---

Mary returned to the kitchen of the tower with Karem, watching his actions with a skeptical heart.

“Steaming grains, huh? Of all things, oats?”

For Mary, who had spent decades mastering various recipes while serving her employer, the notion of steaming grains was quite unfamiliar, especially when it’s not even meat.

If you were to steam grains, you’d typically use malted barley for brewing beer, perhaps. In the warm lands of Europa, especially the southern countries, it might be a common sight.

Especially for someone like Bersengzeto or Servianus, who take food very seriously.

However, as far as Mary knew, she had never seen it done in the Kingdom of Seophone. Maybe if you were boiling it in a pot for soup, stew, or porridge, it would make sense.

Contrary to her feelings, Karem poured warm water over the washed oats in a bowl.

“I said I’m steaming the oats.”

Mary swiftly lifted the hefty oak barrel filled with abundance that Karem was struggling to move and placed it on the table.

“Suddenly bringing in an oak barrel? Are you planning to brew something?”

“What’s the rush? I’m just going to dunk that bowl of oats in and take it back out.”

“Ha? What kind of ridiculous talk is that? If you want to put the oats in, why would you dunk the bowl too?”

“I just need it for a moment. Just a moment to soak. It’ll be fine for just a moment.”

It was natural for rice or any grains to require soaking time to cook. Especially for oats, which are denser and tougher than many other grains.

But Karem had a magic tool.

The oak barrel of abundance.

A magic tool that accelerates the time of the food inside by 100 times, coveted not just by modern brewers but also by chefs and cheese artisans alike.

Of course, since he was merely soaking oats in water, putting them in was just a fleeting moment.

“Is there really such a big difference just from soaking them in water?”

“Well, grilled, fried, and boiled meats all taste different, don’t they?”

“I can’t even wrap my head around the fact that soaking and steaming will make animal feed edible. Is that really correct?”

“Ah, stop talking so much.”

“That’s only natural, isn’t it?”

Mary glanced at the bowl where the water level had lowered slightly as Karem had momentarily lifted it out. The oats had plumped up a bit.

“Karem, you’re trying to feed livestock to His Highness Godwin. The Fire Witch Finger or seaweed—”

“It’s not seaweed, it’s kelp! Kelp!”

“—kelp. And the revered Grizzly Beaver’s vanilla is in a completely different realm. And just what kind of thing is that Grizzly Beaver’s vanilla that you tout so proudly?”

“Well, that’s…”

In the current atmosphere, revealing its identity would probably not be wise. Besides, the supply he had brought from Blackwood Village had long since been snatched away by Catherine.

To use it as is felt too barbaric; at least it needed refining and filtering the impurities.

Thanks to that, Mary, who had never seen it in person, only knew that vanilla was a byproduct of the Grizzly Beaver and that it was an ethereal dessert spice.

And that was the reason why Mary remained grumpy throughout.

After all, they had indulged in delicious delicacies without her.

On top of that, they hadn’t even prepared her share?

Mary, who adored bread and dairy products, was miffed.

Karem placed a copper pot filled with water and oats on the stove, mumbling as he did so.

“…Sir Atanitas is refining it, so if you wait a bit, you’ll be able to eat as much as you want.”

“Is that so? Then I suppose that’s good news. If you’re saying it so confidently, I can look forward to that vanilla, right?”

“Oh, you can absolutely look forward to it.”

At first, it might seem unsettling, but once tasted, Karem was sure that someone would end up being utterly amazed just like with the pudding.

Meanwhile, the copper pot, with its high thermal conductivity, quickly came to a rolling boil.

Karem monitored the sounds, smells, and remaining water levels, adjusting the intensity of the stove.

Bubbling, bubbling,

Tick, crackle. Bam. Bang, bang—

As the water dwindled and the heat subsided, the oats began to cook, and faint popping sounds started coming from the pot.

Some oats couldn’t withstand the pressure inside and popped like popcorn.

And then he closed the lid and let it steam.

With that, the nutty scent of the grains started to waft through the kitchen.

This wasn’t the smells of oatmeal boiling over or oat bread baking that Mary was familiar with; it was completely different.

Rather, it was a tenfold amplified, savory, warm smell emanating as various grains boiled together.

Mary, who had clung to a shred of doubt till the end, reluctantly conceded.

“Alright. The smell is certainly savory. Is it done now?”

“No, just a little longer…”

“What you’re doing doesn’t seem like much more than just covering it and letting it sit.”

“Like resting a steak?”

“Ah, resting.”

The process of locking in the flavorful juices activated during cooking back into the meat.

Mary stroked her chin, nodding in understanding.

“I thought you were going to do something strange when you said steaming grains. Turns out it takes longer and requires a lot of effort than I thought.”

“In a way, it’s as labor-intensive as baking bread?”

“Ha, how dare you compare it to baking. What about the process of making dough and fermenting it?”

“No, thinking back to that, baking is definitely more complicated and labor-intensive. That’s unfair.”

