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Catherine was definitely not someone who lost her appetite when sick.

Three bowls of Chicken Soup were just the beginning.

In fact, she devoured an entire pot of Chicken Soup I had prepared the day before.

As if that wasn’t enough, she banged on her blanket, demanding dessert.

Looking at how much she was eating, it was like any other day.

Anyway, since the order was made, Karem headed to the pantry.

Strangely enough, snacks were to be made by Catherine and Mary together. However, the former was preoccupied with cleaning up an explosion site.

Then, this meant that if I made it alone, it would be Mary who was responsible if things went awry. Sure, there would be some limitations due to Mary’s absence, but that didn’t matter.

“What good snack would be easy to eat and beneficial for a cold?”

Pudding that goes down smoothly, sorbet packed with lemon, thick and creamy Eggnog, and more. The absence of Mary made the list of recipes popping into my head rather simple.

‘Oh.’

And then I opened the pantry door.

It seemed there were some empty spots here and there, indicating it hadn’t been restocked.

As Karem scanned the shelves This time, his gaze naturally shifted towards the fruits.

There were a few different types of raisins, dried figs, dried dates, various apples, lemons, oranges, limes, undried dates, and…

“Pears. Hmm. Well, that could work.”

It was not the sweet, juicy kind of pear that I often had in my past life, larger than a baby’s head and filled with water.

If it had looked like something half-made, it might have been different, but as a pear, it was only slightly larger than an adult’s fist.

Its sweetness was negligible, and the texture and juice were lacking.

When squeezed, it would squish, yet its texture was crumbly, leaving remnants rolling around on my tongue.

The appearance was even like a half-finished bottle.

That glorious thing was called a Western Pear.

For the first time since coming to the Mage Tower, Karem picked it up with purpose, inspecting it.

“Now that I think about it, she was coughing continuously.”

The reason was obvious. She had been coughing a lot last night when I laid her down, and even until we left the office, it was only natural for one to be concerned. Adorable, but…

Anyway, looking at the pear gave me an idea for a snack and drink that would help her cold situation.

“Steamed Pear… But would it be alright?”

After all, a Western pear still fell under the category of pears. Although it lacked sweetness and was a bit dry, and the appearance was unappealing.

So if I boil it with plenty of honey, sugar, and spices, it might come out decently…

Just then—

“Carrem! I’ve come—huh?”

“Your Highness. Have you arrived?”

The sound of the pantry door opening, followed by Alicia’s declaration made Karem reflexively greet her, confusion evident on his face.

Was Alicia sneaking in again? How? Mary was currently busy securing the debris and was likely too occupied to notice.

Karem sensibly concluded.

“It’s the first time you’ve come at this hour—”

“Hey you! There’s no one like you in the Mage Tower! Reveal your identity!”

“Predictable, but I’m here for a snack—hmm? Hmmm?”

“A snack! What’s today’s snack, huh? Huh?”

Huh? Huh? What did she just say?

Alicia, bundled up in a fluffy coat over her dress, looked cute enough to want to bite. But her words couldn’t be ignored.

Karem was utterly perplexed by Alicia’s unexpected declaration of hostility.

And it seemed Alicia, who had been initially happy about the mention of snacks, was equally puzzled.

As they both tilted their heads in confusion, Karem finally grasped the substance of Alicia’s declaration.

“Lady Alicia. I am Karem.”

“That’s a lie! Not long ago, Karem was this small!”

Who was actually small? No, that’s not the essential matter here.

“…Have you not heard the rumors?”

“Rumors? If you’re talking about recent ones…”

Alicia crossed her arms and bowed her head, deep in concentration.

What had happened recently? Grr! If it weren’t for Mrs. Poppins’ surveillance.

Then, Alicia suddenly raised her head.

She managed to recall the rumor she had heard last night.

She then unfolded her arms and waved her hand dismissively.

“Ugh. Even though Alicia is young, I know everything. Just because Karem’s body has grown, it doesn’t mean half the rumors about it are true.”

