READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 34
As the lids of the dishes being cooked were opened in succession, the warm and comforting air that filled the restaurant changed.
“Beet chips with sautéed vegetables, a cloud omelet with sautéed ham, creamy pasta with five kinds of mushrooms, meat pie, and Wellington steak.”
“You prepared all this in such a short time?”
“Do you know how hard I worked?”
“Hmm.”
The era when course meals became popular was at the tail end of the Middle Ages, typically referred to as the Renaissance period.
Thus, in the fantasy realm of the continent of Europa, which still lagged in the Middle Ages, it was common to serve all dishes at once on the table.
If there were enough time between courses, it could be understood. There was simply not enough time, as it was. I felt like I could use eight more arms.
Moreover, due to a sudden idea, I had no choice but to hastily devour everything except for the Wellington steak and meat pie. If it weren’t for Mary, it would have been impossible.
Karem openly complained to Catherine, and Catherine, realizing this, had no choice but to praise him for his efforts.
Even in front of the guests, while Karem was bickering with Catherine, Godwin and Viktor merely blinked in astonishment at the steaming dishes laid out before them.
“Viktor.”
“What is it, Your Highness Godwin?”
“About these dishes. Do you recognize any of them?”
“Except for the meat pie and that big loaf of bread and what looks like an omelet over there, I honestly have no clue. I can’t identify any of the sauces besides mustard.”
“Come on now, aren’t you older and more experienced than I am?”
“Yet I still say I don’t know. Young master.”
“Ha, are you really the one who shook the very foundations of Europa with your smuggling?”
Godwin said this in a teasing manner. However, he was taken aback when Viktor seriously agreed.
Godwin’s comment wasn’t an empty remark. Before being picked by the late Duke of Iceland, everyone who knew of Viktor’s history was aware he had traded everything except drugs and humans.
Hence, people called him the smuggling king. Some admired him while others despised him.
And the primary clients of the smuggling king were the powerful figures of various countries.
Rich farmers, aristocrats, and royalty.
Thanks to that, he had been exposed to all sorts of delicacies from regular clients.
But what on earth were these?
“Wasn’t pasta a dish from Servianus?”
“Yes. I’m certain of that. But these appearances are entirely different.”
“Hmm, I guess asking directly is the quickest way. Hey! Little chef!”
Upon Godwin’s call, Karem, who had been bickering with Catherine, quickly perked up and ran over.
Bickering in front of the guests—what a blunder that was.
“Yes, Your Highness Felwinter.”
“How many Felwinters are there in this castle? Just call me Godwin. By the way, there are many dishes I haven’t seen before. I’m pondering about what to start with.”
“You should start with the pasta and steak.”
Other dishes could still be eaten even if they were cold.
But pasta would become soggy over time.
Wellington steak would be similar. The crust would go stiff and the meat inside would become tough.
By chance, having witnessed how Mary managed to eat, both Godwin and Viktor adeptly followed suit.
And when the fork held the sauce and a strand of pasta entered their mouths, their eyes widened in surprise.
The explosive aroma of mushrooms enveloping the smooth taste of cream.
Before they could savor it any longer, the long noodles slipped down their throats in an instant.
The fleeting taste left a sense of regret in their mouths.
As the two guests’ pasta plates were almost empty, Karem immediately sliced into the Wellington steak.
The cross-section of what looked only like a loaf of bread was revealed.
Viktor, having received a large piece, let out a small gasp of admiration.
As he sliced it, he couldn’t help but think how clever it was.
The aroma of butter-filled bread that enveloped the dish contrasted with the explosive smell of chopped mushrooms mixed with the rich scent of beef tenderloin.
He was then sorry for having thought of it as merely a big pie.
For Viktor, who had much experience and wisdom, the impression was great, but for Godwin, who was less seasoned, it was even more profound.
After quickly finishing his pasta, Godwin marveled at his second helping of Wellington steak.
“This acidity at the end must be from the mustard.”
“It can be greasy, so it’s spread on the meat’s outer layer.”
“Ha.”
The Kingdom of Seophone, famous for having tasteless cuisine, paradoxically was also known for its advanced grilling techniques.
In such a kingdom, steaks are normally grilled with herbs and butter on the surface, yet it had mustard.
After the gravy sauce paired with it, the richness and acidity continuously assaulted the tongue, alternating between soothing and invigorating.
How about the omelet that broke apart without even the sensation of cutting with tableware?
Viktor and Godwin couldn’t believe it was made with eggs.
The moment they put it in their mouths and tasted it was even more surprising.
They wondered if it could feel this way if clouds from the clear blue sky were gathered and cooked.
Had it not been for the faintly present taste of roasted ham, they wouldn’t have believed it was made from eggs.
Indeed, there was a reason Alicia was envious—
At that moment, something piqued Godwin’s interest.
“Karem. What is this sauce?”
“The sauce?”
“Yeah. I recognize the mustard and gravy on the far left, but I have no clue about the other two.”
“The yellow sauce is honey mustard, and the white one is mayonnaise.”
“Hmm.”
Was this it? The reason the omelet had a rich but slightly bland flavor?
