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Elizabeth’s daily life had been monotonous.

The stress-inducing work was minimized, dangerous activities were excluded, and the strict body searches limited the number of visitors she could meet in a day.

Of course, this wouldn’t last forever.

Once four months had passed and her belly began to swell, meeting people and getting appropriate exercise were encouraged, so all she had to do was endure until then.

Moreover, this wasn’t her first rodeo. Elizabeth had actually been pregnant four times already in the prestigious Felwinter Family, and this was her fifth. You could say she was accustomed to it.

But this time felt a bit different.

Sure, dairy, fish, and eggs could be set aside.

But no meat? That was simply intolerable. Absolutely unacceptable. The height of tyranny!

Although she wasn’t a native of Theophon, considering the years she had lived and the fact that due to morning sickness she couldn’t eat anything else, not being able to eat meat was too much!

This was as serious as stealing vegetables from a Bersengzeto Elf.

However, even Elizabeth had to admit that just the smell made her nauseous.

No matter how much morning sickness she experienced, she had never found it this hard to bear as she did this time.

Of course, she wasn’t belittling the efforts of the Felwinter family’s cooks. She knew better than anyone what long hours they put into their work.

But being satisfied with that was another issue altogether. The desire for meat grew stronger by the day.

Thus, Elizabeth couldn’t hide her overwhelming excitement when she gratefully accepted the special meal prepared by Karem and Zigmeser.

“Eh, what is this?”

“Your Grace? Is there a problem—”

“No, Zigmeser. It’s nothing.”

Before asking if there was indeed meat in this dish, Elizabeth decided to taste the prepared delicacies again.

First up, the black bean noodles.

Coated with a sauce made from the fermented soybean sauce Kongarum developed especially for Prince Henry, the dish looked somewhat off-putting at first due to its color.

And there were so many vegetables, too.

But the moment she took a bite, her initial reluctance flip-flopped!

The rich flavor from the heaps of onions and cabbage was unlike any vegetable she had tasted before. The subtle sweetness and nuttiness combined with the thick depth of flavor that came from the Kongarum was addictively delicious.

The crunchiness of the onions and cabbage paired with a chewy texture made the experience of savoring every mouthful oddly delightful.

Accompanying this were the sweet and crunchy fried dishes.

The sweet and crispy fried dish was initially crunchy but became delightfully chewy and fluffy as she continued eating.

The fried eggplant, on the other hand, had a crispy exterior and moist interior. The fillings between the eggplant pieces were soft and savory, amplifying the naturally nutty flavor of the eggplant itself.

Both were fried dishes, yet they didn’t feel heavy thanks to the sweet and spicy sauce on the fried pieces and the soy sauce-based sauce on the eggplant.

In fact, the fried eggplant cleared the sticky sauce left behind by the sweet dish, providing a clean palate.

Overall, these were delicious dishes.

There were also some she had never tried before.

Most importantly, the meat was processed specially for her, as it had been two whole months since she had been pregnant.

And indeed, it was far more satisfying than any meal she had had so far.

Satisfying, but…

Something felt… off.

The texture and mouthfeel were unfamiliar, and sure enough, these were definitely not vegetables. But she could sense some nuttiness, right?

With a cautious expression, Elizabeth slowed down and savored the dishes.

“Something… something…?”

Elizabeth couldn’t find the words to continue.

Each clattering sound signaled a diminishing quantity of the dishes on the table.

On one hand, her rational mind insisted it was meat, while her instincts whispered it wasn’t.

But the source of that chewy, elastic texture was certainly not vegetables. Although it grew crumbly the longer she chewed, it was definitely not vegetables.

Moreover, the fillings placed within the fried eggplant were soft and moist, and chewing revealed a deep nuttiness that lingered.

Surely, it was like saying the meat had lost its soul.

There was no weighty, thudding sensation as she chewed.

Elizabeth’s doubts were spot on.

The chewiness of the black bean noodles came from tofu, the sweet crunch came from tofu chunks, and the fried eggplant wasn’t filled with shrimp but tofu.