“But it is true.”

“Mrs. Poppins may be scary, but she doesn’t lie!”

“Hmm. That’s a pretty strong belief.”

“So, you’re not Karem! Give me back my friend!”

Oh, so she thought of me as a friend. The serious expression on her adorably chubby face moved Karem deeply.

He wanted to continue the amusing conversation, but there was no time for that.

After all, someone was eagerly waiting for snacks.

Karem briefly pondered and quickly arrived at an answer.

“Well then, Your Highness, it seems you won’t be having a snack today.”

“What?”

As if wondering when she had been serious, Alicia looked horrified, like a squirrel hit by a slingshot.

“If I’m not Karem, it means I wasn’t the chef for Sir Atanitas back in Winterhome either, right? So why would I bother preparing for you?”

“How could you be so harsh… Ah, wait. Mama said not to eat food from someone I don’t know.”

“Well, if it’s someone I know, it should be fine, right?”

“Someone you know?”

Alright, judging by her reaction, it seemed Alicia was already halfway convinced.

Now, it was just a matter of sealing the deal.

“By the way, Sir Atanitas has caught a cold.”

“Gasp! Is Kitty very ill?”

“It’s not serious. But, I’m making a drink that’s good for colds and can double as a snack.”

As Karem gathered the ingredients, he furtively glanced at Alicia.

“Shall we have it together? It’ll be a visit too.”

The mention of Catherine being sick.

The curiosity about the new snack.

Alicia, whose guard was significantly lowered, undoubtedly had a predictable response.

*

Steamed Pear.

A dish and snack bearing the title of royal cuisine has become quite simple in both its ingredients and its method compared to its former glory.

The essentials are pears, whole peppercorns, ginger, and honey or sugar.

Karem chose honey.

Honey is good for colds too.

Of course, since the pear was a Western pear, and the dates had to be substituted with date fruit, the taste would be a bit different, but no one would battle about it.

First, peel the Western pear, slice off the top, and scoop out the inside, making sure to insert whole peppercorns at regular intervals along the surface.

Then, refill it with finely chopped ginger, dates, minced walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and the earlier scooped-out flesh, along with a bit of honey, before closing it back up like a lid.

Traditionally, it should be steamed, but that would take too long, and it was guaranteed that the Western pear would turn into mush.

So, I placed them tightly in a pot, pouring honey water around them and boiling them until the pears became tender.

And thankfully, the improvised plan was a success.

Thud- Clink- Splash—

As Karem placed the warm pot, radiating heat, on the cabinet by the bedside, Catherine looked at it snootily.

“Why is there a whole pot of drink prepared—”

Then she noticed Alicia, who was behind Karem.

“Ah, so that was it.”

“That is correct.”

Alicia, who looked like a chubby baby penguin thanks to the fur coat, flopped down onto Catherine’s bed.

“Kitty! I heard you caught a cold!”

“So it’s not ‘Kitty,’ it’s Catherine.”

“Your face is red, and you’re coughing. You look like you’re about to burst.”

“There’s no need to worry, but keep your distance.”

“Isn’t there a potion for curing colds?”

Catherine repeated her explanation slowly as she coughed. Alicia didn’t fully understand but believed it anyway since her friend said so.

“But Kitty, there’s a man I’ve never seen before, saying he’s Karem. Is that really true?”

“Yeah. I’m in this position because I took on the curse for him.”

“Gasp! So, is Kitty’s illness also…!”

“No, I’m just overdoing it with a tired body.”

“Is that how it is—”

Meanwhile, Karem remained quietly focused on the Steamed Pear.

Because since the Western pear was already soft, cooking it further could cause it to squish. If not careful, everything would fall apart.

Of course, even if it did squish, the taste would remain, but that wouldn’t bring much satisfaction in serving it.

Karem, holding the tongs, thankfully managed to ladle the pears into a bowl without mashing them up.