Godwin immediately tried the other two sauces, not the familiar mustard.
Dipping the omelet in, he felt as if time stretched around him.
The first taste, an unfamiliar, rich, and oily flavor, along with the sourness, was something every Icelandic living through the harsh cold could not help but be tempted by.
On the flip side, Viktor was shivering not because of the sauces, but because of Karem’s age.
It wasn’t that he disliked honey mustard or mayonnaise.
In fact, they were quite excellent.
What thrilled him was Karem’s youth.
Viktor was confident.
Though not everyone in the continent had tried half of the culinary experiences he had, he could boast he had more experience than the dukes of Seophone.
Though there were many who worked in kitchens, only a few had the right to handle sauces.
Let alone a kid who hadn’t even undergone a coming-of-age ceremony, developing a new sauce—it was a feat even seasoned chefs who dedicated their lives to cooking could find hard.
Of course, Karem hastily put together this sauce as a temporary substitution for ketchup.
It was merely a recreation of memories from a past life.
But the impact and influence of mayonnaise could not help but be significant, more than Karem realized.
Considering the status of mayonnaise in contemporary cuisine only emphasized that point.
For now, Viktor decided to concentrate on the food.
If not, the young master he served would devour all the dishes on the table.
Meanwhile, Karem sighed in relief as he watched.
Though he suddenly realized he had forgotten the dessert in his haste, thankfully, the guests appeared satisfied at the moment.
However, Catherine, looking incredulous, called to Karem.
“Little one, you really messed up this time, didn’t you?”
“Yes? Isn’t it good if the guests enjoy it?”
“Even so, the outcome is way too extravagant.”
“Yes?”
Catherine pointed to Viktor and Godwin, who were diving in with mayonnaise-covered beet chips, chewing and swallowing, as she spoke.
And Karem too recognized what she was hinting at.
“You’ve just doubled the number of someone like Princess Alicia.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“Naturally. Hmm. Don’t you feel it?”
“Uh, well, I’m just glad they’re enjoying it?”
Karem certainly didn’t feel it.
No, the other dishes simply received the same kind of reactions from Catherine.
But to see them react so extravagantly to mayonnaise?
However, Karem had overlooked a certain fact.
Though the medieval period was less developed in gastronomy, there were indeed similar dishes.
There were omelets, pasta, and even Wellington steak, although it was just a large piece, it was essentially a form of pie.
However, mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise, and honey mustard derived from it, were different.
They were sauces of a taste and texture that had not graced any table before.
In an era when sauces were all about alcohol bases, sweet and sour fruit sauces, rich and nutty butter sauces, and thickened gravy sauces, a sauce from the 18th century burst forth with such destructive power.
To put it simply,
To the Nordic-Russian people, mayonnaise was like life itself.
Yet for Karem, who was not associating connections to that idea, it was simply a matter of indifference, which slightly irked Catherine.
After a while, Godwin, who had been solely focused on the meal, set down his tableware and spoke to Catherine with an excited expression.
“Atanitas, where on earth did you find such a chef?”
“Do you believe me if I said I stumbled upon him while coming from Kingsland to Iceland?”
“Don’t kid around. Judging by his skills, you could believe he’s the palace head chef.”
“But I swear, it’s truly neither more nor less than that.”
At that moment, Catherine met Karem’s gaze, explaining the situation.
There was no need to hide this matter.
Many people of various ranks had fled to Iceland.
Even Godwin’s attendant, Viktor, had been a representative who became a noble after escaping to Iceland.
“Ha, a serf, you say?”
“I felt that same sentiment when I picked up the little one.”
“I can hardly believe it.”
“He said he’s a genius in cooking.”
At those words, Godwin and Viktor shot incredulous looks at Karem.
With expressions of disbelief, the only thing Karem could do was shrug, as if to say, “So what?”
As it was too troublesome to explain, he opted for them to just assume he’s a genius.
And both Viktor and Godwin had no choice but to agree.
Every single dish, except for the meat pie that was completely forgotten since the beginning, was either something new or in a form they had never seen before. Most notably, the sauce called mayonnaise, considering Karem’s age, made one naturally assume the word genius.
It’s not that there weren’t child prodigies with a long history to their names.
Finally coming out of the lingering taste of mayonnaise, Viktor rubbed around his eyes and muttered,
“A genius, huh? Now that I think about it, Atanitas himself is a representative of genius. Ha! To prepare such dishes at such a young age.”
“With skill like this, he could participate as an offerer at Wintersend.”
“Indeed, he certainly qualifies with these skills.”
“Wintersend? An offerer? Are they going to sacrifice something?”
Before Karem could even ask what that was, Catherine, who had been boasting about her cook, interjected.
“No, the qualifications to be an offerer require three endorsers….”
“With me, Alicia, and you included, isn’t it enough? Atanitas.”
“With me included, that makes three. The numbers align perfectly.”
“…It really seems feasible.”
Catherine, who was about to dismiss the matter as nonsense, started to show concerns as Godwin and Viktor’s comments kept flowing. No, whether it was Wintersend or whatever.
“What is Wintersend, and why are they talking about a sacrifice?”
“Ah, do I really have to start explaining from there?”