Unbeknownst to Elizabeth, her worries continued, but her fork remained steady on all three dishes.

In any case, she was ready to eat it all, and Zigmeser, who stood alongside Karem with a bright smile, cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Thankfully, it seems to suit your palate.”

“Oh, it was delicious! It’s definitely much more substantial than just vegetables.”

“Please understand that the flavor and texture may be a little unnatural.”

“Surely, Karem had mentioned that.”

During the special processing, significant changes happened to both taste and texture, and they had tried their best to maintain the original mouthfeel, right? Recalling Karem’s explanation, Elizabeth wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“That’s why the cooks were looking for it, huh?”

“I am grateful that you perceive it positively.”

“Isn’t that a bit too humble? I never thought I would come to understand why Alicia keeps sneaking off to eat at the tower.”

Finally, she could eat meat again.

Elizabeth’s amazement and praises poured forth.

Naturally, Karem couldn’t bask in the glory.

Elizabeth’s face reflected confusion and embarrassment. The two emotions flickering beneath her joy tugged at Karem’s heart with a sense of unease.

‘If it gets out, I’m finished.’

Therefore, Karem quickly gestured to the bald dwarf. Zigmeser, feeling the same way, nodded slightly and coughed again.

“Ahem. Until the morning sickness settles, I shall serve you with Karem’s special white tenderloin.”

With that, the two stepped out of the room.

Ziiiiiing—

And there it was, the gaze of the crowd.

The sharp eyes of soldiers, knights, and maids. Karem could distinctly feel their thoughts: Was the Duchess finally able to have meat? Why was she coming out empty-handed?

Once again, he pondered, but receiving such glances for over a month was rather unfortunate for Zigmeser.

“So, did it succeed?”

“Of course, it succeeded.”

The giant who asked smiled widely.

Others followed suit.

However, despite everyone’s wishes being fulfilled, no one erupted into cheers or wild celebrations. After all, Elizabeth was just behind the wall.

Yet they felt their gratitude needed expression, and as Karem and Zigmeser walked down the corridor, their backs were graciously patted and shaken hands exchanged repeatedly.

The piercing gazes, which had pricked their skin and raised goosebumps, turned completely favorable, and before half a day had passed, the news would undoubtedly spread throughout the entire castle.

The ticklish yet burdensome stares continued until the door to Zigmeser’s private kitchen shut.

“…”

“Is it safe here?”

“Ah. One moment.”

Zigmeser, as if he had just remembered something, rushed to completely lock the door with his magic tool. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew! We did it.”

“I never imagined we could replicate that texture with beans.”

Zigmeser brought some tofu from the kitchen and tasted it in amazement.

“The world is vast, but I never thought we could create this with soybeans. You learned it from a dark elf of the Kingdom of Adobice, right?”

“Something like that.”

“Solidifying the substance, huh.”

Having quickly resolved pressing issues with a mix of truth and a little lie, Zigmeser finally relaxed, leaning against the table.

His narrow, sleepy eyes felt ready to droop, yet the passionate heat contained within allowed him to savor the chickpea tofu in his mouth.

“Frying or freezing, the texture alters depending on the cooking process, just like any ordinary ingredient. Although it’s a bit extreme.”

Then suddenly, Zigmeser’s thoughts shifted direction.

“I could make it a dessert, too.”

“Like custard pudding?”

“Exactly, by adjusting the consistency. Have you tried making it?”

“No?”

Of course, Karem understood right away what Zigmeser meant.

Zigmeser was talking about silken tofu.

Silken tofu is simple. Just reduce the boiling of soy milk less when making tofu and let it solidify; that’s silken tofu.

Actually, in various Asian regions influenced by the tofu-loving Chinese, a culture of eating silken tofu as dessert had developed quite a bit.

Though names varied by region, the method was similar.

Drizzling sweet syrup over silken tofu and adding garnishes according to taste—that was the entirety of the dish.

With the types of syrup and toppings differing based on the country of origin, the basic cooking method remained constant.