“Lady Alicia, here you go.”

“Whoa. A spicy aroma is arising.”

“That’s because I added ginger with the pepper.”

“Then why pepper…?”

“You’ll understand once you try it.”

However, Alicia could not easily let go of her suspicions. As she began a nonexistent staring contest with the Steamed Pear, Karem served the one that Catherine would eat into a new bowl.

“What did you put in this? Hah, Hahchoo!”

Catherine was taken aback by the sight of the Steamed Pear on the tongs.

Her expression resembled that of a cat just before it takes flight, seeing a cucumber.

It was similar to the expression that Alicia had when she first received her bowl of steamed pears.

“Right. I could understand the ginger, but what did you put? Pepper?”

“Pepper. Pepper is said to be good for colds, is it not?”

“Pepper should be sprinkled on meat to enhance flavor. Why on earth… Hahchoo! Why put it on fruit, like this? Not just one, but so many!?”

Cough, cough! Catherine was overwhelmed and could hardly breathe through her cough while trying to process the shock.

“Have I not cooked before? Do you think I would joke with something like this? There’s a reason!”

“Every time food is involved, your eyes get crazily wild!”

But Karem ignored her and brought the Steamed Pear closer to Catherine’s mouth.

If she truly disliked it, she would’ve made a big deal and outright refused.

Her dragging words hinted more at curiosity than doubt.

As it turned out, Catherine, who initially had a strong aversion, began to feel a tinge of curiosity as the Steamed Pear came closer to her lips.

The sweetness of honey water and the well-cooked Western pear was cut so cleanly by the spoon that even rough edges were nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps because of the pepper embedded in it, a spicy scent wafted through, mingling with the sharp aroma of ginger that seeped into her nostrils.

Above it all, the richly fragrant smell of crushed nuts below completed the bouquet.

From Catherine’s perspective, the Steamed Pear looked unique enough not to be bad at all. Likewise, the scent reaching her nose was pleasant too.

However, the clearly visible whole black peppercorns were hard to ignore.

“Sir Atanitas?”

“What— Ugh!?”

Just as I answered, the spoon darted in and, before I could react, Catherine succumbed to the taste that flooded her mouth.

A gentle pear scent warmed her mouth, alongside the sweet honey water that enveloped the warmth brought by the ginger’s unique spicy aroma, spreading outwards.

With a bite, it crumbled without form and naturally scattered the rich nutty flavor into her mouth.

And then the sweetness of honey mixed with that of the dates followed.

As she chewed on the ginger, a fiery sensation enveloped her whole mouth.

The taste was excellent, but before she could wash away the remnants of Chicken Soup lingering in her mouth and feel refreshed—

Crack—

“Ugh!?”

A burst of pepper erupted from her molars.

Three consecutive jolts.

The sudden intense surprise, briefly forgotten, hit Catherine like a rabbit that had just nibbled on a chili pepper.

And as the spiciness gradually subsided.

‘…Surprisingly, this feels good?’

As the prickling heat from her molars began to stimulate her tongue, her taste and smell awakened, stirring her appetite.

The flavor and aroma of the Steamed Pear became all the more vivid.

A sweet taste cutting through the nuttiness, with the spicy addition supporting the atmosphere that could have felt awkward.

“…The flavor of the pepper is a bit strong.”

What Catherine could not accept right away was that slight protest she left.

“It seems you enjoyed it.”

“Shut up.”

“Want some more?”

“……Sure.”

After savoring for a moment, Catherine wiggled and then promptly expressed her desire for more, shocking Alicia, who was watching with wide eyes.

Pepper in fruit desserts instead of meat? Yet Catherine was eating it deliciously? Was it truly that tasty?

Finally, seeing Catherine finish one piece and reach for another, Alicia, still holding onto a shred of skepticism, decided to have a taste herself.

Slurp—

“Oooh, it’s surprisingly good—”

Crack—!

“Deeheehh!? N-no!”

 

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