My Fiancé Fell in Love with My Older Sister. After Locking Myself in My Room for Five Days, 500 Years Had Passed. - 61 - Before the Storm
The meringue sandwich I had before from a food stall in the imperial capital was just as delicious as I remembered.
The bread was slightly sweet, but it had a rich sauce on it, making the taste sweet and salty at the same time. That’s what makes street food so great…! The crispy texture was also addictive.
And then—
Prince Lian bought me something that I hadn’t seen at the food stalls in the capital before. It looked like a taiyaki fish-shaped cake.
When I received it, I thought maybe it was filled with sweet red bean paste or chocolate? But when I took a bite, I was completely surprised.
(This is deep-fried…!!)
What I thought was taiyaki turned out to be a fish-shaped pie. Inside was a generous serving of creamy stew.
(It’s a calorie bomb~~!! But so good!!)
The perfect harmony of fried pastry and thick cream sauce. With the combined power of oil and cream, I felt like I saw heaven for a moment.
(My mouth is in paradise…)
Yes, fried food plus cream is probably terrible for my weight, but I can’t help it. Delicious food is usually high in calories.
(…I need to start dieting tomorrow.)
I’ll ask the maids to help keep me in check. As I was thinking that and finished the whole thing, I must’ve had a really happy expression on my face. The stall owner smiled and said, “I’ve never seen someone enjoy it that much!!” and gave me one extra.
(C-calories!!) I panicked, but still finished the second one in no time. It couldn’t be helped. It was too tasty!
Apparently, the dish is called Rag Roux en Croûte—a fish pie filled with stew.
Then for dessert, Prince Lian gave me something called chocolate candy.
This wasn’t like usual street food. It came in a fancy silver tin that looked like a jewel box, and each candy was wrapped individually. The shape was round, like a small hard candy.
“This is a classic treat in the Lumos Empire. I think you’ll like it too, Felicia.”
He said that, so I popped one into my mouth.
(The thin outer layer… is this caramel? Chocolate? Or maybe coffee?)
It was coated in something like that. Then, when I gently bit through the coating—
“…!? …………!!”
A warm chocolate sauce flowed out from inside. It had a hint of orange, just slightly sweet and fruity.
(It’s a symphony of flavor~~!!)
The warm chocolate felt freshly heated—probably kept warm with magic.
As I held my mouth and enjoyed the candy, Prince Lian laughed in delight.
“Felicia, you look just like a child trying candy for the first time.”
“…………”
He teased me, and my cheeks slowly got hot.
I wanted to say something back, but the hot chocolate was still melting in my mouth. Talking with food in my mouth would be rude.
The chocolate had a faint taste of alcohol—probably like a bonbon.
Just as I was finishing it, Prince Lian offered me a lemon water drink.
I accepted it gratefully and took a sip. The refreshing herbal scent and the tartness of lemon filled my mouth.
“…………”
After taking one sip and a breath, I realized something.
(Everything I’ve eaten in the Lumos Empire is so delicious…!)
For a moment, I seriously thought about moving to this country. That’s how good the food was.
The food in the Tsobellar Dynasty was tasty too, but it just couldn’t compare to this.
(Well, of course… it has been five hundred years. Of course food would evolve…!)
Magic has progressed, and food probably improved along with it. When I think about it logically, it’s obvious.
The food in the Lumos Empire is really tempting… But I still have to return to Tsobellar. As I kept thinking about it, the carriage started moving again.
Beyond the lake was royal property, and ordinary people weren’t allowed to enter.
It took another two hours by carriage from the lake’s entrance.
Rumble, rumble… A strange, uneasy sound began, and I looked outside the window.
“Oh…?”
“It looks like the weather is turning,” Prince Lian said as he also looked out.
Just a little while ago, the sky had been bright and blue. Now, it was dull gray. In a word: gloomy.
“If we wait a little, the weather should clear up.”
Saying that, he knocked on the small window connecting to the coachman’s seat.
It opened, and Prince Lian spoke to Matthew, who was driving.
“Is there a place nearby with a roof?”
“There’s a cabin the groundskeeper uses when he’s on night duty.”
“Then let’s use that. We’ll wait out the rain there.”
Matthew nodded at Prince Lian’s order, and the carriage slowly changed course and started moving again.
“The weather changes quickly in the mountains. Let’s wait for it to calm down.”
“Yes,” I replied, nodding.
And sure enough, just a few minutes later, the rain came pouring down in sheets.
The carriage stopped near the cabin, and once I, Prince Lian, and the four knights—Welno and the others—entered, the space was already cramped.
The heavy rain turned into a thunderstorm.
CRAAAAASH!!
“Eek…!”
The thunder was so loud it didn’t sound like anything from this world. I let out a small scream without thinking.
Thankfully, the sound was drowned out by the rain and thunder.
Prince Lian and the knights seemed to be talking about something, but honestly, I wasn’t in the right state of mind to listen.
(This is just a cabin…!? And it’s near the mountains!!)
If lightning strikes the cabin, it’s all over…!!
I was terrified. And then, in the distance—
CRACK CRACK CRAAASH!!
A destructive sound echoed through the air.
(Is this the end of the world??)
I froze, wide-eyed. Welno Frenzel and looked out the window.
Then he turned to me and spoke.
“Lady Felicia.”
“Y-yes…?”
Even as we spoke, the thunderstorm raged on.
The wind was strong too.
(Is this cabin going to blow away…?)
Welno looked straight at me and said:
“There’s a supply hut nearby—this cabin is used by the groundskeeper on duty, but there’s a storage area not far from here. It looks like this weather won’t improve any time soon. Just to be safe, we’ll go retrieve food and warm clothes.”