Thus, for Elizabeth, who couldn’t eat dairy or eggs and suffered from protein deficiency, it was the perfect dessert.

“But how do you plan to explain that? The Duchess can’t have milk, right?”

“I’ll think about that when the time comes.”

“You’re aware you have no countermeasures, right?”

“Is that something you ought to say, considering you’re the one plotting to deceive the people of the castle openly?”

Saying that led to a stalemate.

Nonetheless, having resolved a significant issue, Karem’s steps returning to the tower felt much lighter.

*

*

*

Catherine questioned the returning hero.

“So, was it discovered?”

“It couldn’t have been.”

“Huh, and you really succeeded with this.”

Catherine, stirring the bubbling pot, wore a face of disbelief. It smelled strangely unpleasant yet mysteriously off-putting.

“Handmade potion, for the Duchess?”

“Yes. The calculation was completed after you left.”

As Catherine sprinkled some brown powder into the pot, the noxious smell was slightly alleviated.

“Even if it’s said that some nutritional imbalance was resolved with tofu, she won’t recover immediately.”

“Uh… it smells like it’ll make you sick if you eat it.”

“Well, that can’t be helped.”

Catherine briefly frowned, unable to deny that.

“But don’t worry; once it’s completed, the unpleasant smell obstructing her intake will vanish, so her sense of taste will be safe.”

“Then I’m relieved.”

“Hey, that pocket of yours.”

“Yes, here you go.”

As Catherine took out the shriveled claw from the pouch handed by Karem and started slicing it thinly, she recognized it was a griffon’s toe claw. Since she often visited Karem’s laboratory, she had come to identify the various items there.

It was a scene not strange for a wizard’s laboratory or office.

Yet, even after more than a year of observing, it continued to amaze her how variations in the intensity and frequency of stirring or the method of ingredient handling could lead to effects.

“Surprisingly, the calculations took longer than I thought.”

“Well, considering the child in the womb was a factor.”

Catherine looked at Karem with a teasing smile.

“You share some of the blame.”

“Are you really blaming me for this?”

“Yes.”

Catherine answered with determination.

“I calculated based on the premise of nutritional imbalance for Duchess Elizabeth. If your ‘solution’ showed effects, then the fundamental premise of nutritional imbalance is shattered.”

“Oh, come on.”

“At least this way, you won’t have to recalculate everything from scratch.”

Karem felt exasperated, borderline incredulous.

“How is that my fault?”

“Well, let’s drop the trivial talk.”

“No, it was you who started it—”

“Um, are we almost done with the urgent matters?”

“Uh? That can’t be right.”

“But tomorrow—Huh? What did you say?”

Catherine’s plan to propose a date, interrupted for several reasons in Baron Bolton’s territory, faced an immediate snag.

“There’s still an urgent matter?”

“Tomorrow is the day we serve Sir Wales.”

“Ah.”

However, that wasn’t just a snag; it was akin to crashing into an underwater mountain range.

In reality, if it were Mary’s house fairy magic, there shouldn’t have been such a long wait. The issue lay with Wales’s insatiable appetite, even when utilizing Mary’s house fairy magic, that would take about half a day.

The appetite of a dragon was beyond even Alicia, who could devour an entire roast pig within ten minutes.

Of course, at full strength, he’d eat it in ten seconds.

Karem had witnessed the spectacle of Wales chomping down a roast pig like it was a mere French fry.

Initially, Mary, who witnessed that scene, appeared motivated by competitive spirit but ultimately remained just a helper.

In the end, Karem was the one responsible for the preparations.

Though, admittedly, he received more help with baking than he could deal with, it was that kind of flexibility that Wales had plenty of.

“Well… then there’s nothing to be done.”

“Nothing to be done? Catherine, you must come along as well.”

“Me?”

“Wales mentioned it last time.”

Karem casually replied.

“He said he’d do the curse investigation and wanted you to come along.”

Catherine was flabbergasted by Karem’s casual mention of the runestone teleportation accompanying them—the absurdity of his calmness was astonishing.

 

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