The precise ratio of ingredient combinations, the time and intensity of kneading.

Even if you got those two perfect, the success or failure depended solely on the whims of nature during the fermentation and baking process.

“Still, while it is a hassle to soak the grains and control the heat, it’s definitely simpler than bread-making. How did you figure it out?”

“Well—”

“Ah, don’t tell me. I can guess what you’re going to say.”

No doubt he’d tout about being a genius again.

Mary waved her hand dismissively as if she didn’t want to hear it.

Then she began setting out plates and tableware on the kitchen table.

“Hmm? Wait, three plates? Three sets of tableware? When did you get in touch with Sir Atanitas?”

“The contractor is out of the estate per the order of Duke Felwinter.”

“The Duke? Oh.”

Karem had an idea of what had summoned Catherine.

But then again, wouldn’t there be no one to call? Olivier? Narque? Or perhaps the recently almost permanent resident, the third prince Robin?

Mary suddenly lifted her head and quickly scanned the kitchen and its surroundings, like a hawk sensing its prey.

Then, without a word, she vanished from the kitchen.

Moments later, Mary returned to the kitchen, proudly triumphant.

“Princess! This time, I caught her!”

“Wait, how did you know!?”

In her arms, with a genuinely taken-aback expression, was Alicia, bewildered and caught like a seal by its mother.

Alicia was genuinely surprised.

She had every reason to be.

For five years, no knight or magic had managed to catch her.

Only Lady Poppins could sense and find her. Little did she know another predator(?) had emerged to catch her!

This was a serious situation.

The threat of not being able to sneak in and enjoy snacks during boring classes!

No knight or maid, aside from Lady Poppins, could ever catch her! Now, she would need to hide much more thoroughly next time—

As she was being seated onto the special chair that Mary had dragged in, Alicia muttered to herself, burning with determination.

“Hah. I will not let her slip away again.”

Mary, on the other hand, smiled as if that were impossible.

Alicia sneaking into the Wizard’s Tower was an absolutely intolerable act for Mary, who was the house fairy of the tower.

Not Alicia, but the act of trespassing itself.

House fairies belong to the contractor’s home.

They serve the contractor and their group, manage the nest, and repel intruders.

Though, in truth, Catherine only possessed the right to own and dominate the tower, while the actual owner was Alfred, and Alicia as Alfred’s daughter was allowed to enter freely (having given up to Catherine)—a hilariously twisted situation!

Thus, to Mary, Alicia was not an intruder.

However, the act of ‘sneaking into the Wizard’s Tower’ could never be tolerated.

That, she could not allow!

And finally, after much effort, Mary was able to yield the fruits of those efforts.

One side planned to sneak in more stealthily and quickly.

The other side burned with the determination to catch them ever more thoroughly.

Thud. Puff—

“Alright. It’s done.”

Karem placed the pot in the center of the table and opened the lid.

A savory aroma rose, wafting up like a fluffy cloud.

Sizzle—

It had been about ten years since he reincarnated that he made rice.

Though it was a diet dish made purely of oats without rice, the stickiness and the sound of starch through the spoon seemed to indicate to Karem that he had succeeded.

Certainly, the texture of pure oats alone felt a bit stiff due to the absence of rice and other grains, but there was nothing that could be done about that.

There weren’t many grains suited for making rice like in his previous life.

And he couldn’t just throw in buckwheat, rye, and whole wheat either.

Karem’s sole experience with “making rice” in his past life had solely been with oats.

“Oh, oh! It smells so savory.”

“It’s rice. The smell isn’t bad, right?”

“Rice.”

“It’s the staple food that’s steamed like bread from soaked grains.”

“But it feels like something’s going to roll around. Karem, what did you make this with?”

“Um…”

Having looked forward to eating rice (even if it weren’t actually rice) for the first time in a while, Karem suddenly regained his composure.

Uh-oh, but he was about to taste it before presenting it to the first prince, but could he show it to the youngest princess too?

Why had Mary wanted to keep his mouth shut about the storeroom?

Wasn’t it to keep the number of people who knew to a minimum?

But oh dear, already Alicia.

The most sociable young lady in Winterhome had been sneaking around for quite a while.

Perhaps that was why Mary had simply brought Alicia along.

After all, what had happened the last time he pickled radishes with the Fire Witch Finger? News spread like wildfire, and he had unwittingly been forced to hold a tasting demonstration!

‘But really, am I going to serve this steamed oat dish to the princess?’

‘Since all the tableware is set up, what of it? If I just let it go, news will spread throughout the castle and town!’

Karem couldn’t bring himself to deny Mary’s unspoken argument.

Having silently persuaded the last opposing voice, Karem scooped some steamed oat rice onto the plate of the eagerly bouncing Alicia.

“First, taste it. You decide whether to have more or not.”

“Okay! But it really is rolling around!”

The first-ever dish Alicia had never seen in her life.

Expressing her curiosity, she explored the tiny bits of oats that rolled freely about on her spoon.

And then—

Nom.

 

---