoy their own company as well.’
With a vast sea around us, with the cool breeze carrying freshness of the sea salt, and with a view as lovely as we can see from the high towers of this castle-like estate, there were many fun things they could do here…
’We just wish they would enjoy themselves instead of simply limiting themselves to us and their own work.’
We would be sad if they did that, and… I’m sure they didn’t want us to be sad.
So, they will heed my order. And at the very least, spare so ti for themselves over the next few weeks we will be staying in this fun place.
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